Zika Virus Infection with Prolonged Maternal Viremia and Fetal Brain Abnormalities

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus and member of the Flaviviridae family, was originally isolated from a sentinel primate in Uganda in 1947. ZIKV was associated with mild febrile disease and maculopapular rash in tropical Africa and some areas of Southeast Asia. Since 2007, ZIKV has…

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Exclusive real-time monitoring during recurrent laryngeal nerve dissection in conventional monitored thyroidectomy

Publication date: Available online 30 March 2016
Source:The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Author(s): Xiao-Li Liu, Che-Wei Wu, Yi-Shen Zhao, Tie Wang, Peng Chen, Jing-Wei Xin, Shi-Jie Li, Da-Qi Zhang, Guang Zhang, Yan-Tao Fu, Li-Na Zhao, Le Zhou, Gianlorenzo Dionigi, Feng-Yu Chiang, Hui Sun
During conventional intermittent intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in thyroidectomy, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is detected by an electromyographic (EMG) loss of signal (LOS) after the nerve dissection. Exclusive continuous monitoring during the phase of RLN dissection may be helpful in detecting adverse EMG changes earlier. A total of 208 RLNs at risk were enrolled in this study. Standardized IONM procedures were followed. We continuously stimulated the RLN at the lower exposed end with a stimulator to exclusively monitor the real-time quantitative EMG change during RLN dissection. Once the amplitude decreased by more than 50% of the initial signal, the surgical maneuver was paused and the RLN was retested every minute for 10 minutes to determine amplitude recovery before restarting the dissection. The procedure was feasible in all patients. No LOS was encountered in this study. Nineteen RLNs had an amplitude reduction of more than 50%. Eighteen nerves showed gradual amplitude recovery (16 nerves had a traction injury and two nerves had a compression injury). After 10 minutes, the recovery was complete (i.e., >90%) in eight nerves, 70–90% in seven nerves, and 50–70% in three nerves. Among these 18 nerves, only one nerve developed temporary vocal palsy because it was exposed to unavoidable repeated nerve traction after restarting the dissection. Another nerve showed no gradual recovery from thermal injury, and developed temporary vocal palsy. The temporary and permanent palsy rates were 1% and 0%, respectively. During intermittent IONM, exclusive real-time monitoring of the RLN during dissection is an effective procedure to detect an adverse EMG change, and prevent severe RLN injuries that cause LOS.



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Toric IOL results with femto vs standard cataract surgery

Espaillat A, Pérez O, Potvin R

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Risk factors for tube exposure

Chaku M, Netland PA, Ishida K, Rhee DJ

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Spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging of subretinal bands

Kothari N, Kuriyan AE, Flynn HW Jr

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Age-related maintenance of eccentric strength: a study of temperature dependence

Abstract

With adult aging, eccentric strength is maintained better than isometric strength leading to a higher ratio of eccentric/isometric force production (ECC/ISO) in older than younger adults. The purpose was to investigate the ECC/ISO during electrical activation of the adductor pollicis during lengthening (20–320° s⁻¹) contractions in 24 young (n = 12, ∼24 years) and old (n = 12, ∼72 years) males across muscle temperatures (cold ∼19 °C; normal ∼30 °C; warm ∼35 °C). For isometric force, the old were 20–30 % weaker in the normal and cold conditions (P < 0.05) with no difference for the warm condition compared to young (P > 0.05). Half-relaxation time (HRT) did not differ across age for the normal and warm temperatures (P > 0.05), but it slowed significantly for old in the cold condition compared with young (∼15 %; P < 0.05), as well, there was a 20 and 40 % increase in muscle stiffness for the young and old, respectively. ECC/ISO was 50–60 % greater for the cold condition than the normal and warm conditions. There was no age difference in ECC/ISO across ages for the normal and warm conditions (P > 0.05), but for the cold, the old exhibited a 20–35 % higher ECC/ISO than did the young for velocities above 60° s⁻¹ (P < 0.05). A contributing factor to the elevated ECC/ISO is an increased proportion of weakly compared to strongly bound crossbridges. These findings highlight the relationship (r = 0.70) between intrinsic muscle contractile speed (HRT) and eccentric strength in old age.

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Self-reported receipt of healthcare professional’s weight management counselling is associated with self-reported weight management behaviours of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Weight loss has been shown to influence the health outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients. Providing weight management counselling to diabetes patients may help them adopt appropriate weight management behaviour...

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Evolution of internal variables in an expanding hollow cylinder at large plastic strains

An efficient method for calculating the evolution of internal variables in an expanding hollow cylinder of rigid/plastic material is proposed. The conventional constitutive equations for rigid plastic, hardeni...

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Effects of berberine on pharmacokinetics of midazolam and rhodamine 123 in rats in vivo

To evaluate whether berberine hydrochloride (BBR) could modify the pharmacokinetic profiles of midazolam (MDZ), a substrate of CYP3A, and rhodamine 123 (Rh123), a substrate of P-glycolprotein (P-gp), in male ...

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Food intake and gestational weight gain in Swedish women

The objective of this study was to investigate if food intake (dairy, snacks, caloric beverages, bread, cheese, margarine/butter, potato/rice/pasta/grains, red meat, fish and fruit/berries/vegetables) is assoc...

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Safety, efficacy and clinical generalization of the STAR protocol: a retrospective analysis

The changes in metabolic pathways and metabolites due to critical illness result in a highly complex and dynamic metabolic state, making safe, effective management of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia difficult. ...

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Relative Inhibitions of 5-Lipoxygenase and Myeloperoxidase and Free-Radical Scavenging Activities of Daidzein, Dihydrodaidzein, and Equol

Journal of Medicinal Food , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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Verification of the harmonization of human epididymis protein 4 assays

Journal Name: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)
Issue: Ahead of print


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Impact of under-filled blood collection tubes containing K2EDTA and K3EDTA as anticoagulants on automated complete blood count (CBC) testing

Journal Name: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)
Issue: Ahead of print


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Monitoring multiple myeloma patients treated with daratumumab: teasing out monoclonal antibody interference

Journal Name: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)
Issue: Ahead of print


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Distribution of antiphospholipid antibodies in a large population-based German cohort

Journal Name: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)
Issue: Ahead of print


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Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on arterial stiffness and blood pressure in resistant hypertensive individuals: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Resistant hypertension (RH) treatment requires an adequate and intense therapeutic approach. However, the results are not always satisfactory despite intensive treatment. Of the different pathophysiological me...

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A Natural Product Telomerase Activator Lengthens Telomeres in Humans: A Randomized, Double Blind, and Placebo Controlled Study

Rejuvenation Research , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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POSAiDA: presence of Staphylococcus aureus/MRSA and Enterococcus/VRE in Danish ambulances. A cross-sectional study

Every year approximately one out of ten Danish patients contracts a healthcare associated infection (HAI). Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus are prominent in the group of pathogenic bacteria that underlie HA...

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Prevalence and risk factors of three curable sexually transmitted infections among women in Nairobi, Kenya

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. The complications of untreated STIs in the female genital tract and their role in adverse pregnancy...

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Ann Agric Environ Med 2016; 23(1):120-124 " Immune and clinical response to honeybee venom in beekeepers"

 OBJECTIVE:The aim of the study was to assess immune response to honeybee venom in relation to the degree of exposure, time after a sting and clinical symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHOD:Fifty-four volunteers were divided into 2 groups: beekeepers and a control group. The serum levels of total IgE (tIgE), bee venom-specific IgE (venom sIgE), phospholipase A2-specific IgE (phospholipase A2 sIgE), tryptase and venom-specific IgG4 (venom sIgG4) were determined. In beekeepers, diagnostic tests were performed within 3 hours following a sting and were repeated after a minimum of 6 weeks from the last sting. In individuals from the control group, the tests were performed only once, without a sting. RESULTS:The tests showed significant differences in venom sIgE (beekeepers' median = 0.34 kUA/l, control group median = 0.29 kUA/l), baseline serum tryptase (beekeepers' median = 4.25 µg/l, control group median = 2.74 µg/l) and sIgG4 (beekeepers' median = 21.2 mgA/l, control group median = 0.14 mgA/l), confirming higher levels of the tested substances in the beekeepers than in the control group. A significant positive correlation was observed between phospholipase A2 sIgE concentration and severity of clinical symptoms after a sting in the group of beekeepers. It was also demonstrated that the clinical symptoms after a sting became less severe with increasing age of the beekeepers. CONCLUSIONS:The differences in the immune response to a bee sting between the beekeepers and individuals not exposed to bees were probably due to the high exposure of the beekeepers to honeybee venom allergens. This may suggest a different approach to the bee venom allergy diagnostic tests in this occupational group.

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Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

The preparation presented here for whisker-signaled eyeblink conditioning in head-fixed mice precisely stimulates specific whiskers while allowing mice to ambulate on a cylindrical treadmill. A whisker stimulation conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with a periorbital shock unconditioned stimulus (US) results in reliable associative learning on this apparatus.

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Is Low Hemoglobin Concentration Highly Associated with the Onset of Cognitive Impairment in Elderly People?

Rejuvenation Research , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 246: An Effective Electrodeposition Mode for Porous MnO2/Ni Foam Composite for Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Three kinds of MnO2/Ni foam composite electrode with hierarchical meso-macroporous structures were prepared using potentiodynamic (PD), potentiostatic (PS), and a combination of PS and PD(PS + PD) modes of electrodeposition. The electrodeposition mode markedly influenced the surface morphological, textural, and supercapacitive properties of the MnO2/Ni electrodes. The supercapacitive performance of the MnO2/Ni electrode obtained via PS + PD(PS + PD(MnO2/Ni)) was found to be superior to those of MnO2/Ni electrodes obtained via PD and PS, respectively. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor device, activated carbon (AC)/PS + PD(MnO2/Ni), utilizing PS + PD(MnO2/Ni) as a positive electrode and AC as a negative electrode, was fabricated. The device exhibited an energy density of 7.7 Wh·kg−1 at a power density of 600 W·kg−1 and superior cycling stability, retaining 98% of its initial capacity after 10,000 cycles. The good supercapacitive performance and excellent stability of the AC/PS + PD(MnO2/Ni) device can be ascribed to its high surface area, hierarchical structure, and interconnected three-dimensional reticular configuration of the nickel metal support, which facilitates electrolyte ion intercalation and deintercalation at the electrode/electrolyte interface and mitigates volume change during repeated charge/discharge cycling. These results demonstrate the great potential of the combination of PS and PD modes for MnO2 electrodeposition for the development of high-performance electrodes for supercapacitors.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 251: Removal of 4-Chlorophenol from Contaminated Water Using Activated Carbon from Dried Date Pits: Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics Analyses

Five different activated carbons (ACs) have been prepared from dried date pits using air and phosphoric acid as activating agents. The used phosphoric acid:date pit ratio dictated the characteristics of the prepared ACs; the equivalent BET-nitrogen surface area varied from 794 m2/g for a ratio of 5:1, to 1707 m2/g for a ratio of 2:1, whereas the micropore volume changed in value from 0.24 cm3/g for the 5:1 ratio to 0.59 cm3/g for the 2:1 ratio. The prepared ACs were tested to remove 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) from aqueous solutions by means of batch adsorption process. The prepared 2:1 AC exhibited the highest uptake with a maximum of 525 mg/g. Equilibrium pH studies showed that 4-CP removal was pH dependent; the maximum uptake occurred at an equilibrium pH value of 5.5. Dynamic studies showed that 4-CP uptake on 2:1 AC is rapid, with 80% of the maximum uptake achieved during the first 40 min. Both surface adsorption and intraparticle diffusion were identified to be effective adsorption mechanisms. Kinetic studies indicated a pseudo second-order reaction. Results of equilibrium adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption of the 4-CP on 2:1 AC is best described by the Langmuir model. The thermodynamics parameters of the adsorption (ΔG0, ΔH0, and ΔS0) were determined by studying the adsorption equilibrium at different temperatures. The values of these parameters indicated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption phenomenon of 4-CP on the prepared ACs.

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Growing skull fractures: guidelines for early diagnosis and surgical management

Abstract

Background

Growing skull fracture (GSF) is a rare complication of pediatric head trauma and causes delayed onset neurological deficits and cranial defect. GSF usually develops following linear fracture with underlying dural tear resulting in herniation of the brain. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to avoid complications. However, there are no clear-cut guidelines for the early diagnosis of GSF. The present study was conducted to identify the criteria for the early diagnosis of GSF.

Material and methods

From 2010 to 2015, all pediatric patients of head trauma with linear fracture were evaluated. Patients of age <5 years with cephalhematoma, bone diastasis of 4 mm or more with underlying brain contusion were subjected to contrast brain MRI to find out the dural tear and herniation of the brain matter. Patients with contrast MRI showing dural tear and herniation of the brain matter were considered high risk for the development of GSF and treated surgically within 1 month of trauma. Patients with contrast brain MRI not showing dural tear and herniation of the brain matter were regularly followed for any signs of GSF.

Results

A total of 20 patients were evaluated, out of which 16 showed dural defects with herniation of the brain matter and were subjected to duraplasty. Four patients in which MRI did not show dural tear and herniation of the brain matter were regularly followed-up and have not shown any sign of GSF later on follow-up.

Conclusion

Early diagnosis of GSF can be made based on the four criteria, i.e., (1) age <5 year with cephalhematoma, (2) bone diastasis 4 mm or more (3) underlying brain contusion (4) contrast MRI showing dural tear and herniation of the brain matter. Dural tear with herniation of the brain matter is the main etiopathogenic factor for the development of GSF. Early diagnosis and treatment of GSF can yield a good outcome.

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Germinated Waxy Black Rice Suppresses Weight Gain in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Journal of Medicinal Food , Vol. 0, No. 0.


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Effectiveness of influenza vaccination for preventing influenza-related complications in people with asthma: a systematic review protocol

Introduction

Influenza vaccination is administered annually as a preventive measure against influenza infection and influenza-related complications in high-risk individuals, such as those with asthma. However, the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in people with asthma against influenza-related complications is still not well established.

Methods and analysis

We will search the following databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Web of Science Core Collection, Science direct, WHO Library Information System (WHOLIS), Global Health Library and Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang and ChongQing VIP) from Jan 1970 to Jan 2016 for observational and experimental studies on effectiveness of influenza vaccine in people with asthma. The identification of studies will be complemented with the searching of the reference lists and citations, and contacting influenza vaccine manufacturers to identify unpublished or ongoing studies. Two reviewers will extract data and appraise the quality of each study independently. Separate meta-analyses will be undertaken for observational and experimental evidence using fixed-effect or random-effects models, as appropriate.

Ethics and dissemination

Formal ethical approval is not required, as primary data will not be collected. The review will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

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Anti-VEGF treatment of nAMD in clinical practice

Pedrosa AC, Reis-Silva A, Pinheiro-Costa J, Beato J, Freitas-da-Costa P, Falcão MS, Falcão-Reis F, Carneiro A

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Data for global lysine-acetylation analysis in rice (Oryza sativa)

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Yehui Xiong, Kai Zhang, Zhongyi Cheng, Guo-Liang Wang, Wende Liu
Rice is one of the most important crops for human consumption and is a staple food for over half of the world׳s population (Yu et al., 2002) [1]. A systematic identification of the lysine acetylome was performed by our research (Xiong et al., 2016) [2]. Rice plant samples were collected from 5 weeks old seedlings (Oryza sativa, Nipponbare). After the trypsin digestion and immunoaffinity precipitation, LC–MS/MS approach was used to identify acetylated peptides. After the collected MS/MS data procession and GO annotation, the InterProScan was used to annotate protein domain. Subcellular localization of the identified acetylated proteins was predicted by WoLF PSORT. The KEGG pathway database was used to annotate identified acetylated protein interactions, reactions, and relations. The data, supplied in this article, are related to "A comprehensive catalog of the lysine-acetylation targets in rice (O. sativa) based on proteomic analyses" by Xiong et al. (2016) [2].



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Proteomic analysis of the medicinal plant Artemisia annua: Data from leaf and trichome extracts

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Laura Bryant, Chhaya Patole, Rainer Cramer
This article contains raw and processed data related to research published by Bryant et al.[1]. Data was obtained by MS-based proteomics, analysing trichome-enriched, trichome-depleted and whole leaf samples taken from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua and searching the acquired MS/MS data against a recently published contig database [2] and other genomic and proteomic sequence databases for comparison. The processed data shows that an order-of-magnitude more proteins have been identified from trichome-enriched Artemisia annua samples in comparison to previously published data. Proteins known to have a role in the biosynthesis of artemisinin and other highly abundant proteins were found which imply additional enzymatically driven processes occurring within the trichomes that are significant for the biosynthesis of artemisinin.



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Early LPS-induced ERK activation in retinal pigment epithelium cells is dependent on PIP2-PLC

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Melina V. Mateos, Constanza B. Kamerbeek, Norma M. Giusto, Gabriela A. Salvador
This article presents additional data regarding the study "The phospholipase D pathway mediates the inflammatory response of the retinal pigment epithelium" [1]. The new data presented here show that short exposure of RPE cells to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces an early and transient activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2). This early ERK1/2 activation is dependent on phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate-phospholipase C (PIP2-PLC). On the contrary, neither the phospholipase D 1 (PLD1) nor the PLD2 inhibition is able to modulate the early ERK1/2 activation induced by LPS in RPE cells.



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Properties of substances inhibiting aggregation of oxidized GAPDH: Data on the interaction with the enzyme and the impact on its intracellular content

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Vladimir F. Lazarev, Alina D. Nikotina, Pavel I. Semenyuk, Diana B. Evstafyeva, Elena R. Mikhaylova, Vladimir I. Muronetz, Maxim A. Shevtsov, Anastasia V. Tolkacheva, Anatoly V. Dobrodumov, Alexey L. Shavarda, Irina V. Guzhova, Boris A. Margulis
This data is related to our paper "Small molecules preventing GAPDH aggregation are therapeutically applicable in cell and rat models of oxidative stress" (Lazarev et al. [1]) where we explore therapeutic properties of small molecules preventing GAPDH aggregation in cell and rat models of oxidative stress. The present article demonstrates a few of additional properties of the chemicals shown to block GAPDH aggregation such as calculated site for targeting the enzyme, effects on GAPDH glycolytic activity, influence on GAPDH intracellular level and anti-aggregate activity of pure polyglutamine exemplifying a denatured protein.



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Data defining markers of human neural stem cell lineage potential

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Lotta E. Oikari, Rachel K. Okolicsanyi, Lyn R. Griffiths, Larisa M. Haupt
Neural stem cells (NSCs) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are self-renewing and multipotent cells, however, NPCs are considered to be more lineage-restricted with a reduced self-renewing capacity. We present data comparing the expression of 21 markers encompassing pluripotency, self-renewal (NSC) as well as neuronal and glial (astrocyte and oligodendrocyte) lineage specification and 28 extracellular proteoglycan (PG) genes and their regulatory enzymes between embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived human NSCs (hNSC H9 cells, Thermo Fisher) and human cortex-derived normal human NPCs (nhNPCs, Lonza). The data demonstrates expression differences of multiple lineage and proteoglycan-associated genes between hNSC H9 cells and nhNPCs. Data interpretation of markers and proteoglycans defining NSC and neural cell lineage characterisation can be found in "Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans as novel markers of human neural stem cell fate determination" (Oikari et al. 2015) [1].



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Detailed analysis of association between common single nucleotide polymorphisms and subclinical atherosclerosis: The Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Jose D. Vargas, Ani Manichaikul, Xin-Qun Wang, Stephen S. Rich, Jerome I. Rotter, Wendy S. Post, Joseph F. Polak, Matthew J. Budoff, David A. Bluemke
Previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genome wide association studies (GWAS) of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in participants of mostly European descent were tested for association with subclinical cardiovascular disease (sCVD), coronary artery calcium score (CAC) and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The data in this data in brief article correspond to the article Common Genetic Variants and Subclinical Atherosclerosis: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [1]. This article includes the demographic information of the participants analyzed in the article as well as graphical displays and data tables of the association of the selected SNPs with CAC and of the meta-analysis across ethnicities of the association of CIMT-c (common carotid), CIMT-I (internal carotid), CAC-d (CAC as dichotomous variable with CAC>0) and CAC-c (CAC as continuous variable, the log of the raw CAC score plus one) and CVD. The data tables corresponding to the 9p21 fine mapping experiment as well as the power calculations referenced in the article are also included.



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Data in support of the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed samples

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Noor Alasaad, Hussein Alzubi, Ahmad Abdul Kader
Food and feed samples were randomly collected from different sources, including local and imported materials from the Syrian local market. These included maize, barley, soybean, fresh food samples and raw material. GMO detection was conducted by PCR and nested PCR-based techniques using specific primers for the most used foreign DNA commonly used in genetic transformation procedures, i.e., 35S promoter, T-nos, epsps, cryIA(b) gene and nptII gene.The results revealed for the first time in Syria the presence of GM foods and feeds with glyphosate-resistant trait of P35S promoter and NOS terminator in the imported soybean samples with high frequency (5 out of the 6 imported soybean samples). While, tests showed negative results for the local samples. Also, tests revealed existence of GMOs in two imported maize samples detecting the presence of 35S promoter and nos terminator. Nested PCR results using two sets of primers confirmed our data.The methods applied in the brief data are based on DNA analysis by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This technique is specific, practical, reproducible and sensitive enough to detect up to 0.1% GMO in food and/or feedstuffs. Furthermore, all of the techniques mentioned are economic and can be applied in Syria and other developing countries. For all these reasons, the DNA-based analysis methods were chosen and preferred over protein-based analysis.

Graphical abstract

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In depth analysis of the Sox4 gene locus that consists of sense and natural antisense transcripts

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): King-Hwa Ling, Peter J. Brautigan, Sarah Moore, Rachel Fraser, Melody Pui-Yee Leong, Jia-Wen Leong, Shahidee Zainal Abidin, Han-Chung Lee, Pike-See Cheah, Joy M. Raison, Milena Babic, Young Kyung Lee, Tasman Daish, Deidre M. Mattiske, Jeffrey R. Mann, David L. Adelson, Paul Q. Thomas, Christopher N. Hahn, Hamish S. Scott
SRY (Sex Determining Region Y)-Box 4 or Sox4 is an important regulator of the pan-neuronal gene expression during post-mitotic cell differentiation within the mammalian brain. Sox4 gene locus has been previously characterized with multiple sense and overlapping natural antisense transcripts [1,2]. Here we provide accompanying data on various analyses performed and described in Ling et al. [2]. The data include a detail description of various features found at Sox4 gene locus, additional experimental data derived from RNA-Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (RNA-FISH), Western blotting, strand-specific reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), gain-of-function and in situ hybridization (ISH) experiments. All the additional data provided here support the existence of an endogenous small interfering- or PIWI interacting-like small RNA known as Sox4_sir3, which origin was found within the overlapping region consisting of a sense and a natural antisense transcript known as Sox4ot1.



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Data on synthesis of oligomeric and polymeric poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate) model substrates for the investigation of enzymatic hydrolysis

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Veronika Perz, Klaus Bleymaier, Carsten Sinkel, Ulf Kueper, Melanie Bonnekessel, Doris Ribitsch, Georg M. Guebitz
The aliphatic-aromatic copolyester poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate) (PBAT), also known as ecoflex, contains adipic acid, 1,4-butanediol and terephthalic acid and is proven to be compostable [1–3]). We describe here data for the synthesis and analysis of poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate variants with different adipic acid:terephatalic acid ratios and 6 oligomeric PBAT model substrates. Data for the synthesis of the following oligomeric model substrates are described: mono(4-hydroxybutyl) terephthalate (BTa), bis(4-(hexanoyloxy)butyl) terephthalate (HaBTaBHa), bis(4-(decanoyloxy)butyl) terephthalate (DaBTaBDa), bis(4-(tetradecanoyloxy)butyl) terephthalate (TdaBTaBTda), bis(4-hydroxyhexyl) terephthalate (HTaH) and bis(4-(benzoyloxy)butyl) terephthalate (BaBTaBBa). Polymeric PBAT variants were synthesized with adipic acid:terephatalic acid ratios of 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50. These polymeric and oligomeric substances were used as ecoflex model substrates in enzymatic hydrolysis experiments in the article "Substrate specificities of cutinases on aliphatic-aromatic polyesters and on their model substrates" [4].



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Active site specificity profiling datasets of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Ulrich Eckhard, Pitter F. Huesgen, Oliver Schilling, Caroline L. Bellac, Georgina S. Butler, Jennifer H. Cox, Antoine Dufour, Verena Goebeler, Reinhild Kappelhoff, Ulrich auf dem Keller, Theo Klein, Philipp F. Lange, Giada Marino, Charlotte J. Morrison, Anna Prudova, David Rodriguez, Amanda E. Starr, Yili Wang, Christopher M. Overall
The data described provide a comprehensive resource for the family-wide active site specificity portrayal of the human matrix metalloproteinase family. We used the high-throughput proteomic technique PICS (Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites) to comprehensively assay 9 different MMPs. We identified more than 4300 peptide cleavage sites, spanning both the prime and non-prime sides of the scissile peptide bond allowing detailed subsite cooperativity analysis. The proteomic cleavage data were expanded by kinetic analysis using a set of 6 quenched-fluorescent peptide substrates designed using these results. These datasets represent one of the largest specificity profiling efforts with subsequent structural follow up for any protease family and put the spotlight on the specificity similarities and differences of the MMP family. A detailed analysis of this data may be found in Eckhard et al. (2015) [1]. The raw mass spectrometry data and the corresponding metadata have been deposited in PRIDE/ProteomeXchange with the accession number PXD002265.



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Comprehensive RNA dataset of AGO2 associated RNAs in Jurkat cells following miR-21 over-expression

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Claudia Carissimi, Teresa Colombo, Gianluca Azzalin, Emanuela Cipolletta, Ilaria Laudadio, Giuseppe Macino, Valerio Fulci
We set out to identify miR-21 targets in Jurkat cells using a high-throughput biochemical approach (10.1016/j.biochi.2014.09.021[1]). Using a specific monoclonal antibody raised against AGO2, RISC complexes were immunopurified in Jurkat cells over-expressing miR-21 following lentiviral trasduction as well as in Jurkat control cells lines. A parallel immunoprecipitation using isotype-matched rat IgG was performed as a control. AGO2 associated mRNAs were profiled by microarray (GEO: GSE37212). AGO2 bound miRNAs were profiled by RNA-seq.



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Structure of the GAT domain of the endosomal adapter protein Tom1

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Shuyan Xiao, Jeffrey F. Ellena, Geoffrey S. Armstrong, Daniel G.S. Capelluto
Cellular homeostasis requires correct delivery of cell-surface receptor proteins (cargo) to their target subcellular compartments. The adapter proteins Tom1 and Tollip are involved in sorting of ubiquitinated cargo in endosomal compartments. Recruitment of Tom1 to the endosomal compartments is mediated by its GAT domain's association to Tollip's Tom1-binding domain (TBD). In this data article, we report the solution NMR-derived structure of the Tom1 GAT domain. The estimated protein structure exhibits a bundle of three helical elements. We compare the Tom1 GAT structure with those structures corresponding to the Tollip TBD- and ubiquitin-bound states.



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MS-analysis of SILAC-labeled MYC-driven B lymphoma cells overexpressing miR-17-19b

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Marija Mihailovich, Tiziana Bonaldi
Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, which dampen gene expression by repressing translation and/or inducing degradation of target-mRNAs. Although the role of miR-17-19b (a truncated version of miR-17-92 cluster) is well documented in MYC-driven B cell lymphomagenesis, little is known about the function of the cluster in the maintenance of full-blown lymphomas. We employed SILAC-based quantitative proteomics to identify miR-17-19b targets upon a mild overexpression of the cluster in B cell lymphomas, established from λ-MYC transgenic mice. The proteomics data described in detail in this study, whose follow up analysis with MaxQuant algorithm is part of the recent publication (Mihailovich et al., 2015) [1], are deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository, with the accession code PRIDE: PXD002810.



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Changes over lactation in breast milk serum proteins involved in the maturation of immune and digestive system of the infant

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Lina Zhang, Marita de Waard, Hester Verheijen, Sjef Boeren, Jos A. Hageman, Toon van Hooijdonk, Jacques Vervoort, Johannes B. van Goudoever, Kasper Hettinga
Here we provide data from shot-gun proteomics, using filtered-aided sample preparation (FASP), dimethyl labeling and LC–MS/MS, to quantify the changes in the repertoire of human milk proteins over lactation. Milk serum proteins were analyzed at week 1, 2, 3 4, 8, 16, and 24 in milk from four individual mothers. A total of 247 proteins were identified, of which 200 proteins were quantified. The data supplied in this article supports the accompanying publication (Zhang et al., 2006) [1]. The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium (Vizcaíno et al., 2016) [2] via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD003465.



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Supporting data for characterization of non-coding RNAs associated with the Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1) adhesion protein

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Prameet Kaur, Jun Rong Tan, Dwi Setyowati Karolina, Sugunavathi Sepramaniam, Arunmozhiarasi Armugam, Tsun-Hon Peter Wong, Kandiah Jeyaseelan
Long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs control gene expression to determine central nervous system development and function. Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1) is a cell adhesion molecule that plays an important role in neurite outgrowth during neuronal development and its precise expression is crucial for correct brain development. The data described here is related to the research article titled "A long non-coding RNA, BC048612 and a microRNA, miR-203 coordinate the gene expression of Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1) adhesion protein" [1]. This data article contains detailed bioinformatics analysis of genetic signatures at the Negr1 gene locus retrieved from the UCSC genome browser. This approach could be adopted to identify putative regulatory non-coding RNAs in other tissues and diseases.



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Data supporting the absence of FNR dynamic photosynthetic membrane recruitment in trol mutants

Publication date: June 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 7
Author(s): Lea Vojta, Hrvoje Fulgosi
In photosynthesis, the flavoenzyme ferredoxin:NADP⁺ oxidoreductase (FNR) catalyses the final electron transfer from ferredoxin to NADP⁺, which is considered as the main pathway of high-energy electron partitioning in chloroplasts (DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2009.03999.x[1], DOI: 10.1038/srep10085[2]). Different detergents and pH treatments of photosynthetic membranes isolated from the Arabidopsis wild-type (WT) and the loss-of-function mutants of the thylakoid rhodanase-like protein TROL (trol), pre-acclimated to either dark, growth-light, or high-light conditions, were used to probe the strength of FNR-membrane associations. Detergents β-DM (decyl-β-D-maltopyranoside) or β-DDM (n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside) were used to test the stability of FNR binding to the thylakoid membranes, and to assess different membrane domains containing FNR. Further, the extraction conditions mimicked pH status of chloroplast stroma during changing light regimes. Plants without TROL are incapable of the dynamic FNR recruitment to the photosynthetic membranes.



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Opioids increase hip fracture risk: a meta-analysis

Abstract

The relationship between hip fracture risk and opioid use remains controversial. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the risk of hip fracture among opioid users. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for studies published from the inception of the databases until June 2015. The information was extracted independently by two teams of authors. When the heterogeneity was significant, the random-effects model was used to calculate the overall pooled risk estimates. Ten studies with 697,011 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. The overall combined relative risk for the use of opioids and hip fracture was 1.54 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.34–1.77]. Subgroup analyses revealed sources of heterogeneity, and sensitivity analysis indicated stable results, and no publication bias was observed. This meta-analysis demonstrates that opioids significantly increase the risk of hip fracture.

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Crystallographic orientation of the c -axis of biological apatite as a new index of the quality of subchondral bone in knee joint osteoarthritis

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the preferred orientation of biological apatite (BAp) as a new index of the quality of subchondral bone (SB) in knee joint osteoarthritis (OA). Ten OA and five normal knee joints were obtained. Thickness, quantity and bone mineral density (BMD) of SB were analyzed at the medial condyle of the femur in dry conditions by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. In addition, the preferred crystallographic orientation of the c-axis of BAp was evaluated as bone quality parameter using a microbeam X-ray diffractometer technique. BMD and thickness of SB were significantly increased in OA specimens compared to normal knee specimens (P < 0.01), and the preferred orientation of the c-axis of BAp along the normal direction of SB surface was significantly higher in OA specimens (P < 0.01), reflecting the change in stress of concentration in the pathological portion without cartilage. SB sclerosis in OA results in both proliferation of bone tissues and enhanced degree of preferential alignment of the c-axis of BAp. Our findings could have major implications for the diagnosis of clinical studies, including pathologic elucidation in OA.

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Fibroblast growth factor-21 restores insulin sensitivity but induces aberrant bone microstructure in obese insulin-resistant rats

Abstract

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 is a potent endocrine factor that improves insulin resistance and obesity-associated metabolic disorders. However, concomitant activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ by FGF-21 makes bone susceptible to osteopenia and fragility fracture. Since an increase in body weight often induced adaptive change in bone by making it resistant to fracture, it was unclear whether FGF-21 would still induce bone defects in overweight rats. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate bone microstructure and its mechanical properties in high fat diet (HF)-fed rats treated with 0.1 mg/kg/day FGF-21. Eighteen male rats were divided into two groups to receive either a normal diet or HF for 12 weeks. HF rats were then divided into two subgroups to receive either vehicle or FGF-21 for 4 weeks. The results showed that HF led to obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, as indicated by hyperinsulinemia with euglycemia. In HF rats, there was an increase in tibial yield displacement (an indicator of ability to be deformed without losing toughness, as determined by 3-point bending) without changes in tibial trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) or cortical bone parameters, e.g., cortical thickness and bone area. FGF-21 treatment strongly improved the metabolic parameters and increased insulin sensitivity in HF rats. However, FGF-21-treated HF rats showed lower yield displacement, trabecular vBMD, trabecular bone volume, trabecular thickness, and osteoblast surface compared with vehicle-treated HF rats. These findings suggest that, despite being a potent antagonist of insulin resistance and visceral fat accumulation, FGF-21 is associated with bone defects in HF rats.

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Location of fractures and the characteristics of patients with atypical femoral fractures: analyses of 38 Japanese cases

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine fracture location and the characteristics of patients with atypical femoral fractures (AFFs). We studied 38 AFFs in 34 patients admitted to our institution between November 2007 and July 2013. The diagnostic criteria for the AFFs were based on 2014 American Society of Bone and Mineral Research guidelines. We classified the fracture location as proximal, middle, or distal to trisect the femoral diaphysis from just distal to the lesser trochanter to just proximal to the supracondylar flare. Bowing was defined as a line through the inside of the tip of the great trochanter and a condylar center that was outside the medullary cavity. We investigated the fracture's location, existence of coronal bowing, and bisphosphonates (BPs), glucocorticoids (GCs), and proton pump inhibitors therapy. We analyzed associations between fracture location and demographic and clinical factors. Twelve fractures were proximal, 25 were middle, and one was distal. Nineteen limbs showed femoral bowing. Thirty-one patients received BP treatment—20 patients received alendronic acid, eight risedronic acid, and three minodronic acid. Fourteen patients received a GC, and 16 received a proton pump inhibitor. There was a significant association between coronal bowing and middle fracture locations, GC therapy and proximal fracture locations, and older age and middle fracture locations. Tall height and heavy weight had an association with proximal fracture location, and short height and light weight had an association with middle fracture location. In conclusion, we provide evidence supporting a causal relationship between BP-related severely suppressed bone turnover and AFFs. We also provide evidence supporting additional influences from altered distribution of mechanical stress with femoral bowing and various factors, such as GC therapy, age, body weight, and height, which might negatively affect bone intensity and quality and result in fracture.

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Bone metabolism dysfunction mediated by the increase of proinflammatory cytokines in chronic HIV infection

Abstract

Despite the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the control of viral replication, the current challenge is to decrease the chronic inflammatory status and toxicity of the antiretroviral drugs that contribute to increase the risk of metabolic complications. To verify the influence of proinflammatory cytokines on bone metabolism mediated by chronic HIV infection, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 HIV-infected adult men treated or not treated with ART. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed to assess bone mineral density. Biochemical analysis were performed of IL-6, TNF-α, osteocalcin, PTH, 25-OH-D, total calcium, albumin, 24 h urinary calcium, and urinary deoxypyridinoline. The participants not treated with ART exhibited higher values of IL-6 and TNF-α than the participants treated with ART for more than 2 years. The TNF-α values were higher in the participants treated with ART for <2 years than in participants treated with ART for more than 2 years (p < 0.05). The increased values of urinary deoxypyridinoline indicated a high reabsorptive activity of bone tissue in all groups, with a significant difference between the participants not treated with ART and the participants treated with ART for <2 years. Through the DXA we found a bone mass reduction in all bone sites in each group. The increase in production of proinflammatory cytokines, most notably in the viremic group, demonstrated the ability to stimulate osteoclast activity and subsequently affect bone mass. The reduction of bone mineral density was observed in all bone sites, principally for the groups receiving antiretroviral treatment.

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Thyroid function and autoimmunity are associated with the risk of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Overt or subclinical thyroid dysfunction may affect the risk of fragility fractures. The aim of the present study was to assess the association of thyroid function and autoimmunity with vertebral fractures (VF) in a large sample of Greek postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional study recruited 335 euthyroid postmenopausal women, aged 35–79 years. Euthyroidism was verified by serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) within the laboratory reference range (0.4–4.5 μIU/mL). VFs were diagnosed by lumbar spine lateral radiographs, according to quantitative procedures. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), TSH, as well as levels of anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO) were compared according to the presence of VFs. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the presence of VFs was predicted independently by ln-TSH levels (OR = 0.290, p = 0.037) and positive anti-TG antibodies (OR = 3.308, p = 0.026) in models adjusted for age, menopausal age, and ln-HOMA-IR. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of VFs was predicted by menopausal age (OR = 1.120, p = 0.001), ln-TSH (OR = 0.312, p = 0.052), and thyroid autoimmunity (anti-TG and anti-TPO positive: OR = 6.637, p = 0.007) in a model that also included age and ln-HOMA-IR. Women with lower circulating TSH had higher risk of having a VF, independently of age, menopausal age, and insulin resistance. The presence of positive anti-TG/anti-TPO antibodies also indicated an elevated risk of fracture. Levels of thyroid hormones had no apparent effect on the risk of fracture. Further studies are necessary to establish the significance of our findings.

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Inferior Vena Cava Filter Elucidation: How to Identify Specific Inferior Vena Cava Filter Types on Multi-Detector-Row Computed Tomography Imaging.

The use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters in the United States has increased substantially over the last 3 decades. In addition, the number of Food and Drug Administration-approved devices has also increased during this time, and there are now more than 24 different IVC filter types that may be encountered in clinical practice. These devices vary substantially with regard to design, retrievability, and risk of potential complications that include fracture, penetration, embolization, migration, recurrent venous thromboembolism, and chronic IVC occlusion. A myriad of devices are now routinely encountered on multi-detector-row computed tomography imaging, but it can be challenging to properly identify a specific IVC filter type. Proper device identification has important clinical consequences because each filter type has associated risks that may otherwise be overlooked. Identifying the specific filter type may allow further radiographic surveillance for known device-specific complications and may identify patients who can benefit from further medical treatment or prompt filter retrieval. Therefore, our purpose was to present a practical method to identify the various IVC filter types that may be encountered on multi-detector-row computed tomography imaging. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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A New Method for Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Geometric Parameters Estimation.

This work demonstrates a new approach for geometric parameters estimation of cone-beam computed tomography system from the coordinates of the centroids of 2 projected point sources sampled over 360 degrees. Nonlinear object expression was derived for the coordinates of the centroids in terms of the geometric parameters after a slice of reasonable simplification, which aims to improve the convergence and robustness of the nonlinear object expression. All of the geometric parameters could be precisely estimated from the nonlinear object expression using the annealing algorithm. The simulations and experiments indicate more excellent convergence, robustness, and precision of our approach compared with other methods. Furthermore, our approach is insensitive to the initial value; namely, we do not need to set the value close to the true value to guarantee the convergence of the approach. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Advanced Imaging of the Scapula: What Every Radiologist Needs to Know.

The scapula plays a central role in shoulder motion and stability. A wide variety of anatomic variants as well as traumatic, neoplastic, and infectious pathologies can involve the scapula. Detection of scapular lesions using radiography can be challenging because of the obscuration by the overlying structures or incomplete imaging during shoulder magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography examinations. Familiarity with imaging characteristics of these abnormalities will allow radiologists to better diagnose and characterize scapular disorders. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Distinguishing Between Mucin-Producing and Serous Pancreatic Cysts.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of diffusion-weighted imaging in distinguishing between mucin-producing and serous pancreatic cysts. Methods: Forty-four pancreatic cysts (43 patients, 27 women; mean age, 57 years; 26 mucin-producing cysts, 18 serous cysts) that underwent histological examination or cyst analysis after diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging were retrospectively reviewed. Three blinded readers independently evaluated signal intensity and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Intraobserver and interobserver agreements were calculated. Fisher exact test and Welch t test were used to compare signal intensity and ADC values, respectively, with pathological results. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine diagnostic accuracy of various thresholds for ADC. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Mean ADC values of the mucin-producing cysts were 3.26 x 10-3, 3.27 x 10-3, and 3.35 x 10-3 mm2/s for the 3 readers, respectively. Mean ADC values of the serous cysts were 2.86 x 10-3, 2.85 x 10-3, and 2.85 x 10-3 mm2/s for the 3 readers, respectively. Differences in ADC values between the 2 cyst groups were 12.4%, 12.9%, and 14.8% for the 3 readers, respectively (P

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Radiation-Induced Liver Injury Mimicking Metastatic Disease in a Patient With Esophageal Cancer: Correlation of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Literature Review.

Post-radiation therapy evaluation of distal esophageal cancers with positron emission tomography/computed tomography can be problematic. Differentiation of recurrent neoplasm from postradiation changes is difficult in areas of fluorodeoxyglucose avidity in adjacent, incidentally irradiated organs. Few studies have described the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of radiation-induced hepatic injury. We report a case of focal radiation-induced liver injury with a new focus of fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on posttreatment positron emission tomography as well as masslike enhancement and signal abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging, thus mimicking new liver metastasis. Correlation with radiation planning images suggested the correct diagnosis, which was confirmed on follow-up imaging. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Limitation of Virtual Noncontrasted Images in Evaluation of a Liver Lesion Status Post Transarterial Chemoembolization.

The authors describe a case of a patient with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma status post transarterial chemoembolization. Follow-up imaging was performed using dual-energy computed tomography. The study was performed with and without contrast and a virtual noncontrast data set was constructed from the postcontrast images. The evaluation of this patient status post transarterial chemoembolization with virtual noncontrast alone erroneously suggested enhancement and viable tumor. However, examination of true noncontrast images revealed these findings to be due to the subtraction of iodine in Ethiodol within the treated lesion. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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A Novel Scatter Correction Method for Cone-Beam Computed Tomography.

In this article, a novel scatter correction approach was proposed based on the Klein-Nishina formulation. Through a series of deductions from this formulation, a principle was proposed that the photon intensity distribution was determined by the attenuation coefficient [mu] and the path length l. This means if 2 pencil beams pass through 2 objects with the same [mu]l, even if the attenuation coefficient [mu] and the path length l of the objects are different, they will still achieve the same photon intensity distribution, that is, the same point spread function. Subsequently, a novel scatter correction approach was established after a series of deductions based on this principle. The simulations and experiments demonstrated the correctness of our principle and the comparable correction effect of our scatter correction approach compared with the beam stop array method. Furthermore, because of the character of our method, the program has very high parallel computing features, which can dramatically increase the computation speed. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Inferior Vena Cava Filter Elucidation: How to Identify Specific Inferior Vena Cava Filter Types on Multi-Detector-Row Computed Tomography Imaging.

The use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters in the United States has increased substantially over the last 3 decades. In addition, the number of Food and Drug Administration-approved devices has also increased during this time, and there are now more than 24 different IVC filter types that may be encountered in clinical practice. These devices vary substantially with regard to design, retrievability, and risk of potential complications that include fracture, penetration, embolization, migration, recurrent venous thromboembolism, and chronic IVC occlusion. A myriad of devices are now routinely encountered on multi-detector-row computed tomography imaging, but it can be challenging to properly identify a specific IVC filter type. Proper device identification has important clinical consequences because each filter type has associated risks that may otherwise be overlooked. Identifying the specific filter type may allow further radiographic surveillance for known device-specific complications and may identify patients who can benefit from further medical treatment or prompt filter retrieval. Therefore, our purpose was to present a practical method to identify the various IVC filter types that may be encountered on multi-detector-row computed tomography imaging. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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A New Method for Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Geometric Parameters Estimation.

This work demonstrates a new approach for geometric parameters estimation of cone-beam computed tomography system from the coordinates of the centroids of 2 projected point sources sampled over 360 degrees. Nonlinear object expression was derived for the coordinates of the centroids in terms of the geometric parameters after a slice of reasonable simplification, which aims to improve the convergence and robustness of the nonlinear object expression. All of the geometric parameters could be precisely estimated from the nonlinear object expression using the annealing algorithm. The simulations and experiments indicate more excellent convergence, robustness, and precision of our approach compared with other methods. Furthermore, our approach is insensitive to the initial value; namely, we do not need to set the value close to the true value to guarantee the convergence of the approach. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Advanced Imaging of the Scapula: What Every Radiologist Needs to Know.

The scapula plays a central role in shoulder motion and stability. A wide variety of anatomic variants as well as traumatic, neoplastic, and infectious pathologies can involve the scapula. Detection of scapular lesions using radiography can be challenging because of the obscuration by the overlying structures or incomplete imaging during shoulder magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography examinations. Familiarity with imaging characteristics of these abnormalities will allow radiologists to better diagnose and characterize scapular disorders. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Distinguishing Between Mucin-Producing and Serous Pancreatic Cysts.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of diffusion-weighted imaging in distinguishing between mucin-producing and serous pancreatic cysts. Methods: Forty-four pancreatic cysts (43 patients, 27 women; mean age, 57 years; 26 mucin-producing cysts, 18 serous cysts) that underwent histological examination or cyst analysis after diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging were retrospectively reviewed. Three blinded readers independently evaluated signal intensity and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Intraobserver and interobserver agreements were calculated. Fisher exact test and Welch t test were used to compare signal intensity and ADC values, respectively, with pathological results. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine diagnostic accuracy of various thresholds for ADC. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Mean ADC values of the mucin-producing cysts were 3.26 x 10-3, 3.27 x 10-3, and 3.35 x 10-3 mm2/s for the 3 readers, respectively. Mean ADC values of the serous cysts were 2.86 x 10-3, 2.85 x 10-3, and 2.85 x 10-3 mm2/s for the 3 readers, respectively. Differences in ADC values between the 2 cyst groups were 12.4%, 12.9%, and 14.8% for the 3 readers, respectively (P

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Radiation-Induced Liver Injury Mimicking Metastatic Disease in a Patient With Esophageal Cancer: Correlation of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Literature Review.

Post-radiation therapy evaluation of distal esophageal cancers with positron emission tomography/computed tomography can be problematic. Differentiation of recurrent neoplasm from postradiation changes is difficult in areas of fluorodeoxyglucose avidity in adjacent, incidentally irradiated organs. Few studies have described the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of radiation-induced hepatic injury. We report a case of focal radiation-induced liver injury with a new focus of fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on posttreatment positron emission tomography as well as masslike enhancement and signal abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging, thus mimicking new liver metastasis. Correlation with radiation planning images suggested the correct diagnosis, which was confirmed on follow-up imaging. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Limitation of Virtual Noncontrasted Images in Evaluation of a Liver Lesion Status Post Transarterial Chemoembolization.

The authors describe a case of a patient with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma status post transarterial chemoembolization. Follow-up imaging was performed using dual-energy computed tomography. The study was performed with and without contrast and a virtual noncontrast data set was constructed from the postcontrast images. The evaluation of this patient status post transarterial chemoembolization with virtual noncontrast alone erroneously suggested enhancement and viable tumor. However, examination of true noncontrast images revealed these findings to be due to the subtraction of iodine in Ethiodol within the treated lesion. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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A Novel Scatter Correction Method for Cone-Beam Computed Tomography.

In this article, a novel scatter correction approach was proposed based on the Klein-Nishina formulation. Through a series of deductions from this formulation, a principle was proposed that the photon intensity distribution was determined by the attenuation coefficient [mu] and the path length l. This means if 2 pencil beams pass through 2 objects with the same [mu]l, even if the attenuation coefficient [mu] and the path length l of the objects are different, they will still achieve the same photon intensity distribution, that is, the same point spread function. Subsequently, a novel scatter correction approach was established after a series of deductions based on this principle. The simulations and experiments demonstrated the correctness of our principle and the comparable correction effect of our scatter correction approach compared with the beam stop array method. Furthermore, because of the character of our method, the program has very high parallel computing features, which can dramatically increase the computation speed. Copyright (C) 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Thin cornea after LASIK

Djodeyre MR, Beltran J, Ortega-Usobiaga J, Gonzalez-Lopez F, Ruiz-Rizaldos AI, Baviera J

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Epiretinal membrane classification

Stevenson W, Prospero Ponce CM, Agarwal DR, Gelman R, Christoforidis JB

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Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in a cohort of tuberculosis patients at Metema Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: a 3 years retrospective study

Ethiopia is one of the countries that are highly affected by dual epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB). HIV infection is a known risk factor for the development of active TB an...

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Effects of indexes of consciousness (IoC1 and IoC2) monitoring on remifentanil dosage in modified radical mastectomy: a randomized trial

This study investigated the effects of indexes of consciousness (IoC1 and IoC2) monitoring on remifentanil dosage.

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A virtual sizing tool for mitral valve annuloplasty

Summary

Functional mitral regurgitation, a backward leakage of the mitral valve, is a result of left ventricular growth and mitral annular dilatation. Its gold standard treatment is mitral annuloplasty, the surgical reduction in mitral annular area through the implantation of annuloplasty rings. Recurrent regurgitation rates may, however, be as high as 30% and more. While the degree of annular downsizing has been linked to improved long-term outcomes, too aggressive downsizing increases the risk of ring dehiscences and significantly impairs repair durability. Here we prototype a virtual sizing tool to quantify changes in annular dimensions, surgically-induced tissue strains, mitral annular stretches, and suture forces in response to mitral annuloplasty. We create a computational model of dilated cardiomyopathy onto which we virtually implant annuloplasty rings of different sizes. Our simulations confirm the common intuition that smaller rings are more invasive to the surrounding tissue, induce higher strains, and require larger suture forces than larger rings: The total suture force was 2.2N for a 24mm ring, 1.9N for a 28mm ring, and 0.8N for a 32mm ring. Our model predicts the highest risk of dehiscence in the septal and postero-lateral annulus where suture forces are maximal. These regions co-localize with regional peaks in myocardial strain and annular stretch. Our study illustrates the potential of realistic predictive simulations in cardiac surgery to identify areas at risk for dehiscence, guide the selection of ring size and shape, rationalize the design of smart annuloplasty rings and, ultimately, improve long-term outcomes after surgical mitral annuloplasty. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Fear of the Unknown: One Fear to Rule them All?

Publication date: Available online 29 March 2016
Source:Journal of Anxiety Disorders
Author(s): R. Nicholas Carleton
The current review and synthesis was designed to provocatively develop and evaluate the proposition that "fear of the unknown may be a, or possibly the, fundamental fear" (Carleton, 2016) underlying anxiety and therein neuroticism. Identifying fundamental transdiagnostic elements is a priority for clinical theory and practice. Historical criteria for identifying fundamental components of anxiety are described and revised criteria are offered. The revised criteria are based on logical rhetorical arguments using a constituent reductionist postpositivist approach supported by the available empirical data. The revised criteria are then used to assess several fears posited as fundamental, including fear of the unknown. The review and synthesis concludes with brief recommendations for future theoretical discourse as well as clinical and non-clinical research.



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Competitive immunosensor based on gliadin immobilization on disposable carbon-nanogold screen-printed electrodes for rapid determination of celiotoxic prolamins

Abstract

The first competitive disposable amperometric immunosensor based on gliadin-functionalized carbon/nanogold screen-printed electrodes was developed for rapid determination of celiotoxic prolamins. To date, no competitive spectrophotometric or electrochemical immunoassays have yet been successfully applied to gluten detection in processed food samples, which require the use of complex prolamin extraction solutions containing additives with denaturing, reducing and disaggregating functions. Thus, in this work, great effort was put into the optimization and performance evaluation of the immunosensor in terms of suitability as a screening tool for analysis of cereal-based food samples. For this purpose, aqueous ethanol or complex extraction mixtures, as the patented Cocktail Solution®, were proved effective in the extraction of gliadin. Good sensitivity was achieved after optimization of the immunocompetitive assay, giving limit of detection and limit of quantitation of 8 and 22 ng/ml of gliadin, respectively, for ethanol extracts. The immunosensor was proved to be suitable also for samples extracted with Cocktail Solution® after a proper dilution. Analysis of real samples of different flours proved the suitability of the immunosensing device as a powerful tool for safety assessment of raw materials used for the formulation of dietary products for celiac disease patients. This immunosensor combines good analytical performance using a very simplified set-up protocol with suitability for rapid screening analysis performed using inexpensive and portable instrumentation.

Graphical abstract

Depiction of the development and working principle of the competitive immunosensor

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An ascorbic acid sensor based on cadmium sulphide quantum dots

Abstract

We present a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based fluorescence detection of vitamin C [ascorbic acid (AA)] using cadmium sulphide quantum dots (CdS QDs) and diphenylcarbazide (DPC). Initially, DPC was converted to diphenylcarbadiazone (DPCD) in the presence of CdS QDs to form QD–DPCD. This enabled excited-state energy transfer from the QDs to DPCD, which led to the fluorescence quenching of QDs. The QD–DPCD solution was used as the sensor solution. In the presence of AA, DPCD was converted back to DPC, resulting in the fluorescence recovery of CdS QDs. This fluorescence recovery can be used to detect and quantify AA. Dynamic range and detection limit of this sensing system were found to be 60–300 nM and 2 nM, respectively. We also performed fluorescence lifetime analyses to confirm existence of FRET. Finally, the sensor responded with equal accuracy to actual samples such as orange juice and vitamin C tablets.

Graphical abstract

Schematic showing the FRET based fluorescence detection of ascorbic acid

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IJERPH, Vol. 13, Pages 367: Erratum: Dinwiddie, G.; et al. The Impact of Educational Attainment on Observed Race/Ethnic Disparities in Inflammatory Risk in the 2001–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 42

Due to an error during production, the legend of Figure 1 in the published paper [1] was incorrect. [...]

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Marine Drugs, Vol. 14, Pages 69: In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Phlorofucofuroeckol A via Upregulation of Activating Transcription Factor 3 against Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

Phlorofucofuroeckol A (PFF-A), one of the phlorotannins found in brown algae, has been reported to exert anti-cancer property. However, the molecular mechanism for the anti-cancer effect of PFF-A has not been known. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) has been reported to be associated with apoptosis in colorectal cancer. The present study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which PFF-A stimulates ATF3 expression and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. PFF-A decreased cell viability through apoptosis of human colorectal cancer cells. PFF-A increased ATF3 expression through regulating transcriptional activity. The responsible cis-element for ATF3 transcriptional activation by PFF-A was cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), located between positions −147 and −85 of the ATF3 promoter. Inhibition of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β, and IκB kinase (IKK)-α blocked PFF-A-mediated ATF3 expression. ATF3 knockdown by ATF3 siRNA attenuated the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by PFF-A, while ATF3 overexpression increased PFF-A-mediated cleaved PARP. These results suggest that PFF-A may exert anti-cancer property through inducing apoptosis via the ATF3-mediated pathway in human colorectal cancer cells.

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Marine Drugs, Vol. 14, Pages 68: Comparative Studies on the Characteristic Fatty Acid Profiles of Four Different Chinese Medicinal Sargassum Seaweeds by GC-MS and Chemometrics

Sargassum seaweeds produce abundant biomass in China and have long been used as herbal medicine and food. Their characteristic fatty acid (FA) profiles and related potential function in promoting cardiovascular health (CVH) have not been systematically investigated. In this study, FA profiles of four medicinal Sargassum were characterized using GC-MS. Principal component analysis was used to discriminate the four medicinal Sargassum, and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis was carried out between the two official species HAI ZAO and between the two folk medicine species HAI QIAN. In all of the algae investigated, the major SFA and MUFA were palmitic and stearic acid, respectively, while the major PUFAs were linoleic, arachidonic, and eicosapentaenoic acid. S. fusiforme and S. horneri had higher concentrations of PUFAs. With respect to CVH, all of the studied species, particularly S. fusiforme, exhibited satisfactory levels such as PUFA/SFA ratio and n-6/n-3 ratio. Each species possesses a unique FA profile and is discriminated clearly. Potential key FA markers (between the two Chinese official species, and between the two folk species) are assessed. The study provides characteristic fatty acid profiles of four Chinese medicinal Sargassum and their related potential function in promoting CVH.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 245: Sliding-Mode Control of a Charger/Discharger DC/DC Converter for DC-Bus Regulation in Renewable Power Systems

Stand-alone power systems based on renewable energy sources are used to replace generators based on fossil fuels. Those renewable power systems also require Energy Storage Devices (ESD) interfaced by a charger/discharger power converter, which consist of a bidirectional DC/DC converter, and a DC bus. This paper proposes a single sliding-mode controller (SMC) for the charger/discharger DC/DC converter to provide a stable DC bus voltage in any operation condition: charging or discharging the ESD, or even without any power exchange between the ESD and the DC bus. Due to the non-linear nature of the power converter, the SMC parameters are adapted on-line to ensure global stability in any operation condition. Such stability of the adaptive SMC is mathematically demonstrated using analytical expressions for the transversality, reachability and equivalent control conditions. Moreover, a design procedure for the adaptive SMC parameters is provided in order to ensure the dynamic response required for the correct operation of the load. Finally, simulations and experimental tests validate the proposed controller and design procedure.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 246: Catalytic Intermediate Pyrolysis of Napier Grass in a Fixed Bed Reactor with ZSM-5, HZSM-5 and Zinc-Exchanged Zeolite-A as the Catalyst

The environmental impact from the use of fossil fuel cum depletion of the known fossil oil reserves has led to increasing interest in liquid biofuels made from renewable biomass. This study presents the first experimental report on the catalytic pyrolysis of Napier grass, an underutilized biomass source, using ZSM-5, 0.3HZSM-5 and zinc exchanged zeolite-A catalyst. Pyrolysis was conducted in fixed bed reactor at 600 °C, 30 °C/min and 7 L/min nitrogen flow rate. The effect of catalyst-biomass ratio was evaluated with respect to pyrolysis oil yield and composition. Increasing the catalyst loading from 0.5 to 1.0 wt % showed no significant decrease in the bio-oil yield, particularly, the organic phase and thereafter decreased at catalyst loadings of 2.0 and 3.0 wt %. Standard analytical methods were used to establish the composition of the pyrolysis oil, which was made up of various aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatics and other valuable chemicals and varied greatly with the surface acidity and pore characteristics of the individual catalysts. This study has demonstrated that pyrolysis oil with high fuel quality and value added chemicals can be produced from pyrolysis of Napier grass over acidic zeolite based catalysts.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 247: Biochar as Additive in Biogas-Production from Bio-Waste

Previous publications about biochar in anaerobic digestion show encouraging results with regard to increased biogas yields. This work investigates such effects in a solid-state fermentation of bio-waste. Unlike in previous trials, the influence of biochar is tested with a setup that simulates an industrial-scale biogas plant. Both the biogas and the methane yield increased around 5% with a biochar addition of 5%—based on organic dry matter biochar to bio-waste. An addition of 10% increased the yield by around 3%. While scaling effects prohibit a simple transfer of the results to industrial-scale plants, and although the certainty of the results is reduced by the heterogeneity of the bio-waste, further research in this direction seems promising.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 242: Synthesis of Dendronized Poly(l-Glutamate) via Azide-Alkyne Click Chemistry

Poly(l-glutamate) (PGlu) was modified with a second-generation dendron to obtain the dendronized polyglutamate, P(Glu-D). Synthesized P(Glu-D) exhibited a degree of polymerization (DPn) of 46 and a 43% degree of dendronization. Perfect agreement was found between the P(Glu-D) expected structure and the results of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and size-exclusion chromatography coupled to a multi-angle light-scattering detector (SEC-MALS) analysis. The PGlu precursor was modified by coupling with a bifunctional building block (N3-Pr-NH2) in the presence of 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMTMM) coupling reagent. The second-generation polyamide dendron was prepared by a stepwise procedure involving the coupling of propargylamine to the l-lysine carboxyl group, followed by attaching the protected 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA) building block to the l-lysine amino groups. The hydroxyl groups of the resulting second-generation dendron were quantitatively deprotected under mild acidic conditions. The deprotected dendron with an acetylene focal group was coupled to the pendant azide groups of the modified linear copolypeptide, P(Glu-N3), in a Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction to form a 1,4-disubstituted triazole. The dendronization reaction proceeded quantitatively in 48 hours in aqueous medium as confirmed by 1H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 452: Non-Invasive Examination of Plant Surfaces by Opto-Electronic Means—Using Russet as a Prime Example

(1) Background: Many disorders and diseases of agricultural produce change the physical features of surfaces of plant organs; in terms of russet, e.g., of apple or pear, affected fruit peel becomes rough and brown in color, which is associated with changes in light reflection; (2) Objective and Methods: The objective of the present project was an interdisciplinary approach between horticultural science and engineering to examine two new innovative technologies as to their suitability for the non-destructive determination of surfaces of plant organs, using russet as an example, and (a) an industrial luster sensor (type CZ-H72, Keyence, Japan) and (b) a new type of a three-dimensional (3D) color microscope (VHX 5000); (3) Results: In the case of russet, i.e., suberinization of the fruit peel, peel roughness increased by ca. 2.5-fold from ca. 20 µm to ca. 50 µm on affected fruit sections when viewed at 200× magnification. Russeted peel showed significantly reduced luster, with smaller variation than russet-devoid peel with larger variation; (4) Conclusion: These results indicate that both sensors are suitable for biological material and their use for non-contact, non-invasive detection of surface disorders on agricultural produce such as russet may be a very powerful tool for many applications in agriculture and beyond in the future.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 243: Influence of Li2Sb Additions on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-20Mg2Si Alloy

It is found that Li2Sb compound can act as the nucleus of primary Mg2Si during solidification, by which the particle size of primary Mg2Si decreased from ~300 to ~15–25 μm. Owing to the synergistic effect of the Li2Sb nucleus and adsorption-poisoning of Li atoms, the effect of complex modification of Li-Sb on primary Mg2Si was better than that of single modification of Li or Sb. When Li-Sb content increased from 0 to 0.2 and further to 0.5 wt.%, coarse dendrite changed to defective truncated octahedron and finally to perfect truncated octahedral shape. With the addition of Li and Sb, ultimate compression strength (UCS) of Al-20Mg2Si alloys increased from ~283 to ~341 MPa and the yield strength (YS) at 0.2% offset increased from ~112 to ~179 MPa while almost no change was seen in the uniform elongation. Our study offers a simple method to control the morphology and size of primary Mg2Si, which will inspire developing new Al-Mg-Si alloys with improved mechanical properties.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 449: Tracking Mobile Sinks via Analysis of Movement Angle Changes in WSNs

Existing methods for tracking mobile sinks in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) often incur considerable energy consumption and overhead. To address this issue, we propose a Detour-Aware Mobile Sink Tracking (DAMST) method via analysis of movement angle changes of mobile sinks, for collecting data in a low-overhead and energy efficient way. In the proposed method, while a mobile sink passes through a region, it appoints a specific node as a region agent to collect information of the whole region, and records nodes near or on its trajectory as footprints. If it needs information from the region agent in a future time it will construct an energy efficient path from the region agent to itself by calculating its own movement angles according to the footprints, as well as getting rid of detours by analyzing these movement angles. Finally, the performance of the tracking method is evaluated systematically under different trajectory patterns and footprint appointment intervals. The simulation results consolidate that DAMST has advantages in reducing energy consumption and data overhead.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 461: Linking Pesticide Exposure with Pediatric Leukemia: Potential Underlying Mechanisms

Leukemia is the most common cancer in children, representing 30% of all childhood cancers. The disease arises from recurrent genetic insults that block differentiation of hematopoietic stem and/or progenitor cells (HSPCs) and drives uncontrolled proliferation and survival of the differentiation-blocked clone. Pediatric leukemia is phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous with an obscure etiology. The interaction between genetic factors and environmental agents represents a potential etiological driver. Although information is limited, the principal toxic mechanisms of potential leukemogenic agents (e.g., etoposide, benzene metabolites, bioflavonoids and some pesticides) include topoisomerase II inhibition and/or excessive generation of free radicals, which may induce DNA single- and double-strand breaks (DNA-DSBs) in early HSPCs. Chromosomal rearrangements (duplications, deletions and translocations) may occur if these lesions are not properly repaired. The initiating hit usually occurs in utero and commonly leads to the expression of oncogenic fusion proteins. Subsequent cooperating hits define the disease latency and occur after birth and may be of a genetic, epigenetic or immune nature (i.e., delayed infection-mediated immune deregulation). Here, we review the available experimental and epidemiological evidence linking pesticide exposure to infant and childhood leukemia and provide a mechanistic basis to support the association, focusing on early initiating molecular events.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 239: Influence of Coalescence on the Anisotropic Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Nickel Powder/Polydimethylsiloxane Composites

Multifunctional polymer-based composites have been widely used in various research and industrial applications, such as flexible and stretchable electronics and sensors and sensor-integrated smart structures. This study investigates the influence of particle coalescence on the mechanical and electrical properties of spherical nickel powder (SNP)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites in which SNP was aligned using an external magnetic field. With the increase of the volume fraction of the SNP, the aligned SNP/PDMS composites exhibited a higher tensile strength and a lower ultimate strain. In addition, the composites with aligned SNP showed a lower percolation threshold and a higher electrical conductivity compared with those with randomly dispersed SNP. However, when the concentration of the SNP reached a certain level (40 vol. %), the anisotropy of the effective material property became less noticeable than that of the lower concentration (20 vol. %) composites due to the change of the microstructure of the particles caused by the coalescence of the particles at a high concentration. This work may provide rational methods for the fabrication of aligned composites.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 464: Two ω-3 FADs Are Associated with Peach Fruit Volatile Formation

Aroma-related volatiles, together with sugars and acids, play an important role in determining fruit flavor quality. Characteristic volatiles of peach fruit are mainly derived from fatty acids such as linoleic acid (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3). In the present study, six genes encoding fatty acid desaturases (FAD) were cloned, including two ω-6 FAD genes (PpFAD2, PpFAD6) and four ω-3 FAD genes (PpFAD3-1, PpFAD3-2, PpFAD7 and PpFAD8). Heterologous expression of peach FADs in tobacco plants showed that PpFAD3-1, and PpFAD3-2 significantly reduced contents of 18:2, and accumulated significant higher levels of 18:3. In the case of volatiles, transgenic plants produced lower concentrations of hexanal and higher levels of (E)-2-hexenal. Consequently, the ratio of the (E)-2-hexenal and hexanal was about 5- and 3-fold higher than that of wild type (WT) in PpFAD3-1 and PpFAD3-2 transformants, respectively. No significant changes in volatile profiles were observed in transgenic plants overexpressing the four other peach FAD genes. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis showed that ripe fruit had high PpFAD3-1 and low PpFAD3-2 transcript levels. In contrast, high PpFAD3-2 and low PpFAD3-1 transcript levels were observed in young fruit. These results indicate a temporal regulation of these two ω-3 FADs during development and ripening, influencing peach fruit volatile formation.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 241: Effect of Sn Content in a CuSnZn Metal Precursor on Formation of MoSe2 Film during Selenization in Se+SnSe Vapor

The preparation of Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) thin films by the selenization of an electrodeposited copper–tin–zinc (CuSnZn) precursor with various Sn contents in low-pressure Se+SnSex vapor was studied. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements revealed that the Sn content of the precursor that is used in selenization in a low-pressure Se+SnSex vapor atmosphere only slightly affects the elemental composition of the formed CZTSe films. However, the Sn content of the precursor significantly affects the grain size and surface morphology of CZTSe films. A metal precursor with a very Sn-poor composition produces CZTSe films with large grains and a rough surface, while a metal precursor with a very Sn-rich composition procures CZTSe films with small grains and a compact surface. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM revealed that the metal precursor with a Sn-rich composition can grow a thicker MoSe2 thin film at CZTSe/Mo interface than one with a Sn-poor composition, possibly because excess Sn in the precursor may catalyze the formation of MoSe2 thin film. A CZTSe solar cell with an efficiency of 7.94%was realized by using an electrodeposited metal precursor with a Sn/Cu ratio of 0.5 in selenization in a low-pressure Se+SnSex vapor.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 240: Enhancement in Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Polypropylene Using Graphene Oxide Grafted with End-Functionalized Polypropylene

Terminally hydroxylated polypropylene (PP) synthesized by a chain transfer method was grafted to graphene oxide (GO) at the chain end. Thus obtained PP-modified GO (PP-GO) was melt mixed with PP without the use of a compatibilizer to prepare PP/GO nanocomposites. Mechanical and electrical properties of the resultant nanocomposites and reference samples that contained graphite nanoplatelets, partially reduced GO, or fully reduced GO were examined. The best improvement in the tensile strength was obtained using PP-GO at 1.0 wt %. The inclusion of PP-GO also led to the highest electrical conductivity, in spite of the incomplete reduction. These observations pointed out that terminally hydroxylated PP covalently grafted to GO prevented GO layers from re-stacking and agglomeration during melt mixing, affording improved dispersion as well as stronger interfacial bonding between the matrix and GO.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 450: Performance Improvement of Total Ionization Dose Radiation Sensor Devices Using Fluorine-Treated MOHOS

Fluorine-treated titanium nitride–silicon oxide–hafnium oxide–silicon oxide–silicon devices (hereafter F-MOHOS) are candidates for total ionization dose (TID) radiation sensor applications. The main subject of the study reportedherein is the performance improvement in terms of TID radiation-induced charge generation effect and charge-retention reliability characterization for F-MOHOS devices. In the case of F-MOHOS TID radiation sensors, the gamma radiation induces a significant decrease of threshold voltage VT and the radiation-induced charge density is nearly six times larger than that of standard metal–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon MONOS devices. The decrease of VT for F-MOHOS after gamma irradiation has a strong correlation to the TID up to 5 Mrad gamma irradiation as well. The improvement of charge retention loss for F-MOHOS devices is nearly 15% better than that of metal–oxide–hafnium oxide–oxide–silicon MOHOS devices. The F-MOHOS device described in this study demonstrates better feasibility for non-volatile TID radiation sensing in the future.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 245: Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of CdS-Decorated TiO2/Carbon Core-Shell Microspheres Derived from Microcrystalline Cellulose

The fabrication of reusable and biodegradation materials from renewable resources such as cellulose is essential for a sustainable world. The core-shell structured CdS-decorated TiO2/Carbon microspheres (CdS/TiO2/Carbon MS) photocatalyst was synthesized with controlled hydrolysis and a novel sonochemical method. It was prepared by using crosslinked microcrystalline cellulose as the core, tetrabutyl titanate as the titania source and CdS as the photosensitizer. The morphology, chemical structure and properties of the obtained material were characterized by many means. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity of the CdS/TiO2/Carbon MS was evaluated by the photodegradation efficiency of Rhodamine B solution, which reached 95.24% under visible light irradiation. This study demonstrated the excellent photocatalytic performance of CdS/TiO2/Carbon MS, which might have promising applications in environmental treatments.

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IJERPH, Vol. 13, Pages 376: Assessment of Exposure to VOCs among Pregnant Women in the National Children’s Study

Epidemiologic studies can measure exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using environmental samples, biomarkers, questionnaires, or observations. These different exposure assessment approaches each have advantages and disadvantages; thus, evaluating relationships is an important consideration. In the National Children's Vanguard Study from 2009 to 2010, participants completed questionnaires and data collectors observed VOC exposure sources and collected urine samples from 488 third trimester pregnant women at in-person study visits. From urine, we simultaneously quantified 28 VOC metabolites of exposure to acrolein, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, benzene, 1-bromopropane, 1,3-butadiene, carbon disulfide, crotonaldehyde, cyanide, N,N-dimethylformamide, ethylbenzene, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and xylene exposures using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI/MSMS) method. Urinary thiocyanate was measured using an ion chromatography coupled with an electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method (IC-ESI/MSMS). We modeled the relationship between urinary VOC metabolite concentrations and sources of VOC exposure. Sources of exposure were assessed by participant report via questionnaire (use of air fresheners, aerosols, paint or varnish, organic solvents, and passive/active smoking) and by observations by a trained data collector (presence of scented products in homes). We found several significant (p < 0.01) relationships between the urinary metabolites of VOCs and sources of VOC exposure. Smoking was positively associated with metabolites of the tobacco constituents acrolein, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene, crotonaldehyde, cyanide, ethylene oxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, propylene oxide, styrene, and xylene. Study location was negatively associated with the toluene metabolite N-acetyl-S-(benzyl)-l-cysteine (BMA), and paint use was positively associated with the xylene metabolites 2-methylhippuric acid (2MHA) and 3-Methylhippuric acid & 4-methylhippuric acid (3MHA + 4MHA). A near-significant (p = 0.06) relationship was observed between acrylamide metabolites and observation of incense.

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IJERPH, Vol. 13, Pages 381: Assessment and Molecular Characterization of Human Intestinal Parasites in Bivalves from Orchard Beach, NY, USA

Bivalves have been shown to be carriers of the human intestinal parasites Cryptosporidium parvum and Toxoplasma gondii. The goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of protozoan parasites in mollusks of New York City using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay. Four species of mollusks, Mya arenaria, Geukensia demissa, Crassostrea virginica, and Mytilis edulis, were collected from Orchard Beach, NY in the fall of 2014, totaling 159 specimens. Each individual mollusk was dissected to harvest the digestive gland, the mantle, the gills, the foot and the siphon. The tissues were assayed for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and Toxoplasma gondii DNA by using primers that target parasite-specific genes. C. parvum was found at a prevalence of 50%, 11.3%, and 1%, respectively, in Mya arenaria, G. demissa, and Mytilis edulis. C. parvum DNA was detected in all the tissues of these bivalve species, except the gills. Furthermore, G. lamblia was detected in Mya arenaria, G. demissa, Crassostrea virginica and Mytilis edulis at a prevalence of 37.5%, 4.5%, 60%, and 20.6%, respectively, while T. gondii DNA was not detected.

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IJERPH, Vol. 13, Pages 377: Association between Aflatoxin M1 and Liver Disease in HBV/HCV Infected Persons in Ghana

Aflatoxins are produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus and are common food contaminants in tropical developing countries. Extensive aflatoxin consumption has been shown to be highly associated with liver disease. A case-control study was conducted to determine the association between aflatoxin and liver disease in Kumasi, Ghana. A questionnaire was administered to examine socio-demographic characteristics and food storage and consumption practices, and urine samples were collected to measure levels of the aflatoxin metabolite (AFM1). Two hundred and seventy-six people participated in the study; 38 had liver disease (cases), 136 had neither hepatitis B/C nor liver disease (negative controls), and 102 were hepatitis B/C positive without liver cancer (positive controls). A much higher percent of participants in each group was male (76% of cases, 88% of negative controls and 65% of positive controls). Multivariate analysis showed that age was a significant predictor for being a case when cases were compared to negative controls. The odds of being a case was 70% less for participants aged 25–34 years (odds ratios (OR) 0.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10–0.88) compared to those ≥45 years. For cases; Akans were seven times more likely to have AFM1 levels below the median when compared to other ethnic groups (OR 7; CI 1.41–34.68). When cases were compared to positive controls, they were 2.29 times more likely to report awareness of aflatoxin contamination of groundnuts (95% CI 1.06–4.91). Cases were also two times more likely to report awareness of aflatoxin contamination of maize than all controls combined (95% CI 1.02–4.11). However, most cases reported that aflatoxin contamination does not cause sickness in humans. This shows that there is awareness of aflatoxin contamination without proper understanding of the serious potential adverse health impacts among these study participants. These findings indicate that educational interventions that stress the harmful health effects of aflatoxin in food, with an emphasis on the higher risk for males, are urgently needed. The reasons for lower aflatoxin levels among Akans need to be determined, and the findings used to design interventions that benefit other ethnic groups in the society.

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