About the numerical robustness of biomedical benchmark cases: Interlaboratory FDA's idealized medical device

Summary

The need for reliable approaches in numerical simulations stands out as a critical issue for the development and optimization of cardiovascular biomedical devices. This led the United States Food and Drug Administration to undertake a program of validation of computational fluid dynamics methods for transitional and turbulent flows. In the current investigation, large-eddy simulation is used to simulate the flow in the first benchmark medical device and results are confronted to the existing laboratory experiments. This idealized medical device has the particularity to feature transition to turbulence after a sudden expansion. The effects of numerical parameters and low-level inlet perturbations are investigated. Results indicate a considerable impact of numerical aspects on the prediction of the location of the transition to turbulence. The study also demonstrates that injecting small perturbations at the inflow greatly improves the streamwise velocity estimation in the transition region and substantially contributes to the robustness of the flow statistical data. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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How many biological replicates are needed in an RNA-seq experiment and which differential expression tool should you use? [ARTICLE]

RNA-seq is now the technology of choice for genome-wide differential gene expression experiments, but it is not clear how many biological replicates are needed to ensure valid biological interpretation of the results or which statistical tools are best for analyzing the data. An RNA-seq experiment with 48 biological replicates in each of two conditions was performed to answer these questions and provide guidelines for experimental design. With three biological replicates, eight of the 11 tools evaluated found only 20%–40% of the significantly differentially expressed (SDE) genes identified with the full set of 42 clean replicates. This rises to >85% for the subset of SDE genes changing in expression by more than fourfold. To achieve >85% for all SDE genes regardless of fold change requires more than 20 biological replicates. The same eight tools successfully control their false discovery rate at 5% for all numbers of replicates, while the remaining three tools fail to control their FDR adequately, particularly for low numbers of replicates. For future RNA-seq experiments, these results suggest that more than six biological replicates should be used, rising to more than 12 when it is important to identify SDE genes for all fold changes. If less than 12 replicates are used, a superior combination of true positive and false positive performances makes edgeR the leading tool. For higher replicate numbers, minimizing false positives is more important and DESeq marginally outperforms the other tools.

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Carbon Dioxide Expanded Ethanol Extraction: Solubility and Extraction Kinetics of α-Pinene and cis-Verbenol

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04534

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Identification of Analytical Factors Affecting Complex Proteomics Profiles Acquired in a Factorial Design Study with Analysis of Variance: Simultaneous Component Analysis

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03483

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Dynamics of Molecular Orientation Observed Using Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy during Deposition of Pentacene on Graphite

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00986

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Faster Convergence of Diffusion Anisotropy Detection by Three-Step Relation of Single-Particle Trajectory

Analytical Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00390

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Cardiac tamponade as a symptom of the blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2016
Source:The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Author(s): Chiung-Tang Huang, Shih-Hao Yu, Yi-Hsien Chen, Sheng-Fung Lin




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Diaphragmatic Cardiac Compression Mimicking Defecation Syncope: A Case Report

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Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae Infection in Eastern Central China A Case Series

Background:

Human infection with Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (CRT) was first reported in northeastern China in 2012.

Objective:

To describe the clinical spectrum and laboratory findings of patients infected with CRT in eastern central China.

Design:

Case series.

Setting:

A sentinel hospital for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in eastern central China in 2014.

Participants:

Hospitalized patients with SFTS-like illness.

Measurements:

Molecular and serologic tests were performed to diagnose CRT infection. Data about clinical manifestations and laboratory findings were retrieved from medical records.

Results:

56 of 733 assessed patients had CRT based on polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. All patients presented with nonspecific manifestations, including fever (96%), malaise (88%), myalgia (57%), cough (25%), and dizziness (14%). Only 2 patients had rash. Further, 16% had eschar, 29% had lymphadenopathy, 100% had gastrointestinal symptoms, 34% had neurologic symptoms, 43% had hemorrhagic manifestations, and 23% had signs of plasma leakage. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 70%, leukopenia in 59%; lymphopenia in 45%; and elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase in 82%, aspartate aminotransferase in 70%, alanine aminotransferase in 54%, and creatinine kinase in 46%. Co-infection with SFTS virus was documented in 66% patients, and 8 of the 56 patients died.

Limitations:

Patients with CRT were not treated for infection because they were retrospectively identified. This was not a population-based study, and the results cannot be generalized to all patients with CRT.

Conclusion:

Candidatus R tarasevichiae infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of febrile patients with SFTS-like illness in endemic areas.

Primary Funding Source:

National Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Stemming the Escalating Cost of Prescription Drugs: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians

This American College of Physicians position paper, initiated and written by its Health and Public Policy Committee and approved by the Board of Regents on 16 February 2016, reports policy recommendations from the American College of Physicians to address the escalating costs of prescription drugs in the United States. Prescription drugs play an important part in treating and preventing disease. However, the United States often pays more for some prescription drugs than other developed countries, and the high price and increasing costs associated with prescription medication is a major concern for patients, physicians, and payers. Pharmaceutical companies have considerable flexibility in how they price drugs, and the costs that payers and patients see are dependent on how payers are able to negotiate discounts or rebates. Beyond setting list prices are issues of regulatory approval, patents and intellectual property, assessment of value and cost-effectiveness, and health plan drug benefits. These issues are linked, and comprehensive efforts will be needed to affect how drugs are priced in the United States.

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Intervention to Prevent Major Depression in Primary Care A Cluster Randomized Trial

Background:

Not enough is known about universal prevention of depression in adults.

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to prevent major depression.

Design:

Multicenter, cluster randomized trial with sites randomly assigned to usual care or an intervention. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01151982)

Setting:

10 primary care centers in each of 7 cities in Spain.

Participants:

Two primary care physicians (PCPs) and 5236 nondepressed adult patients were randomly sampled from each center; 3326 patients consented and were eligible to participate.

Intervention:

For each patient, PCPs communicated individual risk for depression and personal predictors of risk and developed a psychosocial program tailored to prevent depression.

Measurements:

New cases of major depression, assessed every 6 months for 18 months.

Results:

At 18 months, 7.39% of patients in the intervention group (95% CI, 5.85% to 8.95%) developed major depression compared with 9.40% in the control (usual care) group (CI, 7.89% to 10.92%) (absolute difference, −2.01 percentage points [CI, −4.18 to 0.16 percentage points]; P = 0.070). Depression incidence was lower in the intervention centers in 5 cities and similar between intervention and control centers in 2 cities.

Limitation:

Potential self-selection bias due to nonconsenting patients.

Conclusion:

Compared with usual care, an intervention based on personal predictors of risk for depression implemented by PCPs provided a modest but nonsignificant reduction in the incidence of major depression. Additional study of this approach may be warranted.

Primary Funding Source:

Institute of Health Carlos III.

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Evaluation of Quality and Readability of Health Information Websites Identified through India’s Major Search Engines

Background. The available health information on websites should be reliable and accurate in order to make informed decisions by community. This study was done to assess the quality and readability of health information websites on World Wide Web in India. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014. The key words "Health" and "Information" were used on search engines "Google" and "Yahoo." Out of 50 websites (25 from each search engines), after exclusion, 32 websites were evaluated. LIDA tool was used to assess the quality whereas the readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and SMOG. Results. Forty percent of websites () were sponsored by government. Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) certification was present on 50% () of websites. The mean LIDA score (74.31) was average. Only 3 websites scored high on LIDA score. Only five had readability scores at recommended sixth-grade level. Conclusion. Most health information websites had average quality especially in terms of usability and reliability and were written at high readability levels. Efforts are needed to develop the health information websites which can help general population in informed decision making.

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Data on correlation between CT-derived and MRI-derived myocardial extracellular volume

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2016
Source:Data in Brief
Author(s): Yoshie Kurita, Kakuya Kitagawa, Yusuke Kurobe, Shiro Nakamori, Hiroshi Nakajima, Kaoru Dohi, Masaaki Ito, Hajime Sakuma
This article describes data related to a research article titled "Estimation of myocardial extracellular volume fraction with cardiac CT in subjects without clinical coronary artery disease: A feasibility study." [1] Myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) is an imaging biomarker that can elevate in various heart diseases. This article describes correlation between CT-derived and MRI-derived ECV in 24 myocardial segments in 8 patients. CT-derived ECV was obtained from pre-contrast and delayed-phase images acquired by using dual-source CT system. MRI-derived ECV was obtained by using modified Look-Locker inversion recovery sequence implemented on a 3T MRI system.



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Datasets for transcriptomic analyses of maize leaves in response to Asian corn borer feeding and/or jasmonic acid

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2016
Source:Data in Brief
Author(s): Yuliang Zhang, Qixing Huang, Kayla K. Pennerman, Jiujiang Yu, Zhixin Liu, Anping Guo, Guohua Yin
Corn is one of the most widely grown crops throughout the world. However, many corn fields develop pest problems such as corn borers every year that seriously affect its yield and quality. Corn′s response to initial insect damage involves a variety of changes to the levels of defensive enzymes, toxins, and communicative volatiles. Such a dramatic change secondary metabolism necessitates the regulation of gene expression at the transcript level. In this paper, we summarized the datasets of the transcriptome of corn plants in response to corn stalk borers (Ostrinia furnacalis) and/or methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Altogether, 39, 636 genes were found to be differentially expressed. The sequencing data are available in the NCBI SRA database under accession number SRS965087. Our dataset will provide more scientific and valuable information for future work such as the study of the functions of important genes or proteins and develop new insect-resistant maize varieties.



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Functional analysis of stress protein data in a flor yeast subjected to a biofilm forming condition

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2016
Source:Data in Brief
Author(s): Jaime Moreno-García, Juan Carlos Mauricio, Juan Moreno, Teresa García-Martínez
In this data article, an OFFGEL fractionator coupled to LTQ Orbitrap XL MS equipment and a SGD filtering were used to detect in a biofilm-forming flor yeast strain, the maximum possible number of stress proteins under the first stage of a biofilm formation conditions (BFC) and under an initial stage of fermentation used as reference, so-called non-biofilm formation condition (NBFC). Protein functional analysis – based on cellular components and biological process GO terms – was performed for these proteins through the SGD Gene Ontology Slim Mapper tool. A detailed analysis and interpretation of the data can be found in "Stress responsive proteins of a flor yeast strain during the early stages of biofilm formation" [1].



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Development and validation of an LC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of naproxen and sumatriptan in human plasma: application to a pharmacokinetic study

Abstract

A sensitive and fast liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of naproxen and sumatriptan in human plasma. A simple liquid-liquid extraction procedure, with a mixture of ethyl acetate, methyl tert-butyl ether, and dichloromethane (4:3:3, v/v), was used for the cleanup of plasma. Naratriptan and aceclofenac were employed as internal standards. The analyses were carried out using an ACE C₁₈ column (50 × 4.6 mm i.d.; particle size 5 μm) and a mobile phase consisting of 2 mM aqueous ammonium acetate with 0.025 % formic acid and methanol (38:62, v/v). A triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray source in the positive mode was set up in the selective reaction monitoring mode to detect the ion transitions m/z 231.67 → m/z 185.07, m/z 296.70 → m/z 157.30, m/z 354.80 → m/z 215.00, and m/z 336.80 → m/z 97.94 for naproxen, sumatriptan, aceclofenac, and naratriptan, respectively. The method was validated and proved to be linear, accurate, precise, and selective over the ranges of 2.5–130 μg mL⁻¹ for naproxen and 1–50 ng mL⁻¹ for sumatriptan. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study with simultaneous administration of naproxen sodium and sumatriptan succinate tablet formulations in healthy volunteers.

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In vitro RNA release from a human rhinovirus monitored by means of a molecular beacon and chip electrophoresis

Abstract

Liquid-phase electrophoresis either in the classical capillary format or miniaturized (chip CE) is a valuable tool for quality control of virus preparations and for targeting questions related to conformational changes of viruses during infection. We present an in vitro assay to follow the release of the RNA genome from a human rhinovirus (common cold virus) by using a molecular beacon (MB) and chip CE. The MB, a probe that becomes fluorescent upon hybridization to a complementary sequence, was designed to bind close to the 3′ end of the viral genome. Addition of Trolox (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid), a well-known additive for reduction of bleaching and blinking of fluorophores in fluorescence microscopy, to the background electrolyte increased the sensitivity of our chip CE set-up. Hence, a fast, sensitive and straightforward method for the detection of viral RNA is introduced. Additionally, challenges of our assay will be discussed. In particular, we found that (i) desalting of virus preparations prior to analysis increased the recorded signal and (ii) the MB–RNA complex signal decreased with the time of virus storage at −70 °C. This suggests that 3′-proximal sequences of the viral RNA, if not the whole genome, underwent degradation during storage and/or freezing and thawing. In summary, we demonstrate, for two independent virus batches, that chip electrophoresis can be used to monitor MB hybridization to RNA released upon incubation of the native virus at 56 °C.

Graphical Abstract

Schematic of the study strategy: RNA released from HRV-A2 is detected by chip electrophoresis through the increase in fluorescence after genom complexation to a cognate molecular beacon

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Determination of elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products and related matrices by ICP-based methods: a review

Abstract

Interest in the determination of elemental impurities in pharmaceuticals has increased in recent years because of changes in regulatory requirements and the need for changing or updating the current limit tests recommended in pharmacopeias. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) optical emission spectrometry and ICP mass spectrometry are suitable alternatives to perform multielemental analysis for this purpose. The main advantages and limitations of these techniques are described, covering the applications reported in the literature in the last 10 years mainly for active pharmaceutical ingredients, raw materials, and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Strategies used for sample preparation, including dissolution in aqueous or organic solvents, extraction, wet digestion and combustion methods are described, as well as direct solid analysis and ICP-based systems applied for speciation analysis. Interferences observed during the analysis of pharmaceutical products using ICP-based methods are discussed. Methods currently recommended by pharmacopeias for elemental impurities are also covered, showing that the use of ICP-based methods could be considered as a trend in the determination of these impurities in pharmaceuticals. However, the development of a general method that is accurate for all elemental impurities and the establishment of an official method are still challenges. In this regard, the main drawbacks and suitable alternatives are discussed.

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Detection of nitroaromatic explosives by new D–π–A sensing fluorophores on the basis of the pyrimidine scaffold

Abstract

A series of D–π–A- type dyes based on pyrimidines, bearing various thiophene linkers, have been studied as sensing fluorophores. Fluorescence studies have demonstrated that the emission of all derivatives is sensitive to the presence of nitroaromatic explosives, such as 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (PA), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), in their acetonitrile solutions. The detection limits of fluorophores to PA, TNT, and DNT proved to be in the range from 5.83 × 10⁻⁶ to 2.38 × 10⁻⁷ mol/L, 1.70 × 10⁻⁴ to 8.40 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L, and 8.39 × 10⁻⁵ to 6.87 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L, respectively. The theoretical investigation into the quenching mechanism in the presence of fluorophore has been performed. All compounds have shown a good efficiency as sensor materials when tested as elements of the original device «Nitroscan» for detecting nitro-containing explosives in vapor phase (Plant "Promautomatika", Ekaterinburg, Russia).

Graphical Abstract

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Brain 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Levels Are Dramatically and Rapidly Increased Under Acute Ischemia-Injury Which Is Prevented by Microwave Irradiation

Abstract

The involvement of brain 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in a number of critical physiological and pathophysiological regulatory mechanisms highlights the importance for an accurate brain 2-AG determination. In the present study, we validated head-focused microwave irradiation (MW) as a method to prevent postmortem brain 2-AG alterations before analysis. We compared MW to freezing to prevent 2-AG induction and estimated exogenous and endogenous 2-AG stability upon exposure to MW. Using MW, we measured, for the first time, true 2-AG brain levels under basal conditions, 30 s after brain removal from the cranium, and upon exposure to 5 min of brain global ischemia. Our data indicate that brain 2-AG levels are instantaneously and dramatically increased approximately 60-fold upon brain removal from the cranium. With 5 min of brain global ischemia 2-AG levels are also, but less dramatically, increased 3.5-fold. Our data indicate that brain tissue fixation with MW is a required technique to measure both true basal 2-AG levels and 2-AG alterations under different experimental conditions including global ischemia, and 2-AG is stable upon exposure to MW.

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Reconstructing communities in cluster trials?

There is growing interest in the ethics of cluster trials, but no literature on the uncertainties in defining communities in relation to the scientific notion of the cluster in collaborative biomedical research.

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HPLC profiling, antioxidant and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of Syzygium jambos available in Bangladesh

Syzygium jambos has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in Bangladesh. The study investigates the high performance liquid chromatography (HPL...

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Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 110: Thermosensitive Behavior and Antibacterial Activity of Cotton Fabric Modified with a Chitosan-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogel

To increase the themosensitive behavior and antibacterial activity of cotton fabric, a series of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)/chitosan (PNIPAAm/Cs) hydrogels was synthesized by interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) technology using a redox initiator. The IPN PNIPAAm/Cs hydrogel was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicated that the IPN PNIPAAm/Cs hydrogel has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at 33 °C. The IPN hydrogel was then used to modify cotton fabric using glutaric dialdehyde (GA) as a crosslinking agent following a double-dip-double-nip process. The results demonstrated that the modified cotton fabric showed obvious thermosensitive behavior and antibacterial activity. The contact angle of the modified cotton fabric has a sharp rise around 33 °C, and the modified cotton fabric showed an obvious thermosensitive behavior. The bacterial reduction of modified cotton fabric against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were more than 99%. This study presents a valuable route towards smart textiles and their applications in functional clothing.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 438: TOR Pathway-Mediated Juvenile Hormone Synthesis Regulates Nutrient-Dependent Female Reproduction in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

The "target of rapamycin" (TOR) nutritional signaling pathway and juvenile hormone (JH) regulation of vitellogenesis has been known for a long time. However, the interplay between these two pathways regulating vitellogenin (Vg) expression remains obscure. Here, we first demonstrated the key role of amino acids (AAs) in activation of Vg synthesis and egg development in Nilaparvata lugens using chemically defined artificial diets. AAs induced the expression of TOR and S6K (S6 kinase), whereas RNAi-mediated silencing of these two TOR pathway genes and rapamycin application strongly inhibited the AAs-induced Vg synthesis. Furthermore, knockdown of Rheb (Ras homologue enriched in brain), TOR, S6K and application of rapamycin resulted in a dramatic reduction in the mRNA levels of jmtN (juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase, JHAMT). Application of JH III on the RNAi (Rheb and TOR) and rapamycin-treated females partially rescued the Vg expression. Conversely, knockdown of either jmtN or met (methoprene-tolerant, JH receptor) and application of JH III had no effects on mRNA levels of Rheb, TOR and S6K and phosphorylation of S6K. In summary, our results demonstrate that the TOR pathway induces JH biosynthesis that in turn regulates AAs-mediated Vg synthesis in N. lugens.

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Vaccines, Vol. 4, Pages 9: Vaccine Delivery Methods into the Future

Several modes of vaccine delivery have been developed in the last 25 years, which induce strong immune responses in pre-clinical models and in human clinical trials. Some modes of delivery include, adjuvants (aluminum hydroxide, Ribi formulation, QS21), liposomes, nanoparticles, virus like particles, immunostimulatory complexes (ISCOMs), dendrimers, viral vectors, DNA delivery via gene gun, electroporation or Biojector 2000, cell penetrating peptides, dendritic cell receptor targeting, toll-like receptors, chemokine receptors and bacterial toxins. There is an enormous amount of information and vaccine delivery methods available for guiding vaccine and immunotherapeutics development against diseases.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 421: Methods for Improving Aptamer Binding Affinity

Aptamers are single stranded oligonucleotides that bind a wide range of biological targets. Although aptamers can be isolated from pools of random sequence oligonucleotides using affinity-based selection, aptamers with high affinities are not always obtained. Therefore, further refinement of aptamers is required to achieve desired binding affinities. The optimization of primary sequences and stabilization of aptamer conformations are the main approaches to refining the binding properties of aptamers. In particular, sequence optimization using combined in silico sequence recombinations and in vitro functional evaluations is effective for the improvement of binding affinities, however, the binding affinities of aptamers are limited by the low hydrophobicity of nucleic acids. Accordingly, introduction of hydrophobic moieties into aptamers expands the diversity of interactions between aptamers and targets. Moreover, construction of multivalent aptamers by connecting aptamers that recognize distinct epitopes is an attractive approach to substantial increases in binding affinity. In addition, binding affinities can be tuned by optimizing the scaffolds of multivalent constructs. In this review, we summarize the various techniques for improving the binding affinities of aptamers.

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Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 77: Static and Dynamic Properties of Semi-Crystalline Polyethylene

Properties of extruded polymers are strongly affected by molecular structure. For two different semi-crystalline polymers, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), this investigation measures the elastic modulus, plastic flow stress and strain-rate dependence of yield stress. Also, it examines the effect of molecular structure on post-necking tensile fracture. The static and dynamic material tests reveal that extruded UHMWPE has a somewhat larger yield stress and much larger strain to failure than LDPE. For both types of polyethylene, the strain at tensile failure decreases with increasing strain-rate. For strain-rates 0.001–3400 s−1, the yield stress variation is accurately represented by the Cowper–Symonds equation. These results indicate that, at high strain rates, UHMWPE is more energy absorbent than LDPE as a result of its long chain molecular structure with few branches.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 423: GC×GC-TOFMS Analysis of Essential Oils Composition from Leaves, Twigs and Seeds of Cinnamomum camphora L. Presl and Their Insecticidal and Repellent Activities

Interest in essential oils with pesticidal activity against insects and pests is growing. In this study, essential oils from different parts (leaves, twigs and seeds) of Cinnamomum camphora L. Presl were investigated for their chemical composition, and insecticidal and repellent activities against the cotton aphid. The essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation, were analyzed by GC×GC-TOFMS. A total of 96 components were identified in the essential oils and the main constituents found in the leaves and twigs were camphor, eucalyptol, linalool and 3,7-dimethyl-1,3,7-octatriene. The major components found in the seeds were eucalyptol (20.90%), methyleugenol (19.98%), linalool (14.66%) and camphor (5.5%). In the contact toxicity assay, the three essential oils of leaves, twigs and seeds exhibited a strong insecticidal activity against cotton aphids with LC50 values of 245.79, 274.99 and 146.78 mg/L (after 48 h of treatment), respectively. In the repellent assay, the highest repellent rate (89.86%) was found in the seed essential oil at the concentration of 20 μL/mL after 24 h of treatment. Linalool was found to be a significant contributor to the insecticidal and repellent activities. The results indicate that the essential oils of C. camphora might have the potential to be developed into a natural insecticide or repellent for controlling cotton aphids.

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Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Spinal Cord Injury: A Promising Supplementary Treatment in Future

Objective. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder caused by trauma. Pathophysiological events occurring after SCI include acute, subacute, and chronic phases, while complex mechanisms are comprised. As an abundant source of natural drugs, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) attracts much attention in SCI treatment recently. Hence, this review provides an overview of pathophysiology of SCI and TCM application in its therapy. Methods. Information was collected from articles published in peer-reviewed journals via electronic search (PubMed, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and CNKI), as well as from master's dissertations, doctoral dissertations, and Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Results. Both active ingredients and herbs could exert prevention and treatment against SCI, which is linked to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, or antiapoptosis effects. The detailed information of six active natural ingredients (i.e., curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, ligustrazine, quercitrin, and puerarin) and five commonly used herbs (i.e., Danshen, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Notoginseng, and Astragali Radix) was elucidated and summarized. Conclusions. As an important supplementary treatment, TCM may provide benefits in repair of injured spinal cord. With a general consensus that future clinical approaches will be diversified and a combination of multiple strategies, TCM is likely to attract greater attention in SCI treatment.

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Algorithms, Vol. 9, Pages 22: Modifying Orthogonal Drawings for Label Placement

In this paper, we investigate how one can modify an orthogonal graph drawing to accommodate the placement of overlap-free labels with the minimum cost (i.e., minimum increase of the area and preservation of the quality of the drawing). We investigate computational complexity issues of variations of that problem, and we present polynomial time algorithms that find the minimum increase of space in one direction, needed to resolve overlaps, while preserving the orthogonal representation of the orthogonal drawing when objects have a predefined partial order.

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Water, Vol. 8, Pages 120: Exploring the Non-Stationary Effects of Forests and Developed Land within Watersheds on Biological Indicators of Streams Using Geographically-Weighted Regression

This study examined the non-stationary relationship between the ecological condition of streams and the proportions of forest and developed land in watersheds using geographically-weighted regression (GWR). Most previous studies have adopted the ordinary least squares (OLS) method, which assumes stationarity of the relationship between land use and biological indicators. However, these conventional OLS models cannot provide any insight into local variations in the land use effects within watersheds. Here, we compared the performance of the OLS and GWR statistical models applied to benthic diatom, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities in sub-watershed management areas. We extracted land use datasets from the Ministry of Environment LULC map and data on biological indicators in Nakdong river systems from the National Aquatic Ecological Monitoring Program in Korea. We found that the GWR model had superior performance compared with the OLS model, as assessed based on R2, Akaike's Information Criterion, and Moran's I values. Furthermore, GWR models revealed specific localized effects of land use on biological indicators, which we investigated further. The results of this study can be used to inform more effective policies on watershed management and to enhance ecological integrity by prioritizing sub-watershed management areas

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Metals, Vol. 6, Pages 76: Electrochemical Surface Treatment of a β-titanium Alloy to Realize an Antibacterial Property and Bioactivity

In this study, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) was performed on a β-type titanium alloy, namely, Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr alloy (TNTZ), to improve not only its antibacterial property but also bioactivity in body fluids. The surface oxide layer formed on TNTZ by MAO treatment in a mixture of calcium glycerophosphate, calcium acetate, and silver nitrate was characterized using surface analyses. The resulting porous oxide layer was mainly composed of titanium oxide, and it also contained calcium, phosphorus, and a small amount of silver, all of which were incorporated from the electrolyte during the treatment. The MAO-treated TNTZ showed a strong inhibition effect on anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria when the electrolyte contained more than 0.5 mM silver ions. The formation of calcium phosphate on the surface of the specimens after immersion in Hanks' solution was evaluated to determine the bioactivity of TNTZ with sufficient antibacterial property. As a result, thick calcium phosphate layers formed on the TNTZ specimen that underwent MAO treatment, whereas no precipitate was observed on TNTZ without treatment. Thus, the MAO treatment of titanium-based alloys is confirmed to be effective in realizing both antibacterial and bioactive properties.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 268: The Current Case of Quinolones: Synthetic Approaches and Antibacterial Activity

Quinolones are broad-spectrum synthetic antibacterial drugs first obtained during the synthesis of chloroquine. Nalidixic acid, the prototype of quinolones, first became available for clinical consumption in 1962 and was used mainly for urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli and other pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Recently, significant work has been carried out to synthesize novel quinolone analogues with enhanced activity and potential usage for the treatment of different bacterial diseases. These novel analogues are made by substitution at different sites—the variation at the C-6 and C-8 positions gives more effective drugs. Substitution of a fluorine atom at the C-6 position produces fluroquinolones, which account for a large proportion of the quinolones in clinical use. Among others, substitution of piperazine or methylpiperazine, pyrrolidinyl and piperidinyl rings also yields effective analogues. A total of twenty six analogues are reported in this review. The targets of quinolones are two bacterial enzymes of the class II topoisomerase family, namely gyrase and topoisomerase IV. Quinolones increase the concentration of drug-enzyme-DNA cleavage complexes and convert them into cellular toxins; as a result they are bactericidal. High bioavailability, relative low toxicity and favorable pharmacokinetics have resulted in the clinical success of fluoroquinolones and quinolones. Due to these superior properties, quinolones have been extensively utilized and this increased usage has resulted in some quinolone-resistant bacterial strains. Bacteria become resistant to quinolones by three mechanisms: (1) mutation in the target site (gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV) of quinolones; (2) plasmid-mediated resistance; and (3) chromosome-mediated quinolone resistance. In plasmid-mediated resistance, the efflux of quinolones is increased along with a decrease in the interaction of the drug with gyrase (topoisomerase IV). In the case of chromosome-mediated quinolone resistance, there is a decrease in the influx of the drug into the cell.

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Brain Sciences, Vol. 6, Pages 11: Propofol-Induced Neurotoxicity in the Fetal Animal Brain and Developments in Modifying These Effects—An Updated Review of Propofol Fetal Exposure in Laboratory Animal Studies

In the past twenty years, evidence of neurotoxicity in the developing brain in animal studies from exposure to several general anesthetics has been accumulating. Propofol, a commonly used general anesthetic medication, administered during synaptogenesis, may trigger widespread apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing brain and long-term neurobehavioral disturbances in both rodents and non-human primates. Despite the growing evidence of the potential neurotoxicity of different anesthetic agents in animal studies, there is no concrete evidence that humans may be similarly affected. However, given the growing evidence of the neurotoxic effects of anesthetics in laboratory studies, it is prudent to further investigate the mechanisms causing these effects and potential ways to mitigate them. Here, we review multiple studies that investigate the effects of in utero propofol exposure and the developmental agents that may modify these deleterious effects.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 238: Controlled Defects of Zinc Oxide Nanorods for Efficient Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol

Environmental pollution from human and industrial activities has received much attention as it adversely affects human health and bio-diversity. In this work we report efficient visible light photocatalytic degradation of phenol using supported zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods and explore the role of surface defects in ZnO on the visible light photocatalytic activity. ZnO nanorods were synthesized on glass substrates using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal process, while the surface defect states were controlled by annealing the nanorods at various temperatures and were characterized by photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the evaluation of phenol photocatalytic degradation. ZnO nanorods with high surface defects exhibited maximum visible light photocatalytic activity, showing 50% degradation of 10 ppm phenol aqueous solution within 2.5 h, with a degradation rate almost four times higher than that of nanorods with lower surface defects. The mineralization process of phenol during degradation was also investigated, and it showed the evolution of different photocatalytic byproducts, such as benzoquinone, catechol, resorcinol and carboxylic acids, at different stages. The results from this study suggest that the presence of surface defects in ZnO nanorods is crucial for its efficient visible light photocatalytic activity, which is otherwise only active in the ultraviolet region.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 372: NMR Study on the Inclusion Complexes of β-Cyclodextrin with Isoflavones

The structure of the inclusion complexes of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with daidzein and daidzin in D2O were investigated using NMR spectroscopy. For the β-CD and daidzein system, two types of 1:1 complexes were formed with the daidzein deeply inserted into the CD cavity with different orientations. For the β-CD/daidzin system, a 1:1 complex was formed with the flavonoid part of daidzin entering the CD cavity from the wide rim. The inclusion complexes determined by NMR were constructed using molecular docking. Furthermore, the mixture of puerarin, daidzein and daidzin, which are the major isoflavonoid components present in Radix puerariae, was analyzed by diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) alone and upon addition of β-CD in order to mimic chromatographic conditions and compare their binding affinities.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 389: Conformational and Molecular Structures of α,β-Unsaturated Acrylonitrile Derivatives: Photophysical Properties and Their Frontier Orbitals

We report single crystal X-ray diffraction (hereafter, SCXRD) analyses of derivatives featuring the electron-donor N-ethylcarbazole or the (4-diphenylamino)phenyl moieties associated with a -CN group attached to a double bond. The compounds are (2Z)-3-(4-(diphenylamino)-phenyl)-2-(pyridin-3-yl)prop-2-enenitrile (I), (2Z)-3-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)-prop-2-enenitrile (II) and (2Z)-3-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)enenitrile (III). SCXRD analyses reveal that I and III crystallize in the monoclinic space groups P2/c with Z' = 2 and C2/c with Z' = 1, respectively. Compound II crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn with Z' = 1. The molecular packing analysis was conducted to examine the pyridine core effect, depending on the ortho, meta- and para-positions of the nitrogen atom, with respect to the optical properties and number of independent molecules (Z'). It is found that the double bond bearing a diphenylamino moiety introduced properties to exhibit a strong π-π-interaction in the solid state. The compounds were examined to evaluate the effects of solvent polarity, the role of the molecular structure, and the molecular interactions on their self-assembly behaviors. Compound I crystallized with a cell with two conformers, anti and syn, due to interaction with solvent. DFT calculations indicated the anti and syn structures of I are energetically stable (less than 1 eV). Also electrochemical and photophysical properties of the compounds were investigated, as well as the determination of optimization calculations in gas and different solvent (chloroform, cyclohexane, methanol, ethanol, tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane and dimethyl sulfoxide) in the Gaussian09 program. The effect of solvent by PCM method was also investigated. The frontier HOMO and LUMO energies and gap energies are reported.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 422: Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Chaenomeles sinensis Leaf Extracts on LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

The fruit of Chaenomeles sinensis has been traditionally used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of various human ailments, including pneumonia, bronchitis, and so on, but the pharmacological applications of the leaf part of the plant have not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the various radical scavenging activities and anti-inflammatory effects of different Chaenomeles sinensis leaf (CSL) extracts. The water extract showed a higher antioxidant and radical scavenging activities. However the ethanolic extracts showed higher NO scavenging activity than water extract, therefore the ethanolic extract of CSL was examined for anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The 70% ethanol extract of CSL (CSLE) has higher anti-inflammatory activity and significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In addition, CSLE suppressed LPS-stimulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NO production, IL-1β and phospho-STAT1 expression. In this study, we investigated the effect of CSLE on the production of inflammatory mediators through the inhibition of the TRIF-dependent pathways. Furthermore, we evaluated the role of CSLE on LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Our results suggest that CSLE attenuates the LPS-stimulated inflammatory responses in macrophages through regulating the key inflammatory mechanisms, providing scientific support for its traditional uses in treating various inflammatory diseases.

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Humanities, Vol. 5, Pages 18: The Near-Death Experience: A Reality Check?

This paper critically reviews assertions that near-death and out-of-body experiences (ND/OBE) offer proof of extra-corporeal existence when the brain is supposedly "dead". While this field has almost moved away from mere anecdotal recording, the current trend is focussed on demonstrating existence without functional brains. These endeavours have fallen far short of anticipated results—that cardiac patients would report on strategically-placed markers around acute resuscitation units. Two problems arise: a failure to produce corroborative empirical evidence for extra-corporeal cognition (a) when the brain is "dead", (or "clinically dead", so-called) and (b) how the memory required for recall could paradoxically be set down at that critical time-point. The view advanced here is that ND/OBE occur as subjects' states are returning to complete resumption of conscious-awareness and which, from several published accounts, is particularly abrupt but which nevertheless accounts perfectly for memory—and recall. Similar transcendental adventures accompanying returns to conscious-awareness occur with other preceding states of reduced consciousness. Most recollections are intensely geo-physical, anthropomorphic, banal and illogical: their dream-like fantasy provides nothing revelatory about life without a brain, or importantly, about other supposed cosmic contexts. Additionally, it is proposed that since prevalence rates are so extremely low (<1% globally), the few subjects undergoing ND/OBE may have predisposed brains, genetically, structurally or resulting from previous psychological stress. In a somewhat similar vein to post-traumatic stress disorder, subjects with predisposed brains exhibit markedly changed post-experiential phenotypes, so that the ND/OBE itself could be viewed as a transient, accompanying epiphenomenon.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 424: Preliminary LC-MS Based Screening for Inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum Thioredoxin Reductase (PfTrxR) among a Set of Antimalarials from the Malaria Box

Plasmodium falciparum thioredoxin reductase (PfTrxR) has been identified as a potential drug target to combat growing antimalarial drug resistance. Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has pre-screened and identified a set of 400 antimalarial compounds called the Malaria Box. From those, we have evaluated their mechanisms of action through inhibition of PfTrxR and found new active chemical scaffolds. Five compounds with significant PfTrxR inhibitory activity, with IC50 values ranging from 0.9–7.5 µM against the target enzyme, were found out of the Malaria Box.

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Entropy, Vol. 18, Pages 108: Introduction to Supersymmetric Theory of Stochastics

Many natural and engineered dynamical systems, including all living objects, exhibit signatures of what can be called spontaneous dynamical long-range order (DLRO). This order's omnipresence has long been recognized by the scientific community, as evidenced by a myriad of related concepts, theoretical and phenomenological frameworks, and experimental phenomena such as turbulence, 1 / f noise, dynamical complexity, chaos and the butterfly effect, the Richter scale for earthquakes and the scale-free statistics of other sudden processes, self-organization and pattern formation, self-organized criticality, etc. Although several successful approaches to various realizations of DLRO have been established, the universal theoretical understanding of this phenomenon remained elusive. The possibility of constructing a unified theory of DLRO has emerged recently within the approximation-free supersymmetric theory of stochastics (STS). There, DLRO is the spontaneous breakdown of the topological or de Rahm supersymmetry that all stochastic differential equations (SDEs) possess. This theory may be interesting to researchers with very different backgrounds because the ubiquitous DLRO is a truly interdisciplinary entity. The STS is also an interdisciplinary construction. This theory is based on dynamical systems theory, cohomological field theories, the theory of pseudo-Hermitian operators, and the conventional theory of SDEs. Reviewing the literature on all these mathematical disciplines can be time consuming. As such, a concise and self-contained introduction to the STS, the goal of this paper, may be useful.

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Applied Sciences, Vol. 6, Pages 93: The Development of an Optimal Control Strategy for a Series Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle

In this work, a Truck Class II series hydraulic hybrid model is established. Dynamic Programming (DP) methodology is applied to derive the optimal power-splitting factor for the hybrid system for preselected driving schedules. Implementable rules are derived by extracting the optimal trajectory features from a DP scheme. The system behaviors illustrate that the improved control strategy gives a highly effective operation region for the engine and high power density characteristics for the hydraulic components.

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Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 93: Preparation of Well-Defined Propargyl-Terminated Tetra-Arm Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s and Their Click Hydrogels Crosslinked with β-cyclodextrin

As an important class of reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP), reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has attracted great attention attributed to its facile and flexible features to prepare well-defined polymers with different complex structures. In addition, the combination of RAFT with click chemistry provides more effective strategies to fabricate advanced functional materials. In this work, a series of temperature responsive tetra-arm telechelic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s (PNIPAs) with propargyl end groups were prepared for the first time through RAFT and subsequent aminolysis/Michael addition modification. The temperature sensitivities of their aqueous solutions were researched via turbidity measurement. It was found that the phase transition temperature of obtained PNIPAs increased with their molecular weights ascribed to their distinctions in the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance. Subsequently, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized with azide moieties was used to crosslink the prepared propargyl-terminated tetra-arm PNIPAs through click chemistry, fabricating corresponding hydrogels with thermoresponse. Similar to their precursors, the hydrogels demonstrated the same dependence of volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) on their molecular weights. In addition, the incorporation of β-CD and the residual groups besides crosslinking may provide a platform for imparting additional functions such as inclusion and adsorption as well as further functionalization.

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Computation, Vol. 4, Pages 16: Current Issues in Finite-T Density-Functional Theory and Warm-Correlated Matter †

Finite-temperature density functional theory (DFT) has become of topical interest, partly due to the increasing ability to create novel states of warm-correlated matter (WCM). Warm-dense matter (WDM), ultra-fast matter (UFM), and high-energy density matter (HEDM) may all be regarded as subclasses of WCM. Strong electron-electron, ion-ion and electron-ion correlation effects and partial degeneracies are found in these systems where the electron temperature T e is comparable to the electron Fermi energy E F . Thus, many electrons are in continuum states which are partially occupied. The ion subsystem may be solid, liquid or plasma, with many states of ionization with ionic charge Z j . Quasi-equilibria with the ion temperature T i ≠ T e are common. The ion subsystem in WCM can no longer be treated as a passive "external potential", as is customary in T = 0 DFT dominated by solid-state theory or quantum chemistry. Many basic questions arise in trying to implement DFT for WCM. Hohenberg-Kohn-Mermin theory can be adapted for treating these systems if suitable finite-T exchange-correlation (XC) functionals can be constructed. They are functionals of both the one-body electron density n e and the one-body ion densities ρ j . Here, j counts many species of nuclei or charge states. A method of approximately but accurately mapping the quantum electrons to a classical Coulomb gas enables one to treat electron-ion systems entirely classically at any temperature and arbitrary spin polarization, using exchange-correlation effects calculated in situ, directly from the pair-distribution functions. This eliminates the need for any XC-functionals. This classical map has been used to calculate the equation of state of WDM systems, and construct a finite-T XC functional that is found to be in close agreement with recent quantum path-integral simulation data. In this review, current developments and concerns in finite-T DFT, especially in the context of non-relativistic warm-dense matter and ultra-fast matter will be presented.

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Remote Sensing, Vol. 8, Pages 289: Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection Based on Low-Rank Representation and Learned Dictionary

In this paper, a novel hyperspectral anomaly detector based on low-rank representation (LRR) and learned dictionary (LD) has been proposed. This method assumes that a two-dimensional matrix transformed from a three-dimensional hyperspectral imagery can be decomposed into two parts: a low rank matrix representing the background and a sparse matrix standing for the anomalies. The direct application of LRR model is sensitive to a tradeoff parameter that balances the two parts. To mitigate this problem, a learned dictionary is introduced into the decomposition process. The dictionary is learned from the whole image with a random selection process and therefore can be viewed as the spectra of the background only. It also requires a less computational cost with the learned dictionary. The statistic characteristic of the sparse matrix allows the application of basic anomaly detection method to obtain detection results. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared to other anomaly detection methods, the proposed method based on LRR and LD shows its robustness and has a satisfactory anomaly detection result.

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Trends of reported foodborne diseases at the Ridge Hospital, Accra, Ghana: A retrospective review of routine data from 2009-2013

BMC Infectious Diseases

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Hepatitis C disease burden in the United States in the era of oral direct-acting antivirals

Hepatology

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HBsAg loss in a New Zealand community study with 28-year follow-up: rates, predictors and long-term outcomes

Hepatology International

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Factors affecting the development of an antibody response to hepatitis B immunization in children with intestinal failure: Before and after small bowel transplantation (with and without liver graft)

Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

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Impact of EUS-FNA for preoperative para-aortic lymph node staging in patients with pancreatobiliary cancer

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

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Food IgG4 antibodies are elevated not only in children with wheat allergy but also in children with gastrointestinal diseases

BMC Gastroenterology

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The mechanism of apoliprotein A1 down-regulated by Hepatitis B virus

Lipids in Health and Disease

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Forty-year trends in cholangiocarcinoma incidence in the U.S.: intrahepatic disease on the rise

The Oncologist

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Gastrointestinal disorders associated with common variable immune deficiency (CVID) and chronic granulomatous disease (CGD)

Current Gastroenterology Reports

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Effects of Helicobacter pylori infection on the expressions and functional activities of human duodenal mucosal bicarbonate transport proteins

Helicobacter

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Clostridium difficile infection: epidemiology, diagnosis and understanding transmission

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology

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A randomized phase II dose-response exercise trial among colon cancer survivors: Purpose, study design, methods, and recruitment results

Contemporary Clinical Trials

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Poor correlation between clinical disease activity and mucosal inflammation, and the role of psychological comorbidity, in inflammatory bowel disease

The American Journal of Gastroenterology

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Effects of midazolam or tramadol premedication on early cognitive function in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): A randomized, controlled, double-blind study

The Journal of International Medical Research

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Chemotherapy with or without autologous cytokine-induced killer cell transfusion as the first-line treatment for stage IV gastrointestinal cancer: a phase II clinical trial

Journal of Cancer Research & Clinical Oncology

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Potent acid inhibition by vonoprazan in comparison with esomeprazole with reference to CYP2C19 genotype

Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

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Activity-based and fraction-guided analysis of Phyllanthus urinaria identifies loliolide as a potent inhibitor of hepatitis C virus entry

Antiviral Research

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Appendiceal diverticulosis incidentally detected by computed tomographic colonography

Digestive and Liver Diseases

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HCV-induced miR146a controls SOCS1/STAT3 and cytokine expression in monocytes to promote regulatory T-cell development

Journal of Viral Hepatitis

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Administration of antibiotics to children before age 2 years increases risk for childhood obesity

Gastroenterology

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