Scholar : Molecular and Clinical Oncology - Volume:6 Number:4

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TABLE OF CONTENTS April-2017 Volume 6 Issue 4

Clinical features of hemodialysis patients treated for hepatocellular carcinoma: Comparison between resection and radiofrequency ablation Atsushi Hiraoka, Takashi Kumada, Kojiro Michitaka, Hidenori Toyoda, Toshifumi Tada, Koichi Takaguchi, Kunihiko Tsuji, Ei Itobayashi, Daichi Takizawa, Masashi Hirooka, Yohei Koizumi, Hironori Ochi, Koji Joko, Yoshiyasu Kisaka, Yuko Shimizu, Kazuto Tajiri, Joji Tani, Tatsuya Taniguchi, Akiko Toshimori, Shinichi Fujioka View Abstract ❯

High radiofrequency radiation at Stockholm Old Town: An exposimeter study including the Royal Castle, Supreme Court, three major squares and the Swedish Parliament Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlberg, Tarmo Koppel, Lena Hedendahl View Abstract ❯

Bilateral blindness with secondary retinitis pigmentosa following postoperative docetaxel and platinum combination chemotherapy in primary small-cell carcinoma of the endometrium: An unusual case report and review of the literature Qiong‑Lan Tang, Jia Liu, Li Zuo, Cong Chi, Hui‑Yu Dong, Xiao‑Xia Jiang, Xue‑Feng Jiang View Abstract ❯

A novel option for preoperative endoscopic marking with India ink in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A useful technique considering the morphological characteristics of the stomach Takaya Tokuhara, Eiji Nakata, Toshiyuki Tenjo, Isao Kawai, Syunpei Satoi, Keisuke Inoue, Mariko Araki, Hirofumi Ueda, Chihiro Higashi View Abstract ❯

Hepatic perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasm: A clinical and pathological experience in diagnosis and treatment Wenying Chen, Yeqing Liu, Yanyan Zhuang, Juanfei Peng, Fengting Huang, Shineng Zhang View Abstract ❯

Functional analysis of polymorphisms in the COX‑2 gene and risk of lung cancer Joyce L. Moraes, Amanda B. Moraes, Veronica Aran, Marcelo R. Alves, Luciene Schluckbier, Mariana Duarte, Edson Toscano, Mauro Zamboni, Cinthya Sternberg, Emanuela de Moraes, José R. Lapa E Silva, Carlos Gil Ferreira View Abstract ❯

Effect of Ki-67 assessment in the distribution of breast cancer subtypes: Evaluation in a cohort of Latin American patients Alejandro Yábar, Rosa Meléndez, Silvia Muñoz, Hugo Deneo, Jimena Freire, Viviana Domínguez, Roberto M. Carrasco‑Navarro, Maria E. Diaz, Raúl E. Velarde-López View Abstract ❯

A feasibility study of bevacizumab and vinorelbine in patients with previously treated advanced non‑squamous non-small‑cell lung cancer Kyohei Kaburaki, Kazutoshi Isobe, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takahiro Yoshizawa, Yujiro Takai, Sakae Homma View Abstract ❯

Subcutaneous metastasis arising from gastric cancer: A case report Tsutomu Namikawa, Eri Munekage, Masaya Munekage, Hiromichi Maeda, Tomoaki Yatabe, Hiroyuki Kitagawa, Michiya Kobayashi, Kazuhiro Hanazaki View Abstract ❯

Patient gender as a factor associated with lymph node metastasis in T1 colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis Katsuro Ichimasa, Shin‑Ei Kudo, Hideyuki Miyachi, Yuta Kouyama, Fumio Ishida, Toshiyuki Baba, Atsushi Katagiri, Kunihiko Wakamura, Takemasa Hayashi, Tomokazu Hisayuki, Toyoki Kudo, Masashi Misawa, Yuichi Mori, Shingo Matsudaira, Yui Kimura, Yuki Kataoka View Abstract ❯

Dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation: A case report Takehiro Uemura, Tetsuya Oguri, Minami Okayama, Hiromi Furuta, Yoshihiro Kanemitsu, Osamu Takakuwa, Hirotsugu Ohkubo, Masaya Takemura, Ken Maeno, Yutaka Ito, Akio Niimi View Abstract ❯

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score predicts hematological toxicity of chemotherapy including irinotecan for colorectal cancer Masashi Yahagi, Masashi Tsuruta, Hirotoshi Hasegawa, Koji Okabayashi, Yuko Kitagawa View Abstract ❯

Phase I study of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab in women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-overexpressing breast cancer Kenji Tezuka, Tsutomu Takashima, Shinichiro Kashiwagi, Hidemi Kawajiri, Shinya Tokunaga, Seika Tei, Shigehiko Nishimura, Shigehito Yamagata, Satoru Noda, Takeo Nishimori, Yoko Mizuyama, Takeshi Sunami, Katsumi Ikeda, Yoshinari Ogawa, Naoyoshi Onoda, Tetsuro Ishikawa, Shinzoh Kudoh, Minoru Takada, Kosei Hirakawa View Abstract ❯

Breast implant‑associated anaplastic large‑cell lymphoma and the role of brentuximab vedotin (SGN‑35) therapy: A case report and review of the literature Kristin Richardson, Taha Alrifai, Kelly Grant‑Szymanski, George J. Kouris, Parameswaran Venugopal, Brett Mahon, Reem Karmali View Abstract ❯

Extranodal natural killer/T‑cell lymphoma presenting as cavernous sinus syndrome Hong‑Cheng Mai, Dan‑Xia Chen, Dan Lu, Yu‑Sheng Zhang View Abstract ❯

Hepatic inflammatory pseudotumour-like follicular dendritic cell tumor: A case report Xudong Zhang, Chunfu Zhu, Yuting Hu, Xihu Qin View Abstract ❯

Renal cell carcinoma presenting as a simple renal cyst: A case report Yanlan Yu, Liang Ma, Zhenghui Wang, Zhigen Zhang View Abstract ❯

Paraganglioma of the bladder in a kidney transplant recipient: A case report Hélène Lazareth, Daniel Cohen, Viorel Vasiliu, Claire Tinel, Frank Martinez, Jean‑Pierre Grünfeld, Marie‑France Mamzer, Christophe Legendre, Rebecca Sberro‑Soussan View Abstract ❯

PALB2 mutation in a woman with bilateral breast cancer: A case report Hiroshi Nakagomi, Yosuke Hirotsu, Kenichiro Okimoto, Ikuko Sakamoto, Kenji Amemiya, Satoko Nakagomi, Takeo Kubota, Hitoshi Mochizuki, Masao Omata View Abstract ❯

Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in colon squamous cell carcinoma: A case report and literature review Shufen Zhao, Jing Guo, Libin Sun, Jing Lv, Wensheng Qiu View Abstract ❯

Glasgow Prognostic Score predicts prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma Qun-Xiong Pan, Zi-Jian Su, Jian-Hua Zhang, Chong-Ren Wang, Shao-Ying Ke View Abstract ❯

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis in a patient with extensive disease small‑cell lung cancer Sebastian Ochenduszko, Bartosz Wilk, Joanna Dabrowska, Izabela Herman‑Sucharska, Anna Dubis, Miroslawa Puskulluoglu View Abstract ❯

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and follow-up of multicentric infantile myofibromatosis: A case report Sergio Salerno, Maria Chiara Terranova, Mario Rossello, Maria Piccione, Ottavio Ziino, Giuseppe Lo Re View Abstract ❯

Survival of patients with pancreatic cancer treated with varied modalities: A single-centre study Michael Blaszak, Maher El‑Masri, Khalid Hirmiz, John Mathews, Abeer Omar, Tarek Elfiki, Rasna Gupta, Caroline Hamm, Sindu Kanjeekal, Amin Kay, Swati Kulkarni, Akmal Ghafoor View Abstract ❯

Spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with metastatic prostate cancer Naomi Serling‑Boyd, Zoe Quandt, Nazima Allaudeen View Abstract ❯

Primary mesenteric adenocarcinoma covered by abscess of the mesocolon and intestinal obstruction: A case report Yun Luo, Memgchuan Ou, Yushun Zhang, Zhiming Fu, Chongshu Wang View Abstract ❯

Expression patterns of CD168 correlate with the stage and grade of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck Korinna Jöhrens, Ioannis Anagnostopoulos, Steffen Dommerich, Jan Dirk Raguse, Agnieszka J. Szczepek, Frederick Klauschen, Katharina Stölzel View Abstract ❯

Management of afatinib-induced stomatitis Saeko Kato, Anna Saito, Naomi Matsuda, Hisako Suzuki, Midori Ujiie, Shinya Sato, Kunihiko Miyazaki, Takahide Kodama, Hiroaki Satoh View Abstract ❯

The significance of multi‑line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer: A retrospective analysis Meiqin Yuan, Zhong Shi, Zeng Wang, Wangxia Lv, Yunshan Yang, Fangxiao Lu, Yazhen Zhao, Haijun Zhong View Abstract ❯

Anorectal functional outcome following laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer Li‑Guo Liu, Xue‑Bing Yan, Ze‑Zhi Shan, Lei‑Lei Yan, Chun‑Yu Jiang, Jia Zhou, Yuan Tian, Zhi‑Ming Jin View Abstract ❯

Seven-day capecitabine plus docetaxel and oxaliplatin regimen for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer: A phase-I clinical trial Rong Liang, Yan Lin, Yongqiang Li, Qian Li, Chunling Yuan, Xiaoli Liao, Sina Liao, Jinyan Zhang, Zhihui Liu View Abstract ❯

Phase 2 study of CHOP‑R‑14 followed by 90Y‑ibritumomab tiuxetan in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma Reem Karmali, Melissa L. Larson, Jamile M. Shammo, Stephanie A. Gregory, Teresa O'brien, Parameswaran Venugopal View Abstract ❯

5-7 October, 2017, Metropolitan Hotel, Athens, Greece 22nd World Congress on Advances in Oncology & 20th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine 3-4 October 2017, Pre-Congress Workshop: 'Next-Generation Sequencing – Library construction and quality control'

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Dataset in support of the generation of Niemann-Pick disease Type C1 patient-specific iPS cell lines carrying the novel NPC1 mutation c.1180T>C or the prevalent c.3182T>C mutation – analysis of pluripotency and neuronal differentiation

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Data in Brief
Author(s): Franziska Peter, Michaela Trilck, Michael Rabenstein, Arndt Rolfs, Moritz J. Frech
Data presented in this article demonstrate the generation and characterization of two novel Niemann-Pick disease Type C1 (NPC1) patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines, related to the research article Trilck et al. (Diversity of Glycosphingolipid GM2 and Cholesterol Accumulation in NPC1 Patient-Specific iPSC-Derived Neurons; Brain Res.; 2017; 1657:52-61. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.11.031). For reprogramming fibroblasts, carrying the novel homozygous mutation c.1180T>C and the prevalent homozygous mutation c.3182T>C, were used. Reprogramming into patient-specific iPSCs was induced by retroviral transduction of the transcription factors Sox2, Klf4, Oct4 and c-Myc, and confirmed according to their pluripotency. The iPSCs were subsequently differentiated into neural progenitor cells, which were terminally differentiated into functional neurons and glial cells. The generation of these cell lines provides further valuable tools to investigate pathogenic mechanism of NPC1 in human neuronal cells carrying different NPC1 mutations.



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Effect of an oral healthcare programme on care staff knowledge and attitude regarding oral health: a non-randomised intervention trial

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of an oral healthcare programme in nursing homes on care staff knowledge and attitude regarding oral health.

Methods

The study sample consisted of the nurses and nurses' aides from 63 nursing homes, which either received an oral healthcare programme including mobile dental care or were on a waiting list to receive this programme. A validated questionnaire completed at baseline and again after the study period assessed the care staff knowledge and attitude. Paired t test, independent t test, general linear and linear mixed models were used to examine the changes in attitude and knowledge scores.

Results

In total, 546 questionnaires were completed by the same people from 36 nursing homes at baseline and on completion of the study. After the intervention period, knowledge significantly improved in both study groups (I p < 0.001; C p < 0.001), the intervention group significantly showing the largest increase (p < 0.001). The outcome variable attitude only showed a significant improvement in the intervention group (p < 0.001). The mixed models confirmed the impact of some aspects of the intervention on the attitude and the knowledge of the caregivers.

Conclusions

The oral healthcare programme including a mobile dental team resulted in a significant increase of the care staff knowledge and attitude regarding oral health.

Clinical relevance

The integration of a dental professional team in nursing home organisations should be encouraged because it could be valuable to tackle barriers for the provision of daily oral hygiene and to support the continuous integration of oral health care into general care.

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Suprathreshold measures of taste perception in children - Association with dietary quality and body weight

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Appetite, Volume 113
Author(s): Emma L. Feeney, Sinead A. O'Brien, Amalia G.M. Scannell, Anne Markey, Eileen R. Gibney
Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in the Western world, and is affected by a multitude of interacting factors. Recent evidence suggests that taste perception may differ between obese and normal weight children. Evidence also suggests that perception of sweet and bitter taste is linked to differential food liking of various foods. To date, most studies have focused on single food items or food groups, rather than an overall view of dietary quality, and mainly on bitterness. Thus it is unclear whether taste perception is associated with dietary quality in children. Our objective was to examine the link between taste perception, dietary quality and body weight in Irish school children, in conjunction with other known influences of body weight. Taste perception was measured using the gLMS for bitter, salty and sweet stimuli. Detailed dietary intake data were collected from 525 children aged 7–13 via a 3-day diet history. Energy misreporters were identified and excluded from the dietary analyses, leaving n = 483 children. Dietary quality was assessed using Healthy Eating Index. Salivary DNA was collected and analyzed for variations in the bitter receptor gene TAS2R38. Sex differences were observed whereby intensity perception of sweetness was lower in the overweight/obese males, while no association was observed for sweet taste in the females. Despite the differences in weight status, taste perception was not associated with differences in overall dietary quality, measured via HEI score, in this cohort. Prospective cohort studies in children are necessary to better understand the association between taste intensity, food intake and weight over time.



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Play with your food! Sensory play is associated with tasting of fruits and vegetables in preschool children

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Appetite, Volume 113
Author(s): Helen Coulthard, Annemarie Sealy
The objective of the current study was to ascertain whether taking part in a sensory play activity with real fruits and vegetables (FV) can encourage tasting in preschool children, compared to a non-food activity or visual exposure to the activity. Three to four year old pre-school children (N = 62) were recruited from three preschool nursery classes from a school in Northamptonshire, UK. A between participants experimental study was conducted with each class assigned to one of three conditions; sensory FV play, sensory non-food play and visual FV exposure. Parental report of several baseline variables were taken; child baseline liking of the foods used in the study, parental and child FV consumption (portions/day), child neophobia and child tactile sensitivity. Outcome measures were the number of fruits and vegetables tasted in a post experiment taste test which featured (n = 5) or did not feature (n = 3) in the task. Analyses of covariance controlling for food neophobia and baseline liking of foods, showed that after the activity children in the sensory FV play condition tried more FV than both children in the non-food sensory play task (p < 0.001) and children in the visual FV exposure task (p < 0.001). This was true not only for five foods used in the activity (p < 0.001), but also three foods that were not used in the activity (p < 0.05). Sensory play activities using fruits and vegetables may encourage FV tasting in preschool children more than non food play or visual exposure alone. Long term intervention studies need to be carried out to see if these effects can be sustained over time.



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Editors / Publication Information

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Appetite, Volume 113





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Interaction between harmane, a class of β-carboline alkaloids, and the CA1 serotonergic system in modulation of memory acquisition

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Neuroscience Research
Author(s): Mohammad Nasehi, Fatemeh Ghadimi, Fatemeh Khakpai, Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
This study set to assess the involvement of dorsal hippocampus (CA1) serotonergic system on harmane induced memory acquisition deficit. We used one trial step-down inhibitory avoidancetask to evaluate memory retention and then, open field test to evaluate locomotor activity in adult male NMRI mice. The results showed that pre-training intra-peritoneal (i.p.) administration of harmane (12mg/kg) induced impairment of memory acquisition. Pre-training intra-CA1 administration of 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonist (CP94253; 0.5 and 5ng/mouse) and 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptor agonist (α-methyl 5-HT; 50ng/mouse) impaired memory acquisition. Furthermore, intra-CA1 administration of 5-HT1B/1D receptor antagonist (GR127935; 0.5ng/mouse) and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist (cinancerine; 5ng/mouse) improved memory acquisition. In addition, pre-training intra-CA1 injection of sub-threshold dose of CP94253 (0.05ng/mouse) and α-methyl 5-HT (5ng/mouse) potentiated impairment of memory acquisition induced by harmane (12mg/kg, i.p.). On the other hand, pre-training intra-CA1 infusion of sub-threshold dose of GR127935 (0.05ng/mouse) and cinancerine (0.5ng/mouse) with the administration of harmane (12mg/kg, i.p.) weakened impairment of memory acquisition. Moreover, all above doses of drugs did not change locomotor activity. The present findings suggest that there is an interaction between harmane and the CA1 serotonergic system in modulation of memory acquisition.



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Vaccination recommendations for the adult immunosuppressed patient: A systematic review and comprehensive field synopsis

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Journal of Autoimmunity
Author(s): Anthony Lopez, Xavier Mariette, Hervé Bachelez, Alexandre Belot, Bernard Bonnotte, Eric Hachulla, Morad Lahfa, Olivier Lortholary, Pierre Loulergue, Stéphane Paul, Xavier Roblin, Jean Sibilia, Mariela Blum, Silvio Danese, Stefanos Bonovas, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet
BackgroundImmunosuppressed patients are at risk of severe viral infections-related complications. National and international vaccination guidelines have been developed to decrease the mortality risk associated with these infections. However, a summary of these guidelines and the value of immunisation in this population is missing.ObjectivesTo summarize specific guidelines regarding vaccination in immunosuppressed patients.MethodsWe performed a literature search based on last update vaccine guidelines in immunosuppressed adult patients published between 1/1/2005–1/31/2016 in English or French language using PubMed, Cochrane and Embase, as well as relevant medical society websites.ResultsOf the 389 citations identified, 12 guidelines were selected Three additional guidelines were selected by searching on the websites from medical societies of each specialty. 15 guidelines were included, involving 19 medical societies issued from the US (n = 6), international collaboration (n = 3), UK (n = 2), Canada (n = 1), Australia (n = 1), France (n = 1), and Germany (n = 1). These guidelines provide recommendations on vaccination in asplenic patients (n = 5), cancer patients (n = 4), HIV patients (n = 5), hematopoietic stem cell recipients (n = 4), inflammatory bowel diseases patients (n = 5), psoriasis patients (n = 4), primary immunocompromised patients (n = 3), inflammatory rheumatic diseases patients (n = 6), and solid organ transplant recipients (n = 5). All guidelines recommended pneumococcal and injectable influenza vaccines. Other inactivated vaccines were recommended only in high risk patients. Live vaccines were usually contraindicated in patients under immunosuppressive therapy and/or in HIV patients with a CD4 count under 200/mm³.ConclusionPneumococcal and injectable influenza are the two essential vaccines recommended in all immunocompromised patients. Other inactivated vaccines are only indicated in high risk patients. Live vaccines are usually contraindicated.



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Scholar : African Journal of AIDS Research, Volume 16, Issue 1, March 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content African Journal of AIDS Research, Volume 16, Issue 1, March 2017 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online. This new issue contains the following articles: Research Articles Sexual and reproductive health risk behaviours among South African university students: results from a representative campus-wide survey Susie Hoffman, Michael Levasseur, Joanne E. Mantell, Mags Beksinska, Zonke Mabude, Claudia Ngoloyi, Elizabeth A. Kelvin, Theresa Exner, Cheng-Shiun Leu, Lavanya Pillay & Jennifer A. Smit Pages: 1-10 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2016.1259171 The multidimensional nature of HIV stigma: evidence from Mozambique Maria A Carrasco, Rosario Arias & Maria E Figueroa Pages: 11-18 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2016.1264983 Conceptions of agency and constraint for HIV-positive patients and healthcare workers to support long-term engagement with antiretroviral therapy care in Khayelitsha, South Africa Erin Stern, Christopher Colvin, Nobom Gxabagxaba, Charlotte Schutz, Rosie Burton & Graeme Meintjes Pages: 19-29 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1285795 HIV risk and prevention among men who have sex with men in rural South Africa Kabelo Maleke, Nosipho Makhakhe, Remco PH Peters, Geoffrey Jobson, Glenn De Swardt, Joseph Daniels, Timothy Lane, James A McIntyre, John Imrie & Helen Struthers Pages: 31-38 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1292925 Improving voluntary medical male circumcision standards adherence and post-procedure follow-up in Uganda: A mixed methods study Sarah Smith Lunsford, John Byabagambi, Zachariah Falconer-Stout & Esther Karamagi Pages: 39-46 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1293701 The intersection of abandonment, HIV-positive status and residential care for a group of perinatally infected adolescents Jeanette Schmid & Jenita Chiba Pages: 47-56 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1296476 The role of civil society in health policy making in South Africa: a review of the strategies adopted by the Treatment Action Campaign Stella C Sabi & Mark Rieker Pages: 57-64 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1296874 Prevalence of HIV and malaria: a cross-sectional study on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea Xiangbin Zheng, Min Lin, Dong-De Xie, Jian Li, Jiang-Tao Chen, Urbano Monsuy Eyi, Santiago-m Monte-Nguba, Juan Carlos Sala Ehapo, Hui Yang, Hui-Tian Yang & Li-Ye Yang Pages: 65-70 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2016.1257495 Love grows with sex: teenagers negotiating sex and gender in the context of HIV and the implications for sex education Deevia Bhana Pages: 71-79 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2016.1259172 "The child can remember your voice": parent–child communication about sexuality in the South African context Esmeralda Vilanculos & Mzikazi Nduna Pages: 81-89 | DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1302486 Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services – FREE ACCESS Article Collection - click here To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Near-infrared fluorescent protein iRFP713 as a reporter protein for optogenetic vectors, a transgenic Cre-reporter rat, and other neuronal studies

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Journal of Neuroscience Methods
Author(s): Christopher T. Richie, Leslie R. Whitaker, Keith W. Whitaker, Julie Necarsulmer, Heather A. Baldwin, Yajun Zhang, Lowella Fortuno, Josh J. Hinkle, Pyry Koivula, Mark J. Henderson, Wenzhi Sun, Kai Wang, Jeffrey C. Smith, Jim Pickel, Na Ji, Bruce T. Hope, Brandon K. Harvey
BackgroundThe use of genetically-encoded fluorescent reporters is essential for the identification and observation of cells that express transgenic modulatory proteins. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent proteins have superior light penetration through biological tissue, but are not yet widely adopted.New methodUsing the near-infrared fluorescent protein, iRFP713, improves the imaging resolution in thick tissue sections or the intact brain due to the reduced light-scattering at the longer, NIR wavelengths used to image the protein. Additionally, iRFP713 can be used to identify transgenic cells without photobleaching other fluorescent reporters or affecting opsin function. We have generated a set of adeno-associated vectors in which iRFP713 has been fused to optogenetic channels, and can be expressed constitutively or Cre-dependently.ResultsiRFP713 is detectable when expressed in neurons both in vitro and in vivo without exogenously supplied chromophore biliverdin. Neuronally-expressed iRFP713 has similar properties to GFP-like fluorescent proteins, including the ability to be translationally fused to channelrhodopsin or halorhodopsin, however, it shows superior photostability compared to EYFP. Furthermore, electrophysiological recordings from iRFP713-labeled cells compared to cells labeled with mCherry suggest that iRFP713 cells are healthier and therefore more stable and reliable in an ex vivo preparation. Lastly, we have generated a transgenic rat that expresses iRFP713 in a Cre-dependent manner.ConclusionsOverall, we have demonstrated that iRFP713 can be used as a reporter in neurons without the use of exogenous biliverdin, with minimal impact on viability and function thereby making it feasible to extend the capabilities for imaging genetically-tagged neurons in slices and in vivo.



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Scholar : These new articles for Archives and Records are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Archives and Records and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Exploring encounters between families, their histories and archived oral histories Mary Stewart & Cynthia Brown Pages: 1-16 | DOI: 10.1080/23257962.2017.1303367 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Shakespeare are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Shakespeare and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: BOOK REVIEW Shakespeare | Cut: Rethinking Cutwork in an Age of Distraction Erin Sullivan Pages: 1-2 | DOI: 10.1080/17450918.2017.1297847 Listening Leaders Free Accessarticles from International Listening Association Lifetime Achievement AwardeesFind out more To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Synaptopathic mechanisms of neurodegeneration and dementia: Insights from Huntington’s disease

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Progress in Neurobiology
Author(s): Shiraz Tyebji, Anthony J. Hannan
Dementia encapsulates a set of symptoms that include loss of mental abilities such as memory, problem solving or language, and reduces a person's ability to perform daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, however dementia can also occur in other neurological disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD). Many studies have demonstrated that loss of neuronal cell function manifests pre-symptomatically and thus is a relevant therapeutic target to alleviate symptoms. Synaptopathy, the physiological dysfunction of synapses, is now being approached as the target for many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including HD. HD is an autosomal dominant and progressive degenerative disorder, with clinical manifestations that encompass movement, cognition, mood and behaviour. HD is one of the most common tandem repeat disorders and is caused by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat expansion, encoding an extended polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Animal models as well as human studies have provided detailed, although not exhaustive, evidence of synaptic dysfunction in HD. In this review, we discuss the neuropathology of HD and how the changes in synaptic signalling in the diseased brain lead to its symptoms, which includes dementia. Here, we review and discuss the mechanisms by which the 'molecular orchestras' and their 'synaptic symphonies' are disrupted in neurodegeneration and dementia, focusing on HD as a model disease. We also explore the therapeutic strategies currently in pre-clinical and clinical testing that are targeted towards improving synaptic function in HD.



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Now you see it, Now you don’t: compulsive exercise in adolescents with an eating disorder

Abstract

Background

Compulsive exercise (CE) has been proposed as significant in the etiology, development and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs), resulting in more severe and enduring pathology. However, few studies have investigated CE longitudinally in adolescents with EDs. We aimed to test if adolescents show the same associations between CE and other clinical variables as previous research has found in adults.

Methods

Three thousand one hundred sixteen girls and 139 boys from a clinical ED database were investigated regarding prevalence and frequency of CE and its relation to psychiatric symptoms, associated features and outcome. Denial of illness is common among adolescents and was therefore adjusted for.

Results

Adjusted CE prevalence in girls was 44%, and CE was most prevalent in bulimia nervosa. As previously found in adults, those with CE scored significantly higher than non-CE on total ED severity, level of restriction and negative perfectionism. However, there were only minor differences between CE and non-CE patients on emotional distress, hyperactivity, suicidality and self-esteem. Among boys, adjusted CE prevalence was 38%, and CE boys scored significantly higher than non-CE on total ED severity. Initial CE did not influence 1-year outcome, although cessation of CE was associated with remission.

Conclusions

CE is a common clinical feature in adolescents with EDs and cessation is associated with remission. When controlling for denial of illness, CE had less detrimental impact than predicted. We recommend controlling for denial in studies on ED adolescents and further exploration of classification and treatment implications of CE.

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Body dissatisfaction, excessive exercise, and weight change strategies used by first-year undergraduate students: comparing health and physical education and other education students

Abstract

Background

Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers are known to be under social-, personal-, and employment-related pressure to be and appear physically fit, and to use dangerous dieting and weight control practices. This is problematic due to the influence this may have on their own health and the potential to model these attitudes and behaviours to their future students.

Methods

In this paper, we compare the body image, dieting, disordered eating, and exercise behaviours of first year, HPE, and non-HPE, teacher education students. Participants were 596 first-year university student pre-service teachers (n = 249 HPE and n = 347 non-HPE) from three universities in Australia who completed self-report questionnaires. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression analyses were used to determine differences in attitudes and behaviours between these two groups for males and females separately.

Results

We found that male HPE participants had significantly higher levels of drive for muscularity and obligatory exercise, and were more likely to be classified as having an exercise disorder, dieting, and using steroids than non-HPE students were. Female HPE students were more likely to engage in self-reported excessive exercise, to have higher scores on the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire, and be classified as having an exercise disorder.

Conclusion

These findings are important as they confirm the presence of dieting and disordered eating attitudes and behaviours among all teacher education students, and highlight male HPE teachers as a potentially vulnerable group. These results may inform the implementation of intervention programs for teacher education students to ensure their personal wellbeing and professional capacity in promoting positive body image, nutrition, and physical activity among young people.

http://ift.tt/2nzkgZL

Scholar : These new articles for Australian Journal of International Affairs are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Australian Journal of International Affairs and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Commentary and Provocation Economics and freedom of navigation in East Asia James Laurenceson Pages: 1-13 | DOI: 10.1080/10357718.2017.1301374 Interested in the political-economic topics surrounding China? You wouldn't want to miss this exclusive collection. To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

RNA: Translated circular RNAs

Nature Reviews Genetics. doi:10.1038/nrg.2017.27

Author: Linda Koch

http://ift.tt/2nuXYaS

Genetic variation: Linear INSIGHTs into non-coding DNA

Nature Reviews Genetics. doi:10.1038/nrg.2017.24

Author: Shimona Starling

http://ift.tt/2o12t0K

Genetic screens: CRISPR-based mapping of genetic interactions

Nature Reviews Genetics. doi:10.1038/nrg.2017.25

Author: Ross Cloney

http://ift.tt/2o1f1VO

Development of high-resolution dynamic dust source function - A case study with a strong dust storm in a regional model

Publication date: June 2017
Source:Atmospheric Environment, Volume 159
Author(s): Dongchul Kim, Mian Chin, Eric M. Kemp, Zhining Tao, Christa D. Peters-Lidard, Paul Ginoux
A high-resolution dynamic dust source has been developed in the NASA Unified-Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model to improve the existing coarse static dust source. In the new dust source map, topographic depression is in 1-km resolution and surface bareness is derived using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The new dust source better resolves the complex topographic distribution over the Western United States where its magnitude is higher than the existing, coarser resolution static source. A case study is conducted with an extreme dust storm that occurred in Phoenix, Arizona in 02–03 UTC July 6, 2011. The NU-WRF model with the new high-resolution dynamic dust source is able to successfully capture the dust storm, which was not achieved with the old source identification. However the case study also reveals several challenges in reproducing the time evolution of the short-lived, extreme dust storm events.



http://ift.tt/2oPDQBd

Estimation of surface-level PM2.5 concentration using aerosol optical thickness through aerosol type analysis method

Publication date: June 2017
Source:Atmospheric Environment, Volume 159
Author(s): Qi-Xiang Chen, Yuan Yuan, Xing Huang, Yan-Qiu Jiang, He-Ping Tan
Surface-level particulate matter is closely related to column aerosol optical thickness (AOT). Previous researches have successfully used column AOT and different meteorological parameters to estimate surface-level PM concentration. In this study, the performance of a selected linear model that estimates surface-level PM2.5 concentration was evaluated following the aerosol type analysis method (ATAM) for the first time. We utilized 443 daily average data for Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, collected using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) during the period October 2013 to April 2016. Several parameters including atmospheric boundary layer height (BLH), relative humidity (RH), and effective radius of the aerosol size distribution (Ref) were used to assess the relationship between the column AOT and PM2.5 concentration. By including the BLH, ambient RH, and effective radius, the correlation (R²) increased from 0.084 to 0.250 at Xuzhou, and with the use of ATAM, the correlation increased further to 0.335. To compare the results, 450 daily average data for Beijing, pertaining to the same period, were utilized. The study found that model correlations improved by varying degrees in different seasons and at different sites following ATAM. The average urban industry (UI) aerosol ratios at Xuzhou and Beijing were 0.792 and 0.451, respectively, demonstrating poorer air conditions at Xuzhou. PM2.5 estimation at Xuzhou showed lower correlation (R² = 0.335) compared to Beijing (R² = 0.407), and the increase of R² at Xuzhou and Beijing site following use of ATAM were 33.8% and 12.4%, respectively.



http://ift.tt/2os9okg

Detection of ethanol gas using In2O3 nanoparticle-decorated ZnS nanowires

Publication date: September 2017
Source:Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Volume 248
Author(s): Kyoung-Kook Kim, Dongjun Kim, Soo-Hyun Kang, Sunghoon Park
An In2O3 nanoparticle-decorated ZnS nanowire gas sensor was fabricated by following a three-step process. The ZnS nanowires were fabricated by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism using ZnS powder as a precursor. The In2O3 nanoparticles were fabricated by a hydrothermal mechanism. The In2O3 nanoparticles were spin coated on the surface of the ZnS nanowires, and the resulting sample was annealed for 1h at 500°C in vacuum. The ethanol gas sensing response of these nanowires was 2.9 times higher than that of pristine ZnS nanowires when these sensors were exposed to 500ppm ethanol. The selectivity of the resulting sensor to ethanol gas among the other volatile organic compounds gases also improved by the decoration of ZnS nanowires with In2O3 nanoparticles. Furthermore, since ZnS and In2O3 are known as effective ethanol gas sensing materials, their combination creates a synergistic effect for ethanol gas sensing, selectivity, and sensitivity. In this study, we synthesized a hybrid structure containing In2O3 nanoparticles and ZnS nanowires to fabricate a high-response ethanol gas sensor. We also investigated the ethanol gas sensing mechanism of the resulting sensor.



http://ift.tt/2nzhGD8

Interactive toxicity of Ni, Zn, Cu, and Cd on Daphnia magna at lethal and sub-lethal concentrations

Publication date: 15 July 2017
Source:Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 334
Author(s): Ebrahim Lari, Patrick Gauthier, Effat Mohaddes, Greg G. Pyle
The toxicity of metal mixtures is currently of particular interest among aquatic toxicologists. To provide insight into whether the interaction of multiple metals is similar at different biological levels, the survival and feeding behavior of Daphnia magna were studied following exposure to four metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn) and their binary and quaternary combinations. In terms of survival, Zn-Cu and Cu-Cd mixtures produced more-than-additive mortality, while Ni-Cd mixtures resulted in less-than-additive mortality. Regarding behavior, Zn-Cu and Zn-Cd mixtures produced a more-than-additive reduction in feeding rate. Four (i.e. Zn-Cu, Cu-Cd, Ni-Cd, and Zn-Cd) out of six binary mixtures in the present study interacted differently at the survival and behavioral levels, strengthening the emphasis on carefully selecting the toxicological endpoint when addressing metal mixture toxicity. The results of the present study demonstrated that metals are toxic to feeding behavior of D. magna at much lower concentrations (i.e. 27–63 times lower) compared to survival, suggesting that applying sub-lethal endpoints are required for producing protective regulations.



http://ift.tt/2nuVvgz

Novel synthesis of nanocomposite for the extraction of Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) from water and urine samples: Process screening and optimization

Publication date: September 2017
Source:Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, Volume 38
Author(s): Arash Asfaram, Mehrorang Ghaedi, Mihir Kumar Purkait
A sensitive analytical method is investigated to concentrate and determine trace level of Sildenafil Citrate (SLC) present in water and urine samples. The method is based on a sample treatment using dispersive solid-phase micro-extraction (DSPME) with laboratory-made Mn@ CuS/ZnS nanocomposite loaded on activated carbon (Mn@ CuS/ZnS-NCs-AC) as a sorbent for the target analyte. The efficiency was enhanced by ultrasound-assisted (UA) with dispersive nanocomposite solid-phase micro-extraction (UA-DNSPME). Four significant variables affecting SLC recovery like; pH, eluent volume, sonication time and adsorbent mass were selected by the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) experiments. These selected factors were optimized by the central composite design (CCD) to maximize extraction of SLC. The results exhibited that the optimum conditions for maximizing extraction of SLC were 6.0 pH, 300μL eluent (acetonitrile) volume, 10mg of adsorbent and 6min sonication time. Under optimized conditions, virtuous linearity of SLC was ranged from 30 to 4000ngmL⁻¹ with R² of 0.99. The limit of detection (LOD) was 2.50ngmL⁻¹ and the recoveries at two spiked levels were ranged from 97.37 to 103.21% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 4.50% (n=15). The enhancement factor (EF) was 81.91. The results show that the combination UAE with DNSPME is a suitable method for the determination of SLC in water and urine samples.

Graphical abstract

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Magnetite and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles used as seeds for acid mine drainage treatment

Publication date: 5 July 2017
Source:Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 333
Author(s): Kebede K. Kefeni, Bhekie B. Mamba, Titus A.M. Msagati
In this study, magnetite and cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were used as seeds for acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment at pH of 7.05±0.35. Duplicate samples of AMD, one without heating and another with heating at 60°C was treated under continuous stirring for 1h. The filtrate analysis results from ICP-OES have shown complete removal of Al, Mg, and Mn, while for Fe, Ni and Zn over 90% removals were recorded. Particularly, settling time has significant effect on the removal of Mg, Ca and Na. The results from SQUID have shown superparamagnetic properties of the synthesised magnetic nanoparticles and ferrite sludge. The recovered nanoparticles from AMD are economically important and reduce the cost of waste disposal.



http://ift.tt/2orcvJu

New tetrahedral zinc halide Schiff base complexes: Synthesis, crystal structure, theoretical, 3D Hirshfeld surface analyses, antimicrobial and thermal studies

Publication date: 1 August 2017
Source:Materials Science and Engineering: C, Volume 77
Author(s): L. Taghizadeh, M. Montazerozohori, A. Masoudiasl, S. Joohari, J.M. White
A new bidentate Schiff base ligand named as N,N′-bis((E)-3-phenylallylidene)butane-1,4-diamine (L) and three its zinc halide complexes were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The crystal structure of zinc bromide and iodide complexes were characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction. The two structures are isomorphous, crystallizing in the monoclinic crystal system with space group C2/c with closely similar unit cell dimensions. In these complexes, the Zn(II) ion is in the center of a distorted tetrahedral environment completed by two iminic nitrogen atoms of Schiff base ligand and two halide anions. The analysis of crystal structures shows that intermolecular interactions such as CH⋯halogen, π⋯π and CH⋯π interactions have effective role in stabilization of complexes structure. Intermolecular interactions were more analyzed using 3D Hirshfeld surface analysis and corresponding 2D fingerprint plots. Furthermore, structural optimization by DFT calculations at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ level have been performed and then compared with the experimental data. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) has been also used to calculate the electronic transitions of molecules at B3LYP/LANL2DZ level using the optimized ground-state geometries. NBO analysis was applied for investigation of intra and inter-molecular bonding and conjugative interaction in molecular systems. Schiff base ligand and their zinc complexes have been screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities by disc diffusion method. Thermal behaviors of all compounds were studied by TG/DTG analysis data. Also, nanostructures of zinc complexes were synthesized by sonochemical method and characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ZnO nanoparticles were simply prepared by calcination of zinc iodide complex as new precursor at 600°C.

Graphical abstract

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High performance hydrogen sensor based on Mn implanted ZnO nanowires array fabricated on ITO substrate

Publication date: 1 August 2017
Source:Materials Science and Engineering: C, Volume 77
Author(s): A. Renitta, K. Vijayalakshmi
In the present research, we propose a novel approach for the detection of hydrogen gas using Mn implanted ZnO nanowires fabricated onto ITO coated glass substrate by chemical spray pyrolysis deposition. The effect of Mn concentration on the structural, optical and morphological properties of ZnO films were investigated. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the Mn implanted ZnO films were grown as a polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite phase without any impurities. The (101) peak position of ZnO-Mn films was shifted towards a lower angle with increasing Mn concentration. The optical band gap decreased from 3.45eV to 3.23eV with increasing Mn content. PL spectra, revealed sharp and strong near band edge emission which suggests that ZnO nanowires exhibit high crystalline quality. FE-SEM images of Mn implanted ZnO show perfectly aligned nanowires for all the films fabricated on ITO. The material (Zn, O, Mn) was confirmed by EDX spectra. The hydrogen sensing mechanism of the Mn implanted ZnO nanowire sensor was also discussed. It was found that H2 response was significantly enhanced by more than one order of magnitude with increasing Mn doping concentrations. The studied ZnO-Mn films coated on ITO substrate can be used as a low cost and easy-fabrication hydrogen sensing material.

Graphical abstract

http://ift.tt/2nzdGTl

Injectable and inherently vascularizing semi-interpenetrating polymer network for delivering cells to the subcutaneous space

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 131
Author(s): Redouan Mahou, David K.Y. Zhang, Alexander E. Vlahos, Michael V. Sefton
Injectable hydrogels are suitable for local cell delivery to the subcutaneous space, but the lack of vasculature remains a limiting factor. Previously we demonstrated that biomaterials containing methacrylic acid promoted vascularization. Here we report the preparation of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN), and its evaluation as an injectable carrier to deliver cells and generate blood vessels in a subcutaneous implantation site. The SIPN was prepared by reacting a blend of vinyl sulfone-terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG-VS) and sodium polymethacrylate (PMAA-Na) with dithiothreitol. The swelling of SIPN was sensitive to the PMAA-Na content but only small differences in gelation time, permeability and stiffness were noted. SIPN containing 20 mol% PMAA-Na generated a vascular network in the surrounding tissues, with 2–3 times as many vessels as was obtained with 10 mol% PMAA-Na or PEG alone. Perfusion studies showed that the generated vessels were perfused and connected to the host vasculature as early as seven days after transplantation. Islets embedded in SIPN were viable and responsive to glucose stimulation in vitro. In a proof of concept study in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model, a progressive return to normoglycemia was observed and the presence of insulin positive islets was confirmed when islets were embedded in SIPN prior to delivery. Our approach proposes a biomaterial-mediated strategy to deliver cells while enhancing vascularization.



http://ift.tt/2nNmDZW

Bioacoustic-enabled patterning of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes into 3D cardiac tissue

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 131
Author(s): Vahid Serpooshan, Pu Chen, Haodi Wu, Soah Lee, Arun Sharma, Daniel A. Hu, Sneha Venkatraman, Adarsh Venkataraman Ganesan, Osman Berk Usta, Martin Yarmush, Fan Yang, Joseph C. Wu, Utkan Demirci, Sean M. Wu
The creation of physiologically-relevant human cardiac tissue with defined cell structure and function is essential for a wide variety of therapeutic, diagnostic, and drug screening applications. Here we report a new scalable method using Faraday waves to enable rapid aggregation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) into predefined 3D constructs. At packing densities that approximate native myocardium (10⁸-10⁹ cells/ml), these hiPSC-CM-derived 3D tissues demonstrate significantly improved cell viability, metabolic activity, and intercellular connection when compared to constructs with random cell distribution. Moreover, the patterned hiPSC-CMs within the constructs exhibit significantly greater levels of contractile stress, beat frequency, and contraction-relaxation rates, suggesting their improved maturation. Our results demonstrate a novel application of Faraday waves to create stem cell-derived 3D cardiac tissue that resembles the cellular architecture of a native heart tissue for diverse basic research and clinical applications.

Graphical abstract

http://ift.tt/2nR9Rvh

Enzymatically crosslinked silk-hyaluronic acid hydrogels

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 131
Author(s): Nicole R. Raia, Benjamin P. Partlow, Meghan McGill, Erica Palma Kimmerling, Chiara E. Ghezzi, David L. Kaplan
In this study, silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid (HA) were enzymatically crosslinked to form biocompatible composite hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties similar to that of native tissues. The formation of di-tyrosine crosslinks between silk fibroin proteins via horseradish peroxidase has resulted in a highly elastic hydrogel but exhibits time-dependent stiffening related to silk self-assembly and crystallization. Utilizing the same method of crosslinking, tyramine-substituted HA forms hydrophilic and bioactive hydrogels that tend to have limited mechanics and degrade rapidly. To address the limitations of these singular component scaffolds, HA was covalently crosslinked with silk, forming a composite hydrogel that exhibited both mechanical integrity and hydrophilicity. The composite hydrogels were assessed using unconfined compression and infrared spectroscopy to reveal of the physical properties over time in relation to polymer concentration. In addition, the hydrogels were characterized by enzymatic degradation and for cytotoxicity. Results showed that increasing HA concentration, decreased gelation time, increased degradation rate, and reduced changes that were observed over time in mechanics, water retention, and crystallization. These hydrogel composites provide a biologically relevant system with controllable temporal stiffening and elasticity, thus offering enhanced tunable scaffolds for short or long term applications in tissue engineering.



http://ift.tt/2nQNCpb

Microlens topography combined with vascular endothelial growth factor induces endothelial differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into vasculogenic progenitors

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 131
Author(s): Marek Kukumberg, Jia Yi Yao, Dawn J.H. Neo, Evelyn K.F. Yim
Cell therapy for vascular damage has been showing promises as alternative therapy for endothelial dysfunctions since the discovery of the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). However, isolated EPCs from peripheral blood yield low cell amounts and alternative cell source must be explored.The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of topography on the endothelial differentiation of an alternative cell source – human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from bone marrow. Utilizing the MultiARChitecture (MARC) chip, a systematic screening of variety of patterned surfaces and different medium compositions was performed. While topographical patterns alone induce endothelial differentiation, a synergistic enhancement was observed when topography was combined with a medium enriched with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The 1.8 μm diameter convex microlens pattern in combination with the VEGF enriched medium was shown to be the most efficient on the endothelial differentiation, yielding up to 10% of CD34⁺CD133⁺KDR⁺ marker expressing differentiated hMSCs as analyzed by flow cytometry. The quantified tube-like structures in the Matrigel assay in vitro indicated a vasculogenic potential of these endothelial progenitor-like differentiated hMSCs that was investigated further in a Matrigel plug assay in vivo in a rat for seven days. Explanted Matrigel plugs were processed with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and anti-Ulex Europaeus agglutinin (UEA-1) staining to visualize the capillaries and to identify the presence of human cells. The hMSCs cultured on the 1.8 μm diameter convex microlens in a medium enriched with VEGF, implanted in a Matrigel plug in a rat, showed the highest capillary density, the highest UEA-1⁺ capillary density, as well as the highest UEA-1⁺ cell survival density that were not included in the vasculogenesis. These findings indicate the active participation of the vasculogenic hMSCs in the vasculogenesis. The endothelial differentiation of hMSCs using this synergistic combination of microlens and VEGF enriched medium was also demonstrated in hMSCs from different male and female donors. The culture platform with combination of topography and biochemical cues could generate vasculogenic cell populations that may prove useful in vascular damage or other clinical applications.



http://ift.tt/2oPn6KC

Dextran sulfate nanoparticles as a theranostic nanomedicine for rheumatoid arthritis

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 131
Author(s): Roun Heo, Dong Gil You, Wooram Um, Ki Young Choi, Sangmin Jeon, Jong-Sung Park, Yuri Choi, Seunglee Kwon, Kwangmeyung Kim, Ick Chan Kwon, Dong-Gyu Jo, Young Mo Kang, Jae Hyung Park
With the aim of developing nanoparticles for targeted delivery of methotrexate (MTX) to inflamed joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an amphiphilic polysaccharide was synthesized by conjugating 5β-cholanic acid to a dextran sulfate (DS) backbone. Due to its amphiphilic nature, the DS derivative self-assembled into spherical nanoparticles (220 nm in diameter) in aqueous conditions. The MTX was effectively loaded into the DS nanoparticles (loading efficiency: 73.0%) by a simple dialysis method. Interestingly, the DS nanoparticles were selectively taken up by activated macrophages, which are responsible for inflammation and joint destruction, via scavenger receptor class A-mediated endocytosis. When systemically administrated into mice with experimental collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), the DS nanoparticles effectively accumulated in inflamed joints (12-fold more than wild type mice (WT)), implying their high targetability to RA tissues. Moreover, the MTX-loaded DS nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved therapeutic efficacy against CIA in mice compared to free MTX alone. Overall, the data presented here indicate that DS nanoparticles are potentially useful nanomedicines for RA imaging and therapy.



http://ift.tt/2nQMfXD

Mild microwave activated, chemo-thermal combinational tumor therapy based on a targeted, thermal-sensitive and magnetic micelle

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 131
Author(s): Wei-Shuo Li, Xiao-Juan Wang, Shuo Zhang, Jing-Bo Hu, Yang-Long Du, Xu-Qi Kang, Xiao-Ling Xu, Xiao-Ying Ying, Jian You, Yong-Zhong Du
The development of combinational anti-tumor therapy is of great value. Here, the thermal-sensitive and hepatic tumor cell targeting peptide-A54 modified polymer, A54-poly(ethylene glycol)-g-poly(acrylamide-co-acrylonitrile) (A54-PEG-g-p(AAm-co-AN)) can self-assemble into an 80 nm-sized micelle, which shows a thermal-sensitive behavior with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) of 43 °C. This self-assembled and targeted A54-PEG-g-p(AAm-co-AN) micelle can co-encapsulate anti-tumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) taking advantage of the hydrophobic core of the core-shell micellar structure, when the temperature is lower than 43 °C. A much higher accumulation of the MNPs@A54-PEG-g-p(AAm-co-AN) to the tumor navigated by the A54 targeting peptide is achieved. Due to the thermal-agent effect of the accumulated MNPs in tumor, the mild microwave (8 W) applied afterwards specifically elevates the local tumor temperature by 13 °C, compared to 6 °C without MNPs accumulation in 30 min. The greater temperature rise resulted from the thermal-agent effect of MNPs doesn't only activate the drug release inside tumor cells, but also achieve an augmented hyperthermia. A mild microwave activated, chemo-thermal combinational tumor therapy is thus developed.

Graphical abstract

http://ift.tt/2nQPPRG

Pulmonary apoptotic and oxidative damaging effects of Triclosan alone or in combination with Fluoride in Sprague Dawley rats

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Acta Histochemica
Author(s): Amany Tharwat Mohammed, Amany Abdel-Rahman Mohamed, Haytham Ali
This study aimed to assess the potential apoptotic and oxidative damaging impacts of Triclosan (TCS) and Sodium Fluoride (NaF) administered separately or in combination, in rats for thirty days. For this purpose, forty immature female Sprague-Dawley rats were equally allocated into five groups. TCS group administered 185mg TCS/kg Bw dissolved in distilled water (DW), while its control group received only DW. NaF group was given 50mg/kg NaF in corn oil BW and its respective control had corn oil alone. The co-treated group was administered TCS and NaF. The oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated in lung tissue homogenate and apoptotic proteins (BcL-2 and Caspase-3) expression were quantified in lung tissues. The results of TCS or NaF treated groups revealed a prominent depletion of super oxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione (GSH) in lung tissue homogenate. On contrary, a marked increase in the tissue levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymatic assay levels. The co-exposed group evoked less severity in the oxidative stress biomarkers concentration than individually exposed groups. The apoptotic genes protein expression was significantly higher in TCS or NaF treated rats when compared to the control with intense to moderate immunolabeling of the bronchiolar lining epithelium and surrounding mononuclear inflammatory cells. On the contrary, no significant differences were detected in the expression of the investigated apoptotic biomarkers between the control and the combined exposed group. We concluded that the exposure to either TCS or NaF resulted in significant perturbations in lung tissue after short term oral administration at variable instances but the co-exposure resulted in less severe toxicological consequences.



http://ift.tt/2o1pVem

Differential effect of chronic undernutrition on the fiber type composition of fascicles in the extensor digitorum longus muscles of the rat

Publication date: Available online 2 April 2017
Source:Acta Histochemica
Author(s): Enrique Vázquez-Mendoza, Erika Elizabeth Rodríguez-Torres, Kenia López-García, Cindy Xilonen Hinojosa-Rodríguez, Ismael Jiménez-Estrada
Several studies have shown that chronic low food consumption alters the composition and metabolism of the extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDLm) fiber types. EDLm is constituted by four independent fascicles (F2–F5) of different sizes; their constitution and metabolism, however, as well as how chronic undernourishment affects these is virtually unknown. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the relative fiber type composition and metabolism of each independent fascicle in the EDLm, using control and chronically undernourished young male rats by using the alkaline ATPase and NADH-TR histochemical techniques. Our results indicate that all control fascicles showed a higher percentage of intermediate fibers (P<0.001), except for F5, which had a higher percentage of fast fibers (P<0.001). After chronic undernutrition, the proportion of intermediate fibers decreased in F4 (P<0.05) and increased in F5 (P<0.001), whereas fast fibers decreased in F3 (P<0.05) and F5 (P<0.001). When we investigated fiber metabolism we found that F3 and F4 had a similar composition (mainly glycolytic), whereas F2 and F5 predominantly contained oxidative fibers. All fascicles of chronic undernourished rats showed a general decrease in oxidative fibers (P>0.05), except for F3, in which oxidative fibers increased (P<0.05). After determining the possible predominant metabolism expressed in intermediate fibers, we propose that chronic undernutrition induces the transformation of fast-glycolytic to intermediate-oxidative/glycolytic fibers, mainly in F3 and F5. Our observations confirm that chronic undernourishment differentially affects the fiber types of each fascicle in the EDLm, which could alter their individual physiological contractile properties.



http://ift.tt/2o1q3dH

Minocycline reduces mechanical allodynia and depressive-like behaviour in type-1 diabetes mellitus in the rat

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research SreeTestContent1, Volume 327
Author(s): Diana Amorim, Sónia Puga, Rui Bragança, António Braga, Antti Pertovaara, Armando Almeida, Filipa Pinto-Ribeiro
A common and devastating complication of diabetes mellitus is painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) that can be accompanied by emotional disorders such as depression. A few studies have suggested that minocycline that inhibits microglia may attenuate pain hypersensitivity in PDN. Moreover, a recent study reported that minocycline has an acute antidepressive-like effect in diabetic animals. Here we studied whether (i) prolonged minocycline treatment suppresses pain behaviour in PDN, (ii) the minocycline effect varies with submodality of pain, and (iii) the suppression of pain behaviour by prolonged minocycline treatment is associated with antidepressive-like effect. The experiments were performed in streptozotocin-induced rat model of type-1 diabetes. Pain behaviour was evoked by innocuous (monofilaments) and noxious (paw pressure) mechanical stimulation, innocuous cold (acetone drops) and noxious heat (radiant heat). Depression-like behaviour was assessed using forced swimming test. Minocycline treatment (daily 80mg/kg per os) of three-week duration started four weeks after induction of diabetes. Diabetes induced mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia, cold allodynia, heat hypoalgesia, and depression-like behaviour. Minocycline treatment significantly attenuated mechanical allodynia and depression-like behaviour, while it failed to produce significant changes in mechanical hyperalgesia, cold allodynia or heat hypoalgesia. The results indicate that prolonged per oral treatment with minocycline has a sustained mechanical antiallodynic and antidepressive-like effect in PDN. These results support the proposal that minocycline might provide a treatment option for attenuating sensory and comorbid emotional symptoms in chronic PDN.



http://ift.tt/2n3c2Nu

Re-examining the factors affecting choice in the light–dark preference test in zebrafish

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research SreeTestContent1, Volume 327
Author(s): Amanda Facciol, Steven Tran, Robert Gerlai
The light–dark preference test has been extensively used to screen anxiolytic drugs and investigate mechanisms of anxiety with rodents. Recently, this task has been adapted to zebrafish, but a number of inconsistent findings have emerged. For example, some found zebrafish to avoid and others to prefer dark. Given the translational relevance of the zebrafish, its utility in high throughput drug screens, and that anxiety still represents a large unmet medical need, there is an urgent need to resolve these inconsistencies. We propose these inconsistencies are due to lack of distinction between two separate factors: background shade and level of illumination. Here, we systematically manipulated background shade (black vs. white) while keeping the illumination level constant (uniformly illuminated). We also manipulated the level of illumination (illuminated vs. not illuminated) while keeping the background constant (either uniformly black or white). We examined the time-course of numerous behavioural responses under these conditions, and found zebrafish to exhibit a significant preference for the black side of the tank within the first 3min of the test when the illumination level was constant. We found this response, along with other anxiety-like behaviours, to diminish over time. In contrast, we found zebrafish did not exhibit a preference for the unilluminated (dark) side of the tank when the background shade was kept constant. Our results demonstrate a dissociation between illumination level and background shade, shown by a preference for black to white, but not for dark to light, confirming the importance of differentiating these two distinct factors.



http://ift.tt/2oPAAFY

Not in one metric: Neuroticism modulates different resting state metrics within distinctive brain regions

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research SreeTestContent1, Volume 327
Author(s): Claudio Gentili, Ioana Alina Cristea, Emiliano Ricciardi, Nicola Vanello, Cristian Popita, Daniel David, Pietro Pietrini
IntroductionNeuroticism is a complex personality trait encompassing diverse aspects. Notably, high levels of neuroticism are related to the onset of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety and mood disorders. Personality traits are stable individual features; therefore, they can be expected to be associated with stable neurobiological features, including the Brain Resting State (RS) activity as measured by fMRI. Several metrics have been used to describe RS properties, yielding rather inconsistent results. This inconsistency could be due to the fact that different metrics portray different RS signal properties and that these properties may be differently affected by neuroticism. To explore the distinct effects of neuroticism, we assessed several distinct metrics portraying different RS properties within the same population.MethodNeuroticism was measured in 31 healthy subjects using the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire; RS was acquired by high-resolution fMRI. Using linear regression, we examined the modulatory effects of neuroticism on RS activity, as quantified by the Amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF, fALFF), regional homogeneity (REHO), Hurst Exponent (H), global connectivity (GC) and amygdalae functional connectivity.ResultsNeuroticism modulated the different metrics across a wide network of brain regions, including emotional regulatory, default mode and visual networks. Except for some similarities in key brain regions for emotional expression and regulation, neuroticism affected different metrics in different ways.DiscussionMetrics more related to the measurement of regional intrinsic brain activity (fALFF, ALFF and REHO), or that provide a parsimonious index of integrated and segregated brain activity (HE), were more broadly modulated in regions related to emotions and their regulation. Metrics related to connectivity were modulated across a wider network of areas. Overall, these results show that neuroticism affects distinct aspects of brain resting state activity. More in general, these findings indicate that a multiparametric approach may be required to obtain a more detailed characterization of the neural underpinnings of a given psychological trait.



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Differential effects of social and novelty enrichment on individual differences in impulsivity and behavioral flexibility

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research SreeTestContent1, Volume 327
Author(s): Maya Zhe Wang, Andrew T. Marshall, Kimberly Kirkpatrick
Early life experience profoundly impacts behavior and cognitive functions in rats. The present study investigated how the presence of conspecifics and/or novel objects, could independently influence individual differences in impulsivity and behavioral flexibility. Twenty-four rats were reared in an isolated condition, an isolated condition with a novel object, a pair-housed social condition, or a pair-housed social condition with a novel object. The rats were then tested on an impulsive choice task, a behavioral flexibility task, and an impulsive action task. Novelty enrichment produced an overall increase in impulsive choice, while social enrichment decreased impulsive choice in the absence of novelty enrichment and also produced an overall increase in impulsive action. In the behavioral flexibility task, social enrichment increased regressive errors, whereas both social and novelty enrichment reduced never-reinforced errors. Individual differences analyses indicated a significant relationship between performance in the behavioral flexibility and impulsive action tasks, which may reflect a common psychological correlate of action inhibition. Moreover, there was a relationship between delay sensitivity in the impulsive choice task and performance on the DRL and behavioral flexibility tasks, suggesting a dual role for timing and inhibitory processes in driving the interrelationship between these tasks. Overall, these results indicate that social and novelty enrichment produce distinct effects on impulsivity and adaptability, suggesting the need to parse out the different elements of enrichment in future studies. Further research is warranted to better understand how individual differences in sensitivity to enrichment affect individuals' interactions with and the resulting consequences of the rearing environment.



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A novel dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist alleviates cognitive decline by re-sensitizing insulin signaling in the Alzheimer icv. STZ rat model

Publication date: 1 June 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research SreeTestContent1, Volume 327
Author(s): Lijuan Shi, Zhihua Zhang, Lin Li, Christian Hölscher
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, accompanied by memory loss and cognitive impairments, and there is no effective treatment for it at present. Since type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been identified as a risk factor for AD, the incretins glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), promising antidiabetic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, have been tested in models of neurodegenerative disease including AD and achieved good results. Here we show for the first time the potential neuroprotective effect of a novel dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist (DA-JC4) in the icv. streptozotocin (STZ)-induced AD rat model. Treatment with DA-JC4 (10nmol/kg ip.) once-daily for 14days after STZ intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration significantly prevented spatial learning deficits in a Y- maze test and Morris water maze tests, and decreased phosphorylated tau levels in the rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus. DA-JC4 also alleviated the chronic inflammation response in the brain (GFAP-positive astrocytes, IBA1-positive microglia). Apoptosis was reduced as shown in the reduced ratio of pro-apoptotic BAX to anti- apoptotic Bcl-2 levels. Importantly, insulin signaling was re-sensitized as evidenced by a reduction of phospho-IRS1^Ser1101 levels and phospho-Akt^Ser473 up-regulation. In conclusion, the novel dual agonist DA-JC4 shows promise as a novel treatment for sporadic AD, and reactivating insulin signaling pathways may be a key mechanism that prevents disease progression in AD.



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