Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Anat Sci Educ 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

When educators develop and introduce new learning approaches or resources, they usually have specific didactic goals in mind that they want to achieve. However, these goals may not always match the needs of their students, who often confound such plans by finding new and different uses for the educational tools that are offered to them. Originating from the author's work as the histology component director at the University of Michigan, the experience described here provides an example of a learning resource being re-appropriated by the learning community. Read More

Pharm Stat 2019 Jan 20. Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Department of Statistics, Bartin University, Bartin, Turkey.

This paper proposes a sufficient bootstrap method, which uses only the unique observations in the resamples, to assess the individual bioequivalence under 2 × 4 randomized crossover design. The finite sample performance of the proposed method is illustrated by extensive Monte Carlo simulations as well as a real-experimental data set, and the results are compared with those obtained by the traditional bootstrap technique. Our records reveal that the proposed method is a good competitor or even better than the classical percentile bootstrap confidence limits. Read More

J Clin Monit Comput 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Catharina Hospital, Michelangelolaan 2, 5623 EJ, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Accumulating evidence shows that ultrasound (US) guidance improves effectiveness and safety of central venous catheter (CVC) placement. Several international guidelines therefore recommend the use of US for placement of CVCs. However, surveys show that the landmark-based technique is still widely used, while the percentage of physicians using US is increasing less than expected. Read More

Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Purpose: Our aim was to develop an interactive 3D direct volume rendering (DVR) visualization solution to interpret and analyze complex, serial multi-modality imaging datasets from positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).

Methods: Our approach uses: (i) a serial transfer function (TF) optimization to automatically depict particular regions of interest (ROIs) over serial datasets with consistent anatomical structures; (ii) integration of a serial segmentation algorithm to interactively identify and track ROIs on PET; and (iii) parallel graphics processing unit (GPU) implementation for interactive visualization.

Results: Our DVR visualization more easily identifies changes in ROIs in serial scans in an automated fashion and parallel GPU computation which enables interactive visualization. Read More

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2019 Jan 19;19(1). Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Telemedicine uses technology to connect patients and data with providers at a distance. Direct to consumer telemedicine is a rapidly growing segment of the industry.

Recent Findings: The telehealth market has skyrocketed in recent years, making it a multi-billion dollar industry. Read More

J Complement Integr Med 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Experimental Oncology and Natural Substances Team, Cellular and Molecular Immuno-pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal, Morocco.

Background Myrtus communis L. is an aromatic evergreen plant common in Morocco. In addition to its culinary uses, it has been used medicinally as a disinfectant, an antiseptic or as a hypoglycemic agent. Read More

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, Greensboro, NC, 27419, USA.

Developments in the understanding of the etiology of cancer have undermined the 1970s concept that chemicals are either "carcinogens" or "non-carcinogens". The capacity to induce cancer should not be classified in an inflexible binary manner as present (carcinogen) or absent (non-carcinogen). Chemicals may induce cancer by three categories of mode of action: direct interaction with DNA or DNA replication including DNA repair and epigenetics; receptor-mediated induction of cell division; and non-specific induction of cell division. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Embrapa Clima Temperado, Rodovia BR 392, km 78. Caixa Postal 403. CEP: 96010-971. Pelotas/ RS - Brasil. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Baccharis punctulata (Asteraceae), popularly known as "Chíllka saru saru" in Bolivia, has been used by rural communities in Bustillo Province of the Potosi Department for treatment of asthma, luxations and contusions.

Aim Of The Study: To analyze the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from leaves of female (BPF) and male (BPM) specimens and evaluate their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Material And Methods: Chemical composition analyses of Baccharis punctulata essential oils isolated by hidrodistillation from leaves of male and female specimens were performed by GC-FID-MS. Read More

J Neurosci Methods 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Computer Science and EngineeringNational Institute of Technology Goa, India. Electronic address:

Background: Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a combination of hardware and software that provides a non-muscular channel to send various messages and commands to the outside world and control external devices such as computers. BCI helps severely disabled patients having neuromuscular injuries, locked-in syndrome (LiS) to lead their life as a normal person to the best extent possible. There are various applications of BCI not only in the field of medicine but also in entertainment, lie detection, gaming etc. Read More

Ultramicroscopy 2018 Dec 30. Epub 2018 Dec 30.

Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, Bremen, 28359 Germany.

This study addresses the comparison of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) measurements of momentum transfers using the first moment approach and the established method that uses segmented annular detectors. Using an ultrafast pixelated detector to acquire four-dimensional, momentum-resolved STEM signals, both the first moment calculation and the calculation of the differential phase contrast (DPC) signals are done for the same experimental data. In particular, we investigate the ability to correct the segment-based signal to yield a suitable approximation of the first moment for cases beyond the weak phase object approximation. Read More

Soc Sci Med 2018 Nov 8. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

UCL Institute of Education, London, UK. Electronic address:

Father's permanent departure from the household in childhood has the potential to affect child mental health. The event is non-random, and a major limitation in most previous studies is lack of adequate control for unobserved confounders. Using five waves of data spanning ages 3 to 14 from the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK-wide nationally representative longitudinal study, this paper uses fixed effect models to examine the effect of paternal absence on children's mental health (i. Read More

Mar Pollut Bull 2019 Jan 23;138:148-158. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

ENTROPIE IRD - Université de La Réunion - CNRS, Nouméa 98848, New Caledonia.

Volcanic CO seeps were successfully used to predict coral reef response to ocean acidification, although toxic elements, often characteristic of hydrothermal vents were rarely reported. We measured the physicochemical conditions, seawater carbonate chemistry and trace elements in Tutum Bay, Papua New Guinea. There, intense emission of hydrothermal fluids and CO expose the coral reef to a seawater pH between 7. Read More

Biol Res 2019 Jan 19;52(1). Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Botany, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Hamdard University, New Delhi, 110 062, India.

Background: Gymnema sylvestre is a medicinal woody perennial vine known for its sweetening properties and anti-diabetic therapeutic uses in the modern and traditional medicines. Its over-exploitation for the therapeutic uses and to meet the demand of pharmaceutical industry in raw materials supply for the production of anti-diabetic drugs has led to considerable decline in its natural population.

Results: An efficient system of shoot bud sprouting from nodal segment explants and indirect plant regeneration from apical meristem-induced callus cultures of G. Read More

Micron 2019 Jan 7;119:39-53. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Zoology Section, Biology Department, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Recent studies on the analysis of the evolutionary relationships between the various taxa of the teleost fishes are based on the evaluation of the efficacy of different approaches, verifying the taxonomical congruence between the hypotheses inferred from molecular data and those from morphological data. The first objective of this study was to investigate the macro- and microscopic characterization of the body key scales for the sixteen Aphanius species, and to discuss their taxonomic significance. In addition, to reveal the phylogenetic origins of particular adaptations and to identify a possible cases of convergent evolution in scales of Aphanius species, we used a phylogenetic character mapping procedure that uses an independent data source, namely molecular data that is presumed to be functionally independent of the scale traits. Read More

Domest Anim Endocrinol 2018 Nov 24;67:21-27. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:

The present study was conducted to establish a sandwich ELISA for the determination of prolactin (PRL) concentrations in the plasma of domestic fowls. The assay uses a recombinant goose PRL as the reference standard, expressed in a eukaryotic system, and as the antigen for raising a polyclonal antibody in rabbit. This rabbit anti-goose PRL polyclonal antibody was used for coating the wells of the ELISA plate, and its biotinylated form served as the detection antibody. Read More

Neuroimage 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

The technology of transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) enables a novel approach to neuromodulation, a tool for selective manipulation of brain function to be used in neurobiology research and with potential applications in clinical treatment. The method uses transcranial focused ultrasound to non-invasively open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a localized region such that a systemically injected neurotransmitter chemical can be delivered to the targeted brain site. The approach modulates the chemical signaling that occurs in and between neurons, making it complimentary to most other neuromodulation techniques that affect the electrical properties of neuronal activity. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo. 10A Victoria St S, Kitchener, CANADA N2G 1C5. Electronic address:

The human body is a large reservoir for bacterial viruses known as bacteriophages (phages), which participate in dynamic interactions with their bacterial and human hosts that ultimately affect human health. The current growing interest in human resident phages is paralleled by new uses of phages, including the design of engineered phages for therapeutic applications. Despite the increasing number of clinical trials being conducted, the understanding of the interaction of phages and mammalian cells and tissues is still largely unknown. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Executive Director of Primary Care, University of California San Francisco Health System, San Francisco, California, USA.

As the international refugee crisis has reached new proportions,  survivors of torture increasingly present to treating physicians with an array of acute or chronic skin lesions. Physicians should be aware of common presentations and likely differential diagnoses in order to avoid mislabeling or underrecognizing torture. Survivors of torture also frequently suffer from psychological sequelae, such as post- traumatic stress disorder, and appropriate referrals are essential in order to improve recovery trajectory. Read More

FEBS Lett 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Internal Medicine (Endocrinology and Metabolism), Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.

Glucocorticoids have various medical uses but are accompanied by side effects. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has been reported to regulate the clock genes, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In the current study, we focused on the suppressive effect of the GR on the expression of Rev-erbα (Nr1d1), an important component of the clock regulatory circuits. Read More

J Neurol 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Department of Micro-data Analysis, Dalarna University, 79 131, Falun, Sweden.

Objective: Dosing schedules for oral levodopa in advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) require careful tailoring to fit the needs of each patient. This study proposes a dosing algorithm for oral administration of levodopa and evaluates its integration into a sensor-based dosing system (SBDS).

Materials And Methods: In collaboration with two movement disorder experts a knowledge-driven, simulation based algorithm was designed and integrated into a SBDS. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Jan 18;9(1):209. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Centre for Personalized NanoMedicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, QLD, Australia.

To-date systematic testing and comparison of the accuracy of available primer-dimer prediction software has never been conducted, due in part to a lack of tools able to measure the efficacy of Gibbs free energy (ΔG) calculations at predicting dimer formation in PCR. To address this we have developed a novel online tool called PrimerROC ( www.primer-dimer. Read More

Nat Commun 2019 Jan 18;10(1):308. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA.

A major challenge in genomics is the knowledge gap between sequence and its encoded function. Gain-of-function methods based on gene overexpression are attractive avenues for phenotype-based functional screens, but are not easily applied in high-throughput across many experimental conditions. Here, we present Dual Barcoded Shotgun Expression Library Sequencing (Dub-seq), a method that uses random DNA barcodes to greatly increase experimental throughput. Read More

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019 Jan 18;15(1). Epub 2019 Jan 18.

University Félix Houphouët-Boigny, WASCAL Graduate Study Program Climate Change and Biodiversity, Centre d'Excellence Africain en Changement Climatique, Biodiversité et Agriculture Durable (CEA-CCBAD), 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Background: Many fungal species in tropical Africa are useful, with high added value, and play essential roles in the structure and dynamic of ecosystems. However, the diversity, distribution, and uses by local populations of these non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and their respective habitats are still very poorly understood in sub-Saharan Africa in general and more specifically in Côte d'Ivoire. This study aims at (i) inventorying the wild useful mushrooms of Côte d'Ivoire within its major protected areas and their respective surrounding sociolinguistical groups, according to climatic and phytogeographical gradients, and (ii) recording ethnomycological knowledge and considerations of these local people. Read More

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019 Jan 18;15(1). Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio), Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera León Irapuato-León, 36824, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Background: This study documents cycad-human relationships in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras over the last 6000 years. The impetus was acute need for a better understanding of previously undocumented uses of cycads in this region, and the need to improve cycad conservation strategies using ethnobotanical data. We hypothesized that cycads are significant dietary items with no long-term neurological effects, are important to religious practice, and contribute to cultural identity and sense of place, but that traditional knowledge and uses are rapidly eroding. Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2019 Jan 17;19(2). Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 30, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden.

Wearable potentiometric sensors have received considerable attention owing to their great potential in a wide range of physiological and clinical applications, particularly involving ion detection in sweat. Despite the significant progress in the manner that potentiometric sensors are integrated in wearable devices, in terms of materials and fabrication approaches, there is yet plenty of room for improvement in the strategy adopted for the sample collection. Essentially, this involves a fluidic sampling cell for continuous sweat analysis during sport performance or sweat accumulation via iontophoresis induction for one-spot measurements in medical settings. Read More

J Clin Med 2019 Jan 17;8(1). Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia, Ha Dong, Hanoi 100803, Vietnam.

Protecting the rights of the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, intersex, and queers (LGBTIQ) population requires, first and foremost, a proper understanding of their sexual orientation and gender identity. This study highlights a severe misunderstanding and lack of knowledge among health professionals in Vietnam with regard to the men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgenders. This study uses (i) a survey based on the convenience sampling method among 150 health workers that covered 61 questions and (ii) 12 in-depth interviews in two metropolitan centres in Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. Read More

Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Dec 18;46(6):363-369. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Objective: The study aimed to compare two different vessel-sealing devices (VSD) for laparoscopic-assisted ovariohysterectomy in dogs.

Material And Methods: In this randomized, prospective clinical trial 12 consecutive, client-owned, healthy, intact female dogs of different breeds were included. The dogs had been admitted for elective laparoscopic-assisted ovariohysterectomy and were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Mauritius is famous for its floricultural diversity and traditions practiced across the island by various ethnic groups. During the British rule in the 1835s, Indian indentured labourers migrated to Mauritius and played a very important role in shaping the Mauritian culture. They brought along their high heritage of traditional knowledge of certain medicinal herbs and spices. Read More

Ann Oncol 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: In the era of precision medicine and HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) it is relevant to assess the risk of not only survival, but also the risk of local, regional or distant treatment failure. The UICC 8th edition uses the surrogate marker p16 to stratify for HPV association but discordance between p16 status and HPV association has been shown. The purpose of this study was to develop a prognostic model to predict the risk of local, regional, and distant metastases and non-cancer-related death for patients with OPSCC, test the prognostic relevance of adding HPV DNA and p16 status, and validate the findings in an independent external dataset. Read More

Cutis 2018 Dec;102(6):403-406

Department of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.

Crizotinib was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2011 for the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)- or ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Since then, the number of indicated uses for crizotinib has substantially increased. However, the administration of crizotinib can be associated with various adverse events. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019 Jan;23(1):397-401

Área Académica de Medicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Circuito Ex Hacienda, Pachuca de Soto Hidalgo, México.

Objective: Metronidazole is an antibiotic widely used in different medical conditions such as trichomoniasis, amoebiasis, and giardiasis among others. Its use has been associated with toxicity; however, it is not well characterized. In this review, we discuss the different therapeutic uses of metronidazole and its side effects in order to aid future investigation in this field. Read More

Lab Chip 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), a deadly bacterial human pathogen, uses genetic transformation to gain antibiotic resistance. Genetic transformation begins when a pneumococcal strain in a transient specialized physiological state called competence, attacks and lyses another strain, releasing DNA, taking up fragments of the liberated DNA, and integrating divergent genes into its genome. While many steps of the process are known and generally understood, the precise mechanism of this natural genetic transformation is not fully understood and the current standard strategies to study it have limitations in specifically controlling and observing the process in detail. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2019 Jan 18:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

a Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biology and Processing (Ministry of Agriculture) , Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Qingdao , Shandong Province , China.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is one of the most serious global environmental problems, and phytoremediation, which uses Cd-accumulator plants, is potentially one of the sustainable solutions. Pot experiments with natural and Cd-amended soils were conducted to investigate the accumulation of heavy metals in 10 leading cultivars of tobacco in China. The extraction ability and profiles of Cd accumulation among plant organs were also analyzed. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

University Clinic of Pediatrics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.

Severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remains a significant challenge for neonatal specialists. In order to reduce complications during extraction of the surgical balloon after fetoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO) CDH, we have developed a FETO with a 'long tail balloon' of 2.5 mL volume. Read More

Magn Reson Med 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Purpose: To investigate Shift Undersampling improves Parametric mapping Efficiency and Resolution (SUPER), a novel blockwise curve-fitting method for accelerating parametric mapping with very fast reconstruction.

Methods: SUPER uses interleaved k-space undersampling, which enables a blockwise decomposition of the otherwise large-scale cost function to improve the reconstruction efficiency. SUPER can be readily combined with SENSE to achieve at least 4-fold acceleration. Read More

Clin Pharmacokinet 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background And Objectives: Uncertainty exists regarding the optimal dosing regimen for vancomycin in different patient populations, leading to a plethora of subgroup-specific pharmacokinetic models and derived dosing regimens. We aimed to investigate whether a single model for vancomycin could be developed based on a broad dataset covering the extremes of patient characteristics. Furthermore, as a benchmark for current dosing recommendations, we evaluated and optimised the expected vancomycin exposure throughout life and for specific patient subgroups. Read More

Arch Sex Behav 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA, 30031, USA.

J Exerc Rehabil 2018 Dec 27;14(6):939-943. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Physical Therapy, College of Nursing and Healthcare Science, Dong-eui University, Busan, Korea.

This study measured balance ability using both an existing clinical test tool, the Y-balance test (YBT), and an automated version of the YBT named the dynamic balance test (DBT) developed in this study. Correlations between the two methods were examined to determine whether the DBT can be used as an objective tool for balance ability evaluation. The subjects included in the study were 32 healthy male adults in their 20s, who were randomized into two groups, YBT and DBT, to compare the balance ability between the two groups. Read More

Res Involv Engagem 2019 11;5. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

1Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 321 Wallace Hall (0430), 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 USA.

Plain English Summary: There is a need for methods that engage lay people and other stakeholders, such as patients and healthcare providers, in developing research questions about health issues important to them and their communities. Involving stakeholders helps ensure that funding goes to research that addresses their concerns. The SEED Method engages stakeholders in a systematic process to explore health issues and develop research questions. Read More

ACS Med Chem Lett 2019 Jan 4;10(1):111-116. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, and Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States.

Thyroid hormone (TH) action is of clinical interest in treating demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Two amide prodrugs of sobetirome, a potent thyroid hormone agonist, were previously shown to significantly improve CNS selective distribution of the parent drug through hydrolysis in the CNS by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). This concept is elaborated upon here with a series of 29 amide prodrugs targeting FAAH. Read More

IMA J Appl Math 2018 Nov 30;83(6):1066-1091. Epub 2018 Aug 30.

School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, UK.

We develop a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model of the mitral valve (MV) that uses an anatomically and physiologically realistic description of the MV leaflets and chordae tendineae. Three different chordae models-complex, 'pseudo-fibre' and simplified chordae-are compared to determine how different chordae representations affect the dynamics of the MV. The leaflets and chordae are modelled as fibre-reinforced hyperelastic materials, and FSI is modelled using an immersed boundary-finite element method. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Jan 17;9(1):173. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

University Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, University Montpellier, F-66860, Perpignan, France.

Genetics and epigenetics are tightly linked heritable information classes. Question arises if epigenetics provides just a set of environment dependent instructions, or whether it is integral part of an inheritance system. We argued that in the latter case the epigenetic code should share the universality quality of the genetic code. Read More

J Biol Chem 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, United Kingdom.

Human DNA polymerase δ is essential for DNA replication and acts in conjunction with the processivity factor proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Besides its catalytic subunit (p125), pol δ comprises three regulatory subunits (p50, p68, and p12). PCNA interacts with all of these subunits, but only the interaction with p68 has been structurally characterized. Read More

G3 (Bethesda) 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Low or uneven read depth is a common limitation of genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), resulting in high missing data rates, heterozygotes miscalled as homozygotes, and uncertainty of allele copy number in heterozygous polyploids. Bayesian genotype calling can mitigate these issues, but previously has only been implemented in software that requires a reference genome or uses priors that may be inappropriate for the population. Here we present several novel Bayesian algorithms that estimate genotype posterior probabilities, all of which are implemented in a new R package, polyRAD. Read More

Burns 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Reconstructive and Burn Surgery Department, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.

Background: Social support and spirituality are important issues among burn survivors that appear to affect their posttraumatic growth (PTG).

Aim: To investigate the relationship between social support and PTG in Iranian burn survivors, as mediated by their perceptions of spiritual well-being.

Method: This is a correlation study with a cross-sectional design, and it uses anonymous questionnaires as study instruments (i. Read More

Metabolites 2019 Jan 16;9(1). Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Environmental NMR Center, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trial, Toronto, ON 1265, Canada.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the non-targeted metabolomics of intact biofluids and even living organisms. However, spectral overlap can limit the information that can be obtained from 1D 1H NMR. For example, magnetic susceptibility broadening in living organisms prevents any metabolic information being extracted from solution-state 1D 1H NMR. Read More

Physiol Behav 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77006, United States. Electronic address:

Chronic use of psychostimulants such as methylphenidate (MPD) and amphetamine (Amph) leads to abuse and dependence. Cross-sensitization occurs when exposure to a drug causes a significant intensified response to a different drug as compared to the effect of the drug in subjects with no previous exposure. Cross-sensitization is used as an experimental correlate for a drug's potential to elicit dependence. Read More

Am J Pathol 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

Endothelial cells are prevalent in our bodies and serve multiple functions. By lining the vasculature, they provide a barrier to tissues and facilitate the transport of molecules and cells. They also maintain hemostasis and modulate blood flow by reacting to chemokines and releasing signal molecules. Read More

Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.

Background: The Relative Value Scale Update Committee, commonly known as the RUC, is responsible for defining the value of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. The RUC process uses survey responses reporting operative times to determine procedure reimbursement, but it is limited by low response rates, small sample sizes, and unclear generalizability of the results. By comparing actual reported intraoperative times to the times determined by the RUC process, in this study we sought to assess the performance of RUC methodology in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Read More

Mol Inform 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

INERIS, Accidental Risk Division Parc Technologique Alata, 60550, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France.

New Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships (QSPR) are presented to predict the flash point of binary liquid mixtures, based on more than 600 experimental flash points for 60 binary mixtures. Two models are proposed based on a GA-MLR approach that uses a genetic algorithm (GA) variable selection in multilinear regressions (MLR). In these models, mixtures were characterized by a series of mixture descriptors calculated from various mixture formula combining the molecular descriptors of the single compounds constituting the mixtures and their respective molar fractions in the mixture. Read More