bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of chronic exercise on the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α are different with age
Authors: Moon Min Kyong , Cho Bong Jun , Lee You Jin , Choi Sung Hee , Lim Soo , Park Kyong Soo , Park Young Joo , Jang Hak Chul
Published: July 2012

Aging is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are key mediators of the inflammatory process. IL-6, especially muscle-derived IL-6, is expected to mediate the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise. There was no report that directly compares the effects of chronic endurance exercise on cytokine responses between old and young subjects in the same situation. Therefore, we compared the effects of endurance exercise on the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in old and young rats. Young (3-month-old) and old (20-month-old) male Fisher rats were trained for 12 weeks on the treadmill. We measured serum TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and examined mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in muscle, liver, and white adipose tissue using reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction. We found that old rats had higher basal IL-6 levels in the liver, as well as in the serum and the muscle. After chronic endurance exercise, young rats exhibited significant decreases in serum TNF-α levels and hepatic IL-6 expression. However, old rats exhibited no significant changes in either serum or tissue cytokine levels after endurance exercise. These findings suggest that chronic endurance exercise could influence the inflammatory response of hepatic tissues, as well as muscle, and that the effects of chronic endurance exercise on inflammatory cytokine levels are different between old and young rats and an exercise program tailored for old subjects will be needed to obtain beneficial anti-inflammatory effects from exercise.
Predictors of bone mineral density in a convenience sample of young Caucasian adults living in southern Ontario
Authors: Chouinard Laura E. , Randall Simpson Janis , Buchholz Andrea C.
Published: July 2012

Osteoporosis is a major public health concern in Canada and worldwide. Although much is known about bone health in older adults, little is known about bone health in young, healthy Canadian men and women. The objectives of this research were to describe bone mineral density (BMD) of young, healthy adults living in southern Ontario, Canada, and to identify predictors of BMD in this population. Two-hundred and fifty-eight Caucasian men and women aged 18–33 years completed health and physical activity questionnaires along with a calcium and vitamin D specific food frequency questionnaire. Height and mass were measured. BMD of the total hip, femoral neck, spine, and total body was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Among men, body mass, weight-bearing physical activity, and calcium intake were significant predictors of BMD. Among women, body mass, calcium intake, and family history of osteoporosis significantly predicted log BMD. The predictors of BMD in young Canadian men and women identified in this study may inform the development of longitudinal studies designed to examine the influence of lifestyle factors on BMD in young adults.
Perilipin family (PLIN) proteins in human skeletal muscle: the effect of sex, obesity, and endurance training
Authors: Peters Sandra J. , Samjoo Imtiaz A. , Devries Michaela C. , Stevic Ivan , Robertshaw Holly A. , Tarnopolsky Mark A.
Published: July 2012

Proteins that coat the lipid droplets (also known as PAT proteins or perilipin (PLIN) family proteins) have diverse functions that are not well elucidated in many tissues. In skeletal muscle, there is even less known about the functions or characteristics of these proteins or how they might change in response to perturbations that alter both intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content and fat utilization and oxidation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the human muscle content and gene expression of the four skeletal muscle PLIN proteins in both lean and obese men and women and how this was changed following a 12-week endurance training protocol. PLIN2–PLIN5 proteins were all more abundant in women than in men (p = 0.037 and p < 0.0001, respectively), consistent with higher IMCL content observed in female skeletal muscle. PLIN5 (previously known as OXPAT) is of particular interest because it has previously been associated primarily with oxidative tissues that rely heavily on fat oxidation for energy production. Although PLIN5 was not different between lean and obese subjects, it was the only PLIN protein to increase in response to endurance training in both sexes. PLIN5 correlated with IMCL volume (p < 0.0001), but in general, the other PLIN proteins did not correlate well with IMCL volume, suggesting that the relationship between lipid accumulation and PLIN family protein content is not a simple one. Although more work is necessary, it is clear that PLIN5 likely plays an important role in IMCL accumulation and oxidation, both of which increase with endurance training in human skeletal muscle.
Health care costs of physical inactivity in Canadian adults
Authors: Janssen Ian
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to provide a contemporary estimate of the health care cost of physical inactivity in Canadian adults. The health care cost was estimated using a prevalence-based approach. The estimated direct, indirect, and total health care costs of physical inactivity in Canada in 2009 were $2.4 billion, $4.3 billion, and $6.8 billion, respectively. These values represented 3.8%, 3.6%, and 3.7% of the overall health care costs.
The Rho kinase inhibitor azaindole-1 has long-acting vasodilator activity in the pulmonary vascular bed of the intact chest rat
Authors: Pankey Edward A. , Byun Ryuk J. , Smith William B. , Bhartiya Manish , Bueno Franklin R. , Badejo Adeleke M. , Stasch Johannes-Peter , Murthy Subramanyam N. , Nossaman Bobby D. , Kadowitz Philip J.
Published: July 2012

Responses to a selective azaindole-based Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor (azaindole-1) were investigated in the rat. Intravenous injections of azaindole-1 (10–300 µg/kg), produced small decreases in pulmonary arterial pressure and larger decreases in systemic arterial pressure without changing cardiac output. Responses to azaindole-1 were slow in onset and long in duration. When baseline pulmonary vascular tone was increased with U46619 or L-NAME, the decreases in pulmonary arterial pressure in response to the ROCK inhibitor were increased. The ROCK inhibitor attenuated the increase in pulmonary arterial pressure in response to ventilatory hypoxia. Azaindole-1 decreased pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. These results show that azaindole-1 has significant vasodilator activity in the pulmonary and systemic vascular beds and that responses are larger, slower in onset, and longer in duration when compared with the prototypical agent fasudil. Azaindole-1 reversed hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and decreased pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures in a similar manner in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. These data suggest that ROCK is involved in regulating baseline tone in the pulmonary and systemic vascular beds, and that ROCK inhibition will promote vasodilation when tone is increased by diverse stimuli including treatment with monocrotaline.
Inhibition of vascular peroxidase alleviates cardiac dysfunction and apoptosis induced by ischemia–reperfusion
Authors: Li Ting-Ting , Zhang Yi-Shuai , He Lan , Liu Bin , Shi Rui-Zheng , Zhang Guo-Gang , Peng Jun
Published: July 2012

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is involved in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury and vascular peroxidase (VPO) is a newly identified isoform of MPO. This study was conducted to explore whether VPO is involved in IR-induced cardiac dysfunction and apoptosis. In a rat Langendorff model of myocardial IR, the cardiac function parameters (left ventricular pressure and the maximum derivatives of left ventricular pressure and coronary flow), creatine kinase (CK) activity, apoptosis, VPO1 activity were measured. In a cell (rat-heart-derived H9c2 cells) model of hypoxia–reoxygenation (HR), apoptosis, VPO activity, and VPO1 mRNA expression were examined. In isolated heart, IR caused a marked decrease in cardiac function and a significant increase in apoptosis, CK, and VPO activity. These effects were attenuated by pharmacologic inhibition of VPO. In vitro, pharmacologic inhibition of VPO activity or silencing of VPO1 expression significantly suppressed HR-induced cellular apoptosis. Our results suggest that increased VPO activity contributes to IR-induced cardiac dysfunction and inhibition of VPO activity may have the potential clinical value in protecting the myocardium against IR injury.
Postprandial but not fasting insulin resistance is an early identifier of dysmetabolism in overweight subjects
Authors: Patarrão Rita S. , Lautt W. Wayne , Afonso Ricardo A. , Ribeiro Rogério T. , Fernandes Ana B. , Boavida José M. , Macedo M. Paula
Published: July 2012

The dynamic response to insulin is highly potentiated after meal ingestion, and this meal-induced insulin sensitization (MIS) in healthy subjects is dependent on cholinergic mechanisms. The main objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the reduced response to insulin observed in moderately overweight subjects, in comparison with control lean subjects, is due to MIS impairment and not to a reduction in the direct hypoglycemic action of insulin. Both lean and overweight male subjects were recruited. Insulin sensitivity (IS) was assessed by the rapid insulin sensitivity test (RIST) performed after a 24 h fast, as well as after a standardized meal. Fasting glucose disposal was similar between lean and overweight subjects. Following the meal, glucose disposal increased more extensively in lean than overweight subjects. The insulin profiles, in both fasted and fed states, were superimposable, suggesting that the absence of a factor other than insulin is responsible for the decreased postprandial insulin sensitivity observed in overweight subjects. Our data suggest that in overweight subjects, MIS contribution is decreased, which is responsible for the postprandial impaired IS observed and is suggested to be the cause, not effect, of mild adiposity.
Understanding the in-vivo relevance of S-nitrosothiols in insulin action
Authors: Fernandes Ana B. , Guarino Maria P. , Macedo M. Paula
Published: July 2012

Insulin sensitivity is maximal in the postprandial state, decreasing with a fasting period through a mechanism that is dependent on the integrity of the hepatic parasympathetic nerves/nitric oxide (NO) production and increased hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels. GSH and NO react to form S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), an S-nitrosothiol (RSNO) for which the in-vivo effects are still being determined. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that in-vivo administration of RSNOs, GSNO, or S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) increases insulin sensitivity in fasted or fed-denervated animals, but not in fed animals, where full postprandial insulin sensitivity is achieved. Fasted, fed, or fed-denervated male Wistar rats were used as models for different insulin sensitivity conditions. The rapid insulin sensitivity test (RIST) was used to measure insulin-stimulated glucose disposal before and after drug administration (GSNO, SNAP, or 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), intravenous (i.v.) or to the portal vein (i.p.v.)). Fast insulin sensitivity was not altered by administration of SIN-1 (neither i.v. nor i.p.v.). Intravenous infusion of RSNOs in fasted and fed hepatic denervated rats increased insulin sensitivity by 126.35% ± 35.43% and 82.7% ± 12.8%, respectively. In fed animals, RSNOs decreased insulin sensitivity indicating a negative feedback mechanism. These results suggest that RSNOs incremental effect on insulin sensitivity represent a promising therapeutical tool in insulin resistance states.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND TECHNOLOGY SPILLOVER: EVIDENCE ACROSS INDIAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
Authors: BEHERA SMRUTI RANJAN , DUA PAMI , GOLDAR BISHWANATH
Published: July 2012

The paper attempts to analyze the spillover effect of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) across Indian manufacturing industries. Foreign presence by way of FDI brings new channels of technology spillover to the domestic industrial firms in the form of enhanced efficiency and diffusion of knowledge in the long-run. By carrying out Pedroni cointegration tests, the analysis tries to provide a long-run relationship between endogenous variables and explanatory variables, pertaining to technology spillovers across Indian manufacturing industries. We find that technology spillovers are relatively higher in industries like food products, textiles, chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals and non-metallic mineral products.
DOES OPENNESS REDUCE WAGE INEQUALITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES? PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BANGLADESH
Authors: MUNSHI FARZANA
Published: July 2012

This paper provides panel data evidence on trade liberalization and wage inequality in Bangladesh. Estimates from a dynamic model for five major manufacturing industries spanning the 1975–2002 period suggest that the effect of increased openness to trade is associated with a decrease in wage inequality. The result is in line with the theoretical prediction in that greater openness is expected to reduce wage inequality in developing countries.
NON-ABELIAN VORTEX-STRING DYNAMICS FROM NONLINEAR REALIZATION
Authors: LIU LU-XIN , NITTA MUNETO
Published: July 2012

The dynamics of the non-Abelian vortex-string, which describes its low energy oscillations into the target D = 3+1 space–time as well as its orientations in the internal space, is derived by the approach of nonlinear realization. The resulting action correlating these two sectors is found to have an invariant synthesis form of the Nambu–Goto-CPN-1 model actions. Higher order corrections to the vortex actions are presented up to the order of quartic derivatives. General p-brane dynamics in terms of the internal symmetry breaking is also discussed.
SPIN DYNAMICS IN BILAYER CUPRATE SUPERCONDUCTORS
Authors: LAN YU , QIN JIHONG
Published: July 2012

Within the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism, the dynamical spin response of the bilayer cuprate superconductors is studied. It is shown that there are two nondegenerate magnetic modes with odd and even symmetries, respectively, due to the bilayer interaction in the bilayer cuprate superconductors. Although the magnetic scattering in both odd and even symmetries shows an hour-glass-shaped dispersion, the commensurate magnetic resonance energy in the odd symmetry has a domelike shape of the doping dependence, while the commensurate magnetic resonance energy in the even symmetry decreases with increasing doping.
FERROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES IN V-DOPED AlN FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES
Authors: YAO G. Y. , FAN G. H. , MA J. H. , ZHENG S. W. , CHEN J. , ZENG S. M. , HE L. F. , ZHANG T.
Published: July 2012

Using the first-principles method based on the density functional theory, we have calculated electronic structure of zinc blende AlN doped with 6.25% of V. The V dopants are found spin polarized and the calculated band structures suggest a 100% polarization of the conduction carriers. The ferromagnetic ground state in V-doped AlN can be explained in terms of double-exchange mechanism, and a Curie temperature above room temperature can be expected. These results suggest that the V-doped AlN may present a promising dilute magnetic semiconductor and find applications in the field of spintronics.
FRACTAL SELF-ORGANIZATION OF BACTERIA-INSPIRED AGENTS
Authors: HUANG YUFENG , KRUMANOCKER IAN , COPPENS MARC-OLIVIER
Published: July 2012

We develop an agent-based model as a preliminary theoretical basis to guide the synthesis of a new class of materials with dynamic properties similar to bacterial colonies. Each agent in the model is representative of an individual bacterium capable of: the uptake of chemicals (nutrients), which are metabolized; active movement (part viscous, part diffusive), consuming metabolic energy; and cellular division, when agents have doubled in size. The agents grow in number and self-organize into fractal structures, depending on the rules that define the actions of the agents and the parameter values. The environment of the agents includes chemicals responsible for their growth and is described by a diffusion-reaction equation with Michaelis-Menten kinetics. These rules are modeled mathematically by a set of equations with five dimensionless groups that are functions of physical parameters. Simulations are performed for different parameter values. The resulting structures are characterized by their fractal scaling regime, box-counting and mass-radius dimensions, and lacunarity. Each parameter influences the overall structure in a unique way, generating a wide spectrum of structures. For certain combinations of parameter values, the model converges to a steady state, with a finite population of agents that no longer divide.
SOLVENT COLLISIONAL EFFECTS IN FOUR-WAVE MIXING
Authors: MASTRODOMENICO A. , IZQUIERDO M. A. , PAZ J. L.
Published: July 2012

The stochastic effects of a thermal bath on a two-level molecular system interacting with a classical electromagnetic field are considered. The collective effects are modeled as a random Bohr frequency, whose manifestation is the broadening of the upper level according to a prescribed random function. A methodology based in cumulant expansions to obtain the average in the Fourier components associated with the coherence and populations, calculated by Optical Stochastic Bloch Equations (OSBE), is employed. The Four-wave mixing signal intensity as a function of the detuning of the pump beam, parametrized by the ratio of the relaxation times and other variables, is analyzed.
RIEMANN–LIOUVILLE PROCESSES ARISING FROM BRANCHING PARTICLE SYSTEMS
Authors: LI YUQIANG
Published: July 2012

It is proved in this paper that Riemann–Liouville processes can arise from the temporal structures of the scaled occupation time fluctuation limits of the site-dependent (d, α, σ(x)) branching particle systems in the case of 1 = d < α < 2 and ∫ℝ σ(x) d x < ∞.
FRACTAL MARKETS HYPOTHESIS AND THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: SCALING, INVESTMENT HORIZONS AND LIQUIDITY
Authors: KRISTOUFEK LADISLAV
Published: July 2012

We investigate whether the fractal markets hypothesis and its focus on liquidity and investment horizons give reasonable predictions about the dynamics of the financial markets during turbulences such as the Global Financial Crisis of late 2000s. Compared to the mainstream efficient markets hypothesis, the fractal markets hypothesis considers the financial markets as complex systems consisting of many heterogenous agents, which are distinguishable mainly with respect to their investment horizon. In the paper, several novel measures of trading activity at different investment horizons are introduced through the scaling of variance of the underlying processes. On the three most liquid US indices — DJI, NASDAQ and S&P500 — we show that the predictions of the fractal markets hypothesis actually fit the observed behavior adequately.
PREFERENTIAL OPPONENT SELECTION IN PUBLIC GOODS GAMES
Authors: BREDE MARKUS
Published: July 2012

This paper discusses preferential opponent selection in public goods games. It is shown that a preference to play with successful opponents strongly enhances the prevalence of cooperation. The finding is robust on spatial grids and heterogeneous networks. Importantly, I also demonstrate that positive opponent selection biases can evolve and become dominant in initially randomly mixed populations without selection bias.
VOLUME-PRESERVING ACTIONS OF SIMPLE ALGEBRAIC ℚ-GROUPS ON LOW-DIMENSIONAL MANIFOLDS
Authors: MORRIS DAVE WITTE , ZIMMER ROBERT J.
Published: July 2012

We prove that SL (n, ℚ) has no nontrivial, C∞, volume-preserving action on any compact manifold of dimension strictly less than n. More generally, suppose G is a connected, isotropic, almost-simple algebraic group over ℚ, such that the simple factors of every localization of G have rank ≥ 2. If there does not exist a nontrivial homomorphism from G(ℝ)° to GL (d, ℂ), then every C∞, volume-preserving action of G(ℚ) on any compact d-dimensional manifold must factor through a finite group.
ENDOCYTOSIS PATHWAYS FOR NUCLEIC ACID THERAPEUTICS
Authors: MALEFYT AMANDA P. , WALTON S. PATRICK , CHAN CHRISTINA
Published: July 2012

The development of nanoscale delivery vehicles for siRNAs is a current topic of considerable importance. However, little is understood about the exact trafficking mechanisms for siRNA-vehicle complexes across the plasma membrane and into the cytoplasm. While some information can be gleaned from studies on delivery of plasmid DNA, the different delivery requirements for these two vehicles makes drawing specific conclusions a challenge. However, using chemical inhibitors of different endocytosis pathways, studies on which endocytotic pathways are advantageous and deleterious for the delivery of nucleic acid drugs are emerging. Using this information as a guide, it is expected that the future development of effective siRNA delivery vehicles and therapeutics will be greatly improved.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia exposure improves left ventricular contractility in transgenic mice with heart failure
Authors: Naghshin Jahan , Rodriguez Rosa H. , Davis Eric M. , Romano Lia C. , McGaffin Kenneth R. , O'Donnell Christopher P.
Published: July 2012

We previously reported the unexpected finding that 4 wk of exposure to intermittent hypoxia (IH), which simulates the hypoxic stress of obstructive sleep apnea, improved LV cardiac function in healthy, lean C57BL/6J mice. The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of 4 wk of IH on cardiac function in a transgenic murine model that exhibits a natural history of heart failure. We hypothesized that IH exposure would exacerbate cardiac decompensation in heart failure. Adult male FVB (wild type) and transgenic mice with cardiac overexpression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-αTG) at 10–12 wk of age were exposed to 4 wk of IH (nadir inspired oxygen 5–6% at 60 cycles/h for 12 h during light period) or intermittent air (IA) as control. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and pressure-volume loop analyses, and mRNA and protein expression were performed on ventricular homogenates. TNF-αTG mice exposed to IA exhibited impaired LV contractility and increased LV dilation associated with markedly elevated cardiac expression of atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide compared with wild-type mice. When wild-type FVB mice were exposed to IH, they exhibited increases in arterial pressure and dP/d tmax, consistent with our previous report in C57BL/6J mice. Surprisingly, we found that TNF-αTG mice exposed to IH showed a reduction in end-diastolic volume (38.7 ± 3.8 to 22.2 ± 2.1 ul; P < 0.01) and an increase in ejection fraction (29.4 ± 2.5 to 41.9 ± 3.1%; P < 0.05). In contrast to our previous study in C56Bl/6J mice, neither FVB nor TNF-αTG mice exhibited an upregulation in β-adrenergic expression or cAMP in response to IH exposure. We conclude that 4 wk of exposure to IH in mice induces adaptive responses that improve cardiac function in not only healthy animals but also in animals with underlying heart failure.
Central neuromodulatory pathways regulating sympathetic activity in hypertension
Authors: Gabor Alexander , Leenen Frans H. H.
Published: July 2012

The classical neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, mediate fast (milliseconds) synaptic transmission and modulate its effectiveness through slow (seconds to minutes) signaling processes. Angiotensinergic pathways, from the lamina terminalis to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN)/supraoptic nucleus and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), are activated by stimuli such as circulating angiotensin type II (Ang II), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sodium ion concentration ([Na+]), and possibly plasma aldosterone, leading to sympathoexcitation, largely by decreasing GABA and increasing glutamate release. The aldosterone-endogenous ouabain (EO) pathway is a much slower neuromodulatory pathway. Aldosterone enhances EO release, and the latter increases chronic activity in angiotensinergic pathways by, e.g., increasing expression for Ang I receptor (AT1R) and NADPH oxidase subunits in the PVN. Blockade of this pathway does not affect the initial sympathoexcitatory and pressor responses but to a large extent, prevents chronic responses to CSF [Na+] or Ang II. Recruitment of these two neuromodulatory pathways allows the central nervous system (CNS) to shift gears to rapidly cause and sustain sympathetic hyperactivity in an efficient manner. Decreased GABA release, increased glutamate release, and enhanced AT1R activation in, e.g., the PVN and RVLM contribute to the elevated blood pressure in a number of hypertension models. In Dahl S rats and spontaneous hypertensive rats, high salt activates the CNS aldosterone-EO pathway, and the salt-induced hypertension can be prevented/reversed by specific CNS blockade of any of the steps in the cascade from aldosterone synthase to AT1R. Further studies are needed to advance our understanding of how and where in the brain these rapid, slow, and very slow CNS pathways are activated and interact in models of hypertension and other disease states associated with chronic sympathetic hyperactivity.
Effects of transdermal estrogen on collagen turnover at rest and in response to exercise in postmenopausal women
Authors: Pingel J. , Langberg H. , Skovgård D. , Koskinen S. , Flyvbjerg A. , Frystyk J. , Kjær M. , Hansen M.
Published: July 2012

Menopause is associated with loss of collagen content in the skin and tendon as well as accumulation of noncontractile tissue in skeletal muscle. The relative role of hormones and physical activity on these changes is not known. Accordingly, in a randomized, controlled, crossover study we investigated effects of transdermal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on type I collagen synthesis in tendon and skeletal muscle in 11 postmenopausal women. Patches with estrogen (Evorel) were placed on the skin above the patellar tendons and compared with no patch (control period). On day 2 all subjects performed one-legged exercise, and thereafter the exercised leg (EX leg) was compared with the nonexercised leg (Rest leg). Microdialysis catheters were placed in front of the patellar tendons and in the vastus lateralis muscle of both legs at days 3 and 5. The collected dialysate was analyzed for procollagen type I NH2-terminal propeptide (PINP), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Neither loading (Rest leg vs. EX leg) nor treatment (control vs. ERT) influenced peritendinous PINP, whereas combined exercise and ERT enhanced muscle PINP after 72 h (interaction between loading and treatment P = 0.008). In neither skeletal muscle nor peritendinous fluid were IGF-I and IL-6 influenced by treatment or exercise. In conclusion, ERT was associated with enhanced synthesis of type I collagen in the skeletal muscle in response to acute exercise. In perspective, this indicates that the availability of estrogen in postmenopausal women is important for repair of muscle damage or remodeling of the connective tissue within the skeletal muscle after exercise.
Decreased afferent excitability contributes to synaptic depression during high-frequency stimulation in hippocampal area CA1
Authors: Kim Eunyoung , Owen Benjamin , Holmes William R. , Grover Lawrence M.
Published: July 2012

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is often induced experimentally by continuous high-frequency afferent stimulation (HFS), typically at 100 Hz for 1 s. Induction of LTP requires postsynaptic depolarization and voltage-dependent calcium influx. Induction is more effective if the same number of stimuli are given as a series of short bursts rather than as continuous HFS, in part because excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) become strongly depressed during HFS, reducing postsynaptic depolarization. In this study, we examined mechanisms of EPSP depression during HFS in area CA1 of rat hippocampal brain slices. We tested for presynaptic terminal vesicle depletion by examining minimal stimulation-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) during 100-Hz HFS. While transmission failures increased, consistent with vesicle depletion, EPSC latencies also increased during HFS, suggesting a decrease in afferent excitability. Extracellular recordings of Schaffer collateral fiber volleys confirmed a decrease in afferent excitability, with decreased fiber volley amplitudes and increased latencies during HFS. To determine the mechanism responsible for fiber volley changes, we recorded antidromic action potentials in single CA3 pyramidal neurons evoked by stimulating Schaffer collateral axons. During HFS, individual action potentials decreased in amplitude and increased in latency, and these changes were accompanied by a large increase in the probability of action potential failure. Time derivative and phase-plane analyses indicated decreases in both axon initial segment and somato-dendritic components of CA3 neuron action potentials. Our results indicate that decreased presynaptic axon excitability contributes to depression of excitatory synaptic transmission during HFS at synapses between Schaffer collaterals and CA1 pyramidal neurons.
Reverse Time Migration: A Seismic Imaging Technique Applied to Synthetic Ultrasonic Data
Authors: Müller Sabine , Niederleithinger Ernst , Bohlen Thomas
Published: July 2012

Ultrasonic echo testing is a more and more frequently used technique in civil engineering to investigate concrete building elements, to measure thickness as well as to locate and characterise built-in components or inhomogeneities. Currently the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT), which is closely related to Kirchhoff migration, is used in most cases for imaging. However, this method is known to have difficulties to image steeply dipping interfaces as well as lower boundaries of tubes, voids or similar objects. We have transferred a processing technique from geophysics, the Reverse Time Migration (RTM) method, to improve the imaging of complicated geometries. By using the information from wide angle reflections as well as from multiple events there are fewer limitations compared to SAFT. As a drawback the required computing power is significantly higher compared to the techniques currently used. Synthetic experiments have been performed on polyamide and concrete specimens to show the improvements compared to SAFT. We have been able to image vertical interfaces of step-like structures as well as the lower boundaries of circular objects. It has been shown that RTM is a step forward for ultrasonic testing in civil engineering.
Risk-Based Allowed Outage Time and Surveillance Test Interval Extensions for Angra 1
Authors: Orlando Gibelli Sonia M. , e Melo P. F. Frutuoso , Bogado Leite Sérgio Q.
Published: July 2012

In this work, Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) is used to evaluate Allowed Outage Times (AOT) and Surveillance Test Intervals (STI) extensions for three Angra 1 nuclear power plant safety systems. The interest in such an analysis lies on the fact that PSA comprises a risk-based tool for safety evaluation and has been increasingly applied to support both the regulatory and the operational decision-making processes. Regarding Angra 1, among other applications, PSA is meant to be an additional method that can be used by the utility to justify Technical Specification relaxation to the Brazilian regulatory body. The risk measure used in this work is the Core Damage Frequency, obtained from the Angra 1 Level 1 PSA study. AOT and STI extensions are evaluated for the Safety Injection, Service Water and Auxiliary Feedwater Systems using the SAPHIRE code. In order to compensate for the risk increase caused by the extensions, compensatory measures as (1) test of redundant train prior to entering maintenance and (2) staggered test strategy are proposed. Results have shown that the proposed AOT extensions are acceptable for two of the systems with the implementation of compensatory measures whereas STI extensions are acceptable for all three systems.
Inhibitory Effects of Far-Infrared Ray-Emitting Belts on Primary Dysmenorrhea
Authors: Liau Ben-Yi , Leung Ting-Kai , Ou Ming-Chiu , Ho Cheng-Kun , Yang Aiga , Lin Yung-Sheng
Published: July 2012

This study investigated the therapeutic effect of the far-infrared ray-emitting belt (FIRB) in the management of primary dysmenorrhea in female patients. Forty adolescent females with primary dysmenorrhea were enrolled in the study. Quantitative measurements were taken during the menstruation. Several parameters were measured and compared, including temperature, abdominal blood flow, heart rate variability, and pain assessment. Statistical analysis shows that treatment with FIRB had significant efficiency in increasing regional surface temperature and abdominal blood flow, widening standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR intervals, and reducing VRS and NRS pain scores. The application of an FIRB appears to alleviate dysmenorrhea.
Rhinosinusitis and Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease
Authors: Garcia Cruz Maria L. , Jimenez-Chobillon M. Alejandro , Teran Luis M.
Published: July 2012

Rhinosinusitis is a feature of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), which in the initial phase is manifested as nasal congestion, mostly affecting females at the age of around 30 years on average. Subsequently, nasal inflammation progresses to chronic eosinophilic rhinosinusitis, asthma, nasal polyposis, and intolerance to aspirin and to other NSAIDs. While it has been long established that NSAIDs cause inhibition of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), leading to excessive metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) to cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cys-LTs), there is now evidence that both cytokines and staphylococcus superantigens amplify the inflammatory process exacerbating the disease. This paper gives a brief overview of the development of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in sensitive patients, and we share our experience in the diagnosis and management of CRS in AERD.
Causes and Consequences of Rapid Erosion of Cultural Values in a Traditional African Society
Authors: Wahab E. O. , Odunsi S. O. , Ajiboye O. E.
Published: July 2012

The culture of a people is their identity as it affords them due recognition. This paper therefore is aimed at examining the causes and consequences of rapid erosion of cultural values in nigeria. Social change theory was used in this paper. This study was carried out in ado-odo/ota lga, with a sample size of 203. Simple statistics like frequency distribution, percentile were used. Chi-square statistics was used in testing the hypotheses. The study found out that there is a positive relationship between social forces such as colonialism, westernization and erosion of cultural values. Also, it was found that there is a positive relationship between the local family structure and the foreign culture. The study concludes that forceful imposition of foreign culture should be discouraged.
Pathogenesis ofHelicobacter pylori-Related Gastroduodenal Diseases from Molecular Epidemiological Studies
Authors: Yamaoka Yoshio
Published: July 2012

Helicobacter pyloriis a major human pathogen that infects the stomach and produces inflammation that is responsible for various gastroduodenal diseases. Despite the high prevalence ofH. pyloriinfections in Africa and South Asia, the incidence of gastric cancer in these areas is much lower than in other countries. The incidence of gastric cancer also tends to decrease from north to south in East Asia. Data from molecular epidemiological studies show that this variation in different geographic areas could be explained in part by different types ofH. pylorivirulence factors, especially CagA, VacA, and OipA.H. pyloriinfection is thought to be involved in both gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer, which are at opposite ends of the disease spectrum. This discrepancy can also be explained in part by anotherH. pylorifactor, DupA, as well as by CagA typing (East Asian type versus Western type).H. pylorihas a genome of approximately 1,600 genes; therefore, there might be other novel virulence factors. Because genome wide analyses using whole-genome sequencing technology give a broad view of the genome ofH. pylori, we hope that next-generation sequencers will enable us to efficiently investigate novel virulence factors.
Pyogenic Sacroiliitis in Children: Two Case Reports
Authors: Ghedira Besbes L. , Haddad S. , Abid A. , Ben Meriem Ch. , Gueddiche M. N.
Published: July 2012

Pyogenic sacroiliitis is rare and accounts for approximately 1-2% of osteoarticular infections in children. Considerable delay between presentation and diagnosis is recognized. Two cases of pyogenic sacroiliitis are described. The first case is a 28-month-old girl presented with acute onset of fever, pain in the left hip, and limpness. Computed tomography (CT), bone scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pelvis showed characteristic findings of infectious sacroiliitis, and blood cultures were negatives. The second case is a 13-year-old girl presented with acute onset of fever, pain in the right hip, and buttock, with inability to walk. The diagnosis of pyogenic sacroiliitis was confirmed by bone scans, and CT of the pelvis and blood cultures have identifiedProteus mirabilis. The two children recovered fully after 6 weeks of antimicrobial therapy. Pyogenic sacroiliitis is an uncommon disease in children. The key to successful management is early diagnosis in which CT, bone scans, and MRI findings play a crucial role. If the diagnosis is established promptly, most patients can be managed successfully with antimicrobial therapy.
What Are the Economic and Labour Market Effects of an Income Tax Reduction Targeted at Older Workers?
Authors: Fougère Maxime , Harvey Simon , Rainville Bruno
Published: July 2012

This paper explores the economic and labour market effects of implementing a tax reduction targeted at older workers. The analysis is conducted with a life-cycle computable general equilibrium model calibrated on Canadian data. The analysis shows that implementing a permanent income tax reduction for workers aged 60 and over has only small macroeconomic effects because the labour supply increase of older workers is partly offset by a reduction in the labour supply at core ages. This induced effect also discourages savings and generates crowding out through private investment but has a favourable impact on lifetime economic welfare. The macroeconomic impact is much larger when the income tax reduction is temporary because workers no longer reduce their hours at core ages and there is no reduction in savings. However, since only current middle-aged and older workers benefit from the tax cut, a temporary income tax cut reduces intergenerational equity.
The Dynamics of the Solutions of Some Difference Equations
Authors: El-Metwally H. , Alsaedi R. , Elsayed E. M.
Published: July 2012

This paper is devoted to investigate the global behavior of the following rational difference equation: , where α, β, γ, p, q∈(0, ∞) and k, t∈{0,1, 2, …} with the initial conditions x0,   x−1, …,   x−2k,   x−2max {k,t}−1 ∈ 0,∞). We will find and classify the equilibrium points of the equations under studying and then investigate their local and global stability. Also, we will study the oscillation and the permanence of the considered equations.
Efficient Evaluation of the External Mutual Coupling in Dielectric-Covered Waveguide Slot Arrays
Authors: Jin Zusheng , Montisci Giorgio , Casula Giovanni Andrea , Yang Hu , Lu Junqi
Published: July 2012

An accurate and efficient procedure is devised to evaluate the mutual coupling in dielectric-covered planar arrays of longitudinal slots. This approach takes full advantage of the discrete complex image method to cast the spatial-domain Green's functions into closed forms, and hence a direct calculation of mutual coupling in the spatial-domain is available. The computation time reduces significantly compared to the previous spectral-domain procedure, without any loss in the accuracy, rendering this approach very attractive for the design of large dielectric-covered planar arrays.
Refinements of Hermite‐Hadamard Inequalities for Functions When a Power of the Absolute Value of the Second Derivative Is P‐Convex
Authors: Barani A. , Barani S. , Dragomir S. S.
Published: July 2012

We extend some estimates of the right‐hand side of Hermite‐Hadamard‐type inequalities for functions whose second derivatives absolute values are P‐convex. Applications to some special means are considered.
Numerical Solutions of Stochastic Differential Equations with Piecewise Continuous Arguments under Khasminskii‐Type Conditions
Authors: Song Minghui , Zhang Ling
Published: July 2012

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the convergence of the Euler method to stochastic differential equations with piecewise continuous arguments (SEPCAs). The classical Khasminskii‐type theorem gives a powerful tool to examine the global existence of solutions for stochastic differential equations (SDEs) without the linear growth condition by the use of the Lyapunov functions. However, there is no such result for SEPCAs. Firstly, this paper shows SEPCAs which have nonexplosion global solutions under local Lipschitz condition without the linear growth condition. Then the convergence in probability of numerical solutions to SEPCAs under the same conditions is established. Finally, an example is provided to illustrate our theory.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Pregnancy: Critical Care Management
Authors: Bassily-Marcus Adel M. , Yuan Carol , Oropello John , Manasia Anthony , Kohli-Seth Roopa , Benjamin Ernest
Published: July 2012

Pulmonary hypertension is common in critical care settings and in presence of right ventricular failure is challenging to manage. Pulmonary hypertension in pregnant patients carries a high mortality rates between 30–56%. In the past decade, new treatments for pulmonary hypertension have emerged. Their application in pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension may hold promise in reducing morbidity and mortality. Signs and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension are nonspecific in pregnant women. Imaging workup may have undesirable radiation exposure. Pulmonary artery catheter remains the gold standard for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension, although its use in the intensive care unit for other conditions has slowly fallen out of favor. Goal-directed bedside echocardiogram and lung ultrasonography provide attractive alternatives. Basic principles of managing pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular failure are maintaining right ventricular function and reducing pulmonary vascular resistance. Fluid resuscitation and various vasopressors are used with caution. Pulmonary-hypertension-targeted therapies have been utilized in pregnant women with understanding of their safety profile. Mainstay therapy for pulmonary embolism is anticoagulation, and the treatment for amniotic fluid embolism remains supportive care. Multidisciplinary team approach is crucial to achieving successful outcomes in these difficult cases.
Local Infiltration Analgesia for Postoperative Pain Control following Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review
Authors: McCarthy Denise , Iohom Gabriella
Published: July 2012

Local infiltration analgesia (LIA) is an analgesic technique that has gained popularity since it was first brought to widespread attention by Kerr and Kohan in 2008. The technique involves the infiltration of a large volume dilute solution of a long-acting local anesthetic agent, often with adjuvants (e.g., epinephrine, ketorolac, an opioid), throughout the wound at the time of surgery. The analgesic effect duration can then be prolonged by the placement of a catheter to the surgical site for postoperative administration of further local anesthetic. The technique has been adopted for use for postoperative analgesia following a range of surgical procedures (orthopedic, general, gynecological, and breast surgeries). The primary objective of this paper was to determine, based on the current evidence, if LIA is superior when compared to no intervention, placebo, and alternative analgesic methods in patients following total hip arthroplasty, in terms of certain outcome measures. The outcomes considered were postoperative analgesia scores, joint function/rehabilitation, and length of hospital stay. Secondary objectives were to review available evidence and current knowledge regarding the pharmacokinetics of local anesthetic and adjuvant drugs when administered in this way and the occurrence of adverse events.
Recent Insights into Antibiotic Resistance inHelicobacter pyloriEradication
Authors: Wu Wenming , Yang Yunsheng , Sun Gang
Published: July 2012

Antibiotics have been useful in the treatment ofH. pylori-related benign and malignant gastroduodenal diseases. However, emergence of antibiotic resistance often decreases the eradication rates ofH. pyloriinfections. Many factors have been implicated as causes of treatment failure, but the main antibiotic resistance mechanisms described to date are due to point mutations on the bacterial chromosome, a consequence of a significantly phenotypic variation inH. pylori. The prevalence of antibiotic (e.g., clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, amoxicillin, and furazolidone) resistance varies among different countries; it appears to be partly determined by geographical factors. Since the worldwide increase in the rate of antibiotic resistance represents a problem of relevance, some studies have been performed in order to identify highly active and well-tolerated anti-H. pyloritherapies including sequential, concomitant quadruple, hybrid, and quadruple therapy. These represent a promising alternatives in the effort to overcome the problem of resistance. The aim of this paper is to review the current status of antibiotic resistance inH. pylorieradication, highlighting the evolutionary processes in detail at alternative approaches to treatment in the past decade. The underlying resistance mechanisms will be also followed.
Automatic Story Segmentation for TV News Video Using Multiple Modalities
Authors: Dumont Émilie , Quénot Georges
Published: July 2012

While video content is often stored in rather large files or broadcasted in continuous streams, users are often interested in retrieving only a particular passage on a topic of interest to them. It is, therefore, necessary to split video documents or streams into shorter segments corresponding to appropriate retrieval units. We propose here a method for the automatic segmentation of TV news videos into stories. A-multiple-descriptor based segmentation approach is proposed. The selected multimodal features are complementary and give good insights about story boundaries. Once extracted, these features are expanded with a local temporal context and combined by an early fusion process. The story boundaries are then predicted using machine learning techniques. We investigate the system by experiments conducted using TRECVID 2003 data and protocol of the story boundary detection task, and we show that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art methods while requiring a very small amount of manual annotation.
On the Stability Problem in Fuzzy Banach Space
Authors: Eskandani G. Zamani , Găvruţa P. , Kim Gwang Hui
Published: July 2012

We investigate the generalized Ulam‐Hyers stability of the Cauchy functional equation and pose two open problems in fuzzy Banach space.