bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neutrophil Depletion Suppresses Pulmonary Vascular Hyperpermeability and Occurrence of Pulmonary Edema Caused by Hantavirus Infection in C.B-17 SCID Mice
Authors: Koma Takaaki , Yoshimatsu Kumiko , Nagata Noriyo , Sato Yuko , Shimizu Kenta , Yasuda Shumpei P. , Amada Takako , Nishio Sanae , Hasegawa Hideki , Arikawa Jiro
Published: April 2014

Hantavirus infections are characterized by vascular hyperpermeability and neutrophilia. However, the pathogenesis of this disease is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that pulmonary vascular permeability is increased by Hantaan virus infection and results in the development of pulmonary edema in C.B-17 severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice lacking functional T cells and B cells. Increases in neutrophils in the lung and blood were observed when pulmonary edema began to be observed in the infected SCID mice. The occurrence of pulmonary edema was inhibited by neutrophil depletion. Moreover, the pulmonary vascular permeability was also significantly suppressed by neutrophil depletion in the infected mice. Taken together, the results suggest that neutrophils play an important role in pulmonary vascular hyperpermeability and the occurrence of pulmonary edema after hantavirus infection in SCID mice.

IMPORTANCE
Although hantavirus infections are characterized by the occurrence of pulmonary edema, the pathogenic mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time
in vivo
that hantavirus infection increases pulmonary vascular permeability and results in the development of pulmonary edema in SCID mice. This novel mouse model for human hantavirus infection will be a valuable tool and will contribute to elucidation of the pathogenetic mechanisms. Although the involvement of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of hantavirus infection has largely been ignored, the results of this study using the mouse model suggest that neutrophils are involved in the vascular hyperpermeability and development of pulmonary edema in hantavirus infection. Further study of the mechanisms could lead to the development of specific treatment for hantavirus infection.
Electrostatic Interactions Drive the Self-Assembly and the Transcription Activity of the Pseudomonas Phage ϕ6 Procapsid
Authors: Sun Xiaoyu , Bamford Dennis H. , Poranen Minna M.
Published: April 2014

Assembly of an empty procapsid is a crucial step in the formation of many complex viruses. Here, we used the self-assembly system of the double-stranded RNA bacteriophage ϕ6 to study the role of electrostatic interactions in a scaffolding-independent procapsid assembly pathway. We demonstrate that ϕ6 procapsid assembly is sensitive to salt at both the nucleation and postnucleation steps. Furthermore, we observed that the salt sensitivity of ϕ6 procapsid-directed transcription is reversible.
Molecular Insights on the Recognition of a Lactococcus lactis Cell Wall Pellicle by the Phage 1358 Receptor Binding Protein
Authors: Farenc Carine , Spinelli Silvia , Vinogradov Evgeny , Tremblay Denise , Blangy Stéphanie , Sadovskaya Irina , Moineau Sylvain , Cambillau Christian
Published: April 2014

The Gram-positive bacterium
Lactococcus lactis
is used for the production of cheeses and other fermented dairy products. Accidental infection of
L. lactis
cells by virulent lactococcal tailed phages is one of the major risks of fermentation failures in industrial dairy factories. Lactococcal phage 1358 possesses a host range limited to a few
L. lactis
strains and strong genomic similarities to
Listeria
phages. We report here the X-ray structures of phage 1358 receptor binding protein (RBP) in complex with monosaccharides. Each monomer of its trimeric RBP is formed of two domains: a “shoulder” domain linking the RBP to the rest of the phage and a jelly roll fold “head/host recognition” domain. This domain harbors a saccharide binding crevice located in the middle of a monomer. Crystal structures identified two sites at the RBP surface, ∼8 Å from each other, one accommodating a GlcNAc monosaccharide and the other accommodating a GlcNAc or a glucose 1-phosphate (Glc1P) monosaccharide. GlcNAc and GlcNAc1P are components of the polysaccharide pellicle that we identified at the cell surface of
L. lactis
SMQ-388, the host of phage 1358. We therefore modeled a galactofuranose (Gal
f
) sugar bridging the two GlcNAc saccharides, suggesting that the trisaccharidic motif GlcNAc-Gal
f
-GlcNAc (or Glc1P) might be common to receptors of genetically distinct lactococcal phages p2, TP091-1, and 1358. Strain specificity might therefore be elicited by steric clashes induced by the remaining components of the pellicle hexasaccharide. Taken together, these results provide a first insight into the molecular mechanism of host receptor recognition by lactococcal phages.

IMPORTANCE
Siphophages infecting the Gram-positive bacterium
Lactococcus lactis
are sources of milk fermentation failures in the dairy industry. We report here the structure of the pellicle polysaccharide from
L. lactis
SMQ-388, the specific host strain of phage 1358. We determined the X-ray structures of the lytic lactococcal phage 1358 receptor binding protein (RBP) in complex with monosaccharides. The positions and nature of monosaccharides bound to the RBP are in agreement with the pellicle structure and suggest a general binding mode of lactococcal phages to their pellicle saccharidic receptor.
Incorporation of Mouse APOBEC3 into Murine Leukemia Virus Virions Decreases the Activity and Fidelity of Reverse Transcriptase
Authors: Boi Stefano , Kolokithas Angelo , Shepard Joyce , Linwood Rebecca , Rosenke Kyle , Van Dis Erik , Malik Frank , Evans Leonard H.
Published: April 2014

APOBEC3 proteins are restriction factors that induce G→A hypermutation in retroviruses during replication as a result of cytidine deamination of minus-strand DNA transcripts. However, the mechanism of APOBEC inhibition of murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) does not appear to be G→A hypermutation and is unclear. In this report, the incorporation of mA3 in virions resulted in a loss in virion reverse transcriptase (RT) activity and RT fidelity that correlated with the loss of virion-specific infectivity.
Postangioedema attack skin blisters: an unusual presentation of hereditary angioedema
Authors: Wiesen Jonathan , Gonzalez-Estrada Alexei , Auron Moises
Published: April 2014

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by attacks of self-limited swelling affecting extremities, face and intra-abdominal organs, most often caused by mutations in the C1-inhibitor gene with secondary Bradykinin-mediated increased vascular permeability. We describe a 36-year-old man with a history of HAE who presented with painful interdigital bullae secondary to an acute oedema exacerbation. Biopsy and cultures of the lesions were negative and they resolved spontaneously. It is important to highlight and recognise the development of oedema blisters after resolution of a flare of HAE (only 1 previous case report), and hence avoid unnecessary dermatological diagnostic workup and treatment.
Non-surgical treatment of skeletal class III malocclusion
Authors: Kapadia Romina M , Shah Adit P , Diyora Shamil D , Rathva Vandana J
Published: April 2014

The incidence of skeletal class III malocclusion has a mean of 3% in the Caucasian population, 5% in African-American adolescents and about 14% in the Asian population. In India, the incidence of class III malocclusion is reported to be 3.4%. A patient having class III malocclusion shows findings ranging from edge-to-edge bite to large reverse overjet, with extreme variations of underlying skeletal jaw bases and craniofacial form. This is a case report of a 20-year-old man having skeletal class III malocclusion with concave profile, anterior crossbite and a negative overjet of 3 mm treated non-surgically with extraction of only one lower left first premolar.
Concurrent flexor carpi radialis tendon rupture and closed distal radius fracture
Authors: Chen Perng-Jong , Liu Andy Li-Jen
Published: April 2014

Tendon rupture as a complication of distal radius fractures has been documented; however, flexor tendon rupture associated with closed distal radius fractures is rare. We report a case of a 43-year-old man who suffered a closed distal radius fracture. Intraoperatively, it was discovered that the flexor carpi radialis tendon had ruptured. From the frayed ends of the tendon and review of the radiographs, it was determined that the sharp ends of the fractured radius had lacerated the tendon at the time of injury. After fixation of the fracture with locking plate, the severed tendon was repaired and the wrist immobilised with a splint. The patient has been pain free after 5 months of follow-up, with full range of motion. This outcome demonstrates that timely detection and treatment of concurrent flexor carpi radialis tendon rupture and a closed distal radius fracture can achieve good functional results and outcome.
An endless line on the chest radiograph
Authors: Lee Allan , Lau Kenneth , Stuckey Stephen
Published: April 2014

A 40-year-old male patient had his right femoral vein catheterised following admission with altered conscious state from polypharmacy overdose. The procedure was documented as successful and uncomplicated. A postprocedural chest radiograph demonstrated a linear metallic opacity projecting over the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava (SVC and IVC, respectively), with superior and inferior ends not visualised. This did not alert the attending radiologist and intensivist who might have assumed such a metallic object to be external to the patient. Only the central line was removed prior to patient discharge 2 days later. The patient died 2 years later from unrelated streptococcal pneumonia complicated by septicaemia and multiorgan failure. The postmortem discovered a central venous guidewire in the IVC across the right atrium into SVC.
Assessing and catalyzing adoption and implementation of the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth in recreational sports settings
Authors: Olstad Dana Lee
Published: April 2014

Although the mandate of recreational facilities is to enhance well-being, many have unhealthy food environments that may paradoxically increase obesity risk. The Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY) are government-initiated, voluntary guidelines intended to facilitate children’s access to healthy food and beverage choices in recreational facilities. The purpose of these studies was to investigate (i) awareness, adoption, and implementation of the ANGCY; (ii) factors that influenced uptake of the ANGCY and the nature of the food environment within 3 cases: an adopter, a semi-adopter, and a non-adopter of the ANGCY; and (iii) practical strategies to support healthy food purchases by patrons in recreational settings. Findings from a provincial survey (n = 151 recreational facilities) showed that one-half of facilities had heard of the ANGCY and only 6% had implemented them 1 year following their release. A multiple case study revealed that managers were nutritional gate-keepers of recreational facility food environments, their nutrition-related knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions shaped their adoption and implementation of the ANGCY. Intersectoral linkages with schools and health-promoting partnerships with industry were also important for adoption and implementation to occur. Financial constraints emerged as a strong and consistent barrier to ANGCY uptake. Managers from industry who adopted the ANGCY took a long-term view of profitability and were willing to take small risks, sacrificing short-term profitability to remain on the leading edge of market trends. An intervention tested the impact of increased availability of healthy items, 2 nudges and an economic incentive on purchase of healthy items by patrons at an outdoor community pool. Food availability proved to be an independent environmental determinant of food purchasing behaviours in this context, while mixed evidence was found for the efficacy of nudging. Price reductions appeared ineffectual in this setting. Overall, findings suggest that ANGCY uptake may continue to falter under the current voluntary approach, as the environmental supports for voluntary action are poor and managers fear revenue loss. Multiple strategies will be needed to optimize food selection in recreational settings; however, increasing the availability of healthy foods offers significant potential to improve patrons’ food-purchasing behaviours.
Effect of blast-induced vibrations on fill failure in vertical block mining with delayed backfill
Authors: Emad Muhammad Zaka , Mitri Hani , Kelly Cecile
Published: April 2014

Numerical modelling has long been used as a powerful tool for geomechanics mine design and analysis of such problems as ore dilution. Open stoping mining method with delayed backfill is generally employed for mining steeply dipping tabular ore deposits. Several authors reported that consideration of production blast vibrations on adjacent, exposed backfill faces is crucial for the effective backfill design for minimum ore dilution due to fill failure. In this study, it is shown that blast vibrations can be characterized with dynamic numerical modelling. A FLAC3D dynamic numerical model has been developed for a typical layout of a secondary stope that is being mined next to a previously mined and backfilled primary stope. The numerical simulations are validated by comparing predicted failure geometry with laser-surveyed stope profiles obtained with a cavity monitoring system. It is shown that blast-induced vibrations can be a primary cause for wedge-type failure of the backfill face.
A real-time thermal field theoretical analysis of Kubo-type shear viscosity: Numerical understanding with simple examples
Authors: Ghosh Sabyasachi
Published: April 2014

A real-time thermal field theoretical calculation of shear viscosity has been described in the Kubo formalism for bosonic and fermionic medium. The two-point function of viscous-stress tensor in the lowest order provides one-loop skeleton diagram of boson or fermion field for bosonic or fermionic matter. According to the traditional diagrammatic technique of transport coefficients, the finite thermal width of boson or fermion is introduced in their internal lines during the evaluation of boson–boson or fermion–fermion loop diagram. These thermal widths of ϕ boson and ψ fermion are respectively obtained from the imaginary part of self-energy for ϕΦ and ψΦ loops, where interactions of higher mass Φ boson with ϕ and ψ are governed by the simple ϕϕΦ and [Formula: see text] interaction Lagrangian densities. A two-loop diagram, having same power of coupling constant as in the one-loop diagram, is deduced and its contribution appears much lower than the one-loop values of shear viscosity. Therefore, the one-loop results of Kubo-type shear viscosity may be considered as leading order results for this simple ϕϕΦ and [Formula: see text] interactions. This approximation is valid for any values of coupling constant and at the temperatures greater than the mass of constituent particles of the medium.
Pair production of new heavy leptons with U(1)′ charge at linear colliders
Authors: Arı V. , Çakır O. , Kuday S.
Published: April 2014

We study the pair production of new heavy leptons within a new U(1)′ symmetry extension of the Standard Model. Because of the new symmetry, the production and decay modes of the new heavy leptons would be different from those of three families of the standard model. The pair production cross-sections depending on the mixing parameter and the mass of heavy leptons have been calculated for the center-of-mass energies of 0.5 TeV, 1 TeV and 3 TeV. The accessible ranges of the parameters have been obtained for different luminosity projections at linear colliders. The search can be performed within the range of mixing parameter -1<x<-0.35 and 0.05<x<1, given that the heavy lepton mass Ml′ = 400 GeV at [Formula: see text] and L int = 100 fb -1. We find the sensitivity to the range of mixing parameter -1<x<1 for the mass range Ml′<800 GeV at [Formula: see text] and L int = 100 fb -1.
HANDHELD DEVICE-BASED CHARACTER RECOGNITION SYSTEM FOR CAMERA CAPTURED IMAGES
Authors: MOLLAH AYATULLAH FARUK , BASU SUBHADIP , NASIPURI MITA
Published: April 2014

A novel character recognition system aimed at embedding into handheld devices is presented. At first, text regions (TRs) are isolated from the camera captured image by segmenting the image. Then, these TRs are rotated by the skew angles estimated for each of them by a self-developed fast skew correction technique. After that, the skew corrected regions are segmented and recognized. Using Tesseract as the plugged-in recognition engine, we have found a recognition accuracy of 93.51% for business card images. Recognized results are then reorganized to get the original layout back. Experiments reveal that the proposed system is computationally efficient, required memory consumption is significantly low and therefore applicable on handheld devices.
POLYGONAL APPROXIMATION OF DIGITAL CURVE BASED ON REVERSE ENGINEERING CONCEPT
Authors: RAY KUMAR S. , RAY BIMAL KUMAR
Published: April 2014

This paper applies reverse engineering on the Bresenham's line drawing algorithm [J. E. Bresenham, IBM System Journal, 4, 106–111 (1965)] for polygonal approximation of digital curve. The proposed method has a number of features, namely, it is sequential and runs in linear time, produces symmetric approximation from symmetric digital curve, is an automatic algorithm and the approximating polygon has the least non-zero approximation error as compared to other algorithms.
VIDEO-BASED APPROACH FOR DETECTING PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES ON SPORTING COURTS
Authors: WANG SHUENN-JYI , HSIEH CHUNG-KAI , CHIA TSORNG-LIN
Published: April 2014

Video surveillance cameras are ubiquitous this decade. With the popularization of sports, costly courts are built widespread. To protect the sport ground against from damage, some activities, such as biking and in-line skating, are prohibited in the court. Traditional video surveillance systems can not prevent these activities in time. In this paper, we propose a video-based approach for detecting prohibited activities that can damage a court. The approach involves prohibited activity analysis and prohibited activity detection. The first stage generates the leg-angle curves of a prohibited activity. A background subtraction procedure is applied to extract moving objects; moving objects are then normalized to minimize influences of various scaling conditions. Leg-angle curves of prohibited activities are generated by computing leg angles. The second stage detects specific prohibited activities by analyzing leg-angle curves obtained from the input video sequences. Our proposed method can detect the prohibited activities in a court, thus preventing such activities in time.
ENHANCED INTERCONNECTION OF TiO2 NANOPARTICLES USING ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION FOR FLEXIBLE DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS WITH PLASTIC SUBSTRATES
Authors: KIM BOEUN , LI YUELONG , JUNG HEESUK , KIM JIN YOUNG , LEE DOH-KWON , KIM BONSOO , SON HAE JUNG , KIM DO-HEYOUNG , KO MIN JAE
Published: April 2014

In order to improve the interconnection of TiO 2 photoelectrode for the flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with plastic substrates, thin TiO 2 layers are additionally introduced to the surface of main TiO 2 nanoparticles by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at low temperature. The ALD-induced TiO 2 thin layers on porous films effectively reduced the internal electrical resistance, leading to the facilitated electron transport in DSSCs. As a result, DSSCs with ALD-induced TiO 2 thin layers (thickness of ~ 1.5 nm) showed better power conversion efficiency of 3.09%, which is 33% enhancement compared with that without ALD-induced TiO 2 thin layers (2.32%).
Analysis of the ambient conditions in an IL-LLW storage cell in a deep clay repository during the waiting closure period
Authors: Bénet Luc-Vincent , Bouillet Charlaine , Wendling Jacques
Published: April 2014

In the 2009 Andra repository concept, Intermediate Level Long Lived Wastes are stored in several 100-m-long storage cells. Concrete over-packs are stacked in piles before being emplaced by row. The large sections opened in the slab floor to enable emplacement by the conveyor could have a major effect on the temperature distribution in the storage cell. The aim of the study is to assess the ability of the ventilation to regulate temperatures along the cell. We focus on the period before closure, when the ventilation rate is at a minimum. The issue has been addressed by undertaking numerical simulations. A specific modelling approach based on head-loss correlations has been used to calculate the distributions of temperature and air velocity at a decimetre scale along the storage cell. The heat transfer and the air flow problems have been solved on a 3D mesh representing 225 rows of waste packages, the concrete walls and the surrounding rock. Different scenarios have been considered about the air flow rate, the heat release and the closure of the conveyor sections at several locations. Results have been analysed in terms of flow patterns, temperature distributions and thermal gradients in air and in concrete.
Analysis of the long-term hydraulic-gas transient in the central zone of a deep clay repository
Authors: Bénet Luc-Vincent , Tulita Catalin , Pasteau Antoine , Wendling Jacques
Published: April 2014

In the Andra repository concept, a large amount of hydrogen gas will be generated through radiolysis of water and corrosion of metal parts from the infrastructure and the packages containing radioactive waste. The fate of the gas could have a significant impact on the rate of resaturation of the porous media, and needs to be accounted for in order to make accurate predictions of the long-term evolution of the repository. The central zone of the repository consists of a 4.5-km-long network of galleries which connect the storage zones with the surface through three shafts. These shafts, which will be backfilled and sealed after closure, will have a key role in gas and water exchange between the repository and the overlying aquifer. The aim of this work was to describe the evolution in time of both the water and gas flows in the central zone up to the end of the hydraulic-gas transient. The issue was addressed by means of numerical simulations. The simulations produced local predictions of flow rates and pressures, water saturation and amounts of dissolved gas. The results were analysed to determine how water and gas flows combine in the central zone, when the saturation of the seal will be complete, when the free gas will reach the overlying aquifer, and when the saturation of the central zone will be complete.
The Moldanubian Zone in the French Massif Central, Vosges/Schwarzwald and Bohemian Massif revisited: differences and similarities
Authors: Lardeaux J. M. , Schulmann K. , Faure M. , Janoušek V. , Lexa O. , Skrzypek E. , Edel J. B. , Štípská P.
Published: April 2014

In order to portray the main differences and similarities between the Northeastern Variscan segments (French Massif Central (FMC), Vosges, Black Forest and Bohemian Massif (BM)), we review their crustal-scale architectures, the specific rock associations and lithotectonic sequences, as well as the ages of the main magmatic and metamorphic events. This review demonstrates significant differences between the ‘Moldanubian’ domains in the BM and the FMC. On this basis we propose distinguishing between the Eastern and Western Moldanubian zones, while the Vosges/Black Forest Mountains are an intermediate section between the BM and the FMC. The observed differences are the result of, first, the presence in the French segment of an early large-scale accretionary system prior to the main Variscan collision and, second, the duration of Saxothuringian/Armorican subduction, which generated long-lived magmatic arc and back-arc systems in the Bohemian segment, while the magmatic activity in the FMC was comparably short-lived.
Short and long sympathetic-sensory feedback loops in white fat
Authors: Ryu Vitaly , Bartness Timothy J.
Published: April 2014

We previously demonstrated white adipose tissue (WAT) innervation using the established WAT retrograde sympathetic nervous system (SNS)-specific transneuronal viral tract tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV152) and showed its role in the control of lipolysis. Conversely, we demonstrated WAT sensory innervation using the established anterograde sensory system (SS)-specific transneuronal viral tracer, the H129 strain of herpes simplex virus-1, with sensory nerves showing responsiveness with increases in WAT SNS drive. Several brain areas were part of the SNS outflow to and SS inflow from WAT between these studies suggesting SNS-SS feedback loops. Therefore, we injected both PRV152 and H129 into inguinal WAT (IWAT) of Siberian hamsters. Animals were perfused on days 5 and 6 postinoculation after H129 and PRV152 injections, respectively, and brains, spinal cords, sympathetic, and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were processed for immunohistochemical detection of each virus across the neuroaxis. The presence of H129+PRV152-colocalized neurons (∼50%) in the spinal segments innervating IWAT suggested short SNS-SS loops with significant coinfections (>60%) in discrete brain regions, signifying long SNS-SS loops. Notably, the most highly populated sites with the double-infected neurons were the medial part of medial preoptic nucleus, medial preoptic area, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, lateral hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, oral part of the pontine reticular nucleus, and the nucleus of the solitary tract. Collectively, these results strongly indicate the neuroanatomical reality of the central SNS-SS feedback loops with short loops in the spinal cord and long loops in the brain, both likely involved in the control of lipolysis or other WAT pad-specific functions.
Natriuretic peptides buffer renin-dependent hypertension
Authors: Demerath Theo , Staffel Janina , Schreiber Andrea , Valletta Daniela , Schweda Frank
Published: April 2014

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and cardiac natriuretic peptides [atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)] are opposing control mechanisms for arterial blood pressure. Accordingly, an inverse relationship between plasma renin concentration (PRC) and ANP exists in most circumstances. However, PRC and ANP levels are both elevated in renovascular hypertension. Because ANP can directly suppress renin release, we used ANP knockout (ANP−/−) mice to investigate whether high ANP levels attenuate the increase in PRC in response to renal hypoperfusion, thus buffering renovascular hypertension. ANP−/− mice were hypertensive and had reduced PRC compared with that in wild-type ANP+/+ mice under control conditions. Unilateral renal artery stenosis (2-kidney, 1-clip) for 1 wk induced similar increases in blood pressure and PRC in both genotypes. Unexpectedly, plasma BNP concentrations in ANP−/− mice significantly increased in response to two-kidney, one-clip treatment, potentially compensating for the lack of ANP. In fact, in mice lacking guanylyl cyclase A (GC-A−/− mice), which is the common receptor for both ANP and BNP, renovascular hypertension was markedly augmented compared with that in wild-type GC-A+/+ mice. However, the higher blood pressure in GC-A−/− mice was not caused by disinhibition of the renin system because PRC and renal renin synthesis were significantly lower in GC-A−/− mice than in GC-A+/+ mice. Thus, natriuretic peptides buffer renal vascular hypertension via renin-independent effects, such as vasorelaxation. The latter possibility is supported by experiments in isolated perfused mouse kidneys, in which physiological concentrations of ANP and BNP elicited renal vasodilatation and attenuated renal vasoconstriction in response to angiotensin II.
Rostral spinal cord segments are sufficient to generate a rhythm for both locomotion and scratching but affect their hip extensor phases differently
Authors: Hao Zhao-Zhe , Meier Megan L. , Berkowitz Ari
Published: April 2014

Rostral segments of the spinal cord hindlimb enlargement are more important than caudal segments for generating locomotion and scratching rhythms in limbed vertebrates, but the adequacy of rostral segments has not been directly compared between locomotion and scratching. We separated caudal segments from immobilized low-spinal turtles by sequential spinal cord transections. After separation of the caudal four segments of the five-segment hindlimb enlargement, the remaining enlargement segment and five preenlargement segments still produced rhythms for forward swimming and both rostral and pocket scratching. The swimming rhythm frequency was usually maintained. Some animals continued to generate swimming and scratching rhythms even with no enlargement segments remaining, using only preenlargement segments. The preenlargement segments and rostral-most enlargement segment were also sufficient to maintain hip flexor (HF) motoneuron quiescence between HF bursts [which normally occurs during each hip extensor (HE) phase] during swimming. In contrast, the HF-quiescent phase was increasingly absent (i.e., HE-phase deletions) during rostral and pocket scratching. Moreover, respiratory motoneurons that normally burst during HE bursts continued to burst during the HF quiescence of swimming even with the caudal segments separated. Thus the same segments are sufficient to generate the basic rhythms for both locomotion and scratching. These segments are also sufficient to produce a reliable HE phase during locomotion but not during rostral or pocket scratching. We hypothesize that the rostral HE-phase interneurons that rhythmically inhibit HF motoneurons and interneurons are sufficient to generate HF quiescence during HE-biased swimming but not during the more HF-biased rostral and pocket scratching.
Variation in motor output and motor performance in a centrally generated motor pattern
Authors: Wenning Angela , Norris Brian J. , Doloc-Mihu Anca , Calabrese Ronald L.
Published: April 2014

Central pattern generators (CPGs) produce motor patterns that ultimately drive motor outputs. We studied how functional motor performance is achieved, specifically, whether the variation seen in motor patterns is reflected in motor performance and whether fictive motor patterns differ from those in vivo. We used the leech heartbeat system in which a bilaterally symmetrical CPG coordinates segmental heart motor neurons and two segmented heart tubes into two mutually exclusive coordination modes: rear-to-front peristaltic on one side and nearly synchronous on the other, with regular side-to-side switches. We assessed individual variability of the motor pattern and the beat pattern in vivo. To quantify the beat pattern we imaged intact adults. To quantify the phase relations between motor neurons and heart constrictions we recorded extracellularly from two heart motor neurons and movement from the corresponding heart segments in minimally dissected leeches. Variation in the motor pattern was reflected in motor performance only in the peristaltic mode, where larger intersegmental phase differences in the motor neurons resulted in larger phase differences between heart constrictions. Fictive motor patterns differed from those in vivo only in the synchronous mode, where intersegmental phase differences in vivo had a larger front-to-rear bias and were more constrained. Additionally, load-influenced constriction timing might explain the amplification of the phase differences between heart segments in the peristaltic mode and the higher variability in motor output due to body shape assumed in this soft-bodied animal. The motor pattern determines the beat pattern, peristaltic or synchronous, but heart mechanics influence the phase relations achieved.
Insights on the Role of Antimicrobial Cuffed Endotracheal Tubes in Preventing Transtracheal Transmission of VAP Pathogens from anIn VitroModel of Microaspiration and Microbial Proliferation
Authors: Rosenblatt Joel , Reitzel Ruth , Jiang Ying , Hachem Ray , Raad Issam
Published: April 2014

We developed anin vitromodel to evaluate the effect of different cuffed endotracheal tubes (ETTs) on transtracheal transmission of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) pathogens along external surfaces of ETTs. The model independently assessed the relative contributions of microbial proliferation to the distal tip and microaspiration of contaminated secretions past the cuff by testing in three modes: microaspiration only, microbial proliferation only, and simultaneous microaspiration and microbial proliferation. We evaluated transmission of methicillin resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) orPseudomonas aeruginosa(PA) in the presence of a standard ETT; a soft, tapered cuff ETT with subglottic suctioning; and a novel antimicrobial gendine (combination of gentian violet and chlorhexidine) ETT in the model. In the microaspiration only mode, when leakage past the cuff occurred quickly, no ETT prevented transmission. When microaspiration was delayed, the gendine ETT was able to completely disinfect the fluid above the cuff and thereby prevent transmission of pathogens. In microbial proliferation only mode, the gendine ETT was the sole ETT that prevented transmission. With both mechanisms simultaneously available, transmission was dependent on how long microaspiration was delayed. Potent antimicrobial ETTs, such as a gendine ETT, can make unique contributions to prevent VAP when microaspiration is gradual.
Jensen Functionals on Time Scales for Several Variables
Authors: Anwar Matloob , Bibi Rabia , Bohner Martin , Pečarić Josip
Published: April 2014

We define Jensen functionals and concerned generalized means for several variables on time scales. We derive properties of Jensen functionals and apply them to generalized means. In this setting, we obtain generalizations, refinements, and conversions of many remarkable inequalities.
Stability of Pexider Equations on Semigroup with No Neutral Element
Authors: Chung Jaeyoung
Published: April 2014

LetSbe a commutative semigroup with no neutral element,Ya Banach space, andℂthe set of complex numbers. In this paper we prove the Hyers-Ulam stability for Pexider equationfx+y-gx-h(y)≤ϵfor allx,y∈S, wheref,g,h:S→Y. Using Jung’s theorem we obtain a better bound than that usually obtained. Also, generalizing the result of Baker (1980) we prove the superstability for Pexider-exponential equationft+s-gth(s)≤ϵfor allt,s∈S, wheref,g,h:S→ℂ. As a direct consequence of the result we also obtain the general solutions of the Pexider-exponential equationft+s=gth(s)for allt,s∈S, a closed form of which is not yet known.
The Emerging Roles of Thyroglobulin
Authors: Luo Yuqian , Ishido Yuko , Hiroi Naoki , Ishii Norihisa , Suzuki Koichi
Published: April 2014

Thyroglobulin (Tg), the most important and abundant protein in thyroid follicles, is well known for its essential role in thyroid hormone synthesis. In addition to its conventional role as the precursor of thyroid hormones, we have uncovered a novel function of Tg as an endogenous regulator of follicular function over the past decade. The newly discovered negative feedback effect of Tg on follicular function observed in the rat and human thyroid provides an alternative explanation for the observation of follicle heterogeneity. Given the essential role of the regulatory effects of Tg, we consider that dysregulation of normal Tg function is associated with multiple human thyroid diseases including autoimmune thyroid disease and thyroid cancer. Additionally, extrathyroid Tg may serve a regulatory function in other organs. Further exploration of Tg action, especially at the molecular level, is needed to obtain a better understanding of both the physiological and pathological roles of Tg.
RFID Presenter: A New Way to Feel a Talk
Authors: Ruiz-de-Garibay Jonathan , Legarda Jon , Kados Szilárd A. , Eguiluz Xabier
Published: April 2014

RFID is a key which enables technology for the Internet of Things paradigm, allowing the virtualization of the physical objects into the Internet. There are uncountable applications whereby these connected objects can be a breakthrough for new business models, and this work shows a good example of that. We present the RFID Presenter as the evolution of a classical consumer electronic product to a novel connected Internet product with the addition of the RFID technology. It supposes a new way to manage the conference talks in a personalization way, improving the end-user interaction and providing services that were impossible before. The design, implementation, and validation of a real gadget are well explained in order to give a real example of how the Internet of Things can be integrated into daily objects and enhance the end-user experiences.
Organizational Culture Shapes the Adoption and Incorporation of Simulation into Nursing Curricula: A Grounded Theory Study
Authors: Taplay Karyn , Jack Susan M. , Baxter Pamela , Eva Kevin , Martin Lynn
Published: April 2014

Purpose. To create a substantive mid-range theory explaining how the organizational cultures of undergraduate nursing programs shape the adoption and incorporation of mid-to high-level technical fidelity simulators as a teaching strategy within curricula.Method. A constructivist grounded theory was used to guide this study which was conducted in Ontario, Canada, during 2011-12. Semistructured interviews (n=43) with participants that included nursing administrators, nursing faculty, and simulation leaders across multiple programs (n=13) informed this study. Additionally, key documents (n=67) were reviewed. Purposeful and theoretical sampling was used and data were collected and analyzed simultaneously. Data were compared among and between sites.Findings. The organizational elements that shape simulation in nursing (OESSN) model depicts five key organizational factors at the nursing program level that shaped the adoption and incorporation of simulation: (1) leaders working in tandem, (2) information exchange, (3) physical locale, (4) shared motivators, and (5) scaffolding to manage change.Conclusions. The OESSN model provides an explanation of the organizational factors that contributed to the adoption and incorporation of simulation into nursing curricula. Nursing programs that use the OESSN model may experience a more rapid or broad uptake of simulation when organizational factors that impact adoption and incorporation are considered and planned for.
Consensus Target Tracking in Switching Wireless Sensor Networks with Outliers
Authors: Zhou Yan , Wang Dongli , Lan Yonghong , Wen Qingzhen
Published: April 2014

The problem of consensus-based distributed tracking in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with switching network topologies and outlier-corrupted sensor observations is considered. First, to attack the outlier-corrupted measurements, a robust Kalman filtering (RKF) scheme with weighted matrices on innovation sequences is introduced. The proposed RKF possesses high robustness against outliers while having similar computational burden as traditional Kalman filter. Then, each node estimates the network-wide agreement on target state using only communications between one-hop neighbors. In order to improve the convergent speed of the consensus filter in case of switching topologies, an adaptive weight update strategy is proposed. Note that the proposed algorithm relaxes the requirement of Gaussian noise statistics in contrast to the decentralized/distributed Kalman filters. Besides, unlike the existing consensus-based filters, we do not need to perform consensus filtering on the covariance matrices, which will reduce the computational and communicational burden abundantly. Finally, simulation examples are included to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed RKF and effectiveness of adaptive consensus approach.
The Role of Imaging in Radiation Therapy Planning: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Pereira Gisele C. , Traughber Melanie , Muzic Raymond F.
Published: April 2014

The use of ionizing radiation for cancer treatment has undergone extraordinary development during the past hundred years. The advancement of medical imaging has been critical in helping to achieve this change. The invention of computed tomography (CT) was pivotal in the development of treatment planning. Despite some disadvantages, CT remains the only three-dimensional imaging modality used for dose calculation. Newer image modalities, such as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and positron emission tomography (PET), are also used secondarily in the treatment-planning process. MR, with its better tissue contrast and resolution than those of CT, improves tumor definition compared with CT planning alone. PET also provides metabolic information to supplement the CT and MR anatomical information. With emerging molecular imaging techniques, the ability to visualize and characterize tumors with regard to their metabolic profile, active pathways, and genetic markers, both across different tumors and within individual, heterogeneous tumors, will inform clinicians regarding the treatment options most likely to benefit a patient and to detect at the earliest time possible if and where a chosen therapy is working. In the post-human-genome era, multimodality scanners such as PET/CT and PET/MR will provide optimal tumor targeting information.
Reducing Side Effects of Hiding Sensitive Itemsets in Privacy Preserving Data Mining
Authors: Lin Chun-Wei , Hong Tzung-Pei , Hsu Hung-Chuan
Published: April 2014

Data mining is traditionally adopted to retrieve and analyze knowledge from large amounts of data. Private or confidential data may be sanitized or suppressed before it is shared or published in public. Privacy preserving data mining (PPDM) has thus become an important issue in recent years. The most general way of PPDM is to sanitize the database to hide the sensitive information. In this paper, a novel hiding-missing-artificial utility (HMAU) algorithm is proposed to hide sensitive itemsets through transaction deletion. The transaction with the maximal ratio of sensitive to nonsensitive one is thus selected to be entirely deleted. Three side effects of hiding failures, missing itemsets, and artificial itemsets are considered to evaluate whether the transactions are required to be deleted for hiding sensitive itemsets. Three weights are also assigned as the importance to three factors, which can be set according to the requirement of users. Experiments are then conducted to show the performance of the proposed algorithm in execution time, number of deleted transactions, and number of side effects.
Extracts from Glioma Tissues following Cryoablation Have Proapoptosis, Antiproliferation, and Anti-Invasion Effects on Glioma Cells
Authors: Liu Tianzhu , Wang Xin , Yin Zhilin , Pan Jun , Guo Hongbo , Zhang Shizhong
Published: April 2014

Objective. This study is to investigate thein vivoapoptotic processes in glioma tissues following cryoablation and the effects of glioma tissue extracts on GL261 glioma cellsin vitro.Methods. TUNEL and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect the apoptotic processes in the glioma tissues following cryoablation and in the GL261 cells treated with cryoablated tumor extracts. The scratch assay, the transwell assay, and Western blot analysis were carried out to evaluate the effects of cryoablated tumor extracts on the migration, invasion, and proliferation of tumor cells.Results. Ourin vivoresults indicated that the rapid-onset apoptosis was induced via the intrinsic pathway and the delayed apoptosis was triggered through the extrinsic pathway. Thein vitroresults showed that extracts from glioma tissues following cryoablation induced apoptosis via extrinsic pathways in GL261 glioma cells. Furthermore, cryoablated tumor extracts significantly inhibited the migration and proliferation of these cells, which would be related to the inhibition of ERK1/2 pathway and the activation of P38 pathway.Conclusion. Glioma cells surviving in cryoablation undergo intrinsic or extrinsic apoptosis. Augmenting the induction of apoptosis or enhancing the cryosensitization of tumor cells by coupling cryoablation with specific chemotherapy effectively increases the efficiency of this therapeutic treatment.
Role of PET and SPECT in the Study of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Cistaro Angelina , Cuccurullo Vincenzo , Quartuccio Natale , Pagani Marco , Valentini Maria Consuelo , Mansi Luigi
Published: April 2014

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been defined as a “heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative syndromes characterized by progressive muscle paralysis caused by the degeneration of motor neurons allocated in primary motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord.” A comprehensive diagnostic workup for ALS usually includes several electrodiagnostic, clinical laboratory and genetic tests. Neuroimaging exams, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and spinal cord myelogram, may also be required. Nuclear medicine, with PET and SPECT, may also play a role in the evaluation of patients with ALS, and provide additional information to the clinicians. This paper aims to offer to the reader a comprehensive review of the different radiotracers for the assessment of the metabolism of glucose (FDG), the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF), or the evaluation of neurotransmitters, astrocytes, and microglia by means of newer and not yet clinically diffuse radiopharmaceuticals.
Mitochondrial Aging and Age-Related Dysfunction of Mitochondria
Authors: Chistiakov Dimitry A. , Sobenin Igor A. , Revin Victor V. , Orekhov Alexander N. , Bobryshev Yuri V.
Published: April 2014

Age-related changes in mitochondria are associated with decline in mitochondrial function. With advanced age, mitochondrial DNA volume, integrity and functionality decrease due to accumulation of mutations and oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In aged subjects, mitochondria are characterized by impaired function such as lowered oxidative capacity, reduced oxidative phosphorylation, decreased ATP production, significant increase in ROS generation, and diminished antioxidant defense. Mitochondrial biogenesis declines with age due to alterations in mitochondrial dynamics and inhibition of mitophagy, an autophagy process that removes dysfunctional mitochondria. Age-dependent abnormalities in mitochondrial quality control further weaken and impair mitochondrial function. In aged tissues, enhanced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis contributes to an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells. However, implementation of strategies such as caloric restriction and regular physical training may delay mitochondrial aging and attenuate the age-related phenotype in humans.
Use of CHAID Decision Trees to Formulate Pathways for the Early Detection of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Adults
Authors: Miller Brian , Fridline Mark , Liu Pei-Yang , Marino Deborah
Published: April 2014

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) in young adults (age 20–39) is often undiagnosed. A simple screening tool using a surrogate measure might be invaluable in the early detection of MetS.Methods. A chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree analysis with waist circumference user-specified as the first level was used to detect MetS in young adults using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010 Cohort as a representative sample of the United States population(n=745).Results. Twenty percent of the sample met the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP) classification criteria for MetS. The user-specified CHAID model was compared to both CHAID model with no user-specified first level and logistic regression based model. This analysis identified waist circumference as a strong predictor in the MetS diagnosis. The accuracy of the final model with waist circumference user-specified as the first level was 92.3% with its ability to detect MetS at 71.8% which outperformed comparison models.Conclusions. Preliminary findings suggest that young adults at risk for MetS could be identified for further followup based on their waist circumference. Decision tree methods show promise for the development of a preliminary detection algorithm for MetS.