bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A 24-h helpline for access to expert management advice for food allergy-related anaphylaxis in children: protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kelleher Maeve M , Hourihane Jonathan O'B , DunnGalvin Audrey , Cullinane Claire , Fitzsimons John , Sheikh Aziz
Published: August 2012

Objectives

Anaphylaxis is an important, potentially life-threatening paediatric emergency. It is responsible for considerable morbidity and, in some cases, death. Poor outcomes may be associated with an inability to differentiate between milder and potentially more severe reactions and an associated reluctance to administer self-injectable adrenaline. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a 24-h telephone access to specialist paediatric allergy expert advice in improving the quality of life of children and their families with potentially life-threatening food allergy (ie, anaphylaxis) compared with usual clinical care.

Methods and analysis

Children aged less than 16 years with food allergy and who carry an adrenaline autoinjector will be recruited from the Paediatric Allergy Clinic at Cork University Hospital, Ireland and baseline disease-specific quality of life will be ascertained using the validated Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ). Participants will be randomised for a period of 6 months to the 24-h telephone specialist support line or usual care. The primary outcome measure of interest is a change in FAQLQ scores, which will be assessed at 0, 1 and 6 months postrandomisation. Analysis will be on an intention-to-treat basis using a 2×3 repeated measures within-between analysis of variance. Although lacking power, we will in addition assess the impact of the intervention on a range of relevant process and clinical endpoints.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial protocol has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals. The findings will be presented at international scientific conferences and will be reported on in the peer-reviewed literature in early 2013.
Longitudinal cohort protocol study of oropharyngeal dysphagia: relationships to gross motor attainment, growth and nutritional status in preschool children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Benfer Katherine A , Weir Kelly A , Bell Kristie L , Ware Robert S , Davies Peter S W , Boyd Roslyn N
Published: August 2012

Introduction

The prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is estimated to be between 19% and 99%. OPD can impact on children's growth, nutrition and overall health. Despite the growing recognition of the extent and significance of health issues relating to OPD in children with CP, lack of knowledge of its profile in this subpopulation remains. This study aims to investigate the relationship between OPD, attainment of gross motor skills, growth and nutritional status in young children with CP at and between two crucial age points, 18–24 and 36 months, corrected age.

Methods and analysis

This prospective longitudinal population-based study aims to recruit a total of 200 children with CP born in Queensland, Australia between 1 September 2006 and 31 December 2009 (60 per birth-year). Outcomes include clinically assessed OPD (Schedule for Oral Motor Assessment, Dysphagia Disorders Survey, Pre-Speech Assessment Scale, signs suggestive of pharyngeal phase impairment, Thomas-Stonell and Greenberg Saliva Severity Scale), parent-reported OPD on a feeding questionnaire, gross motor skills (Gross Motor Function Measure, Gross Motor Function Classification System and motor type), growth and nutritional status (linear growth and body composition) and dietary intake (3 day food record). The strength of relationship between outcome and exposure variables will be analysed using regression modelling with ORs and relative risk ratios.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol describes a study that provides the first large population-based study of OPD in a representative sample of preschool children with CP, using direct clinical assessment. Ethics has been obtained through the University of Queensland Medical Research Ethics Committee, the Children's Health Services District Ethics Committee, and at other regional and organisational ethics committees. Results are planned to be disseminated in six papers submitted to peer reviewed journals, and presentations at relevant international conferences.
Morphological study of synovial changes in two-stage reconstructions of the infected hip and knee arthroplasties
Authors: Gontarewicz Arthur , Niggemeyer Oliver , Tharun Lars , Grancicova Livia , Rüther Wolfgang , Zustin Jozef
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To study the morphological changes of the regenerating synovium in two-stage revision arthroplasty, which is the gold standard for treatment of periprosthetic joint infection.

Design

The authors analysed a series of synovial biopsies to examine morphological changes in healing periprosthetic tissues damaged by previous surgery and infection.

Methods

Synovial tissues from 19 patients (10 knees and 9 hips) who underwent a two-stage exchange surgery for periprosthetic infection were reviewed and correlated with clinical and laboratory findings.

Setting

Retrospective morphological study.

Participants

Archival tissues from 19 two-stage revision arthroplasties in adult patients.

Results

Healing synovial tissue obtained at the reimplantation surgery showed characteristic layering: superficial fibrin exudate, immature richly vascularised granulation tissue and deeper maturing granulation tissue and fibrosis. Although increased neutrophil counts were found in the majority of cases, 2 of 19 cases showed dense infiltrates indicative of persistent infection, which correlated with positive microbiology in one case. One of the cases failed due to acetabular loosening and two cases failed due to late superinfection. One case showed a dense infiltration of eosinophils suggestive of a hypersensitivity reaction, which was subsequently proven by cutaneous tests. Foci of extramedullary haematopoiesis were detected in two cases.

Conclusions

We observed characteristic morphological changes in the healing synovial tissue during reimplantation surgery for periprosthetic infection in serologically and microbiologically sterile tissues. Substantial increased counts of synovial neutrophils (>200 cells/10 high-power fields) seem to be indicative of persistent infection of the joint; therefore, prolonged antibiotic therapy should be considered in positive cases.
More quality measures versus measuring what matters: a call for balance and parsimony
Authors: Meyer Gregg S , Nelson Eugene C , Pryor David B , James Brent , Swensen Stephen J , Kaplan Gary S , Weissberg Jed I , Bisognano Maureen , Yates Gary R , Hunt Gordon C
Published: August 2012

External groups requiring measures now include public and private payers, regulators, accreditors and others that certify performance levels for consumers, patients and payers. Although benefits have accrued from the growth in quality measurement, the recent explosion in the number of measures threatens to shift resources from improving quality to cover a plethora of quality-performance metrics that may have a limited impact on the things that patients and payers want and need (ie, better outcomes, better care, and lower per capita costs). Here we propose a policy that quality measurement should be: balanced to meet the need of end users to judge quality and cost performance and the need of providers to continuously improve the quality, outcomes and costs of their services; and parsimonious to measure quality, outcomes and costs with appropriate metrics that are selected based on end-user needs.
De novo pseudoaneurysm formation after angioplasty and stenting of posterior circulation intracranial atherosclerotic disease: mechanism, characterization with intravascular ultrasound and management considerations
Authors: Dabus Guilherme , Linfante Italo , Samaniego Edgar A
Published: August 2012

Background

The formation of de novo pseudoaneurysms after stent implantation has not been well characterized after stenting of intracranial vessels. Its clinical significance is unknown, resulting in a difficult decision making process with regard to its treatment.

Methods

The database of patients treated at the Baptist Cardiac and Vascular Institute, Miami, Florida, was reviewed. All patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) who underwent angioplasty and stenting with the Gateway-Wingspan system under the Food and Drug Administration Humanitarian Device Exemption protocol and had subsequent follow-up imaging demonstrating de novo pseudoaneurysm formation after stent implantation were included.

Results

21 patients with symptomatic ICAD who underwent angioplasty and stenting had follow-up angiography performed. Of these, we identified three patients (14%) who had de novo pseudoaneurysm formation in the follow-up angiography. All three patients were men in their sixties. All of our patients were asymptomatic and the lesions were found on routine follow-up angiography. No intervention was performed. One patient underwent intravascular ultrasound for better characterization of the lesion. Two lesions had either resolved or decreased in size on follow-up angiography. The other lesion remained stable.

Conclusions

Post stenting pseudoaneurysm formation is a possible complication after intracranial stenting with unknown clinical significance. Our small series suggest that these cases may be managed conservatively.
Telephone referrals by junior doctors: a randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of SBAR in a simulated setting
Authors: Cunningham Neil James , Weiland Tracey J , van Dijk Julian , Paddle Paul , Shilkofski Nicole , Cunningham Nicola Yumei
Published: August 2012

Objective

To determine whether exposing junior doctors to Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) improves their telephone referrals. SBAR is a standardised minimum information communication tool.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial with participants and rating clinicians both blinded to group allocation. Hospital interns from a 2-year period (2006–2007) participated in two simulated clinical scenarios which required them to make telephone referrals. The intervention group was educated in SBAR between scenarios. Pre and post intervention telephone referrals were recorded, scored and compared. Six-month follow-up and year group comparisons were also made. An objective rating score measured the presence of specific ‘critical data’ communication elements on a scale of 1–12. Qualitative measures of global rating scores and participant self-rated scoring of performance were recorded. Time to ‘first pitch’ (the intern's initial speech) was also recorded.

Results

Data were available for 66 interns out of 91 eligible. SBAR exposure did not increase the number of communication elements presented; objective rating scores were 8.5 (IQ 7.0–9.0) for SBAR and 8.0 (IQ 6.5–8.0) for the control group (p=0.051). Median global rating scores, designed to measure ‘call impact’, were higher following SBAR exposure (SBAR: 3.0 (IQR 2.0–4.0); control: 2.0 (IQ 1.0–3.0); p=0.003)). Global rating scores improved as time to ‘first pitch’ duration decreased (p=0.001). SBAR exposure did not improve time to ‘first pitch’ duration.

Conclusion

In this simulated setting exposure to SBAR did not improve telephone referral performance by increasing the amount of critical information presented, despite the fact that it is a minimum data element tool. SBAR did improve the ‘call impact’ of the telephone referral as measured by qualitative global rating scores.
A survey of surgical draping practices in small‐animal practice in the UK
Authors: Delisser P. J. , Sinnett D. E. , Parsons K. J. , Friend, E. J.
Published: August 2012

Veterinary practices in the United Kingdom were surveyed to compare their surgical draping practices with Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) accreditation tier and other surgery‐related factors. Using descriptive statistics and logistic or ordinal regression analysis (where appropriate), the relationships between draping material and accreditation tier and other surgery‐related factors were assessed. Procedures were categorised as short or long. Two hundred and sixty‐nine surveys were completed. Reusable drapes were used in 66 per cent of practices. Antibiotics were administered routinely in 38 per cent of short and 93 per cent of long procedures. Practices accredited as a Veterinary Hospital (VH) were 6.3–7.2 (short and long surgeries, respectively) times more likely to use disposable drapes, when compared with non‐accredited practices. Use of dedicated surgical attire, draping the whole animal/table, and routine antibiotic usage were also positively correlated with disposable drape usage. Fifty‐one per cent of practices rated infection rate as most important when choosing drape material. ‘Best practice’ techniques are associated with lower importance given to infection rate, and higher importance given to financial cost, when choosing drape material. Disposable drape use correlates with RCVS accreditation and with other aspects of surgical technique. Importance ratings awarded correlate with best practice procedures. Clinical relevance ‘Best practice’ draping procedures, that are not governed by RCVS accreditation scheme, are also more frequently performed in accredited VHs.
Zhenqing Recipe Improves Glucose Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity by Repressing Hepatic FOXO1 in Type 2 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Huang Wenfan , Yu Jie , Jia Xuming , Xiong Liang , Li Ningxu , Wen Xiuying
Published: August 2012

Forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) plays an important role in glucose metabolism at the gene transcription level. Increased FOXO1 activity results in hyperglycemia by promoting the expression of gluconeogenic enzymes such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), and inhibiting glucokinase (GK). This study evaluates the effect of Zhenqing Recipe (ZQR), a Chinese herbal medicine, on hyperglycemia and its molecular mechanisms. Type 2 diabetic rats, developed by high-fat diet combined with low-dose STZ injections, were randomly divided into untreated diabetic, ZQR and metformin group. Normal rats served as control. After an eight-week treatment, fasting blood glucose was significantly decreased and insulin sensitivity index was obviously increased in the ZQR group. ZQR also improved the oral glucose tolerance. Compared with the control group, the mRNA levels of PEPCK and G6Pase were significantly elevated, while GK mRNA expression was decreased in the liver of untreated diabetic rats. ZQR significantly reduced the mRNA levels of PEPCK and G6Pase, and increased GK mRNA expression. The hepatic mRNA and protein expression of FOXO1 in the untreated diabetic group was markedly increased compared to controls. The administration of ZQR significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of hepatic FOXO1. The data suggest that ZQR improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, which is accompanied with regulating mRNA expression of GK and gluconeogenic genes. This anti-diabetic effect of ZQR is due to its ability to repress hepatic FOXO1 at the mRNA and protein level.
Antidepressant-Like Effect of Tagetes lucida Cav. Extract in Rats: Involvement of the Serotonergic System
Authors: Gabriela Guadarrama-Cruz , Javier Alarcón-Aguilar Francisco , Elisa Vega-Avila , Gonzalo Vázquez-Palacios , Herlinda Bonilla-Jaime
Published: August 2012

It has been demonstrated that the decoction of the aerial parts of Tagetes lucida Cav. produces an antidepressant effect during the forced swimming test (FST) in rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different organic extracts and one aqueous extract of the aerial parts of T. lucida on the FST. In addition, the possible involvement of the serotonergic system in the antidepressant-like effect of T. lucida in the FST was evaluated, as was its potential toxicological effect. The different extracts of T. lucida (methanol, hexane, dichloromethane and aqueous, 10 and 50 mg/kg), as well as fluoxetine (FLX, 5 mg/kg), were administered per os (p.o.) to rats for 14 days. All animals were subjected to the FST. Only the aqueous extract of T. lucida at a dose of 50 mg/kg significantly reduced immobility behavior and increased swimming in the FST, similar to FLX. Later, the aqueous extract of T. lucida (50mg/kg) was administered for 1, 7 and 14 days. An antidepressant effect was observed after 7 days of treatment. To evaluate the participation of the serotoninergic system, the animals were pretreated with PCPA, an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis (100 mg/kg/day for 4 consecutive days). The animals were treated with the aqueous extract of T. lucida (50 mg/kg) and FLX (5 mg/kg) 24 h after the final injection and were then subjected to the FST. Pretreatment with PCPA inhibited the antidepressant effect of both T. lucida and FLX. Finally, T. lucida was administered p.o. and intraperitoneal route to evaluate its acute toxicological effect. The aqueous extract of T. lucida, administered p.o., did not produce lethality or any significant changes in behavior. In conclusion, the aqueous extract of T. lucida manifested an antidepressant-like effect in the FST mediated by the serotonergic system, with no adverse effects when administered p.o.
Impact of Acupuncture by Using Life-Energy (Qi) Oriental Needle on the Paralysis of Rats with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Authors: Kim Kyu-Yeob , Yang Won-Jun , Shin Tae-Kyun , Jeong Hyun-Ja , Kim Hyung-Min
Published: August 2012

In acupuncture, adaptation to energy flows in body cycles is the key to health and therapy. From the evolution of our thinking about acupuncture, we developed the Life-Energy (Qi) oriental needle (Qi needle). It contains a rotating electromagnetic wave and has a strong affinity for the meridians. We report for the first time on the effect of acupuncture by using a Qi needle (Qi acupuncture) on rat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a model of human demyelinating multiple sclerosis. Both Qi acupuncture (QA) and general acupuncture (GA) were used on the limbs, at the shaoshang (LU11) and zhongchong (PC9) acupoints, of rats from one day post-immunization (dpi) to 12 dpi. The therapy in the QA groups significantly blocked the onset of EAE paralysis (3/13, 77%, p < 0.05) while all rats in the control EAE groups (12/15) and GA groups (11/13) showed EAE paralysis. In addition, the duration of paralysis was shortened in QA groups (1.5 ± 0.5 days) compared with those of the vehicle (5.5 ± 0.2 days) and GA groups (3.6 ± 1.1 days). The numbers of inflammatory cells and CD4+ T cells in the QA treated EAE group were significantly reduced compared with those of the EAE control and EAE with GA (p < 0.05). Collectively, the present findings suggest that QA ameliorates the paralysis in rats in an EAE model. The precise mechanism of the amelioration and human studies, however, needs further study.
In Vitroandin VivoAntioxidant Activity of Alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.) on Carbon Tetrachloride Intoxicated Rats
Authors: Al-Dosari Mohammed S.
Published: August 2012

The present study was conducted to determine whether lyophilized aqueous extract of alfalfa, or Medicago sativa L. could exert antioxidant activity against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in rats. The hepatoprotective activity of alfalfa extract was determined by assessing the levels of serum transaminases, ALP, bilirubin and lipid profile. Further, the effect of the test substance on malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation; antioxidant liver enzyme non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH); and total protein (TP) were also studied. Serum transaminase, ALP, bilirubin level, lipid profile and liver MDA were significantly elevated and the antioxidant status in liver NP-SH and TP contents were declined in animals treated with CCl4alone. Pretreatment with alfalfa and silymarin for three weeks prior to the administration of CCl4significantly prevented the increase in the serum levels of hepatic marker, LDL, VLDL levels enzymes and reduced oxidative stress indicated by elevated NP-SH and TP concentration. The histopathological examination of the livers also showed that the alfalfa extract reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by CCl4. The in vitro antioxidant assessment of alfalfa extract on DPPH and carotene-linoleic assays demonstrated a moderate antioxidant potential. Results suggest that the alfalfa extract possesses hepatoprotective and antioxidative stress properties possibly through its antioxidant phytochemical constituents and substantiates its use in various liver disorders as a hepatoprotector.
Effect of Lavender Essential Oil on LPS-Stimulated Inflammation
Authors: Huang Mei-Yu , Liao May-Hua , Wang Yang-Kao , Huang Yung-Sheng , Wen Hsiao-Chuan
Published: August 2012

Lavender essential oil (LEO) is one the most favorite and widely used essential oils in aromatherapy. Many studies have demonstrated its functions in calming, assisting sleep, reducing pain and muscular spasms and its antiseptic function. To date, however, the mechanism of LEO on inflammation response is not well understood. In this study, we examined the effect of LEO on 5 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation reaction in human monocyte THP-1 cells. We found treatment of 0.1% LEO significantly increased cell viability and inhibited the IL-1β and superoxide anion generation in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Treatment with LEO down-regulated both LPS-induced protein levels of phospho-NF-κB and membrane Toll-llike receptor 4. To determine whether the chaperone protein was involved in the reaction, we determined the levels of Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70). Our results showed that LEO increased HSP70 expression in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells, suggesting that the LEO inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory effect might be associated with the expression of HSP70.
PHENOMENOLOGY OF ELECTROWEAK BOSONS AT HADRON COLLIDERS WITH NOVEL VARIABLES
Authors: MARZANI SIMONE
Published: August 2012

We review the phenomenology of electroweak bosons produced in hadron–hadron collisions. In particular, we discuss the transverse momentum distribution of lepton pairs with invariant mass close to the Z peak. We describe the theoretical calculation for the magnitude of the transverse momentum QT and its comparison to Tevatron and LHC data. We also discuss the related variable ϕ*, describing its experimental advantages as well as its relation to the standard QT variable. Finally, we compare resummed predictions for ϕ* to data.
VIRTUAL CROSSING NUMBERS FOR VIRTUAL KNOTS
Authors: MANTUROV VASSILY OLEGOVICH
Published: August 2012

The aim of the present paper is to prove that the minimal number of virtual crossings for some families of virtual knots grows quadratically with respect to the minimal number of classical crossings. All previously known estimates for virtual crossing number ([D. M. Afanasiev, Refining the invariants of virtual knots by using parity, Sb. Math.201(6) (2010) 3–18; H. A. Dye and L. H. Kauffman, Virtual crossing numbers and the arrow polynomial, in The Mathematics of Knots. Theory and Applications, eds. M. Banagl and D. Vogel (Springer-Verlag, 2010); S. Satoh and Y. Tomiyama, On the crossing number of a virtual knot, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.140 (2012) 367–376] and so on) were principally no more than linear in the number of classical crossings (or, what is the same, in the number of edges of a virtual knot diagram) and no virtual knot was found with virtual crossing number greater than the classical crossing number.
PARITY, SKEIN POLYNOMIALS AND CATEGORIFICATION
Authors: KAESTNER AARON M. , KAUFFMAN LOUIS H.
Published: August 2012

We investigate an application of crossing parity for the bracket expansion of the Jones polynomial for virtual knots. In addition we consider an application of parity for the arrow polynomial as well as for the categorifications of both polynomials. We present a number of examples found through our calculations. We provide tables of calculations for these invariants on virtual knots with at most four real crossings.
DFT STUDY OF COFn(n = 1-6) NANO CLUSTERS: AN INVESTIGATION OF SUPERHALOGEN PROPERTIES
Authors: SIDDIQUI SHAMOON AHMAD
Published: August 2012

Superhalogen properties of CoFn (n = 1 - 6) clusters have been investigated using density functional theory. These calculations reveal the unusual properties of a Cobalt (Co) atom interacting with fluorine (F) atoms. Up to six F atoms are bound to a single Co atom, which results in increase of electron affinities as successive fluorine atoms are attached, reaching a peak value of 7.43 eV for CoF5 . The large HOMO–LUMO energy gap, both in neutral and anionic form, further provide evidence of their stability. These unusual properties brought about by involvement of inner shell 3d-electrons, which not only allow CoFn (n = 1 - 6) clusters to belong to the class of superhalogens but also show that its valence can exceed the nominal value of 2 or 3.
DFT QUANTUM CHEMICAL STUDIES ON 1-[N-(2-PYRİDYL) AMİNOMETHYLİDENE]-2(1H)-NAPHTALENONE
Authors: TOY MEHMET , TANAK HASAN
Published: August 2012

Quantum chemical calculations of the structure, molecular electrostatic potential and thermodynamic functions have been performed using the density functional (DFT/B3LYP) method with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set for the title compound 1-[N-(2-pyridyl)aminomethylidene}-2(1H)-Naphtalenone. The energetic behavior of the title compound in solvent media has been examined by applying the Onsager and the polarizable continuum model. To investigate second order nonlinear optical properties of the title compound, the electric dipole μ, the polarizability α and the first hyperpolarizability β were computed using the density functional B3LYP and CAM-B3LYP methods with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. According to our calculations, the title compound exhibits nonzero β value revealing second order NLO behavior. The changes of thermodynamic properties for the formation of the title compound with the temperature ranging from 200 K to 500 K have been obtained using the statistical thermodynamic method. The relationship between formation enthalpy and entropy changes has been investigated with the entropy–enthalpy compensation. Besides, natural bond orbital and frontier molecular orbital analysis of the title compound were investigated by theoretical calculations.
DYNAMIC HAND MOTION RECOGNITION BASED ON TRANSIENT AND STEADY-STATE EMG SIGNALS
Authors: YANG DAPENG , ZHAO JINGDONG , JIANG LI , LIU HONG
Published: August 2012

Traditional motion recognition methods developed on the basis of steady-state electromyography (EMG) signals cannot well deal with the transient EMG signals. Thus, a large quantity of incorrect classification outputs would be introduced during the dynamic stages of the motions. In order to achieve a high-accuracy recognition system especially for dynamic motion control, this paper combines the transient EMG and the steady-state EMG signals together for training the recognition system. A threshold decision method is utilized in the time-domain feature space to collect the combined EMG signals. Besides, a statistical classifier named support vector machine is adopted in the online recognition procedure to distinguish the motion types. Experiments are conducted to quantify the classification accuracy and response delay of the recognition systems, and compare these with traditional steady-state EMG-based methods. The results indicate that the recognition accuracy can be greatly improved and the detection delay of the motions can be significantly compressed in the transient stages of the hand motions. The method shows a promising application in the dynamic motion control of dexterous prosthetic hands in the future.
Magnetostratigraphy susceptibility for the Guadalupian series GSSPs (Middle Permian) in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and adjacent areas in West Texas
Authors: Ellwood Brooks B. , Lambert Lance L. , Tomkin Jonathan H. , Bell Gorden L. , Nestell Merlynd K. , Nestell Galina P. , Wardlaw Bruce R.
Published: August 2012

Here we establish a magnetostratigraphy susceptibility zonation for the three Middle Permian Global boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) that have recently been defined, located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, West Texas, USA. These GSSPs, all within the Middle Permian Guadalupian Series, define (1) the base of the Roadian Stage (base of the Guadalupian Series), (2) the base of the Wordian Stage and (3) the base of the Capitanian Stage. Data from two additional stratigraphic successions in the region, equivalent in age to the Kungurian–Roadian and Wordian–Capitanian boundary intervals, are also reported. Based on low-field, mass specific magnetic susceptibility (χ) measurements of 706 closely spaced samples from these stratigraphic sections and time-series analysis of one of these sections, we (1) define the magnetostratigraphy susceptibility zonation for the three Guadalupian Series Global boundary Stratotype Sections and Points; (2) demonstrate that χ datasets provide a proxy for climate cyclicity; (3) give quantitative estimates of the time it took for some of these sediments to accumulate; (4) give the rates at which sediments were accumulated; (5) allow more precise correlation to equivalent sections in the region; (6) identify anomalous stratigraphic horizons; and (7) give estimates for timing and duration of geological events within sections.
Pyruvate uptake is increased in highly invasive ovarian cancer cells under anoikis conditions for anaplerosis, mitochondrial function, and migration
Authors: Caneba Christine A. , Bellance Nadège , Yang Lifeng , Pabst Lisa , Nagrath Deepak
Published: August 2012

Anoikis resistance, or the ability for cells to live detached from the extracellular matrix, is a property of epithelial cancers. The “Warburg effect,” or the preference of cancer cells for glycolysis for their energy production even in the presence of oxygen, has been shown to be evident in various tumors. Since a cancer cell's metastatic ability depends on microenvironmental conditions (nutrients, stromal cells, and vascularization) and is highly variable for different organs, their cellular metabolic fluxes and nutrient demand may show considerable differences. Moreover, a cancer cell's metastatic ability, which is dependent on the stage of cancer, may further create metabolic alterations depending on its microenvironment. Although recent studies have aimed to elucidate cancer cell metabolism under detached conditions, the nutrient demand and metabolic activity of cancer cells under nonadherent conditions remain poorly understood. Additionally, less is known about metabolic alterations in ovarian cancer cells with varying invasive capability under anoikis conditions. We hypothesized that the metabolism of highly invasive ovarian cancer cells in detachment would differ from less invasive ovarian cancer cells and that ovarian cancer cells will have altered metabolism in detached vs. attached conditions. To assess these metabolic differences, we integrated a secretomics-based metabolic footprinting (MFP) approach with mitochondrial bioenergetics. Interestingly, MFP revealed higher pyruvate uptake and oxygen consumption in more invasive ovarian cancer cells than their less invasive counterparts. Furthermore, ATP production was higher in more invasive vs. less invasive ovarian cancer cells in detachment. We found that pyruvate has an effect on highly invasive ovarian cancer cells' migration ability. Our results are the first to demonstrate that higher mitochondrial activity is related to higher ovarian cancer invasiveness under detached conditions. Importantly, our results bring insights regarding the metabolism of cancer cells under nonadherent conditions and could lead to the development of therapies for modulating cancer cell invasiveness.
Glucagon-like peptide 2 induces vasoactive intestinal polypeptide expression in enteric neurons via phophatidylinositol 3-kinase-γ signaling
Authors: de Heuvel Elaine , Wallace Laurie , Sharkey Keith A. , Sigalet David L.
Published: August 2012

Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) is an enteroendocrine hormone trophic for intestinal mucosa; it has been shown to increase enteric neuronal expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in vivo. We hypothesized that GLP-2 would regulate VIP expression in enteric neurons via a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-γ (PI3Kγ) pathway. The mechanism of action of GLP-2 was investigated using primary cultures derived from the submucosal plexus (SMP) of the rat and mouse colon. GLP-2 (10−8 M) stimulation for 24 h increased the proportion of enteric neurons expressing VIP (GLP-2: 40 ± 6% vs. control: 22 ± 5%). GLP-2 receptor expression was identified by immunohistochemistry on neurons (HuC/D+) and glial cells (GFAP+) but not on smooth muscle or fibroblasts in culture. Over 1–4 h, GLP-2 stimulation of SMP increased phosphorylated Akt/Akt ratios 6.1-fold, phosphorylated ERK/ERK 2.5-fold, and p70S6K 2.2-fold but did not affect intracellular cAMP. PI3Kγ gene deletion or pharmacological blockade of PI3Kγ, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and MEK/ERK pathways blocked the increase in VIP expression by GLP-2. GLP-2 increased the expression of growth factors and their receptors in SMP cells in culture [IGF-1r (3.2-fold increase), EGFr (5-fold), and ErbB-2–4r (6- to 7-fold)] and ligands [IGF-I (1.5-fold), amphiregulin (2.5-fold), epiregulin (3.2-fold), EGF (7.5-fold), heparin-bound EGF (2.0-fold), β-cellulin (50-fold increase), and neuregulins 2–4 (300-fold increase) (by qRT-PCR)]. We conclude that GLP-2 acts on enteric neurons and glial cells in culture via a PI3Kγ/Akt pathway, stimulating neuronal differentiation via mTOR and ERK pathways, and expression of receptors and ligands for the IGF-I and ErbB pathways.
Network and neuronal membrane properties in hybrid networks reciprocally regulate selectivity to rapid thalamocortical inputs
Authors: Pesavento Michael J. , Pinto David J.
Published: August 2012

Rapidly changing environments require rapid processing from sensory inputs. Varying deflection velocities of a rodent's primary facial vibrissa cause varying temporal neuronal activity profiles within the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus. Local neuron populations in a single somatosensory layer 4 barrel transform sparsely coded input into a spike count based on the input's temporal profile. We investigate this transformation by creating a barrel-like hybrid network with whole cell recordings of in vitro neurons from a cortical slice preparation, embedding the biological neuron in the simulated network by presenting virtual synaptic conductances via a conductance clamp. Utilizing the hybrid network, we examine the reciprocal network properties (local excitatory and inhibitory synaptic convergence) and neuronal membrane properties (input resistance) by altering the barrel population response to diverse thalamic input. In the presence of local network input, neurons are more selective to thalamic input timing; this arises from strong feedforward inhibition. Strongly inhibitory (damping) network regimes are more selective to timing and less selective to the magnitude of input but require stronger initial input. Input selectivity relies heavily on the different membrane properties of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. When inhibitory and excitatory neurons had identical membrane properties, the sensitivity of in vitro neurons to temporal vs. magnitude features of input was substantially reduced. Increasing the mean leak conductance of the inhibitory cells decreased the network's temporal sensitivity, whereas increasing excitatory leak conductance enhanced magnitude sensitivity. Local network synapses are essential in shaping thalamic input, and differing membrane properties of functional classes reciprocally modulate this effect.
Kink Waves and Their Evolution of the RLW‐Burgers Equation
Authors: Zhou Yuqian , Liu Qian
Published: August 2012

This paper considers the bounded travelling waves of the RLW‐Burgers equation. We prove that there only exist two types of bounded travelling waves, the monotone kink waves and the oscillatory kink waves. For the oscillatory kink wave, the regularity of its maximum oscillation amplitude changing with parameters is discussed. Exact expressions of the monotone kink waves and approximate expressions of the oscillatory ones are obtained in some special cases. Furthermore, all bounded travelling waves of the RLW‐Burgers equation under different parameter conditions are identified and the evolution of them is discussed to explain the corresponding physical phenomena.
A Stateful Approach to Generate Synthetic Events from Kernel Traces
Authors: Ezzati-Jivan Naser , Dagenais Michel R.
Published: August 2012

We propose a generic synthetic event generator from kernel trace events. The proposed method makes use of patterns of system states and environment-independent semantic events rather than platform-specific raw events. This method can be applied to different kernel and user level trace formats. We use a state model to store intermediate states and events. This stateful method supports partial trace abstraction and enables users to seek and navigate through the trace events and to abstract out the desired part. Since it uses the current and previous values of the system states and has more knowledge of the underlying system execution, it can generate a wide range of synthetic events. One of the obvious applications of this method is the identification of system faults and problems that will appear later in this paper. We will discuss the architecture of the method, its implementation, and the performance results.
Positive Solutions for Nonlinear Singular Differential Systems Involving Parameter on the Half‐Line
Authors: Liu Lishan , Wang Ying , Hao Xinan , Wu Yonghong
Published: August 2012

By using the upper‐lower solutions method and the fixed‐point theorem on cone in a special space, we study the singular boundary value problem for systems of nonlinear second‐order differential equations involving two parameters on the half‐line. Some results for the existence, nonexistence and multiplicity of positive solutions for the problem are obtained.
Generalized Stability of Euler‐Lagrange Quadratic Functional Equation
Authors: Kim Hark-Mahn , Kim Min-Young
Published: August 2012

The main goal of this paper is the investigation of the general solution and the generalized Hyers‐Ulam stability theorem of the following Euler‐Lagrange type quadratic functional equation f(ax + by) + af(x − by) = (a + 1)b2f(y) + a(a + 1)f(x), in (β, p)‐Banach space, where a, b are fixed rational numbers such that a ≠ −1,0 and b ≠ 0.
Enzyme Hydrolysates fromStichopus horrensas a New Source for Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides
Authors: Forghani Bita , Ebrahimpour Afshin , Bakar Jamilah , Abdul Hamid Azizah , Hassan Zaiton , Saari Nazamid
Published: August 2012

Stichopus horrensflesh was explored as a potential source for generating peptides with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory capacity using 6 proteases, namely alcalase, flavourzyme, trypsin, papain, bromelain, and protamex. Degree of hydrolysis (DH) and peptide profiling (SDS-PAGE) ofStichopus horrenshydrolysates (SHHs) was also assessed. Alcalase hydrolysate showed the highest DH value (39.8%) followed by flavourzyme hydrolysate (32.7%). Overall, alcalase hydrolysate exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity (IC50value of 0.41 mg/mL) followed by flavourzyme hydrolysate (IC50value of 2.24 mg/mL), trypsin hydrolysate (IC50value of 2.28 mg/mL), papain hydrolysate (IC50value of 2.48 mg/mL), bromelain hydrolysate (IC50value of 4.21 mg/mL), and protamex hydrolysate (IC50value of 6.38 mg/mL). The SDS-PAGE results showed that alcalase hydrolysate represented a unique pattern compared to others, which yielded potent ACE inhibitory peptides with molecular weight distribution lower than 20 kDa. The evaluation of the relationship between DH and IC50values of alcalase and flavourzyme hydrolysates revealed that the trend between those parameters was related to the type of the protease used. We concluded that the tested SHHs would be used as a potential source of functional ACE inhibitory peptides for physiological benefits.
Hyers‐Ulam Stability of Jensen Functional Inequality in p‐Banach Spaces
Authors: Kim Hark-Mahn , Jun Kil-Woung , Son Eunyoung
Published: August 2012

We prove the Hyers‐Ulam stability of the following Jensen functional inequality ∥f( (x − y)/n + z) + f( (y − z)/n + x) + f( (z − x)/n + y)∥≤∥f((x + y + z)∥ in p‐Banach spaces for any fixed nonzero integer n.
Retroperitoneal Extraovarian Fibrothecoma Mimicking a Malignant Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma
Authors: Roberts Patrick , Nofech-Mozes Sharon , Coburn Natalie , Hamilton Paul , Gien Lilian T.
Published: August 2012

Background. Fibrothecomas are benign sex cord-stromal tumors which rarely originate outside of the ovary. To date, two such cases have been reported in the literature. We report the third case of an extraovarian fibrothecoma and the first presenting similarly to a metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer.Clinical History. We describe a 62-year-old woman with history, physical examination, and imaging suggestive of metastatic ovarian cancer. CA-125 was elevated at 1291 U/mL. Paracenteses were negative for malignant cells and core biopsy showed spindle cell proliferation. A primary debulking surgery for a presumed ovarian cancer was planned.Method and Results. At surgery, 6 liters of ascites were drained. The uterus, ovaries, peritoneum, and omentum were normal. An18×11×7 cm retroperitoneal mass was found between the left ureter and the sigmoid mesocolon, wrapped with sigmoid colon. Fallopian tubes and ovaries were normal. The mass was resected en bloc with the sigmoid colon, uterus, ovaries, and omentum. Microscopically, there was spindle cell proliferation typical of fibrothecoma. No ovarian tissue was identified in association with the tumor.Conclusion. This third case of extraovarian fibrothecoma highlights the importance of obtaining histologic evidence of malignancy prior to initiating neoadjuvant chemotherapy for a presumed ovarian cancer.
Application of Perceptual Filtering Models to Noisy Speech Signals Enhancement
Authors: Zoghlami Novlene , Lachiri Zied
Published: August 2012

This paper describes a new speech enhancement approach using perceptually based noise reduction. The proposed approach is based on the application of two perceptual filtering models to noisy speech signals: the gammatone and the gammachirp filter banks with nonlinear resolution according to the equivalent rectangular bandwidth (ERB) scale. The perceptual filtering gives a number of subbands that are individually spectral weighted and modified according to two different noise suppression rules. The importance of an accurate noise estimate is related to the reduction of the musical noise artifacts in the processed speech that appears after classic subtractive process. In this context, we use continuous noise estimation algorithms. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated on speech signals corrupted by real‐world noises. Using objective tests based on the perceptual quality PESQ score and the quality rating of signal distortion (SIG), noise distortion (BAK) and overall quality (OVRL), and subjective test based on the quality rating of automatic speech recognition (ASR), we demonstrate that our speech enhancement approach using filter banks modeling the human auditory system outperforms the conventional spectral modification algorithms to improve quality and intelligibility of the enhanced speech signal.
The Place of Immunotherapy in the Management of HCV-Induced Vasculitis: An Update
Authors: Chiche Laurent , Bataille Stanislas , Kaplanski Gilles , Jourde Noemie
Published: August 2012

Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) can develop systemic cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Combination of pegylated-interferonαand ribavirin is the first-line treatment of this condition. However, in case of severe or life-threatening manifestations, absence of a virological response, or autonomized vasculitis, immunotherapy (alone or in addition to the antiviral regimen) is necessary. Rituximab is to date the only biologic with a sufficient level of evidence to support its use in this indication. Several studies have demonstrated that rituximab is highly effective when cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis is refractory to antiviral regimen, that association of rituximab with antiviral regimen may induce a better and faster clinical remission, and, recently, that rituximab is more efficient than traditional immunosuppressive treatments. Some issues with regard to the optimal dose of rituximab or its use as maintenance treatment remain unsolved. Interestingly, in balance with this anti-inflammatory strategy, a recent pilot study reported the significant expansion of circulating regulatory T lymphocytes with concomitant clinical improvement in patients with refractory HCV-induced cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis using low dose of subcutaneous interleukin-2. This paper provides an updated overview on the place of immunotherapy, especially biologics, in the management of HCV-induced cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis.
Distributional Similarity for Chinese: Exploiting Characters and Radicals
Authors: Jin Peng , Carroll John , Wu Yunfang , McCarthy Diana
Published: August 2012

Distributional Similarity has attracted considerable attention in the field of natural language processing as an automatic means of countering the ubiquitous problem of sparse data. As a logographic language, Chinese words consist of characters and each of them is composed of one or more radicals. The meanings of characters are usually highly related to the words which contain them. Likewise, radicals often make a predictable contribution to the meaning of a character: characters that have the same components tend to have similar or related meanings. In this paper, we utilize these properties of the Chinese language to improve Chinese word similarity computation. Given a content word, we first extract similar words based on a large corpus and a similarity score for ranking. This rank is then adjusted according to the characters and components shared between the similar word and the target word. Experiments on two gold standard datasets show that the adjusted rank is superior and closer to human judgments than the original rank. In addition to quantitative evaluation, we examine the reasons behind errors drawing on linguistic phenomena for our explanations.
Sentinel Node Mapping for Breast Cancer: Current Situation
Authors: Vidal-Sicart Sergi , Valdés Olmos Renato
Published: August 2012

Axillary node status is a major prognostic factor in early-stage disease. Traditional staging needs levels I and II axillary lymph node dissection. Axillary involvement is found in 10%–30% of patients with T1 (<2 cm) tumours. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a minimal invasive method of checking the potential nodal involvement. It is based on the assumption of an orderly progression of lymph node invasion by metastatic cells from tumour site. Thus, when sentinel node is free of metastases the remaining nodes are free, too (with a false negative rate lesser than 5%). Moreover, Randomized trials demonstrated a marked reduction of complications associated with the sentinel lymph node biopsy when compared with axillary lymph node dissection. Currently, the sentinel node biopsy procedure is recognized as the standard treatment for stages I and II. In these stages, this approach has a positive node rate similar to those observed after lymphadenectomy, a significant decrease in morbidity and similar nodal relapse rates at 5 years. In this review, the indications and contraindications of the sentinel node biopsy are summarized and the methodological aspects discussed. Finally, the new technologic and histologic developments allow to develop a more accurate and refinate technique that can achieve virtually the identification of 100% of sentinel nodes and reduce the false negative rate.