bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic Variation on the
BAT1-NFKBIL1-LTA
Region of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class III Associates with Periodontitis
Authors: Kallio K. A. Elisa , Marchesani Marja , Vlachopoulou Efthymia , Mäntylä Päivi , Paju Susanna , Buhlin Kåre , Suominen Anna L. , Contreras Johanna , Knuuttila Matti , Hernandez Marcela , Huumonen Sisko , Nieminen Markku S. , Perola Markus , Sinisalo Juha , Lokki Marja-Liisa , Pussinen Pirkko J.
Published: February 2014

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a multifactorial etiology. We investigated whether human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphisms (6p21.3) are associated with periodontal parameters. Parogene 1 population samples (
n
= 169) were analyzed with 13,245 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MHC region. Eighteen selected SNPs (
P
≤ 0.001) were replicated in Parogene 2 population samples (
n
= 339) and the Health 2000 Survey (
n
= 1,420). All subjects had a detailed clinical and radiographic oral health examination. Serum lymphotoxin-α (LTA) concentrations were measured in the Parogene populations, and the protein was detected in inflamed periodontal tissue. In the Parogene 1 population, 10 SNPs were associated with periodontal parameters. The strongest associations emerged from the parameters bleeding on probing (BOP) and a probing pocket depth (PPD) of ≥6 mm with the genes
BAT1
,
NFKBIL1
, and
LTA
. Six SNPs, rs11796, rs3130059, rs2239527, rs2071591, rs909253, and rs1041981 (
r
2
, ≥0.92), constituted a risk haplotype. In the Parogene 1 population, the haplotype had the strongest association with the parameter BOP, a PPD of ≥6 mm, and severe periodontitis with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.63 (2.21 to 3.20), 2.90 (2.37 to 3.52), and 3.10 (1.63 to 5.98), respectively. These results were replicated in the other two populations. High serum LTA concentrations in the Parogene population were associated with the periodontitis risk alleles of the
LTA
SNPs (rs909253 and rs1041981) of the haplotype. In addition, the protein was expressed in inflamed gingival connective tissue. We identified a novel
BAT1-NFKBIL1-LTA
haplotype as a significant contributor to the risk of periodontitis. The genetic polymorphisms in the MHC class III region may be functionally important in periodontitis susceptibility.
Immediate Effects of Electroacupuncture and Manual Acupuncture on Pain, Mobility and Muscle Strength in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Plaster Ralph , Vieira Wellington Bueno , Alencar Flávia Alves Duarte , Nakano Eduardo Yoshio , Liebano Richard Eloin
Published: February 2014

Objective

To compare the immediate effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on pain, mobility and muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

Sixty patients with knee osteoarthritis, with a pain intensity of ≥2 on the pain Numerical Rating Scale, were included. The patients were randomised into two groups: manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture. Pain intensity, degree of dysfunction (Timed Up and Go (TUG) test), maximal voluntary isometric contraction and pressure pain threshold were assessed before and after a single session of manual acupuncture or electroacupuncture treatments.

Results

Both groups showed a significant reduction in pain intensity (p<0.001) and time to run the TUG test after the acupuncture treatment (p=0.005 for the manual acupuncture group and p=0.002 for the electroacupuncture group). There were no differences between the groups regarding pain intensity (p=0.25), TUG test (p=0.70), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (p=0.43) or pressure pain threshold (p=0.27).

Conclusions

This study found no difference between the immediate effects of a single session of manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture on pain, muscle strength and mobility in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Trial Registration Number

RBR-9TCN2X.
Maternal and paternal satisfaction in the delivery room: a cross-sectional comparative study
Authors: Bélanger-Lévesque Marie-Noëlle , Pasquier Marilou , Roy-Matton Naomé , Blouin Simon , Pasquier Jean-Charles
Published: February 2014

Objectives

Maternal satisfaction during the birthing process has been well documented, whereas little is known about the fathers’ birth experiences. Our objective was to evaluate and compare the birth satisfaction of mothers and fathers.

Design

Comparative cross-sectional study.

Setting

Number of participating centres: one level III maternity centre (2813 births in 2011) in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

Participants

200 mothers and 200 accompanying fathers/mother's partner recruited 12–24 h after the birth over a 6-week period.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The Birth Satisfaction Scale (BSS) was used for the mother, and it was adapted to the father's perspective. Paired-samples t tests were used for comparing mothers and fathers for the BSS global and thematic scores. Multiple linear regressions (forward stepwise method) were made to identify predicting factors of mothers’ and fathers’ satisfaction.

Results

Global satisfaction scores for mothers (115.5/150) and fathers (114.4/150) were relatively high and similar (p=0.116). The analysis of subthemes showed that more distress during childbirth was reported by mothers (p<0.001), while less support (p<0.001) and care satisfaction (p<0.001) were reported by fathers. The use of epidural anaesthesia during vaginal birth was the sole concordant lower satisfaction predictor. For mothers, other satisfaction predictors were labour length, tearing and type of anaesthesia used in caesarean section. For fathers, lower satisfaction predictors were instrumental delivery, primary caesarean delivery and infant's distress factors after caesarean section.

Conclusions

This study highlights differences in mothers’ and fathers’ birth satisfaction and in their predictors. It is thus important to take into account the birth experience of each parent and to support parents accordingly by adapting care provision surrounding childbirth. More research on this topic from the prenatal to the postnatal period is suggested, as it might have an impact on parents’ satisfaction and on early parenthood experience.
Top 10 mobile apps in Emergency Medicine
Authors: Lin Michelle , Rezaie Salim , Husain Iltifat
Published: February 2014

Mobile apps are increasingly being used at the bedside as a part of clinical care. With almost 300 Emergency Medicine-related apps available in the Apple App Store, it can be overwhelming deciding which are most useful for Emergency Department providers. A Top 10 list of apps is highlighted which illustrate the many ways that quality apps can positively impact the care of Emergency Department patients.
ISS groups: are we speaking the same language?
Authors: Rozenfeld Michael , Radomislensky Irina , Freedman Laurence , Givon Adi , Novikov Iliya , Peleg Kobi
Published: February 2014

Background

Despite ISS being a widely accepted tool for measuring injury severity, many researchers and practitioners use different partition of ISS into severity groups. The lack of uniformity in ISS use inhibits proper comparisons between different studies. Creation of ISS group boundaries based on single AIS value squares and their sums was proposed in 1988 during Major Trauma Study (MTOS) in the USA, but was not validated by analysis of large databases.

Methods

A validation study analysing 316 944 patients in the Israeli National Trauma registry (INTR) and 249 150 patients in the American National Trauma Data Bases (NTDB). A binary algorithm (Classification and Regression Trees (CART)) was used to detect the most significantly different ISS groups and was also applied to original MTOS data.

Results

The division of ISS into groups by the CART algorithm was identical in both Trauma Registries and very similar to original division in the MTOS. For most samples, the recommended groups are 1–8, 9–14, 16–24 and 25–75, while in very large samples or in studies specifically targeting critical patients there is a possibility to divide the last group into 25–48 and 50–75 groups, with an option for further division into 50–66 and 75 groups.

Conclusions

Using a statistical analysis of two very large databases of trauma patients, we have found that partitioning of ISS into groups based on their association with patient mortality enables us to establish clear cut-off points for these groups. We propose that the suggested partition of ISS into severity groups would be adopted as a standard in order to have a common language when discussing injury severity.
A survey of reporting of colorectal cancer in Scotland: compliance with guidelines and effect of proforma reporting
Authors: Woods Y L , Mukhtar S , McClements P , Lang J , Steele R J , Carey F A
Published: February 2014

Aims

The main purpose of the study was to present a baseline audit of reporting of colorectal cancers resection specimens in Scotland, audited against the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) standards (2007) and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) standards.

Methods

50 consecutive rectal and 50 consecutive colonic cancer cases from 2011 were audited from 10 Scottish health boards involved in colorectal cancer reporting (n=953). The rates of reporting of serosal involvement, extramural venous invasion (EMVI) and the mean numbers of lymph nodes found were audited against RCPath standards and compared between units that routinely used a reporting proforma versus those that did not.

Results

The performance in reporting of rectal cancer was generally worse than for colonic cancer, with only three units meeting the RCPath standards for reporting of rectal cancer. There were significant differences between units that routinely used a proforma, with the non-proforma group failing to meet the minimum standards for both serosal involvement (6%) and EMVI (24%). In the non-proforma group, 56% of rectal cases had a mean lymph node count of 12 or more compared with 81% in the proforma group.

Conclusions

Significant differences exist in the frequencies with which important adverse prognostic features are reported by pathologists across 10 Scottish health boards. This has potential implications for patient care. Health boards that make routine use of reporting proformas are more likely to meet RCPath guidelines for reporting of these important pathological parameters.
Strong and small: strong cation-exchange solid-phase extractions using porous polymer monoliths on a digital microfluidic platform
Authors: Mudrik Jared M. , Dryden Michael D.M. , Lafrenière Nelson M. , Wheeler Aaron R.
Published: February 2014

We present the first method for digital microfluidics-based strong cation-exchange solid-phase extractions. Digital microfluidics is a microscale fluid handling technique in which liquid droplets are actuated over an array of electrodes by electrodynamic forces. Strong cation exchange has gained considerable importance in the field of proteomics as a separation mode for protein and peptide extractions. The marriage of these two techniques is achieved by incorporating sulphonate-functionalised porous polymer monolith discs onto digital microfluidic chips. By manipulating sample and solvent droplets onto and off of these porous polymer monoliths, proteins and peptides are extracted by controlling solution pH and ionic strength. This novel microscale extraction method has efficiency comparable to commercially available strong cation-exchange ZipTips and is highly effective for sample cleanup. We anticipate that this digital microfluidic strong cation-exchange extraction technique will prove useful for microscale proteomic analyses and other applications requiring separation of cationic compounds.
How do natural disturbances and human activities affect soils and tree nutrition and growth in the Canadian boreal forest?
Authors: Maynard D.G. , Paré D. , Thiffault E. , Lafleur B. , Hogg K.E. , Kishchuk B.
Published: February 2014

There are concerns about the effect of increasing resource extraction and other human activities on the soils and vegetation of the boreal zone. The review covers published papers between 1974 and 2012 to assess the effects of natural disturbances and human activities on soils and tree nutrition and growth of the Canadian boreal zone. Changes in soil and foliar nutrients following disturbance were also analyzed by meta-analysis. When sufficient replicated studies were not available for a given disturbance or nutrient, response assessments or narrative summaries are presented. The majority of fertilization studies in the boreal zone showed a positive tree growth response to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization either individually or in combination. Large amounts of N may be lost through volatilization following fire depending on the severity and frequency of the fire. This may contribute to N limitation in the boreal zone. Available soil P and extractable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) increased in the surface horizons following fire. In contrast, extractable P decreased following harvest. Harvesting had no effect on total or inorganic N except in mixedwoods where total N decreased in the surface organic horizon following harvest. These are potential areas of concern given tree growth responses to N and P fertilization. Potassium (K) in the forest floor did not change following fire or harvesting; thus, K availability for tree nutrition should not be at risk, since its cycle is rapidly restored. Mercury (Hg) cycling may be altered in the boreal zone as a result of flooding and if fire return intervals and intensities increase. Interactions of multiple disturbances may increase the risk of nutrient depletions, but there is currently little information on these interactions in the boreal zone. Evidence to date suggests the soils of the Canadian boreal zone have not been adversely affected except in localized areas. However, there is the risk of nutrient loss if soils are not considered in our forest management strategies, particularly where multiple disturbances may interact. The potential for off-site movement of nutrients and contaminants into the atmospheric and aquatic ecosystems, in addition to on-site environmental issues, is also a concern.
Probing L-violating coupling via sbottom resonance production at the LHeC
Authors: Zhang Ren-You , Wei Hua , Han Liang , Ma Wen-Gan
Published: February 2014

We investigate the resonant production of the lighter sbottom at the proposed Large Hadron Electron Collider (LHeC) and its subsequent decay into e- + jet final state, under the single coupling dominance hypothesis in the framework of the R-parity-violating (RPV) minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). It is concluded that the LHeC running at the high electron beam energy configuration of Ee = 150 GeV would provide excellent opportunities to search for the sbottom resonance and probe the lepton-number-violating [Formula: see text]-type Yukawa interaction. With about 1 fb-1 integrated luminosity expected in Ee = 150 GeV e-p collision at the LHeC, either the lighter sbottom RPV resonance could be directly detected up to 1 TeV, or the L-violating coupling [Formula: see text] could be constrained at an unprecedented level of precision compared with all the knowledge derived from indirect measurements.
DYNAMICAL PROPERTIES OF AN ATOMIC INTERFACE BETWEEN bcc LATTICES
Authors: BELKACEMI GHANIA , BOURAHLA BOUALEM , KHATER ANTOINE
Published: February 2014

A study of the phonon contribution to the interface properties between two bcc dissimilar solids is presented. The model system is obtained by the juxtaposition of two semi-infinite harmonic bcc lattices. The interface observables are numerically calculated for different cases of masses and elastic softening to hardening, to investigate how the local dynamics can respond to many environmental microscopic changes in the field interfacial domain. The theoretical formalism using simultaneously the Green's functions and the matching method is employed to describe the dynamics of the bcc system, the complete evanescent and the propagating fields. A calculation is presented for the vibration localized states, the coherent phonon transmission and the density of states (DOS), as element of a Landauer–Büttiker type scattering matrix.

The system dynamics, the phonon scattering and the transmission spectra via the interface domain between bcc lattices and the DOS are analyzed as function of the atomic masses and the elastic force constants occurring in the nanojunction zone of the model system.

Our results show that the interface zone is an effective phonon splitter and suggest that its characteristics may be controlled by varying its nanometric parameters. The observed fluctuations are due to the coherent coupling between continuum and discrete states induced by the interface domain.
Effects of ZnO layer on anisotropy magnetoresistance of Ni81Fe19 films
Authors: Wang Shuyun , Gao Yuanmei , Gao Tiejun , He Yuan , Zhang Hui , Yao Yuan
Published: February 2014

A series of Ta (4 nm)/ ZnO (t nm )/ Ni 81 Fe 19 (20 nm)/ ZnO (t nm )/ Ta (3 nm) magnetic thin films were prepared on lower experimental conditions by magnetron sputtering method. Effects of ZnO layer thickness and substrate temperature on anisotropic magnetoresistance and magnetic properties of these Ni 81 Fe 19 films have been investigated. The experiment results show that the anisotropic magnetoresistance value of the Ni 81 Fe 19 film is enhanced with the increasing of the inserted ZnO layer thickness. When the ZnO thickness is 2 nm, the anisotropic magnetoresistance value achieves the maximum. In addition, the anisotropic magnetoresistance of the Ni 81 Fe 19 film is also enhanced with the increasing of substrate temperature, and when the temperature is 450°C, the anisotropic magnetoresistance reaches the maximum. The anisotropic magnetoresistance value of 20 nm Ni 81 Fe 19 films with 2 nm ZnO layer can achieve 3.63% at 450°C which is enhanced 11.6% compare with the films without ZnO layer.
Percolation behavior of polymer/metal composites on modification of filler
Authors: Panda M. , Srinivas V. , Thakur A. K.
Published: February 2014

Polymer–metal composites with different fillers, such as nanocrystalline nickel (n- Ni ), core shell n- Ni and nickel oxide ( NiO )[n- Ni@NiO ] were prepared under the same processing conditions with polyvinyledene fluoride matrix. The larger value of critical exponents (s and s') and percolation threshold (fc~ 0.30) for n- Ni@NiO composites as compared to n- Ni composites (fc~ 0.07) and a comparable effective dielectric constant (εeff~ 300) with low loss tangent ( t an δ ~ 0.1) at 100 Hz in case of percolative n- Ni@NiO composite was observed. The core shell structure [n- Ni@NiO ] also shows a very high value of εeff~ 6000 with tan δ ~ 8 at 40 Hz. The results have been explained by using boundary layer capacitor effect and the percolation theory. The difference in fcand critical exponents is attributed to NiO insulating layer that gives rise to different extent of continuumness at fcand have been explained with the help of Swiss cheese model.
MULTI-COMPONENT BIANCHI I COSMOLOGIES WITH TORSION
Authors: GALIAKHMETOV A. M.
Published: February 2014

The Bianchi I cosmological models containing radiation, stiff fluid and a nonminimally coupled material scalar field with polynomial potentials of the fourth degree are considered in the framework of the Einstein–Cartan theory (ECT). Exact partial solutions are obtained for arbitrary positive values of the coupling constant ξ. The restrictions on ξ are found from the integrability conditions. It is demonstrated that singular models with the asymptotical isotropization by the de Sitter type and by the power-law (t4/3) type at late-times are possible. It is shown that the bouncing models with the isotropization by the de Sitter law of expansion at late-times are admissible. The role of sources in the evolution of models is elucidated.
Market mechanisms for managing datacenters with heterogeneous microarchitectures
Authors: Guevara Marisabel , Lubin Benjamin , Lee Benjamin C.
Published: February 2014

Specialization of datacenter resources brings performance and energy improvements in response to the growing scale and diversity of cloud applications. Yet heterogeneous hardware adds complexity and volatility to latency-sensitive applications. A resource allocation mechanism that leverages architectural principles can overcome both of these obstacles.

We integrate research in heterogeneous architectures with recent advances in multi-agent systems. Embedding architectural insight into proxies that bid on behalf of applications, a market effectively allocates hardware to applications with diverse preferences and valuations. Exploring a space of heterogeneous datacenter configurations, which mix server-class Xeon and mobile-class Atom processors, we find an optimal heterogeneous balance that improves both welfare and energy-efficiency. We further design and evaluate twelve design points along the Xeon-to-Atom spectrum, and find that a mix of three processor architectures achieves a 12× reduction in response time violations relative to equal-power homogeneous systems.
How to engineer tool-chains for automotive E/E architectures?
Authors: Waszecki Peter , Lukasiewycz Martin , Masrur Alejandro , Chakraborty Samarjit
Published: February 2014

The growing demand for both safety and comfort functionality in modern vehicles is rapidly increasing the complexity of automotive Electrical/Electronic (E/E) architectures. This makes it necessary to use specific design tools for modeling, implementing, and testing such systems. Although many tool vendors offer products covering different design and development phases, it is still cumbersome for car manufacturers to find the most appropriate tools that support their particular E/E architecture design process. And even with the proper set of tools, it remains an essential challenge to combine them into a consistent and flexible tool-chain, covering all design and development phases. This work is a first attempt to develop systematic approaches towards building such tool-chains. To this end, we provide an overview of the design process of E/E automotive architectures, its shortcomings and challenges, and study 22 possible tools currently available on the market. Based on this study, we quantify various usability and functionality aspects of the tools and use the outcome to evaluate their compatibility in terms of forming a tool-chain.
Formal verification of service-oriented adaptive driver assistance systems
Authors: Schwarz Christian , Zöbel Dieter , Wagner Marco
Published: February 2014

Many future Driver-Assistance-Systems (DAS) will use components not permanently mounted to the vehicle. Unlike state-of-the-art DAS with static configurations, the system and software architecture changes at runtime. To handle configuration changes, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and automatic orchestration is a promising approach. Whenever systems are set up automatically, they have to be validated. This paper presents an approach based on formal methods. Existing component models are annotated with Quality-of-Service parameters and transformed automatically to Hybrid Automata. These automata are then composed to an overall system model and model checking is used to check safety properties. The complete transformation-orchestration-validation process is executed without user interaction and thus can be performed at runtime.
Basal microRNA expression patterns in reward circuitry of selectively bred high-responder and low-responder rats vary by brain region and genotype
Authors: Hamilton David E. , Cooke Christopher L. , Carter Bradley S. , Akil Huda , Watson Stanley J. , Thompson Robert C.
Published: February 2014

Mental health disorders involving altered reward, emotionality, and anxiety are thought to result from the interaction of individual predisposition (genetic factors) and personal experience (environmental factors), although the mechanisms that contribute to an individual's vulnerability to these disorders remain poorly understood. We used an animal model of individual variation [inbred high-responder/low-responder (bHR-bLR) rodents] known to vary in reward, anxiety, and emotional processing to examine neuroanatomical expression patterns of microRNAs (miRNAs). Laser capture microdissection was used to dissect the prelimbic cortex and the nucleus accumbens core and shell prior to analysis of basal miRNA expression in bHR and bLR male rats. These studies identified 187 miRNAs differentially expressed by genotype in at least one brain region, 10 of which were validated by qPCR. Four of these 10 qPCR-validated miRNAs demonstrated differential expression across multiple brain regions, and all miRNAs with validated differential expression between genotypes had lower expression in bHR animals compared with bLR animals. microRNA (miR)-484 and miR-128a expression differences between the prelimbic cortex of bHR and bLR animals were validated by semiquantitative in situ hybridization. miRNA expression analysis independent of genotype identified 101 miRNAs differentially expressed by brain region, seven of which validated by qPCR. Dnmt3a mRNA, a validated target of miR-29b, varied in a direction opposite that of miR-29b's differential expression between bHR and bLR animals. These data provide evidence that basal central nervous system miRNA expression varies in the bHR-bLR model, implicating microRNAs as potential epigenetic regulators of key neural circuits and individual differences associated with mental health disorders.
Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern and Their Beta-Lactamase Encoding Genes amongPseudomonas aeruginosaStrains Isolated from Cancer Patients
Authors: Zafer Mai M. , Al-Agamy Mohamed H. , El-Mahallawy Hadir A. , Amin Magdy A. , Ashour Mohammed Seif El-Din
Published: February 2014

This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of metallo-β-lactamases (MBL) and extended-spectrumβ-lactamases (ESBL) inP. aeruginosaisolates collected from two different hospitals in Cairo, Egypt. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and phenotypic screening for ESBLs and MBLs were performed on 122P. aeruginosaisolates collected in the period from January 2011 to March 2012. MICs were determined. ESBLs and MBLs genes were sought by PCR. The resistant rate to imipenem was 39.34%. The resistance rates forP. aeruginosato cefuroxime, cefoperazone, ceftazidime, aztreonam, and piperacillin/tazobactam were 87.7%, 80.3%, 60.6%, 45.1%, and 25.4%, respectively. Out of 122P. aeruginosa, 27% and 7.4% were MBL and ESBL, respectively. The prevalence ofblaVIM-2,blaOXA-10-,blaVEB-1,blaNDM-, andblaIMP-1-like genes were found in 58.3%, 41.7%, 10.4%, 4.2%, and 2.1%, respectively. GIM-, SPM-, SIM-, and OXA-2-like genes were not detected in this study. OXA-10-like gene was concomitant with VIM-2 and/or VEB. Twelve isolates harbored both OXA-10 and VIM-2; two isolates carried both OXA-10 and VEB. Only one strain contained OXA-10, VIM-2, and VEB. In conclusion,blaVIM-2- andblaOXA-10-like genes were the most prevalent genes inP. aeruginosain Egypt. To our knowledge, this is the first report ofblaVIM-2,blaIMP-1,blaNDM, andblaOXA-10inP. aeruginosain Egypt.
Temporal Changes in Concentrations of Some Trace Elements in Muscle Tissue of Crayfish,Astacus leptodactylus(Eschscholtz, 1823), from Keban Dam Lake
Authors: Aksu Onder , Adiguzel Ragip , Demir Veysel , Yildirim Numan , Danabas Durali , Seker Sebahat , Seyhaneyildiz Can Safak , Ates Mustafa
Published: February 2014

Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylusEschscholtz, 1823) is the native crayfish species in Turkey. It was exported regularly to Western Europe. In this study, bioaccumulation and temporal trends of some trace elements (arsenic: As, cadmium: Cd, copper: Cu, mercury: Hg, lead: Pb, and zinc: Zn) in edible abdomen muscle of crayfish from Keban Dam Lake (Elazığ, Turkey) were investigated for the 2006–2012 period. Sequence of metal concentration levels was Zn > Cu > Hg > Pb > Cd > As in muscle tissues. The highest concentration of Zn (21.69 mg kg−1) was detected in 2006, while the lowest (4.35 mg kg−1) in 2009. In general, it was found that the concentrations of trace elements investigated were lower than the maximum permissible limits of the food regulations of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock (MFAL), the Turkish Food Codex and Commission Regulation (EC). If the crayfish selected for the study are recognized as bioindicators of environmental pollution, then it is possible to conclude that the changes in studied trace elements concentrations in the Keban Dam Lake are being steady.
Sulforaphane Attenuation of Type 2 Diabetes-Induced Aortic Damage Was Associated with the Upregulation of Nrf2 Expression and Function
Authors: Wang Yonggang , Zhang Zhiguo , Sun Wanqing , Tan Yi , Liu Yucheng , Zheng Yang , Liu Quan , Cai Lu , Sun Jian
Published: February 2014

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly increases risk for vascular complications. Diabetes-induced aorta pathological changes are predominantly attributed to oxidative stress. Nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor orchestrating antioxidant and cytoprotective responses to oxidative stress. Sulforaphane protects against oxidative damage by increasing Nrf2 expression and its downstream target genes. Here we explored the protective effect of sulforaphane on T2DM-induced aortic pathogenic changes in C57BL/6J mice which were fed with high-fat diet for 3 months, followed by a treatment with streptozotocin at 100 mg/kg body weight. Diabetic and nondiabetic mice were randomly divided into groups with and without 4-month sulforaphane treatment. Aorta of T2DM mice exhibited significant increases in the wall thickness and structural derangement, along with significant increases in fibrosis (connective tissue growth factor and transforming growth factor), inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-αand vascular cell adhesion molecule 1), oxidative/nitrative stress (3-nitrotyrosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal), apoptosis, and cell proliferation. However, these pathological changes were significantly attenuated by sulforaphane treatment that was associated with a significant upregulation of Nrf2 expression and function. These results suggest that sulforaphane is able to upregulate aortic Nrf2 expression and function and to protect the aorta from T2DM-induced pathological changes.
Nonketotic Hyperglycemic Chorea
Authors: Abdelghany Mahmoud , Massoud Samuel
Published: February 2014

This is a unique case of nonketotic hyperglycemic (NKH) chorea in a 34-year-old white male. The patient had a poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) due to medication incompliance. He complained of polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss of 20 pounds within a month before presentation. T2-weighted (T2W) MRI showed hyperintensity in the left basal ganglion. Glycated hemoglobin (HBA1c) was 13.6%. The patient was started on insulin and clonazepam and the chorea resolved after proper control of the glucose level. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of NKH chorea in a young white male with high T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance signal in the basal ganglia.
Endothelial Function in a Mouse Model of Myeloperoxidase Deficiency
Authors: Golubinskaya Veronika , Brandt-Eliasson Ulla , Gan Li-Ming , Kjerrulf Martin , Nilsson Holger
Published: February 2014

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity is suggested to reduce the function of vascular nitric oxide, thereby contributing to endothelial dysfunction, although data in rodents are inconclusive. We examined vascular contractile and relaxant responses in MPO-deficient (MPO-/-) and wild-type mice to investigate the role for myeloperoxidase in the development of endothelial dysfunction. Carotid and saphenous arteries were taken from 8-month-old mice and studied in a myograph. Responses of carotid arteries to phenylephrine, high potassium, or acetylcholine (Ach) were statistically not different from controls. Treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; to enhance endothelial dysfunction) reduced responses to Ach inMPO-/-but did not affect responses in wild-type. In response to high concentrations of Ach, carotid arteries responded with transient contractions, which were not different between the groups and not affected by LPS treatment. Saphenous arteries fromMPO-/-had smaller normalized diameters and developed less contractile force. Vessels fromMPO-/-were less sensitive to Ach than controls. These data suggest that mature MPO-deficient mice do not show enhanced endothelial function compared to wild-type mice, even when provoked with LPS treatment. The EDHF response appears to be reduced in MPO deficiency.
Global Systems for Mobile Position Tracking Using Kalman and Lainiotis Filters
Authors: Assimakis Nicholas , Adam Maria
Published: February 2014

We present two time invariant models for Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) position tracking, which describe the movement inx-axis andy-axis simultaneously or separately. We present the time invariant filters as well as the steady state filters: the classical Kalman filter and Lainiotis Filter and the Join Kalman Lainiotis Filter, which consists of the parallel usage of the two classical filters. Various implementations are proposed and compared with respect to their behavior and to their computational burden: all time invariant and steady state filters have the same behavior using both proposed models but have different computational burden. Finally, we propose a Finite Impulse Response (FIR) implementation of the Steady State Kalman, and Lainiotis filters, which does not require previous estimations but requires a well-defined set of previous measurements.
Peakon, Solitary and Smooth Periodic Wave Solutions for a Modification of theK(2,2)Equation
Authors: Meng Qing , He Bin
Published: February 2014

We consider a modification of theK(2,2)equationut=2uuxxx+2kuxuxx+2uuxusing the bifurcation method of dynamical systems and the method of phase portraits analysis. From dynamic point of view, some peakons, solitary, and smooth periodic waves are found and their exact parametric representations are presented. Also, the coexistence of peakon and solitary wave solutions is investigated.
100 nm AlSb/InAs HEMT for Ultra-Low-Power Consumption, Low-Noise Applications
Authors: Gardès Cyrille , Bagumako Sonia , Desplanque Ludovic , Wichmann Nicolas , Bollaert Sylvain , Danneville François , Wallart Xavier , Roelens Yannick
Published: February 2014

We report on high frequency (HF) and noise performances of AlSb/InAs high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with 100 nm gate length at room temperature in low-power regime. Extrinsic cut-off frequenciesfT/fmaxof 100/125 GHz together with minimum noise figureNFmin=0.5 dB and associated gainGass=12 dB at 12 GHz have been obtained at drain bias of only 80 mV, corresponding to 4 mW/mm DC power dissipation. This demonstrates the great ability of AlSb/InAs HEMT for high-frequency operation combined with low-noise performances in ultra-low-power regime.
A Characterization of 2-Tree Proper Interval 3-Graphs
Authors: Brown David E. , Flesch Breeann M.
Published: February 2014

An interval p-graph is the intersection graph of a collection of intervals which have been colored with p different colors with edges corresponding to nonempty intersection of intervals from different color classes. We characterize the class of 2-trees which are interval 3-graphs via a list of three graphs and three infinite families of forbidden induced subgraphs.
Identification of Key Genes in the Response toSalmonella enterica Enteritidis,Salmonella enterica Pullorum, and Poly(I:C) in Chicken Spleen and Caecum
Authors: Ma Teng , Chang Guobin , Chen Rong , Sheng Zhongwei , Dai Aiqin , Zhai Fei , Li Jianchao , Xia Mingxiu , Hua Dengke , Xu Lu , Wang Hongzhi , Chen Jing , Liu Lu , Chen Guohong
Published: February 2014

Salmonella enterica Enteritidis(S. Enteritidis) andSalmonella enterica Pullorum(S. pullorum) are regarded as a threat to poultry production. This study’s aim is to characterize the expression profiles in response to three different challenges and to identify infection-related genes in the chicken spleen and caecum. Groups of the Chinese chicken breed Langshan were challenged with eitherS. Enteritidis,S. pullorum, or poly(I:C). The concentrations of cytokines and antibodies and theSalmonellacolonization level of the caecum and liver were detected in each group at 7 days postinfection. Expression microarray experiments were conducted using mRNA isolated from both spleen and caecum. Crucial differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with immunity were identified. Four DEGs were identified in spleen of all three challenge groups (RBM16, FAH, SOX5, and RBM9) and different four genes in caecum (SOUL, FCN2, ANLN, and ACSL1). Expression profiles were clearly different among the three challenged groups. Genes enriched in the spleen of birds infected withS. pullorumwere enriched in lymphocyte proliferation related pathways, but the enriched genes in the caecum of the same group were primarily enriched in innate immunity or antibacterial responses. The DEGs that appear across all three challenge groups might represent global response factors for different pathogens.
A Fractal and Numerical Simulation Coupled Study of Fracture Network during Coal Mining Excavation
Authors: Gao Yanan , Gao Feng , Yeung Man-chu Ronald
Published: February 2014

This paper features a numerical study that is carried out by using discontinuous deformation method (DDA) and fractal geometry. The configurations of rock strata calculated by DDA were imported into a code that is written by using VC++ called “Fractal” to calculate the fractal dimension of the rock strata. As illustrated, a long wall mining case in China was presented. The relationship of the fractal dimension, excavation length, stress, and movement of strata were discussed. The evolution of fractal dimension can be considered as an index of instability or failure. The method proposed in this paper can be employed to predict the period weighting in long wall mining engineering.
Evaluating the Power of GPU Acceleration for IDW Interpolation Algorithm
Authors: Mei Gang
Published: February 2014

We first present two GPU implementations of the standard Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation algorithm, the tiled version that takes advantage of shared memory and the CDP version that is implemented using CUDA Dynamic Parallelism (CDP). Then we evaluate the power of GPU acceleration for IDW interpolation algorithm by comparing the performance of CPU implementation with three GPU implementations, that is, the naive version, the tiled version, and the CDP version. Experimental results show that the tilted version has the speedups of 120x and 670x over the CPU version when the power parameterpis set to 2 and 3.0, respectively. In addition, compared to the naive GPU implementation, the tiled version is about two times faster. However, the CDP version is 4.8x∼6.0x slower than the naive GPU version, and therefore does not have any potential advantages in practical applications.
Antimicrobial Resistance within Host: A Population Dynamics View
Authors: Huang Chunji , Fan Aijun
Published: February 2014

To study the relationship between antimicrobial resistance and the concentration of antibiotics, a competitive population dynamical model is proposed between the susceptible strain and the resistant strain with antibiotic exposure. The strict mathematical analysis is performed, and the results indicate that long-term high strength antibiotic treatment and prevention can induce the extinction of susceptible strain. Thus, the prescribed dose of antibiotics must be strictly controlled during the treatment and prevention of the infections in clinics.
Characteristics of the Temporal Variation in Temperature and Precipitation in China’s Lower Yellow River Region
Authors: Lu Heli , Jing Wenlong , Zhao Jincai , Liu Xiaojing , Huang Zhong
Published: February 2014

We analyzed the spatial and temporal distributions of temperature and precipitation in China’s Yellow River Region between 1960 and 2001 by compiling meteorological data using anomalies, climate trend rate, linear regression, trend analysis, spline functions, and other methods. The results show that the average temperatures in the Region have an upward trend at a rate of 0.19°C every 10 years. There are no significant changes in the Region’s summers, but the winters have become visibly warmer, with the temperatures significantly increasing from the 1980s. The average annual precipitation rate has shown a downwards trend at a rate of −11.7 mm every 10 years. Even though the precipitation rate shows variations, the amount of precipitation is inconsistent with the most significant decrease in precipitation rates being seen during summer followed by autumn, while the rates actually slightly increased during spring and winter. Over the 42 years, the Region as a whole showed a trend of climate warming and drying with 77% of the total sites studied showing these combined trends. Before the 1980s, mainly a drying and cooling trend was observed. In the mid-to-late 80s the temperatures rose, resulting in the change to a warming and drying trend.
High-Intensity Strength Training Improves Function of Chronically Painful Muscles: Case-Control and RCT Studies
Authors: Andersen Lars L. , Andersen Christoffer H. , Skotte Jørgen H. , Suetta Charlotte , Søgaard Karen , Saltin Bengt , Sjøgaard Gisela
Published: February 2014

Aim. This study investigates consequences of chronic neck pain on muscle function and the rehabilitating effects of contrasting interventions.Methods. Women with trapezius myalgia (MYA,n=42) and healthy controls (CON,n=20) participated in a case-control study. Subsequently MYA were randomized to 10 weeks of specific strength training (SST,n=18), general fitness training (GFT,n=16), or a reference group without physical training (REF,n=8). Participants performed tests of 100 consecutive cycles of 2 s isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) of shoulder elevation followed by 2 s relaxation at baseline and 10-week follow-up.Results. In the case-control study, peak force, rate of force development, and rate of force relaxation as well as EMG amplitude were lower in MYA than CON throughout all 100 MVC. Muscle fiber capillarization was not significantly different between MYA and CON. In the intervention study, SST improved all force parameters significantly more than the two other groups, to levels comparable to that of CON. This was seen along with muscle fiber hypertrophy and increased capillarization.Conclusion. Women with trapezius myalgia have lower strength capacity during repetitive MVC of the trapezius muscle than healthy controls. High-intensity strength training effectively improves strength capacity during repetitive MVC of the painful trapezius muscle.
The Effect of a Short-Term High-Intensity Circuit Training Program on Work Capacity, Body Composition, and Blood Profiles in Sedentary Obese Men: A Pilot Study
Authors: Miller Matthew B. , Pearcey Gregory E. P. , Cahill Farrell , McCarthy Heather , Stratton Shane B. D. , Noftall Jennifer C. , Buckle Steven , Basset Fabien A. , Sun Guang , Button Duane C.
Published: February 2014

The objective of this study was to determine how a high-intensity circuit-training (HICT) program affects key physiological health markers in sedentary obese men. Eight obese (body fat percentage>26%) males completed a four-week HICT program, consisting of three 30-minute exercise sessions per week, for a total of 6 hours of exercise. Participants’ heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), rating of perceived exertion, total work (TW), and time to completion were measured each exercise session, body composition was measured before and after HICT, and fasting blood samples were measured before throughout, and after HICT program. Blood sample measurements included total cholesterol, triacylglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and insulin. Data were analyzed by pairedt-tests and one-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Statistical significance was set toP<0.05. Data analyses revealed significant (P<0.05) improvements in resting HR (16% decrease), systolic BP (5.5% decrease), TW (50.7%), fat tissue percentage (3.6%), lean muscle tissue percentage (2%), cholesterol (13%), triacylglycerol (37%), and insulin (18%) levels from before to after HICT program. Overall, sedentary obese males experienced a significant improvement in biochemical, physical, and body composition characteristics from a HICT program that was only 6 hours of the total exercise.
On Coalescence Analysis Using Genealogy Rooted Trees
Authors: Yuan Ao , Qin Gengsheng , He Wenqing , Li Qizhai
Published: February 2014

DNA sequence data are now being used to study the ancestral history of human population. The existing methods for such coalescence inference use recursion formula to compute the data probabilities. These methods are useful in practical applications, but computationally complicated. Here we first investigate the asymptotic behavior of such inference; results indicate that, broadly, the estimated coalescent time will be consistent to a finite limit. Then we study a relatively simple computation method for this analysis and illustrate how to use it.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Impairs Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Expression via Inhibiting TNF-α-Activated MAPK/AP-1 Signaling Cascade
Authors: Chen Wei-Lin , Sheu Joen-Rong , Hsiao Che-Jen , Hsiao Shih-Hsin , Chung Chi-Li , Hsiao George
Published: February 2014

Tumor necrosis factor-(TNF-)-αupregulates plasminogen activator inhibitor-(PAI-) 1 expression in pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs), contributing to fibrin deposition and pleural fibrosis. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) have been found implicated in fibrogenesis. However, the roles of TNF-αor HDAC in the regulation of PAI-1 expression have not been well investigated. We aimed to examine the effects and mechanisms of HDAC inhibition on TNF-α-induced PAI-1 expression in human PMCs. MeT-5A human PMCs were treated with TNF-αin the presence or absence of them-carboxycinnamic acid bishydroxamide (CBHA), an HDAC class II inhibitor, and the HDAC activity, PAI-1 protein expression, mRNA, and activated signalings were analyzed. CBHA abrogated TNF-α-induced HDAC activity, PAI-1 protein and, mRNA expression in MeT-5A cells. Moreover, CBHA significantly enhanced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-(MKP-) 5/MKP-1 expression and inhibited p38/JNK activations, ATF2/c-Jun translocation, and PAI-1 promoter activity. Altogether, our data suggest that HDAC inhibition may abrogate TNF-α-activated MAPK/AP-1 signaling and PAI-1 expression in human PMCs. Given the antifibrotic effect through PAI-1 abrogation, CBHA may be utilized as a novel agent in the treatment of fibrotic diseases.
Evaluation about the Performance of E-Government Based on Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Yu Dejian , Wang Yan , Zhang Wenyu
Published: February 2014

The evaluation is an important approach to promote the development of the E-Government. Since the rapid development of E-Government in the world, the E-Government performance evaluation has become a hot issue in the academia. In this paper, we develop a new evaluation method for the development of the E-Government based on the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set which is a powerful technique in expressing the uncertainty of the real situation. First, we extend the geometric Heronian mean (GHM) operator to interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy environment and proposed the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy GHM (IIFGHM) operator. Then, we investigate the relationships between the IIFGHM operator and some existing ones, such as generalized interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy HM (GIIFHM) and interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy weighted Bonferoni mean operator. Furthermore, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed method using a real case about the E-Government evaluation in Hangzhou City, China.