bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Receptor Variation and Susceptibility to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection
Authors: Barlan Arlene , Zhao Jincun , Sarkar Mayukh K. , Li Kun , McCray Paul B. , Perlman Stanley , Gallagher Tom
Published: February 2014

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) recently spread from an animal reservoir to infect humans, causing sporadic severe and frequently fatal respiratory disease. Appropriate public health and control measures will require discovery of the zoonotic MERS coronavirus reservoirs. The relevant animal hosts are liable to be those that offer optimal MERS virus cell entry. Cell entry begins with virus spike (S) protein binding to DPP4 receptors. We constructed chimeric DPP4 receptors that have the virus-binding domains of indigenous Middle Eastern animals and assessed the activities of these receptors in supporting S protein binding and virus entry. Human, camel, and horse receptors were potent and nearly equally effective MERS virus receptors, while goat and bat receptors were considerably less effective. These patterns reflected S protein affinities for the receptors. However, even the low-affinity receptors could hypersensitize cells to infection when an S-cleaving protease(s) was present, indicating that affinity thresholds for virus entry must be considered in the context of host-cell proteolytic environments. These findings suggest that virus receptors and S protein-cleaving proteases combine in a variety of animals to offer efficient virus entry and that several Middle Eastern animals are potential reservoirs for transmitting MERS-CoV to humans.

IMPORTANCE
MERS is a frequently fatal disease that is caused by a zoonotic CoV. The animals transmitting MERS-CoV to humans are not yet known. Infection by MERS-CoV requires receptors and proteases on host cells. We compared the receptors of humans and Middle Eastern animals and found that human, camel, and horse receptors sensitized cells to MERS-CoV infection more robustly than goat and bat receptors. Infection susceptibility correlated with affinities of the receptors for viral spike proteins. We also found that the presence of a cell surface lung protease greatly increases susceptibility to MERS-CoV, particularly in conjunction with low-affinity receptors. This cataloguing of human and animal host cell factors allows one to make inferences on the distribution of MERS-CoV in nature.
Boosting Functional Avidity of CD8
+
T Cells by Vaccinia Virus Vaccination Depends on Intrinsic T-Cell MyD88 Expression but Not the Inflammatory Milieu
Authors: Hu Zhidong , Wang Jing , Wan Yanmin , Zhu Lingyan , Ren Xiaonan , Qiu Sugan , Ren Yanqin , Yuan Songhua , Ding Xiangqing , Chen Jian , Qiu Chenli , Sun Jun , Zhang Xiaoyan , Xiang Jim , Qiu Chao , Xu Jianqing
Published: February 2014

T-cell functional avidity is a crucial determinant for efficient pathogen clearance. Although recombinant DNA priming coupled with a vaccinia-vectored vaccine (VACV) boost has been widely used to mount robust CD8
+
T-cell responses, how VACV boost shapes the properties of memory CD8
+
T cells remains poorly defined. Here, we characterize the memory CD8
+
T cells boosted by VACV and demonstrate that the intrinsic expression of MyD88 is critical for their high functional avidity. Independent of selection of clones with high-affinity T-cell receptor (TCR) or of enhanced proximal TCR signaling, the VACV boost significantly increased T-cell functional avidity through a decrease in the activation threshold. VACV-induced inflammatory milieu is not sufficient for this improvement, as simultaneous administration of the DNA vaccine and mock VACV had no effects on the functional avidity of memory CD8
+
T cells. Furthermore, reciprocal adoptive transfer models revealed that the intrinsic MyD88 pathway is required for instructing the functional avidity of CD8
+
T cells boosted by VACV. Taking these results together, the intrinsic MyD88 pathway is required for the high functional avidity of VACV-boosted CD8
+
T cells independent of TCR selection or the VACV infection-induced MyD88-mediated inflammatory milieu.

IMPORTANCE
Functional avidity is one of the crucial determinants of T-cell functionality. Interestingly, although it has been demonstrated that a DNA prime-VACV boost regimen elicits high levels of T-cell functional avidity, how VACV changes the low avidity of CD8
+
T cells primed by DNA into higher ones
in vivo
is less defined. Here, we proved that the enhancement of CD8
+
T cell avidity induced by VACV boost is mediated by the intrinsic MyD88 pathway but not the MyD88-mediated inflammatory milieu, which might provide prompts in vaccine design.
Jejunal perforation: a rare presentation of B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Santharam V , Kumar P , Lee L Y W
Published: February 2014

A 42-year-old man who was being treated for pneumonia developed severe, sudden-onset abdominal pain with features of shock and peritonism. The clinical picture combined with radiological investigations raised suspicion of a bowel perforation necessitating urgent surgical review and emergency laparotomy. This diagnosed a jejunal perforation with abnormal lymph nodes. Histological examination confirmed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient was subsequently started on a course of chemotherapy. While gastrointestinal perforation secondary to antilymphoma treatment is a well-recognised complication, primary perforation caused by the lymphoma itself must always be considered.
Complete C4 vertebral body destruction: a dramatic finding in a patient with a new diagnosis of myeloma
Authors: Berg Andrew James , Hernandez Miguel , Bhatia Chandra
Published: February 2014

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who presented to accident and emergency with left arm and neck pain. She had reported these symptoms to her general practitioner over the preceding weeks but no imaging was obtained. Radiographs revealed a pathological lesion in her left humerus. On review in the Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic radiographs of the cervical spine were obtained and showed complete destruction of the C4 vertebral body. She underwent corpectomy and stabilisation. Tissue diagnosis confirmed myeloma and she is now under the care of the haematologists receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Myeloma is known to cause severe destructive lesions. Through the dramatic radiographic images this case serves as a reminder to clinicians to obtain imaging of patients with a new or existing diagnosis of malignancy, who show symptoms of skeletal pain, as lesions requiring emergency management may be present.
Free Open Access Meducation (FOAM): the rise of emergency medicine and critical care blogs and podcasts (2002–2013)
Authors: Cadogan Mike , Thoma Brent , Chan Teresa M , Lin Michelle
Published: February 2014

Disruptive technologies are revolutionising continuing professional development in emergency medicine and critical care (EMCC). Data on EMCC blogs and podcasts were gathered prospectively from 2002 through November 2013. During this time there was a rapid expansion of EMCC websites, from two blogs and one podcast in 2002 to 141 blogs and 42 podcasts in 2013. This paper illustrates the explosive growth of EMCC websites and provides a foundation that will anchor future research in this burgeoning field.
A pilot study to determine whether differences exist in histochemical properties between the trapezius and extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles in women with work-related myalgia
Authors: Green Howard J. , Ranney Don , Burnett Margaret , Galvin Patti , Kyle Natasha , Iqbal Sobia , Lounsbury David , Ouyang Jing , Smith Ian C. , Stewart Riley , Tick Heather , Tupling A. Russell
Published: February 2014

To investigate fibre-type abnormalities in women with work-related myalgia (WRM), tissue samples were extracted from their trapezius (TRAP) and the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscles and compared with healthy controls (CON). For the ECRB samples (CON, n = 6; WRM, n = 11), no differences (P > 0.05) were found between groups for any of the properties examined, namely fibre-type (I, IIA, IIX, IIAX) distribution, cross-sectional fibre area, capillary counts (CC), capillary to fibre area ratio, and succinic dehydrogenase activity. For the TRAP samples (CON, n = 6; WRM, n = 8), the only difference (P < 0.05) observed between groups was for CC (CON > WRM), which was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) when age was used a covariant. A comparison of the properties of these 2 muscles in the CON group indicated a higher (P < 0.05) and lower (P < 0.05) percentage of type I and type IIA fibres, respectively, in the TRAP as well as higher (P < 0.05) CC, which was not specific to fibre type. These preliminary results suggest that the properties employed to characterize fibre types do not differentiate CON from WRM for either the TRAP or ECRB. As a consequence, the role of inherent fibre-type differences between these muscles in the pathogenesis of WRM remains uncertain.
SIMULATING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL INHIBITION WITH SHORT-TERM DYNAMICS IN A MULTI-COLUMN MULTI-LAYER MODEL OF NEOCORTEX
Authors: STRACK BEATA , JACOBS KIMBERLE M. , CIOS KRZYSZTOF J.
Published: February 2014

The paper introduces a multi-layer multi-column model of the cortex that uses four different neuron types and short-term plasticity dynamics. It was designed with details of neuronal connectivity available in the literature and meets these conditions: (1) biologically accurate laminar and columnar flows of activity, (2) normal function of low-threshold spiking and fast spiking neurons, and (3) ability to generate different stages of epileptiform activity. With these characteristics the model allows for modeling lesioned or malformed cortex, i.e. examine properties of developmentally malformed cortex in which the balance between inhibitory neuron subtypes is disturbed.
Application of Parallel Chaos Optimization Algorithm for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Design
Authors: Wu Xiaolan , Guo Guifang , Xu Jun , Cao Binggang
Published: February 2014

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been offered as alternatives that could greatly reduce fuel consumption relative to conventional vehicles. A successful PHEV design requires not only optimal component sizes but also proper control strategy. In this paper, a global optimization method, called parallel chaos optimization algorithm (PCOA), is used to optimize simultaneously the PHEV component sizes and control strategy. In order to minimize the cost, energy consumption (EC), and emissions, a multiobjective nonlinear optimization problem is formulated and recast as a single objective optimization problem by weighted aggregation. The driving performance requirements of the PHEV are considered as the constraints. In addition, to evaluate the objective function, the optimization process is performed over three typical driving cycles including Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS), Highway Fuel Economy Test (HWFET), and New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for reducing the fuel cost, EC and emissions while ensuring that the vehicle performance has not been sacrificed.
A Necessary Condition of Nonminimal Aubry–Mather Sets for Monotone Recurrence Relations
Authors: Wang Ya-Nan , Qin Wen-Xin
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we show that a necessary condition for nonminimal Aubry–Mather sets of monotone recurrence relations is that the set of all Birkhoff minimizers with some irrational rotation number does not constitute a foliation, i.e. the gaps of the minimal Aubry–Mather set are not filled up with Birkhoff minimizers.
Outer-connected domination in 2-connected cubic graphs
Authors: Wang Shipeng , Wu Baoyindureng , An Xinhui , Liu Xiaoping , Deng Xingchao
Published: February 2014

A set S of vertices of a graph G is an outer-connected dominating set if every vertex not in S is adjacent to some vertex in S and the subgraph induced by V\S is connected. The outer-connected domination number [Formula: see text] is the minimum size of such a set. We present an infinite family of 2-connected cubic graphs, in which the number of vertices in a longest path are much less than the half of their orders. This disprove a recent conjecture posed by Akhbari, Hasni, Favaron, Karami, Sheikholeslami.
Adventitious Roots and Lateral Roots: Similarities and Differences
Authors: Bellini Catherine , Pacurar Daniel I. , Perrone Irene
Published: February 2014

In addition to its role in water and nutrient uptake, the root system is fundamentally important because it anchors a plant to its substrate. Although a wide variety of root systems exist across different species, all plants have a primary root (derived from an embryonic radicle) and different types of lateral roots. Adventitious roots, by comparison, display the same functions as lateral roots but develop from aerial tissues. In addition, they not only develop as an adaptive response to various stresses, such as wounding or flooding, but also are a key limiting component of vegetative propagation. Lateral and adventitious roots share key elements of the genetic and hormonal regulatory networks but are subject to different regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the developmental processes that give rise to lateral and adventitious roots and highlight knowledge acquired over the past few years about the mechanisms that regulate adventitious root formation.
Interferon-Stimulated Genes: A Complex Web of Host Defenses
Authors: Schneider William M. , Chevillotte Meike Dittmann , Rice Charles M.
Published: February 2014

Interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) products take on a number of diverse roles. Collectively, they are highly effective at resisting and controlling pathogens. In this review, we begin by introducing interferon (IFN) and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway to highlight features that impact ISG production. Next, we describe ways in which ISGs both enhance innate pathogen-sensing capabilities and negatively regulate signaling through the JAK-STAT pathway. Several ISGs that directly inhibit virus infection are described with an emphasis on those that impact early and late stages of the virus life cycle. Finally, we describe ongoing efforts to identify and characterize antiviral ISGs, and we provide a forward-looking perspective on the ISG landscape.
Public Attitudes Toward Immigration
Authors: Hainmueller Jens , Hopkins Daniel J.
Published: February 2014

Immigrant populations in many developed democracies have grown rapidly, and so too has an extensive literature on natives' attitudes toward immigration. This research has developed from two theoretical foundations, one grounded in political economy, the other in political psychology. These two literatures have developed largely in isolation from one another, yet the conclusions that emerge from each are strikingly similar. Consistently, immigration attitudes show little evidence of being strongly correlated with personal economic circumstances. Instead, research finds that immigration attitudes are shaped by sociotropic concerns about its cultural impacts—and to a lesser extent its economic impacts—on the nation as a whole. This pattern of results has held up as scholars have increasingly turned to experimental tests, and it holds for the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. Still, more work is needed to strengthen the causal identification of sociotropic concerns and to isolate precisely how, when, and why they matter for attitude formation.
Role for high-glucose-induced protein O-GlcNAcylation in stimulating cardiac fibroblast collagen synthesis
Authors: Aguilar Hugo , Fricovsky Eduardo , Ihm Sang , Schimke Magdalena , Maya-Ramos Lisandro , Aroonsakool Nakon , Ceballos Guillermo , Dillmann Wolfgang , Villarreal Francisco , Ramirez-Sanchez Israel
Published: February 2014

Excess enzyme-mediated protein O-GlcNAcylation is known to occur with diabetes mellitus. A characteristic of diabetic cardiomyopathy is the development of myocardial fibrosis. The role that enhanced protein O-GlcNAcylation plays in modulating the phenotype of cardiac fibroblasts (CF) is unknown. To address this issue, rat CF were cultured in normal glucose (NG; 5 mM glucose) or high-glucose (HG; 25 mM) media for 48 h. Results demonstrate that CF cultured in HG have higher levels (∼50%) of overall protein O-GlcNAcylation vs. NG cells. Key regulators of collagen synthesis such as transforming-growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), SMADs 2/3, and SMAD 7 protein levels, including those of arginase I and II, were altered, leading to increases in collagen levels. The nuclear transcription factor Sp1 and arginase II evidence excess O-GlcNAcylation in HG cells. Expression in CF of an adenovirus coding for the enzyme N-acetylglucosaminidase, which removes O-GlcNAc moieties from proteins, decreased Sp1 and arginase II O-GlcNAcylation and restored HG-induced perturbations in CF back to NG levels. These findings may have important pathophysiological implications for the development of diabetes-induced cardiac fibrosis.
Auditory response properties of neurons in the putamen and globus pallidus of awake cats
Authors: Zhong Renjia , Qin Ling , Sato Yu
Published: February 2014

Several decades of research have provided evidence that the basal ganglia are closely involved in motor processes. Recent clinical, electrophysiological, behavioral data have revealed that the basal ganglia also receive afferent input from the auditory system, but the detailed auditory response characteristics have not yet reported. The present study aimed to reveal the acoustic response properties of neurons in parts of the basal ganglia. We recorded single-unit activities from the putamen (PU) and globus pallidus (GP) of awake cats passively listening to pure tones, click trains, and natural sounds. Our major findings were: 1) responses in both PU and GP neurons were elicited by pure-tone stimuli, whereas PU neurons had lower intensity thresholds, shorter response latencies, shorter excitatory duration, and larger response magnitudes than GP neurons. 2) Some GP neurons showed a suppressive response lasting throughout the stimulus period. 3) Both PU and GP did not follow periodically repeated click stimuli well, and most neurons only showed a phasic response at the stimulus onset and offset. 4) In response to natural sounds, PU also showed a stronger magnitude and shorter duration of excitatory response than GP. The selectivity for natural sounds was low in both nuclei. 5) Nonbiological environmental sounds more efficiently evoked responses in PU and GP than the vocalizations of conspecifics and other species. Our results provide insights into how acoustic signals are processed in the basal ganglia and revealed the distinction of PU and GP in sensory representation.
Experimental Study of Darrieus-Savonius Water Turbine with Deflector: Effect of Deflector on the Performance
Authors: Sahim Kaprawi , Ihtisan Kadafi , Santoso Dyos , Sipahutar Riman
Published: February 2014

The reverse force on the returning blade of a water turbine can be reduced by setting a deflector on the returning blade side of a rotor. The deflector configuration can also concentrate the flow which passes through the rotor so that the torque and the power of turbine can be considerably increased. The placing of Savonius in Darrieus rotor is carried out by setting the Savonius bucket in Darrieus rotor at the same axis. The combination of these rotors is also called a Darrieus-Savonius turbine. This rotor can improve torque of turbine. Experiments are conducted in an irrigation canal to find the performance characteristics of presence of deflector and Savonius rotor in Darrieus-Savonius turbine. Results conclude that the single deflector plate placed on returning blade side increases the torque and power coefficient. The presence of Savonius rotor increases the torque at a lower speed, but the power coefficient decreases. The torque and power coefficient characteristics depend on the aspect ratio of Savonius rotor.
The Best Path Analysis in Military Highway Transport Based on DEA and Multiobjective Fuzzy Decision‐Making
Authors: Juan Wu , Huapu Lu , Xu Sun , Xianfeng Liu , Huijun Yang
Published: February 2014

Military transport path selection directly affects the transport speed, efficiency, and safety. To a certain degree, the results of the path selection determine success or failure of the war situation. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model based on DEA (data envelopment analysis) and multiobjective fuzzy decision‐making for path selection. The path decision set is established according to a search algorithm based on overlapping section punishment. Considering the influence of various fuzzy factors, the model of optimal path is constructed based on DEA and multitarget fuzzy decision‐making theory, where travel time, transport risk, quick response capability, and transport cost constitute the evaluation target set. A reasonable path set can be calculated and sorted according to the comprehensive scores of the paths. The numerical results show that the model and the related algorithms are effective for path selection of military transport.
An Unfitted Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Elliptic Interface Problems
Authors: Wang Qiuliang , Chen Jinru
Published: February 2014

An unfitted discontinuous Galerkin method is proposed for the elliptic interface problems. Based on a variant of the local discontinuous Galerkin method, we obtain the optimal convergence for the exact solutionuin the energy norm and its fluxpin theL2norm. These results are the same as those in the case of elliptic problems without interface. Finally, some numerical experiments are presented to verify our theoretical results.
Oral Cavity as an Extragastric Reservoir of Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Al Sayed Arwa , Anand Pradeep S. , Kamath Kavitha P. , Patil Shankargouda , Preethanath R. S. , Anil Sukumaran
Published: February 2014

Background. Several studies were reported on the prevalence, and relationship between the existence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in oral cavity and in stomach of patients. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the existing literature on the presence of H. pylori in the oral cavity and its link to gastric infection, the existence of coinfection, and the impact of anti-H. pylori therapy on the dental plaque and vice versa. Method. Two authors independently searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for relevant studies. The articles were analyzed critically and all qualified studies were included. The search was carried out by using a combined text and the MeSH search strategies: using the key words Helicobacter, Helicobacter pylori, and H. pylori in combination with dental plaque, periodontitis, and oral hygiene. Results. The data was presented in 8 tables and each topic separately discussed. Conclusion. Based on the systematic review of the available literature on H. pylori infection and its presence in the oral cavity, it can be concluded that dental plaque can act as a reservoir, and proper oral hygiene maintenance is essential to prevent reinfection. Due to the diversified methods and population groups involved in the available literature, no concrete evidence can be laid down. Further studies are necessary to establish the role of H. pylori in the oral cavity and its eradication on preventing the gastroduodenal infection.
Behaviors and Numerical Simulations of Malaria Dynamic Models with Transgenic Mosquitoes
Authors: Liu Xiongwei , Xu Junjun , Wang Xiao , Cheng Lizhi
Published: February 2014

The release of transgenic mosquitoes to interact with wild ones is a promising method for controlling malaria. How to effectively release transgenic mosquitoes to prevent malaria is always a concern for researchers. This paper investigates two methods of releasing transgenic mosquitoes and proposes two epidemic models involving malaria patients, anopheles, wild mosquitoes, and transgenic mosquitoes based on system of continuous differential equations. A basic reproduction numberR0is defined for the models and it serves as a threshold parameter that predicts whether malaria will spread. By theoretical analysis of the dynamic behaviors of the models and numerical simulations, it is verified that malaria can be effectively controlled by the opportune release of transgenic mosquitoes; that is, whenR0≤1, malaria will disappear; whenR0>1, malaria will become an endemic disease in the target field.
Strong Convergence Algorithm for Split Equilibrium Problems and Hierarchical Fixed Point Problems
Authors: Bnouhachem Abdellah
Published: February 2014

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the problem of finding the approximate element of the common set of solutions of a split equilibrium problem and a hierarchical fixed point problem in a real Hilbert space. We establish the strong convergence of the proposed method under some mild conditions. Several special cases are also discussed. Our main result extends and improves some well-known results in the literature.
Predictable Dynamics in the Small Stock Premium
Authors: Zakamulin Valeriy
Published: February 2014

We start this paper by providing a detailed study of how the mean monthly return on the Small-Minus-Big (SMB) Fama-French factor is affected by the January effect and the stock market return during the preceding month and preceding calendar year. We then proceed to building a predictive model for the monthly SMB factor return that incorporates the January effect and the dependence on both the market return during the preceding month and preceding calendar year. Our findings suggest that a positive small stock premium appears mainly during the years following the years with a negative return on the market as the result of a delayed and stronger reaction of small stocks to good news and a stronger January effect. We also argue that the January effect constitutes a much lesser part of the size effect than it was previously supposed.
On the Transformation Mechanism for Formulating a Multiproduct Two‐Layer Supply Chain Network Design Problem as a Network Flow Model
Authors: Gan Mi , Li Zongping , Chen Si
Published: February 2014

The multiproduct two‐layer supply chain is very common in various industries. In this paper, we introduce a possible modeling and algorithms to solve a multiproduct two‐layer supply chain network design problem. The decisions involved are the DCs location and capacity design decision and the initial distribution planning decision. First we describe the problem and give a mixed integer programming (MIP) model; such problem is NP‐hard and it is not easy to reduce the complexity. Inspired by it, we develop a transformation mechanism of relaxing the fixed cost and adding some virtual nodes and arcs to the original network. Thus, a network flow problem (NFP) corresponding to the original problem has been formulated. Given that we could solve the NFP as a minimal cost flow problem. The solution procedures and network simplex algorithm (INS) are discussed. To verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the model and algorithms, the performance measure experimental has been conducted. The experiments and result showed that comparing with MIP model solved by genetic algorithm (GA) and Benders, decomposition algorithm (BD) the NFP model and INS are also effective and even more efficient for both small‐scale and large‐scale problems.
Constitutive Modeling of Time-Dependent Response of Human Plantar Aponeurosis
Authors: Pavan P. G. , Pachera P. , Stecco C. , Natali A. N.
Published: February 2014

The attention is focused on the viscoelastic behavior of human plantar aponeurosis tissue. At this purpose, stress relaxation tests were developed on samples taken from the plantar aponeurosis of frozen adult donors with age ranging from 67 to 78 years, imposing three levels of strain in the physiological range (4%, 6%, and 8%) and observing stress decay for 240 s. A viscohyperelastic fiber-reinforced constitutive model with transverse isotropy was assumed to describe the time-dependent behavior of the aponeurotic tissue. This model is consistent with the structural conformation of the tissue where collagen fibers are mainly aligned with the proximal-distal direction. Constitutive model fitting to experimental data was made by implementing a stochastic-deterministic procedure. The stress relaxation was found close to 40%, independently of the level of strain applied. The agreement between experimental data and numerical results confirms the suitability of the constitutive model to describe the viscoelastic behaviour of the plantar aponeurosis.
Deer Antler Extract Improves Fatigue Effect through Altering the Expression of Genes Related to Muscle Strength in Skeletal Muscle of Mice
Authors: Chen Jaw-Chyun , Hsiang Chien-Yun , Lin Yung-Chang , Ho Tin-Yun
Published: February 2014

Deer antler is a well‐known traditional Chinese medicine used in Asian countries for the tonic and the improvement of aging symptoms. The present study was designed to investigate the antifatigue effect and mechanism of Formosan sambar deer tip antler extract (FSDTAE). The swimming times to exhaustion of mice administered FSDTAE (8.2 mg/day) for 28 days were apparently longer than those of the vehicle‐treated mice in forced swim test. However, the indicators of fatigue, such as the reduction in glucose level and the increases in blood urea nitrogen and lactic acid levels, were not significantly inhibited by FSDTAE. Therefore, microarray analysis was further used to examine the anti‐fatigue mechanism of FSDTAE. We selected genes with fold changes >2 or <−2 in skeletal muscle for pathway analysis. FSDTAE‐affected genes were involved in 9 different signaling pathways, such as GnRH signaling pathway and insulin signaling pathway. All of the significantly expressed genes were classified into 8 different categories by their functions. The most enriched category was muscular system, and 6 upregulated genes, such as troponin I, troponin T1, cysteine and glycine‐rich protein 2, myosin heavy polypeptide 7, tropomyosin 2, and myomesin family member 3, were responsible for the development and contraction of muscle. Real‐time PCR analysis indicated that FSDTAE increased troponins mRNA expression in skeletal muscle. In conclusion, our findings suggested that FSDTAE might increase the muscle strength through the upregulation of genes responsible for muscle contraction and consequently exhibited the anti‐fatigue effect in mice.
Positive Periodic Solutions of Third-Order Ordinary Differential Equations with Delays
Authors: Li Yongxiang , Li Qiang
Published: February 2014

The existence results of positiveω-periodic solutions are obtained for the third-order ordinary differential equation with delaysu′′′(t)+a(t)u(t)=f(t,u(t-τ0),u′(t-τ1),u′′(t-τ2)),t∈ℝ,wherea∈C(ℝ,(0,∞))isω-periodic function andf:ℝ×[0,∞)×ℝ2→[0,∞)is a continuous function which isω-periodic int,and τ0,τ1,τ2are positive constants. The discussion is based on the fixed-point index theory in cones.
Cryotherapy for Primary Treatment of Prostate Cancer: Intermediate Term Results of a Prospective Study from a Single Institution
Authors: Rodríguez S. Alvarez , Arias Fúnez F. , Bueno Bravo C. , Rodríguez-Patrón Rodríguez R. , Sanz Mayayo E. , Palacios V. Hevia , Burgos Revilla F. J.
Published: February 2014

Purpose.Published data about cryotherapy for prostate cancer (PC) treatment are based on case series with a lack of clinical trials and the inexistence of a validated definition of biochemical failure. A prospective study with standardized followup protocol was conducted in our institution.Material and Methods.Prospective study of a series of cases including 108 patients diagnosed with localized PC at clinical stage T1c-T2c treated by primary cryoablation and median followup of 61 months. Criteria of biochemical recurrence were unified according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO). End points were biochemical progression-free survival (BPFS), cancer-specific survival, and overall survival. Rate of complications was reported.Results.The BPFS for low-, medium-, and high-risk patients was 96.4%, 91.2%, and 62.2%, respectively. Cancer-specific survival was 98.1%. Overall survival reached 94.4%. Complications included incontinence in 5.6%, urinary tract obstruction in 1.9%, urethral sloughing in 5.6%, haematuria in 1.9%, perineal pain in 11.1%, and prostatorectal fistula in 0.9%. Erectile disfunction was found in 98.1%.Conclusions.Cryotherapy is an effective and minimally invasive treatment for primary PC in well-selected cases, with low surgical risk and good results in terms of BPFS, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival.
Effects of Resveratrol and Nebivolol on Isolated Vascular and Cardiac Tissues from Young Rats
Authors: Pullen Candice , Coulson Fiona R. , Fenning Andrew
Published: February 2014

The mechanisms by which resveratrol and nebivolol induce vasodilation are not clearly understood. It has been postulated that both agents stimulate the production of nitric oxide; however, this remains to be conclusively established. The major aim of this study was to examine the vasodilatory and antiarrhythmic effects of both resveratrol and nebivolol and to provide further insight into possible mechanisms of action. Cardiac and vascular tissues were isolated from healthy male rodents. Results indicate that resveratrol and nebivolol decrease the action potential duration and induce mild vasorelaxation in aortic and mesenteric segments. Relaxation induced by resveratrol was prevented by the addition of verapamil, Nω-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester, and 4-aminopyridine. This suggests that nebivolol and resveratrol act as putative antiarrhythmic and vasodilatory agentsin vitrothrough possible indirect nitric oxide mechanisms.
Optimization of Natural Frequencies and Sound Power of Beams Using Functionally Graded Material
Authors: Alshabatat Nabeel T. , Naghshineh Koorosh
Published: February 2014

This paper presents a design method to optimize the material distribution of functionally graded beams with respect to some vibration and acoustic properties. The change of the material distribution through the beam length alters the stiffness and the mass of the beam. This can be used to alter a specific beam natural frequency. It can also be used to reduce the sound power radiated from the vibrating beam. Two novel volume fraction laws are used to describe the material volume distributions through the length of the FGM beam. The proposed method couples the finite element method (for the modal and harmonic analysis), Lumped Parameter Model (for calculating the power of sound radiation), and an optimization technique based on Genetic Algorithm. As a demonstration of this technique, the optimization procedure is applied to maximize the fundamental frequency of FGM cantilever and clamped beams and to minimize the sound radiation from vibrating clamped FGM beam at a specific frequency.
Syncope as the Presenting Feature of Splenic Rupture after Colonoscopy
Authors: Jamorabo Daniel , Feller Edward
Published: February 2014

Splenic rupture is a rare, catastrophic complication of colonoscopy and an exceptional cause of syncope. This injury is believed to be from direct trauma or tension on the splenocolic ligament with subsequent capsule avulsion or else from direct instrument-induced splenic injury. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion that may be absent because presentation can be subtle, nonspecific, and delayed anywhere from hours to days and therefore not easily attributed to a recent endoscopy. We describe a case of syncope as the initial manifestation of splenic rupture after colonoscopy. Our patient’s pain was delayed; his discomfort was mild and not localized to the left upper quadrant. Clinicians should consider syncope, lightheadedness, and drop in hemoglobin in absence of rectal bleeding following a colonoscopy as possible warning signs of imminent or emergent splenic injury.
Exclusion of Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus Using Single Phase Coronary Computed Tomography as Compared to Transesophageal Echocardiography in Patients Undergoing Pulmonary Vein Isolation
Authors: Saucedo Jason , Martinho Shaun , Frankel Dianne , Slim Ahmad M. , Eckart Robert E.
Published: February 2014

Background. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is used for the evaluation of the presence of left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus prior to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), while coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is used for anatomic mapping during PVI. Methods. We compared the diagnostic performance of single phase CCTA to TEE in excluding the presence of LAA thrombus in patients undergoing PVI in 172 subjects performed during index hospitalization. Results. The mean age was 51±13 years, a median CHADS2 score of 1 [IQR25,75 0,1, range 0–3] and a mean periprocedural INR of 2.1±0.6. The prevalence of an LAA filling defect on single phase CCTA was 9.3% (6/183) and on TEE was 1.2% (2/183). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 100% (95% CI, 19.8–100%), 91.8% (95% CI, 94–99%), 12.5% (95% CI, 60–76%), and 91.8% (95% CI, 97–100%) for the detection of LAA filling defect, respectively. Conclusion. Given the utility of a preprocedural single phase CCTA for the performance of PVI, the absence of a filling defect negates the need for a subsequent TEE as an adjunct for exclusion of LAA thrombus.
Distributed Algorithm for Constructing Efficient Tree Topology for Message Dissemination in Vehicular Networks
Authors: Kamakshi S. , Natarajan Sairam
Published: February 2014

Vehicular ad hoc network is an ad hoc network constituted among moving vehicles that have wireless dedicated short range communication (DSRC) devices in order to provide ubiquitous connectivity even if the road-side infrastructure is unavailable. Message dissemination in vehicular ad hoc networks is necessary for exchanging information about prevailing traffic information, so that the vehicles can take alternate routes to avoid traffic jam. A major challenge in broadcast protocols is that they result in flooding of messages that reduce the speed of dissemination due to collision. Dissemination of messages using tree topology reduces the number of rebroadcasts. Dynamicity Aware Graph Relabeling System model provides a framework to construct spanning tree in mobile wireless network. In this paper, we propose a new distributed algorithm for constructing an arbitrary spanning tree based on Dynamicity Aware Graph Relabeling System model, which develops a maximum leaf spanning tree in order to reduce the number of rebroadcasts and dissemination time. Our simulation results prove that the number of vehicles rebroadcasting the message is curtailed to 15% and the dissemination time required to achieve 100% reachability is curtailed by 10% under average vehicle density.
Approximate Series Solution of Nonlinear Singular Boundary Value Problems Arising in Physiology
Authors: Singh Randhir , Kumar Jitendra , Nelakanti Gnaneshwar
Published: February 2014

We introduce an efficient recursive scheme based on Adomian decomposition method (ADM) for solving nonlinear singular boundary value problems. This approach is based on a modification of the ADM; here we use all the boundary conditions to derive an integral equation before establishing the recursive scheme for the solution components. In fact, we develop the recursive scheme without any undetermined coefficients while computing the solution components. Unlike the classical ADM, the proposed method avoids solving a sequence of nonlinear algebraic or transcendental equations for the undetermined coefficients. The approximate solution is obtained in the form of series with easily calculable components. The uniqueness of the solution is discussed. The convergence and error analysis of the proposed method are also established. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed method are examined by four numerical examples.
Anthropometric, Hemodynamic, Metabolic, and Renal Responses during 5 Days of Food and Water Deprivation
Authors: Papagiannopoulos Ioannis A. , Sideris Vassilis I. , Boschmann Michael , Koutsoni Olga S. , Dotsika Eleni N.
Published: February 2014

Background: Although there is considerable research in the field of fasting and fluid restriction, little is known about the impact of food and water deprivation (FWD) on body circumferences and vital parameters. Methods: During 5 days of FWD in 10 healthy adults, hemodynamic, metabolic, and renal parameters, such as weight, 5 circumferences at neck, waist, hip, chest at axilla, chest at nipples, and 1 new oblique hip circumference were measured daily. For each circumference, new quotients of daily circumference-to-weight decrease were calculated. The set of employed parameters quantified and monitored dieting persons' compliance and efficacy of the method. Results: The values of blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin oxygen saturation, glucose, K+, Na+, Cl-, urea, creatinine, and serum osmolality proved to be stable. The mean creatinine clearance increased up to 167%. The mean daily weight decrease (1,390 ± 60 g) demonstrated the effectiveness of FWD in weight reduction. The daily decrease of all measured circumferences and the values of the corresponding circumference-to-weight decrease quotients reflected considerable volume decrease in all measured body parts per day and kg of weight loss during FWD. Conclusion: The intervention of 5 FWD days in 10 healthy adults was found to be safe, decreased weight and all measured circumferences, and improved renal function considerably.
Antithrombotic properties of rafigrelide: a phase 1, open-label, non-randomised, single-sequence, crossover study
Authors: Balasubramaniam Karthik , Viswanathan Girish , Dragone Jeff , Grose-Hodge Rachael , Martin Patrick , Troy Steve , Preston Peter , Zaman Azfar G.
Published: February 2014

Platelets play a central role in atherothrombotic events. We investigated the effect of a novel platelet-lowering agent, rafigrelide, on thrombus formation and characteristics. In this phase 1, open-label, non-randomised, single-sequence, crossover study, healthy male volunteers received rafigrelide for 14 days (Period 1). Following a ≥6-week washout period, they then received rafigrelide + acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) for 14 days (Period 2). Thrombus formation was assessed ex vivo using the Badimon perfusion chamber, and thrombus characteristics were assessed using thromboelastography. A total of 15 volunteers were enrolled in the study and were assigned to Panel A or Panel B, which had different schedules of assessments. In Panel A, after treatment with rafigrelide alone (Period 1), mean (± standard deviation) platelet count was reduced from 283 (± 17) × 109/l at Day 1, to 125 (± 47) × 109/l at Day 14 (n=6) and thrombus area reduced under high and low shear conditions. Reductions in thrombus area under high shear conditions correlated with reductions in platelet count (r2=0.11, p=0.022; n=12). Rafigrelide treatment prolonged clot formation time and reduced clot strength. The addition of ASA to rafigrelide (Period 2) had no additional effect on platelet count or thrombus area under high or low shear conditions. Similar results were seen in Panel B for all parameters. The most common adverse events (≥3 participants per period) were thrombocytopenia and headache. While confirming the platelet-lowering effects of rafigrelide, this early phase study also indicates that rafigrelide has antithrombotic properties under both high and low shear conditions.
Asian Integration and Its Implications for the EU “Post-Doha”
Authors: Plummer Michael G.
Published: February 2014

Asian economic cooperation and integration has become a key fixture of the global economic landscape in the 21st century. Over the past decade Asian economies established a large number of bilateral and a few sub-regional free trade areas that have facilitated the rise in intra-regional trade and regional production networks. More recently, the region has been active in embracing regionwide accords. The EU has been essentially left out of this process. This paper considers the economic costs of EU exclusion from the economic cooperation initiatives in Asia. It finds that, although on the whole the effects will be small, the EU could face significant trade diversion at the commodity level.
Trade Linkages and Crisis Spillovers
Authors: Cheewatrakoolpong Kornkarun , Manprasert Somprawin
Published: February 2014

Many empirical studies find little evidence to support trade linkages as a channel for crisis spillovers during the 2008–09 global financial crisis, although trade linkages were one of the most important crisis transmission channels during 1971–97. A reason that may explain why trade linkages play a less important role in recent years is the changing composition of trade. In particular, the increasing formation of international production networks implies that trade increasingly involves indirect trade linkages. As a result, direct trade statistics may fail to accurately to capture the total trade exposure. In our study, we estimate total trade linkages by including indirect trade linkages obtained from the construction of a trade matrix. When we account for indirect trade linkages, we find that export dependency on the U.S. market still helps to explain crisis severity for developed countries.
The Institutional Root Causes of the Challenges to Vietnam's Long-Term Economic Growth
Authors: Vu Khuong M.
Published: February 2014

Vietnam has achieved impressive economic growth since the dramatic deepening of its economic reforms in March 1989. Although Vietnam's achievements are laudable, the economy appears to face increasingly serious challenges to sustained, robust economic performance in the long term. This paper analyzes Vietnam's economic growth to identify the institutional root causes that will make it difficult for Vietnam to sustain its high growth rates. There are three categories of institutional root causes—economic, administrative, and political—and these three categories are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. The economic institutional weaknesses are the absence of an independent central bank and the dominant role of the state-owned sector. The administrative institutional limitation is the lack of public management capabilities; and the political institutional limitation is the absolute monopolization of power by the Communist Party of Vietnam. I contend that without fundamental institutional reforms, Vietnam will not only be unable to achieve robust economic performance in the long term but also be at risk of experiencing a severe crisis when the regional or global economy experiences a severe shock in the future.