bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forage nutritive value of Texas bluegrass harvested in the morning and afternoon in northwest Oklahoma
Authors: Goldman Jason J. , Gunter Stacey A.
Published: June 2012

Texas bluegrass (
Poa arachnifera
Torr.) is a highly rhizomatous, dioecious, sexual, perennial, cool‐season grass native to southern Kansas, Oklahoma, western Arkansas and most of Texas. This native species is of particular interest for development into an improved cool‐season forage plant because of its heat tolerance and persistence under the extreme environmental conditions of the southern Great Plains. The objectives of this experiment were to determine water‐soluble, non‐structural carbohydrate and crude protein concentrations, forage dry matter yield, and in situ organic matter and crude protein disappearance from Texas bluegrass as affected by germplasm, maturity and time of harvest (morning and afternoon) at Woodward, Oklahoma. Crude protein concentrations ranged from 9 to 12% across seasons and did not differ between a morning and afternoon harvest. Dry matter yield ranged from 2130 to 5580 kg ha−1 over all harvest dates. Water‐soluble, non‐structural carbohydrate concentration was greater in the afternoon compared to morning harvests and ranged from 11 to 26%. Based on estimates from in situ digestion, the ratio of ruminally degradable crude protein to ruminally degraded organic matter in Texas bluegrass, it may compensate for the ruminally degraded nitrogen deficiency associated with dormant warm‐season grasses during the winter. The forage nutritive value parameters estimated in this study indicate that Texas bluegrass has potential as an improved cool‐season pasture grass.
Gene Network Analysis and Functional Studies of Senescence‐associated Genes Reveal Novel Regulators of Arabidopsis Leaf SenescenceF
Authors: Li Zhonghai , Peng Jinying , Wen Xing , Guo Hongwei
Published: June 2012

Plant leaf senescence has been recognized as the last phase of plant development, a highly ordered process regulated by genes known as senescence associated genes (SAGs). However, the function of most of SAGs in regulating leaf senescence as well as regulators of those functionally known SAGs are still unclear. We have previously developed a curated database of genes potentially associated with leaf senescence, the Leaf Senescence Database (LSD). In this study, we built gene networks to identify common regulators of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana using promoting or delaying senescence genes in LSD. Our results demonstrated that plant hormones cytokinin, auxin, nitric oxide as well as small molecules, such as Ca2+, delay leaf senescence. By contrast, ethylene, ABA, SA and JA as well as small molecules, such as oxygen, promote leaf senescence, altogether supporting the idea that phytohormones play a critical role in regulating leaf senescence. Functional analysis of candidate SAGs in LSD revealed that a WRKY transcription factor WRKY75 and a Cys2/His2–type transcription factor AZF2 are positive regulators of leaf senescence and loss‐of‐function of WRKY75 or AZF2 delayed leaf senescence. We also found that silencing of a protein phosphatase, AtMKP2, promoted early senescence. Collectively, LSD can serve as a comprehensive resource for systematic study of the molecular mechanism of leaf senescence as well as offer candidate genes for functional analyses.
EVALUATION OF FPA‐FTIR SPECTROSCOPY AS A TOOL IN THE DIFFERENTIATION OFCAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNIFROMCAMPYLOBACTER COLIISOLATED FROM RETAIL CHICKEN SAMPLES
Authors: CARRANZA L.C. , ALVAREZ P.A. , GHETLER A. , IUGOVAZ I. , SEDMAN J. , CARRILLO C.D. , ISMAIL A.A.
Published: June 2012

A method for differentiation ofCampylobacter jejuniandCampylobacter colibased on focal‐plane‐array Fourier transform infrared (FPA‐FTIR) spectroscopy was evaluated as an alternative to the current cumbersome methodology. Two types of reference data banks were constructed, one containing FTIR spectra ofC. jejuniandC. colistrains, and the other containing FTIR spectra of 11Campylobacterspecies. The FPA–FTIR method was tested by identifying 40C. jejuniand 16C. coliisolates from poultry, previously identified biochemically and by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction, through comparison of their spectra against the data banks. Employing theC. jejuniandC. colidata bank produced high sensitivity towardC. jejuni(95%) andC. coli(94%) and high overall specificity (95%). With theCampylobacterspp. data bank, the corresponding values were 82, 88 and 84%, respectively. We conclude that FPA‐FTIR spectroscopy is a valuable tool for the differentiation ofC. jejuniandC. coli,particularly whenC. jejuniandC. colidata banks are used.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

FoodborneCampylobacterinfections are highly prevalent, and therefore proper detection and identification ofCampylobacterstrains are of paramount importance. Accurate and fast methods for the identification ofCampylobacter jejuniandCampylobacter coliare pressing needs. This study presents a rapid, accurate method for differentiation betweenC. jejuniandC. colibased on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. By employing FTIR imaging instrumentation equipped with an infrared microscope and a focal‐plane‐array detector, thousands of spectra are recorded from each isolate in the amount of time a traditional FTIR spectrometer records a single spectrum. In turn, rich biochemical characterizations of bacterial strains, often termed “whole‐organism fingerprints,” are rapidly produced. Comparison of the FTIR spectra of unknown microorganisms against spectral databases of reference strains through the use of principal component analysis allows quick and accurate identification ofC. jejuniandC. colistrains, offering an invaluable tool for food safety assurance and surveillance.
Intra‐articular morphine, bupivacaine or no treatment for postoperative analgesia following unilateral elbow joint arthroscopy
Authors: Gurney M. A. , Rysnik M. , Comerford E. J. , Cripps P. J. , Iff I.
Published: June 2012

Objectives

To compare intra‐articular morphine or bupivacaine against no treatment following unilateral elbow joint arthroscopy using force plate analysis and pain scoring.

Methods

Thirty‐one dogs were randomly allocated to receive 0·1 mg/kg intra‐articular morphine, 0·5 mg/kg bupivacaine or no treatment following elbow arthroscopy. Force plate analysis, pain scoring and kinematic evaluation were performed before anaesthesia, 4 and 24 hours after surgery. Peak vertical force index, symmetry index, rate of loading, rate of unloading, stance time and range of motion were obtained from gait analysis. Pain scoring was performed every 4 hours and interventional analgesia (0·3 mg/kg methadone) was administered if necessary.

Results

Of 29 dogs analysed, peak vertical force index (P<0·001), symmetry index (P=0·01) and rate of unloading (P=0·01) decreased significantly over time in each group; however, this was not affected by treatment. No significant differences were observed in stance time or rate of loading over time. Kinematic (range of motion) evaluation was not complete for all dogs. Pain scores increased significantly at both time points postoperatively in the no treatment group (P=0·007) and in morphine‐treated dogs at 4 hours compared to baseline (P=0·03). For intra‐articular bupivacaine significant increases in pain scores were not detected (P=0·28).

Clinical Significance

No benefit to intra‐articular bupivacaine or morphine was detected using peak vertical force index from force plate analysis. Bupivacaine prevented increases in pain scores at both time points as did morphine at the 24‐hour evaluation, compared to no treatment.
Competition among the big and the small
Authors: Shimomura Ken‐Ichi , Thisse Jacques‐François
Published: June 2012

Many industries are made up of a few big firms, which are able to manipulate the market outcome, and of a host of small businesses, each of which has a negligible impact on the market. We provide a general equilibrium framework that encapsulates both market structures. Due to the higher toughness of competition, the entry of big firms leads them to sell more through a market expansion effect generated by the shrinking of the monopolistically competitive fringe. Furthermore, social welfare increases with the number of big firms because the procompetitive effect associated with entry dominates the resulting decrease in product diversity.
Influence of exercise intensity on skeletal muscle blood flow, O2 extraction and O2 uptake on‐kinetics
Authors: Jones Andrew M. , Krustrup Peter , Wilkerson Daryl P. , Berger Nicolas J. , Calbet José A. , Bangsbo Jens
Published: June 2012

Key points

Following the start of low‐intensity exercise in healthy humans, it has been established that the kinetics of muscle O2 delivery is faster than, and does not limit, the kinetics of muscle O2 uptake.

Direct data are lacking, however, on the question of whether O2 delivery might limit O2 uptake kinetics during high‐intensity exercise.

In this study, we made frequent measurements of muscle blood flow, arterial‐to‐venous O2 difference (a–difference) and O2 uptake following the onset of multiple transitions of both low‐intensity and high‐intensity knee‐extension exercise in the same subjects.

We show that although blood flow kinetics is slower for high‐intensity compared with low‐intensity exercise, this does not result in slower O2 uptake kinetics.

These results indicate that muscle O2 delivery does not limit O2 uptake during knee‐extension exercise in healthy humans.

Abstract  Following the start of low‐intensity exercise in healthy humans, it has been established that the kinetics of skeletal muscle O2 delivery is faster than, and does not limit, the kinetics of muscle O2 uptake (). Direct data are lacking, however, on the question of whether O2 delivery might limit kinetics during high‐intensity exercise. Using multiple exercise transitions to enhance confidence in parameter estimation, we therefore investigated the kinetics of, and inter‐relationships between, muscle blood flow (), a– difference and following the onset of low‐intensity (LI) and high‐intensity (HI) exercise. Seven healthy males completed four 6 min bouts of LI and four 6 min bouts of HI single‐legged knee‐extension exercise. Blood was frequently drawn from the femoral artery and vein during exercise and , a– difference and were calculated and subsequently modelled using non‐linear regression techniques. For LI, the fundamental component mean response time (MRTp) for kinetics was significantly shorter than kinetics (mean ± SEM, 18 ± 4 vs. 30 ± 4 s; P < 0.05), whereas for HI, the MRTp for and was not significantly different (27 ± 5 vs. 29 ± 4 s, respectively). There was no difference in the MRTp for either or between the two exercise intensities; however, the MRTp for a– difference was significantly shorter for HI compared with LI (17 ± 3 vs. 28 ± 4 s; P < 0.05). Excess O2, i.e. oxygen not taken up (×), was significantly elevated within the first 5 s of exercise and remained unaltered thereafter, with no differences between LI and HI. These results indicate that bulk O2 delivery does not limit kinetics following the onset of LI or HI knee‐extension exercise.
Tribological Characteristics of Three Novel Imidazoline-Type Thiadiazole Derivatives in Colza Oil and Synthetic Diester
Authors: Shui Lin , Zhou Yi , Zhang Guoru , Chen Huan , Zhao Yidong
Published: June 2012

Owing to the requests of exploring environment-friendly and multifunctional lubricant additives, three novel imidazoline-type thiadiazole derivatives are prepared and used as lubricant additives in two biodegradable base stocks, colza oil and synthetic diester, respectively, and their tribological performance is tested using the four-ball tester. For further understanding of their tribological behaviors, x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is adopted to analyze the thermal films and tribofilms generated from these additives in two base stocks. Tribological tests show that all these thiadiazole derivatives are effective in reducing wear in synthetic diester, and derivative SIB (stearic acid-imidazoline-type thiadiazole derivative) is better than derivative OIB (oleic acid-imidazoline-type thiadiazole derivative) and derivative DIB (lauric acid-imidazoline-type thiadiazole derivative) in reducing friction at high additive concentrations. But these derivatives almost fail in improving the tribological characteristic of colza oil. According to XANES spectra, thermal films formed in two base stocks are mainly composed of ferrous sulfate and adsorbed organic sulfide. These derivatives are also easily oxidized into high-valent sulfate in colza oil during the rubbing process, and ferrous sulfate is the main component of these tribofilms. But in synthetic diester, tribofilms are mainly composed of ferrous sulfide, and it is notable that the tribofilm generated by derivative SIB at 1.0 wt. % is composed of ferrous sulfide and ferrous disulfide. Under extreme-pressure conditions, these derivatives easily react with the metallic surface to generate ferrous sulfide in colza oil. But in synthetic diester, adsorbed organic sulfide is the main component of those films. The base stock has a great impact on the compositions of these reaction films, so the tribological behaviors of these derivatives are different in two base stocks.
Analysis of
Helicobacter pylori cagA
Promoter Elements Required for Salt-Induced Upregulation of CagA Expression
Authors: Loh John T. , Friedman David B. , Piazuelo M. Blanca , Bravo Luis E. , Wilson Keith T. , Peek Richard M. , Correa Pelayo , Cover Timothy L.
Published: June 2012

Helicobacter pylori
infection and consumption of a high-salt diet are each associated with an increased risk for the development of gastric cancer. To investigate potential synergism between these factors, we used a global proteomic approach to analyze
H. pylori
strains cultured in media containing varying salt concentrations. Among the differentially expressed proteins identified, CagA exhibited the greatest increase in expression in response to high salt concentrations. Analysis of 36
H. pylori
strains isolated from patients in two regions of Colombia with differing incidences of gastric cancer revealed marked differences among strains in salt-responsive CagA expression. Sequence analysis of the
cagA
promoter region in these strains revealed a DNA motif (TAATGA) that was present in either one or two copies. Salt-induced upregulation of CagA expression was detected more commonly in strains containing two copies of the TAATGA motif than in strains containing one copy. Mutagenesis experiments confirmed that two copies of the TAATGA motif are required for salt-induced upregulation of CagA expression. In summary, there is considerable heterogeneity among
H. pylori
strains in salt-regulated CagA expression, and these differences are attributable to variation in a specific DNA motif upstream of the
cagA
transcriptional start site.
BUILDING SEMANTIC NETWORKS FROM PLAIN TEXT AND WIKIPEDIA WITH APPLICATION TO SEMANTIC RELATEDNESS AND NOUN COMPOUND PARAPHRASING
Authors: WOJTINNEK PIA-RAMONA , PULMAN STEPHEN , VÖLKER JOHANNA
Published: June 2012

The construction of suitable and scalable representations of semantic knowledge is a core challenge in Semantic Computing. Manually created resources such as WordNet have been shown to be useful for many AI and NLP tasks, but they are inherently restricted in their coverage and scalability. In addition, they have been challenged by simple distributional models on very large corpora, questioning the advantage of structured knowledge representations.

We present a framework for building large-scale semantic networks automatically from plain text and Wikipedia articles using only linguistic analysis tools. Our constructed resources cover up to 2 million concepts and were built in less than 6 days. Using the task of measuring semantic relatedness, we show that we achieve results comparable to the best WordNet based methods as well as the best distributional methods while using a corpus of a size several magnitudes smaller. In addition, we show that we can outperform both types of methods by combining the results of our two network variants. Initial experiments on noun compound paraphrasing show similar results, underlining the quality as well as the flexibility of our constructed resources.
LINEAR COHERENT BI-CLUSTERING VIA BEAM SEARCHING AND SAMPLE SET CLUSTERING
Authors: SHI YI , HASAN MARYAM , CAI ZHIPENG , LIN GUOHUI , SCHUURMANS DALE
Published: June 2012

We propose a new bi-clustering algorithm, LinCoh, for finding linear coherent bi-clusters in gene expression microarray data. Our method exploits a robust technique for identifying conditionally correlated genes, combined with an efficient density-based search for clustering sample sets. Experimental results on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrated that LinCoh consistently finds more accurate and higher quality bi-clusters than existing bi-clustering algorithms.
OPTIMIZING DATA THROUGHPUT IN CLIENT/SERVER SYSTEMS BY KEEPING QUEUE SIZES BALANCED
Authors: KRANAKIS E. , KRIZANC D. , LAMBADARIS I. , NARAYANAN L. , OPATRNY J.
Published: June 2012

Consider a synchronous system of clients and servers whereby client requests may be satisfied by any one of the servers the clients are assigned to and where the association between clients and servers is determined by an arbitrary but predefined apportionment of the set of servers to clients and of clients to servers. A client can get the required service from any of the servers it is assigned to and at each time step all clients make a request to the servers which then provide the service according to requests. Since clients can make requests simultaneously, if there is no coordination in the "client-to-server" assignment process some clients may have to wait longer if they are assigned simultaneously to a single server when overall performance could improve had they been assigned to separate available servers. Therefore a principal approach to optimizing throughput when assigning client requests to supporting servers, is to keep the client queue sizes well balanced so as to prevent servers from having to remain idle while other servers are being overused. There are several potential examples of such systems involving data gathering and forwarding among sensors in a sensor network or when the servers are base-stations and the clients may be either rotating satellites or other wireless devices, for example. In this paper we consider the problem of finding an assignment of clients to servers that results in all clients receiving a packet while optimally balancing the sizes of remaining queues at the clients. We give a polynomial time algorithm for solving this problem which requires O((m + n)3n) arithmetic operations, where m is the number of client queues and n is the number of servers.
CHARACTERISTIC TEMPERATURES OF FIRST-ORDER FERROELECTRIC PHASE TRANSITION: EFFECTIVE FIELD APPROACH
Authors: WANG C. L. , ARAGÓ C. , MARQUÉS M. I.
Published: June 2012

The explicit expression of Helmholtz free energy has been obtained from the equation of state from effective field approach. From the Helmholtz free energy, four characteristic temperatures describing a first-order ferroelectric phase transitions have been determined. The physical meaning of coefficients in Landau-type free energy has been revealed by comparison with the expanding Helmholtz function. Temperature dependence of polarization under different bias, and hysteresis loops at different temperatures are presented and discussed. These results provide the basic understandings of the static properties of first-order ferroelectric phase transitions.
Analytical and Biological Methods for Probing the Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Kuhnline Sloan Courtney D. , Nandi Pradyot , Linz Thomas H. , Aldrich Jane V. , Audus Kenneth L. , Lunte Susan M.
Published: June 2012

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important interface between the peripheral and central nervous systems. It protects the brain against the infiltration of harmful substances and regulates the permeation of beneficial endogenous substances from the blood into the extracellular fluid of the brain. It can also present a major obstacle in the development of drugs that are targeted for the central nervous system. Several methods have been developed to investigate the transport and metabolism of drugs, peptides, and endogenous compounds at the BBB. In vivo methods include intravenous injection, brain perfusion, positron emission tomography, and microdialysis sampling. Researchers have also developed in vitro cell-culture models that can be employed to investigate transport and metabolism at the BBB without the complication of systemic involvement. All these methods require sensitive and selective analytical methods to monitor the transport and metabolism of the compounds of interest at the BBB.
Prenatal and Postnatal Epigenetic Programming: Implications for GI, Immune, and Neuronal Function in Autism
Authors: Waly Mostafa I. , Hornig Mady , Trivedi Malav , Hodgson Nathaniel , Kini Radhika , Ohta Akio , Deth Richard
Published: June 2012

Although autism is first and foremost a disorder of the central nervous system, comorbid dysfunction of the gastrointestinal (GI) and immune systems is common, suggesting that all three systems may be affected by common molecular mechanisms. Substantial systemic deficits in the antioxidant glutathione and its precursor, cysteine, have been documented in autism in association with oxidative stress and impaired methylation. DNA and histone methylation provide epigenetic regulation of gene expression during prenatal and postnatal development. Prenatal epigenetic programming (PrEP) can be affected by the maternal metabolic and nutritional environment, whereas postnatal epigenetic programming (PEP) importantly depends upon nutritional support provided through the GI tract. Cysteine absorption from the GI tract is a crucial determinant of antioxidant capacity, and systemic deficits of glutathione and cysteine in autism are likely to reflect impaired cysteine absorption. Excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3) provides cysteine uptake for GI epithelial, neuronal, and immune cells, and its activity is decreased during oxidative stress. Based upon these observations, we propose that neurodevelopmental, GI, and immune aspects of autism each reflect manifestations of inadequate antioxidant capacity, secondary to impaired cysteine uptake by the GI tract. Genetic and environmental factors that adversely affect antioxidant capacity can disrupt PrEP and/or PEP, increasing vulnerability to autism.
Triggered Rapid Degradation of Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery
Authors: Morachis José M. , Mahmoud Enas A. , Sankaranarayanan Jagadis , Almutairi Adah
Published: June 2012

Effective gene delivery tools offer the possibility of addressing multiple diseases; current strategies rely on viruses or polyplexes. Encapsulation of DNA within nanoparticles is an attractive alternative method for gene delivery. We investigated the use of our recently developed Logic Gate Nanoparticle for gene delivery. The nanoparticles, composed of a dual pH response random copolymer (poly-β-aminoester ketal-2), can undergo a two-step “in series” response to endosomal pH. The first sep is a hydrophobic-hydrophilic switch, which is followed immediately by rapid degradation. Rapid fragmentation is known to increase cytoplasmic delivery from nanoparticles. Therefore, we hypothesized that our Logic Gate Nanoparticles would enable increased gene delivery and expression relative to nanoparticles that degrade more slowly such as PLGA-based nanoparticles. Passive nanoparticle entry into cells was demonstrated by delivering Cy5-labeled pDNA encoding EGFP into HCT116, a colon carcinoma cell line. Flow cytometry analysis showed that cells are positive for Cy5-DNA-nanoparticles and produced EGFP expression superior to PLGA nanoparticles. Inhibition of V-ATPases using bafilomycin A1 demonstrates that expression of EGFP is dependent on low endosomal pH. The advanced Logic Gate Nanoparticles offer new therapeutic possibilities in gene delivery and other applications where rapid release is important.
The Quest for Self-Identity: Not All Cancer Stem Cells Are the Same
Authors: Hjelmeland Anita B. , Rich Jeremy N.
Published: June 2012

A central critique of the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis involves the robustness of CSC markers. Zorniak and colleagues suggest that different progenitor marker profiles can classify CSCs, and improved modeling of cellular hierarchies can be achieved by incorporating inter- and intratumoral diversity. Clin Cancer Res; 18(13); 3495–8. ©2012 AACR.
A Mechanism of Rat Vibrissal Movement Based on Actual Morphology of the Intrinsic Muscle Using Three-Dimensional Reconstruction
Authors: Kim Jeong-Nam , Yoo Ja-Young , Lee Ju-Young , Koh Ki-Seok , Song Wu-Chul
Published: June 2012

The vibrissal capsular muscle (VCM) of the rat is known to differ from the arrector pili muscle. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the rat VCM morphologically using three-dimensional reconstruction. The rat snout skin was fixed, processed with routine histological methods, sectioned serially at a thickness of 10 µm, and then stained with Masson’s trichrome. The sectioned images were reconstructed three-dimensionally using ‘Reconstruct’ software. The findings confirmed that the VCM is a skeletal muscle attached to the vibrissal follicle such that the latter is rooted within the former. The VCM encircles the follicle almost entirely, from base to apex, and hooks around the follicle caudally. Each one of these capsular muscles is connected to two adjacent follicles in the same row. They overlap each other in the lower part, as the rostral follicular muscle that surrounds the caudal follicle. The present findings suggest that the vibrissae are able to move more freely (under voluntary control) than other general arrector pili muscles, in line with their sensory function.
Long-Term Treatment of Hyponatremic Patients with Nephrogenic Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuresis: Personal Experience and Review of Published Case Reports
Authors: Vandergheynst F. , Brachet C. , Heinrichs C. , Decaux G.
Published: June 2012

Background: Nephrogenic syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (NSIAD) is a disorder of water balance linked to gain-of-function mutation of arginine vasopressin receptor type 2 (AVPR2) resulting in free water reabsorption and episodes of hyponatremia. Aims: To review the long-term treatment of NSIAD. Methods: In the first part of this paper, we report 3 cases of male patients presenting with hyponatremia due to NSIAD. The second part consists of a comprehensive review of all published case reports. Results: In our experience, long-term fluid restriction (FR) and treatment with low doses of urea are efficient and well tolerated. Episodic intake of urea seems sufficient in some patients. Treatment data were available for 13 of the 16 hyponatremic patients reported in the literature. Each of these 13 patients had regulated fluid intake. Six of the patients received urea with no reported failure to correct hyponatremia and 5 received NaCl supplementation with varying efficacy. The AVPR2 antagonists tolvaptan and satavaptan (prescribed before the diagnosis of NSIAD was made) showed no efficacy in 1 patient. Conclusions: NSIAD is quite easy to treat with FR and urea in adults as well as in children, with good compliance and efficacy. Of note, FR is well tolerated, suggesting that NSIAD may differ from other causes of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion by reduction of thirst intensity due to lower levels of AVP (which stimulates thirst). In eventual refractory cases, furosemide (associated with NaCl supplementation) would represent a valuable therapeutic option by analogy of its efficacy in syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.
Rat Chromosome 8 Confers Protection against Dyslipidemia Caused by a High-Fat/ Low-Carbohydrate Diet
Authors: Solberg Woods Leah C. , Woods Brett C. , Leitschuh Caroline M. , Laurie Sonia J. , Jacob Howard J.
Published: June 2012

Background/Aims: Recent studies have highlighted the importance of gene by diet interactions in contributing to risk factors of metabolic syndrome. We used a consomic rat panel, in which a chromosome of the Brown Norway (BN) strain is introgressed onto the background of the Dahl salt-sentitive (SS) strain, to test the hypothesis that these animals will be useful for dissecting gene by diet interactions involved in metabolic syndrome. Methods: We placed the parental SS and BN strains on a low-fat/high-carbohydrate (LF) or high-fat/low-carbohydrate (HF) diet for 22 weeks and measured several indices of metabolic syndrome. We then investigated the effect of diet in eight consomic rat strains. Results: We show that the HF diet resulted in significantly increased levels of fasting plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in the SS strain, with no effect in the BN. Both strains responded to the HF diet with slight increases in body weight. SSBN8 was the only consomic strain that resembled that of the BN, with low levels of fasting cholesterol and triglycerides even on the HF diet. Conclusions: These results indicate that BN chromosome 8 harbors a gene or genes that confer protection against dyslipidemia caused by the HF diet.
Acromelanosis Albo-Punctata: A Distinct Inherited Dermatosis with Acral Spotty Dyspigmentation without Systemic Involvement
Authors: Arnold A.W. , Kern J.S. , Itin P.H. , Pigors M. , Happle R. , Has C.
Published: June 2012

We describe an otherwise healthy 7-year-old boy who developed confetti-like hypopigmented macules on the dorsal aspects of the hands and feet, spreading to the palms and soles a few months after birth. In 1964 Siemens introduced the term acromelanosis albo-punctata to describe the skin features of a patient who has remained the only reported case in the literature so far and who strongly resembles our patient. By genetic testing we excluded mutations in genes known to be involved in diseases with acral hypo- or hyperpigmentation. We review the differential diagnosis of acral localized spotty dyspigmentation and conclude that acromelanosis albo-punctata may represent a distinct entity.
Depressive Symptom Clusters and 5-Year Incidence of Coronary Artery Calcification
Authors: Stewart Jesse C. , Zielke Desiree J. , Hawkins Misty A.W. , Williams David R. , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Knox Sarah S. , Matthews Karen A.
Published: June 2012

Background—

Because depression is a multidimensional construct and few studies have compared the relative importance of its facets in predicting cardiovascular risk, we evaluated the utility of depressive symptom clusters in predicting the 5-year incidence of coronary artery calcification (CAC).

Methods and Results—

Participants were 2171 middle-aged adults (58% female; 43% black) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study who were free of cardiovascular disease. Depressive symptom clusters (
z
scores) were measured by questionnaires in 2000 to 2001, and CAC was measured by electron beam computed tomography in 2000 to 2001 and 2005 to 2006. There were 243 cases (11%) of incident CAC, defined as the absence of CAC at baseline and the presence of CAC at follow-up. Total depressive symptoms (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.33;
P
=0.03) and the depressed affect cluster (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.33;
P
=0.02) predicted incident CAC; however, the somatic, interpersonal distress, low positive affect, and pessimism clusters did not. The depressed affect–incident CAC relationship was independent of age, sex, race, education, and antidepressant use; was similar across sex and racial groups; and was partially accounted for by tobacco use and mean arterial pressure.

Conclusions—

In contrast to recent results indicating that the somatic cluster is the most predictive of cardiovascular outcomes, we found that the prospective association between depressive symptoms and incident CAC was driven by the depressed affect cluster. Our findings raise the possibility that there may not be 1 facet of depression that is the most cardiotoxic across all contexts.
Mitochondrial modulators for bipolar disorder: A pathophysiologically informed paradigm for new drug development
Authors: Nierenberg Andrew A , Kansky Christine , Brennan Brian P , Shelton Richard C , Perlis Roy , Iosifescu Dan V
Published: June 2012

Objectives:

Bipolar patients frequently relapse within 12 months of their previous mood episode, even in the context of adequate treatment, suggesting that better continuation and maintenance treatments are needed. Based on recent research of the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder, we review the evidence for mitochondrial dysregulation and selected mitochondrial modulators (MM) as potential treatments.

Methods:

We reviewed the literature about mitochondrial dysfunction and potential MMs worthy of study that could improve the course of bipolar disorder, reduce subsyndromal symptoms, and prevent subsequent mood episodes.

Results:

MM treatment targets mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, altered brain energy metabolism and the dysregulation of multiple mitochondrial genes in patients with bipolar disorder. Several tolerable and readily available candidates include N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), creatine monohydrate (CM), and melatonin. The specific metabolic pathways by which these MMs may improve the symptoms of bipolar disorder are discussed and combinations of selected MMs could be of interest as well.

Conclusions:

Convergent data implicate mitochondrial dysfunction as an important component of the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. Clinical trials of individual MMs as well as combinations are warranted.
The Economic Cost of Substance Abuse Treatment in the State of Florida
Authors: Alexandre Pierre K. , Beulaygue Isabelle C. , French Michael T. , McCollister Kathryn E. , Popovici Ioana , Sayed Bisma A.
Published: June 2012

Objective:

Public and private stakeholders of substance abuse treatment services require economic cost data to guide program evaluations and funding decisions.

Background:

Rigorous cost assessments have been conducted for several treatment programs across the United States, but a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of programs in a particular state has never been attempted.

Research Design:

The present study recruited all publicly funded treatment programs in the State of Florida and administered the Brief Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program.

Subjects:

A total of 175 programs participated in the study, representing a 71% response rate.

Measures:

Annual, weekly, and episode costs are estimated by modality.

Conclusion:

The study procedures and empirical findings from this research can be used by program evaluators and government officials in Florida and other states as they develop service reimbursement algorithms and initiate more extensive evaluations of publicly funded substance abuse treatment programs.
Efficacy and tolerability of rizatriptan in pediatric migraineurs: Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using a novel adaptive enrichment design
Authors: Ho Tony W , Pearlman Eric , Lewis Donald , Hämäläinen Mirja , Connor Kathryn , Michelson David , Zhang Ying , Assaid Christopher , Mozley Lyn Harper , Strickler Nancy , Bachman Robert , Mahoney Erin , Lines Christopher , Hewitt David J ,   for the Rizatriptan Protocol 082 Pediatric Migraine Study Group
Published: June 2012

Background

Treatment options for children and adolescents with migraine are limited. This study evaluated rizatriptan for the acute treatment of migraine in children and adolescents.

Methods

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial in migraineurs 6–17 years old with unsatisfactory response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen/paracetamol. The trial included a double-blind run-in with weight-based rizatriptan dosing (5 mg for <40 kg, 10 mg for ≥40 kg). In the Stage 1 run-in, patients were randomized in a ratio of 20:1 placebo:rizatriptan and were instructed to treat within 30 minutes of a moderate/severe migraine. Patients with mild/no pain after 15 minutes of treatment (responders) took no further study medication, whereas patients with moderate/severe pain (non-responders) proceeded to take study medication in Stage 2. Non-responders who received placebo in Stage 1 were randomized 1:1 to rizatriptan:placebo, whereas non-responders who received rizatriptan in Stage 1 were allocated to placebo in Stage 2. The primary efficacy endpoint was pain freedom at 2 hours after Stage 2 dose in 12–17-year-olds.

Results

A higher proportion of 12–17-year-olds on rizatriptan had pain freedom at 2 hours compared with those on placebo: 87/284 (30.6%) versus 63/286 (22.0%), odds ratio = 1.55 [95% CI: 1.06 to 2.26], p = 0.025. Adverse events within 14 days of dose in 12–17-year-olds were similar for rizatriptan and placebo. The pattern of findings was similar in 6–17-year-olds.

Conclusion

Rizatriptan demonstrated a statistically significant improvement over placebo in eliminating pain and was generally well tolerated in migraineurs aged 12–17 and 6–17 years.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01001234
Migraine and vascular diseases: A review of the evidence and potential implications for management
Authors: Sacco Simona , Ricci Silvia , Carolei Antonio
Published: June 2012

Introduction

The higher-than-expected incidence of vascular diseases reported in migraineurs suggests that migraine may, in some cases, be a dangerous condition rather than just a distressing but harmless disorder. We provide a systematic review of data linking migraine to vascular diseases.

Migraine and vascular diseases

Available data indicate an increased risk of ischemic stroke in subjects suffering from migraine with aura. In addition, evidence suggests an association between migraine with aura and cardiac disease, intracerebral hemorrhage, retinal vasculopathy and mortality that needs to be further corroborated; consequently, for those conditions, migraine with aura can be only considered among the less-well-documented risk factors. As the absolute risk of ischemic stroke in the overall migraineur population is low, subjects suffering from migraine with aura should be made aware of the possible link but not unduly alarmed. It is a common notion that the vascular risk of migraineurs may be further increased by the presence of easily treatable vascular risk factors such as arterial hypertension, cigarette smoking and oral contraceptive use.

Conclusions

Forthcoming guidelines should appropriately recommend supporting migraineurs not only with measures aimed at decreasing headache frequency, thus improving quality of life, but also with general measures and preventive strategies aimed to reduce the overall vascular risk. In fact, headache specialists should take care not only of relieving pain but also of assessing and treating concurrent vascular risk factors, while gynecologists, in particular, should routinely consider the presence and type of migraine before prescribing oral contraceptives.
Prediction of aerial-image motion blurs due to the flying vehicle dynamics and camera characteristics in a virtual environment
Authors: Atashgah MA Amiri , Malaek SMB
Published: June 2012

This study presents comprehensive studies on practical means to predict aerial-image motion blurs due to the flying vehicle dynamics, including flying altitude; cruising speed; and angular velocities and finally installed camera characteristics; such as, frame rate and image size. The resulting predictions of blur values are in-turn used to generate blurry images to be fed as input data for later use in a de-blurring-in-the-loop of a Mono-simultaneous localization and mapping system. The whole process is coordinated by means of an integrated aerial virtual environment. The integrated aerial virtual environment consists of a three-dimensional graphical engine which could communicate with a full six-degrees of freedom aircraft dynamic simulator to precisely generate trajectories of the flying vehicle. Any accumulated real-time image taken by the camera installed on the aircraft during its mission considers the relevant vehicle states for necessary adjustments. We practically exploit C++, High-Level Shader Language, as well as JSBSim to expand the components of the package. Extensive case- studies show that the developed approach is quite effective in controlled environments.
Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder
Authors: Hermle Leo , Simon Melanie , Ruchsow Martin , Geppert Martin
Published: June 2012

A 33-year-old female patient developed a hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) after lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) abuse for a year at the age of 18. Specifically, she reported after images, perception of movement in her peripheral visual fields, blurring of small patterns, halo effects, and macro- and micropsia. Previous treatment with antidepressants and risperidone failed to ameliorate these symptoms. Upon commencing drug therapy with lamotrigine, these complex visual disturbances receded almost completely. Based on its hypothesized neuroprotective and mood-stabilizing effects, the antiepileptic lamotrigine may offer a promising new approach in the treatment of HPPD.
Aripiprazole induced severe and extensive skin reaction: A case report
Authors: Parker Caroline
Published: June 2012

Adverse cutaneous reactions are one of the most frequent types of adverse drug reactions, and have been reported with a wide range of psychotropics including typical and atypical antipsychotics. However the majority of adverse cutaneous reactions are relatively minor, and severe reactions are relatively rare. Aripiprazole is a third-generation atypical antipsychotic that has been available in the UK for over seven years. Here the author reports the first reported case of a lichenoid drug reaction to aripiprazole, a severe and potentially life-threatening adverse cutaneous reaction that required medical and surgical intervention.
“We Don’t Wanna Be Radiated”: Documentary Film and the Evolving Rhetoric of Nuclear Energy Activism
Authors: Lynch Lisa
Published: June 2012

Lynch’s essay explores the divergence between the symbolic imaginary of nuclear power and the imaginative terrain of environmentalism through a look at documentary film about the civilian nuclear industry. Lynch first analyzes several films about US antireactor activism produced in the 1970s and 1980s, showing how they manifest the codependence of antireactor activism and environmentalism. She then turns to recent films that look more broadly at the industrial processes involved in nuclear power creation. Drawing on disparate strands of scholarly inquiry— including ecocriticism, documentary theory, and science studies— Lynch reads these newer documentaries to illuminate how changing political, material, and economic realities have reshaped how opponents of nuclear energy imagine the relationships between body, place, and planet. She suggests that this reimagining is predicated on a complex global sensibility far more sophisticated than that embraced by past US opponents of nuclear power, as these newer films bring to mind what ecocritic Ursula Heise has described as “eco-cosmopolitanism” or “environmental world citizenship.” This latter group of films, in fact, serves as a model for cosmopolitan environmental discourse, thus broadening the applicability of Heise’s revisionary critique into a reconsideration of environmentalism as represented in documentary film.
Acute superior mesenteric artery embolism: reperfusion with AngioJet hydrodynamic suction thrombectomy and pharmacologic thrombolysis with the EKOS catheter
Authors: Ballehaninna U K , Hingorani A , Ascher E , Shiferson A , Marks N , Aboian E , Jimenez R , Jacob T , McIntyre T
Published: June 2012

Acute mesenteric ischemia is commonly treated by surgical exploration and open thrombectomy. Very few reports describe using newer, minimally invasive methods which utilize catheter-based mechanical and pharmacological thrombolysis. Herein, we report a case of acute superior mesenteric embolism successfully treated with AngioJet hydrodynamic mechanical thrombectomy and EKOS catheter pharmacological thrombolysis. A 76-year-old man with new onset atrial fibrillation presented with abdominal pain of 48 hours duration. Subsequent contrast computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a filling defect in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), suggestive of an acute embolus, which was confirmed by SMA angiogram. The AngioJet aspiration device was used for hydrodynamic suction thrombectomy. The repeat angiogram demonstrated only a partial restoration of blood flow, and thus the EKOS tissue plasminogen activator catheter was left in the SMA for continuous thrombolysis. The patient underwent continuous thrombolysis for two days, with two subsequent sessions of angiography. Thereafter, the patient improved symptomatically and serum lactate was normalized. In conclusion, the AngioJet suction thrombectomy and pharmaco-mechanical thrombolysis using the EKOS catheter is associated with minimal morbidity and can be rapidly performed. It may be used as an alternative to open surgical thrombectomy in selected cases of acute SMA embolism.
Power Demand and Mixing Performance of Helical Ribbon Coaxial Mixers with Newtonian Fluids
Authors: Li Li , Bao Yuyun , Yang Bo , Gao Zhengming
Published: June 2012

The power consumption and mixing performance of a coaxial mixer with different rotating speeds consisting of a helical ribbon (HR) agitator and four dispersion impellers (45° pitched blade impeller, Rushton turbine, 2-blade hydrofoil, and Pfaudler) in syrup solutions of different concentrations were evaluated in an elliptical dished-base cylindrical stirred vessel with a diameter of T=0.48 m and a filled aspect ratio H/T=1. The results show that stagnant zone is effectively eliminated and mixing time is significantly shortened with a coaxial mixer. The power consumption of HR is not affected by the inner dispersion impeller as greatly as the Anchor is, but the effect of the dispersion impeller increases with the increase of its diameter. On the other hand, the inner dispersion impeller is less affected by HR if the speed ratio RN between the high- and low-speed impellers increases. The power curves with different speed ratios fit well with each other when the modified definitions of generalized Reynolds number Re* and power number Np* are used considering the influence of the speed ratio. On the basis of the mixing time at a given power consumption, a Pfaudler-HR presents a better mixing performance than an Anchor as the outer agitator for a coaxial mixer.
Optimal Demand for Insurance with Consumption Commitments
Authors: Chen Hua , Mahani Reza S.
Published: June 2012

Some consumption goods, such as housing, involve long-term commitments and their levels of consumption can only be altered with substantial transaction costs. Even though the commitment effect on risk preferences, portfolio choice, and asset prices has been studied, little research has been conducted on its effect on insurance demand. In this paper, we propose a two-stage model to investigate the optimal demand for insurance by agents who derive utility from the consumption of two goods, an easily adjustable good (food) and a commitment good (housing). Our numerical analysis supports the prediction by Chetty and Szeidl (2007) that commitments help rationalize the high demand for insurance against moderate losses. Moreover, our model can explain the low insurance demand for catastrophic risks to some extent. We extend our model to include both insurance purchase and investment in a risky asset. Our results indicate that, with commitments, insurance appears to be a normal good within certain wealth regions. We also find that only when the initial wealth and housing are rather inconsistent individuals are likely to purchase insurance and lottery tickets simultaneously.