bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engineering geology of the Twin Cities area, Minnesota
Authors: Walton Matt
Published: May 2013

Effective geologic and geotechnical mapping in cities requires abundant subsurface data. Large data resources exist in the records of public agencies in the Twin Cities in the form of engineering test boring logs. An efficient system for acquiring and compiling these data aided by computer was developed and used to compile a number of geotechnical maps and reports on the geology, hydrology, engineering characteristics, and construction materials resources of the area. Much new information was obtained on the subsurface continuity and stratigraphy of complex Quaternary deposits, on the buried rock surface topography, and on the geology of bedrock formations.
Bedrock and Quaternary geology of the Boston area, Massachusetts
Authors: Kaye Clifford A.
Published: May 2013

Boston lies near the geographic center of the Boston Basin, a roughly triangular area of sedimentary and volcanic rocks of late Precambrian and Cambrian age that is surrounded by older, contemporary, and younger granites and related rocks. The basin rocks are mostly argillites, sandstones, and conglomerates interlayered with rhyolitic and spilitic volcanics and volcaniclastic sediments. The rocks are deformed into large east-west folds and are much broken by faults of several orientations. Dikes and sills abound. Deep alteration of rock to a soft clayey aggregate is widespread. The irregular bedrock surface is the result of differential glacial erosion of rocks of varying hardness, and under most of the central Boston area, bedrock is buried by thick drift. The stratigraphy of the drift is complex and includes four stratigraphically distinct tills and outwash units, representing several advances and retreats of glacial ice. These are provisionally interpreted to consist of two glacial stades of the early Wisconsinan and two of the late Wisconsinan, including a read-vance that overrode much of the Boston area about 12,000 years B.P. The effects of the geology on local engineering practices are briefly described.
Geology and deep tunnels in Chicago
Authors: Buschbach T. C. , Cyrier R. T. , Heim G. E.
Published: May 2013

Low-gradient streams and generally flat topography have always presented a problem of flooding within the Chicago area. As settlement expanded, the flooding produced greater and more serious results. As early as 1816, the city's leaders began major engineering work to solve these problems. The latest efforts toward a solution currently include a system of over 100 miles (161 km) of large-diameter tunnels in the Chicago area bedrock. These tunnels will intercept overflow from combined sanitary and stormwater systems and convey it to temporary storage reservoirs prior to its being pumped to sewage treatment facilities.

Geologic investigations made during a study for the tunnel sites included test drilling and coring, geophysical logging of boreholes, laboratory testing of samples, seismic surveying, and testing for groundwater. The drilling, coring, and logging furnished data that have been of considerable help in mapping and describing the individual units of Silurian and Ordovician strata of the area. The seismic survey indicated numerous closed depressions on the surface of the bedrock and also sug-gested that several faults are present with displacements of 10 to 50 feet (3 to 15 m).
Engineering geology of New Orleans
Authors: Kolb C. R. , Saucier R. T.
Published: May 2013

Among those who can look beyond the ubiquitous concerns of the “energy crisis,” there is a consensus that the decade of the 1980’s will witness recognition of widespread regional water shortages as perhaps the next national “crisis.” How quickly people tend to forget or ignore the water rationing episodes in several of America’s larger cities only several years ago! But the City of New Orleans and its suburbs belong in a small category of major cities in which water in overabundance is the nemesis rather than a scarce natural resource. In fact, it is no overstatement to say that the single greatest regional engineering concern is literally to keep the city from drowning. Coupling this regional concern, with the project-specific one of unusually weak foundation conditions, sets the stage for this overview of the engineering geology of the Crescent City-the location of the French Quarter, the Mardi Gras, and Canal Street (Figure 1).

In an article more than a decade ago by the junior author (Saucier, 1965), the setting of New Orleans was described as being the flattest, lowest, and geologically youngest of any major city in the United States. Quantification of this reveals a maximum relief of about 7 m within an area of 385 km2, an average elevation of about 0.4 m above mean Gulf level (Schultz and Kolb, 1954, Fig. 2), and no surficial deposits older than 2,500 years (Saucier, 1963). Elaboration on the elevation statistic reveals that over 45 percent of the urbanized area of the
Sinkholes resulting from ground-water withdrawals in carbonate terranes–an overview
Authors: Newton J. G.
Published: May 2013

Numerous sinkholes resulting from declines in the water table due to ground-water withdrawals in carbonate terranes have occurred in the eastern United States and elsewhere. In Alabama alone, it is estimated that more than 4,000 of these sinkholes, areas of subsidence, or related features have formed since 1900. Almost all occur where cavities develop in residual or other unconsolidated deposits overlying openings in carbonate rocks. The downward migration of the deposits into underlying openings in bedrock and the formation and collapse of resulting cavities are caused or accelerated by a decline in the water table that results in (1) loss of buoyant support, (2) increase in the velocity of movement of water, (3) water-level fluctuations at the base of unconsolidated deposits, and (4) induced recharge.

Damage due to sinkhole activity related to ground-water withdrawals has resulted in a variety of studies utilizing available scientific methods. These studies indicate that identifying the terrane in which the activity most commonly occurs and limiting large withdrawals of water from it will eliminate or minimize the problem. The terrane, youthful in nature, exhibits little karstification, is usually a lowland area, has a water table above or near the top of bedrock, and contains perennial or near-perennial streams.
Ground failure induced by ground-water withdrawal from unconsolidated sediment
Authors: Holzer Thomas L.
Published: May 2013

Ground failures, ranging from long tension cracks or fissures to surface faults, are caused by man-induced water-level declines in more than 14 areas in the contiguous United States. These failures are associated with land subsidence caused by compaction of underlying unconsolidated sediment. Fissures, which range in length from dekameters to kilometers, typically open only a few centimeters by displacement but are eroded by surface runoff into gullies 1 to 2 m wide and 2 to 3 m deep. Surface faults commonly attain scarp heights of 0.5 m and lengths of 1 km; the highest and longest scarps are 1 m and 16.7 km, respectively. Scarps grow by aseismic creep at rates approximately ranging from 4 to 60 mm/yr; modern fault movement is high angle and normal. Fault movement commonly correlates with seasonal water-level fluctuations, and examples of seasonal water-level recoveries halting fault movement have been reported. The greatest economic impact from ground failure is in the Houston-Galveston, Texas, metropolitan region where more than 86 surface faults have caused millions of dollars of damage and losses of property value.

Most ground failures probably are caused by localized differential compaction, although this mechanism has not been demonstrated everywhere. Earth fissures formed by this mechanism are caused by stretching related to bending of the overburden that overlies the differentially compacting zone. Surface faults form when differential compaction is discrete across preexisting faults. Fissures that form complex polygonal patterns probably are caused by tension induced by capillary stresses in the zone above a declining water table. Ground failures can be predicted either by determining potential areas of differential compaction or by monitoring surface deformation in areas of ongoing water-level decline. Potential ground-failure sites can be resolved by either technique to within a few dekameters.
Neotectonics in the southeastern United States with emphasis on the Charleston, South Carolina, area
Authors: Talwani Pradeep
Published: May 2013

A study of neotectonics in the southeastern United States was carried out by examining a variety of parameters, including the state of stress, pattern of seismicity, ground deformation, and estimation of recurrence rate for larger events. The direction of maximum horizontal stress (Snmax) was found to be uniform over the region, oriented in an ENE-WSW direction, and due to plate-tectonic forces. The current, historic, and prehistoric seismicity was found to occur in local clusters that displayed spatial stationarity over the historical period (300 yr). Ground deformation inferred from relev-eling, geoarcheological, and shallow sedimentary data was found to occur both on a regional and a local scale, the rates of deformation varying over the region. Statistical and paleoseismological data suggest a recurrence period of about 1,000 to 2,000 yr for the larger events in the Charleston, South Carolina, area.

These observations lead to the conclusion that neotectonic activity is episodic and is due to the interaction of a uniform stress field with local, preexisting zones of weakness. In the current episode of neotectonic activity (>300 yr and < 2 m.y.), most of the dominant patterns of seismicity display spatial stationarity; thus, the current distribution of activity can be used for assessing seismic hazards.
Neotectonic movement and earthquake assessment in the eastern United States
Authors: Barosh Patrick J.
Published: May 2013

Neotectonic movement in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains results from various superimposed intraplate adjustments related to movement in the North Atlantic Basin and glacial rebound. Some movements, such as slight southward tilt in the north from waning rebound and northward tilt of the entire region, appear aseismic. Others form a rectilinear grid pattern of zones of fractures and vertical movement and coincide with the distribution of seismicity. Most seismic source areas occur along northwest-trending fracture zones, which commonly have some right-lateral strike-slip displacement. They have broad, northeast-trending belts of rising highlands and sinking lowlands and are concentrated at their intersections. These belts are the Atlantic Coast Lowland, Southern and Central Appalachian Highland, Arkansas-St. Lawrence Lowland, and Mid-continent Arch. The northwest-trending fracture zones also apparently control the positions of northwest-trending synclinal basins—embayments—on the coastal plains and continue seaward as the larger transform fracture zones. The embayments are relatively subsiding and have significant associated seismicity. Some earthquakes also occur along north-trending extensional faults, whose movement seems related to lateral displacement on northwest-trending fracture zones, and a few occur along northeast-trending faults at structural intersections. The fracture zones continue into the western United States; the difference between “western” and “eastern” seismicity is more of degree than kind.

Earthquakes in the eastern United States thus are shown to be controlled by neotectonic movement and structural zones despite the lack of recent surface faulting, and a firm basis exists for seismic zoning.
The concept of ‘reasonable care’ on unstable hillsides
Authors: Olshansky Robert B. , Rogers J. David
Published: May 2013

The old common-law rules of strict liability with regard to earth movement have given way to the more modern legal doctrine of “reasonable care” in the California court system, which hears the largest number of earth movement-related cases in the United States. Reasonable care doctrine is more case specific, and emanates from the legal definition of “negligence,” or the exercise of responsible conduct for which a professional is always held accountable, regardless of liability-limitation agreements. Three landmark California decisions are briefly profiled, including the most recent, in which the California State Supreme Court ruled that it is common knowledge that all fill embankments will settle, just as rotten trees or dilapidated buildings can be expected to collapse. The chapter concludes with the implications for geopractitioners in today's ever-evolving legal climate.
The Mameyes, Puerto Rico, landslide disaster of October 7, 1985
Authors: Jibson Randall W.
Published: May 2013

From October 5–8,1985, a tropical wave centered about 25 km northeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, produced as much as 560 mm of rainfall in 24 hours and as much as 70 mm in one hour. This extraordinarily heavy rainfall triggered a rock-block slide that destroyed much of the Mameyes residential area, on the northwest outskirts of Ponce.

The Mameyes landslide failed in three distinct phases between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. (local time) on October 7, 1985. The first two phases of sliding involved translational sliding of two 12-m-thick slabs of calcareous-sandstone bedrock along bedding-plane surfaces parallel to the slope surface. The third phase of sliding involved the toppling failure of a block that disaggregated and formed a rock fall on the western part of the slide. Subsidiary flow failures onto the toe and from the downstream face of the toe were triggered by the heavy rainfall and the rupture of a water pipe that emptied as much as 4 million liters of water onto the slide.

The Mameyes landslide is approximately triangular in plan view; the maximum width and length are both about 250 m. The total area of the landslide is ~35,000 m2, and the slab of bedrock and soil that failed is about 12 m thick and comprises ~300,000 m3. The landslide moved downslope 30 m, parallel to the 17°–24° bedrock dip. At most, an estimated 120 homes were destroyed by the landslide, and at least 129 people were killed, though only 39 bodies were recovered. This death toll is the largest from a single landslide in North American history.

Calculations of the prelandslide slope stability at the site indicate that when the water table was below the potential shear surface, the factor of safety against failure was about 1.26. A water table about 6 m above the shear surface, which would saturate half the thickness of the slide block, reduces the factor of safety to 1.0. A water table at this level is a reasonable result of the conditions preceding failure.

The landslide area has been stabilized by engineering measures and was developed as a memorial park to the landslide victims.
Landslide failure at 20510 Callon Drive, Topanga, California, March 1978
Authors: Keene Arthur G.
Published: May 2013

During the months between December 1, 1977, and March 31, 1978, 51.7 (~131 cm) of rain fell in the area of Topanga Canyon, California. This winter rain appears to have been the underlying cause of many landslides, slump debris flows, and mudflows. One such failure occurred at 20510 Callon Drive, Topanga. This site consisted of a 3:1 northwest-facing slope covered by 4 to 20 ft (~1.2-60 m) of colluvium and soil over Topanga sandstone, shale, and basalt—apparently in place, as indicated by a local consulting firm. The area containing the site was mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey as a landslide. The landslide’s validity was discounted by the consultant geologist on the basis of his field investigation and five exploratory trenches. Lacking evidence of an existing landslide, the consultant recommended that slabs on grade be designed for expansive soil conditions, and footing be extended through the creep-prone soil to derive support in bedrock. The consultant observed that, prior to sliding, the site was affected by minor slumping in the road cut along Callon Drive.

By December 1977, the owner noticed the effects of instability. Movement worsened to the point of general failure at a rate of 2 to 4 in (~5-10 cm) per day. The site was essentially destroyed due to landslide movement, and by a mysterious fire, by March 27, 1978. Application for a building permit was made on January 16, 1976. Orders to demolish were given by June 2,1978; this constitutes a very short period of service for the structure.

Ground failure consisted of a block rotational slide, ~200 ft in length by 100 ft wide (~60 × 30 m). Its thickness is 10 to 20 ft (~3-6 m) with a 6-ft-high (~1.8 m) scarp inclined about 60°. The foot terminates on the south side of Callon Drive and above the road surface.

Two 25-ft-deep (~6 m) seepage pits were emplaced near the roadside, a location not recommended by the consultant. Instability resulted from saturation of creep-prone colluvium and soil mantle and underlying fragmental Conejo volcanic breccia, which is mixed locally with sandstone and siltstone blocks and debris from the Cold Creek Member of the Topanga Group Formation.

Three separate lawsuits ensued against the consultant, the builder, and the County of Los Angeles. Ultimate damage awarded to the owner amounted to $135,000.
Thistle landslide
Authors: Slosson James E. , Yoakum Delmar D. , Shuirman Gerard
Published: May 2013

In April 1983, Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah, was engulfed by a massive landslide that dammed Spanish Fork Creek, creating a lake. The slide pushed and finally buried sections of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad line and U.S. Highways 6, 50, and 89, which for decades had been located in Spanish Fork Canyon. When motion of this massive debris flow and/or landslide complex finally ceased, almost the entire 6,800-ft-long (2,040 m) and 800-1,100-ft-wide (240–330 m) mass, more than 200 ft (60 m) thick had moved. Spanish Fork Canyon, ~600 ft (180 m) wide at the location of the landslide, was filled to a depth of ~220 ft (66 m), causing a lake to form on the upstream side.

Data indicated that small displacements at the toe of the slide, adjacent to the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, had been recorded since the early 1900s. Motion was correlative with years of above-average precipitation. Thus, the extraordi-narily high precipitation of 1983, which was only ~2.2% higher than the previous record high precipitation of 1875–1876, added sufficiently to the ground-water regime to cause slow motion to develop in early April, followed by rapid acceleration in mid-April. Borings placed in 1984 indicated the existence of an artesian condition, the pressure level ranging from 25 to 65 ft (7.5 to 19.5 m) above ground surface near the toe of the slide. Other borings drilled at a later date provided samples from which strength parameters were determined. Test data indicate strength as low as 17.5° angle of internal friction and 210 lb/ft2 cohesion.

Information obtained from all of these studies strongly suggests that had a surface-drainage system with horizontal (subsurface) drains been constructed prior to failure, landslide motion could have been prevented. Analyses indicate that a readily achievable lowering of the hydrostatic pressure on the slide planes would have produced a factor of safety greater than 1.0.
Portal hypertension related to light chain deposition disease of liver: an enlightening experience
Authors: Talukdar Arunansu , Mukherjee Kabita , Khanra Dibbendhu , Saha Manjari
Published: May 2013

A 55-year-old alcoholic man presented with firm hepatomegaly, ascites and markedly elevated alkaline phosphatase. He had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Work-up for malignancy was negative. Histological examination of liver showed extracellular deposition of pink amorphous material which is Congo red stain negative. Deteriorating renal function and nephrotic-range proteinuria were noted. Renal histology showed thickening of the glomerular and tubular basement membranes by non-congophilic deposits along with mesangial expansion. Bone marrow examination revealed patchy areas of pink amorphous deposits which are Congo red stain negative. Immunohistochemical staining of amorphous depositions in liver, kidney and bone marrow were positive for κ light chains. Serum-free light chain assay confirmed markedly elevated free κ-light chain. κ-light chain deposition disease is a systemic disease with universal renal involvement but rarely it presents as chronic cholestatic liver disease with portal hypertension and frequently associated with fatal outcome due to diagnostic delay.
Refractory changes in hyperosmolar diabetic decompensation: when hyperglycaemia improves vision
Authors: Golay Michel , Ferrini Walter , Tagan Damien
Published: May 2013

Type 2 diabetes is a frequent condition in humans with about 350 million affected people. One of the complications is blindness caused by damage of the blood vessels in retina, cataract or glaucoma. But in an acute developing hyperglycaemia, changes in sugar level in blood modify the refraction in the eye. Thus people complain of blurred vision. We present a case of a patient with hypermetropia who reported quick amelioration of his vision as hyperglycaemia developed, because of myopisation.
Trichomycetes from Governor's Lake and Lake Micmac within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: William R.T. , Strongman D.B.
Published: May 2013

Trichomycetes are endosymbiotic fungi and protists that attach to the gut lining of insects and other arthropods. The vast majority of trichomycetes have been reported from lotic habitats (primarily flowing streams), whereas lentic habitats are relatively unexplored. Despite being largely understudied, lentic waters should be viable habitats for trichomycetes because insect types commonly colonized by trichomycetes in lotic systems are also found in lentic habitats. As part of a larger study, two lakes in separate watersheds within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada, were sampled. Six species of trichomycetes were found, including three new species, Smittium guttisporum sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Stachylina serpula sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, and Stachylina zeppelin sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, all isolated from dipteran (Chironomidae) hosts. A new continental record for Smittium bulbosporophorus L.G. Valle & Santam., previously only reported from Spain, is documented from Governor's Lake, Timberlea, Nova Scotia. Smittium dipterorum Lichtw., known from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and Mexico was also collected from the Governor's Lake site, establishing a new Canadian record.
DFT study of structural, electronic, and absorption properties of crystalline β-RDX under pressures
Authors: Wu Qiong , Zhu Weihua , Xiao Heming
Published: May 2013

The structural, electronic, and absorption properties of crystalline hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) under hydrostatic pressure of 0–50 GPa were studied using density functional theory. As the pressure increases, the lattice constants and the unit cell volume decrease gradually. The compressibility of RDX crystal is anisotropic. The different changing trends of bond lengths and bond angles under pressures show that both the ring opening and the N–NO2 cleavage are possible to trigger the RDX decomposition. The interactions between electrons, especially for the valence electrons, are strengthened under the influence of pressure. The absorption spectra of RDX display more and stronger bands in the fundamental absorption region at high pressure.
RINDLER TYPE ACCELERATION IN f(R) GRAVITY
Authors: MAZHARIMOUSAVI S. HABIB , HALILSOY M.
Published: May 2013

By choosing a fluid source in f(R) gravity, defined by f(R) = R-12aξ ln |R|, where a (Rindler acceleration) and ξ are both constants, the field equations correctly yield the Rindler acceleration term in the metric. We identify domains in which the weak energy conditions (WEC) and the strong energy conditions (SEC) are satisfied.
SOLVING SINE-GORDON TYPE EQUATIONS BY A MODIFIED VARIABLE SEPARATED ODE METHOD
Authors: XIE YUANXI
Published: May 2013

Based on a variable separated ODE method presented by Sirendaoreji and Sun, a modified variable separated ODE method is developed to uniformly construct the explicit exact solutions of sine-Gordon type equations by introducing a more general additional variable separated ODE. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by applications to certain physically significant sine-Gordon type equations comprising the sine-Gordon equation and double sine-Gordon equation as particular examples. As a result, we cannot only recover the previously known exact solutions, but also pick up some new formal solutions for the sine-Gordon equation and double sine-Gordon equation by means of this approach.
Pivotal role for the mTOR pathway in the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps via regulation of autophagy
Authors: Itakura Asako , McCarty Owen J. T.
Published: May 2013

Autophagy is an essential cellular mechanism for cell homeostasis and survival by which damaged cellular proteins are sequestered in autophagosomal vesicles and cleared through lysosomal machinery. The autophagy pathway also plays an important role in immunity and inflammation via pathogen clearance mechanisms mediated by immune cells, including macrophages and neutrophils. In particular, recent studies have revealed that autophagic activity is required for the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), representing a distinct form of active neutrophil death, namely NETosis. Although NET formation is beneficial during host defense against invading pathogens, the mechanisms that promote excessive NETosis under pathological conditions remain ill defined. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in NETosis. As mTOR kinase is known as a key regulator of autophagy in many mammalian cells including neutrophils, we hypothesized that mTOR may play a regulatory role in NET release by regulating autophagic activity. Our data show that the pharmacological inhibition of the mTOR pathway accelerated the rate of NET release following neutrophil stimulation with the bacteria-derived peptide formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), while autophagosome formation was enhanced by mTOR inhibitors. This increased mTOR-dependent NET release was sensitive to inhibition of respiratory burst or blockade of cytoskeletal dynamics. Overall, this study demonstrates a pivotal role for the mTOR pathway in coordinating intracellular signaling events downstream of neutrophil activation leading to NETosis.
Leg oxygen uptake in the initial phase of intense exercise is slowed by a marked reduction in oxygen delivery
Authors: Christensen Peter M. , Nyberg Michael , Mortensen Stefan P. , Nielsen Jens Jung , Secher Niels H. , Damsgaard Rasmus , Hellsten Ylva , Bangsbo Jens
Published: May 2013

The present study examined whether a marked reduction in oxygen delivery, unlike findings in moderate-intensity exercise, would slow leg oxygen uptake (V̇o2) kinetics during intense exercise (86 ± 3% of incremental test peak power). Seven healthy males (26 ± 1 years, means ± SE) performed one-legged knee-extensor exercise (60 ± 3 W) for 4 min in a control setting (CON) and with arterial infusion of NG-monomethyl-l-arginine and indomethacin in the working leg to reduce blood flow by inhibiting formation of nitric oxide and prostanoids (double blockade; DB). In DB leg blood flow (LBF) and oxygen delivery during the first minute of exercise were 25–50% lower ( P < 0.01) compared with CON (LBF after 10 s: 1.1 ± 0.2 vs. 2.5 ± 0.3 l/min and 45 s: 2.7 ± 0.2 vs. 3.8 ± 0.4 l/min) and 15% lower ( P < 0.05) after 2 min of exercise. Leg V̇o2 in DB was attenuated ( P < 0.05) during the first 2 min of exercise (10 s: 161 ± 26 vs. 288 ± 34 ml/min and 45 s: 459 ± 48 vs. 566 ± 81 ml/min) despite a higher ( P < 0.01) oxygen extraction in DB. Net leg lactate release was the same in DB and CON. The present study shows that a marked reduction in oxygen delivery can limit the rise in V̇o2 during the initial part of intense exercise. This is in contrast to previous observations during moderate-intensity exercise using the same DB procedure, which suggests that fast-twitch muscle fibers are more sensitive to a reduction in oxygen delivery than slow-twitch fibers.
Role of proximal tubule in the hypocalciuric response to thiazide of patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria
Authors: Bergsland Kristin J. , Worcester Elaine M. , Coe Fredric L.
Published: May 2013

The most common metabolic abnormality found in calcium (Ca) kidney stone formers is idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH). Using endogenous lithium (Li) clearance, we previously showed that in IH, there is decreased proximal tubule sodium absorption, and increased delivery of Ca into the distal nephron. Distal Ca reabsorption may facilitate the formation of Randall's plaque (RP) by washdown of excess Ca through the vasa recta toward the papillary tip. Elevated Ca excretion leads to increased urinary supersaturation (SS) with respect to calcium oxalate (CaOx) and calcium phosphate (CaP), providing the driving force for stone growth on RP. Thiazide (TZ) diuretics reduce Ca excretion and prevent stone recurrence, but the mechanism in humans is unknown. We studied the effect of chronic TZ administration on renal mineral handling in four male IH patients using a fixed three meal day in the General Clinical Research Center. Each subject was studied twice: once before treatment and once after 4–7 mo of daily chlorthalidone treatment. As expected, urine Ca fell with TZ, along with fraction of filtered Ca excreted. Fraction of filtered Li excreted also fell sharply with TZ, as did distal delivery of Ca. Unexpectedly, TZ lowered urine pH. Together with reduced urine Ca, this led to a marked fall in CaP SS, but not CaOx SS. Since CaOx stone formation begins with an initial CaP overlay on RP, by lowering urine pH and decreasing distal nephron Ca delivery, TZ might diminish stone risk both by reducing CaP SS, as well as slowing progression of RP.
High NaCl-induced inhibition of PTG contributes to activation of NFAT5 through attenuation of the negative effect of SHP-1
Authors: Zhou Xiaoming , Wang Hong , Burg Maurice B. , Ferraris Joan D.
Published: May 2013

Activation of the transcription factor NFAT5 by high NaCl involves changes in phosphorylation. By siRNA screening, we previously found that protein targeting to glycogen (PTG), a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase1 (PP1), contributes to regulation of high NaCl-induced NFAT5 transcriptional activity. The present study addresses the mechanism involved. We find that high NaCl-induced inhibition of PTG elevates NFAT5 activity by increasing NFAT5 transactivating activity, protein abundance, and nuclear localization. PTG acts via a catalytic subunit PP1γ. PTG associates physically with PP1γ, and NaCl reduces both this association and remaining PTG-associated PP1γ activity. High NaCl-induced phosphorylation of p38, ERK, and SHP-1 contributes to activation of NFAT5. Knockdown of PTG does not affect phosphorylation of p38 or ERK. However, PTG and PP1γ bind to SHP-1, and knockdown of either PTG or PP1γ increases high NaCl-induced phosphorylation of SHP-1-S591, which inhibits SHP-1. Mutation of SHP-1-S591 to alanine, which cannot be phosphorylated, increases inhibition of NFAT5 by SHP-1. Thus high NaCl reduces the stimulatory effect of PTG and PP1γ on SHP-1, which in turn reduces the inhibitory effect of SHP-1 on NFAT5. Our findings add to the known functions of PTG, which was previously recognized only for its glycogenic activity.
Feline chronic kidney disease is associated with shortened telomeres and increased cellular senescence
Authors: Quimby Jessica M. , Maranon David G. , Battaglia Christine L. R. , McLeland Shannon M. , Brock William T. , Bailey Susan M.
Published: May 2013

Telomeres are protective structures at the ends of chromosomes that have important implications for aging. To address the question of whether telomeres contribute to feline chronic kidney disease (CKD), we evaluated kidney, liver, and skin samples from 12 cats with naturally occurring CKD, 12 young normal cats, and 6 old normal cats. Telomere length was assessed using standard telomere fluorescent in situ hybridization (TEL-FISH) combined with immunohistochemistry (TELI-FISH) to identify proximal (PTEC) and distal tubular epithelial cells (DTEC), whereas senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SABG) staining was used to evaluate senescence. Results revealed statistically significant decreases in the average telomere fluorescence intensity (TFI) of PTEC in CKD cats compared with young and geriatric normal cats, and in the DTEC of CKD cats compared with young normal cats. When histograms of individual TFI were compared, statistically significant decreases in the PTEC and DTEC of CKD cats were observed compared with young and geriatric normal cats. Concomitantly, a statistically significant increase in SABG staining was seen in CKD kidney samples compared with young normal cats. CKD cats tended to have increased SABG staining in the kidney compared with normal geriatric cats, but this did not reach statistical significance. No significant telomere shortening in liver or skin from any group was observed. Real-time quantitative telomeric repeat amplification protocol assessment of renal telomerase activity revealed comparable low levels of telomerase activity in all groups. Our results suggest that shortened telomeres and increased senescence in the kidneys of CKD cats may represent novel targets for interventional therapy.
Activation of liver X receptors reduces CFTR-mediated Cl−transport in kidney collecting duct cells
Authors: Raksaseri Promporn , Chatsudthipong Varanuj , Muanprasat Chatchai , Soodvilai Sunhapas
Published: May 2013

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are transcription factors belonging to the nuclear receptor super family, which act as regulators of lipid and glucose metabolism. However, LXRs have been shown to regulate the function of transporters in the kidney, including the Na-Picotransporter, organic anion transporter, and epithelial Na+channel. In this report, we demonstrated the ability of LXR ligands, both endogenous [22 ( R)-hydroxycholesterol] and synthetic (T0901317 and GW3965), to reduce CFTR-mediated Cl−secretion in a type I Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line and in murine primary inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells, based on measurements of [Arg8]-vasopressin-induced Cl−current. However, treatment of MDCK cell monolayers with 5 μM T0901317 for 24 h did not alter ouabain-senstive current or Na+-K+-ATPase-α protein content. Furthermore, basolateral membranes permeabilization of MDCK cell monolayers still resulted in a decrease in apical Cl−current stimulated by both [Arg8]-vasopressin and 8-cholorophenyl-thio-cAMP, indicating that the factor(s) encoded by the target gene(s) of agonist-activated LXRs might be located at the apical membrane. Western blot analysis revealed that inhibition of Cl−secretion occurred via a decrease in CFTR protein, which was not due to downregulation of its mRNA expression. In addition, both synthetic LXR agonists significantly retarded the growth of forskolin-induced cysts formed in MDCK cells cultured in collagen gel. This is the first evidence showing that ligand-activated LXRs are capable of downregulating CFTR-mediated Cl−secretion of kidney cells and of retarding cyst growth in a MDCK cell model.
Spatial integration in mouse primary visual cortex
Authors: Vaiceliunaite Agne , Erisken Sinem , Franzen Florian , Katzner Steffen , Busse Laura
Published: May 2013

Responses of many neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) are suppressed by stimuli exceeding the classical receptive field (RF), an important property that might underlie the computation of visual saliency. Traditionally, it has proven difficult to disentangle the underlying neural circuits, including feedforward, horizontal intracortical, and feedback connectivity. Since circuit-level analysis is particularly feasible in the mouse, we asked whether neural signatures of spatial integration in mouse V1 are similar to those of higher-order mammals and investigated the role of parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) inhibitory interneurons. Analogous to what is known from primates and carnivores, we demonstrate that, in awake mice, surround suppression is present in the majority of V1 neurons and is strongest in superficial cortical layers. Anesthesia with isoflurane-urethane, however, profoundly affects spatial integration: it reduces the laminar dependency, decreases overall suppression strength, and alters the temporal dynamics of responses. We show that these effects of brain state can be parsimoniously explained by assuming that anesthesia affects contrast normalization. Hence, the full impact of suppressive influences in mouse V1 cannot be studied under anesthesia with isoflurane-urethane. To assess the neural circuits of spatial integration, we targeted PV+ interneurons using optogenetics. Optogenetic depolarization of PV+ interneurons was associated with increased RF size and decreased suppression in the recorded population, similar to effects of lowering stimulus contrast, suggesting that PV+ interneurons contribute to spatial integration by affecting overall stimulus drive. We conclude that the mouse is a promising model for circuit-level mechanisms of spatial integration, which relies on the combined activity of different types of inhibitory interneurons.
Postnatal maturation of GABAergic transmission in the rat basolateral amygdala
Authors: Ehrlich David E. , Ryan Steven J. , Hazra Rimi , Guo Ji-Dong , Rainnie Donald G.
Published: May 2013

Many psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and autism spectrum disorders, have early ages of onset and high incidence in juveniles. To better treat and prevent these disorders, it is important to first understand normal development of brain circuits that process emotion. Healthy and maladaptive emotional processing involve the basolateral amygdala (BLA), dysfunction of which has been implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders. Normal function of the adult BLA relies on a fine balance of glutamatergic excitation and GABAergic inhibition. Elsewhere in the brain GABAergic transmission changes throughout development, but little is known about the maturation of GABAergic transmission in the BLA. Here we used whole cell patch-clamp recording and single-cell RT-PCR to study GABAergic transmission in rat BLA principal neurons at postnatal day (P)7, P14, P21, P28, and P35. GABAA currents exhibited a significant twofold reduction in rise time and nearly 25% reduction in decay time constant between P7 and P28. This corresponded with a shift in expression of GABAA receptor subunit mRNA from the α2- to the α1-subunit. The reversal potential for GABAA receptors transitioned from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing with age, from around −55 mV at P7 to −70 mV by P21. There was a corresponding shift in expression of opposing chloride pumps that influence the reversal, from NKCC1 to KCC2. Finally, we observed short-term depression of GABAA postsynaptic currents in immature neurons that was significantly and gradually abolished by P28. These findings reveal that in the developing BLA GABAergic transmission is highly dynamic, reaching maturity at the end of the first postnatal month.
Common Fixed Point Theorems of New Contractive Conditions in Fuzzy Metric Spaces
Authors: Zhu Jiang , Wang Yuan , Kang Shin Min
Published: May 2013

Some new limit contractive conditions in fuzzy metric spaces are introduced, by using property (E.A), some common fixed point theorems for four maps are proved in GV-fuzzy metric spaces. As an application of our results, some new contractive conditions are presented, and some common fixed point theorems are proved under these contractive conditions. The contractive conditions presented in this paper contain or generalize many contractive conditions that appeared in the literatures. Some examples are given to illustrate that our results are real generalizations for the results in the references and to show that our limit contractive conditions are important for the existence of fixed point.
Curbing Inflammation in the Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Evora Paulo Roberto B. , Nather Julio , Tubino Paulo Victor , Albuquerque Agnes Afrodite S. , Celotto Andrea Carla , Rodrigues Alfredo J.
Published: May 2013

A modern concept considers acute coronary syndrome as an autoinflammatory disorder. From the onset to the healing stage, an endless inflammation has been presented with complex, multiple cross-talk mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels. Inflammatory response following acute myocardial infarction has been well documented since the 1940s and 1950s, including increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the C-reactive protein analysis, and the determination of serum complement. It is surprising to note, based on a wide literature overview including the following 30 years (decades of 1960, 1970, and 1980), that the inflammatory acute myocardium infarction lost its focus, virtually disappearing from the literature reports. The reversal of this historical process occurs in the 1990s with the explosion of studies involving cytokines. Considering the importance of inflammation in the pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease, the aim of this paper is to present a conceptual overview in order to explore the possibility of curbing this inflammatory process.
Antiobesity Effect ofCodonopsis lanceolatain High-Calorie/High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obese Rats
Authors: Choi Hye-Kyung , Won Eun-Kyung , Jang Young Pyo , Choung Se-Young
Published: May 2013

The antiobesity effects ofCodonopsis lanceolata(CL) were evaluated in a high-calorie/high-fat-diet (HFD-) induced obesity rat model and 3T3-L1 cells. The Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed a normal diet (ND) or a HFD for a period of 12 weeks. The rats were subdivided into groups: ND, ND + wildCodonopsis lanceolata(wCL) (900 mg/kg/day, p.o.), ND + cultivatedCodonopsis lanceolata(cCL) (900 mg/kg/day, p.o.), HFD, HFD + wCL (100, 300, or 900 mg/kg/day, p.o.), HFD + cCL (100, 300, or 900 mg/kg/day, p.o.), and HFD + sibutramine. The body weight gains of the administered HFD + CL (wCL or CCL) were lower than those of the rats fed with only the HFD group. Moreover, the weight of adipose pads and the serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the group administered HDL + CL were significantly lower than in the HFD group. The inhibitory effect of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells was measured by Oil Red O staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with wCL inhibited lipid accumulation and expression of C/EBPαand PPARγ. These results suggest that CL has a great potential as a functional food with anti-obesity effects and as a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of obesity.
Higher Plasma Pyridoxal Phosphate Is Associated with Increased Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Critically Ill Surgical Patients
Authors: Cheng Chien-Hsiang , Huang Shih-Chien , Chiang Ting-Yu , Wong Yueching , Huang Yi-Chia
Published: May 2013

Critically ill patients experience severe stress, inflammation and clinical conditions which may increase the utilization and metabolic turnover of vitamin B-6 and may further increase their oxidative stress and compromise their antioxidant capacity. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between vitamin B-6 status (plasma and erythrocyte PLP) oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacities in critically ill surgical patients. Thirty-seven patients in surgical intensive care unit of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, were enrolled. The levels of plasma and erythrocyte PLP, serum malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant enzyme activities (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione peroxidase) were determined on the 1st and 7th days of admission. Plasma PLP was positively associated with the mean SOD activity level on day 1 (r=0.42,P<0.05), day 7 (r=0.37,P<0.05), and on changes (Δ (day 7 − day 1)) (r=0.56,P<0.01) after adjusting for age, gender, and plasma C-reactive protein concentration. Higher plasma PLP could be an important contributing factor in the elevation of antioxidant enzyme activity in critically ill surgical patients.
Global Exponential Stability Criteria for Bidirectional Associative Memory Neural Networks with Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Thipcha J. , Niamsup P.
Published: May 2013

The global exponential stability for bidirectional associative memory neural networks with time-varying delays is studied. In our study, the lower and upper bounds of the activation functions are allowed to be either positive, negative, or zero. By constructing new and improved Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and introducing free-weighting matrices, a new and improved delay-dependent exponential stability for BAM neural networks with time-varying delays is derived in the form of linear matrix inequality (LMI). Numerical examples are given to demonstrate that the derived condition is less conservative than some existing results given in the literature.
Role of Lipid Peroxidation-Derivedα,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes in Vascular Dysfunction
Authors: Lee Seung Eun , Park Yong Seek
Published: May 2013

Vascular diseases are the most prominent cause of death, and inflammation and vascular dysfunction are key initiators of the pathophysiology of vascular disease. Lipid peroxidation products, such as acrolein and otherα,β-unsaturated aldehydes, have been implicated as mediators of inflammation and vascular dysfunction.α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes are toxic because of their high reactivity with nucleophiles and their ability to form protein and DNA adducts without prior metabolic activation. This strong reactivity leads to electrophilic stress that disrupts normal cellular function. Furthermore,α,β-unsaturated aldehydes are reported to cause endothelial dysfunction by induction of oxidative stress, redox-sensitive mechanisms, and inflammatory changes such as induction of cyclooxygenase-2 and cytokines. This review provides an overview of the effects of lipid peroxidation products,α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, on inflammation and vascular dysfunction.
Angiogenic and Inflammatory Properties of Psoriatic Arthritis
Authors: Yamamoto Toshiyuki
Published: May 2013

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis and included in seronegative spondyloarthropathy. PsA has several unique characteristics different from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), such as enthesopathy, dactylitis, and abnormal bone remodeling. As compared with synovitis of RA (pannus), proliferation of PsA synovium is mild and characterized by hypervascularity and increased infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the synovial tissues. Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in cutaneous psoriasis, and several angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8, angiopoietin, tumor necrosis factor-α and transforming growth factor-β, are suggested to play an important role also in the pathophysiology of PsA. Further, IL-17 has various functions such as upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, attraction of neutrophils, stimulation of keratinocytes, endothelial cell migration, and osteoclast formation via RANKL from activated synovial fibroblasts. Thus, IL-17 may be important in angiogenesis, fibrogenesis, and osteoclastogenesis in PsA. In this paper, roles of angiogenesis in the psoriatic synovium are discussed, which may strengthen the understanding of the pathogenesis of PsA.