bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The dynamics of infragravity wave transformation over a fringing reef
Authors: Pomeroy Andrew , Lowe Ryan , Symonds Graham , Van Dongeren Ap , Moore Christine
Published: October 2012

A 3 week field study was conducted to investigate the dynamics of low‐frequency (infragravity) wave motions over a fringing reef at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Short‐period wave motions (0.04–0.2 Hz) were observed to dissipate on the reef crest beyond which infragravity wave motions (0.004–0.04 Hz) gradually dominated toward the lagoon. However, both the short waves and the infragravity waves were relatively small (both <0.3 m) on the reef flat owing to the shallow water depth (<2 m). The results revealed that the surf zone generation of free infragravity wave motions on the steep (∼1:20) fore‐reef slope was dominated by breakpoint forcing (as opposed to shoaling bound waves), which was also supported by detailed numerical simulations of the generation process. This is consistent with theory suggesting the efficiency of the breakpoint forcing mechanism should be high in this steep‐slope regime. Shoreward propagating infragravity waves traveled across the reef but were damped by bottom friction dissipation; however, this was at a rate much smaller than experienced by the residual short waves. With these rates of frictional dissipation also strongly dependent on the water depth over the reef, the infragravity wave heights increased at higher water levels and hence were strongly modulated by the tide. Due to the strong dissipation of infragravity waves over this wide and shallow reef that is hydraulically rough, any seaward propagating infragravity waves that reflected at the shoreline were small, leading to the dominance of progressive (shoreward propagating) infragravity wave motions throughout the reef and lagoon.
Neuroprotective efficacy of aminopropyl carbazoles in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Tesla Rachel , Wolf Hamilton Parker , Xu Pin , Drawbridge Jordan , Estill Sandi Jo , Huntington Paula , McDaniel LaTisha , Knobbe Whitney , Burket Aaron , Tran Stephanie , Starwalt Ruth , Morlock Lorraine , Naidoo Jacinth , Williams Noelle S. , Ready Joseph M. , McKnight Steven L. , Pieper Andrew A.
Published: October 2012

We previously reported the discovery of P7C3, an aminopropyl carbazole having proneurogenic and neuroprotective properties in newborn neural precursor cells of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. We have further found that chemicals having efficacy in this in vivo screening assay also protect dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra following exposure to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, a mouse model of Parkinson disease. Here, we provide evidence that an active analog of P7C3, known as P7C3A20, protects ventral horn spinal cord motor neurons from cell death in the G93A-SOD1 mutant mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). P7C3A20 is efficacious in this model when administered at disease onset, and protection from cell death correlates with preservation of motor function in assays of walking gait and in the accelerating rotarod test. The prototypical member of this series, P7C3, delays disease progression in G93A-SOD1 mice when administration is initiated substantially earlier than the expected time of symptom onset. Dimebon, an antihistaminergic drug with significantly weaker proneurogenic and neuroprotective efficacy than P7C3, confers no protection in this ALS model. We propose that the chemical scaffold represented by P7C3 and P7C3A20 may provide a basis for the discovery and optimization of pharmacologic agents for the treatment of ALS.
Modifications to the edge radial electric field by angular momentum injection in JT-60U and their implication for pedestal transport
Authors: Kamiya K. , Honda M. , Miyato N. , Urano H. , Yoshida M. , Sakamoto Y. , Matsunaga G. , Oyama N. , Koide Y. , Kamada Y. , Ida K. , Murakami I.
Published: October 2012

The first detailed measurements of ion-impurity dynamics for NBI-heated ELMy H-modes at the edge of the JT-60U tokamak are reported. We investigated the ability of external momentum/power input to modify and control the radial electric field, E

r
, and pedestal structures. The relationship between E

r
and pedestal structures of ion-impurity density, n
i, and temperature, T
i, during the ELMing H-mode phase for various momentum input directions (i.e. co-, balanced- and counter-NBI) and input powers from perpendicular NBI are compared with the ELM-free phase. The observed trend is that the edge E

r
-well width increases in the co-NBI discharge, while the E

r
value at the base of the E

r
-well becomes more negative in the counter-NBI discharge. The scale length for both n
i and T
i in the pedestal is ∼2 cm and

values are ∼1 for both ELM-free and ELMing phases with different magnitudes of E

r
(and/or E

r
shear). Characteristics of the turbulent density fluctuation, in addition to a uniform toroidal MHD oscillation (i.e. n = 0), during both ELM-free and ELMing phases are also reported.
Magnetic phase transitions in plasmas and transport barriers
Authors: Solano Emilia R. , Hazeltine Richard D.
Published: October 2012

A model of magnetic phase transitions in plasmas is presented: plasma elements with pressure excess or defect are dia- or paramagnets and move radially under the influence of the background plasma magnetization. It is found that magnetic phase separation could be the underlying mechanism of L to H transitions and drive transport barrier formation. Magnetic phase separation and the associated pedestal build-up, as described here, can be explained by the well-known interchange mechanism, now reinterpreted as a magnetization interchange. The interchange mechanism can drive motion of plasma elements even when stable. A testable necessary criterion for the L to H transition is presented.
Energy confinement of hydrogen and deuterium H-mode plasmas in JT-60U
Authors: Urano H. , Takizuka T. , Fujita T. , Kamada Y. , Nakano T. , Oyama N.
Published: October 2012

Energy confinement properties for hydrogen and deuterium H-mode plasmas are investigated. The thermal energy confinement time becomes longer in deuterium by a factor of ∼1.4 than in hydrogen at a given absorbed power. When the absorbed power is fixed, the values of electron temperature T
e and ion temperature T
i become explicitly higher in deuterium than in hydrogen across the whole range of minor radius while the profiles of electron density n
e are almost the same. Accordingly, the effective heat diffusivity becomes relatively lower in deuterium than in hydrogen. Despite almost the same power crossing the separatrix, type-I ELM frequency for hydrogen becomes approximately double that of deuterium. When the stored energy is fixed, the spatial profiles of n
e, T
e and T
i become identical for both cases while higher heating power is required in the hydrogen case. The pedestal pressure is about twice as high in deuterium as that in hydrogen at a given absorbed power. The increase of the pedestal temperature is more significant for the deuterium case while the pedestal density is not changed. The poloidal beta at the H-mode pedestal

is increased linearly with the increased total poloidal beta

for both cases. The relation between

and

is almost identical regardless of the difference of the isotope species.
ELM mitigation by supersonic molecular beam injection into the H-mode pedestal in the HL-2A tokamak
Authors: Xiao W.W. , Diamond P.H. , Zou X.L. , Dong J.Q. , Ding X.T. , Yao L.H. , Feng B.B. , Chen C.Y. , Zhong W.L. , Xu M. , Yuan B.S. , Rhee T. , Kwon J.M. , Shi Z.B. , Rao J. , Lei G.J. , Cao J.Y. , Zhou J. , Huang M. , Yu D.L. , Huang Y. , Zhao K.J. , Cui Z.Y. , Song X.M. , Gao Y.D. , Zhang Y.P. , Cheng J. , Han X.Y. , Zhou Y. , Dong Y.B. , Ji X.Q. , Yang Q.W. , Liu Yi , Yan L.W. , Duan X.R. , Liu Yong
Published: October 2012

Density profiles in the pedestal region (H-mode) are measured in HL-2A and the characteristics of the density pedestal are described. Cold particle deposition by supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) within the pedestal is verified. Edge-localized mode (ELM) mitigation by SMBI into the H-mode pedestal is demonstrated and the relevant physics is elucidated. The sensitivity of the effect to SMBI pressure and duration is studied. Following SMBI, the ELM frequency increases and the ELM amplitude decreases for a finite duration. Increases in ELM frequency of

are achieved. This experiment argues that the ELM mitigation results from an increase in higher frequency fluctuations and transport events in the pedestal, which are caused by SMBI. These inhibit the occurrence of large transport events which span the entire pedestal width. The observed change in the density pedestal profiles and edge particle flux spectrum with and without SMBI supports this interpretation. An analysis of the experiment and a model shows that ELMs can be mitigated by SMBI with shallow particle penetration into the pedestal.
Semi‐supervised Mesh Segmentation and Labeling
Authors: Lv Jiajun , Chen Xinlei , Huang Jin , Bao Hujun
Published: October 2012

Recently, approaches have been put forward that focus on the recognition of mesh semantic meanings. These methods usually need prior knowledge learned from training dataset, but when the size of the training dataset is small, or the meshes are too complex, the segmentation performance will be greatly effected. This paper introduces an approach to the semantic mesh segmentation and labeling which incorporates knowledge imparted by both segmented, labeled meshes, and unsegmented, unlabeled meshes. A Conditional Random Fields (CRF) based objective function measuring the consistency of labels and faces, labels of neighbouring faces is proposed. To implant the information from the unlabeled meshes, we add an unlabeled conditional entropy into the objective function. With the entropy, the objective function is not convex and hard to optimize, so we modify the Virtual Evidence Boosting (VEB) to solve the semi‐supervised problem efficiently. Our approach yields better results than those methods which only use limited labeled meshes, especially when many unlabeled meshes exist. The approach reduces the overall system cost as well as the human labelling cost required during training. We also show that combining knowledge from labeled and unlabeled meshes outperforms using either type of meshes alone.
Seasonal variations in plasma cortisol, testosterone, progesterone and leukocyte profiles in a wild population of tuco‐tucos
Authors: Vera F. , Zenuto R. R. , Antenucci C. D.
Published: October 2012

Studies addressing seasonal changes in hormone levels are important in order to understand the interplays between ecology and physiology. In this study, we evaluated seasonal variations in cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone plasma levels in males and females of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. For the case of females, we also aimed to evaluate their capacity to increase their plasma cortisol concentrations in response to capture and restraint during reproductive and non‐reproductive seasons. In addition, we registered concomitant seasonal variations in the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N:L) aimed to discriminate between basal and stress‐induced seasonal changes in cortisol levels in both males and females. Both basal and stressed‐induced cortisol levels were significantly higher in reproductive than non‐reproductive females. For the case of males, cortisol levels were also higher during the reproductive season, though values were two‐ to threefold lower than in females. The N:L ratios attained low values, typical of unstressed animals, in both males and females, indicating that the animals were not facing acute or chronic stressors at the moment of their capture. Testosterone levels in males were significantly elevated in relation to other mammals reaching up to 486 ng mL−1, with significantly higher levels during the reproductive season (mean: 209.45 ± 177.76 ng mL−1) and a remarkable inter‐individual variation. On the other hand, progesterone levels in females captured during reproductive and non‐reproductive seasons were not significantly different. This study shows that seasonal modulation in testosterone and also in baseline and stress‐induced cortisol levels occurs in tuco‐tucos associated with reproduction.
The Clinical Overlap of Multiple Sclerosis and Headache
Authors: Applebee Angela
Published: October 2012

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and migraine headache coexist in many young female patients. Whether this is coincidental or causally linked remains unclear. The presenting symptoms and signs of MS relapse and migraine aura can be similar and should be differentiated by careful history and examination to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment. White matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging have specific patterns for each entity and also need to be interpreted carefully. Although a clear link has not been established between migraine and MS, numerous studies have been reported assessing risks, prevalence, and causation. Complicating these assessments are the disease‐modifying therapies used to treat MS which have been known to be implicated in causing headache. The recent development of novel treatment options for MS requires practitioners to be aware of polypharmacy and potential drug interactions.
Skeletal muscle vasodilatation during maximal exercise in health and disease
Authors: Calbet Jose A. L. , Lundby Carsten
Published: October 2012

Abstract  Maximal exercise vasodilatation results from the balance between vasoconstricting and vasodilating signals combined with the vascular reactivity to these signals. During maximal exercise with a small muscle mass the skeletal muscle vascular bed is fully vasodilated. During maximal whole body exercise, however, vasodilatation is restrained by the sympathetic system. This is necessary to avoid hypotension since the maximal vascular conductance of the musculature exceeds the maximal pumping capacity of the heart. Endurance training and high‐intensity intermittent knee extension training increase the capacity for maximal exercise vasodilatation by 20–30%, mainly due to an enhanced vasodilatory capacity, as maximal exercise perfusion pressure changes little with training. The increase in maximal exercise vascular conductance is to a large extent explained by skeletal muscle hypertrophy and vascular remodelling. The vasodilatory capacity during maximal exercise is reduced or blunted with ageing, as well as in chronic heart failure patients and chronically hypoxic humans; reduced vasodilatory responsiveness and increased sympathetic activity (and probably, altered sympatholysis) are potential mechanisms accounting for this effect. Pharmacological counteraction of the sympathetic restraint may result in lower perfusion pressure and reduced oxygen extraction by the exercising muscles. However, at the same time fast inhibition of the chemoreflex in maximally exercising humans may result in increased vasodilatation, further confirming a restraining role of the sympathetic nervous system on exercise‐induced vasodilatation. This is likely to be critical for the maintenance of blood pressure in exercising patients with a limited heart pump capacity.
Bordetella parapertussis Survives the Innate Interaction with Human Neutrophils by Impairing Bactericidal Trafficking inside the Cell through a Lipid Raft-Dependent Mechanism Mediated by the Lipopolysaccharide O Antigen
Authors: Gorgojo Juan , Lamberti Yanina , Valdez Hugo , Harvill Eric T. , Rodríguez Maria Eugenia
Published: October 2012

Whooping cough is a reemerging disease caused by two closely related pathogens,
Bordetella pertussis
and
Bordetella parapertussis
. The incidence of
B. parapertussis
in whooping cough cases has been increasing since the introduction of acellular pertussis vaccines containing purified antigens that are common to both strains. Recently published results demonstrated that these vaccines do not protect against
B. parapertussis
due to the presence of the O antigen on the bacterial surface that impairs antibody access to shared antigens. We have investigated the effect of the lack of opsonization of
B. parapertussis
on the outcome of its interaction with human neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMNs]). In the absence of opsonic antibodies, PMN interaction with
B. parapertussis
resulted in nonbactericidal trafficking upon phagocytosis. A high percentage of nonopsonized
B. parapertussis
was found in nonacidic lysosome marker (lysosome-associated membrane protein [LAMP])-negative phagosomes with access to the host cell-recycling pathway of external nutrients, allowing bacterial survival as determined by intracellular CFU counts. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen was found to be involved in directing
B. parapertussis
to PMN lipid rafts, eventually determining the nonbactericidal fate inside the PMN. IgG opsonization of
B. parapertussis
drastically changed this interaction by not only inducing efficient PMN phagocytosis but also promoting PMN bacterial killing. These data provide new insights into the immune mechanisms of hosts against
B. parapertussis
and document the crucial importance of opsonic antibodies in immunity to this pathogen.
Uniqueness and Asymptotic Behavior of Positive Solutions for a Fractional‐Order Integral Boundary Value Problem
Authors: Jia Min , Liu Xin , Gu Xuemai
Published: October 2012

We study a model arising from porous media, electromagnetic, and signal processing of wireless communication system
,  0 < t < 1,  
x(0) = x′(0) = ⋯ = x(n−2)(0) = 0,  
, where n − 1 < α ≤ n,  
n ∈ ℕ and n ≥ 2, is the standard Riemann‐Liouville derivative, is linear functionals given by Riemann‐Stieltjes integrals, A is a function of bounded variation, and dA can be a changing‐sign measure. The existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic behavior of positive solutions to the singular nonlocal integral boundary value problem for fractional differential equation are obtained. Our analysis relies on Schauder′s fixed‐point theorem and upper and lower solution method.
Dynamic Behaviors of a Discrete Two Species Predator‐Prey System Incorporating Harvesting
Authors: Wu Ting
Published: October 2012

A discrete two species predator‐prey captured system is studied. Firstly, a sufficient condition of a positive equilibrium point for this system is obtained. Secondly, we observe that the two nonnegative equilibriums of the system are unstable through the eigenvalue discriminant method, and the positive equilibrium point is asymptotically stable by Jury criterion. Lastly, we obtain the optimal capture strategy of the system from the maximum principle by constructing a discrete Hamiltonian function. To show the feasibility of the main results, a suitable example together with its numerical simulations is illustrated in the last part of the paper. The example with certain practical significance might give an optimal scheme of the greatest economic benefits for the captors.
Optimization of Dry Sliding Wear Performance of Ceramic Whisker Filled Epoxy Composites Using Taguchi Approach
Authors: Sudheer M. , Prabhu Ravikantha , Raju K. , Bhat Thirumaleshwara
Published: October 2012

This study evaluates the influence of independent parameters such as sliding velocity (A), normal load (B), filler content (C), and sliding distance (D) on wear performance of potassium-titanate-whiskers (PTW) reinforced epoxy composites using a statistical approach. The PTW were reinforced in epoxy resin to prepare whisker reinforced composites of different compositions using vacuum-assisted casting technique. Dry sliding wear tests were conducted using a standard pin on disc test setup following a well planned experimental schedule based on Taguchi’s orthogonal arrays. With the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variance (ANOVA) optimal combination of parameters to minimize the wear rate was determined. It was found that inclusion of PTW has greatly improved the wear resistance property of the composites. Normal load was found to be the most significant factor affecting the wear rate followed by (C), (D), and (A). Interaction effects of various control parameters were less significant on wear rate of composites.
Synchronization between Bidirectional Coupled Nonautonomous Delayed Cohen‐Grossberg Neural Networks
Authors: Liu Qiming , Xu Rui
Published: October 2012

Based on using suitable Lyapunov function and the properties of M‐matrix, sufficient conditions for complete synchronization of bidirectional coupled nonautonomous Cohen‐Grossberg neural networks are obtained. The methods for discussing synchronization avoid complicated error system of Cohen‐Grossberg neural networks. Two numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization method.
Effects of Norepinephrine and Acetylcholine on the Development of Cultured Leydig Cells in Mice
Authors: Huo Shuying , Zhong Xiuhui , Wu Xianjun , Li Yurong
Published: October 2012

Few data have suggested how norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (Ach) regulate the development of Leydig cells in mice at prepuberty, except for data indicating endocrine effects. The present study aims to elucidate the roles of NE and Ach on the differentiation and proliferation of Leydig cells. Firstly, the expression of adrenergic receptors and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in Leydig cells was investigated. It was found that adrenergic receptors (β1AR,β2AR, andα1D) and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1 and M3) mRNA are expressed in adult Leydig cells. Then, the effects of NE and Ach on the differentiation and proliferation of Leydig cells were analyzed. The results showed that NE and Ach at 10 μM significantly increased the number of 3β-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase- (3β-HSD-) positive Leydig cells and improved the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in Leydig cells on postnatal day (PD) 15 (P<0.05). NE and Ach at 10 μM had no impact on the expression of PCNA mRNA (P>0.05), but reduced the expression of 3β-HSD mRNA in adult Leydig cells and a murine Leydig tumor cell line (MLTC-1) (P<0.05). Therefore, a conclusion may be reached that NE and Ach participated in stimulating the development of Leydig cells in mice from prepuberty to adult stage.
Genome-Wide Analysis of mir-548 Gene Family Reveals Evolutionary and Functional Implications
Authors: Liang Tingming , Guo Li , Liu Chang
Published: October 2012

mir-548 is a larger, poorly conserved primate-specific miRNA gene family. 69 human mir-548 genes located in almost all human chromosomes whose widespread distribution pattern implicates the evolutionary origin from transposable elements. Higher level of nucleotide divergence was detected between these human miRNA genes, which mainly derived from divergence of multicopy pre-miRNAs and homologous miRNA genes. Products of  mir-548, miR-548-5p, and miR-548-3p showed inconsistent evolutionary patterns, which partly contributed to larger genetic distances between pre-miRNAs. “Seed shifting” events could be detected among miR-548 sequences due to various 5′ ends. The events led to shift of seed sequences and target mRNAs, even generated to new target mRNAs. Additionally, the phenomenon of miRNA:miRNA interaction in the miRNA gene family was found. The potential interaction between miRNAs may be contributed to dynamic miRNA expression profiles by complementarily binding events to form miRNA:miRNA duplex with 5′-/3′-overhangs. The miRNA gene family had important roles in multiple biological processes, including signaling pathways and some cancers. The potential abundant roles and functional implication further led to the larger and poorly conserved gene family with genetic variation based on transposable elements. The evolutionary pattern of the primate-specific gene family might contribute to dynamic expression profiles and regulatory network.
Usefulness of the LCOPD, CAFS and CASIS Scales in Understanding the Impact of COPD on Patients
Authors: Miravitlles Marc , Iriberri Milagros , Barrueco Miguel , Lleonart Marta , Villarrubia Elena , Galera Jordi
Published: October 2012

Background: The Living with COPD (LCOPD), COPD and Asthma Fatigue Scale (CAFS), and COPD and Asthma Sleep Impact Scale (CASIS) are instruments developed to assess the overall impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on daily life, fatigue, and sleep impairment, respectively. Objectives: To assess the usefulness of these instruments and to identify factors associated with the concepts they measure. Method: The questionnaires were administered to patients with moderate to severe COPD. Descriptive analyses of sociodemographic and clinical data were performed, and bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with the overall impact of COPD on patients' lives, fatigue, and sleep impairment. Results: A total of 408 patients was included (mostly males, 91.2%), with an average age of 68 years (SD = 9.3). Statistically significant differences were observed in the scores of the three questionnaires with regard to level of education, presence of chronic cough or expectoration, level of dyspnea, number of exacerbations, physical activity level, presence of depression and anxiety, and number of treatments indicated for COPD. The LCOPD and CAFS questionnaires also discriminated between different levels of airflow obstruction and, in the case of CAFS, age and gender. Linear regression showed that level of dyspnea, physical activity, and presence of anxiety were significantly related to the LCOPD, CAFS and CASIS scores. The presence of depression was significant in the LCOPD and CAFS questionnaires and chronic cough was significant in the CAFS questionnaire. Conclusions: The LCOPD, CAFS, and CASIS instruments are valid and useful in understanding the overall impact of COPD on daily life, fatigue, and sleep impairment in patients with moderate to severe COPD.
Predictors of 1-Year Mortality at Hospital Admission for Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Slenter R.H.J. , Sprooten R.T.M. , Kotz D. , Wesseling G. , Wouters E.F.M. , Rohde G.G.U.
Published: October 2012

Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD) are related to high mortality, especially in hospitalized patients. Predictors for severe outcomes are still not sufficiently defined. Objectives: To assess the mortality rate and identify potential determinants of mortality in a cohort of patients hospitalized for AE-COPD. Methods: A retrospective, observational cohort study including all consecutive patients admitted between January 1, 2009, and April 1, 2010, for AE-COPD. Potential predictors were assessed at initial presentation at the emergency room. The primary outcome was mortality during 1-year follow-up. Univariate and multivariate time-to-event analyses using Cox proportional hazard models were employed for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 260 patients were enrolled in this study. Mean age was 70.5 ± 10.8 years, 50.0% were male and 63.4% had severe COPD. The in-hospital mortality rate was 5.8% and the 1-year mortality rate was 27.7%. Independent risk factors for mortality were age [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01–1.07], male sex (HR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.15–3.48), prior hospitalization for AE-COPD in the last 2 years (HR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.52–4.30), prior recorded congestive heart failure (HR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.03–2.97), Paco2 ≥6.0 kPa (HR = 2.90; 95% CI = 1.65–5.09) and urea ≥8.0 mmol/l (HR = 2.38; 95% CI = 1.42–3.99) at admission. Conclusions: Age, male sex, prior hospitalization for AE-COPD in the last 2 years, prior recorded congestive heart failure, hypercapnia and elevated levels of urea at hospital admission are independent predictors of mortality within the first year after admission.
Erythroderma: A Clinical and Prognostic Study
Authors: Li Jun , Zheng He-Yi
Published: October 2012

Background: Erythroderma is a rare skin disorder and studies on its causes and prognosis are rare in the literature. Objectives: We reviewed the clinical, laboratory and biopsy materials of 260 patients diagnosed with erythroderma who were treated in our department over an 11-year period. Patients were followed up to better understand the evolution of erythroderma. Methods: This study was performed at our hospital between January 2001 and 2012 and included 260 patients with erythroderma. We recorded epidemio-clinical, biological and histological data, treatments and outcomes. Clinical-histological correlation was analyzed. Overall survival and relapse-free survival for a limited number of etiologies were described using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results: The mean age at onset in this study was 52.57 ± 17.94 (SD) years (range 13–87), with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. Acute onset was present in 15.38% of patients. Clinical findings were dominated by pruritus (87.69%), fever (40%), edema (37.69%), chills (31.15%), nail changes (29.62%), weakness (19.23%), lymphadenopathy (19.23%), weight loss (14.62%) and islands of normal skin (13.46%). Skin biopsies revealed the cause in 55.56% (65/117) of the patients. The most common causative factors were pre-existing dermatoses (70.77%), followed by idiopathic causes (14.23%), drug reactions (12.69%) and malignancies (2.31%). Among the pre-existing dermatoses, psoriasis was the most common etiology (143/260, 55%). In the drug-induced group, carbamazepine was the most frequently implicated drug in our study (33.33%). Chinese traditional herbal medicines are among the causes of drug-induced erythroderma as well. We also found that Langerhans cell histiocytosis, tongue cancer, hypereosinophilic syndrome, bullous pemphigoid and dermatomyositis could be causes of erythroderma. From our follow-up study, 39 (31.2%) of the 125 patients from whom information was available had relapsed. The patients with idiopathic erythroderma had a higher relapse rate. Of the 5 patients who died, 4 deaths were directly related to erythroderma. Conclusion: Most of the clinical features of erythroderma are unspecific with few cause-orienting clues. Although numerous laboratory values were abnormal, most findings were nondiagnostic and were related to the inflammatory process, except for skin biopsy. Our study had a high percentage of erythroderma secondary to pre-existing dermatoses and a low percentage of malignancy patients. Repeated evaluations, close follow-up and biopsy are recommended.
A Novel Pseudo-Dicentric Variant of 16p11.2–q11.2 Contains Euchromatin from 16p11.2–p11.1 and Resembles Pathogenic Duplications of Proximal 16q
Authors: Barber J.C.K. , Brasch-Andersen C. , Maloney V.K. , Huang S. , Bateman M.S. , Graakjaer J. , Heinl U.D. , Fagerberg C.
Published: October 2012

An unusually large G-light band between 2 G-dark bands in the proximal long arm of chromosome 16 was found in a boy of 5 years of age ascertained with growth retardation, microcephaly, and dysmorphic features. Dual color bacterial artificial chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization (BAC FISH) and oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (oaCGH) were used to show that these bands contained a euchromatic duplication of a minimum of 940 kb between base pairs 34,197,413–35,137,025 in 16p11.2–p11.1 as well as a duplication of the centromere and major 16qh/16p11.2 heterochromatic block, covering a minimum of 12.3 Mb. The same pseudo-dicentric chromosome was found in the father who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The euchromatic region is not known to be subject to imprinting and overlaps multiple large copy number variations (CNVs) in the Database of Genomic Variants as well as similar CNVs that are benign or of uncertain significance in the International Standards for Cytogenomic Arrays database. We conclude that this family has a novel pseudo-dicentric euchromatic variant of chromosome 16 that is unlikely to be the cause of the variable phenotype in father and son but needs to be distinguished from heterochromatic variants or pathogenic duplications of proximal 16q.
Two New de novo Interstitial Duplications Covering 2p14–p22.1: Clinical and Molecular Analysis
Authors: Kasnauskiene J. , Cimbalistiene L. , Utkus A. , Ciuladaite Z. , Preiksaitiene E. , Pečiulytė A. , Kučinskas V.
Published: October 2012

We provide a detailed clinical and molecular analysis of 2 patients with de novo interstitial duplications at 2p14–p16.1 and 2p16.1–p22.1. The 10.13-Mb duplication of chromosome 2p14–p16.1 was identified in a 9-year-old boy with mental retardation, behavioral problems (hyperactivity, hyperphagia, and subsequent vomiting), recurrent respiratory tract infections, macrocephaly, epilepsy, and dysmorphic features. The 17.49-Mb duplication of 2p16.1–p22.1 was found in a 17-year-old girl with moderate mental retardation, behavioral and emotional problems, anxiety, and facial dysmorphic features. Very few cases of de novo interstitial duplication of 2p14–p22.1 are reported in the literature, with the great majority of them lacking a detailed molecular analysis. The abnormal phenotype of these cases is caused by mechanisms such as the overdose of a duplicated gene (or genes), the disruption of a gene or its regulatory sequence by the breakpoints of duplication, or by an excess of genetic material which may disorganize chromatin conformation affecting distant gene expression. The clinical and molecular analysis of these 2 rare de novo interstitial duplications provides useful information which is extremely valuable for clinical evaluation at the prenatal and postnatal level and for the molecular understanding of the underlying mechanisms of human diseases.
Benchmarking Parameter-Free AMaLGaM on Functions With and Without Noise
Authors: Bosman Peter A. N. , Grahl Jörn , Thierens Dirk
Published: October 2012

We describe a parameter-free estimation-of-distribution algorithm (EDA) called the adapted maximum-likelihood Gaussian model iterated density-estimation evolutionary algorithm (AMaLGaM-ID[Formula: see text]A, or AMaLGaM for short) for numerical optimization. AMaLGaM is benchmarked within the 2009 black box optimization benchmarking (BBOB) framework and compared to a variant with incremental model building (iAMaLGaM). We study the implications of factorizing the covariance matrix in the Gaussian distribution, to use only a few or no covariances. Further, AMaLGaM and iAMaLGaM are also evaluated on the noisy BBOB problems and we assess how well multiple evaluations per solution can average out noise. Experimental evidence suggests that parameter-free AMaLGaM can solve a wide range of problems efficiently with perceived polynomial scalability, including multimodal problems, obtaining the best or near-best results among all algorithms tested in 2009 on functions such as the step-ellipsoid and Katsuuras, but failing to locate the optimum within the time limit on skew Rastrigin-Bueche separable and Lunacek bi-Rastrigin in higher dimensions. AMaLGaM is found to be more robust to noise than iAMaLGaM due to the larger required population size. Using few or no covariances hinders the EDA from dealing with rotations of the search space. Finally, the use of noise averaging is found to be less efficient than the direct application of the EDA unless the noise is uniformly distributed. AMaLGaM was among the best performing algorithms submitted to the BBOB workshop in 2009.
Who Are the Gangsters?
Authors: Esbensen Finn-Aage , Carson Dena C.
Published: October 2012

Fifteen years ago, Esbensen and Winfree published an article in which they challenged the stereotypical image of gang members, specifically with regard to race/ethnicity and sex. In the ensuing years, a number of other publications have reported findings similar to those reported by Esbensen and Winfree, especially with regard to the sex composition of American youth gangs. Studies from Europe have also reported gang member demographic characteristics similar to those reported in the United States. The current article replicates Esbensen and Winfree’s research by examining the sex and racial/ethnic characteristics of self-reported gang members in a seven-city study. In addition, the article explores these characteristics across 5 years of data, examining the extent to which gang member demographics remain constant as youth age. Furthermore, given the attention to immigration, the article also assesses the extent to which gang membership is linked to immigration status. More important, the article also explores the extent to which offending rates vary by these demographic characteristics of the gang and nongang youth.
Association of the smoothelin (SMTN) gene with cerebral infarction in men: A haplotype-based case–control study
Authors: Jiang Jie , Nakayama Tomohiro , Shimodaira Masanori , Sato Naoyuki , Aoi Noriko , Sato Mikano , Izumi Yoichi , Kasamaki Yuji , Ohta Masakatsu , Soma Masayoshi , Matsumoto Koichi , Kawamura Hiroshi , Ozawa Yukio , Hinohara Shigeaki , Doba Nobutaka , Ma Yitong
Published: October 2012

Smoothelin is a specific type of cytoskeletal protein found in smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Several previous research studies have examined the relationship between smoothelin and atherosclerotic plaque. The aim of the present study was to further assess the association between the human SMTN gene and cerebral infarction (CI) using a haplotype-based case–control study. A total of 168 CI patients and 259 supercontrols were genotyped for the five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) used as genetic markers for the human SMTN gene (rs2074738, rs5997872, rs56095120, rs9621187 and rs10304). Data were analyzed for three separate groups that included total subjects, men and women. The genotypic distribution of rs10304 for men showed a significant difference between the control and CI groups. In addition, the frequency of the C-T-T-A haplotype (established by rs5997872, rs56095120, rs9621187 and rs10304) was significantly higher in the CI versus the control group ( p = 0.013), while the frequency of the C-A-T-G haplotype (established by rs5997872, rs56095120, rs9621187 and rs10304) in the CI group was significantly lower than that seen in the controls ( p = 0.021). In conclusion, we confirmed that the haplotype constructed using rs5997872, rs56095120, rs9621187 and rs10304 was a useful genetic marker of CI in Japanese men.
Memory CD4+CCR5+ T cells are abundantly present in the gut of newborn infants to facilitate mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1
Authors: Bunders Madeleine J. , van der Loos Chris M. , Klarenbeek Paul L. , van Hamme John L. , Boer Kees , Wilde Jim C. H. , de Vries Niek , van Lier Rene A. W. , Kootstra Neeltje , Pals Steven T. , Kuijpers Taco W.
Published: October 2012

Despite potential clinical importance, target cells for mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 have not yet been identified. Cord blood–derived CD4+ T cells are largely naive and do not express CCR5, the mandatory coreceptor for transmitted HIV-1 R5 strains in infants. In the present study, we demonstrate that in the human fetal and infant gut mucosa, there is already a large subset of mucosal memory CD4+CCR5+ T cells with predominantly a Th1 and Th17 phenotype. Using next-generation sequencing of the TCRβ chain, clonally expanded T cells as a hallmark for memory development predominated in the gut mucosa (30%), whereas few were found in the lymph nodes (1%) and none in cord blood (0%). The gut mucosal fetal and infant CD4+ T cells were highly susceptible to HIV-1 without any prestimulation; pol proviral DNA levels were similar to infected phytohemagglutinin-stimulated adult PBMCs. In conclusion, in the present study, we show that extensive adaptive immunity is present before birth and the gut mucosa is the preferential site for memory CD4+ T cells. These CD4+CCR5+ T cells in the infant mucosa provide a large pool of susceptible cells for ingested HIV-1 at birth and during breastfeeding, indicating a mucosal route of mother-to-child transmission that can be targeted in prevention strategies.
A Recursive Process Related to a Partizan Variation of Wythoff
Authors: Carvalho Alda , Santos Carlos P. , Dias Cátia Lente , Coelho Francisco , Neto João Pedro , Vinagre Sandra
Published: October 2012

is a classical combinatorial game related to very interesting mathematical results. An amazing one is the fact that the
Evidence of 5-HT components in human sperm: implications for protein tyrosine phosphorylation and the physiology of motility
Authors: Jiménez-Trejo Francisco , Tapia-Rodríguez Miguel , Cerbón Marco , Kuhn Donald M , Manjarrez-Gutiérrez Gabriel , Mendoza-Rodríguez C Adriana , Picazo Ofir
Published: October 2012

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; C10H12N2O (5-HT)) is produced in the CNS and in some cells of peripheral tissues. In the mammalian male reproductive system, both 5-HT and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) have been described in Leydig cells of the testis and in principal cells of the caput epididymis. In capacitated hamster sperm, it has been shown that 5-HT promotes the acrosomal reaction. The aim of this work was to explore the existence of components of the serotoninergic system and their relevance in human sperm physiology. We used both immunocytochemistry and western blot to detect serotoninergic markers such as 5-HT, TPH1, MAOA, 5-HT1B, 5-HT3, and 5HTT; HPLC for TPH enzymatic activity; Computer Assisted Semen Analysis assays to measure sperm motility parameters and pharmacological approaches to show the effect of 5-HT in sperm motility and tyrosine phosphorylation was assessed by western blot. We found the presence of serotoninergic markers (5-HT, TPH1, MAOA, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, 5-HT3, 5-HTT, and TPH enzymatic activity) in human sperm. In addition, we observed a significant increase in tyrosine phosphorylation and changes in sperm motility after 5-HT treatment. In conclusion, our data demonstrate the existence of components of a serotoninergic system in human sperm and support the notion for a functional role of 5-HT in mammalian sperm physiology, which can be modulated pharmacologically.
Sleep Duration and Adiposity During Adolescence
Authors: Araújo Joana , Severo Milton , Ramos Elisabete
Published: October 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

The association between sleep and obesity has been described in different age groups. However, there are not sufficient data to clarify the inconsistent results reported in adolescents. Our objective was to study the associations between sleep duration and adiposity at 13 and at 17 years of age, with both cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches.

METHODS:

We evaluated, as part of an urban population-based cohort (EPITeen), 1171 adolescents at both 13 and 17 years of age. Sleep duration was estimated by self-reported bedtimes and wake-up times. Age- and gender-specific BMI z scores were calculated based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention references. Body fat percentage (BF%) was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. Regression coefficients (β) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the association between sleep and BMI z scores and BF%. Additionally, a cross-lagged analysis was performed to investigate the causal relations.

RESULTS:

In the cross-sectional analysis, at 13 years, sleep duration was inversely associated with BMI z score only in boys (β = −0.155, 95% CI: −0.267 to −0.043); at 17 years, a positive association was found among girls but was only significant for BF% (β = 0.510, 95% CI: 0.061–0.958). In the longitudinal approach, sleep duration at age 13 was inversely associated with BMI z score (β = −0.123, 95% CI: −0.233 to −0.012) and BF% (β = −0.731, 95% CI: −1.380 to −0.081) at 17 years only in boys. These significant associations disappeared after adjustment for adiposity at 13 years. These results were corroborated by those from cross-lagged analysis.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results showed an effect of sleep duration in adiposity at younger ages of adolescence and suggested gender differences in this association.
Extended Family History of Type 1 Diabetes and Phenotype and Genotype of Newly Diagnosed Children
Authors: Parkkola Anna , Härkönen Taina , Ryhänen Samppa J. , Ilonen Jorma , Knip Mikael ,   the Finnish Pediatric Diabetes Register
Published: October 2012

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of newly diagnosed diabetic children with first- and second-degree relatives affected by type 1 diabetes and to characterize the effects of this positive family history on clinical markers, signs of β-cell autoimmunity, and HLA genotype in the index case.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Children (n = 1,488) with type 1 diabetes diagnosed under 15 years of age were included in a cross-sectional study from the Finnish Pediatric Diabetes Register. Data on family history of diabetes and metabolic decompensation at diagnosis were collected using a questionnaire. Antibodies to β-cell autoantigens (islet cell antibodies, insulin autoantibodies, GAD antibodies, and antibodies to the islet antigen 2 molecule) and HLA genotypes were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 12.2% of the subjects had a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes (father 6.2%, mother 3.2%, and sibling 4.8%) and 11.9% had an affected second-degree relative. Children without affected relatives had lower pH (P < 0.001), higher plasma glucose (P < 0.001) and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations (P < 0.001), a higher rate of impaired consciousness (P = 0.02), and greater weight loss (P < 0.001). There were no differences in signs of β-cell autoimmunity. The familial cases carried the HLA DR4-DQ8 haplotype more frequently than sporadic cases (74.0 vs. 67.0%, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

When the extended family history of type 1 diabetes is considered, the proportion of sporadic diabetes cases may be reduced to <80%. A positive family history for type 1 diabetes associates with a less severe metabolic decompensation at diagnosis, even when only second-degree relatives are affected. Autoantibody profiles are similar in familial and sporadic type 1 diabetes, suggesting similar pathogenetic mechanisms.
Closed-Loop Insulin Therapy Improves Glycemic Control in Children Aged <7 Years
Authors: Dauber Andrew , Corcia Liat , Safer Jason , Agus Michael S.D. , Einis Sara , Steil Garry M.
Published: October 2012

OBJECTIVE

To assess the possibility of improving nocturnal glycemic control as well as meal glycemic response using closed-loop therapy in children aged <7 years.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a randomized controlled crossover trial comparing closed-loop with standard open-loop insulin pump therapy performed in an inpatient clinical research center. Ten subjects aged <7 years with type 1 diabetes for >6 months treated with insulin pump therapy were studied. Closed-loop therapy and standard open-loop therapy were compared from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. on 2 consecutive days. The primary outcome was plasma glucose time in range (110–200 mg/dL) during the night (10:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m.). Secondary outcomes included peak postprandial glucose levels, incidence of hypoglycemia, degree of hyperglycemia, and prelunch glucose levels.

RESULTS

A trend toward a higher mean nocturnal time within target range was noted for closed- versus open-loop therapy, although not reaching statistical significance (5.3 vs. 3.2 h, P = 0.12). There was no difference in peak postprandial glucose or number of episodes of hypoglycemia. There was significant improvement in time spent >300 mg/dL overnight with closed-loop therapy (0.18 vs. 1.3 h, P = 0.035) and the total area under the curve of glucose >200 mg/dL (P = 0.049). Closed-loop therapy returned prelunch blood glucose closer to target (189 vs. 273 mg/dL on open loop, P = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Closed-loop insulin delivery decreases the severity of overnight hyperglycemia without increasing the incidence of hypoglycemia. The therapy is better able to reestablish target glucose levels in advance of a subsequent meal. Younger children with type 1 diabetes may reap significant benefits from closed-loop therapy.