bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Life assessment methodologies incoroporating shot peening process effects: Mechanistic consideration of residual stresses and strain hardening Part 2 – approaches to fatigue lifing after shot peening
Authors: Soady K A , Mellor B G , Reed P A S
Published: May 2013

Shot peening is a well known process applied to components in order to improve their fatigue resistance. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in including the effects of the shot peening process in life assessment models since this would allow a reduction in conservatism compared to those in current application. Part 1 of this review dealt with the effects of the shot peening process (surface roughening, strain hardening and compressive residual stresses) and the resulting effect on component fatigue life. This part of the review considers how this effect on component fatigue life can be incorporated into life assessment modelling approaches with discussion of the relative merits of each approach. The paper concludes with a flow chart demonstrating a possible route for the inclusion of shot peening effects within industrial component life assessment frameworks.
Creep fracture mechanism in welded joints of P91 steel
Authors: Abd El-Azim M E , El-Desoky O E , Ruoff H , Kauffmann F , Roos E
Published: May 2013

The creep rupture strength of the welded joint of P91 steel (9Cr–1Mo–V–Nb) is limited by that of the fine grained region of its heat affected zone (HAZ). The fine grained HAZ has the lowest creep rupture strength, and the creep voids are mostly concentrated in this region in comparison with the coarse grained HAZ, the weld metal and the base metal of the welded joint. This is mainly due to the higher rate of recovery of the subgrain structure (coarsening of subgrains and recovery of dislocations within the subgrains) in the fine grained HAZ. Type IV fracture occurred in the fine grained HAZ of the cross-weld specimens after the long term creep tests at low stresses at 600 and 650°C. It occurred by the formation of creep voids. There are two types of voids. The first is the voids that form wedge type cracks at the triple points between the prior austenite grain boundaries at intermediate stresses at 600 and 650°C. The second is the voids that form round type cracks on the prior austenite grain boundaries and the subgrain boundaries at low stresses in long term creep tests at 600 and 650°C. These voids form at the interfaces between the matrix and the coarse intergranular particles of Laves, Z and Cr rich carbide phases.
Studies of laser hybrid plasma spraying WC–10Co4Cr coatings
Authors: Li S. Q. , Gong S. L. , Duan Y. P. , Liu S. H.
Published: May 2013

In this paper, the WC–10Co4Cr coatings were deposited by the laser hybrid plasma spraying (LHPS) technology on the 38CrMoAl substrate. The coatings’ wear resistance and corrosion resistance were tested by an SRV friction and wear tester and a neutral salt spraying test respectively. Phase composition and microstructures of the coatings were studied by an X-ray diffraction, an optical microscope and a scanning electronic microscope. Test results indicated that LHPS technology was very effective to improve the coating's bonding strength, because the addition of laser power can densify the coating's microstructure and decrease the coating's porosity and cracks. Therefore, the coating's wear and corrosion resistance are greatly improved.
Effect of ultrarapid cooling on microstructure of laser cladding IN718 coating
Authors: Zhang Y. C. , Li Z. G. , Nie P. L. , Wu Y. X.
Published: May 2013

IN718 alloy clad coating cooled in liquid nitrogen was fabricated by high power diode laser. The microstructure of the coating was investigated using SEM equipped with energy disperse spectroscopy, and the precipitation phase was analysed using TEM after standard heat treatment. The results showed that the liquid nitrogen provided the clad coating an ultrarapid cooling rate during laser cladding. Laves in the ultrarapid cooled clad coating was refined, and Laves concentration and dendritic space were decreased compared with the air cooled clad coating. The ultrarapid cooling rate reduced the constitutional supercooling and restrained Nb segregation in the Laves during solidification. More Nb was distributed in austenite and precipitated as γ″-Ni3Nb during the standard heat treatment to improve the mechanical properties of the clad coating.
Tribological studies on laser surface melted Hastelloy C-276
Authors: Hashim M , Sarath Raghavendra Babu K E , Duraiselvam M , Natu H , Muthupandi V , Sivaprasad K , Rajith K R
Published: May 2013

Hastelloy C-276 was laser surface melted in a nitrogen environment in order to improve the wear resistance. The metallurgical characterisation was performed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction analysis. At a particular laser power and scan speed combination, significant grain refinement was achieved with finely dispersed cell-like structure which improved the hardness up to 390 HV0·3. The EDS point analysis indicated nitrogen diffusion at the cost of nickel depletion. The absence of Cr2N or CrN is a positive aspect in preserving the intrinsic corrosion characteristics of the alloy. The wear rates of the laser treated specimens were significantly lower by a factor of 2·5. Potentiodynamic polarisation corrosion test on the laser treated specimens also exhibited reduced corrosion rates compared to the base material.
Splenectomy and the incidence of venous thromboembolism and sepsis in patients with immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Boyle Soames , White Richard H. , Brunson Ann , Wun Ted
Published: May 2013

Key Points

After splenectomy, patients with ITP have a higher risk of venous thrombosis and sepsis than patients with ITP who do not undergo splenectomy.
Association between molecular lesions and specific B-cell receptor subsets in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Rossi Davide , Spina Valeria , Bomben Riccardo , Rasi Silvia , Dal-Bo Michele , Bruscaggin Alessio , Rossi Francesca Maria , Monti Sara , Degan Massimo , Ciardullo Carmela , Serra Roberto , Zucchetto Antonella , Nomdedeu Josep , Bulian Pietro , Grossi Alberto , Zaja Francesco , Pozzato Gabriele , Laurenti Luca , Efremov Dimitar G. , Di-Raimondo Francesco , Marasca Roberto , Forconi Francesco , Del Poeta Giovanni , Gaidano Gianluca , Gattei Valter
Published: May 2013

Key Points

BCR subsets 2 and 8 show specific genetic profiles influencing CLL course.
Sex-biased gene expression in the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus
Authors: Martins Maria João F , Mota Catarina F , Pearson Gareth A
Published: May 2013

Background

The fucoid brown algae (Heterokontophyta, Phaeophyceae) are increasingly the focus of ecological genetics, biodiversity, biogeography and speciation research. The molecular genetics underlying mating system variation, where repeated dioecious – hermaphrodite switches during evolution are recognized, and the molecular evolution of sex-related genes are key questions currently hampered by a lack of genomic information. We therefore undertook a comparative analysis of male and female reproductive tissue transcriptomes against a vegetative background during natural reproductive cycles inFucus vesiculosus.

Results

Over 300 k reads were assembled and annotated against public protein databases including a brown alga. Compared with the vegetative tissue, photosynthetic and carbohydrate metabolism pathways were under-expressed, particularly in male tissue, while several pathways involved in genetic information processing and replication were over-expressed. Estimates of sex-biased gene (SBG) expression were higher for male (14% of annotated orthologues) than female tissue (9%) relative to the vegetative background. Mean expression levels and variance were also greater in male- than female-biased genes. Major female-biased genes were carbohydrate-modifying enzymes with likely roles in zygote cell wall biogenesis and/or modification. Male-biased genes reflected distinct sperm development and function, and orthologues for signal perception (a phototropin), transduction (several kinases), and putatively flagella-localized proteins (including candidate gamete-recognition proteins) were uniquely expressed in males. Overall, the results suggest constraint on female-biased genes (possible pleiotropy), and less constrained male-biased genes, mostly associated with sperm-specific functions.

Conclusions

Our results support the growing contention that males possess a large array of genes regulating male fitness, broadly supporting findings in evolutionarily distant heterogametic animal models. This work identifies an annotated set ofF. vesiculosusgene products that potentially regulate sexual reproduction and may contribute to prezygotic isolation, one essential step towards developing tools for a functional understanding of species isolation and differentiation.
Phylogeny and a structural model of plant MHX transporters
Authors: Gaash Rachel , Elazar Meirav , Mizrahi Keren , Avramov-Mor Meital , Berezin Irina , Shaul Orit
Published: May 2013

Background

The Arabidopsis thaliana MHX gene (AtMHX) encodes a Mg2+/H+ exchanger. Among non-plant proteins, AtMHX showed the highest similarity to mammalian Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) transporters, which are part of the Ca2+/cation (CaCA) exchanger superfamily.

Results

Sequences showing similarity to AtMHX were searched in the databases or sequenced from cDNA clones. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the MHX family is limited to plants, and constitutes a sixth family within the CaCA superfamily. Some plants include, besides a full MHX gene, partial MHX-related sequences. More than one full MHX gene was currently identified only in Oryza sativa and Mimulus guttatus, but an EST for more than one MHX was identified only in M. guttatus. MHX genes are not present in the currently available chlorophyte genomes. The prevalence of upstream ORFs in MHX genes is much higher than in most plant genes, and can limit their expression. A structural model of the MHXs, based on the resolved structure of NCX1, implies that the MHXs include nine transmembrane segments. The MHXs and NCXs share 32 conserved residues, including a GXG motif implicated in the formation of a tight-turn in a reentrant-loop. Three residues differ between all MHX and NCX proteins. Altered mobility under reducing and non-reducing conditions suggests the presence of an intramolecular disulfide-bond in AtMHX.

Conclusions

The absence of MHX genes in non-plant genomes and in the currently available chlorophyte genomes, and the presence of an NCX in Chlamydomonas, are consistent with the suggestion that the MHXs evolved from the NCXs after the split of the chlorophyte and streptophyte lineages of the plant kingdom. The MHXs underwent functional diploidization in most plant species. De novo duplication of MHX occurred in O. sativa before the split between the Indica and Japonica subspecies, and was apparently followed by translocation of one MHX paralog from chromosome 2 to chromosome 11 in Japonica. The structural analysis presented and the identification of elements that differ between the MHXs and the NCXs, or between the MHXs of specific plant groups, can contribute to clarification of the structural basis of the function and ion selectivity of MHX transporters.
Risk factors and outcomes associated with acute kidney injury following ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Kopolovic Ilana , Simmonds Kim , Duggan Shelley , Ewanchuk Mark , Stollery Daniel E , Bagshaw Sean M
Published: May 2013

Background

Current data describing the epidemiology of acute kidney injury (AKI) following repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) are limited and long-term outcomes are largely unknown. Our objectives were to describe the incidence rate, risk factors, clinical course and long-term outcomes of AKI following rAAA repair.

Methods

Retrospective population-based cohort study of all referrals undergoing emergency repair of rAAA in Northern Alberta from January 1, 2002 to December 31 2009. Demographic, clinical, physiologic and laboratory data were extracted. AKI was defined and classified according to the AKIN criteria.

Results

In total, 140 patients survived to receive emergent rAAA repair. Post-operative AKI occurred in 75.7% of patients (n = 106), 78.3% (n = 83) of which occurred during the initial 24 hours of ICU admission. AKIN stage 1, 2, and 3 occurred in 47 (33.6%), 36 (25.7%) and 23 (16.4%), respectively, with 19 patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT). Several clinical and biochemical patient factors were associated with incident AKI, including baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (odds ratio [OR] 2.94; 95% CI, 1.15-7.51, p = 0.03), need for mechanical ventilation (OR 22.7; 95% CI, 7.0-72.1, p < 0.0001) and vasoactive therapy (OR 9.9; 95% CI, 3.0-32.2, p < 0.0001) and higher mean APACHE II scores (25.7 [8.2] vs. 16.3 [4.9], p < 0.0001). AKI was associated with a higher ICU (28.3% vs. 0%; p = 0.0008) and in-hospital case-fatality rate (35.9% vs. 0%, p = 0.0001). Of 102 survivors to discharge, 65.7% (n = 67) recovered to baseline kidney function. In multivariable analysis, greater severity of AKI (OR 5.01; 95% CI, 2.34-10.7, p < 0.001) and lower baseline eGFR (OR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99, p = 0.03) were associated with non-recovery. AKI remained independently associated with 1-year mortality after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity, and illness severity (OR 5.21; 95% CI, 1.04-26.2, p = 0.045; AUC 0.83; H-L GoF, p = 0.26). Among survivors at 1-year, only 63.4% (n = 55) had complete kidney recovery.

Conclusions

Following rAAA repair, AKI is a common complication independently associated with long-term post-operative mortality. A significant proportion of AKI sufferers in this setting fail to recover to baseline kidney function.
Human Papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer: an observational study of diagnosis, prevalence and prognosis in a UK population
Authors: Evans Mererid , Newcombe Robert , Fiander Alison , Powell James , Rolles Martin , Thavaraj Selvam , Robinson Max , Powell Ned
Published: May 2013

Background

The incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is increasing. HPV-associated OPC appear to have better prognosis than HPV-negative OPC. The aim of this study was to robustly determine the prevalence of HPV-positive OPC in an unselected UK population and correlate HPV positivity with clinical outcome.

Methods

HPV testing by GP5+/6+ PCR, In Situ Hybridisation (ISH) and p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 138 OPCs diagnosed in South Wales (UK) between 2001–06. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to correlate HPV status with clinical outcome.

Results

Using a composite definition of HPV positivity (HPV DNA and p16 overexpression), HPV was detected in 46/83 (55%) samples where DNA quality was assured. Five year overall survival was 75.4% (95% CI: 65.2 to 85.5) in HPV-positives vs 25.3% (95% CI: 14.2 to 36.4) in HPV negatives, corresponding to a 78% reduction in death rate (HR 0.22, p < 0.001). HPV-positives had less locoregional recurrence but second HPV-positive Head and Neck primaries occurred. Poor quality DNA in fixed pathological specimens reduced both HPV prevalence estimates and the prognostic utility of DNA-based HPV testing methods. As a single marker, p16 was least affected by sample quality and correlated well with prognosis, although was not sufficient on its own for accurate HPV prevalence reporting.

Conclusions

This study highlights the significant burden of OPC associated with HPV infection. HPV positive cases are clinically distinct from other OPC, and are associated with significantly better clinical outcomes. A composite definition of HPV positivity should be used for accurate prevalence reporting and up-front DNA quality assessment is recommended for any DNA-based HPV detection strategy.
Central nervous system tumors: a single center pathology review of 34,140 cases over 60 years
Authors: Chen Liang , Zou Xiang , Wang Yin , Mao Ying , Zhou Liangfu
Published: May 2013

Background

Tumor epidemiology is a significant part of CNS (central nervous system) tumor studies. Reassessment of original sections can update our knowledge of tumor spectrum. Here, we discuss the features of CNS tumor pathology in a single center.

Methods

A total of 34140 cases from 1950 to 2009 were collected; sections from 1990 to 2009 were reassessed according to WHO 2007 classification, and cases from 1950 to 1989 were classified according to the previous pathological diagnosis.

Results

Seven CNS tumor categories during 1990 to 2009 were as follow: neuroepithelial tissue (38.0%), tumors of the meninges (36.5%), tumors of the sellar region (4.1%), germ cell tumors (1.3%), tumors of cranial and paraspinal nerves (13.3%), lymphomas and hematopoietic neoplasm (1.7%), metastatic tumors (5.1%), where histological types by age and sex were diverse. Overall, males exceeded females in distributions of most CNS tumor subtypes, while tumors of the meninges occurred more frequently in females. The case number of lymphomas and hematopoietic neoplasms grew the fastest during the past five years, and the distribution of neuroepithelial tumors remained stable over the past twenty years.

Conclusions

Despite the possibilities of cross sample biases, the data in this series could suggest a similar CNS tumor spectrum as might occur in other developing countries.
Treatment of malignant effusion by oncolytic virotherapy in an experimental subcutaneous xenograft model of lung cancer
Authors: Weibel Stephanie , Hofmann Elisabeth , Basse-Luesebrink Thomas Christian , Donat Ulrike , Seubert Carolin , Adelfinger Marion , Gnamlin Prisca , Kober Christina , Frentzen Alexa , Gentschev Ivaylo , Jakob Peter Michael , Szalay Aladar A
Published: May 2013

Background

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is associated with advanced stages of lung cancer and is mainly dependent on invasion of the pleura and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by cancer cells. As MPE indicates an incurable disease with limited palliative treatment options and poor outcome, there is an urgent need for new and efficient treatment options.

Methods

In this study, we used subcutaneously generated PC14PE6 lung adenocarcinoma xenografts in athymic mice that developed subcutaneous malignant effusions (ME) which mimic pleural effusions of the orthotopic model. Using this approach monitoring of therapeutic intervention was facilitated by direct observation of subcutaneous ME formation without the need of sacrificing mice or special imaging equipment as in case of MPE. Further, we tested oncolytic virotherapy using Vaccinia virus as a novel treatment modality against ME in this subcutaneous PC14PE6 xenograft model of advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Results

We demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy of Vaccinia virus treatment of both advanced lung adenocarcinoma and tumor-associated ME. We attribute the efficacy to the virus-mediated reduction of tumor cell-derived VEGF levels in tumors, decreased invasion of tumor cells into the peritumoral tissue, and to viral infection of the blood vessel-invading tumor cells. Moreover, we showed that the use of oncolytic Vaccinia virus encoding for a single-chain antibody (scAb) against VEGF (GLAF-1) significantly enhanced mono-therapy of oncolytic treatment.

Conclusions

Here, we demonstrate for the first time that oncolytic virotherapy using tumor-specific Vaccinia virus represents a novel and promising treatment modality for therapy of ME associated with advanced lung cancer.
Nutrition in calcium nephrolithiasis
Authors: Dogliotti Elena , Vezzoli Giuseppe , Nouvenne Antonio , Meschi Tiziana , Terranegra Annalisa , Mingione Alessandra , Brasacchio Caterina , Raspini Benedetta , Cusi Daniele , Soldati Laura
Published: May 2013

Idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis is a multifactorial disease with a complex pathogenesis due to genetic and environmental factors. The importance of social and health effects of nephrolithiasis is further highlighted by the strong tendency to relapse of the disease. Long-term prospective studies show a peak of disease recurrence within 2–3 years since onset, 40-50% of patients have a recurrence after 5 years and more than 50-60% after 10 years. International nutritional studies demonstrated that nutritional habits are relevant in therapy and prevention approaches of nephrolithiasis. Water, right intake of calcium, low intake of sodium, high levels of urinary citrate are certainly important for the primary and secondary prevention of nephrolithiasis.

In this review is discussed how the correction of nutritional mistakes can reduce the incidence of recurrent nephrolithiasis.
Vibration-assisted upconversion of molecular luminescence induced by scanning tunneling microscopy
Authors: Miwa Kuniyuki , Sakaue Mamoru , Kasai Hideaki
Published: May 2013

We investigate the effects of coupling between a molecular exciton, which consists of an electron and a hole in a molecule, and a surface plasmon (exciton-plasmon coupling) on the electron transitions of the molecule using nonequilibrium Green’s function method. Due to the exciton-plasmon coupling, excitation channels of the molecule arise in the energy range lower than the electronic excitation energy of the molecule. It is found that the electron transitions via these excitation channels give rise to the molecular luminescence and the vibrational excitations at the bias voltage lower than the electronic excitation energy of the molecule. Our results also indicate that the vibrational excitations assist the emission of photons, whose energy exceeds the product of the elementary charge and the bias voltage, (upconverted luminescence).
Numerical solution of linear integral equations system using the Bernstein collocation method
Authors: Jafarian Ahmad , Measoomy Nia Safa A , Golmankhaneh Alireza K , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: May 2013

Since in some application mathematical problems finding the analytical solution is too complicated, in recent years a lot of attention has been devoted by researchers to find the numerical solution of this equations. In this paper, an application of the Bernstein polynomials expansion method is applied to solve linear second kind Fredholm and Volterra integral equations systems. This work reduces the integral equations system to a linear system in generalized case such that the solution of the resulting system yields the unknown Bernstein coefficients of the solutions. Illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the preciseness and effectiveness of the proposed technique. The results are compared with the exact solution by using computer simulations.
Interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme is necessary for development of depression-like behavior following intracerebroventricular administration of lipopolysaccharide to mice
Authors: Lawson Marcus A , McCusker Robert H , Kelley Keith W
Published: May 2013

Background

Interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE, caspase 1) is a cysteine protease that processes immature pro-IL-1β into active mature IL-1β. IL-1β is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that mediates many of the physiological and behavioral responses to inflammation. Genetic deletion of ICE has previously been shown to prevent some negative physiologic responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation.

Methods

Here we used a preclinical murine model to test the hypothesis that ICE is necessary for development of depression-like behaviors following intracerebroventricular (ICV) treatment with LPS. Adult male ICE knockout (ICE KO) and congenic wild-type C57BL/6 J (WT) mice were administered LPS either ICV at 100 ng/mouse or intraperitoneally (IP) at 830 μg/kg body weight or an equal volume of saline as controls. Mice were monitored up to 48 h after treatment for both sickness and depression-like behaviors.

Results

LPS given ICV induced a loss of body weight in both WT and ICE KO mice. This sickness response was similar between WT and ICE KO mice. As expected, LPS administered ICV increased immobility in the forced swim test (FST) and decreased sucrose preference in WT mice but no change in either of these two depression-like behaviors was observed in ICE KO mice. Expression of TNF-α and CD11b in brain was lower in ICE-KO mice at 24 h following ICV administration of LPS compared to WT mice. In contrast, when LPS was given systemically, sickness response, depression-like behaviors, and expression of these genes were similar between the two strains of mice.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that ICE plays a specific role in depression-like behavior induced by a central inflammatory stimuli even though it is not required when LPS is administered systemically.
Determination of the optimal tubulin isotype target as a method for the development of individualized cancer chemotherapy
Authors: Ravanbakhsh Siamak , Gajewski Melissa , Greiner Russell , Tuszynski Jack A
Published: May 2013

Background

As microtubules are essential for cell growth and division, its constituent protein β-tubulin has been a popular target for various treatments, including cancer chemotherapy. There are several isotypes of human β-tubulin and each type of cell expresses its characteristic distribution of these isotypes. Moreover, each tubulin-binding drug has its own distribution of binding affinities over the various isotypes, which further complicates identifying the optimal drug selection. An ideal drug would preferentially bind only the tubulin isotypes expressed abundantly by the cancer cells, but not those in the healthy cells. Unfortunately, as the distributions of the tubulin isotypes in cancer cells overlap with those of healthy cells, this ideal scenario is clearly not possible. We can, however, seek a drug that interferessignificantlywith the isotype distribution of the cancer cell, but has onlyminorinteractions with those of the healthy cells.

Methods

We describe a quantitative methodology for identifying thisoptimal tubulin isotype profilefor an ideal cancer drug, given the isotype distribution of a specific cancer type, as well as the isotype distributions in various healthy tissues, and the physiological importance of each such tissue.

Results

We report the optimal isotype profiles for different types of cancer with various routes of delivery.

Conclusions

Our algorithm, which defines the best profile for each type of cancer (given the drug delivery route and some specified patient characteristics), will help to personalize the design of pharmaceuticals for individual patients. This paper is an attempt to explicitly consider the effects of the tubulin isotype distributions in both cancer and normal cell types, for rational chemotherapy design aimed at optimizing the drug’s efficacy with minimal side effects.
Comparison of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification for orf virus withquantitative real-time PCR
Authors: Wang Guangxiang , Shang Youjun , Wang Yanhua , Tian Hong , Liu Xiangtao
Published: May 2013

Background

Orf virus (ORFV) causes orf (also known as contagious ecthyma or contagiouspapular dermatitis), a severe infectious skin disease in goats, sheep andother ruminants. Therefore, a rapid, highly specific and accurate method forthe diagnosis of ORFV infections is essential to ensure that the appropriatetreatments are administered and to reduce economic losses.

Methods

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on theidentification of the F1L gene was developed for the specific detection ofORFV infections. The sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP assay wereevaluated, and the effectiveness of this method was compared with that ofreal-time PCR.

Results

The sensitivity of this assay was determined to be 10 copies of a standardplasmid. Furthermore, no cross-reactivity was found with either capripoxvirus or FMDV. The LAMP and real-time PCR assays were both able to detectintracutaneous- and cohabitation-infection samples, with a concordance of97.83%. LAMP demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.13%.

Conclusion

The LAMP assay is a highly efficient and practical method for detecting ORFVinfection. This LAMP method shows great potential for monitoring theprevalence of orf, and it could prove to be a powerful supplemental tool forcurrent diagnostic methods.
Summary of papers presented at the 2012 seventh international cough symposium
Authors: Dicpinigaitis Peter V , Fontana Giovanni A , Lee Lu-Yuan , Tatar Milos
Published: May 2013

Twenty six papers were presented as posters in the Seventh International Symposium on Cough; 12 papers were presented in the Basic Science of Cough session, and 14 papers presented in the Clinical Science of Cough session. These papers explored a wide spectrum of cough-related areas including pathophysiological mechanisms, treatment and detection of cough, and symptom assessment and perception, and were grouped into several general themes for facilitate the discussion. Studies presented in these posters have provided new information that should improve our knowledge on the basic physiology and pharmacology of cough, and the peripheral and central neural mechanisms involved in the generation of the cough motor pattern. In addition, in the clinical science section, studies reporting potential new anti-tussive agents and further characterisation of cough symptoms and perception have provided a base for the fruitful strategies for the development of novel anti-tussive therapies and cough management.
Detection of capripoxvirus DNA using a novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay
Authors: Murray Lee , Edwards Lorraine , Tuppurainen Eeva SM , Bachanek-Bankowska Katarzyna , Oura Chris AL , Mioulet Valerie , King Donald P
Published: May 2013

Background

Sheep poxvirus (SPPV), Goat poxvirus (GTPV) and Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) are the most serious poxviruses of ruminants. They are double stranded DNA viruses of the genus Capripoxvirus, (subfamily Chordopoxvirinae) within the family Poxviridae. The aim of this study was to develop a Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) assay for the detection of Capripoxvirus (CaPV) DNA.

Results

A single LAMP assay targeting a conserved region of the CaPV P32 gene was selected from 3 pilot LAMP assays and optimised by adding loop primers to accelerate the reaction time. This LAMP assay successfully detected DNA prepared from representative CaPV isolates (SPPV, GTPV and LSDV), and did not cross-react with DNA extracted from other mammalian poxviruses. The analytical sensitivity of the LAMP assay was determined to be at least 163 DNA copies/μl which is equivalent to the performance reported for diagnostic real-time PCR currently used for the detection of CaPV. LAMP reactions were monitored with an intercalating dye using a real-time PCR machine, or by agarose-gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, dual labelled LAMP products (generated using internal LAMP primers that were conjugated with either biotin or fluorescein) could be readily visualised using a lateral-flow device.

Conclusions

This study provides a simple and rapid approach to detect CaPV DNA that may have utility for use in the field, or in non-specialised laboratories where expensive equipment is not available.
LSSP-PCR of Trypanosoma cruzi: how the single primer sequence affects the kDNA signature
Authors: Segatto Marcela , Rodrigues Claudiney Melquíades , Machado Carlos Renato , Franco Glória Regina , Pena Sérgio Danilo Junho , Macedo Andréa Mara
Published: May 2013

Background

Low-stringency single specific primer PCR (LSSP-PCR) is a highly sensitive and discriminating technique that has been extensively used to genetically characterize Trypanosoma cruzi populations in the presence of large amounts of host DNA. To ensure high sensitivity, in most T. cruzi studies, the variable regions of the naturally amplified kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircles were targeted, and this method translated the intraspecific polymorphisms of these molecules into specific and reproducible kDNA signatures. Although the LSSP-PCR technique is reproducible under strict assay conditions, the complex banding pattern generated can be significantly altered by even a single-base change in the target DNA. Our survey of the literature identified eight different primers with similar, if not identical, names that have been used for kDNA amplification and LSSP-PCR of T. cruzi. Although different primer sequences were used in these studies, many of the authors cited the same reference report to justify their primer choice. We wondered whether these changes in the primer sequence could affect also the parasite LSSP-PCR profiles.

Findings

To answer this question we compared the kDNA signatures obtained from three different and extensively studied T. cruzi populations with the eight primers found in the literature. Our results clearly demonstrate that even minimal modifications in the oligonucleotide sequences, especially in the 3′ or 5′ end, can significantly change the kDNA signature of a T. cruzi strain.

Conclusions

These results highlight the necessity of careful preservation of primer nomenclature and sequence when reproducing an LSSP-PCR work to avoid confusion and allow comparison of results among different laboratories.
Expression and cellular trafficking of GP82 and GP90 glycoproteins during Trypanosoma cruzi metacyclogenesis
Authors: Bayer-Santos Ethel , Cunha-e-Silva Narcisa Leal , Yoshida Nobuko , Franco da Silveira José
Published: May 2013

Background

The transformation of noninfective epimastigotes into infective metacyclic trypomastigotes (metacyclogenesis) is a fundamental step in the life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi, comprising several morphological and biochemical changes. GP82 and GP90 are glycoproteins expressed at the surface of metacyclic trypomastigote, with opposite roles in mammalian cell invasion. GP82 is an adhesin that promotes cell invasion, while GP90 acts as a negative regulator of parasite internalization. Our understanding of the synthesis and intracellular trafficking of GP82 and GP90 during metacyclogenesis is still limited. Therefore, we decided to determine whether GP82 and GP90 are expressed only in fully differentiated metacyclic forms or they start to be expressed in intermediate forms undergoing differentiation.

Methods

Parasite populations enriched in intermediate forms undergoing differentiation were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence to assess GP82 and GP90 expression.

Results

We found that GP82 and GP90 mRNAs and proteins are expressed in intermediate forms and reach higher levels in fully differentiated metacyclic forms. Surprisingly, GP82 and GP90 presented distinct cellular localizations in intermediate forms compared to metacyclic trypomastigotes. In intermediate forms, GP82 is localized in organelles at the posterior region and colocalizes with cruzipain, while GP90 is localized at the flagellar pocket region.

Conclusions

This study discloses new aspects of protein expression and trafficking during T. cruzi differentiation by showing that the machinery involved in GP82 and GP90 gene expression starts to operate early in the differentiation process and that different secretion pathways are responsible for delivering these glycoproteins toward the cell surface.
The histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium valproate causes limited transcriptional change in mouse embryonic stem cells but selectively overrides Polycomb-mediated Hoxb silencing
Authors: Boudadi Elsa , Stower Hannah , Halsall John A , Rutledge Charlotte E , Leeb Martin , Wutz Anton , O’Neill Laura P , Nightingale Karl P , Turner Bryan M
Published: May 2013

Background

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) cause histone hyperacetylation and H3K4 hypermethylation in various cell types. They find clinical application as anti-epileptics and chemotherapeutic agents, but the pathways through which they operate remain unclear. Surprisingly, changes in gene expression caused by HDACi are often limited in extent and can be positive or negative. Here we have explored the ability of the clinically important HDACi valproic acid (VPA) to alter histone modification and gene expression, both globally and at specific genes, in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells.

Results

Microarray expression analysis of ES cells exposed to VPA (1 mM, 8 h), showed that only 2.4% of genes showed a significant, >1.5-fold transcriptional change. Of these, 33% were down-regulated. There was no correlation between gene expression and VPA-induced changes in histone acetylation or H3K4 methylation at gene promoters, which were usually minimal. In contrast, all Hoxb genes showed increased levels of H3K9ac after exposure to VPA, but much less change in other modifications showing bulk increases. VPA-induced changes were lost within 24 h of inhibitor removal. VPA significantly increased the low transcription of Hoxb4 and Hoxb7, but not other Hoxb genes. Expression of Hoxb genes increased in ES cells lacking functional Polycomb silencing complexes PRC1 and PRC2. Surprisingly, VPA caused no further increase in Hoxb transcription in these cells, except for Hoxb1, whose expression increased several fold. Retinoic acid (RA) increased transcription of all Hoxb genes in differentiating ES cells within 24 h, but thereafter transcription remained the same, increased progressively or fell progressively in a locus-specific manner.

Conclusions

Hoxb genes in ES cells are unusual in being sensitive to VPA, with effects on both cluster-wide and locus-specific processes. VPA increases H3K9ac at all Hoxb loci but significantly overrides PRC-mediated silencing only at Hoxb4 and Hoxb7. Hoxb1 is the only Hoxb gene that is further up-regulated by VPA in PRC-deficient cells. Our results demonstrate that VPA can exert both cluster-wide and locus-specific effects on Hoxb regulation.
Separation of the defect-free Fe3O4-Au core/shell fraction from magnetite-gold composite nanoparticles by an acid wash treatment
Authors: Montazeri Hojatollah , Amani Amir , Shahverdi Hamid Reza , Haratifar Emad al din , Shahverdi Ahmad Reza
Published: May 2013

Some undesired nanoparticles, such as malformed structures or incomplete core/shell Fe3O4-Au nanocomposites, might be formed when Fe3O4-Au core/shell nanocomposites are being synthesized. These impurities should be separated before any applications are performed. In this investigation, magnetic cores (Fe3O4) were synthesized using a conventional fabrication method involving coprecipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+. Carboxyl-capped magnetite-gold composite nanoparticles, measuring ≤50 nm, were then synthesized using a plant extract (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). The prepared carboxyl-capped magnetite-gold composite nanoparticles were further subjected to acid treatment for 18 h and characterized with different instrumentation methods. The results of the investigation showed that acid treatment can be applied successfully to separate defect-free Fe3O4-Au core/shell nanoparticles from different types of Fe3O4-Au nanocomposites, without any considerable changes in their physiochemical properties.
Sections/Associated Societies Focus
Authors: Loinger Eugenio , Vesnaver Aldo
Published: May 2013

The community of Italian geoscientists looks like a composite galaxy; there is a major star (eni, the national oil company) and a minor star (OGS, the Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Applied Geophysics) which are surrounded by a few large planets (e.g., polytechnic schools at Milan and Turin, universities in Naples, Rome, Trieste, and Padua), and several minor celestial bodies. Throughout our history, Italian geophysicists have been affiliated with SEG, EAGE, both of them, or none. The only way to get a critical mass was to somehow join all of them together. The solution, which arrived 12 years ago, was unique: a combined EAGE-SEG section. The first executive committee, in 2001, included a president from academia (Alfredo Mazzotti, Pisa University), a vice president from industry (Luca Bertelli, eni), and a treasurer from a research institute (Aldo Vesnaver, OGS). Such “rainbow representation” has been maintained in the succeeding years. The current leadership is headed by Massimo Antonelli (eni) and includes representatives from industry (eni), research (OGS and Aresys), and academia (Naples).
Outstanding reviewers
Authors: Nemeth Tamas
Published: May 2013

Papers submitted to Geophysics are evaluated in the framework of the peer-review system. This system functions as a three-legged stool; it needs a strong support from each leg: the authors, the editors, and the reviewers. Of these three, the reviewers provide the often-invisible support that balances the stool. We are happy to recognize here some of our reviewer colleagues who have dedicated their personal time to provide constructive and prompt feedback to the authors. To further raise the visibility of the reviewer, Geophysics has established a Reviewer of the Year Award, with the first recipient being Jan Thorbecke in 2012. Colleagues recognized below are automatically candidates for the 2013 Reviewer of the Year recognition as well.
Technologies of Blood
Authors: Hannabach Cathy
Published: May 2013

In this article I analyze the gender, racial, sexual, and national ideologies at play in the incarceration and forced sterilization of HIV-positive Haitian refugees at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in the 1990s. Focusing on legal and medical technologies—specifically asylum law and blood medicine—as sites of biopolitical contestation, I examine the process by which these Haitian refugees' blood became the site of international anxieties over legal sovereignty, biopolitics, citizenship, and reproductive rights. This article places the asylum process and the HIV antibody blood test alongside each other as intertwined technologies of confession that seek to parse “good, truthful” desirable bodies from “bad, deceptive” bodies threatening to contaminate the body politic. I argue that penal institutions, military practices, legal frameworks, and medical testing braid together through blood to construct the US nation-state in a transnational frame and in deeply gendered, sexualized, and racialized ways.
ASCL1 reprograms mouse Müller glia into neurogenic retinal progenitors
Authors: Pollak Julia , Wilken Matthew S. , Ueki Yumi , Cox Kristen E. , Sullivan Jane M. , Taylor Russell J. , Levine Edward M. , Reh Thomas A.
Published: May 2013

Non-mammalian vertebrates have a robust ability to regenerate injured retinal neurons from Müller glia (MG) that activate the gene encoding the proneural factor Achaete-scute homolog 1 (Ascl1; also known as Mash1 in mammals) and de-differentiate into progenitor cells. By contrast, mammalian MG have a limited regenerative response and fail to upregulate Ascl1 after injury. To test whether ASCL1 could restore neurogenic potential to mammalian MG, we overexpressed ASCL1 in dissociated mouse MG cultures and intact retinal explants. ASCL1-infected MG upregulated retinal progenitor-specific genes and downregulated glial genes. Furthermore, ASCL1 remodeled the chromatin at its targets from a repressive to an active configuration. MG-derived progenitors differentiated into cells that exhibited neuronal morphologies, expressed retinal subtype-specific neuronal markers and displayed neuron-like physiological responses. These results indicate that a single transcription factor, ASCL1, can induce a neurogenic state in mature MG.
miR-200 and miR-96 families repress neural induction from human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Du Zhong-Wei , Ma Li-Xiang , Phillips Christian , Zhang Su-Chun
Published: May 2013

The role of miRNAs in neuroectoderm specification is largely unknown. We screened miRNA profiles that are differentially changed when human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were differentiated to neuroectodermal precursors (NEP), but not to epidermal (EPI) cells and found that two miRNA families, miR-200 and miR-96, were uniquely downregulated in the NEP cells. We confirmed zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox (ZEB) transcription factors as a target of the miR-200 family members and identified paired box 6 (PAX6) transcription factor as the new target of miR-96 family members via gain- and loss-of-function analyses. Given the essential roles of ZEBs and PAX6 in neural induction, we propose a model by which miR-200 and miR-96 families coordinate to regulate neural induction.
Tcf21 regulates the specification and maturation of proepicardial cells
Authors: Tandon Panna , Miteva Yana V. , Kuchenbrod Lauren M. , Cristea Ileana M. , Conlon Frank L.
Published: May 2013

The epicardium is a mesothelial cell layer essential for vertebrate heart development and pertinent for cardiac repair post-injury in the adult. The epicardium initially forms from a dynamic precursor structure, the proepicardial organ, from which cells migrate onto the heart surface. During the initial stage of epicardial development crucial epicardial-derived cell lineages are thought to be determined. Here, we define an essential requirement for transcription factor Tcf21 during early stages of epicardial development in Xenopus, and show that depletion of Tcf21 results in a disruption in proepicardial cell specification and failure to form a mature epithelial epicardium. Using a mass spectrometry-based approach we defined Tcf21 interactions and established its association with proteins that function as transcriptional co-repressors. Furthermore, using an in vivo systems-based approach, we identified a panel of previously unreported proepicardial precursor genes that are persistently expressed in the epicardial layer upon Tcf21 depletion, thereby confirming a primary role for Tcf21 in the correct determination of the proepicardial lineage. Collectively, these studies lead us to propose that Tcf21 functions as a transcriptional repressor to regulate proepicardial cell specification and the correct formation of a mature epithelial epicardium.
Discontinuous locomotion and prey sensing in the leech
Authors: Harley Cynthia M. , Rossi Matthew , Cienfuegos Javier , Wagenaar Daniel
Published: May 2013

The medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, is an aquatic predator that utilizes water waves to locate its prey. However, to reach their prey, the leeches must move within the same water that they are using to sense prey. This requires that they either move ballistically towards a pre-determined prey location or that they account for their self-movement and continually track prey. We found that leeches do not localize prey ballistically. Instead, they require continual sensory information to track their prey. Indeed, in the event that the prey moves, leeches will approach the prey's new location. While leeches need to continually sense water disturbances to update their percept of prey location, their own behavior is discontinuous – approaching prey involves switching between swimming, crawling and non-locomoting. Each of these behaviors may allow for different sensory capabilities and may require different sensory filters. Here, we examined the sensory capabilities of leeches during each of these behaviors. We found that while one could expect the non-locomoting phases to direct subsequent behaviors, crawling phases were more effective than non-locomotor phases for providing direction. During crawling bouts, leeches adjusted their heading so as to become more directed towards the stimulus. This was not observed during swimming. Furthermore, in the presence of prey-like stimuli, leeches crawled more often and for longer periods of time.
Does mobilisation increase family engagement with an early childhood intervention programme? A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cotterill Sarah , John Peter , Moseley Alice
Published: May 2013

In this article we compare the effect of two methods of mobilisation – doorstep canvassing and postal appeals – on family attendance at early childhood Sure Start centres in England with a sample of 3,444 families. Families who were not already using Sure Start services were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a visit from an outreach worker providing information and encouragement; receipt of a leaflet about Sure Start; and a control group that received the usual service. We found no evidence of a significant difference in Sure Start attendance between the three groups: neither visits nor leaflets were effective in encouraging non-attenders to go to Sure Start.