bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integral Sliding Mode Control Strategy of D-STATCOM for Unbalanced Load Compensation under Various Disturbances
Authors: Xia Mingchao , Mao Yanhui
Published: September 2013

Control strategies of D-STATCOM for unbalanced load compensation under internal and external disturbances were discussed. Linear control strategies do not have a satisfactory dynamic performance and become invalid under internal or external disturbances. To guarantee a good precision and robustness, a control strategy combining input-output feedback linearization technique with integral sliding mode control (ISMC) method was applied to D-STATCOM for unbalanced load compensation. The strategy has features of simple structure and is easy to implement. A 10 MVar/10 kV D-STATCOM simulation system was built in PSCAD/EMTDC to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the control strategy proposed. Simulation results show that the control strategy can compensate reactive power and eliminate unbalance simultaneously under various disturbances.
Biochar Alteration of the Sorption of Substrates and Products in Soil Enzyme Assays
Authors: Swaine Mark , Obrike Rachel , Clark Joanna M. , Shaw Liz J.
Published: September 2013

Pine wood and barley straw biochar amendments to Kettering and Cameroon sandy silt loam soils (15, 30, or 150 mg biochar g−1soil) caused significant reductions (up to 80%,P<0.05) in concentrations of substrate and extractable product in soil dehydrogenase and phosphomonoesterase enzyme assays. Likely this was caused by increased solid-phase sorption of the chemicals in the presence of the biochars under assay conditions. The relationship between assay chemical sorption and biochar concentration depended on the chemical, soil type, biochar type, and their interactions; hence, no uniform correction factor could be derived. This biochar impact on assay constituents will limit the identification of genuine biochar effects on soil enzymes. It is recommended that the assumption of saturating substrate concentrations be checked and that product standards be matrix-matched when conducting enzyme assays with biochar-amended soil.
On the Use of Time-Limited Information for Maintenance Decision Support: A Predictive Approach under Maintenance Constraints
Authors: Khoury E. , Deloux E. , Grall A. , Bérenguer C.
Published: September 2013

This paper deals with a gradually deteriorating system operating under an uncertain environment whose state is only known on a finite rolling horizon. As such, the system is subject to constraints. Maintenance actions can only be planned at imposed times called maintenance opportunities that are available on a limited visibility horizon. This system can, for example, be a commercial vehicle with a monitored critical component that can be maintained only in some specific workshops. Based on the considered system, we aim to use the monitoring data and the time-limited information for maintenance decision support in order to reduce its costs. We propose two predictive maintenance policies based, respectively, on cost and reliability criteria. Classical age-based and condition-based policies are considered as benchmarks. The performance assessment shows the value of the different types of information and the best way to use them in maintenance decision making.
Naringin Exhibits in vivo Prokinetic Activity via Activation of Ghrelin Receptor in Gastrointestinal Motility Dysfunction Rats
Authors: Jang Yongwoo , Kim Tae-Kwang , Shim Won-Sik
Published: September 2013

Background and Purpose: Poncirus fructus (PF), also known as the dried immature fruit of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf., has long been used as a cure for the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders in eastern Asia. Recently, it was reported that naringin, a flavonoid constituent of the PF extract, causes the activation of ghrelin receptor in vitro. Although the ghrelin receptor is involved in the enhancement of intestinal motility, there are no studies as yet involving in vivo action of naringin. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate whether naringin exhibits a prokinetic effect in vivo. Methods: We measured the intestinal transit rate in rats with gastrointestinal motility dysfunction (GMD) and performed a pharmacokinetic analysis of naringin to investigate the effect of naringin on prokinetic activity in vivo. Results: The results of this study show that the aqueous extract of PF and its constituent naringin have a strong prokinetic activity in GMD rats via activation of the ghrelin receptor. Surprisingly, pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that naringin has low bioavailability (11%), implying that the prokinetic effect of naringin was largely due to the local activation of ghrelin receptor in the intestine rather than a systemic effect after absorption. Indeed, it turned out that intravenous administration of naringin led to a lower prokinetic effect than when administrated orally to rats, indicating that naringin prefers to act on the intestinal wall rather than getting absorbed into the systemic circuit. This local mode of action might be advantageous for preventing possible systemic side effects since naringin is not well absorbed into the system circuit. Conclusions: Naringin exhibits an in vivo prokinetic activity by a preferable local activation of ghrelin receptor. Moreover, we propose that naringin could play a role as a leading compound for the development of ghrelin receptor-based prokinetic agents.
Characteristics of Genetics-Related News Content in Black Weekly Newspapers
Authors: Caburnay C.A. , Babb P. , Kaphingst K.A. , Roberts J. , Rath S.
Published: September 2013

Background/Aims/Objectives: The media are an important source of health information, especially for those with less access to regular health care. Black news outlets such as Black newspapers are a source of health information for African Americans. This study characterized media coverage of genetics-related information in Black weekly newspapers and general audience newspapers from the same communities. Methods: All health stories in a sample of 24 Black weekly newspapers and 12 general audience newspapers from January 2004 to December 2007 were reviewed for genetics-related stories. These stories were further coded for both journalistic and public health variables. Results: Of all health-related stories identified, only 2% (n = 357) were considered genetics related. Genetics-related stories in Black newspapers - compared to those in general audience newspapers - were larger, more locally and racially relevant, and more likely to contain recommendations or action steps to improve health or reduce disease risks and to mention the importance of knowing one's family history. Stories in general audience newspapers were more likely to discuss causes of disease, mention genetic testing or therapy, and suggest a high/moderate degree of genetic determinism. Conclusions: Black newspapers are a viable communication channel to disseminate findings and implications of human genome research to African American audiences.
Ten-Eleven Translocation-2 (TET2) Is a Master Regulator of Smooth Muscle Cell Plasticity
Authors: Liu Renjing , Jin Yu , Tang Wai Ho , Qin Lingfeng , Zhang Xinbo , Tellides George , Hwa John , Yu Jun , Martin Kathleen A.
Published: September 2013

Background—

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are remarkably plastic. Their reversible differentiation is required for growth and wound healing but also contributes to pathologies such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. Although key regulators of the SMC phenotype, including myocardin (MYOCD) and KLF4, have been identified, a unifying epigenetic mechanism that confers reversible SMC differentiation has not been reported.

Methods and Results—

Using human SMCs, human arterial tissue, and mouse models, we report that SMC plasticity is governed by the DNA-modifying enzyme ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET2). TET2 and its product, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), are enriched in contractile SMCs but reduced in dedifferentiated SMCs. TET2 knockdown inhibits expression of key procontractile genes, including
MYOCD
and
SRF
, with concomitant transcriptional upregulation of
KLF4
. TET2 knockdown prevents rapamycin-induced SMC differentiation, whereas TET2 overexpression is sufficient to induce a contractile phenotype. TET2 overexpression also induces SMC gene expression in fibroblasts. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrates that TET2 coordinately regulates phenotypic modulation through opposing effects on chromatin accessibility at the promoters of procontractile versus dedifferentiation-associated genes. Notably, we find that TET2 binds and 5-hmC is enriched in CArG-rich regions of active SMC contractile promoters (
MYOCD
,
SRF
, and
MYH11
). Loss of TET2 and 5-hmC positively correlates with the degree of injury in murine models of vascular injury and human atherosclerotic disease. Importantly, localized TET2 knockdown exacerbates injury response, and local TET2 overexpression restores the 5-hmC epigenetic landscape and contractile gene expression and greatly attenuates intimal hyperplasia in vivo.

Conclusions—

We identify TET2 as a novel and necessary master epigenetic regulator of SMC differentiation.
Automatic Needle Detection and Tracking in 3D Ultrasound Using an ROI-Based RANSAC and Kalman Method
Authors: Zhao Yue , Cachard Christian , Liebgott Hervé
Published: September 2013

This article proposes a robust technique for needle detection and tracking using three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US). It is difficult for radiologists to detect and follow the position of micro tools, such as biopsy needles, that are inserted in human tissues under 3D US guidance. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a method that automatically reduces the processed volume to a limited region of interest (ROI), increasing at the same time the calculation speed and the robustness of the proposed technique. First, a line filter method that enhances the contrast of the needle against the background is used to facilitate the initialization of ROI using the tubularness information of the complete US volume. Then, the random sample consensus (RANSAC) and Kalman filter (RK) algorithm is used in the ROI to detect and track the precise position of the needle. A series of numerical inhomogeneous phantoms with a needle simulated from real 3D US volumes are used to evaluate our method. The results show that the proposed method is much more robust than the RANSAC algorithm when detecting the needle, regardless of whether or not the insertion axis corresponds to an acquisition plane in the 3D US volume. The possibility of failure is also discussed in this article.
Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound Examination Using Vector Flow Imaging
Authors: Hansen Kristoffer Lindskov , Pedersen Mads Møller , Møller-Sørensen Hasse , Kjaergaard Jesper , Nilsson Jens Christian , Lund Jens Teglgaard , Jensen Jørgen Arendt , Nielsen Michael Bachmann
Published: September 2013

Conventional ultrasound (US) methods for blood velocity estimation only provide one-dimensional and angle-dependent velocity estimates; thus, the complexity of cardiac flow has been difficult to measure. To circumvent these limitations, the Transverse Oscillation (TO) vector flow method has been proposed. The vector flow method implemented on a commercial scanner provided real-time, angle-independent estimates of cardiac blood flow. Epicardiac and epiaortic, intraoperative US examinations were performed on three patients with stenosed coronary arteries scheduled for bypass surgery. Repeating cyclic beat-to-beat flow patterns were seen in the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery of each patient, but these patterns varied between patients. Early systolic retrograde flow filling the aortic sinuses was seen in the ascending aorta as well as early systolic retrograde flow in the pulmonary artery. In diastole, stable vortices in aortic sinuses of the ascending aorta created central antegrade flow. A stable vortex in the right atrium was seen during the entire heart cycle. The measurements were compared with estimates obtained intraoperatively with conventional spectral Doppler US using a transesophageal and an epiaortic approach. Mean differences in peak systole velocity of 11% and 26% were observed when TO was compared with transesophageal echocardiography and epiaortic US, respectively. In one patient, the cardiac output derived from vector velocities was compared with pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution technique and showed a difference of 16%. Vector flow provides real-time, angle-independent vector velocities of cardiac blood flow. The technique can potentially reveal new information of cardiovascular physiology and give insight into blood flow dynamics.
Re-packaging Disaster Post 9/11 and Christopher Nolan’s
Authors: Bordoloi Mridul
Published: September 2013

Disaster movies have been a staple fare of Hollywood since the 1930s. However from the 1980s, it began to assume the categorical imperative of a ‘genre’ having its own structured norms. Typologies of disaster movies vary from the unabashedly pyrotechnical to the cerebral. The aim of this article is to analyze the idea of disaster in Hollywood disaster films as events that are human-constituted. This is done by reading Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy as texts that represent different types of the anarchic world view. Therefore, the focus of this article would be to read ‘anarchy-as-disaster’ in the context of the trilogy. The three films appear to have typologies of the anarchic world view that could be classified into three broad categories: ‘anarchy as cleansing’, ‘anarchy for chaos for the sake of chaos’ and ‘anarchy as emancipation’. This study attempts to read Nolan’s trilogy as cultural products that are able to generate fear of impending disasters brought upon Western industrialized society by certain inscrutable forces. In underscoring the politics of representation, the three films appear to emphasize values that are ‘liberal’ (democracy, capitalism, liberalism) as opposed to ‘conservative’ (socialism, radicalism, religious fundamentalism), the latter being dismissed off as obsolete alternatives. The problematic of urban space, technology fetishism and their role in re-packaging disaster mediated through tools (disaster movies) of popular culture will constitute the major premises of this study.
The Famine in British India
Authors: Mitra Rajarshi
Published: September 2013

Famines were administrative disasters in colonial India which the British government never really acknowledged. Every major famine during the British Raj was preceded and followed by notoriously wooden administrative reports and mathematical speculations about the disaster and possible prevention of the next. This article focuses on the devastating Bengal famine of 1943 and argues that the government used a quantification rhetoric in its report to control and manage famine. The article draws from Susan Leigh Star’s concept of ‘boundary objects’ and highlights the boundary aspects of famine management system as facilitator of networking and cooperation. Famine becomes a metaphor—an elastic multivalent topic that can be used by the government to both frame colonial ideologies and build networks through quantification rhetoric. It is further used by a critical press to quantify compassion and care. The article analyzes the quantification rhetoric of famine by looking at two major discourses: discourse of governance and compassion. The discourse of governance is further divided into the discourses of famine situation and that of relief system.
We Will Rock You
Authors: Likes Terry
Published: September 2013

An essay on how the use of music at sporting events not only inspires fans and motivates athletes, but sonic branding represents a way to create an emotional connection with the audience through the use of music. This essay, and accompanying audio documentary, explores how the branding of sports music has become big business.
“You Gotta Appease the People Who Run This Place”
Authors: Genovese Jason
Published: September 2013

This research examines the relationship between sports television reporters and producers and the corporate ownership of the regional sports network (RSN) where they are employed. Through the ethnographic techniques of participant observation and interviews with news gatherers at an RSN in a major East Coast market, I provide an in-depth look at the increasingly complex and difficult relationship between ownership and sports journalists in this specific area of the sports–media complex. The study’s findings reveal that sports television reporters and producers at this RSN must navigate an organizational setting that exerts a significant influence on their daily work. Such issues and developments reveal the sports television workplace as increasingly complicated and problematic for those working in it.
Comparison of RNA- or LNA-hybrid oligonucleotides in template-switching reactions for high-speed sequencing library preparation
Authors: Harbers Matthias , Kato Sachi , de Hoon Michiel , Hayashizaki Yoshihide , Carninci Piero , Plessy Charles
Published: September 2013

Background

Analyzing the RNA pool or transcription start sites requires effective means to convert RNA into cDNA libraries for digital expression counting. With current high-speed sequencers, it is necessary to flank the cDNAs with specific adapters. Adding template-switching oligonucleotides to reverse transcription reactions is the most commonly used approach when working with very small quantities of RNA even from single cells.

Results

Here we compared the performance of DNA-RNA, DNA-LNA and DNA oligonucleotides in template-switching during nanoCAGE library preparation. Test libraries from rat muscle and HeLa cell RNA were prepared in technical triplicates and sequenced for comparison of the gene coverage and distribution of the reads within transcripts. The DNA-RNA oligonucleotide showed the highest specificity for capped 5′ ends of mRNA, whereas the DNA-LNA provided similar gene coverage with more reads falling within exons.

Conclusions

While confirming the cap-specific preference of DNA-RNA oligonucleotides in template-switching reactions, our data indicate that DNA-LNA hybrid oligonucleotides could potentially find other applications in random RNA sequencing.
The mosaic accessory gene structures of the SXT/R391-like integrative and conjugative elements derived from Vibrio spp. isolated from aquatic products and environment in the Yangtze River estuary, China
Authors: Song Yuze , Yu Pan , Li Bailin , Pan Yingjie , Zhang Xiaojun , Cong Jian , Zhao Yinying , Wang Hua , Chen Lanming
Published: September 2013

Background

The emergence, resurgence and spread of human food-borne pathogenic Vibrios are one of the major contributors to disease burden and mortality particularly in developing countries with disputable sanitary conditions. Previous research on pathogenic Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolitycus derived from clinical samples has proposed links between acquisition of virulence and multiple drug resistance traits and intercellular transmissibility of mobile genetic elements in the environment. To date, very few information is available on environmental Vibrio isolates. In this study, we characterized eleven Vibrio strains bearing the SXT/R391-like integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) derived from aquatic products and environment in the Yangtze River Estuary, China.

Results

The eleven Vibrio strains were isolated in 2010 to 2011, and taxonomically identified, which included six Vibrio cholerae, three Vibrio parahaemolyticus, one Vibrio alginolyticus and one Vibrio natriegens. Most of the strains displayed strong resistance phenotypes to ampicillin, mercury and chromium. The majority of their ICEs, which belong to S and R exclusion system groups, contain ICEs-chromosome junction sequences and highly conserved core-genes required for ICE transfer. However, comparative sequence analysis uncovered interesting diversity in their mosaic accessory gene structures, which carry many novel genes that have not been described in any known ICEs to date. In addition, antibiotic resistance was transmitted by ICEVchChn6 and ICEVpaChn1 from V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus to E. coli MG1655 via conjugation, respectively. Our data also revealed that the ICEs characterized in this study are phylogenetically distant from most of the SXT/R391 ICEs reported previously, which may represent a novel cluster likely shaped by the ecological environment in the Yangtze River Estuary, China.

Conclusions

This study constitutes the first investigation of ICEs-positive Vibrio spp. in the Yangze River Estuary, China. The newly identified ICEs were characterized with mosaic accessory gene structures and many novel genes. The results demonstrated self-transmissibility of antibiotic resistance mediated by two of the ICEs from V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus to E. coli via conjugation, respectively. Our results also revealed that the ICEs examined in this study may represent a novel cluster in the SXT/R391 family.
Identification and fine-mapping of a QTL, qMrdd1, that confers recessive resistance to maize rough dwarf disease
Authors: Tao Yongfu , Liu Qingcai , Wang Honghong , Zhang Yanjun , Huang Xinyi , Wang Baobao , Lai Jinsheng , Ye Jianrong , Liu Baoshen , Xu Mingliang
Published: September 2013

Background

Maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD) is a devastating viral disease that results in considerable yield losses worldwide. Three major strains of virus cause MRDD, including maize rough dwarf virus in Europe, Mal de Río Cuarto virus in South America, and rice black-streaked dwarf virus in East Asia. These viral pathogens belong to the genus fijivirus in the family Reoviridae. Resistance against MRDD is a complex trait that involves a number of quantitative trait loci (QTL). The primary approach used to minimize yield losses from these viruses is to breed and deploy resistant maize hybrids.

Results

Of the 50 heterogeneous inbred families (HIFs), 24 showed consistent responses to MRDD across different years and locations, in which 9 were resistant and 15 were susceptible. We performed trait-marker association analysis on the 24 HIFs and found six chromosomal regions which were putatively associated with MRDD resistance. We then conducted QTL analysis and detected a major resistance QTL, qMrdd1, on chromosome 8. By applying recombinant-derived progeny testing to self-pollinated backcrossed families, we fine-mapped the qMrdd1 locus into a 1.2-Mb region flanked by markers M103-4 and M105-3. The qMrdd1 locus acted in a recessive manner to reduce the disease-severity index (DSI) by 24.2–39.3%. The genetic effect of qMrdd1 was validated using another F6 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population in which MRDD resistance was segregating and two genotypes at the qMrdd1 locus differed significantly in DSI values.

Conclusions

The qMrdd1 locus is a major resistance QTL, acting in a recessive manner to increase maize resistance to MRDD. We mapped qMrdd1 to a 1.2-Mb region, which will enable the introgression of qMrdd1-based resistance into elite maize hybrids and reduce MRDD-related crop losses.
Relationship between polymorphisms in vitamin D metabolism-related genes and the risk of rickets in Han Chinese children
Authors: Zhang Yuling , Yang Shufen , Liu Ye , Ren Lihong
Published: September 2013

Background

Vitamin D deficiency rickets is common in China. Genetic factors may play an important role in the susceptibility to rickets. Our study aimed to identify the relationship between three vitamin D-related genes (group specific component [GC], cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily R, polypeptide 1 (CYP2R1), and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase/nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide synthetase 1 (DHCR7/NADSYN1) and rickets in Han Chinese children from northeastern China.

Methods

A total of 506 Han children from northeastern China were enrolled in the current study. Twelve SNPs in three candidate genes were genotyped using the SNaPshot assay. Linear regression was used to examine the effect of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the risk of rickets.

Results

In our case–control cohort, six alleles of the 12 SNPs conferred a significantly increased risk of rickets in GC (rs4588 C, P = 0.003, OR: 0.583, 95% CI: 0.412-0.836; rs222020 C, P = 0.009, OR: 1.526, 95% CI: 1.117-2.0985; rs2282679 A, P = 0.010, OR: 0.636, 95% CI: 0.449-0.900; and rs2298849 C, P = 0.001, OR: 1.709, 95% CI: 1.250-2.338) and in CYP2R1 (rs10741657 G, P = 0.019, OR: 1.467, 95% CI: 1.070-2.011; and rs2060793 G, P = 0.023, OR: 0.689, 95% CI: 0.502-0.944). The results remained significant after adjustment for sex and body mass index. We further analyzed the effect of genotypes under three different genetic models. After using Bonferroni’s method for multiple corrections, rs4588, rs2282679, and rs2298849 of the GC gene were significantly associated with rickets under the dominant (P =0.003 for rs4588, P =0.024 for rs2282679, and P =0.005 for rs2298849) and additive models (P = 0.006 for rs4588, P = 0.024 for rs2282679, and P = 0.005 for rs2298849). Haplotype analysis showed that the CAT haplotype of the GC gene (P = 0.005) and the GAA haplotype of the CYP2R1 gene (P = 0.026) were associated with susceptibility to rickets.

Conclusions

This case–control study confirmed the strong effect of GC and CYP2R1 loci on rickets in Han children from northeastern China.
Efficacy and safety of haloperidol versus atypical antipsychotic medications in the treatment of delirium
Authors: Yoon Hyung-Jun , Park Kyoung-Min , Choi Won-Jung , Choi Soo-Hee , Park Jin-Young , Kim Jae-Jin , Seok Jeong-Ho
Published: September 2013

Background

Most previous studies on the efficacy of antipsychotic medication for the treatment of delirium have reported that there is no significant difference between typical and atypical antipsychotic medications. It is known, however, that older age might be a predictor of poor response to antipsychotics in the treatment of delirium. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of haloperidol versus three atypical antipsychotic medications (risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine) for the treatment of delirium with consideration of patient age.

Methods

This study was a 6-day, prospective, comparative clinical observational study of haloperidol versus atypical antipsychotic medications (risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine) in patients with delirium at a tertiary level hospital. The subjects were referred to the consultation-liaison psychiatric service for management of delirium and were screened before enrollment in this study. A total of 80 subjects were assigned to receive either haloperidol (N = 23), risperidone (N = 21), olanzapine (N = 18), or quetiapine (N = 18). The efficacy was evaluated using the Korean version of the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-K) and the Korean version of the Mini Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE). The safety was evaluated by the Udvalg Kliniske Undersogelser side effect rating scale.

Results

There were no significant differences in mean DRS-K severity or K-MMSE scores among the four groups at baseline. In all groups, the DRS-K severity score decreased and the K-MMSE score increased significantly over the study period. However, there were no significant differences in the improvement of DRS-K or K-MMSE scores among the four groups. Similarly, cognitive and non-cognitive subscale DRS-K scores decreased regardless of the treatment group. The treatment response rate was lower in patients over 75 years old than in patients under 75 years old. Particularly, the response rate to olanzapine was poorer in the older age group. Fifteen subjects experienced a few adverse events, but there were no significant differences in adverse event profiles among the four groups.

Conclusions

Haloperidol, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine were equally efficacious and safe in the treatment of delirium. However, age is a factor that needs to be considered when making a choice of antipsychotic medication for the treatment of delirium.

Trial registration

Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea, (http://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/en/search/basic_search.jsp, Registered Trial No. KCT0000632).
Bulky DNA adducts in human sperm associated with semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ji Guixiang , Yan Lifeng , Wu Shengmin , Liu Jining , Wang Lei , Zhang Shenghu , Shi Lili , Gu Aihua
Published: September 2013

Background

DNA adducts are widely used marker of DNA damage induced by environmental pollutants. The present study was designed to explore whether sperm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts were associated with sperm DNA integrity and semen quality.

Methods

A total of 433 Han Chinese men were recruited from an infertility clinic. Immunofluorescence was applied to analyze sperm PAH-DNA adducts. Sperm DNA fragmentation was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt)-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay.

Results

After adjustment for potential confounders using linear regression, sperm PAH-DNA adducts were negatively associated with sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, and curvilinear velocity (VCL). In addition, a positive relationship between sperm PAH-DNA adducts and sperm DNA fragmentation was found.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested an inverse association between sperm PAH-DNA adducts and semen quality, and provided the first epidemiologic evidence of an adverse effect of PAH-DNA adducts on sperm DNA integrity.
A simple mechanical technique to obtain carbon nanoscrolls from graphite nanoplatelets
Authors: Carotenuto Gianfranco , Longo Angela , De Nicola Sergio , Camerlingo Carlo , Nicolais Luigi
Published: September 2013

A simple approach for the bulk production of carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs) is described. This method is based on the application of shear-friction forces to convert graphite nanoplatelets into carbon nanoscrolls using a bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) surface. The combined action of shear and friction forces causes the exfoliation of graphite nanoplatelets and the simultaneous roll-up of graphite layers. Evidence of the CNS formation is given by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. These investigations reveal that the CNSs have a long tube-like and fusiform structure with a hollow core surrounded by few layers of graphene. Micro-Raman spectroscopy shows that the produced structures are not defect free, and optical spectroscopy reveals distinctive features due to the presence of two weak absorption bands at 224 and 324 nm.
Discovery and partial characterization of a non-LTR retrotransposon that may be associated with abdominal segment deformity disease (ASDD) in the whiteleg shrimp Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei
Authors: Sakaew Waraporn , Pratoomthai Benjamart , Pongtippatee Pattira , Flegel Timothy W , Withyachumnarnkul Boonsirm
Published: September 2013

Background

Abdominal segment deformity disease (ASDD) of cultivated whiteleg shrimp Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei causes economic loss of approximately 10% in affected specimens because of the unsightliness of distorted abdominal muscles. It is associated with the presence of viral-like particles seen by electron microscopy in the ventral nerve cords of affected shrimp. Thus, shotgun cloning was carried out to seek viral-like sequences in affected shrimp.

Results

A new retrovirus-like element of 5052 bp (named abdominal segment deformity element or ASDE) was compiled by shotgun cloning and 3′ and 5′ RACE using RNA and DNA extracted from ventral nerve cords of ASDD shrimp. ASDE contained 7 putative open reading frames (ORF). One ORF (called the PENS sub-domain), had a deduced amino acid (aa) sequence homologous to the GIY-YIG endonuclease domain of penelope-like retrotransposons while two others were homologous to the reverse transcriptase (RT) and RNaseH domains of the pol gene of non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons (called the NLRS sub-domain). No single amplicon of 5 kb containing both these elements was obtained by PCR or RT-PCR from ASDD shrimp. Subsequent analysis indicated that PENS and NLRS were not contiguous and that NLRS was a host genetic element. In situ hybridization using a dioxygenin-labeled NLRS probe revealed that NLRS gave positive reactions in abdominal-ganglion neurons of ASDD shrimp but not normal shrimp. Preliminary analysis indicated that long-term use of female broodstock after eyestalk ablation in the hatchery increased the intensity of RT-PCR amplicons for NLRS and also the prevalence of ASDD in mysis 3 offspring of the broodstock. The deformities persist upon further cultivation until shrimp harvest but do not increase in prevalence and do not affect growth or survival.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that NLRS is a shrimp genetic element associated with ASDD and that immediate preventative measures could include shorter-term use of broodstock after eyestalk ablation and/or discard of broodstock that give strong RT-PCR reactions for NLRS. In the longer term, it is recommended, if possible, that currently used, domesticated shrimp lines be selected for freedom from NLRS. The molecular tools developed in this work will facilitate the management and further study of ASDD.
A systematic approach to statistical analysis in dosimetry and patient-specific IMRT plan verification measurements
Authors: Qin Songbing , Zhang Miao , Kim Sung , Chen Ting , Kim Leonard H , Haffty Bruce G , Yue Ning J
Published: September 2013

Purpose

In the presence of random uncertainties, delivered radiation treatment doses in patient likely exhibit a statistical distribution. The expected dose and variance of this distribution are unknown and are most likely not equal to the planned value since the current treatment planning systems cannot exactly model and simulate treatment machine. Relevant clinical questions are 1) how to quantitatively estimate the expected delivered dose and extrapolate the expected dose to the treatment dose over a treatment course and 2) how to evaluate the treatment dose relative to the corresponding planned dose. This study is to present a systematic approach to address these questions and to apply this approach to patient-specific IMRT (PSIMRT) plan verifications.

Methods

The expected delivered dose in patient and variance are quantitatively estimated using Student T distribution and Chi Distribution, respectively, based on pre-treatment QA measurements. Relationships between the expected dose and the delivered dose over a treatment course and between the expected dose and the planned dose are quantified with mathematical formalisms. The requirement and evaluation of the pre-treatment QA measurement results are also quantitatively related to the desired treatment accuracy and to the to-be-delivered treatment course itself. The developed methodology was applied to PSIMRT plan verification procedures for both QA result evaluation and treatment quality estimation.

Results

Statistically, the pre-treatment QA measurement process was dictated not only by the corresponding plan but also by the delivered dose deviation, number of measurements, treatment fractionation, potential uncertainties during patient treatment, and desired treatment accuracy tolerance. For the PSIMRT QA procedures, in theory, more than one measurement had to be performed to evaluate whether the to-be-delivered treatment course would meet the desired dose coverage and treatment tolerance.

Conclusion

By acknowledging and considering the statistical nature of multi-fractional delivery of radiation treatment, we have established a quantitative methodology to evaluate the PSIMRT QA results. Both the statistical parameters associated with the QA measurement procedure and treatment course need to be taken into account to evaluate the QA outcome and to determine whether the plan is acceptable and whether additional measures should be taken to reduce treatment uncertainties. The result from a single QA measurement without the appropriate statistical analysis can be misleading. When the required number of measurements is comparable to the planned number of fractions and the variance is unacceptably high, action must be taken to either modify the plan or adjust the beam delivery system.
The sol-gel entrapment of noble metals in hybrid silicas: a molecular insight
Authors: Fidalgo Alexandra , Ciriminna Rosaria , Lopes Luís , Pandarus Valerica , Béland François , Ilharco Laura M , Pagliaro Mario
Published: September 2013

Background

Why are metal nanoparticles sol-gel entrapped in ORMOSIL so active and stable? In other words, why ORMOSIL-entrapped metal nanoparticles are more active and selective than many heterogenized counterparts, including silica-entrapped noble metals?

Results

Unveiling specific interactions between MNPs and the molecular structure of ORMOSIL, this work investigates subtle structural aspects through DRIFT spectroscopy.

Conclusions

The results point to interactions between entrapped Pd and Pt nanocrystallites with the organosilica sol-gel cages similar to those taking place in enzymes.
Urban lymphatic filariasis in the metropolis of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Mwakitalu Mbutolwe E , Malecela Mwelecele N , Pedersen Erling M , Mosha Franklin W , Simonsen Paul E
Published: September 2013

Background

The last decades have seen a considerable increase in urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it is estimated that over 50% of the population will live in urban areas by 2040. Rapid growth of cities combined with limited economic resources often result in informal settlements and slums with favorable conditions for proliferation of vectors of lymphatic filariasis (LF). In Dar es Salaam, which has grown more than 30 times in population during the past 55 years (4.4 million inhabitants in 2012), previous surveys have indicated high prevalences of LF. This study investigated epidemiological aspects of LF in Dar es Salaam, as a background for planning and implementation of control.

Methods

Six sites with varying distance from the city center (3–30 km) and covering different population densities, socioeconomic characteristics, and water, sewerage and sanitary facilities were selected for the study. Pupils from one public primary school at each site were screened for circulating filarial antigen (CFA; marker of adult worm infection) and antibodies to Bm14 (marker of exposure to transmission). Community members were examined for CFA, microfilariae and chronic manifestations. Structured questionnaires were administered to pupils and heads of community households, and vector surveys were carried out in selected households.

Results

The study indicated that a tremendous decrease in the burden of LF infection had occurred, despite haphazard urbanisation. Contributing factors may be urban malaria control targeting Anopheles vectors, short survival time of the numerous Culex quinquefasciatus vectors in the urban environment, widespread use of bed nets and other mosquito proofing measures, and mass drug administration (MDA) in 2006 and 2007. Although the level of ongoing transmission was low, the burden of chronic LF disease was still high.

Conclusions

The development has so far been promising, but continued efforts are necessary to ensure elimination of LF as a public health problem. These will include improving the awareness of people about the role of mosquitoes in transmission of LF, more thorough implementation of environmental sanitation to reduce Cx. quinquefasciatus breeding, continued MDA to high-risk areas, and set-up of programmes for management of chronic LF disease.
Pioglitazone counteracts the tumor necrosis factor-α inhibition of follicle-stimulating hormone-induced follicular development and estradiol production in an in vitro mouse preantral follicle culture system
Authors: Hara Shuichiro , Takahashi Toshifumi , Amita Mitsuyoshi , Matsuo Koki , Igarashi Hideki , Kurachi Hirohisa
Published: September 2013

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and is characterized by chronic anovulation. Insulin resistance may be a key component of the pathogenesis of this disorder. Pioglitazone is a thiazolidinedione derivative that acts by improving insulin resistance via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) pathway. Reportedly, pioglitazone improves the anovulation status in patients with PCOS. In the present study, we examined whether pioglitazone directly affects ovarian follicular development and steroidogenesis using in vitro mouse preantral follicle culture system.

Methods

An isolated individual in vitro mouse preantral follicle culture was used to test the effects of pioglitazone on the follicle development and steroidogenesis. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which plays a role in insulin resistance, has been reported to inhibit the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-induced follicular development and steroidogenesis in an in vitro mouse preantral follicle culture system. Therefore, we examined whether pioglitazone counteracts these effects by TNF-α. We assessed the follicle diameter and follicle survival and antral-like cavity formation rates, the 17β-estradiol (E2) levels in the culture medium, and the ovulation rate using the in vitro preantral follicle culture.

Results

Pioglitazone treatment counteracted the inhibition of TNF-α in FSH-induced follicle development in a dose-dependent manner. Pioglitazone, at a concentration of 5 μM, which was the minimum effective concentration, significantly counteracted the inhibition of TNF-α in FSH-induced follicle survival (29 versus 56%, P < 0.05), antral-like cavity formation (29 versus 48%, P < 0.05), E2 concentration in the culture medium (mean ± SEM = 21 ± 1 versus mean ± SEM = 27 ± 1 pg/mL, P < 0.05), and human chorionic gonadotropin-induced ovulation rate (9 versus 28%, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Pioglitazone counteracted the inhibition by TNF-α on FSH-induced follicle development and steroidogenesis in the in vitro mouse preantral follicle culture. The results suggest that pioglitazone may directly affect the follicular development and steroidogenesis.
Retronasal aroma allows feature extraction from taste of a traditional Japanese confection
Authors: Gotow Naomi , Kobayashi Takefumi , Kobayakawa Tatsu
Published: September 2013

Background

Common foods consist of several taste qualities. Consumers perceive intensity of a particular taste quality after noticing it among other taste qualities when they eat common foods. We supposed that while one is eating the facility for noticing a taste quality present in a common food will differ among taste qualities which compose the common food. We, therefore, proposed a new measurement scale for food perception named ‘noticeability’. Furthermore, we found that consumers’ food perceptions to common foods were modified by retronasal aroma. In this study, in order to examine whether retronasal aroma affects the relationship between noticeability and perceived intensity for taste, we evaluated participants for noticeability and perceived intensity of five fundamental taste qualities (sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and umami) under open and closed nostril conditions using one of the most popular traditional Japanese confections called ‘yokan’.

Results

The taste quality showed that the highest noticeability and perceived intensity among five fundamental taste qualities for yokan was sweetness, independent of the nostril condition. For sweetness, a significant decrease of correlation between noticeability and perceived intensity was observed in response to retronasal aroma. On the other hand, for umami, correlation between noticeability and perceived intensity significantly increased with retronasal aroma.

Conclusions

As the retronasal aroma of yokan allowed feature extraction from taste by Japanese consumers, we reconfirmed that consumers’ food perceptions were modified by the retronasal aroma of a common food.
Calculation of full-energy peak efficiency of NaI (Tl) detectors by new analytical approach for parallelepiped sources
Authors: El-Khatib Ahmed M , Badawi Mohamed S , Gouda Mona M , Jovanovic Slobodan I , Dlabac Aleksandar D , Mihaljevic Nikola N , Nafee Sherif S , El-Mallah Ekram A
Published: September 2013

A new analytical approach is presented for the calculation of full-energy peak (FEP) efficiency of NaI (Tl) detectors. The self-attenuation of the parallelepiped source matrix, the attenuation by the source container, and the detector housing materials were considered in the mathematical treatment. The efficiency values calculated using the presently suggested analytical approach are compared with those measured values obtained by two different sizes of NaI (Tl) detectors. The calculated and the measured full-energy peak efficiency values were in a good agreement.
A simple consensus approach improves somatic mutation prediction accuracy
Authors: Goode David L , Hunter Sally M , Doyle Maria A , Ma Tao , Rowley Simone M , Choong David , Ryland Georgina L , Campbell Ian G
Published: September 2013

Differentiating true somatic mutations from artifacts in massively parallel sequencing data is an immense challenge. To develop methods for optimal somatic mutation detection and to identify factors influencing somatic mutation prediction accuracy, we validated predictions from three somatic mutation detection algorithms, MuTect, JointSNVMix2 and SomaticSniper, by Sanger sequencing. Full consensus predictions had a validation rate of >98%, but some partial consensus predictions validated too. In cases of partial consensus, read depth and mapping quality data, along with additional prediction methods, aided in removing inaccurate predictions. Our consensus approach is fast, flexible and provides a high-confidence list of putative somatic mutations.
Letter to the Editor for the special issue on “The Neutrophil in Immunity”
Authors: Poubelle Patrice E , McDonald Patrick P
Published: September 2013

The International Symposium, “The Neutrophil in Immunity,” as the source for the article topic cluster in this issue.
Occupy Wall Street Meets Occupy Iraq
Authors: Hristova Stefka
Published: September 2013

The transformation of iconic images of traumatic historical events into everyday humorous practice illuminates the mechanisms of remembering and forgetting that operate in digital popular culture. The image-icon has the power to evoke history, to function in Walter Benjamin's terms as a monad. This power, however, is fleeting as history is yet again rendered latent and forgotten once it is transformed into a gesture or everyday common sense. In this article, Stefka Hristova offers a comparative analysis of two Internet-driven participatory memes — “Pepper Spray Cop” and “Doing a Lynndie” — to illuminate the role digital media plays in the remembering and forgetting of what W. J. T. Mitchell calls the “histor[ies] of perception” of the November 18, 2011, pepper spaying of peaceful protesters at the University of California, Davis, and of the 2004 abuse and torture of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Xenophobia in Action
Authors: Yamaguchi Tomomi
Published: September 2013

This article investigates the use of online communication and social media in connection with the recently emerged right-wing, xenophobic movement in contemporary Japan. Since the early 2000s there has been a surge in xenophobic and racist discourse on the Internet, tied to numerous attacks on Koreans and other ethnic minorities in Japan. The result is that a new nationalist and xenophobic movement, generally referred to as the Action Conservative Movement, has emerged in Japan. Based on participant observation and in-depth interviewing of the people involved with and impacted by the movement, this article explores the significance of the Internet — especially online video sharing, streaming service, and social media — in the formation of this contemporary right-wing social movement. With the proliferation of online live streaming, the Internet has become an even more effective tool, permeating every aspect of the group's activism and everyday life, creating a realm of communication for supporters and critics.