bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An exploratory analysis of γ-synuclein expression in endometrioid endometrial cancer
Authors: Zou Jing , Fan Yujuan J , Meng Yaqing Q , Xu Hong , Fan Jiangtao
Published: April 2012

Objective

This study aims to investigate the expression of γ-synuclein in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma and assess if the γ-synuclein expression correlates with the aggression of the tumour and its prognostic value in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

Design

This retrospective study evaluated (60) specimens of the primary untreated endometrioid endometrial carcinoma and (12) normal endometrium tissues, and the expression of γ-synuclein was checked by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between γ-synuclein expression and the clinicopathological features of patients with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma was analysed, and SPSS V.13.0 software was used for statistical analysis.

Results

The expression of γ-synuclein was positive in 48.3% (29/60) endometrioid endometrial carcinomas compared with the control group, and the difference was significant (p=0.001). The expression level of γ-synuclein in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma was closely associated with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages, the depth of myometrial invasion and lymph nodes metastases (p<0.05), but not correlated with the histopathological grades, the patient's age and the expression of ER (estrogen receptor) and PR (progesterone receptor) (p>0.05). In univariate and multivariate analyses, the γ-synuclein expression was significantly associated with a shorter overall survival (95% CI 1.429 to 101.892, p=0.020).

Conclusions

This study suggests that the expression of γ-synuclein is expected to be a useful marker for endometrioid endometrial carcinoma invasion, metastasis and prognosis in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.
How does comorbidity influence healthcare costs? A population-based cross-sectional study of depression, back pain and osteoarthritis
Authors: Carstensen John , Andersson David , André Malin , Engström Sven , Magnusson Henrik , Borgquist Lars Axel
Published: April 2012

Objectives

To analyse how comorbidity among patients with back pain, depression and osteoarthritis influences healthcare costs per patient. A special focus was made on the distribution of costs for primary healthcare compared with specialist care, hospital care and drugs.

Design

Population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting

The County of Östergötland, Sweden.

Patients

Data on diagnoses and healthcare costs for all 266 354 individuals between 20 and 75 years of age, who were residents of the County of Östergötland, Sweden, in the year 2006, were extracted from the local healthcare register and the national register of drug prescriptions.

Main outcome measures

The effects of comorbidity on healthcare costs were estimated as interactions in regression models that also included age, sex, number of other health conditions and education.

Results

The largest diagnosed group was back pain (11 178 patients) followed by depression (7412 patients) and osteoarthritis (5174 patients). The largest comorbidity subgroup was the combination of back pain and depression (772 patients), followed by the combination of back pain and osteoarthritis (527 patients) and the combination of depression and osteoarthritis (206 patients). For patients having both a depression diagnosis and a back pain diagnosis, there was a significant negative interaction effect on total healthcare costs. The average healthcare costs among patients with depression and back pain was SEK 11 806 lower for a patient with both diagnoses. In this comorbidity group, there were tendencies of a positive interaction for general practitioner visits and negative interactions for all other visits and hospital days. Small or no interactions at all were seen between depression diagnoses and osteoarthritis diagnoses.

Conclusions

A small increase in primary healthcare visits in comorbid back pain and depression patients was accompanied with a substantial reduction in total healthcare costs and in hospital costs. Our results can be of value in analysing the cost effects of comorbidity and how the coordination of primary and secondary care may have an impact on healthcare costs.
Grey and white matter abnormalities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a case–control study
Authors: Zhang Haiyan , Wang Xiaochuan , Lin Jianzhong , Sun Yinchuan , Huang Yongxia , Yang Tianhe , Zheng Shili , Fan Ming , Zhang Jiaxing
Published: April 2012

Objectives

The irreversible airflow limitation characterised by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes a decrease in the oxygen supply to the brain. The aim of the present study was to investigate brain structural damage in COPD.

Design

Retrospective case–control study. Patients with COPD and healthy volunteers were recruited. The two groups were matched in age, gender and educational background.

Setting

A hospital and a number of communities: they are all located in southern Fujian province, China.

Participants

25 stable patients and 25 controls were enrolled from December 2009 to May 2011.

Methods

Using voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics based on MRI to analyse grey matter (GM) density and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), respectively, and a battery of neuropsychological tests were performed.

Results

Patients with COPD (vs controls) showed decreased GM density in the limbic and paralimbic structures, including right gyrus rectus, left precentral gyrus, bilateral anterior and middle cingulate gyri, bilateral superior temporal gyri, bilateral anterior insula extending to Rolandic operculum, bilateral thalamus/pulvinars and left caudate nucleus. Patients with COPD (vs controls) had decreased FA values in the bilateral superior corona radiata, bilateral superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, bilateral optic radiation, bilateral lingual gyri, left parahippocampal gyrus and fornix. Lower FA values in these regions were associated with increased radial diffusivity and no changes of longitudinal diffusivity. Patients with COPD had poor performances in the Mini-Mental State Examination, figure memory and visual reproduction. GM density in some decreased regions in COPD had positive correlations with arterial blood Po2, negative correlations with disease duration and also positive correlations with visual tasks.

Conclusion

The authors demonstrated that COPD exhibited loss of regional GM accompanied by impairment of white matter microstructural integrity, which was associated with disease severity and may underlie the pathophysiological and psychological changes of COPD.
Assessment of a reporting radiographer-led discharge system for minor injuries: a prospective audit over 2 years
Authors: Henderson Deborah , Gray William K , Booth Lisa
Published: April 2012

Background and purpose

In the UK, there is a continuing effort within the National Health Service to reduce patient waiting times in emergency departments (EDs). This audit aimed to evaluate whether a reporting radiographer-led discharge system could reduce waiting times from x-ray to discharge with no detrimental effect on patient outcomes.

Methods

A prospective audit over 2 years was conducted. Patients were considered for discharge by a reporting radiographer-led service if they were >5 years old, attended the hospital ED between 9:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday, had an injury below the elbow in the upper limb or below the knee in the lower limb that required an x-ray, and were able to be discharged home without further medical intervention. Outcomes of interest were overall waiting times, accuracy of diagnosis and re-attendance at the ED within 28 days.

Results

Between July 2006 and June 2008, 497 patients met the inclusion criteria and were discharged home by the radiographer-led service, and 2632 were discharged home using standard practices. Overall waiting times were >20 min quicker for the radiographer-led service at 100.9 min. The false negative rate was reduced from 2.09% to 0.2%, and re-attendance at the ED within 28 days for the same injury was reduced from 3.27% to only 0.4% for radiographer-led discharge.

Conclusions

The service reduced waiting times and re-attendance rates while improving the accuracy of diagnosis. The efficacy of such services should be further studied in relation to more complex patient groups.
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea contamination of clinic surfaces: Table 1
Authors: Lewis Natasha , Dube Gail , Carter Christine , Pitt Rachel , Alexander Sarah , Ison Catherine A , Harding Jan , Brown Louise , Fryer John , Hodson James , Ross Jonathan
Published: April 2012

Introduction

Nucleic acid amplification tests, with their ability to detect very small amounts of nucleic acid, have become the principle diagnostic tests forChlamydia trachomatis(CT) andNeisseria gonorrhoeae(GC) in many sexual health clinics. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of surface contamination with CT and GC within a city centre sexual health clinic and to evaluate the potential for contamination of containers used for the collection of self-taken swabs.

Method

Surface contamination with CT and GC was assessed by systematically sampling 154 different sites within one clinic using transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), quantitative PCR and culture. The caps of containers used by patients to collect self-taken samples were also tested for CT and GC using TMA.

Results

Of the 154 sites sampled, 20 (13.0%) tested positive on TMA. Of these, five (3.2%) were positive for CT alone, 11 (7.1%) for GC alone and four (2.6%) for both CT and GC. The proportion of GC TMA-positive test results differed by gender, with 11 (18.3%) positive results from the male patient clinic area compared with one (1.6%) from the female area (p=0.002). Positive samples were obtained from a variety of locations in the clinic, but the patient toilets were more likely to be contaminated than examination rooms (p=0.015). Quantitative PCR and culture assays were negative for all samples. 46 caps of the containers used for self-taken swabs were negative for both CT and GC on TMA testing.

Conclusions

Surface contamination with chlamydial and gonococcal rRNA can occur within sexual health clinics, but the quantity of nucleic acid detected is low and infection risk to patients and staff is small. There remains a potential risk of contamination of patient samples leading to false-positive results.
Interovulatory intervals in mares receiving deslorelin implants in Ireland (2009 to 2010)
Authors: Henderson I. S. F. , Brama P. , Osborne M. , Beltman M. E.
Published: April 2012

Deslorelin acetate implants, recently licensed in Ireland and the UK for ovulation induction in mares, have been associated with prolonged interovulatory intervals in USA studies, leading to the practice of removing implants postovulation. Trial data in Australia indicate a less pronounced effect on interovulatory intervals, suggesting possible geographical variation. Objectives of the current study were to assess the effect of deslorelin implants, with and without removal on oestrous cycle length in Irish‐ and UK‐based Thoroughbred broodmares. Data were collected retrospectively from 88 oestrous cycles. A statistically significant difference (P = 0.02) was found between interovulatory intervals in mares in which the deslorelin implant was not removed, compared with administration and removal of the implant or the use of human chorionic gonadotrophin. The results suggest that implant removal when possible is advisable. The delay in subsequent ovulations was less marked than that reported in some studies from the USA. This information is useful in deciding when to schedule subsequent breeding for mares which received a deslorelin implant during the previous oestrous period and provides evidence to counter‐concerns that mares treated with deslorelin implants may experience a long delay in return to oestrus if the implant is not removed.
Nut cold hardiness as a factor influencing the restoration of American chestnut in northern latitudes and high elevations
Authors: Saielli Thomas M. , Schaberg Paul G. , Hawley Gary J. , Halman Joshua M. , Gurney Kendra M.
Published: April 2012

American chestnut ( Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) was functionally removed as a forest tree by chestnut blight (caused by the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr). Hybrid-backcross breeding between blight-resistant Chinese chestnut ( Castanea mollissima Blume) and American chestnut is used to support species restoration. However, preliminary evidence suggests that backcross material may not have the cold hardiness needed for restoration in the northern portions of the species’ range. The cold tolerance of nuts is of concern because reproductive tissues are particularly sensitive to freezing damage. We assessed nut cold tolerance for 16 American chestnut, four Chinese chestnut, and four red oak ( Quercus rubra L.) (a native competitor) sources to better assess genetic variation in nut hardiness. We found that Chinese chestnut nuts were less cold tolerant than American chestnut and red oak nuts and that American chestnut sources from the south were less cold tolerant than sources from the north, with significant differences among sources within all regions. We also assessed how sources varied among temperature zones (sources separated by average winter temperature lows at source locations). Sources from the cold temperature zone were more cold tolerant and less variable in hardiness than sources from warm and moderate zones.
Nitrogen uptake by plants subsidized by Pacific salmon carcasses: a hierarchical experiment
Authors: Hocking Morgan D. , Reynolds John D.
Published: April 2012

Bears ( Ursus spp.) and other predators can capture and transport large numbers of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) to riparian areas beside small coastal streams, a process that may affect site productivity and local plant communities. We used a novel experimental manipulation of salmon carcasses to analyze understory plant uptake of salmon-derived N. A hierarchical before–after, control–impact design was used with the addition of chum salmon ( Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) carcasses to forest sites along 11 streams on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. Eight months after carcass placement, the foliar %N and δ15N in three herbaceous and one moss species had increased by an average of 14%–60% (%N) and 0.5–3.3‰ (δ15N) at treatment carcass sites versus control sites. Treatment effects for %N were typically greater than for δ15N. Nitrogen isotope signatures at carcass sites were highly variable (δ15N range = 30.1‰) and were mediated by plant species, stream salmon density, carcass mass, and individual plant foliar %N. These results show that understory plants use N from salmon during an important period of plant growth many months after carcasses were deposited in riparian areas. However, they also indicate that habitat variation across spatial scales from individual plants to streams needs to be considered when estimating the contribution of salmon to plant nutrition.
STABILITY OF PLANAR FRONTS FOR A NON-LOCAL PHASE KINETICS EQUATION WITH A CONSERVATION LAW IN D ≤ 3
Authors: CARLEN ERIC A. , ORLANDI ENZA
Published: April 2012

We consider, in a D-dimensional cylinder, a non-local evolution equation that describes the evolution of the local magnetization in a continuum limit of an Ising spin system with Kawasaki dynamics and Kac potentials. We consider sub-critical temperatures, for which there are two local spatially homogeneous equilibria, and show a local nonlinear stability result for the minimum free energy profiles for the magnetization at the interface between regions of these two different local equilibrium; i.e. the planar fronts: We show that an initial perturbation of a front that is sufficiently small in L2 norm, and sufficiently localized yields a solution that relaxes to another front, selected by a conservation law, in the L1 norm at an algebraic rate that we explicitly estimate. We also obtain rates for the relaxation in the L2 norm and the rate of decrease of the excess free energy.
BINARY IMAGE REGISTRATION BASED ON GEOMETRIC MOMENTS: APPLICATION TO THE REGISTRAION OF 3D SEGMENTED CT HEAD IMAGES
Authors: NEJLA GRIBAA , VINCENT NOBLET , NAWRES KHLIFA , SYLVAIN FAISAN , KAMEL HAMROUNI
Published: April 2012

In this paper, we present a binary image registration strategy for the registration of segmented CT scan data of the human head. For the characterization of the 3D skull binary images we adopt a powerful representation of the binary images: the geometric moment invariants (GMIs). They provide pertinent and discriminant information related to the geometry of the binary objects, thereby leading to match points which have similar geometric properties, and also to enhance the quality of the matching process. For the registration algorithm we propose to use the topology-preserving B-spline-based registration method proposed by Noblet et al. for the registration of MRI head images. The algorithm has proven its efficiency and high registration precision. Since the information carried out by the different GMIs is complementary, we study and discuss the importance of combining various GMIs to better guide the matching process. Results obtained using synthetic deformation fields highlight the promising performance of the strategy.
FACE RECOGNITION BASED ON GPPBTF AND LBP WITH CLASSIFIER FUSION
Authors: XU GANG , LU HUCHUAN , WANG ZUNYI
Published: April 2012

Robust face recognition is a challenging problem, due to facial appearance variations in illumination, pose, expression, aging, partial occlusions and other changes. This paper proposes a novel face recognition approach, where face images are represented by Gabor pixel-pattern-based texture feature (GPPBTF) and local binary pattern (LBP), and null pace-based kernel Fisher discriminant analysis (NKFDA) is applied to the two features independently to obtain two recognition results which are eventually combined together for a final identification. To get GPPBTF, we first transform an image into Gabor magnitude maps of different orientations and scales, and then use pixel-pattern-based texture feature to extract texture features from Gabor maps. In order to improve the final performance of the classification, this paper proposes a multiple NKFDA classifiers combination approach. Extensive experiments on FERET face database demonstrate that the proposed method not only greatly reduces the dimensionality of face representation, but also achieves more robust result and higher recognition accuracy.
IRIS RECOGNITION METHOD BASED ON GABOR FILTERS AND UNIFORM LOCAL BINARY PATTERNS
Authors: FEDDAOUI NADIA , MAHERSIA HELA , HAMROUNI KAMEL
Published: April 2012

Iris recognition has been recently given greater attention in human identification and it is becoming increasingly an active topic in research. This paper presents a novel iris recognition method based on multi-channel Gabor filtering and uniform local binary patterns (ULBP). First, the eye image is processed in order to obtain a segmented and normalized eye image by applying Hough transform and polar transformation. Second, the iris image is analyzed by Gabor filters to extract the global features of texture details. Then, ULBP operators are applied in each transformed image to describe the local arrangement of iris texture patterns. Next, the obtained representation is partitioned in blocks. Finally, we have encoded the local relationships between statistical measures computed in blocks to form a template of 240 bytes. We estimate the similarity between irises by computing the modified Hamming distance between templates. Tests were carried out on CASIA v3 iris database. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of ULBP to extract rich local and global information of iris texture when combined with simultaneously multi-blocks and multi-channel method. The comparative evaluations illustrate the good discriminative properties of extracted features for iris recognition.
RELATIVE POSITIONING OF STROKE-BASED CLUSTERING: A NEW APPROACH TO ONLINE HANDWRITTEN DEVANAGARI CHARACTER RECOGNITION
Authors: SANTOSH K. C. , NATTEE CHOLWICH , LAMIROY BART
Published: April 2012

In this paper, we propose a new scheme for Devanagari natural handwritten character recognition. It is primarily based on spatial similarity-based stroke clustering. A feature of a stroke consists of a string of pen-tip positions and directions at every pen-tip position along the trajectory. It uses the dynamic time warping algorithm to align handwritten strokes with stored stroke templates and determine their similarity. Experiments are carried out with the help of 25 native writers and a recognition rate of approximately 95% is achieved. Our recognizer is robust to a large range of writing style and handles variation in the number of strokes, their order, shapes and sizes and similarities among classes.
SOLUTION TO $\overline\partial$ AND $\overline\partial_{b}$ PROBLEM FOR SMOOTH FORMS AND CURRENTS ON STRICTLY q-CONVEX DOMAINS
Authors: SABER SAYED
Published: April 2012

On a strictly q-convex domain D in a Kähler manifold X, we obtain the solvability of the [Formula: see text]-problem for smooth forms and currents on boundaries of D. Moreover, we study the solvability of the [Formula: see text]-problem for extensible currents.
Cytokine-mediated β-cell damage in PARP-1-deficient islets
Authors: Andreone Teresa , Meares Gordon P. , Hughes Katherine J. , Hansen Polly A. , Corbett John A.
Published: April 2012

Poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) is an abundant nuclear protein that is activated by DNA damage; once active, it modifies nuclear proteins through attachment of poly(ADP)-ribose units derived from β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). In mice, the deletion of PARP-1 attenuates tissue injury in a number of animal models of human disease, including streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Also, inflammatory cell signaling and inflammatory gene expression are attenuated in macrophages isolated from endotoxin-treated PARP-1-deficient mice. In this study, the effects of PARP-1 deletion on cytokine-mediated β-cell damage and macrophage activation were evaluated. There are no defects in inflammatory mediator signaling or inflammatory gene expression in macrophages and islets isolated from PARP-1-deficient mice. While PARP-1 deficiency protects islets against cytokine-induced islet cell death as measured by biochemical assays of membrane polarization, the genetic absence of PARP-1 does not effect cytokine-induced inhibition of insulin secretion or cytokine-induced DNA damage in islets. While PARP-1 deficiency appears to provide protection from cell death, it fails to provide protection against the inhibitory actions of cytokines on insulin secretion or the damaging actions on islet DNA integrity.
Similar level of impairment in exercise performance and oxygen uptake kinetics in middle-aged men and women with type 2 diabetes
Authors: O'Connor Eamonn , Kiely Catherine , O'Shea Donal , Green Simon , Egaña Mikel
Published: April 2012

The present study tested the hypothesis that the magnitude of the type 2 diabetes-induced impairments in peak oxygen uptake (V̇o2) and V̇o2 kinetics would be greater in females than males in middle-aged participants. Thirty-two individuals with type 2 diabetes (16 male, 16 female), and 32 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy individuals (16 male, 16 female) were recruited. Initially, the ventilatory threshold (VT) and peak V̇o2 were determined. On a separate day, subjects completed four 6-min bouts of constant-load cycling at 80% VT for the determination of V̇o2 kinetics using standard procedures. Cardiac output (CO) (inert gas rebreathing) was recorded at rest, 30, and 240 s during two additional bouts. Peak V̇o2 (ml·kg−1·min−1) was significantly reduced in men and women with type 2 diabetes compared with their respective nondiabetic counterparts (men, 27.8 ± 4.4 vs. 31.1 ± 6.2 ml·kg−1·min−1; women, 19.4 ± 4.1 vs. 21.4 ± 2.9 ml·kg−1·min−1). The time constant (s) of phase 2 (τ2) and mean response time (s) of the V̇o2 response (MRT) were slowed in women with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy women (τ2, 43.3 ± 9.8 vs. 33.6 ± 10.0 s; MRT, 51.7 ± 9.4 vs. 43.5 ± 11.4s) and in men with type 2 diabetes compared with nondiabetic men (τ2, 43.8 ± 12.0 vs. 35.3 ± 9.5 s; MRT, 57.6 ± 8.3 vs. 47.3 ± 9.3 s). The magnitude of these impairments was not different between males and females. The steady-state CO responses or the dynamic responses of CO were not affected by type 2 diabetes among men or women. The results suggest that the type 2 diabetes-induced impairments in peak V̇o2 and V̇o2 kinetics are not affected by sex in middle aged participants.
NHERF-1 and the regulation of renal phosphate reabsoption: a tale of three hormones
Authors: Weinman Edward J. , Lederer Eleanor D.
Published: April 2012

The renal excretion of inorganic phosphate is regulated in large measure by three hormones, namely, parathyroid hormone, dopamine, and fibroblast growth factor-23. Recent experiments have indicated that the major sodium-dependent phosphate transporter in the renal proximal tubule, Npt2a, binds to the adaptor protein sodium-hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor-1 (NHERF-1) and in the absence of NHERF-1, the inhibitory effect of these three hormones is absent. From these observations, a new model for the hormonal regulation of renal phosphate transport was developed. The downstream signaling pathways of these hormones results in the phosphorylation of the PDZ 1 domain of NHERF-1 and the dissociation of Npt2a/NHERF-1 complexes. In turn, this dissociation facilitates the endocytosis of Npt2a with a subsequent decrease in the apical membrane abundance of the transporter and a decrease in phosphate reabsorption. The current review outlines the experimental observations supporting the operation of this unique regulatory system.
Fight-or-flight: murine unilateral ureteral obstruction causes extensive proximal tubular degeneration, collecting duct dilatation, and minimal fibrosis
Authors: Forbes Michael S. , Thornhill Barbara A. , Minor Jordan J. , Gordon Katherine A. , Galarreta Carolina I. , Chevalier Robert L.
Published: April 2012

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is the most widely used animal model of progressive renal disease. Although renal interstitial fibrosis is commonly used as an end point, recent studies reveal that obstructive injury to the glomerulotubular junction leads to the formation of atubular glomeruli. To quantitate the effects of UUO on the remainder of the nephron, renal tubular and interstitial responses were characterized in mice 7 and 14 days after UUO or sham operation under anesthesia. Fractional proximal tubular mass, cell proliferation, and cell death were measured by morphometry. Superoxide formation was identified by nitro blue tetrazolium, and oxidant injury was localized by 4-hydroxynonenol and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine. Fractional areas of renal vasculature, interstitial collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, and fibronectin were also measured. After 14 days of UUO, the obstructed kidney loses 19% of parenchymal mass, with a 65% reduction in proximal tubular mass. Superoxide formation is localized to proximal tubules, which undergo oxidant injury, apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy, with widespread mitochondrial loss, resulting in tubular collapse. In contrast, mitosis and apoptosis increase in dilated collecting ducts, which remain patent through epithelial cell remodeling. Relative vascular volume fraction does not change, and interstitial matrix components do not exceed 15% of total volume fraction of the obstructed kidney. These unique proximal and distal nephron cellular responses reflect differential “fight-or-flight” responses to obstructive injury and provide earlier indexes of renal injury than do interstitial compartment responses. Therapies to prevent or retard progression of renal disease should include targeting proximal tubule injury as well as interstitial fibrosis.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors in rat trigeminal ganglion do not control spinal trigeminal activity
Authors: Covasala Oana , Stirn Sören L. , Albrecht Stephanie , De Col Roberto , Messlinger Karl
Published: April 2012

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is regarded as a key mediator in the generation of primary headaches. CGRP receptor antagonists reduce migraine pain in clinical trials and spinal trigeminal activity in animal experiments. The site of CGRP receptor inhibition causing these effects is debated. Activation and inhibition of CGRP receptors in the trigeminal ganglion may influence the activity of trigeminal afferents and hence of spinal trigeminal neurons. In anesthetized rats extracellular activity was recorded from neurons with meningeal afferent input in the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Mechanical stimuli were applied at regular intervals to receptive fields located in the exposed cranial dura mater. α-CGRP (10−5 M), the CGRP receptor antagonist olcegepant (10−3 M), or vehicle was injected through the infraorbital canal into the trigeminal ganglion. The injection of volumes caused transient discharges, but vehicle, CGRP, or olcegepant injection was not followed by significant changes in ongoing or mechanically evoked activity. In animals pretreated intravenously with the nitric oxide donor glyceryl trinitrate (GTN, 250 μg/kg) the mechanically evoked activity decreased after injection of CGRP and increased after injection of olcegepant. In conclusion, the activity of spinal trigeminal neurons with meningeal afferent input is normally not controlled by CGRP receptor activation or inhibition in the trigeminal ganglion. CGRP receptors in the trigeminal ganglion may influence neuronal activity evoked by mechanical stimulation of meningeal afferents only after pretreatment with GTN. Since it has previously been shown that olcegepant applied to the cranial dura mater is ineffective, trigeminal activity driven by meningeal afferent input is more likely to be controlled by CGRP receptors located centrally to the trigeminal ganglion.
Repertoire of high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels in the lateral superior olive: functional analysis in wild-type, Cav1.3−/−, and Cav1.2DHP−/− mice
Authors: Jurkovičová-Tarabová Bohumila , Griesemer Désirée , Pirone Antonella , Sinnegger-Brauns Martina J. , Striessnig Jörg , Friauf Eckhard
Published: April 2012

Voltage-gated Ca2+ (Cav)1.3 α-subunits of high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels (HVACCs) are essential for Ca2+ influx and transmitter release in cochlear inner hair cells and therefore for signal transmission into the central auditory pathway. Their absence leads to deafness and to striking structural changes in the auditory brain stem, particularly in the lateral superior olive (LSO). Here, we analyzed the contribution of various types of HVACCs to the total Ca2+ current ( ICa) in developing mouse LSO neurons to address several questions: do LSO neurons express functional Cav1.3 channels? What other types of HVACCs are expressed? Are there developmental changes? Do LSO neurons of Cav1.3−/− mice show any compensatory responses, namely, upregulation of other HVACCs? Our electrophysiological and pharmacological results showed the presence of functional Cav1.3 and Cav1.2 channels at both postnatal days 4 and 12. Aside from these L-type channels, LSO neurons also expressed functional P/Q-type, N-type, and, most likely, R-type channels. The relative contribution of the four different subtypes to ICa appeared to be 45%, 29%, 22%, and 4% at postnatal day 12, respectively. The physiological results were flanked and extended by quantitative RT-PCR data. Altogether, LSO neurons displayed a broad repertoire of HVACC subtypes. Genetic ablation of Cav1.3 resulted in functional reorganization of some other HVACCs but did not restore normal ICa properties. Together, our results suggest that several types of HVACCs are of functional relevance for the developing LSO. Whether on-site loss of Cav1.3, i.e., in LSO neurons, contributes to the recently described malformation of the LSO needs to be determined by using tissue-specific Cav1.3−/− animals.
Neurodevelopment of Amazonian Infants: Antenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Methyl- and Ethylmercury
Authors: Dórea José G. , Marques Rejane C. , Isejima Cintya
Published: April 2012

Neurodevelopment as Gesell development scores (GDSs) in relation to mercury exposure in infants (<6 months of age) of one urban center and two rural villages, respectively, of fisherman and cassiterite miners. Mean total hair-Hg (HHg) concentrations of infants from Itapuã (3.95±1.8 ppm) were statistically (P=0.0001) different from those of infants from Porto Velho (3.84±5.5 ppm) and Bom Futuro (1.85±0.9 ppm). Differences in vaccine coverage among these populations resulted in significantly higher (P=0.0001) mean ethylmercury (EtHg) exposure in urban infants (150 μg) than in infants from either village (41.67 μg, Itapuã; 42.39 μg, Bom Futuro). There was an inverse significant (Spearmanr=−0.2300;P=0.0376) correlation between HHg and GDS for infants from Porto Velho, but not for the rural infants from Bom Futuro (Spearmanr=0.1336;P=0.0862) and Itapuã (Spearmanr=0.1666;P=0.5182). Logistic regression applied to variables above or below the median GDS showed that EtHg exposure (estimatedprobability=−0.0157;P=0.0070) and breastfeeding score (estimatedprobability=−0.0066;P=0.0536) score were significantly associated with GDS.Conclusion. In nurslings whose mothers are exposed to different levels of fish-MeHg (HHg), a higher score of neurological development at six months was negatively associated with exposure to additional TCV-EtHg. Results should be interpreted with caution because of unaccounted variables.
Antineuropathic and Antinociceptive Drugs Combination in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review
Authors: Romanò Carlo Luca , Romanò Delia , Lacerenza Marco
Published: April 2012

Purpose. Chronic low back pain (LBP) is often characterized by both nociceptive and neuropathic components. While various monotherapies have been reported of only limited efficacy, combining drugs with different mechanisms of action and targets appears a rational approach. Aim of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy and safety of different combined pharmacological treatments, compared to monotherapy or placebo, for the pharmacological treatment of chronic LBP.Methods. Published papers, written or abstracted in English from 1990 through 2011, comparing combined pharmacological treatments of chronic LBP to monotherapy or placebo were reviewed.Results. Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Pregabalin combined with celecoxib or opioids was shown to be more effective than either monotherapy. Oxycodone-paracetamol versus previous treatments and tramadol-paracetamol versus placebo were also reported as effective, while morphine-nortriptyline did not show any benefit over any single agent.Conclusions. In spite of theoretical advantages of combined pharmacological treatments of chronic LBP, clinical studies are remarkably few. Available data show that combined therapy, including antinociceptive and antineuropathic agents is more effective than monotherapy, with similar side effects.
Using Hierarchical Time Series Clustering Algorithm and Wavelet Classifier for Biometric Voice Classification
Authors: Fong Simon
Published: April 2012

Voice biometrics has a long history in biosecurity applications such as verification and identification based on characteristics of the human voice. The other application called voice classification which has its important role in grouping unlabelled voice samples, however, has not been widely studied in research. Lately voice classification is found useful in phone monitoring, classifying speakers’ gender, ethnicity and emotion states, and so forth. In this paper, a collection of computational algorithms are proposed to support voice classification; the algorithms are a combination of hierarchical clustering, dynamic time wrap transform, discrete wavelet transform, and decision tree. The proposed algorithms are relatively more transparent and interpretable than the existing ones, though many techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks, Support Vector Machine, and Hidden Markov Model (which inherently function like a black box) have been applied for voice verification and voice identification. Two datasets, one that is generated synthetically and the other one empirically collected from past voice recognition experiment, are used to verify and demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed voice classification algorithm.
Fixed Points of Asymptotic Pointwise Nonexpansive Mappings in Modular Spaces
Authors: Wang Xue , Chen Ying , Chen Rudong
Published: April 2012

Kirk and Xu studied the existence of fixed points of asymptotic pointwise nonexpansive mappings in the Banach space. In this paper, we investigate these kinds of mappings in modular spaces. Moreover, we prove the existence of fixed points of asymptotic pointwise nonexpansive mappings in modular spaces. The results improve and extend the corresponding results of Kirk and Xu (2008) to modular spaces.
Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of Paracetamol Particles Formation by RESS Method
Authors: Karimi Sabet Javad , Ghotbi Cyrus , Dorkoosh Farid
Published: April 2012

Ultrafine particles of paracetamol were produced by Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solution (RESS). The experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of extraction temperature (313–353 K), extraction pressure (10–18 MPa), preexpansion temperature (363–403 K), and postexpansion temperature (273–323 K) on particles size and morphology of paracetamol particles. The characterization of the particles was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC‐MS) analysis. The average particle size of the original paracetamol was 20.8 μm, while the average particle size of paracetamol after nanonization via the RESS process was 0.46 μm depending on the experimental conditions used. Moreover, the morphology of the processed particles changed to spherical and regular while the virgin particles of paracetamol were needle‐shape and irregular. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the process parameters. The extraction temperature, 347 K; extraction pressure, 12 MPa; preexpansion temperature, 403 K; and postexpansion temperature, 322 K was found to be the optimum conditions to achieve the minimum average particle size of paracetamol.
Melanin-Based Coatings as Lead-Binding Agents
Authors: Sono Karin , Lye Diane , Moore Christine A. , Boyd W. Christopher , Gorlin Thomas A. , Belitsky Jason M.
Published: April 2012

Interactions between metal ions and different forms of melanin play significant roles in melanin biochemistry. The binding properties of natural melanin and related synthetic materials can be exploited for nonbiological applications, potentially including water purification. A method for investigating metal ion-melanin interactions on solid support is described, with lead as the initial target. 2.5 cm discs of the hydrophobic polymer PVDF were coated with synthetic eumelanin from the tyrosinase-catalyzed polymerization of L-dopa, and with melanin extracted from human hair. Lead (Pb2+) binding was quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy (flame mode), and the data was well fit by the Langmuir model. Langmuir affinities ranged from3.4·103to2.2·104 M-1. At the maximum capacity observed, the synthetic eumelanin coating bound ~9% of its mass in lead. Binding of copper (Cu2+), zinc (Zn2+), and cadmium (Cd2+) to the synthetic-eumelanin-coated discs was also investigated. Under the conditions tested, the Langmuir affinities for Zn2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+were 35%, 53%, and 77%, respectively, of the Langmuir affinity for Pb2+. The synthetic-eumelanin-coated discs have a slightly higher capacity for Cu2+on a per mole basis than for Pb2+, and lower capacities for Cd2+and Zn2+. The system described can be used to address biological questions and potentially be applied toward melanin-based water purification.
Is Still's Disease an Autoinflammatory Syndrome?
Authors: Rossi-Semerano Linda , Koné-Paut Isabelle
Published: April 2012

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA), formerly called Still's disease, is officially classified as a subset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Beside arthritis, it is characterized by prominent systemic features and a marked inflammatory response. Even if it is still included in the group of juvenile arthritides, sJIA is set apart from all the other forms of JIA. This disorder has markedly distinct clinical and laboratory features suggesting a different pathogenesis. sJIA does not show any association with HLA genes or with autoantibodies and is characterised by an uncontrolled activation of phagocytes with hypersecretion of IL-1 and IL-6. Based on clinical and laboratory features, as well as on new acquisitions on the pathogenesis, it seems evident that sJIA is an autoinflammatory disease related to abnormality in innate immune system. The new insights on the pathogenesis of sJIA have therefore dramatically changed the approach to treatment, with the development of targeted treatments (anti-IL-1 and anti-IL-6 agents) more effective and safer than earlier medications.
Morinda citrifolia(Noni) Juice Augments Mammary Gland Differentiation and Reduces Mammary Tumor Growth in Mice Expressing the Unactivated c-erbB2 Transgene
Authors: Clafshenkel William P. , King Tracy L. , Kotlarczyk Mary P. , Cline J. Mark , Foster Warren G. , Davis Vicki L. , Witt-Enderby Paula A.
Published: April 2012

Morinda citrifolia(noni) is reported to have many beneficial properties, including on immune, inflammatory, quality of life, and cancer endpoints, but little is known about its ability to prevent or treat breast cancer. To test its anticancer potential, the effects of Tahitian Noni Juice (TNJ) on mammary carcinogenesis were examined in MMTV-neutransgenic mice. Mammary tumor latency, incidence, multiplicity, and metastatic incidence were unaffected by TNJ treatment, which suggests that it would not increase or decrease breast cancer risk in women taking TNJ for its other benefits. However, noni may be useful to enhance treatment responses in women with existing HER2/neubreast cancer since TNJ resulted in significant reductions in tumor weight and volume and in longer tumor doubling times in mice. Remarkably, its ability to inhibit the growth of this aggressive form of cancer occurred with the mouse equivalent of a recommended dose for humans (<3 oz/day). A 30-day treatment with TNJ also induced significant changes in mammary secondary ductule branching and lobuloalveolar development, serum progesterone levels, and estrous cycling. Additional studies investigating TNJ-induced tumor growth suppression and modified reproductive responses are needed to characterize its potential as a CAM therapy for women with and without HER2+breast cancer.
NFAT5 Contributes to Osmolality-Induced MCP-1 Expression in Mesothelial Cells
Authors: Küper Christoph , Beck Franz-X. , Neuhofer Wolfgang
Published: April 2012

Increased expression of the C-C chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in mesothelial cells in response to high glucose concentrations and/or high osmolality plays a crucial role in the development of peritoneal fibrosis during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Recent studies suggest that in kidney cells osmolality-induced MCP-1 upregulation is mediated by the osmosensitive transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5). The present study addressed the question of whether activation of NFAT5 by hyperosmolality, as present in PD fluids, contributes to MCP-1 expression in the mesothelial cell line Met5A. Hyperosmolality, induced by addition of glucose, NaCl, or mannitol to the growth medium, increased NFAT5 activity and stimulated MCP-1 expression in Met5A cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of NFAT5 attenuated osmolality-induced MCP-1 upregulation substantially. Hyperosmolality also induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Accordingly, pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB significantly decreased osmolality-induced MCP-1 expression. Taken together, these results indicate that high osmolalities activate the transcription factor NFAT5 in mesothelial cells. NFAT5 in turn upregulates MCP-1, likely in combination with NF-κB, and thus may participate in the development of peritoneal fibrosis during CAPD.
Global Nonexistence of Solutions for Viscoelastic Wave Equations of Kirchhoff Type with High Energy
Authors: Li Gang , Hong Linghui , Liu Wenjun
Published: April 2012

We consider viscoelastic wave equations of the Kirchhoff typeutt-M(∥∇u∥22)Δu+∫0tg(t-s)Δu(s)ds+ut=|u|p-1uwith Dirichlet boundary conditions, where∥⋅∥pdenotes the norm in the Lebesgue spaceLp. Under some suitable assumptions ongand the initial data, we establish a global nonexistence result for certain solutions with arbitrarily high energy, in the sense thatlim⁡t→T*-(∥u(t)∥22+∫0t∥u(s)∥22ds)=∞for some0<T*<+∞.
Temporal Requirements of cMyc Protein for Reprogramming Mouse Fibroblasts
Authors: Heffernan Corey , Sumer Huseyin , Malaver-Ortega Luis F. , Verma Paul J.
Published: April 2012

Exogenous expression of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and cMyc forces mammalian somatic cells to adopt molecular and phenotypic characteristics of embryonic stem cells, commencing with the required suppression of lineage-associated genes (e.g.,Thy1in mouse). Although omitting cMyc from the reprogramming cocktail minimizes risks of uncontrolled proliferation, its exclusion results in fold reductions in reprogramming efficiency. Thus, the feasibility of substituting cMyc transgene with (non-integrative) recombinant “pTAT-mcMyc” protein delivery was assessed, without compromising reprogramming efficiency or the pluripotent phenotype. Purification and delivery of semisoluble/particulate pTAT-mcMyc maintained Oct4-GFP+colony formation (i.e., reprogramming efficiency) whilst supporting pluripotency by various criteria. Differential repression of Thy1 by pTAT-mcMyc ± Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 (OSK) suggested differential (and non-additive) mechanisms of repression. Extending these findings, attempts to enhance reprogramming efficiency through a staggered approach (prerepression of Thy1) failed to improve reprogramming efficiency. We consider protein delivery a useful tool to decipher temporal/molecular events characterizing somatic cell reprogramming.
Fabrication and Characterization of Magnetoresponsive Electrospun Nanocomposite Membranes Based on Methacrylic Random Copolymers and Magnetite Nanoparticles
Authors: Savva Ioanna , Krekos George , Taculescu Alina , Marinica Oana , Vekas Ladislau , Krasia-Christoforou Theodora
Published: April 2012

Magnetoresponsive polymer‐based fibrous nanocomposites belonging to the broad category of stimuli‐responsive materials, is a relatively new class of “soft” composite materials, consisting of magnetic nanoparticles embedded within a polymeric fibrous matrix. The presence of an externally applied magnetic field influences the properties of these materials rendering them useful in numerous technological and biomedical applications including sensing, magnetic separation, catalysis and magnetic drug delivery. This study deals with the fabrication and characterization of magnetoresponsive nanocomposite fibrous membranes consisting of methacrylic random copolymers based on methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2‐(acetoacetoxy)ethyl methacrylate (AEMA) (MMA‐co‐AEMA) and oleic acid‐coated magnetite (OA·Fe3O4) nanoparticles. The AEMA moieties containing β‐ketoester side‐chain functionalities were introduced for the first time in this type of materials, because of their inherent ability to bind effectively onto inorganic surfaces providing an improved stabilization. For membrane fabrication the electrospinning technique was employed and a series of nanocomposite membranes was prepared in which the polymer content was kept constant and only the inorganic (OA·Fe3O4) content varied. Further to the characterization of these materials in regards to their morphology, composition and thermal properties, assessment of their magnetic characteristics disclosed tunable superparamagnetic behaviour at ambient temperature.