bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prostate‐specific antigen level, stage or Gleason score: Which is best for predicting outcomes after radical prostatectomy, and does it vary by the outcome being measured? Results from Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital database
Authors: Mithal Prabhakar , Howard Lauren E , Aronson William J , Kane Christopher J , Cooperberg Matthew R , Terris Martha K , Amling Christopher L , Freedland Stephen J
Published: February 2015

Objectives

To assess the ability of preoperative prostate‐specific antigen level, Gleason score and stage to predict prostate cancer outcomes beyond biochemical recurrence, specifically castration‐resistant prostate cancer, metastases and prostate cancer‐specific mortality in radical prostatectomy patients.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective study of 2735 men in the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital database treated by radical prostatectomy from 1988 to 2011 with data available on pathological stage, grade and preoperative prostate‐specific antigen. We used Cox hazards analyses to examine the predictive accuracy (c‐index) of the preoperative prostate‐specific antigen (log‐transformed), path Gleason score (≤7, 3 + 4, 4 + 3 and 8–10) and path stage grouping (pT2 negative margins; pT2 positive margins; pT3a negative margins; pT3a positive margins; pT3b; vs positive nodes) to predict biochemical recurrence, castration‐resistant prostate cancer, metastases and prostate cancer‐specific mortality.

Results

Median follow up was 8.7 years, during which, 937 (34%) had biochemical recurrence, 108 (4%) castration‐resistant prostate cancer, 127 (5%) metastases and 68 (2%) prostate cancer‐specific mortality. For the outcomes of biochemical recurrence, castration‐resistant prostate cancer, metastases and prostate cancer‐specific mortality, the c‐indices were, respectively: prostate‐specific antigen 0.65, 0.66, 0.64 and 0.69; Gleason score 0.66, 0.83, 0.76 and 0.85; and pathological stage group 0.69, 0.76, 0.72 and 0.80.

Conclusions

Gleason score can predict with very high accuracy prostate cancer‐specific mortality in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Thus, Gleason score should be given more weight in nomograms to predict prostate cancer‐specific mortality. Furthermore, men with a high Gleason score should be given special consideration for adjuvant treatment or referral to clinical trials because of a higher risk of prostate cancer‐specific mortality. © 2015 The Japanese Urological Association
A strike of ‘unorganised’ workers in a Chinese car factory: the Nanhai Honda events of 2010
Authors: Lyddon Dave , Cao Xuebing , Meng Quan , Lu Jun
Published: February 2015

This strike in a Chinese factory of the Japanese multinational Honda in 2010 received worldwide coverage. A young workforce sustained an on–off strike, with varying numbers of workers involved, for 19 days. Academic interest has focused on prospects for collective bargaining and union reform in China. This article, using interviews with former strikers, and newspaper sources, analyses the strike process. The workplace union, as a constituent of the All‐China Federation of Trade Unions and subject to the Chinese Party–state, was hostile; so the workers were in effect ‘unorganised’. Examples of non‐union strikes in the interwar car industry of the USA and UK show the similarity of situation with the Honda workers. Hiller's classic text, The Strike, provides a surprisingly suitable framework for understanding strikes of unorganised workers. The strikers' vocabulary ‘framed’ their demands initially as injustice, but incorporated anti‐Japanese sentiment and, then, dignity, in response to events.
Influenza seasonality in Madagascar: the mysterious African free‐runner
Authors: Alonso Wladimir Jimenez , Guillebaud Julia , Viboud Cecile , Razanajatovo Norosoa Harline , Orelle Arnaud , Zhou Steven Zhixiang , Randrianasolo Laurence , Heraud Jean‐Michel
Published: February 2015

Background

The seasonal drivers of influenza activity remain debated in tropical settings where epidemics are not clearly phased. Antananarivo is a particularly interesting case study because it is in Madagascar, an island situated in the tropics and with quantifiable connectivity levels to other countries.

Objectives

We aimed at disentangling the role of environmental forcing and population fluxes on influenza seasonality in Madagascar.

Methods

We compiled weekly counts of laboratory‐confirmed influenza‐positive specimens for the period 2002 to 2012 collected in Antananarivo, with data available from sub‐Saharan countries and countries contributing most foreign travelers to Madagascar. Daily climate indicators were compiled for the study period.

Results

Overall, influenza activity detected in Antananarivo predated that identified in temperate Northern Hemisphere locations. This activity presented poor temporal matching with viral activity in other countries from the African continent or countries highly connected to Madagascar excepted for A(H1N1)pdm09. Influenza detection in Antananarivo was not associated with travel activity and, although it was positively correlated with all climatic variables studied, such association was weak.

Conclusions

The timing of influenza activity in Antananarivo is irregular, is not driven by climate, and does not align with that of countries in geographic proximity or highly connected to Madagascar. This work opens fresh questions regarding the drivers of influenza seasonality globally particularly in mid‐latitude and less‐connected regions to tailor vaccine strategies locally.
Insulation Failure of the Linox Defibrillator Lead: A Case Report and Retrospective Review of a Single Center Experience
Authors: HOWE ANDREW J. , MCKEAG NICHOLAS A. , WILSON CAROL M. , ASHFIELD KYLE P. , ROBERTS MICHAEL J.
Published: February 2015

Insulation Failure of the Linox Defibrillator Lead

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) lead insulation failure and conductor externalization have been increasingly reported. The 7.8F silicon‐insulated Linox SD and Linox S ICD leads (Biotronik, Berlin, Germany) were released in 2006 and 2007, respectively, with an estimated 85,000 implantations worldwide. A 39‐year‐old female suffered an out‐of‐hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF) arrest with successful resuscitation. An ICD was implanted utilizing a single coil active fixation LinoxSmart S lead (Biotronik, Berlin, Germany). A device‐triggered alert approximately 3 years after implantation confirmed nonphysiological high rate sensing leading to VF detection. A chest X‐ray showed an abnormality of the ICD lead and fluoroscopic screening confirmed conductor externalization proximal to the defibrillator coil. In view of the combined electrical and fluoroscopic abnormalities, urgent lead extraction and replacement were performed. A review of Linox (Biotronik) and Vigila (Sorin Group, Milan, Italy) lead implantations within our center (n = 98) identified 3 additional patients presenting with premature lead failure, 2 associated with nonphysiological sensed events and one associated with a significant decrease in lead impedance. All leads were subsequently removed and replaced. This case provides a striking example of insulation failure affecting the Linox ICD lead and, we believe, is the first to demonstrate conductor externalization manifesting both electrical and fluoroscopic abnormalities.
Commentary: We've only just begun: unravelling the underlying genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders – a commentary on Kiser et al. (2015)
Authors: Coghill David
Published: February 2015

Kiser and colleagues (this issue) have presented us with a comprehensive and bold review that describes current understanding of the genetic influences that underpin three of the most important neurodevelopmental disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), and explores several new avenues of thinking that are opening up based on this knowledge. Based on phenotypic overlap, comorbidity and a sharing of genetic and environmental risks they propose that ADHD, ASD and ID together form part of a continuum. The idea that disorders we have traditionally seen as being separate are in fact inter‐related is, of course, not an entirely new one and indeed has similarly been proposed for the developmental disorders by Gillberg and in a more general way as a part of the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project. Where this review differs is in the authors’ attempts to look at several possible mechanisms for these.
Commentary: Developmental connectomics to advance our understanding of typical and atypical brain development – a commentary on Vértes and Bullmore (2015)
Authors: Graham Alice M. , Fair Damien A.
Published: February 2015

Vértes and Bullmore's article lays a framework for applying connectomics, the study of brain function from the perspective of underlying network organization, to advance understanding of healthy and maladaptive brain development. They elucidate the power of connectomics for bridging both different levels of analysis (e.g. from synapses to brain regions) and multiple academic fields. In this commentary, we highlight important themes and remaining questions stemming from Vértes and Bullmore's work, including: (a) the application of connectomics in the context of integrating analyses across multiple spatial and temporal dimensions, (b) the extent to which connectomics might be applied in translational and clinical studies of development, (c) growth connectomics and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, and (d) the importance and complexity of sound methodological practices in applying connectomics to developmental and clinical science. Ongoing work in these areas will be important for fulfilling the promise of connectomics as a bridge between neuroscience, developmental science, and translational and clinical research.
Common Genetic Factors among Sexual Orientation, Gender Nonconformity, and Number of Sex Partners in Female Twins: Implications for the Evolution of Homosexuality
Authors: Burri Andrea , Spector Tim , Rahman Qazi
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Homosexuality is a stable population-level trait in humans that lowers direct fitness and yet is substantially heritable, resulting in a so-called Darwinian “paradox.” Evolutionary models have proposed that polymorphic genes influencing homosexuality confer a reproductive benefit to heterosexual carriers, thus offsetting the fitness costs associated with persistent homosexuality. This benefit may consist of a “sex typicality” intermediate phenotype. However, there are few empirical tests of this hypothesis using genetically informative data in humans.

Aim

This study aimed to test the hypothesis that common genetic factors can explain the association between measures of sex typicality, mating success, and homosexuality in a Western (British) sample of female twins.

Methods

Here, we used data from 996 female twins (498 twin pairs) comprising 242 full dizygotic pairs and 256 full monozygotic pairs (mean age 56.8) and 1,555 individuals whose co-twin did not participate. Measures of sexual orientation, sex typicality (recalled childhood gender nonconformity), and mating success (number of lifetime sexual partners) were completed.

Main Outcome Measure

Variables were subject to multivariate variance component analysis.

Results

We found that masculine women are more likely to be nonheterosexual, report more sexual partners, and, when heterosexual, also report more sexual partners. Multivariate twin modeling showed that common genetic factors explained the relationship between sexual orientation, sex typicality, and mating success through a shared latent factor.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that genetic factors responsible for nonheterosexuality are shared with genetic factors responsible for the number of lifetime sexual partners via a latent sex typicality phenotype in human females. These results may have implications for evolutionary models of homosexuality but are limited by potential mediating variables (such as personality traits) and measurement issues.
Efficacy of Intravenous Administration of Combined Acid Suppressants in Healthy Dogs
Authors: Tolbert M.K. , Odunayo A. , Howell R.S. , Peters E.E. , Reed A.
Published: February 2015

Background

Short‐term intravenous co‐administration of famotidine and pantoprazole is used by some veterinarians to treat gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill dogs. However, clinical studies have not evaluated the efficacy of combination acid suppressant treatment in dogs.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To compare the effect of intravenous co‐administration of famotidine and pantoprazole to monotherapy with pantoprazole on intragastric pH in dogs. We hypothesized that single agent pantoprazole would be more effective than combination with famotidine.

Animals

Twelve healthy adult colony dogs.

Methods

Randomized, 2‐way crossover design. All dogs received placebo (0.9% saline) for 24 hours followed by 1.0 mg/kg IV q12h pantoprazole or combination treatment with famotidine and pantoprazole for 3 consecutive days. Intragastric pH monitoring was used to continuously record intragastric pH for 96 hours beginning on day 0 of treatment. Mean percentage time (MPT) that intragastric pH was ≥3 and ≥4 were compared between groups using ANOVA with a posthoc Tukey‐Kramer test (α = 0.017).

Results

The MPT ± standard deviation intragastric pH was greater than ≥3 and 4 were 79 ± 17% and 68 ± 17% for pantoprazole and 74 ± 19% and 64 ± 23% for combination treatment, respectively. There were no significant differences in MPT intragastric pH was ≥3 and 4 between groups. Pantoprazole administered alone achieved pH goals established for humans with acid‐related disorders.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

These results suggest that short‐term combination treatment with famotidine and pantoprazole is not superior to pantoprazole alone for increasing intragastric pH in dogs.
Origin, diversification and substrate specificity in the family of NCS1/FUR transporters
Authors: Krypotou Emilia , Evangelidis Thomas , Bobonis Jacob , Pittis Alexandros A. , Gabaldón Toni , Scazzocchio Claudio , Mikros Emmanuel , Diallinas George
Published: February 2015

NCS1 proteins are H+/Na+ symporters specific for the uptake of purines, pyrimidines and related metabolites. In this article, we study the origin, diversification and substrate specificity of fungal NCS1 transporters. We show that the two fungal NCS1 sub‐families, Fur and Fcy, and plant homologues originate through independent horizontal transfers from prokaryotes and that expansion by gene duplication led to the functional diversification of fungal NCS1. We characterised all Fur proteins of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans and discovered novel functions and specificities. Homology modelling, substrate docking, molecular dynamics and systematic mutational analysis in three Fur transporters with distinct specificities identified residues critical for function and specificity, located within a major substrate binding site, in transmembrane segments TMS1, TMS3, TMS6 and TMS8. Most importantly, we predict and confirm that residues determining substrate specificity are located not only in the major substrate binding site, but also in a putative outward‐facing selective gate. Our evolutionary and structure‐function analysis contributes in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional diversification of eukaryotic NCS1 transporters, and in particular, forward the concept that selective channel‐like gates might contribute to substrate specificity.
Foucault's notion of problematization: a methodological discussion of the application of Foucault's later work to nursing research
Authors: Frederiksen Kirsten , Lomborg Kirsten , Beedholm Kirsten
Published: February 2015

This study takes its point of departure in an oft‐voiced critique that the French philosopher Michel Foucault gives discourse priority over practice, thereby being deterministic and leaving little space for the individual to act as an agent. Based on an interpretation of the latter part of Foucault's oeuvre, we argue against this critique and provide a methodological discussion of the perception that Foucault's method constitutes, primarily, discourse analysis. We argue that it is possible to overcome this critique of Foucault's work by the application of methodological tools adapted from Foucault's later writings and his diagnosis of his own work as studies of forms of problematization. To shed light on the possibilities that this approach offers to the researcher, we present a reading of aspects of Foucault's work, with a focus on his notion of forms of problematization. Furthermore, we elaborate on concepts from his so‐called genealogical period, namely ‘the dispositive’, strategy and tactics. Our interpretation is supported by examples from a study of the emergence of Danish nursing education, which is based on an analytical framework that we developed in the light of an interpretation of aspects of Foucault's work.
The receptor‐like cytoplasmic kinase PCRK1 contributes to pattern‐triggered immunity against Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Sreekanta Suma , Bethke Gerit , Hatsugai Noriyuki , Tsuda Kenichi , Thao Amanda , Wang Lin , Katagiri Fumiaki , Glazebrook Jane
Published: February 2015

In this paper we describe PATTERN‐TRIGGERED IMMUNITY (PTI) COMPROMISED RECEPTOR‐LIKE CYTOPLASMIC KINASE 1 (PCRK1) of Arabidopsis thaliana, an RLCK that is important for defense against the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola ES4326 (Pma ES4326).

We examined defense responses such as bacterial growth, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and callose deposition in pcrk1 mutant plants to determine the role of PCRK1 during pathogen infection.

Expression of PCRK1 was induced following pathogen infection. Pathogen growth was significantly higher in pcrk1 mutant lines than in wild‐type Col‐0. Mutant pcrk1 plants showed reduced pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) against Pma ES4326 after pretreatment with peptides derived from flagellin (flg22), elongation factor‐Tu (elf18), or an endogenous protein (pep1). Deposition of callose was reduced in pcrk1 plants, indicating a role of PCRK1 in activation of early immune responses. A PCRK1 transgene containing a mutation in a conserved lysine residue important for phosphorylation activity of kinases (K118E) failed to complement a pcrk1 mutant for the Pma ES4326 growth phenotype.

Our study shows that PCRK1 plays an important role during PTI and that a conserved lysine residue in the putative kinase domain is important for PCRK1 function.
Searching for targets in visual working memory: investigating a dimensional feature bundle (DFB) model
Authors: Töllner Thomas , Mink Maurice , Müller Hermann J.
Published: February 2015

The human visual working memory (WM) system enables us to store a limited amount of task‐relevant visual information temporally in mind. One actively debated issue in cognitive neuroscience centers around the question of how this WM information is maintained. The currently dominant views advocated by prominent WM models hold that the units of memory are configured either as independent feature representations, integrated bound objects, or a combination of both. Here, we approached this issue by measuring lateralized brain electrical activity during a retro‐cue paradigm, in order to track people's ability to access WM representations as a function of the dimensional relation between WM items and task settings. Both factors were revealed to selectively influence WM access: whereas cross relative to intradimensional WM targets gave rise to enhanced contralateral delay activity (CDA) amplitudes, localization relative to identification task demands yielded speeded CDA and manual response times. As these dimension‐based findings are not reconcilable with contemporary feature‐ and/or object‐based accounts, an alternative view that is based on the hierarchical feature‐bundle model is proposed. We argue that WM units may consist of three hierarchically structured levels of representations, with an intermediate dimensionally organized level that mediates between top‐level object and lower‐level feature representations.
Archaeal viruses: living fossils of the ancient virosphere?
Authors: Prangishvili David
Published: February 2015

Studies on viruses parasitizing archaea reveal their specific nature and complete the tripartite division of the biosphere, indicating that each of the three domains of life—Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya—has its own set of associated DNA viruses. I argue that the remarkable morphotypical diversity of archaea‐specific viruses could have originated from diverse viral archetypes that predated the divergence of the three domains of cellular life. It is possible that the descendants of many of these viral archetypes are able to parasitize extant archaea owing to their ability to evade archaea‐specific defenses against virus infection, specifically the defenses linked to the evolution of cell envelope structure.
Linking ambient particulate matter pollution effects with oxidative biology and immune responses
Authors: Kelly Frank J. , Fussell Julia C.
Published: February 2015

Exposure to combustion‐related particulate matter (PM), at concentrations experienced by populations throughout the world, contributes to pulmonary and cardiac disease through multiple mechanistic pathways that are complex and interdependent. Current evidence supports an interactive chain of events linking pollution‐induced pulmonary and systemic oxidative stress, inflammatory events, and translocation of particle constituents with an associated risk of vascular dysfunction, atherosclerosis, altered cardiac autonomic function, and ischemic cardiovascular and obstructive pulmonary diseases. Because oxidative stress is believed to play such an instrumental role in these pathways, the capacity of particulate pollution to cause damaging oxidative reactions (the oxidative potential) has been used as an effective exposure metric, identifying toxic components and sources within diverse ambient PM mixes that vast populations are subjected to—from traffic emissions on busy roads in urban areas to biomass smoke that fills homes in rural areas of the developing world.
Weak negative associations between avian influenza virus infection and movement behaviour in a key host species, the mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Authors: van Dijk Jacintha G. B. , Kleyheeg Erik , Soons Merel B. , Nolet Bart A. , Fouchier Ron A. M. , Klaassen Marcel
Published: February 2015

Animal movements may contribute to the spread of pathogens. In the case of avian influenza virus, [migratory] birds have been suggested to play a role in the spread of some highly pathogenic strains (e.g. H5N1, H5N8), as well as their low pathogenic precursors which circulate naturally in wild birds. For a better understanding of the emergence and spread of both highly pathogenic (HPAIV) and low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV), the potential effects of LPAIVs on bird movement need to be evaluated. In a key host species, the mallard Anas platyrhynchos, we tested whether LPAIV infection status affected daily local (< 100 m) and regional (> 100 m) movements by comparing movement behaviour 1) within individuals (captured and sampled at two time points) and 2) between individuals (captured and sampled at one time point). We fitted free‐living adult males with GPS loggers throughout the autumn LPAIV infection peak, and sampled them for LPAIV infection at logger deployment and at logger removal on recapture. Within individuals, we found no association between LPAIV infection and daily local and regional movements. Among individuals, daily regional movements of LPAIV infected mallards in the last days of tracking were lower than those of non‐infected birds. Moreover, these regional movements of LPAIV infected birds were additionally reduced by poor weather conditions (i.e. increased wind and/or precipitation and lower temperatures). Local movements of LPAIV infected birds in the first days of tracking were higher when temperature decreased. Our study thus demonstrates that bird‐assisted dispersal rate of LPAIV may be lower on a regional scale than expected on the basis of the movement behaviour of non‐infected birds. Our study underlines the importance of understanding the impact of pathogen infection on host movement in order to assess its potential role in the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
Top–down control by great blue herons Ardea herodias regulates seagrass‐associated epifauna
Authors: Huang Andrew C. , Essak Martha , O'Connor Mary I.
Published: February 2015

Top predators can influence the structure and function of plant and animal communities. In coastal marine systems, fish, shark and mammal population declines are major drivers of recent ecosystem‐level change. Cascading effects of predatory wading birds, however, are less understood, even though wading bird populations have declined in many regions. We quantified the effects of predation by the piscivorous great blue heron Ardea herodias fannini on fish, invertebrates and epiphytes living in eelgrass Zostera marina. We found that herons forage on benthic fish in seagrass meadows, and foraging intensity increased from late spring until midsummer. When we experimentally excluded herons, benthic fish abundance increased, and the invertebrate assemblage shifted to more shrimp‐dominated assemblages while grazing gammarid amphipod abundance declined. These shifts were associated with reduced epiphyte abundance when herons were excluded, reflecting a four‐level trophic cascade and mediated by shifts in the grazer assemblage. In summary, we found that a piscivorous wading bird species exerts top down control in a subtidal seagrass ecosystem. Losses and recovery of wading birds could have ecosystem‐level ecological consequences that may need to be considered in the context of concern for overfishing and predator recovery in marine coastal management.
Intralesional injection of corticosteroid for treatment of central giant cell lesions: case report and literature review
Authors: de Oliveira L.J. , Lehman L.F.C. , Gomez R.S. , Castro W.H.
Published: February 2015

We aimed to report a case of a central giant cell lesion in the anterior region of the mandible that was treated by intralesional corticosteroid injections. We also performed a review of the literature related to this condition. The patient was a 37 year‐old woman who was referred to our hospital. Treatment consisted of 10 intralesional injections of Theracort 40 mg/mL (Theraskin Farmacêutica Ltda., São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil) [triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL) suspension; 1 mL] and 2% lidocaine (1.8 mL) with adrenaline (1:100 000 dilution). Injections were administered via a needle (27 gauge, 1/2 inch) at different sites and depths within the lesion every 15 days. The patient was followed up for 32 months. Complete healing of the lesion was confirmed by clinical examination and imaging. No evidence of recurrence or side effects related to the corticosteroid treatment was noted. Intralesional injections of corticosteroids should be considered as an alternative to surgery. Such therapy is simple, less aggressive and less expensive, and avoids the aesthetic and functional damage associated with aggressive surgical treatment.
Feasibility of Transseptal Puncture Using a Nonfluoroscopic Catheter Tracking System
Authors: MANSOUR MOUSSA , AFZAL MUHAMMAD R. , GUNDA SAMPATH , PILLARISETTI JAYASREE , HEIST KEVIN , ACHA MOSHE RAV , HEARD MICHAEL , RUSKIN JEREMY , LAKKIREDDY DHANUNJAYA
Published: February 2015

Background

Radiation exposure in the electrophysiology lab is a major occupational hazard to the electrophysiologists. A catheter localization system (MediGuide Technology, St. Jude Medical Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA) allows the integration of electroanatomical mapping and x‐ray imaging, and has been shown to be effective in reducing radiation exposure during several electrophysiological procedures. We intended to evaluate the feasibility of this catheter tracking system to guide transseptal (TS) access.

Methods

The feasibility of performing TS puncture with MediGuide (MDG) was assessed in a prospective observational study in 16 patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. These patients were compared to 16 matched patients undergoing similar procedures during the same time frame using conventional approach. There were no differences in mean age, gender distribution, and body mass index between the two groups. Total duration of fluoroscopic exposure during TS puncture was compared between the two groups.

Results

All patients underwent successful TS puncture. Fluoroscopy time for double TS puncture using the MDG system was significantly lower than the control group (0.48 ± 0.17 minutes vs. 5.9 ± 0.65 minutes; P < 0.0001). No major complications occurred during the procedures in either group.

Conclusions

TS puncture can be successfully performed using MDG, and results in significant reduction in radiation exposure.
Assessments of salt tolerance in a bottle gourd line expressing the Arabidopsis H+‐pyrophosphatase AVP1 gene and in a watermelon plant grafted onto a transgenic bottle gourd rootstock
Authors: Han Jeung‐S. , Park Kyeung I. , Jeon Su M. , Park Sunghun , Naing Aung H. , Kim Chang K.
Published: February 2015

In this study, we developed transgenic bottle gourd lines expressing the Arabidopsis H+‐pyrophosphatase AVP1 gene and confirmed the stable integration of AVP1 in the genomes of bottle gourd T2 homozygous lines and its transcription. Additional analyses of the AVP1‐expressing lines indicated that AVP1 expression in bottle gourds could improve salt tolerance in the greenhouse, as the lines maintained higher relative water content under salt stress regime. Moreover, the axillary shoots of AVP1‐expressing lines recovered gradually when the soil was desalinized, whereas wild‐type plants died. Watermelon plants grafted onto the transgenic bottle gourd rootstock also exhibited greater salt tolerance than those grafted onto wild‐type bottle gourd rootstock, by generating higher biomasses and photosystem II quantum yields. Therefore, the expression of AVP1 enhanced salt tolerance in the bottle gourd, and the use of a rootstocks improved by genetic engineering is one of the effective methods in improving the agronomic traits of watermelon.
Tyrosinase‐catalyzed metabolism of rhododendrol (RD) in B16 melanoma cells: production of RD‐pheomelanin and covalent binding with thiol proteins
Authors: Ito Shosuke , Okura Masae , Nakanishi Yukiko , Ojika Makoto , Wakamatsu Kazumasa , Yamashita Toshiharu
Published: February 2015

RS‐4‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐butanol (rhododendrol, RD) was reported to induce leukoderma of the skin. To explore the mechanism underlying that effect, we previously showed that oxidation of RD with mushroom tyrosinase produces RD‐quinone, which is converted to secondary quinone products, and we suggested that those quinones are cytotoxic because they bind to cellular proteins and produce reactive oxygen species. We then confirmed that human tyrosinase can oxidize both enantiomers of RD. In this study, we examined the metabolism of RD in B16F1 melanoma cells in vitro. Using 4‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐n‐butylbenzene as a specific indicator, we detected moderate levels of RD‐pheomelanin in B16F1 cells exposed to 0.3 to 0.5 mM RD for 72 h. We also confirmed the covalent binding of RD‐quinone to non‐protein thiols and proteins through cysteinyl residues. The covalent binding of RD‐quinone to proteins was 20‐ to 30‐fold greater than dopaquinone. These results suggest that the tyrosinase‐induced metabolism of RD causes melanocyte toxicity.
Congenital nephrotic syndrome of NPHS1 associated with cardiac malformation
Authors: Uysal Berfin , Dönmez Osman , Uysal Fahrettin , Akacı Okan , Vuruşkan Berna Aytaç , Berdeli Afig
Published: February 2015

Congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS) is a rare disease inherited as an autosomally recessive trait and defined as proteinuria manifesting at birth or in the first 3 months of life. The classical form is the Finnish type of CNS (CNF), which is caused by mutations in the nephrin gene (NPHS1). The classical findings include prematurity, large placenta and massive proteinuria. Minor cardiac findings have been reported as a minor functional disorder but CNS with major cardiac malformation is rare. Here we report the case of a Turkish child with CNS with small indel mutation (c.614_621delCACCCCGGinsTT) in exon 6 of NPHS1 and also major cardiac malformation who did not develop end‐stage renal disease until the age of 5 years.
Transient abnormal myelopoiesis in non‐Down syndrome neonate
Authors: Ohkawa Teppei , Miyamoto Satoshi , Sugie Manabu , Tomizawa Daisuke , Imai Kohsuke , Nagasawa Masayuki , Morio Tomohiro , Mizutani Shuki , Takagi Masatoshi
Published: February 2015

We encountered a case of neonatal acute megakaryoblastic leukemia not associated with Down syndrome (DS). Molecular cytogenetic analysis of leukemic blast cells indicated that increased blast cell status was caused by transient abnormal myelopoiesis with trisomy 21 and GATA1 mutation. Based on these molecular cytogenetic data, intensive chemotherapy was avoided, and the patient was successfully cured with low‐dose cytarabine. Morphologically, leukemic blast cells of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia in a non‐DS neonate are indistinguishable from a blast cell of transient abnormal myelopoiesis. The possibility of transient abnormal myelopoiesis should be carefully considered before intensive chemotherapy is adopted.
Japanese neonate with congenital chloride diarrhea caused by SLC26A3 mutation
Authors: Fuwa Kazumasa , Hosono Shigeharu , Nagano Nobuhiko , Munakata Shun , Fukamachi Ritsuko , Okada Tomoo , Takahashi Shigeru , Takahashi Shori , Sato Naoyuki , Nakayama Tomohiro
Published: February 2015

Congenital chloride diarrhea (CCD) beginning in utero is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by impairment of Cl−/HCO3− exchange in an otherwise normal distal ileum and colon. Life‐long secretory diarrhea is caused by mutations in solute carrier family 26, member 3, (SLC26A3), which disrupt epithelial Cl−/HCO3− transport in the ileum and colon. Although 55 mutations in SLC26A3 have been identified throughout the world, few Japanese cases have been confirmed on genetic analysis. We report the successful treatment of a Japanese neonate with CCD caused by SLC26A3 mutation.
Idiopathic mitral valve chordae rupture in an infant: Importance of rapid diagnosis and surgery
Authors: Okada Yuki , Inoue Nobuaki , Fukushima Naoya , Yoshikawa Tadahiro , Takahashi Yukihiro , Matsubara Shigeki , Hasegawa Yukihiro
Published: February 2015

Mitral valve chordae rupture in infancy is a rare, but life‐threatening disease. The progression of acute cardiac failure has been reported, with emergency surgery being required in most cases. Mitral valve chordae rupture typically occurs at the age of 4–6 months. Echocardiography is needed to diagnose this disease, and accurate diagnosis is difficult for general pediatricians. We herein describe the case of an acutely ill 4‐month‐old infant, who was saved and discharged without neurological sequelae due to the early diagnosis of mitral valve chordae rupture, life support, and surgery. We confirm the importance of acute pre‐surgery treatment and immediate surgery for the survival and good outcome of infants.
Oral penicillin‐associated acute kidney injury in an infant with acute pyelonephritis
Authors: Zieg Jakub , Hacek Jaromir
Published: February 2015

Beta‐lactam‐associated acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) is a rare condition in childhood. We report the case of an infant with penicillin‐associated ATIN and concomitant acute pyelonephritis resulting in the development of severe acute kidney injury (AKI). The treatment consisted of penicillin suspension and appropriate AKI management, which required a short period of dialysis. Finally, full recovery and normalization of laboratory parameters occurred. We present here the first case of oral penicillin‐associated ATIN in childhood.
Successful living domino liver transplantation in a child with protein C deficiency
Authors: Matsunami Masatoshi , Ishiguro Akira , Fukuda Akinari , Sasaki Kengo , Uchida Hajime , Shigeta Takanobu , Kanazawa Hiroyuki , Sakamoto Seisuke , Ohta Motoki , Nakadate Hisaya , Horikawa Reiko , Nakazawa Atsuko , Ishige Mika , Mizuta Koichi , Kasahara Mureo
Published: February 2015

PC is produced in the liver and inhibits blood coagulation by catalyzing active factors V and VIII. PC deficiency causes abnormal blood clotting that is difficult to regulate by anticoagulative treatments. Four reports of PC deficiency treated with LTx have been published; however, no report of DLT as a therapy for PC deficiency is available. We describe a case of a 23‐month‐old girl who received DLT for compound heterozygous PC deficiency. Her PC activity was below 5%. She developed intracranial lesion and frequent refractory purpura fulminans. Both her parents had heterozygous mutations of PC genes and were excluded as living donors. Furthermore, she was a low priority on the waiting list of deceased‐donor transplantation. We performed living DLT using the liver from a patient with MSUD. Activated PC concentrate safely supported the perioperative period. After DLT, she maintained normal PC activities and BCAA levels. This is the first case of PC deficiency successfully treated by living DLT with MSUD. We propose that DLT using liver from patients with MSUD is a treatment option for PC deficiency.
Seed transmission of Sweet potato leaf curl virus in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
Authors: Kim J. , Kil E.‐J. , Kim S. , Seo H. , Byun H.‐S. , Park J. , Chung M.‐N. , Kwak H.‐R. , Kim M.‐K. , Kim C.‐S. , Yang J.‐W. , Lee K.‐Y. , Choi H.‐S. , Lee S.
Published: February 2015

Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) infects sweet potato and is a member of the family Geminiviridae (genus Begomovirus). SPLCV transmission occurs from plant to plant mostly via vegetative propagation as well as by the insect vector Bemisia tabaci. When sweet potato seeds were planted and cultivated in a whitefly‐free greenhouse, some sweet potato plants started to show SPLCV‐specific symptoms. SPLCV was detected by PCR from all leaves and floral tissues that showed leaf curl disease symptoms. More than 70% of the seeds harvested from SPLCV‐infected sweet potato plants tested positive for SPLCV. SPLCV was also identified from dissected endosperm and embryos. The transmission level of SPLCV from seeds to seedlings was up to 15%. Southern blot hybridization showed SPLCV‐specific single‐ and double‐stranded DNAs in seedlings germinated from SPLCV‐infected seeds. Taken altogether, the results show that SPLCV in plants of the tested sweet potato cultivars can be transmitted via seeds and SPLCV DNA can replicate in developing seedlings. This is the first seed transmission report of SPLCV in sweet potato plants and also, to the authors' knowledge, the first report of seed transmission for any geminivirus.
Generalized least squares cross‐validation in kernel density estimation
Authors: Zhang Jin
Published: February 2015

The kernel density estimation is a popular method in density estimation. The main issue is bandwidth selection, which is a well‐known topic and is still frustrating statisticians. A robust least squares cross‐validation bandwidth is proposed, which significantly improves the classical least squares cross‐validation bandwidth for its variability and undersmoothing, adapts to different kinds of densities, and outperforms the existing bandwidths in statistical literature and software.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Mixing of a Jet in Cross-Flow
Authors: Esmaeili Mostafa , Afshari Asghar , Jaberi Farhad A.
Published: February 2015

An Eulerian–Lagrangian mathematical/computational methodology is employed for large-eddy simulation (LES) and detailed study of turbulent mixing in jet in cross-flow (JICF) configuration. Accurate prediction of mixing in JICF is crucially important to the development of advanced combustion systems. A high-order multiblock finite difference (FD) computational algorithm is used to solve the Eulerian velocity and pressure equations in a generalized coordinate system. The composition field, describing the mixing, is obtained from the filtered mass density function (FMDF) and its stochastic Lagrangian Monte-Carlo (MC) solver. Our simulations are shown to accurately predict the important flow features present in JICF such as the counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP), horseshoe, shear layer, and wake vortices. The consistency of the FD and MC parts of the hybrid LES/FMDF model is established for the simulated JICF in various conditions, indicating the numerical accuracy of the model. The effects of parameters influencing the jet penetration, entrainment, and turbulent mixing such as the jet velocity profile, and jet pulsation are investigated. The results show that the jet exit velocity profile significantly changes the trajectory and mixing of injected fluid. The jet pulsation is also shown to enhance the mixing depending on the flow Strouhal number. The LES/FMDF results are shown to be in good agreement with the available experimental data, confirming the reliability of LES/FMDF method for numerical simulation of turbulent mixing in complex flow configurations.
Soft Computing in Design and Manufacturing of Advanced Materials
Authors: Cios Krzysztof J. , Baaklini George Y. , Vary Alex
Published: February 2015

The goal of this paper is to show the potential of fuzzy sets and neural networks, often referred to as soft computing, for aiding in all aspects of manufacturing of advanced materials like ceramics.

In design and manufacturing of advanced materials it is desirable to find which of the many processing variables contribute most to the desired properties of the material. There is also interest in real time quality control of parameters that govern material properties during processing stages. This paper briefly introduces the concepts of fuzzy sets and neural networks and shows how they can be used in the design and manufacturing processes. These two computational methods are alternatives to other methods such as the Taguchi method. The two methods are demonstrated by using data collected at NASA Lewis Research Center. Future research directions are also discussed.
The PT6 Engine: 30 Years of Gas Turbine Technology Evolution
Authors: Badger M. , Julien A. , LeBlanc A. D. , Moustapha S. H. , Prabhu A. , Smailys A. A.
Published: February 2015

The PT6 engine entered service in the mid-1960’s. Since then, application of new technology, has enabled low cost development of engines approaching 1500 KW, the introduction of electronic controls, improved power-to-weight ratio, higher cycle temperature and reduced specific fuel consumption. At the same time, PT6 field experience in business, commuter, helicopter and trainer applications has resulted in engines with low Direct Operating Cost and a reputation for rugged design and a high standard of engine reliability. This paper will highlight some interesting examples of this technical evolution, including the development of electronic controls and the application of the latest 3D aerodynamic and stress analysis to both compressor and turbine components.
Developments in Centrifugal Compressor Surge Control: A Technology Assessment
Authors: Botros K. K. , Henderson J. F.
Published: February 2015

There are a number of surge control schemes in current use for centrifugal compressors which are employed in natural gas transmission systems. Basically, these schemes consist of a set of detection devices which either anticipate surge or detect it at its inception, and a set of control devices which act to prevent surge from occurring. A patent search was conducted in an attempt to assess the level and direction of technology development over the last 20 years and to define the focus for future R&D activities. In addition, the paper presents the current state of technology in three areas: surge control, surge detection and surge suppression. Patent data obtained from on-line databases showed that most of the emphasis has been on surge control rather than on detection and control and that the current trend in surge control will likely continue towards incremental improvement of a basic or conventional surge control strategy. Various surge suppression techniques can be grouped in two categories: i) those which are focused on better compressor interior design, and ii) others which attempt to suppress surge by external and operational means.
Fault Diagnosis in Gas Turbines Using a Model-Based Technique
Authors: Merrington Graeme L.
Published: February 2015

Reliable methods for diagnosing faults and detecting degraded performance in gas turbine engines are continually being sought. In this paper, a model-based technique is applied to the problem of detecting degraded performance in a military turbofan engine from take-off acceleration type transients. In the past, difficulty has been experienced in isolating effects of some of the physical processes involved. One such effect is the influence of the bulk metal temperature on the measured engine parameters during large power excursions. It will be shown that the model-based technique provides a simple and convenient way of separating this effect from the faster dynamic components. The important conclusion from this work is that good fault coverage can be gleaned from the resultant pseudo steady-state gain estimates derived in this way.
A Review of Non-Steady Flow Models for Compressor Stability
Authors: Longley John P.
Published: February 2015

This paper presents a review of the different approaches to modelling the non-steady fluid dynamics associated with two-dimensional compressor flowfields. These models are used to predict the time development of flowfield disturbances and have been found useful both in the study of rotating stall and the development of active control.

The opportunity to digest the earlier investigations has now made it possible to express the modelling ideas using only a very simple mathematical treatment. Here, the emphasis is on the underlying physical processes that the models simulate and how the assumptions within the models affect predictions. The purpose of this work is to produce, in a single document, a description of compressor modelling techniques, so that prospective users can assess which model is the most suitable for their application.
The Unstable Behavior of Low and High Speed Compressors
Authors: Day I. J. , Freeman C.
Published: February 2015

By far the greater part of our understanding about stall and surge in axial compressors comes from work on low-speed laboratory machines. As a general rule, these machines do not model the compressibility effects present in high-speed compressors and therefore doubt has always existed about the application of low-speed results to high-speed machines. In recent years interest in active control has led to a number of studies of compressor stability in engine type compressors. The instrumentation used in these experiments has been sufficiently detailed that, for the first time, adequate data is available to make direct comparisons between high-speed and low-speed compressors. This paper presents new data from an eight-stage fixed geometry engine compressor and compares this with low-speed laboratory data. The results show remarkable similarities in both the stalling and surging behaviour of the two machines, particularly when the engine compressor is run at intermediate speeds. The engine results also show that, as in the laboratory tests, surge is precipitated by the onset of rotating stall. This is true even at very high speeds where it had previously been thought that surge might be the result of a blast wave moving through the compressor. This paper therefore contains new information about high-speed compressors and confirms that low speed testing is an effective means of obtaining insight into the behaviour of high-speed machines.