bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Superantigens Are Critical for Staphylococcus aureus Infective Endocarditis, Sepsis, and Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Salgado-Pabón Wilmara , Breshears Laura , Spaulding Adam R. , Merriman Joseph A. , Stach Christopher S. , Horswill Alexander R. , Peterson Marnie L. , Schlievert Patrick M.
Published: August 2013

Infective endocarditis and kidney infections are serious complications of
Staphylococcus aureus
sepsis. We investigated the role of superantigens (SAgs) in the development of lethal sepsis, infective endocarditis, and kidney infections. SAgs cause toxic shock syndrome, but it is unclear if SAgs contribute to infective endocarditis and kidney infections secondary to sepsis. We show in the methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
strain MW2 that lethal sepsis, infective endocarditis, and kidney infections in rabbits are critically dependent on high-level SAgs. In contrast, the isogenic strain lacking staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC), the major SAg in this strain, is attenuated in virulence, while complementation restores disease production. SAgs’ role in infective endocarditis appears to be both superantigenicity and direct endothelial cell stimulation. Maintenance of elevated blood pressure by fluid therapy significantly protects from infective endocarditis, possibly through preventing bacterial accumulation on valves and increased SAg elimination. These data should facilitate better methods to manage these serious illnesses.

IMPORTANCE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2007 that
Staphylococcus aureus
is the most significant cause of serious infectious diseases in the United States (R. M. Klevens, M. A. Morrison, J. Nadle, S. Petit, K. Gershman, et al., JAMA 298:1763–1771, 2007). Among these infections are sepsis, infective endocarditis, and acute kidney injury. Infective endocarditis occurs in 30 to 60% of patients with
S. aureus
bacteremia and carries a mortality rate of 40 to 50%. Over the past decades, infective endocarditis outcomes have not improved, and infection rates are steadily increasing (D. H. Bor, S. Woolhandler, R. Nardin, J. Brusch, D. U. Himmelstein, PLoS One 8:e60033, 2013). There is little understanding of the
S. aureus
virulence factors that are key for infective endocarditis development and kidney abscess formation. We demonstrate that superantigens are critical in the causation of all three infections. We show that their association results from both superantigenicity and direct toxic effects on endothelial cells, the latter likely contributing to delayed endothelium healing. Our studies contribute significantly to understanding the development of these illnesses and are expected to lead to development of important therapies to treat such illnesses.
Massive per rectal bleeding in a child due to caecal arteriovenous malformation treated successfully by embolisation
Authors: Parthasarathy Muralidharan , Basu Avi , Omer Abdel Rahman
Published: August 2013

A 12-year-old girl presented with a sudden onset of per rectal bleeding. After admission, she had further episodes of large volume per rectal bleeding and developed hypotensive shock. Hence a massive haemorrhage protocol was activated. Surgical, paediatric and anaesthetic support was sought immediately. Further resuscitation with packed red cells, platelets and fresh frozen plasma was successful. An urgent CT angiogram of the abdomen confirmed active arterial bleeding from an arteriovenous malformation in the caecum. After a detailed discussion between the surgeons and the interventional radiologists, it was decided to attempt therapeutic embolisation first, failing which surgery was the option. The patient and family were fully informed. Through a right femoral approach under local anaesthesia, the superior mesenteric artery was catheterised and the bleeding vessel was successfully controlled with two microembolisation coils. Except for some initial abdominal discomfort, she made an uneventful recovery and was discharged home.
Difficulty in the intravesical morcellation procedure for leiomyoma of the prostate enucleated by HoLEP
Authors: Shinojima Toshiaki , Yoshimine Shunsuke
Published: August 2013

Leiomyoma of prostate are rare benign neoplasms that are usually diagnosed incidentally through postoperative pathological examination. A 70-year-old man is presented with severe symptoms of lower urinary tract obstruction. Although a digital rectal examination and the prostate-specific antigen level did not suggest malignancy, transrectal ultrasonography showed an unusual homogenous echoic mass measuring 45×37 mm in size in the prostate. A needle biopsy was performed and pathological diagnosis was prostatic leiomyoma. Holmium laser enucleation of prostate (HoLEP) was chosen and performed to resect the tumour. Although the enucleation step presented no problems, the morcellation procedure using a conventional transurethral mechanical morcellator was very difficult owing to the firmness of the tissue. By using a bipolar erectrosurgical loop, fragmentation and removal of tissue was accomplished. This is the first case reported of these rare neoplasms in which HoLEP was offered as a less invasive surgical approach. We emphasise the firmness of the leiomyomatous tissue, which would lead to morcellation failure.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis: an accidental discovery of a lingual thyroid in a 7-year-old child
Authors: Mariani Michela , Palpacelli Alessandra , Mussoni Annalisa , Rossodivita Aurora Natalia
Published: August 2013

An ectopic thyroid located at the base of the tongue is a rare entity, resulting from early developmental defects of thyroid gland embryogenesis during its descent from the foramen caecum to its normal eutopic pretracheal site. This condition is the main cause of congenital primary hypothyroidism, even though signs and symptoms of thyroid dysfunction may also appear later in childhood. Lingual thyroid may sometimes present with symptoms of respiratory obstruction or feeding difficulties. We illustrate the case of a 7-year-old girl with subclinical hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis arising in a lingual thyroid. She had never suffered from upper airway obstructive symptoms, but did refer a 3-month history of cough. Rapid normalisation of thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and termination of the cough were attained when the L-thyroxine treatment started. After 6 months a significant reduction of lingual thyroid size was also noted. The diagnostic procedures and therapeutic options in childhood are discussed.
Acute thyroid swelling and elevated C reactive protein
Authors: Nebiker Christian A , Delko Tarik , Zulewski Henryk , Oertli Daniel
Published: August 2013

A 34-year-old lady presented with a painful swelling of the left thyroid lobe since 1 week and elevated C reactive protein (CRP) above 100 mg/L. An ultrasound examination revealed a thyroid cyst with partly solid component, suitable with a haemorrhage into a cyst. The serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), as well as peripheral thyroid hormones, was in the normal range. The acute swelling could be well explained by a haemorrhage, but not an elevated CRP. Her medical history was uneventful apart from a tooth extraction 2 weeks ago due to an infection. Therefore, our hypothesis was a haemorrhage into a pre-existing thyroid cyst during bacteraemia caused by the tooth infection. Conservative treatment with the aim of delayed hemithyreoidectomy failed due to a second episode of haemorrhage. During surgical resection pus drained out of the cyst and the histological report afterwards confirmed our tentative diagnosis. The patient was discharged 2 days later.
Assessment of the fishing impact on the silver eel stock in the Baltic using survival analysis
Authors: Dekker Willem , Sjöberg Niklas B.
Published: August 2013

Restoration of the depleted stock of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla (L.)) requires anthropogenic impacts to be quantified, reduced, and controlled. In this article, we assess the impact of the silver eel fishery on the Baltic Coast in Sweden, applying survival analysis to 60 years of mark–recapture experiments, involving 8000 recaptures out of 18 000 releases. The hazard of being recaptured (overall 46%) varies along the coast and declined substantially over the decades. But, most notably, the hazard for the individual diminishes strongly after the first kilometres en route. This individualized hazard disqualifies the more traditional mark–recapture methodology, which assumes random recaptures. We advocate the general use of survival analysis for conventional mark–recapture data. The result of our analysis indicates that the impact of the fishery just prior the 2009 fishing restrictions was in the order of 10%—in itself well within sustainability limits, though only but one of the factors contributing to the mortality in the Baltic Sea.
Modeling the effects of individual-tree size, distance, and species on understory vegetation based on neighborhood analysis
Authors: Tatsumi Shinichi , Owari Toshiaki
Published: August 2013

Quantifying how understory vegetation responds to individual neighboring trees is critical to understanding forest dynamics. To do so, we used a spatial neighborhood approach to quantify the competitive effect of individual trees on the density and height of dwarf bamboo (Sasa senanensis (Franch. et Savat.) Rehder) in a mixed conifer–broadleaf forest on the island of Hokkaido, northern Japan. Using hierarchical Bayesian models, we analyzed how the effect of neighboring trees varies with stem size, distance to the dwarf bamboo, and tree species. The effect of neighbors peaked when the tree reached a medium size (33.0–45.0 cm in diameter at breast height) and decreased for larger trees. The effect of neighbors decreased with increasing distance to the dwarf bamboo. The slope of the decrease was gentler for larger trees. Conifers exerted an average of 7.2 times the effect of broadleaved trees. Species with higher shade tolerance exerted larger effects. Species with late leaf flush and early defoliation tended to exert smaller effects. Our results provide evidence that neighborhood analysis is an effective approach for quantifying the effects of individual trees on understory vegetation and represents a critical step toward understanding how fine-scale interactions between understory vegetation and trees influence overall forest dynamics.
Black hole spectroscopy from a class of Plebański and Demiański space–times
Authors: Qi De-Jiang
Published: August 2013

Recently, via adiabatic invariance, Majhi and Vagenas quantized the horizon area of the general class of a static spherically symmetric space–time. Very recently, applying the period of the gravity system with respect to the Euclidean time, Zeng and Liu derived area spectra of a Schwarzschild black hole and a Kerr black hole. It is noteworthy that the preceding methods are not useful for the quasi-normal modes. In this paper, based on those works, and as a further study, adopting near horizon approximation, applying the laws of black hole thermodynamics, we would like to investigate the black hole spectroscopy from a class of Plebański and Demiański space–times by using two different methods. The result shows that the area spectrum of the black hole is [Formula: see text], which confirms the initial proposal of Bekenstein, and the result is consistent with that already obtained by Maggiore with quasi-normal modes.
Environmental dependence of stellar mass for SDSS-III/BOSS galaxies
Authors: Deng Xin-Fa , Zou Si-Yu
Published: August 2013

Using the LOWZ (0.15 ≤ z ≤ 0.43) and CMASS (0.43 ≤ z ≤ 0.7) galaxy samples of the ninth data release from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS), we investigate the environmental dependence of stellar mass of BOSS galaxies, and conclude that like the luminous red galaxy sample of the SDSS, the environmental dependence of stellar mass of BOSS galaxies is fairly weak. Results of this work also show that the CMASS sample with the redshift 0.43 ≤ z ≤ 0.7 used by many authors seriously suffers from the radial selection effect.
Microsatellite analyses across three diverse vertebrate transcriptomes (Acipenser fulvescens,Ambystoma tigrinum, andDipodomys spectabilis)
Authors: Doyle Jacqueline M. , Siegmund Gregor , Ruhl Joseph D. , Eo Soo Hyung , Hale Matthew C. , Marra Nicholas J. , Waser Peter M. , DeWoody J. Andrew
Published: August 2013

Historically, many population genetics studies have utilized microsatellite markers sampled at random from the genome and presumed to be selectively neutral. Recent studies, however, have shown that microsatellites can occur in transcribed regions, where they are more likely to be under selection. In this study, we mined microsatellites from transcriptomes generated by 454-pyrosequencing for three vertebrate species: lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), and kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). We evaluated (i) the occurrence of microsatellites across species; (ii) whether particular gene ontology terms were over-represented in genes that contained microsatellites; (iii) whether repeat motifs were located in untranslated regions or coding sequences of genes; and (iv) in silico polymorphism. Microsatellites were less common in tiger salamanders than in either lake sturgeon or kangaroo rats. Across libraries, trinucleotides were found more frequently than any other motif type, presumably because they do not cause frameshift mutations. By evaluating variation across reads assembled to a given contig, we were able to identify repeat motifs likely to be polymorphic. Our study represents one of the first comparative data sets on the distribution of vertebrate microsatellites within expressed genes. Our results reinforce the idea that microsatellites do not always occur in noncoding DNA, but commonly occur in expressed genes.
CONTOUR POLYGONAL APPROXIMATION USING THE SHORTEST PATH IN NETWORKS
Authors: BACKES ANDRÉ RICARDO , CASANOVA DALCIMAR , BRUNO ODEMIR MARTINEZ
Published: August 2013

Contour polygonal approximation is a simplified representation of a contour by line segments so that the main characteristics of the contour remain in a small number of line segments. This paper presents a novel method for polygonal approximation based on the Complex Networks theory. We convert each point of the contour into a vertex so that a regular network can be modeled. Then we transform this network into a Small-World Complex Network by applying some transformations over its edges. We compute the polygonal approximation analyzing the network properties, especially the geodesic path. The paper presents the main characteristics of the method, as well as its functionality. We evaluate the proposed method using benchmark contours and compare its results with other polygonal approximation methods.
OCTONIC GRAVITATIONAL FIELD EQUATIONS
Authors: DEMİR SÜLEYMAN , TANIŞLI MURAT , TOLAN TÜLAY
Published: August 2013

Generalized field equations of linear gravity are formulated on the basis of octons. When compared to the other eight-component noncommutative hypercomplex number systems, it is demonstrated that associative octons with scalar, pseudoscalar, pseudovector and vector values present a convenient and capable tool to describe the Maxwell–Proca-like field equations of gravitoelectromagnetism in a compact and simple way. Introducing massive graviton and gravitomagnetic monopole terms, the generalized gravitational wave equation and Klein–Gordon equation for linear gravity are also developed.
STRUCTURE SIZE'S EFFECT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SPM PIEZOELECTRIC MICROCANTILEVER
Authors: SUN XIAO-NAN , LIU AN-PING , SUN XIAO-SONG
Published: August 2013

For the piezoelectric microcantilever, a device is designed for the IPC-208B type scanning probe microscope. We analyzed the structure size's effect on the piezoelectric cantilever device, and find that the deformation displacement of the cantilever tip depends mainly on the length, while the output voltage of piezoelectric layer depends on the aspect ratio of cantilever itself. We choose the device structure as the length and width dimensions of 200 μm × 40 μm, piezoelectric thickness of 2.0 μm, and electrode layer of 0.2 μm for the experimental analysis. We conclude that the device voltage sensitivity is 0.43 mV/nN, and tip displacement sensitivity up to 4.6 nm/nN, which shows that the output voltage is in the mV-level, is easy to meet the input requirements of testing circuit. The differentiable range can be in nanometer scale, which meets the SPM work requirements, and the device performance is considerable.
MHD EYRING–PRANDTL FLUID FLOW WITH CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS IN SMALL INTESTINES
Authors: AKBAR NOREEN SHER
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we have discussed the food movement in stomach with thermal boundary conditions. Eyring–Prandtl fluid model is considered. Formulation of the considered phenomena have been developed for both fixed and moving frame of references. Regular perturbation is used to find the solution of stream function, temperature profile and pressure gradient. Analysis has been carried out for velocity, "stream function, temperature, pressure gradient and heat transfer". Appearance of pressure gradient is quite complicated so to get the expression for pressure rise we have used numerical integration. It is perceived that the velocity close to the channel walls is not same in outlook of the Eyring–Prandtl fluid parameter taken as β and Hartman number M. The velocity decreases by increasing β and M.
SiFAP: A SIMPLE SUB-MILLISECOND ASTRONOMICAL PHOTOMETER
Authors: AMBROSINO F. , MEDDI F. , NESCI R. , ROSSI C. , SCLAVI S. , BRUNI I.
Published: August 2013

A new fast photometer based on SiPM technology was developed at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" starting from 2009. A first prototype was successfully tested observing the Crab pulsar at the Loiano telescope of the Bologna Observatory. In this paper we illustrate the improvements we applied to our instrument, concerning new cooled commercial sensors, a new version of our custom dedicated electronics and an upgraded control timing software. Finally we report the results obtained with this instrument on December 2012 on the Crab pulsar at the Loiano telescope to show its goodness and capabilities.
Genetic and genomic analyses of musculoskeletal differences between BEH and BEL strains
Authors: Lionikas Arimantas , Kilikevicius Audrius , Bünger Lutz , Meharg Caroline , Carroll Andrew M. , Ratkevicius Aivaras , Venckunas Tomas , Blizard David A.
Published: August 2013

Berlin high (BEH) and Berlin low (BEL) strains selected for divergent growth differ threefold in body weight. We aimed at examining muscle mass, which is a major contributor to body weight, by exploring morphological characteristics of the soleus muscle (fiber number and cross sectional area; CSA), by analyzing the transcriptome of the gastrocnemius and by initiating quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. BEH muscles were four to eight times larger than those of BEL. In substrain BEH+/+, mutant myostatin was replaced with a wild-type allele; however, BEH+/+muscles still were two to four times larger compared with BEL. BEH soleus muscle fibers were two times more numerous ( P < 0.0001) and CSA was two times larger ( P < 0.0001) compared with BEL. In addition, soleus femoral attachment anomaly (SFAA) was observed in all BEL mice. One significant (Chr 1) and four suggestive (Chr 3, 4, 6, and 9) muscle weight QTLs were mapped in a 21-day-old F2 intercross ( n = 296) between BEH and BEL strains. The frequency of SFAA incidence in the F2 and in the backcross to BEL strain (BCL) suggested the presence of more than one causative gene. Two suggestive SFAA QTLs were mapped in BCL; however, their peak markers were not associated with the phenotype in F2. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 2,148 differentially expressed ( P < 0.1) genes and 45,673 single nucleotide polymorphisms and >2,000 indels between BEH+/+ and BEL males. In conclusion, contrasting muscle traits and genomic and gene expression differences between BEH and BEL strains provide a promising model for the search for genes involved in muscle growth and musculoskeletal morphogenesis.
Multivariate Granger Causality Analysis of Acupuncture Effects in Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients: An fMRI Study
Authors: Chen Shangjie , Bai Lijun , Xu Maosheng , Wang Fang , Yin Liang , Peng Xuming , Chen Xinghua , Shi Xuemin
Published: August 2013

Evidence from clinical reports has indicated that acupuncture has a promising effect on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, it is still unknown that by what way acupuncture can modulate brain networks involving the MCI. In the current study, multivariate Granger causality analysis (mGCA) was adopted to compare the interregional effective connectivity of brain networks by varying needling depths (deep acupuncture, DA; superficial acupuncture, SA) and at different cognitive states, which were the MCI and healthy control (HC). Results from DA at KI3 in MCI showed that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus emerged as central hubs and had significant causal influences with each other, but significant in HC for DA. Moreover, only several brain regions had remarkable causal interactions following SA in MCI and even few brain regions following SA in HC. Our results indicated that acupuncture at KI3 at different cognitive states and with varying needling depths may induce distinct reorganizations of effective connectivities of brain networks, and DA at KI3 in MCI can induce the strongest and more extensive effective connectivities related to the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in MCI. The study demonstrated the relatively functional specificity of acupuncture at KI3 in MCI, and needling depths play an important role in acupuncture treatments.
Interferon-αEnhances 5′-Deoxy-5-Fluorouridine-Induced Apoptosis by ERK-Dependant Upregulation of Thymidine Phosphorylase
Authors: Zhu Yike , Xu Ling , Fan Yibo , Li Ce , Zhang Ye , Zheng Huachuan , Hou Kezuo , Qu Xiujuan , Liu Yunpeng
Published: August 2013

5-Florouracil (5-FU) is the basic agent used in the treatment of gastric cancer. Capecitabine, a prodrug of 5-FU, displays increased antitumor efficacy compared with 5-FU in the clinic.5′-Deoxy-5-fluorouracil (5′-DFUR), the metabolite of capecitabine, is converted to 5-FU by the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase (TP), which is present at high concentrations in human tumors. In this study, we investigated the effect of interferon-α(IFN-α) on the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to treatment with5′-DFUR and its relationship with TP expression. Preincubation of gastric cancer cells with IFN-αenhanced5′-DFUR-induced apoptosis via IFN-α-mediated upregulation of TP. The depletion of TP with small interfering RNA (siRNA) obviously inhibited IFN-α-induced upregulation of TP expression and thus prevented apoptosis induced by IFN-αand5′-DFUR. Treatment with IFN-αand combined IFN-αand5′-DFUR treatment were also associated with concomitant activation of ERK signaling. Treatment with the ERK inhibitor PD98059 or depletion of ERK with siRNA partially reversed IFN-α-induced upregulation of TP expression, thus partially preventing apoptosis induced by IFN-αand5′-DFUR. Taken together, our study shows that IFN-αenhanced5′-DFUR-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells by upregulation of TP expression, which is partially regulated by activation of ERK signaling.
Development of the Schedule for Multiple Parallel “Difficult” Peptide Synthesis on Pins
Authors: Kolesanova Ekaterina F. , Sanzhakov Maxim A. , Kharybin Oleg N.
Published: August 2013

Unified schedule for multiple parallel solid-phase synthesis of so-called “difficult” peptides on polypropylene pins was developed. Increase in the efficiency of 9-fluorenyl(methoxycarbonyl) N-terminal amino-protecting group removal was shown to have a greater influence on the accuracy of the “difficult” peptide synthesis than the use of more efficient amino acid coupling reagents such as aminium salts. Hence the unified schedule for multiple parallel solid-phase synthesis of “difficult” peptides included the procedure for N-terminal amino group deprotection modified by applying a more efficient reagent for the deprotection and the standard procedure of amino acid coupling by carbodiimide method with an additional coupling using aminium salts, if necessary. Amino acid coupling with the help of carbodiimide allows to follow the completeness of the coupling via the bromophenol blue indication, thus providing the accuracy of the synthesis and preventing an overexpenditure of expensive reagents. About 100 biotinylated hepatitis C virus envelope protein fragments, most of which represented “difficult” peptides, were successfully obtained by synthesis on pins with the help of the developed unified schedule.
Feedback Control Method Using Haar Wavelet Operational Matrices for Solving Optimal Control Problems
Authors: Swaidan Waleeda , Hussin Amran
Published: August 2013

Most of the direct methods solve optimal control problems with nonlinear programming solver. In this paper we propose a novel feedback control method for solving for solving affine control system, with quadratic cost functional, which makes use of only linear systems. This method is a numerical technique, which is based on the combination of Haar wavelet collocation method and successive Generalized Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. We formulate some new Haar wavelet operational matrices in order to manipulate Haar wavelet series. The proposed method has been applied to solve linear and nonlinear optimal control problems with infinite time horizon. The simulation results indicate that the accuracy of the control and cost can be improved by increasing the wavelet resolution.
AnIn VitroEvaluation of Antioxidant and Colonic Microbial Profile Levels following Mushroom Consumption
Authors: Vamanu Emanuel , Pelinescu Diana , Avram Ionela , Nita Sultana
Published: August 2013

The biological activity of mushroom consumption is achieved by the antioxidant effect of constituent biomolecules released during digestion. In the following study, the consumption of mushroom fungi was determined to increase the number ofLactobacillusandBifidobacteriumstrains within the colon. The main phenolic antioxidant compounds identified were both gentisic and homogentisic acids. Moreover, the flavonoid catechin as well as a significant amount ofδ- andγ-tocopherols was determined. The amount ofLactobacillusandBifidobacteriumstrains from different sections of the human colon was significantly correlated with levels of antioxidative biomolecules. The experimental data clearly demonstrate a significant impact of mushroom consumption on the fermentative function of microorganisms in the human colon, resulting in the homeostasis of normal physiological colonic functions.
Immune Privilege as an Intrinsic CNS Property: Astrocytes Protect the CNS against T-Cell-Mediated Neuroinflammation
Authors: Gimsa Ulrike , Mitchison N. Avrion , Brunner-Weinzierl Monika C.
Published: August 2013

Astrocytes have many functions in the central nervous system (CNS). They support differentiation and homeostasis of neurons and influence synaptic activity. They are responsible for formation of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and make up the glia limitans. Here, we review their contribution to neuroimmune interactions and in particular to those induced by the invasion of activated T cells. We discuss the mechanisms by which astrocytes regulate pro- and anti-inflammatory aspects of T-cell responses within the CNS. Depending on the microenvironment, they may become potent antigen-presenting cells for T cells and they may contribute to inflammatory processes. They are also able to abrogate or reprogram T-cell responses by inducing apoptosis or secreting inhibitory mediators. We consider apparently contradictory functions of astrocytes in health and disease, particularly in their interaction with lymphocytes, which may either aggravate or suppress neuroinflammation.
Meta-Analysis of Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms and Outcome of Heart Transplantation
Authors: Yongcharoen Sasitorn , Rattanasiri Sasivimol , McDaniel D. Olga , McEvoy Mark , Viwatwongkaseam Chukiat , Rojanavipart Piangchan , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: August 2013

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim of assessing the association between cytokine gene polymorphisms and graft rejection in heart transplantation. We identified relevant studies from Medline and Embase using PubMed and Ovid search engines, respectively. Allele frequencies and allele and genotypic effects were pooled. Heterogeneity and publication bias were explored. Four to 5 studies were included in pooling of 3 gene polymorphisms. The prevalences of the minor alleles for TNFα-308, TGFβ1-c10, and TGFβ1-c25 were 0.166 (95% CI: 0.129, 0.203), 0.413 (95% CI: 0.363, 0.462), and 0.082 (95% CI: 0.054, 0.111) in the control groups, respectively. Carrying the A allele for the TNFα-308 had 18% (95% CI of OR: 0.46, 3.01) increased risk, but this was not significant for developing graft rejection than the G allele. Conversely, carrying the minor alleles for both TGFβ1-c10 and c25 had nonsignificantly lower odds of graft rejection than major alleles, with the pooled ORs of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.65, 1.18) and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.40, 1.23), respectively. There was no evidence of publication bias for all poolings. An updated meta-analysis is required when more studies are published to increase the power of detection for the association between these polymorphisms and allograft rejection.
Characteristic Changes of Scale Invariance of Seismicity Prior to Large Earthquakes: A Constructive Review
Authors: Li Qiang , Xu Gui-Ming
Published: August 2013

Recently, research on the characteristic changes of scale invariance of seismicity before large earthquakes has received considerable attention. However, in some circumstances, it is not easy to obtain these characteristic changes because the features of seismicity in different regions are various. In this paper, we firstly introduced some important research developments of the characteristic changes of scale invariance of seismicity before large earthquakes, which are of particular importance to the researchers in earthquake forecasting and seismic activity. We secondly discussed the strengths and weaknesses of different scale invariance methods such as the local scaling property, the multifractal spectrum, the Hurst exponent analysis, and the correlation dimension. We finally came up with a constructive suggestion for the research strategy in this topic. Our suggestion is that when people try to obtain the precursory information before large earthquakes or to study the fractal property of seismicity by means of the previous scale invariance methods, the strengths and weaknesses of these methods have to be taken into consideration for the purpose of increasing research efficiency. If they do not consider the strengths and weaknesses of these methods, the efficiency of their research might greatly decrease.
Comparative Study of Dipteran Species Diversity and Their Succession on Rabbit Carrion in Two Different Mangrove Areas of Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Azmi Wahizatul Afzan , Lim S. P.
Published: August 2013

A study on dipteran utility in assisting investigation of unattended deaths was carried out in mangrove areas of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, and Masai, Johor, in Peninsular Malaysia by using rabbit carrions as the model. The aim of this study was to determine the dipteran species diversity and their succession over the decomposition period of the rabbit carrions. A total of 229 individuals belonging to 11 species from six families of Diptera were successfully identified from both study sites in October and December 2007.Chrysomya megacephala,C. rufifacies, andHydrotaeasp. were found to be the most abundant species recorded in this study. More species were collected from Masai with 10 species compared to Kuala Terengganu with nine species. Ecological indices (Shannon Wiener Index, Margalef Index, and Evenness Index) showed that Masai scored higher diversity, richness, and evenness values than Kuala Terengganu. However, Mann-WhitneyUtest did not show significant difference among the individuals represented at each study site (P>0.05). Calliphoridae predominated in the carrion during the fresh, bloat, and active decay stages of decomposition. Dipteran development was documented to be meteorologically dependent whereby; low temperature and high rainfall inhibit their colonization. Data collected in this study can hopefully serve as the basis for future estimates of the postmortem interval (PMI) particularly in mangrove area of tropical regions.
Polymer Catalysts Imprinted with Metal Ions as Biomimics of Metalloenzymes
Authors: Czulak Joanna , Jakubiak-Marcinkowska Anna , Trochimczuk Andrzej
Published: August 2013

This work presents the preparation and properties of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with catalytic centers that mimic the active sites of metalloenzymes. The MIP synthesis was based on suspension polymerization of functional monomers (4-vinylpyridine and acrylonitrile) with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as a crosslinker in the presence of transition metal ions and 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol as a template. Four metal ions have been chosen for imprinting from among the microelements that are the most essential in the native enzymes: Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+. To prepare catalysts, the required loading of metal ions was obtained during sorption process. The catalysts imprinted with Cu2+, Co2+, and Zn2+were successfully used for hydroquinone oxidation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The Mn2+-imprinted catalyst showed no activity due to the insufficient metal loading. Cu2+MIP showed the highest efficiency. In case of Cu- and Co-MIP catalysts, their activity was additionally increased by the use of surface imprinting technique.
Effect of CO2 Flow Rate on the Pinang Frond‐Based Activated Carbon for Methylene Blue Removal
Authors: Herawan S. G. , Ahmad M. A. , Putra A. , Yusof A. A.
Published: August 2013

Activated carbons are regularly used the treatment of dye wastewater. They can be produced from various organics materials having high level of carbon content. In this study, a novel Pinang frond activated carbon (PFAC) was produced at various CO2 flow rates in the range of 150–600 mL/min at activation temperature of 800°C for 3 hours. The optimum PFAC sample is found on CO2 flow rate of 300 mL/min which gives the highest BET surface area and pore volume of 958 m2/g and 0.5469 mL/g, respectively. This sample shows well‐developed pore structure with high fixed carbon content of 79.74%. The removal of methylene blue (MB) by 95.8% for initial MB concentration of 50 mg/L and 72.6% for 500 mg/L is achieved via this sample. The PFAC is thus identified to be a suitable adsorbent for removing MB from aqueous solution.
ISG15 Inhibits IFN-α-Resistant Liver Cancer Cell Growth
Authors: Wan Xin-xing , Chen Han-chun , Khan Md. Asaduzzaman , Xu Ai-hua , Yang Fu-lan , Zhang Yun-yi , Zhang Dian-zheng
Published: August 2013

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent tumors worldwide. Interferon-α(IFN-α) has been widely used in the treatment of HCC, but patients eventually develop resistance. ISG15 ubiquitin-like modifier (ISG15) is a ubiquitin-like protein transcriptionally regulated by IFN-αwhich shows antivirus and antitumor activities. However, the exact role of ISG15 is unknown. In the present study, we showed that IFN-αsignificantly induced ISG15 expression but failed to induce HepG2 cell apoptosis, whereas transient overexpression of ISG15 dramatically increased HepG2 cell apoptosis. ISG15 overexpression increased overall protein ubiquitination, which was not observed in cells with IFN-α-induced ISG15 expression, suggesting that IFN-αtreatment not only induced the expression of ISG15 but also inhibited ISG15-mediated ubiquitination. The tumor suppressor p53 and p21 proteins are the key regulators of cell survival and death in response to stress signals such as DNA damage. We showed that p53 or p21 is only up regulated in HepG2 cells ectopically expressing ISG15, but not in the presence of IFN-α-induced ISG15. Our results suggest that ISG15 overexpression could be developed into a powerful gene-therapeutic tool for treating IFN-α-resistant HCC.
Robust H∞ Control for Spacecraft Rendezvous with a Noncooperative Target
Authors: Wu Shu-Nan , Zhou Wen-Ya , Tan Shu-Jun , Wu Guo-Qiang
Published: August 2013

The robust H∞ control for spacecraft rendezvous with a noncooperative target is addressed in this paper. The relative motion of chaser and noncooperative target is firstly modeled as the uncertain system, which contains uncertain orbit parameter and mass. Then the H∞ performance and finite time performance are proposed, and a robust H∞ controller is developed to drive the chaser to rendezvous with the non‐cooperative target in the presence of control input saturation, measurement error, and thrust error. The linear matrix inequality technology is used to derive the sufficient condition of the proposed controller. An illustrative example is finally provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the controller.
A Collocation Method for Solving Fractional Riccati Differential Equation
Authors: Öztürk Yalçın , Anapalı Ayşe , Gülsu Mustafa , Sezer Mehmet
Published: August 2013

We have introduced a Taylor collocation method, which is based on collocation method for solving fractional Riccati differential equation with delay term. This method is based on first taking the truncated Taylor expansions of the solution function in the fractional Riccati differential equation and then substituting their matrix forms into the equation. Using collocation points, we have the system of nonlinear algebraic equation. Then, we solve the system of nonlinear algebraic equation using Maple 13, and we have the coefficients of the truncated Taylor sum. In addition, illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Comparing the methodology with some known techniques shows that the present approach is relatively easy and highly accurate.
The Use of18F-FDG-PET/CT for Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases
Authors: Glaudemans Andor W. J. M. , de Vries Erik F. J. , Galli Filippo , Dierckx Rudi A. J. O. , Slart Riemer H. J. A. , Signore Alberto
Published: August 2013

FDG-PET, combined with CT, is nowadays getting more and more relevant for the diagnosis of several infectious and inflammatory diseases and particularly for therapy monitoring. Thus, this paper gives special attention to the role of FDG-PET/CT in the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of infectious and inflammatory diseases. Enough evidence in the literature already exists about the usefulness of FDG-PET/CT in the diagnosis, management, and followup of patients with sarcoidosis, spondylodiscitis, and vasculitis. For other diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune pancreatitis, and fungal infections, hard evidence is lacking, but studies also point out that FDG-PET/CT could be useful. It is of invaluable importance to have large prospective multicenter studies in this field to provide clear answers, not only for the status of nuclear medicine in general but also to reduce high costs of treatment.
Diet-Regulated Anxiety
Authors: Murphy Michelle , Mercer Julian G.
Published: August 2013

A substantial proportion of noncommunicable disease originates in habitual overconsumption of calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity and attendant comorbidities. At the other end of the spectrum, the consequences of undernutrition in early life and at different stages of adult life can also have major impact on wellbeing and quality of life. To help address some of these issues, greater understanding is required of interactions with food and contemporary diets throughout the life course and at a number of different levels: physiological, metabolic, psychological, and emotional. Here we review the current literature on the effects of dietary manipulation on anxiety-like behaviour. This evidence, assembled from study of preclinical models of diet challenge from gestation to adult life, supports a role for diet in the important connections between psychology, physiology, and behaviour. Analogous processes in the human population in our current obesogenic environment are likely to contribute to individual and societal challenges in this area.
Levels of Key Enzymes of Methionine-Homocysteine Metabolism in Preeclampsia
Authors: Pérez-Sepúlveda Alejandra , España-Perrot Pedro P. , Fernández B Ximena , Ahumada Verónica , Bustos Vicente , Arraztoa José Antonio , Dobierzewska Aneta , Figueroa-Diesel Horacio , Rice Gregory E. , Illanes Sebastián E.
Published: August 2013

Objective. To evaluate the role of key enzymes in the methionine-homocysteine metabolism (MHM) in the physiopathology of preeclampsia (PE).Methods. Plasma and placenta from pregnant women (32 controls and 16 PE patients) were analyzed after informed consent. Protein was quantified by western blot. RNA was obtained with RNA purification kit and was quantified by reverse transcritase followed by real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Identification of the C677T and A1298C methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and A2756G methionine synthase (MTR) SNP was performed using PCR followed by a high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis. S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) and S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) were measured in plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). The SNP association analysis was carried out using Fisher’s exact test. Statistical analysis was performed using a Mann-Whitney test.Results. RNA expression of MTHFR and MTR was significantly higher in patients with PE as compared with controls. Protein, SAM, and SAH levels showed no significant difference between preeclamptic patients and controls. No statistical differences between controls and PE patients were observed with the different SNPs studied.Conclusion. The RNA expression of MTHFR and MTR is elevated in placentas of PE patients, highlighting a potential compensation mechanism of the methionine-homocysteine metabolism in the physiopathology of this disease.
Crack Propagation Analysis Using Acoustic Emission Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring Systems
Authors: Kral Zachary , Horn Walter , Steck James
Published: August 2013

Aerospace systems are expected to remain in service well beyond their designed life. Consequently, maintenance is an important issue. A novel method of implementing artificial neural networks and acoustic emission sensors to form a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for aerospace inspection routines was the focus of this research. Simple structural elements, consisting of flat aluminum plates of AL 2024‐T3, were subjected to increasing static tensile loading. As the loading increased, designed cracks extended in length, releasing strain waves in the process. Strain wave signals, measured by acoustic emission sensors, were further analyzed in post‐processing by artificial neural networks (ANN). Several experiments were performed to determine the severity and location of the crack extensions in the structure. ANNs were trained on a portion of the data acquired by the sensors and the ANNs were then validated with the remaining data. The combination of a system of acoustic emission sensors, and an ANN could determine crack extension accurately. The difference between predicted and actual crack extensions was determined to be between 0.004 in. and 0.015 in. with 95% confidence. These ANNs, coupled with acoustic emission sensors, showed promise for the creation of an SHM system for aerospace systems.
Lower Bounds of Periods of Periodic Solutions for a Class of Differential Equations with Variable Delays
Authors: Liu Xin-Ge , Tang Mei-Lan
Published: August 2013

Based on generalized Wirtinger's inequality, periods of periodic solutions of the nonautonomous differential equations with variable delays are investigated. Based on Hölder inequality, lower bounds of periods of periodic solutions for a class of functional differential equations with variable delays are obtained by a simple method.
Comparative Effectiveness of the Deqi Sensation and Non-Deqi by Moxibustion Stimulation: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Chen Rixin , Chen Mingren , Xiong Jun , Su Tongsheng , Zhou Meiqi , Sun Jianhua , Chi Zhenhai , Zhang Bo , Xie Dingyi
Published: August 2013

Substantial evidence has supported that moxibustion stimulates a unique phenomenon of Deqi, heat-sensitive moxibustion sensation. This study consisted of a multicenter, prospective cohort study with two parallel arms (A: heat-sensitive moxibustion sensation group; B: nonheat-sensitive moxibustion sensation group). All forms of moxibustion were applied unilaterally on the right leg with a triangle shape of three acupuncture points simultaneously (bilateral Xi Yan (EX-LE5) and He Ding (EX-LE2)). After one month the primary outcome parameter GPCRND-KOA showed significant differences between groups: trial group 5.23 ± 2.65 (adjusted mean ± SE) 95% CI [4.44~6.01] versus control group 7.43 ± 2.80 [6.59~8.26],P=0.0001. Significant differences were manifested in total M-JOA score during the follow-up period (P=0.0006). Mean knee circumference indicated significant difference between the groups (P=0.03;P=0.007). Overall, this evidence suggested that the effectiveness of the Deqi sensation group might be more superior than the non-Deqi sensation one in the treatment of KOA. This study was aimed at providing scientific evidence on the Deqi sensation of moxibustion and at showing that heat-sensitive moxibustion sensation is essential to achieve the preferable treatment effects of KOA.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Qingpeng Ointment in Atopic Dermatitis-Like Murine Model
Authors: Li Yun-Zhu , Lu Xue-Yan , Jiang Wei , Li Lin-Feng
Published: August 2013

Qingpeng ointment (QP) is a Chinese medicine which has been used in treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in China. AD-like lesions were induced in BALB/c mice by repeated application of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) on shaved backs. The mice were then treated for 2 weeks with QP of different concentrations and Mometasone Furoate cream (MF), respectively. Macroscopic and microscopic changes of the skin lesions were observed after the treatment. The levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E, tissue interferon (IFN)-γ, and interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17A and the levels of involucrin, filaggrin, and kallikrein7 in epidermis were measured. The results show severe dermatitis with immune profiles similar to human acute AD. A significant infiltration of CD4+T and mast cells was observed in dermis of lesion but inhibited by QP after a 2-week treatment with it. The production of IgE, IL-4 and the mRNA expression of IL-17A were also suppressed, but the level of IFN-γwas increased. MF suppressed all production of these cytokines and IgE. Accordingly, the mechanism of QP on AD might correlate with its ability of modulating the immune dysfunctions rather than suppressing them. It had no effect on expressions of involucrin and filaggrin, except that its vehicle decreased the level of kallikrein7.