bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Localization of a Myelin Layer within the Hippocampal Formation: MRI and Histologic Correlation
Authors: Kido D.K. , Vogler R.C. , McKeel D. , Venkatesan R. , Havlioglu N. , Gokden M. , Lin W.
Published: April 2015

A white matter layer within the hippocampal formation can be reliably identified in fixed brain specimens with high resolution MR imaging. Correlation with histologic specimens indicates that the myelin layer is located within the stratum moleculare and lacunosum. This myelin layer might be called either the internal medullarly lamina or the internal myelin layer.

Identification of this internal layer of white matter is the initial step in radiologically evaluating the internal architecture of the hippocampal formation since it has different signal characteristics from the surrounding gray matter in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus.

The ability of MRI to detect subtle atrophic abnormalities in the internal myelin layer has been limited by its ability to resolve small structures. Recent evolution in MRI technology has resulted in improved gradient coils (25mT/m) and imaging sequences (T2 weighted fast spin echo). Further improvements have also been made through the use of either surface or phase array coils. These developments have made it possible to improve resolution from a 5 mm thick 256 × 256 matrix to a 3 mm thick 512 × 512 matrix.
Pre-Mammillary Endoscopy: Evaluation with Phase Contrast Cine-MR Imaging
Authors: Zuccoli G. , Bargallo N. , Mercader J.M. , Ibañez J. , Rossi M. , Ferrozzi F. , Bassi P.
Published: April 2015

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) waveform evaluation through the use of Phase Contrast Cine-Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging after pre-mammillary endoscopic ventriculostomy.

A descriptive study of 21 patients, 13 men and 8 women (average age 36), submitted to pre-mammillary endoscopic ventriculostomy for treatment of non-communicating hydrocephalus. Evaluation of CSF was accomplished using a Siemens System (1.5 Siemens Magnetom 63SP) with continuous data recording and retrospective cardiac gating. The quantitative study was performed with in-plane and through-plane spatial resolution: sagittal and transverse 2D FISP (70,100 TR/13,16 TE, flip angle 15°), recording the mean velocity at the level of aqueduct, pontine cistern and CSF space in front of C1 as well as mean and maximum velocities and stroke volume at the ventriculostomy site.

A Pearson correlation (P<0.001) is present between diastolic and systolic stroke volumes not only at the site the ventriculostomy but also among stroke volumes and velocities in the pontine cistern and aqueduct. The only level where no statistical correlation was found between stroke volumes and velocities was the CSF space before the first cervical vertebral body (C1).

Analysis with Phase Contrast Cine-MR imaging shows that pre-mammillary endoscopic ventriculostomy is efficient for restoring cerebrospinal fluid pulsatile waveform.
Recurrent Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Head and Neck: Imaging Findings
Authors: Yasumoto M. , Sunaba K. , Shibuya H. , Kurabayashi T.
Published: April 2015

We reviewed the clinical and imaging files of 15 pathologically confirmed recurrent pleomorphic adenomas of the head and neck. Recurrence was generally late with an average interval between the initial surgery and recurrences of 14.9 years. Multiple recurrent tumors were found in eight of the 15 patients with tumor size 5 to 50 mm. In all palatal cases recurrence was solitary. Most recurrent tumors were well delineated with smooth margins. Margin irregularity was seen in four of the 15 patients. In four of the five palate cases and in the orbital case, recurrent tumors caused bone destruction. Some recurrent tumors may mimic malignant lesions based on bone destruction or margin irregularity. Recurrent pleomorphic adenomas in the palate may tend to develop a large solitary mass with bone destruction. Irregular-margined recurrences are rather small among multiple recurrent nodules.
Torsional Instability of the Lumbar Spine
Authors: Johansen J.G. , Nork M. , Grand F.
Published: April 2015

This study was to test the hypothesis that in disc degeneration there is increased intervertebral rotation when the spine is subjected to a torsional stress. Twenty-five patients with chronic low back pain without sciatica were examined in all five lumbar disc levels by both a diagnostic and a functional CT scan, the latter performed with maximal rotation of the lumbar spine.

The results showed that the normally small rotation between the lumbar vertebrae was increased in the presence of disc bulges, and particularly in disc herniations.
MR Angiography Detection of Occult Vertebral Artery Injuries following Cervical Spine Trauma
Authors: Mayat A.M. , Corr P. , Govender T.
Published: April 2015

To determine the prevalence of vertebral artery injury following cervical spine trauma using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).

Patients with cervical spine trauma referred for MR were prospectively imaged using 3D time-of-flight angiography to visualise the extracranial vertebral arteries. Patients were assessed clinically for vertebral basilar ischaemia prior to imaging. MR angiograms were assessed by two neuroradiologists blinded to the clinical status. Vertebral arteries were assessed as: normal, abnormal, absent. If clinically indicated, follow-up digital angiography was performed.

25 patients were evaluated. Age range 20–64 years, mean 25 years old. 15 patients (60%) were quadraparetic or paraparetic. There was no clinical evidence of vertebral basilar ischaemia. Commonest injuries were flexion subluxation/dislocations or rotational injuries, followed by hyperextension injuries and burst fractures. MRA abnormalities were detected in 10 patients (40%). In 8 patients there was absence of 1 artery confirmed in 6 as occlusions on angiography, in 2 there were contour abnormalities which were confirmed to be dissections on angiography. Commonest site of injury was: C5/6, C1/2. Cord contusions were detected in 15 patients. There was no correlation between the severity of cord and bony injury and vertebral artery injury.

Clinically occult vertebral artery injury is common in patients following cervical spine trauma. Arterial occlusions are more common than dissections. Routine MRA during MR spine imaging is recommended to identify these patients who may require anticoagulation and careful follow-up.
Intracranial Occlusive Vascular Disease: MR Angiography
Authors: Wang A.M. , Shetty A.N. , Rao S.K. , Woo H. , Noujaim S.E. , Wesolowski D.P.
Published: April 2015

Magnetic resonance angiography and venography were used to evaluate large and small vessel occlusive vascular disease as well as dural sinus thrombosis. These techniques are valuable in evaluation of occlusive vascular disease and provide guidance for clinical management, endovascular treatment planning and noninvasive follow-up.
Periprosthetic Fractures About the Hip
Authors: Cassidy J. Tristan , Baker Joseph F. , Keogh Peter , Kenny Paddy
Published: April 2015

Introduction:

Little research has examined postrehabilitation functional outcomes of periprosthetic hip fractures. Predicted functional deficits and acceptable rehabilitation outcomes for these patients are not established. This study aimed to compare functional outcomes of periprosthetic fractures to matched patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Materials and Methods:

Cases with periprosthetic fracture (PPF) were matched for age, gender, and surgeon to primary THA cases. Only patients who had completed at least 1 year of rehabilitation were included. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores were calculated for all surviving cases with PPF and primary THA. Secondary outcomes included length of stay and mortality. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and the 2-tailed Wilcoxon signed rank test. A P value of <.05 was accepted as indicative of statistical significance.

Results:

We identified 25 patients with PPF. Three patients were unsuitable for functional assessment. Of the cases with PPF suitable for functional assessment, 14 (14/22) were male. The median age of the PPF and the THA groups was 71 years and 68 years respectively. The median WOMAC score for the PPF group was 26 (interquartile range [IQR] 5.5-49.5) compared to that of the primary THA group, 3 (IQR 2.0-24.5; P < .05). In the PPF group, there were 7 deaths and 3 of the surviving patients had significant complications. The median length of stay in the PPF group was 13 days (IQR 10.5-35) compared to the matched group of 5 days (IQR 5-8.5; P < .05).

Conclusion:

Patients with PPF have markedly poorer functional outcomes than age-, gender-, and surgeon-matched patients with THA as well as prolonged length of stay. Future research should target the identification of factors that may improve functional outcomes in this growing cohort.
How Ethnoraciality Matters
Authors: Jiménez Tomás R. , Fields Corey D. , Schachter Ariela
Published: April 2015

The color line is still a central problem in the United States, as Du Bois declared more than a century ago. But economic, demographic, and social trends have subdivided it in ways that Du Bois could not have foreseen, creating tremendous intra-ethnoracial group diversity. A challenge for twenty-first-century scholarship is to make sense of the implications of growing intra-group diversity for the boundaries and meaning of group identity. Meeting this challenge requires treating intra-group diversity not merely as an outcome of various social processes. Intra-group diversity must also be seen as the origin of processes shaping the boundaries and meanings of group identities, as well as intergroup attitudes and relations. Meeting the challenge also necessitates adopting ethnographic and survey research practices that better capture the dynamism of the multiple color lines defining the American ethnoracial landscape and the implication of this dynamism for identity.
Sonographic Detection of Starry Sky Liver in a Pregnancy With Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Schafer Eric S.
Published: April 2015

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a severe complication of monochorionic twin pregnancies. A starry sky liver is characterized by sonography as liver parenchyma appearing hypoechoic due to swelling of liver cells, accentuating the periportal collagen. It has been associated with several pathological processes but has only recently been reported with TTTS. This case study is a report of a twin pregnancy that developed TTTS in which a starry sky liver was visualized in the recipient twin.
Excessive antigen reactivity may underlie the clinical aggressiveness of chronic lymphocytic leukemia stereotyped subset #8
Authors: Gounari Maria , Ntoufa Stavroula , Apollonio Benedetta , Papakonstantinou Nikos , Ponzoni Maurilio , Chu Charles C. , Rossi Davide , Gaidano Gianluca , Chiorazzi Nicholas , Stamatopoulos Kostas , Ghia Paolo
Published: April 2015

Key Points

mAbs from aggressive CLL subset #8 display extreme antigen polyreactivity, in clear contrast with the mAbs from other aggressive CLL subsets. Subset #8 CLL clones respond avidly to stimulation by multiple antigens and this may underlie their noted propensity to transform.
Immune cells subpopulations in cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood of patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Moraes Leandro , Grille Sofía , Morelli Paula , Mila Rafael , Trias Natalia , Brugnini Andreína , LLuberas Natalia , Biestro Alberto , Lens Daniela
Published: April 2015

Background

There is growing evidence supporting the role of inflammation in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) pathophysiology and it is of great interest to elucidate which immune mechanisms are involved.

Methods

12 aSAH patients and 28 healthy controls were enrolled prospectively. We assessed leukocytes subpopulations and their activation status by flow cytometry in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) of SAH patients at the same time and in PB of controls.

Results

Monocytes and neutrophils were activated in CSF of aSAH patients. The percentage of CD14++CD16+monocytes were higher in CSF than in PB of aSAH patients, and were also increased in PB of aSAH patients compared with controls. An enhanced expression of CD69 was shown in CSF neutrophils compared with PB in aSAH patients. PB of aSAH patients showed lower percentage of total lymphocytes compared with controls PB. Additionally, lymphocytes were activated in CSF and PB of aSAH patients. CD4+and CD8+T cells had a decreased expression on CD3 and higher levels of CD69 in CSF compared with PB in aSAH patients. Moreover, PB CD4+and CD8+T cells of aSAH patients were activated compared with controls. Additionally, CD28 expression was decreased on CSF T lymphocytes.

Conclusions

Our data suggest an important recruitment of leukocytes to the site of injury in aSAH as well as an increased activation at this level. Overall, these results indicate that aSAH probably stimulates both the innate and adaptive immune responses.
Contribution of insoluble organic matters to late gas generation from mature Salgan Shale
Authors: Wang Qingtao , Lu Hong , Shen Chenchen , Liao Jing
Published: April 2015

We used bulk rock (BR), solvent extracted BR, isolated kerogen, and bitumen from a mature Salgan Shale as reactants during gold-tube simulation experiments to investigate the contribution of insoluble kerogen to late-stage gas generation at high thermal stress. We measured the gas yields and stable carbon isotopic compositions of methane, ethane, and propane. The high methane yield ([Formula: see text] methane yield at 600°C) in BR series demonstrated the huge potential for late methane generation. The maximum methane yield (normalized to total organic compound) in the bitumen series is twice more than that in the BR series. This phenomenon is interpreted by the high availabilities of hydrogen. However, bitumen only takes up a very small proportion of the overall BR, and generated gas from bitumen cracking is limited. Thus, in mature Salgan Shale, kerogen cracking contributes more hydrocarbon gases than that from bitumen cracking. Meanwhile, generated gas from kerogen cracking is very dry and enriched in the [Formula: see text] isotope, whereas gas cracked from retained oil is much wetter and associated with much lighter [Formula: see text] values. Mature kerogen cracking is also helpful to enlarge the shale gas reserve at high maturities especially when the retained oil is limited.
Regional 3D geophysical investigation of the Sudbury Structure
Authors: Olaniyan Oladele , Smith Richard S. , Lafrance Bruno
Published: April 2015

The 3D geologic and structural setting of the Sudbury Structure was predicted by an integration of surface and subsurface geologic data with 2.5D modeling of high-resolution airborne magnetic and gravity data using 3D GeoModeller software. Unlike other CAD-based 3D software, GeoModeller uses the field interpolator method, whereby contacts of rock units are assumed to be equipotential surfaces, whereas orientation data determine the gradient and direction of the surfaces. Contacts and orientation variables are cokriged to generate 3D continuous surfaces for each geologic unit. Our 3D geologic model was qualitatively evaluated by forward computing the predicted gravity response at 1 m above topography and by comparing this response to the measured gravity field. Large-scale structures within the Onaping Formation and Archean basement, which overlie and underlie the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC), respectively, were not the cause of the linear gravity high in the center of the Sudbury Structure. We suggested that the deformation of the initial circular SIC may have commenced under the Sudbury Basin due to the reversal of the normal faults related to the Huronian rift system during the Penokean orogeny, therefore resulting into a north verging fold at the base of the SIC in the south range. This new interpretation was consistent with the magnetic and gravity data and honoured most of the significant seismic reflectors in the Lithoprobe seismic sections.
Last offices: nurses' experiences of the process and their views about involving significant others
Authors: Martin Susan , Bristowe Katherine
Published: April 2015

Background:

Last offices are the procedures carried out shortly after a person dies. The National End of Life Care Programme UK guidelines recognise the potential impact of last offices on nurses and advocate the involvement of significant others, but offer no guidance on how to facilitate this.

Aim:

To explore nurses' experiences of carrying out last offices, in hospice inpatient and community settings, and their views on involving the person's significant others in the process.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews with 10 nurses/health-care assistants (held in June to August 2012). Interviews were analysed using interpretative, thematic analysis.

Results:

Four main themes emerged from the data. Last offices were described as: a range of care activities, a learning and coping challenge, a time of transition, and a demonstration of respect and support.

Conclusion:

Last offices are a range of care activities, shaped by the environment, time and help available. Further research into the potential benefits and harms of involving significant others is required.
Management of radiotherapy-induced skin reactions
Authors: Trueman Ellen
Published: April 2015

Radiotherapy is a highly effective cancer treatment that not only offers cure but also excellent palliation of disease related symptoms and complications. Although radiotherapy is primarily an outpatient treatment, delivered within specialist centres, a diverse range of health professionals may be involved in the treatment pathway before, during and after treatment. Radiotherapy can, and does, make a significant contribution to improving a patient's wellbeing through effective symptom management. However, treatment-related side-effects do occur, with an acute skin reaction being one of the most common. It is imperative that radiotherapy-induced skin reactions are correctly assessed and appropriately managed in promoting patient comfort, treatment compliance and enhanced quality of life. This article describes how the use of a recognised assessment tool and evidence-based guidelines can facilitate consistent, high-quality care in the management of radiotherapy-induced skin reactions.
Politics and palliative care: Jamaica
Authors: Smyth Dion
Published: April 2015

Dion Smyth's review of the internet for palliative nursing
La resolución de problemas matemáticos a través del análisis secuencial de procesos
Authors: Codina A. , Cañadas M. C. , Castro E.
Published: April 2015

Introducción. La perspectiva macroscópica es uno de los marcos desde los que se aborda la investigación sobre resolución de problemas en la enseñanza de las matemáticas. Nuestro estudio, dentro de esta perspectiva, se enmarca dentro de los estadios del pensamiento en la resolución de problemas matemáticos, ofreciendo un enfoque innovador porque aplicamos el análisis secuencial de procesos y la técnica de coordenadas polares para estudiar las relaciones secuenciales e interrelaciones globales entre los distintos estadios en la resolución de problemas matemáticos.Método. Esta investigación se basa en la metodología observacional, adoptando como unidad de análisis el conjunto de procesos observables de una pareja de estudiantes resolviendo un problema matemático. La calidad de la información (fiabilidad intra e interobservador y el test de independencia de la Chí-cuadrado) está garantizada permitiendo aplicar el análisis secuencial así como la técnica de coordenadas polares.Resultados. Presentamos dos niveles de concreción, uno para cada sujeto y otro para la pareja. Analizamos el conjunto de estadísticas básicas; periodos de trabajo colaborativo y paralelo; probabilidades de transición, secuencias o cadenas significativas, traslaciones de ejecución y el conjunto de mapas de relaciones globales entre los diferentes estadios. Los resultados permiten describir y analizar el comportamiento de los sujetos y la pareja durante el proceso de resolución así como el trabajo colaborativo puesto en juego.Discusión. El estudio refleja una nueva aproximación para investigar las interrelaciones entre las etapas de resolución de problemas y el trabajo colaborativo macroscópicamente, abriendo un camino de investigación en educación matemática. Los dos niveles de concreción permiten obtener resultados que describen las influencias individuales en el proceso de resolución conjunto, concretando con mayor profundidad en las interrelaciones surgidas entre los sujetos y el trabajo colaborativo puesto en juego. El estudio muestra el potencial de este análisis para el estudio de las dificultades en el aprendizaje de la resolución de problemas matemáticos.
p-adic L-functions and the coniveau filtration on Chow groups
Authors: Bertolini Massimo , Darmon Henri , Prasanna Kartik , Conrad Brian
Published: April 2015

We give evidence for the refined version of the Beilinson–Bloch conjecture involving coniveau filtrations, by
studying several infinite families of CM motives (indexed by the integers

r
≥
1

{r\geq 1}

) that are irreducible of Hodge type

(

2
⁢
r

+
1

,
0
)

+

(
0
,

2
⁢
r

+
1

)

{(2r+1,0)+(0,2r+1)}

and whose
L-functions vanish at the center.
In each case, we construct a corresponding algebraic cycle that is homologically trivial but nontrivial in the top graded
piece for the coniveau filtration. Consequently, we obtain new explicit examples of
cycles on varieties over number fields that are nontorsion in the Griffiths group. The proof of the main result relies crucially on
p-adic Hodge theoretic methods, and in particular on the relation between images of
homologically trivial cycles under the p-adic Abel–Jacobi map and the values of p-adic L-functions.
Ring transformation and antimicrobial activity of indolyl-substituted 2(3H)-furanones
Authors: Abou-Elmagd Wael S.I. , EL-Ziaty Ahmed K. , Abdalha Abdelaal A.
Published: April 2015

A variety of heterocycles of synthetic and biological importance were prepared from 3-(indol-3-yl-methylene)-5-phenyl-2(3H)-furanone (1) and its hydrazide 2. Compounds 1 and 2 were used for the construction of pyridazin-3(4H)-ones 4 and 6; 1,3,4-oxadiazoles 7, 8, and 10; and 1,2,4-triazoles 12, 14, and 15, all bearing a 3-indolyl moiety. The antimicrobial activities of the synthesized compounds were examined against six types of bacteria and two types of fungi.
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of Tectona grandis Linn. stem extract
Authors: Giri Sapna P. , Varma Sushilkumar B.
Published: April 2015

Background: The objective of this work was to study the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of Tectona grandis Linn. (TG) stem extract.

Methods: Healthy albino rats (150–200 g) and mice (25–50 g) were arranged and divided into five groups. Group 1 received distilled water and served as control, groups 2, 3, 4 were treated with TG stem extract (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) and group 5 received standard drug. For analgesic activity, the radiant heat method and writhing test were used, and for anti-inflammatory activity, the paw oedema model and granuloma pouch method were used. Statistical analysis was done by one-way analysis of variance followed by the t-test.

Results: In the radiant heat method, there was a dose-dependent increase in reaction time in TG stem extract (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) and standard drug (buprenorphine). In the writhing test, TG stem extract (200, 400 mg/kg) and aspirin decreased the number of writhes which was significant (p<0.01, p<0.001) as compared to controls. The percentage protection was 8.88%, 15.55%, 22.22% and 35.55% in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. In the rat paw oedema test, TG stem extract (200, 400 mg/kg) and aspirin showed 20%, 40% and 54% inhibition of oedema which was statistically significant (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001), respectively, as compared to control at the end of 4 h. In the granuloma pouch method, TG stem extract (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) and aspirin showed 13.33%, 22.22%, 33.33% and 66.66% inhibition of granuloma, respectively, which was significant (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001).

Conclusions: TG stem extract possesses significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
Waist-to-height ratio as a screening measure for identifying adolescents with hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype
Authors: Liu Xiao-li , Yin Fu-zai , Ma Chun-peng , Gao Guo-qin , Ma Chun-ming , Wang Rui , Lu Qiang
Published: April 2015

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype to test the hypothesis that WHtR can identify adolescents at high risk of the HTGW phenotype.

In 2006, anthropometric measurements were assessed in a cross-sectional population-based study of 3136 Han adolescents aged 13–17 years. Blood samples were collected to measure triacylglycerol concentrations. WHtR was calculated by waist circumference/height. The HTGW phenotype was represented by the simultaneous presence of elevated serum triglycerides and increased waist circumference. The ability of WHtR to accurately define the HTGW phenotype was assessed by area under the curve (AUC).

The prevalence of the HTGW phenotype was 3.3% (boys 3.6% vs. girls 2.9%, χ

WHtR is simpler than the HTGW phenotype and does not require blood tests. The prevalence of the HTGW phenotype increased with WHtR. Higher WHtR can identify adolescents with high risk of the HTGW phenotype.
Evaluating the Rice-Pledging Scheme in Thailand from a Free Market Perspective
Authors: Chareonwongsak Kriengsak
Published: April 2015

Thailand’s rice-pledging scheme of the Yingluck Shinawatra government is a policy which has been widely criticized by both the opponents and the supporters of this scheme. After operating this scheme for almost 3 years, the problems derived from this policy have been emerging continuously. This paper has an objective to evaluate the rice-pledging scheme in Thailand during the production years of 2011/12 and 2013/14. The framework used in this evaluation consists of the characteristics of a free market economy such as limited governance, price mechanism and perfect competition to mention a few. Also, the paper provides an analysis of the impact caused by the inconsistency between the policy implementation and the characteristics of free markets. The author will also discuss the failure of the rice market in Thailand which may cause the market mechanism to lack efficiency in terms of resource management and, therefore, fail to accomplish various targets of the rice scheme in Thailand. Also, this paper will suggest an approach to solve the problems regarding the failure of the rice market and of the development of Thailand’s rice industry.
Thermoelastic Analysis of Functionally Graded Hollow Circular Disc
Authors: Gönczi Dávid , Ecsedi Istvàn
Published: April 2015

A thermoelastic boundary value problem of a hollow circular disc made of functionally graded materials with arbitrary gradient is analysed. The steady-state temperature distribution is assumed to be the function of the radial coordinate with prescribed temperature at the inner and outer cylindrical boundary surfaces. The material properties are assumed to be arbitrary smooth functions of the radial coordinate. A coupled system of ordinary differential equations containing the radial displacement and stress function is derived and used to get the distribution of thermal stresses and radial displacements caused by axisymmetric mechanical and thermal loads. General analytical solutions of functionally graded disc with thermal loads are not available. The results obtained by the presented numerical method are verified by an analytical solution. The considered analytical solution is valid if the material properties, except the Poisson ratio, are expressed as power functions of the radial coordinate.
Experimental Measurements of System Dynamics Between Two Stages of Wire Drawing Machine
Authors: Tasevski Goce , Angjushev Kocho , Petreski Zlatko , Shishkovski Dejan
Published: April 2015

In multi-stage wire drawing machines productivity growth can be achieved at higher drawing speeds by preventing wire breakage during the process. One disadvantage of high-speed wire drawing is the requirement imposed by machine dynamics in terms of its stability and reliability during operation. Tensile forces in the wire must maintained by fast synchronization of all capstans speed. In this process, the displacement sensors play the main role in providing the control system with feedback information about the wire condition. In this study, the influences between the sensors and actuator driven capstans have been studied, and tuner roll concept of a wire drawing machine was experimentally investigated. To this aim, measurements were carried out on two drawing stages at different drawing speeds and obtained results were presented. These results clearly show the fast changes of the capstans speed and the angular displacements of the rollers that tighten the wire, which only confirms the high dynamics of the wire drawing machine.
Selected Aspects of Numerical Analysis of Layered Flexible Structures Subjected to Impact of Soft Core Projectile
Authors: Morka Andrzej , Kedzierski Piotr , Gieleta Roman
Published: April 2015

The aim of the study is to identify the relevant aspects of numerical analysis of impact of projectiles with soft cores into a package composed of thin flexible plies located on the plastic backing. In order to illustrate the problem, normal impact of 7.62 mm TT projectile into an unclamped package comprising 36 plies of Dyneema SB71 supported on the plastic backing was selected. The problem was solved with the use of the finite element method (FEM) with the explicit integration scheme (central difference method) of motion equations in the matrix form. Based on the conducted numerical computations, it was revealed that obtaining the extreme deformations of a projectile soft core and the backing material in Lagrangian description requires employment of adaptive methods. The proposed R-adaptive method performs its role but must be used carefully due to the mass loss which may appear during calculations.
Crystal structure of poly[aqua-(μ2-2-(pyridine-4-ylthio)pyrazine-κ2N:N')- (nitrato-κ1O)-nitrato-κ2O,O')zinc(II)], C9H9N5O7SZn
Authors: Zhang Qi-Qi , Chen Wen-Hua , Xiao Guo-Wei , Sun Xin-Zhan
Published: April 2015

C9H9N5O7SZn, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 13.632(3) Å, b = 7.1280(14) Å, c = 14.777(3) Å, β = 100.52(3)°, V = 1411.7 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0542, wRref(F2) = 0.1099, T = 293 K.
Cyanobacterial bloom intensity in the ecologically relevant state of lakes – an approach to Water Framework Directive implementation
Authors: Napiórkowska-Krzebietke Agnieszka
Published: April 2015

This study focused on the determination of the cyanobacteria development in terms of the probabilistic recognition of the bloom intensity level in the ecologically relevant state of lakes. Assuming the possibility of using once-a-year sampling frequency, the ecological status or potential was assessed based on the modified Polish phytoplankton-based method (PMPLMOD) in 23 Masurian lakes. The summer cyanobacteria biomass reached 52.3 mg l-1. The biomass did not exceed the WHO-defined low risk threshold of 2 mg l-1, and was usually observed in lakes with at least good ecological status/potential. This threshold may be sufficient to propose it as a good/moderate cyanobacterial bloom intensity threshold. The average values of 3.3, 9.9 and 22.4 mg l-1 were recorded in the lakes with a moderate, poor and bad ecological status/ potential, respectively. The WHO-defined moderate risk threshold of 10 mg l-1 was exceeded only in lakes with a poor or bad ecological status/potential. The structure of cyanobacteria assemblages changed along with the deterioration of the ecological status/ potential and a decrease in Chroococcales biomass and an increase in Oscillatoriales and Nostocales biomass. Nevertheless, Planktolyngbya limnetica, Pseudanabaena limnetica and Aphanizomenon gracile had a significant presence in the total cyanobacterial biomass in all surveyed lakes.
Action Preparation Shapes Processing in Early Visual Cortex
Authors: Gutteling Tjerk P. , Petridou Natalia , Dumoulin Serge O. , Harvey Ben M. , Aarnoutse Erik J. , Kenemans J. Leon , Neggers Sebastian F.W.
Published: April 2015

Preparation for an action, such as grasping an object, is accompanied by an enhanced perception of the object's action-relevant features, such as orientation and size. Cortical feedback from motor planning areas to early visual areas may drive this enhanced perception. To examine whether action preparation modulates activity in early human visual cortex, subjects grasped or pointed to oriented objects while high-resolution fMRI data were acquired. Using multivoxel pattern analysis techniques, we could decode with >70% accuracy whether a grasping or pointing action was prepared from signals in visual cortex as early as V1. These signals in early visual cortex were observed even when actions were only prepared but not executed. Anterior parietal cortex, on the other hand, showed clearest modulation for actual movements. This demonstrates that preparation of actions, even without execution, modulates relevant neuronal populations in early visual areas.
Glutamate Input in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus As a Determinant of Escalated Aggression in Male Mice
Authors: Takahashi Aki , Lee Ray X. , Iwasato Takuji , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Arima Hiroshi , Bettler Bernhard , Miczek Klaus A. , Koide Tsuyoshi
Published: April 2015

Although the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) has long been linked to neural control of aggression, little is known about the regulatory influences of the DRN when an animal engages in either adaptive species-typical aggressive behavior or escalated aggression. Therefore it is important to explore which neurotransmitter inputs into the DRN determine the escalation of aggression in male mice. Previously, we observed that microinjection of the GABABreceptor agonist baclofen into the DRN escalates aggressive behavior in male mice. Here, we used a serotonin (5-HT) neuron-specific GABABreceptor knock-out mouse to demonstrate that baclofen acts on nonserotonergic neurons to escalate aggression. Intra-DRN baclofen administration increased glutamate release, but did not alter GABA release, within the DRN. Microinjection ofl-glutamate into the DRN escalated dose-dependently attack bites toward an intruder.In vivomicrodialysis showed that glutamate release increased in the DRN during an aggressive encounter, and the level of glutamate was further increased when the animal was engaged in escalated aggressive behavior after social instigation. Finally, 5-HT release was increased within the DRN and also in the medial prefrontal cortex when animals were provoked by social instigation, and during escalated aggression after social instigation, but this increase in 5-HT release was not observed when animals were engaged in species-typical aggression. In summary, glutamate input into the DRN is enhanced during escalated aggression, which causes a phasic increase of 5-HT release from the DRN 5-HT neurons.
MSX3 Switches Microglia Polarization and Protects from Inflammation-Induced Demyelination
Authors: Yu Zhongwang , Sun Dingya , Feng Jifeng , Tan Weixing , Fang Xue , Zhao Ming , Zhao Xiaolin , Pu Yingyan , Huang Aijun , Xiang Zhenghua , Cao Li , He Cheng
Published: April 2015

The major challenge for progressive multiple sclerosis therapy is the promotion of remyelination from inflammation-induced demyelination. A switch from an M1- to an M2-dominant polarization of microglia is critical in these repair processes. In this study, we identified the homeobox gene msh-like homeobox-3 (Msx3) as a new pivotal regulator for microglial polarization. MSX3 was induced during microglia M2 polarization and repressed in M1 cells. The expression of MSX3 in microglia was dynamically regulated during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is an animal model of multiple sclerosis. The overexpression of MSX3 in microglia promoted M2 but impeded M1 polarization. Interrupting MSX3 expression in microglia accelerated inflammation-induced demyelination and neurodegeneration. The conditioned medium from MSX3-transduced microglia promoted oligodendrocyte progenitor survival, differentiation, and neurite outgrowth. The adoptive transfer of MSX3-transduced microglia suppressed EAE and facilitated remyelination within the murine CNS in EAE and the LPC model. Mechanically, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays also indicated that MSX3 directly regulated three key genes associated with microglia M2 polarization, includingPparg,Stat6, andJak3. Importantly, we found that overexpression of MSX3 in human-derived microglia represents the M2 phenotype and ameliorated EAE after intraventricular injection. Our findings suggest a new homeobox protein-dependent mechanism for driving microglia M2 polarization and identify MSX3 as an attractive therapeutic approach for preventing inflammation-induced demyelination and promoting remyelination.
Spinal Dopaminergic Projections Control the Transition to Pathological Pain Plasticity via a D1/D5-Mediated Mechanism
Authors: Kim Ji-Young V. , Tillu Dipti V. , Quinn Tammie L. , Mejia Galo L. , Shy Adia , Asiedu Marina N.K. , Murad Elaine , Schumann Alan P. , Totsch Stacie K. , Sorge Robert E. , Mantyh Patrick W. , Dussor Gregory , Price Theodore J.
Published: April 2015

The mechanisms that lead to the maintenance of chronic pain states are poorly understood, but their elucidation could lead to new insights into how pain becomes chronic and how it can potentially be reversed. We investigated the role of spinal dorsal horn neurons and descending circuitry in plasticity mediating a transition to pathological pain plasticity suggesting the presence of a chronic pain state using hyperalgesic priming. We found that when dorsal horn neurokinin 1 receptor-positive neurons or descending serotonergic neurons were ablated before hyperalgesic priming, IL-6- and carrageenan-induced mechanical hypersensitivity was impaired, and subsequent prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) response was blunted. However, when these neurons were lesioned after the induction of priming, they had no effect on the PGE2response, reflecting differential mechanisms driving plasticity in a primed state. In stark contrast, animals with a spinally applied dopaminergic lesion showed intact IL-6- and carrageenan-induced mechanical hypersensitivity, but the subsequent PGE2injection failed to cause mechanical hypersensitivity. Moreover, ablating spinally projecting dopaminergic neurons after the resolution of the IL-6- or carrageenan-induced response also reversed the maintenance of priming as assessed through mechanical hypersensitivity and the mouse grimace scale. Pharmacological antagonism of spinal dopamine D1/D5receptors reversed priming, whereas D1/D5agonists induced mechanical hypersensitivity exclusively in primed mice. Strikingly, engagement of D1/D5coupled with anisomycin in primed animals reversed a chronic pain state, consistent with reconsolidation-like effects in the spinal dorsal horn. These findings demonstrate a novel role for descending dopaminergic neurons in the maintenance of pathological pain plasticity.
Odor-Taste Convergence in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract of the Awake Freely Licking Rat
Authors: Escanilla Olga D. , Victor Jonathan D. , Di Lorenzo Patricia M.
Published: April 2015

Flavor is produced by the integration of taste, olfaction, texture, and temperature, currently thought to occur in the cortex. However, previous work has shown that brainstem taste-related nuclei also respond to multisensory inputs. Here, we test the hypothesis that taste and olfaction interact in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS; the first neural relay in the central gustatory pathway) in awake, freely licking rats. Electrophysiological recordings of taste and taste + odor responses were conducted in an experimental chamber following surgical electrode implantation and recovery. Tastants (0.1mNaCl, 0.1msucrose, 0.01mcitric acid, and 0.0001mquinine) were delivered for five consecutive licks interspersed with five licks of artificial saliva rinse delivered on a VR5 schedule. Odorants were n-amyl acetate (banana), acetic acid (vinegar), octanoic acid (rancid), and phenylethyl alcohol (floral). For each cell, metric space analyses were used to quantify the information conveyed by spike count, by the rate envelope, and by individual spike timing. Results revealed diverse effects of odorants on taste-response magnitude and latency across cells. Importantly, NTS cells were more competent at discriminating taste + odor stimuli versus tastants presented alone for all taste qualities using both rate and temporal coding. The strong interaction of odorants and tastants at the NTS underscores its role as the initial node in the neural circuit that controls food identification and ingestion.
Distinct Etiological Roles for Myocytes and Motor Neurons in a Mouse Model of Kennedy's Disease/Spinobulbar Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Ramzan Firyal , McPhail Mike , Rao Pengcheng , Mo Kaiguo , Halievski Katherine , Swift-Gallant Ashlyn , Mendoza-Viveros Lucia , Cheng Hai-Ying M. , Monks D. Ashley
Published: April 2015

Polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion of the androgen receptor (AR) causes Kennedy's disease/spinobulbar muscular atrophy (KD/SBMA) through poorly defined cellular mechanisms. Although KD/SBMA has been thought of as a motor neuron disease, recent evidence indicates a key role for skeletal muscle. To resolve which early aspects of the disease can be caused by neurogenic or myogenic mechanisms, we made use of the tet-On and Cre-loxP genetic systems to selectively and acutely express polyQ AR in either motor neurons (NeuroAR) or myocytes (MyoAR) of transgenic mice. After 4 weeks of transgene induction in adulthood, deficits in gross motor function were seen in NeuroAR mice, but not MyoAR mice. Conversely, reduced size of fast glycolytic fibers and alterations in expression of candidate genes were observed only in MyoAR mice. Both NeuroAR and MyoAR mice exhibited reduced oxidative capacity in skeletal muscles, as well as a shift in fast fibers from oxidative to glycolytic. Markers of oxidative stress were increased in the muscle of NeuroAR mice and were reduced in motor neurons of both NeuroAR and MyoAR mice. Despite secondary pathology in skeletal muscle and behavioral deficits, no pathological signs were observed in motor neurons of NeuroAR mice, possibly due to relatively low levels of polyQ AR expression. These results indicate that polyQ AR in motor neurons can produce secondary pathology in muscle. Results also support both neurogenic and myogenic contributions of polyQ AR to several acute aspects of pathology and provide further evidence for disordered cellular respiration in KD/SBMA skeletal muscle.
Immunization with a Myelin-Derived Antigen Activates the Brain's Choroid Plexus for Recruitment of Immunoregulatory Cells to the CNS and Attenuates Disease Progression in a Mouse Model of ALS
Authors: Kunis Gilad , Baruch Kuti , Miller Omer , Schwartz Michal
Published: April 2015

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating fatal motor neuron disease, for which there is currently no cure or effective treatment. In this disease, local neuroinflammation develops along the disease course and contributes to its rapid progression. In several models of CNS pathologies, circulating immune cells were shown to display an indispensable role in the resolution of the neuroinflammatory response. The recruitment of such cells to the CNS involves activation of the choroid plexus (CP) of the brain for leukocyte trafficking, through a mechanism that requires IFN-γ signaling. Here, we found that in the mutant SOD1G93A(mSOD1) mouse model of ALS, the CP does not support leukocyte trafficking during disease progression, due to a local reduction in IFN-γ levels. Therapeutic immunization of mSOD1 mice with a myelin-derived peptide led to CP activation, and was followed by the accumulation of immunoregulatory cells, including IL-10-producing monocyte-derived macrophages and Foxp3+regulatory T cells, and elevation of the neurotrophic factors IGF-1 and GDNF in the diseased spinal cord parenchyma. The immunization resulted in the attenuation of disease progression and an increased life expectancy of the mSOD1 mice. Collectively, our results demonstrate that recruitment of immunoregulatory cells to the diseased spinal cord in ALS, needed for fighting off the pathology, can be enhanced by transiently boosting peripheral immunity to myelin antigens.
Protein Interacting with C-Kinase 1 Deficiency Impairs Glutathione Synthesis and Increases Oxidative Stress via Reduction of Surface Excitatory Amino Acid Carrier 1
Authors: Wang Ya-Nan , Zhou Liang , Li Yun-Hong , Wang Zhen , Li Ying-Cong , Zhang Ya-Wen , Wang Yin , Liu Gang , Shen Ying
Published: April 2015

Protein interacting with C-kinase 1 (PICK1) has received considerable attention, because it interacts with a broad range of neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, and enzymes and thereby influences their localization and function in the CNS. Although it is suggested that putative partners of PICK1 are involved in neurological diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the functions of PICK1 in neurological disorders are not clear. Here, we show that oxidative stress, which is tightly associated with neurological diseases, occurs inPICK1−/−mice. The oxidation inPICK1−/−mice was found selectively in neurons and was age dependent, leading to microglial activation and the release of inflammatory factors. Neurons in the cortex and hippocampus fromPICK1−/−mice showed increased vulnerability to oxidants and reduced capacity to metabolize reactive oxygen species (ROS); this was caused by reduced glutathione content and impaired cysteine transport. The dysregulated expression of glutathione was attributed to a decrease of the surface glutamate transporter excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1). Overexpression of PICK1 could rescue the surface expression of EAAC1 and ameliorate the glutathione deficit inPICK1−/−neurons. Finally, reduced surface EAAC1 was associated with defective Rab11 activity. Transfection with dominant-negative Rab11 effectively suppressed surface EAAC1 and increased ROS production. Together, these results indicate that PICK1 is a crucial regulator in glutathione homeostasis and may play important roles in oxidative stress and its associated neurodegenerative diseases.
Cortical Synaptic Inhibition Declines during Auditory Learning
Authors: Sarro Emma C. , von Trapp Gardiner , Mowery Todd M. , Kotak Vibhakar C. , Sanes Dan H.
Published: April 2015

Auditory learning is associated with an enhanced representation of acoustic cues in primary auditory cortex, and modulation of inhibitory strength is causally involved in learning. If this inhibitory plasticity is associated with task learning and improvement, its expression should emerge and persist until task proficiency is achieved. We tested this idea by measuring changes to cortical inhibitory synaptic transmission as adult gerbils progressed through the process of associative learning and perceptual improvement. Using either of two procedures, aversive or appetitive conditioning, animals were trained to detect amplitude-modulated noise and then tested daily. Following each training session, a thalamocortical brain slice was generated, and inhibitory synaptic properties were recorded from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. Initial associative learning was accompanied by a profound reduction in the amplitude of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs). However, sIPSC amplitude returned to control levels when animals reached asymptotic behavioral performance. In contrast, paired-pulse ratios decreased in trained animals as well as in control animals that experienced unpaired conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. This latter observation suggests that inhibitory release properties are modified during behavioral conditioning, even when an association between the sound and reinforcement cannot occur. These results suggest that associative learning is accompanied by a reduction of postsynaptic inhibitory strength that persists for several days during learning and perceptual improvement.