bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Culture of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells to Apply in Tissue Engineering
Authors: Bao Ha Tran Le , Nguyen Vu Doan , Quan To Minh , Phan Kim Ngoc , Hoang Tu Hung , Hoang Dao Bao Tram , Dang Vu Ngoc Mai , Nguyen Thi Thu
Published: September 2011

Dental pulp cell research might open a promising application in tooth tissue regeneration. The aim of this study is to establish a protocol for in vitro culture the human dental pulp stem cells to apply in tissue engineering. Human premolar and impacted third molars were collected and disinfected. Dental pulp fragments were cultured with Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium: Nutrient Mixture F-12 (DMEM/F12) medium supplemented with 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS). Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were identified using proliferation assay, RT-PCR and flow cytometry. Growth of DPSCs on dentin surface was assessed by MTT assay. The study showed that we successfully isolated, cultured and characterized dental pulp cells by outgrowth method. Cultured population of cells expressed in high level of Oct4, CD146, CD90, CD44. DPSCs proliferated on chemically and mechanically treated dentin surface. This research provides important information and a basis for further investigations to establish dental tissue engineering protocols.
A Theoretical Model to Fracture in Cell Membrane
Authors: Buonsanti Michele , Pontari Antonella
Published: September 2011

A new stress function modelling the fails in biological tissue is here proposed. Under the assumption that the cell membrane may be modelled as neo-Hookean materials, we develop the problem in the framework of non-linear elasticity. We attempt to model the ice nucleation phenomenon when freezing and thawing occurs in cellular cryo-preservation. The ice seed generated surface can be either soft or wrinkled and, when the latter emerges a punch contact against the cell membrane takes place. Restricting our attention on opportune mono-dimensional sub-set, we extend the multiple critical points theorem at our model. We find a particular solution in agreement to the classical fracture models besides a response function in accordance to the stress and strain field distribution in biological materials.
Elastic Moduli of Carbon Nanotubes Using Second Generation Improved Brenner Potential
Authors: Kumar Dinesh , Verma Veena , Dharamvir Keya
Published: September 2011

Soon after the discovery of carbon nanotubes, it was realized that the theoretically predicted mechanical properties of these interesting structures could make them ideal for a wealth of technological applications. A number of computer simulation methods applied to their modeling, has led over the past decade to an improved but by no means complete understanding of the mechanics of carbon nanotubes. Tersoff potential has been widely used but it has since been modified many times. The latest is the second-generation reactive empirical bond order potential by Brenner and co workers, which is being used in this work for manipulating these tiny structures. We outline the computational approaches that have been taken. The elastic moduli of armchair, zigzag and chiral nanotubes have been computed. We generate the coordinates of carbon nanotubes of different chirality’s and size. Each and every structure thus generated is allowed to relax till we obtain minima of energy. We then apply the requisite compressions, elongations and twists to the structures and compute the elastic moduli. Young’s modulus is found to be dependent on tube radius for thinner tubes and attains a constant value of the order 1TPa. Our results of Poisson’s ratio and shear modulus are also encouraging and compare well with other theoretical and experimental work.
Synthesis of Carbon Nanostructures and CaCO3 Nanoparticles by Arc Discharge in Mineral Water
Authors: Eskizeybek V. , Karabulut E.S. , Avci A.
Published: September 2011

The synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNTs, carbon nanoshells, carbon nanoonions (CNOs), different types of carbon nanostructures and CaCO3 nanoparticles were performed using an arc-discharge method in mineral water. The structures of the synthesized nanostructures were visualized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to determine the optical and thermal properties of the synthesized nanostructures. The TEM observations revealed that as-synthesized MWCNTs and CNOs have nominal diameters in the range of 10-20 nm and 30-50 nm, respectively. The CaCO3 nanoparticles were directly synthesized using arc discharge due to the presence of Ca minerals in the mineral water. The production rate of synthesized MWCNTs decreased when the arc current increased above 50 A, and the production rate of different nanoparticles increased with increasing arc current. The thermal-oxidative stability of the carbon nanostructures using TGA was explored separately under argon and oxygen atmospheres.
Triazole‐Linked DNA as a Primer Surrogate in the Synthesis of First‐Strand cDNA
Authors: Fujino Tomoko , Yasumoto Ken‐ichi , Yamazaki Naomi , Hasome Ai , Sogawa Kazuhiro , Isobe Hiroyuki
Published: September 2011

A phosphate‐eliminated nonnatural oligonucleotide serves as a primer surrogate in reverse transcription reaction of mRNA. Despite of the nonnatural triazole linkages in the surrogate, the reverse transcriptase effectively elongated cDNA sequences on the 3′‐downstream of the primer by transcription of the complementary sequence of mRNA. A structure–activity comparison with the reference natural oligonucleotides shows the superior priming activity of the surrogate containing triazole‐linkages. The nonnatural linkages also protect the transcribed cDNA from digestion reactions with 5′‐exonuclease and enable us to remove noise transcripts of unknown origins.
Flow structures at an idealized bifurcation: a numerical experiment
Authors: Hardy R. J. , Lane S. N. , Yu D.
Published: September 2011

River bifurcations are key nodes within braided river systems controlling the flow and sediment partitioning and therefore the dynamics of the river braiding process. Recent research has shown that certain geometrical configurations induce instabilities that lead to downstream mid‐channel bar formation and the formation of bifurcations. However, we currently have a poor understanding of the flow division process within bifurcations and the flow dynamics in the downstream bifurcates, both of which are needed to understand bifurcation stability. This paper presents results of a numerical sensitivity experiment undertaken using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the purpose of understanding the flow dynamics of a series of idealized bifurcations. A geometric sensitivity analysis is undertaken for a range of channel slopes (0.005 to 0.03), bifurcation angles (22° to 42°) and a restricted set of inflow conditions based upon simulating flow through meander bends with different curvature on the flow field dynamics through the bifurcation. The results demonstrate that the overall slope of the bifurcation affects the velocity of flow through the bifurcation and when slope asymmetry is introduced, the flow structures in the bifurcation are modified. In terms of bifurcation evolution the most important observation appears to be that once slope asymmetry is greater than 0.2 the flow within the steep bifurcate shows potential instability and the potential for alternate channel bar formation. Bifurcation angle also defines the flow structures within the bifurcation with an increase in bifurcation angle increasing the flow velocity down both bifurcates. However, redistributive effects of secondary circulation caused by upstream curvature can very easily counter the effects of local bifurcation characteristics. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Herpesvirus saimiri infection of rhesus macaques: A model for acute rhadinovirus‐induced t‐cell transformation and oncogenesis
Authors: Rosenwirth Brigitte , Kondova Ivanela , Niphuis Henk , Greenwood Edward J.D. , Schmidt Fabian , Verschoor Ernst J. , Wittmann Sabine , Heeney Jonathan L. , Bogers Willy M.J.M. , Fickenscher Helmut , Koopman Gerrit
Published: September 2011

Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) causes acute lymphoma and leukemia upon experimental infection of various monkey species. HVS strain C488 is also capable of transforming human T‐lymphocytes to stable growth in culture. The most susceptible species for oncogenesis are New World primates, in particular the cottontop tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). However, Old World monkeys such as macaques are the most used animal model for the close‐to‐human situation. The limited data on HVS infection in Old World monkeys prompted us to investigate susceptibility to infection and disease induction by HVS in macaques. After having established that rhesus macaques can be infected productively, and that rhesus T‐cells can be transformed in vivo by HVS, we observed induction of lymphoma in all inoculated animals. Pre‐existing humoral immunity in part of the rhesus colony capable of blocking HVS infection could be overcome by preselecting rhesus macaques for lack of this immunity of unknown origin. HVS infection of rhesus macaques as compared to that of New World monkeys has the advantages that disease progression is more prolonged, and larger blood volumes can be collected, which allows more extended analyses. Also, rhesus monkeys are the best immunologically and immunogenetically characterized primate species next to humans. This model could be useful for the evaluation of candidate tumor vaccines and to test novel approaches for cancer immunotherapy. In addition, HVS infection of macaques could eventually be useful as a surrogate model to address certain questions in rhadinovirus‐induced human cancer such as effusion lymphoma or Kaposi's sarcoma. J. Med. Virol. 83:1938–1950, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Delay‐dependent passivity and passification for uncertain Markovian jump systems with time‐varying delays
Authors: Zhang Baoyong , Zheng Wei Xing , Xu Shengyuan
Published: September 2011

This paper deals with the problems of passivity analysis and passivity‐based controller design for Markovian jump systems with both time‐varying delays and norm‐bounded parametric uncertainties. Firstly, new delay‐dependent conditions for the considered system to be passive are obtained by using a mode‐dependent Lyapunov functional and by introducing some slack variables. These conditions are expressed by means of LMIs that are easy to check. It is shown through a numerical example that the obtained passivity conditions are less conservative than the existing ones in the literature. Secondly, the passification problem is investigated. On the basis of the obtained passivity conditions, dynamic output‐feedback controllers are designed, which ensure that the resulting closed‐loop system is passive. The effectiveness of the proposed design method is demonstrated by a numerical example. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Direct starch conversion into L‐(+)‐lactic acid by a novel amylolytic strain of Lactobacillus paracasei B41
Authors: Petrova Penka , Petrov Kaloyan
Published: September 2011

A new amylolytic strain of Lactobacillus paracasei able to convert starch directly into L‐(+)‐lactic acid (LA) was isolated. The identification of the by 16S rDNA sequencing proved that this strain, B41, is the first amylolytic representative of Lactobacillus casei group. The amylase activity assay revealed that L. paracasei B41 produced extracellular amylolytic enzyme, reaching 62 U/mL in the cell‐free supernatants. The optimal conditions for its action were pH 5.0 and temperature 45°C. The gene amy1 (1779 bp) encoding the putative B41 amylopullulanase was cloned, sequenced, and analyzed. The deduced protein contained a leader peptide of 28 amino acids and a mature peptide of 564 amino acids. Compared to the amylases of closely related species, B41 enzyme had several amino acid substitutions. An inducible control at amy1 expression was demonstrated. The starch fermentation abilities of L. paracasei B41 were studied in batch processes performed with and without pH control. The highest amount of LA from starch was obtained during 48 h fermentation from 40 g/L substrate at pH maintained at 5.0–37.3 g/L. In addition, 93.3% starch conversion into LA and the highest reported productivity for 24 h were achieved – 1.30 g/L/h.
Influence of Surfactant Concentration on the Surface Morphology of Hollow Silica Microspheres and Its Explanation
Authors: Liu Shiquan , Wei Meiying , Cool Pegie , Van Oers Cynthia , Rao Jiancun
Published: September 2011

The surface morphology of hollow silica microspheres has influence on their applications. After a thorough investigation of the deposition of silica nanoparticles on polystyrene (PS) beads and the surface morphology and texture of the resultant hollow silica shells with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and N2-sorption measurements, the influence of surfactant [cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)] concentration on the surface morphology of hollow silica microspheres templated by PS beads is explained. Previously, CTAB was believed to turn the surface charge of PS beads from negative into positive so that negatively charged silica could be deposited on the PS template. Here, we show CTA+ cations preferentially assemble with silica species to form silica-CTA+ composite nanoparticles. Since the zeta potential of silica-CTA+ composite nanoparticles is smaller than that of pure silica nanoparticles, these composite nanoparticles encounter less repulsion when they are deposited on the surface of PS beads and close to each other. As more CTAB is added, the silica-CTA+ nanoparticles are less negatively charged, and more compact and smooth hollow silica microspheres are obtained.
Out-of-plane thermal conductivity of polycrystalline silicon nanofilm by molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Ju Shenghong , Liang Xingang , Xu Xianghua
Published: September 2011

The out-of-plane thermal conductivity of polycrystalline silicon nanofilm is investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The polycrystalline silicon nanofilm with a random shape of grains is generated by the three-dimensional Voronoi tessellation method. The out-of-plane thermal conductivity of polycrystalline silicon nanofilm at different temperature, film thickness, and average grain size is calculated by the Muller-Plathe method. The results indicate that the polycrystalline thermal conductivity is lower than that of the bulk single crystal and the single crystal nanofilm of silicon. The out-of-plane thermal conductivity of polycrystalline silicon nanofilm is insensitive to temperature and film thickness that is apparently larger than grain size, but mainly depends on the grain size.
Transmission electron microscopy study on Co/Fe interdiffusion in SmCo5/Fe and Sm2Co7/Fe/Sm2Co7 thin films
Authors: Zhang Ying , Kramer M. J. , Banerjee Debjani , Takeuchi Ichiro , Ping Liu J.
Published: September 2011

We demonstrate a sharp composition transition at the interface of an as-deposited SmCo5/Fe bilayer, while annealing results in measurable Co/Fe interdiffusion near the boundary. For the annealed SmCo5/Fe bilayer, phase separation occurs within the bcc-layer, forming regions with 3 different Fe:Co ratios. Depositing Fe between Sm-Co layers provides a realistic model for bulk systems. Co/Fe interdiffusion was observed by TEM in an annealed Sm2Co7/Fe/Sm2Co7 “sandwich” thin film, confirming Co/Fe interdiffusion as the main mechanism controlling phase chemistry in Sm-Co/Fe bulk nanocomposites. The degree of Co/Fe interdiffusion is primarily chemically driven, and the approximate 20% Fe substitution for Co is thermodynamically stable.
Effect of metal-doping in TiO2 on fill factor of dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Zhang Xi , Wang Shu-Tao , Wang Zhong-Sheng
Published: September 2011

In the study of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), we find that fill factor (FF) increases with the doping amount of Zn(II) but decreases with the doping amount of W(VI) in TiO2. A single-diode model is established to analyze the dependence of FF on open-circuit voltage (Voc) and ideal factor (m). This model well explains the changes of FF caused by the doping element and amount, that is, FF increases with the ratio of Voc/m. This study will shed light on the influencing factors of FF and guide the design of new materials towards high FF for DSSCs.
Modifying surface properties of diamond-like carbon films via nanotexturing
Authors: Corbella C , Portal-Marco S , Rubio-Roy M , Bertran E , Oncins G , Vallvé M A , Ignés-Mullol J , Andújar J L
Published: September 2011

Diamond-like amorphous carbon (DLC) films have been grown by pulsed-dc plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition on silicon wafers, which were previously patterned by means of colloidal lithography. The substrate conditioning comprised two steps: first, deposition of a self-assembled monolayer of silica sub-micrometre spheres (∼300 nm) on monocrystalline silicon (∼5 cm2) by Langmuir–Blodgett technique, which acted as lithography template; second, substrate patterning via ion beam etching (argon) of the colloid samples (550 eV) at different incidence angles. The plasma deposition of a DLC thin film on the nanotextured substrates resulted in hard coatings with distinctly different surface properties compared with planar DLC. Also, in-plane anisotropy was generated depending on the etching angle. The samples were morphologically characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The anisotropy introduced by the texture was evidenced in the surface properties, as shown by the directional dependences of wettability (water contact angle) and friction coefficient. The latter was measured using a nanotribometer and a lateral force microscope. These two techniques showed how the nanopatterns influenced the tribological properties at different scales of load and contact area. This fabrication technique finds applications in the industry of microelectromechanical systems, anisotropic tribological coatings, nanoimprint lithography, microfluidics, photonic crystals, and patterned surfaces for biomedicine.
Endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation versus endoscopic sphincterotomy in the treatment for choledocholithiasis: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Su Peizhu , Lin Siheng , Xiao Kun , Chen Pingyan , An Shengli , Zhi Fachao , Bai Yang
Published: September 2011

Background and Aim:  Endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation (EPBD) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) are two common nonsurgical treatments endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for choledocholithiasis. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of EPBD and EST in the treatment for choledocholithiasis, confining the analysis to work reported in the last decade.

Methods:  The rate of overall postoperative complications was chosen as the primary outcome, and 10 other outcomes were secondary outcomes. Relative risk (RR) or Peto odds ratio (OR) were computed as the measures of pooled effects. We planned sensitivity analyses a priori for examining the change in robustness of the sensitivity to excluding studies with some inappropriate objects, technique defects or without full‐text acquisition.

Results:  For complete stone removal, EPBD was similar to EST (95% vs. 96%, P = 0.36) and overall postoperative complications (14.0% vs. 11.7%, P = 0.53). The incidence of post‐ERCP cholangitis (2.5% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.40), basket impaction (0.9% vs. 0%, P = 0.16) and perforation (0.0% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.17) were equivalent between EPBD and EST. On the other hand, EPBD caused more post‐ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) (9.4% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.00001), but less hemorrhage (0.1% vs. 4.2%, P < 0.00001). People undergoing EPBD required more use of endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy (35.0% vs. 26.2%, P = 0.0004). The results of sensitivity analyses showed no substantial change.

Conclusion:  EPBD is comparable to EST for stone extraction, though it requires more endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy (EML). EPBD may outweigh EST for patients with coagulopathy; however, it may cause more PEP.
TM‐25659 enhances osteogenic differentiation and suppresses adipogenic differentiation by modulating the transcriptional co‐activator TAZ
Authors: Jang EJ , Jeong H , Kang JO , Kim NJ , Kim MS , Choi SH , Yoo SE , Hong JH , Bae MA , Hwang ES
Published: September 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The transcriptional co‐activator with PDZ‐binding motif (TAZ) is characterized as a transcriptional modulator of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts and adipocytes. Moreover, increased TAZ activity in the nucleus enhances osteoblast differentiation and suppresses adipocyte development by interacting with runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and PPARγ, respectively. Therefore, it would be of interest to identify low MW compounds that modulate nuclear TAZ activity.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH High‐throughput screening was performed using a library of low MW compounds in order to identify TAZ modulators that enhance nuclear TAZ localization. The effects and molecular mechanisms of a TAZ modulator have been characterized in osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation.

KEY RESULTS We identified 2‐butyl‐5‐methyl‐6‐(pyridine‐3‐yl)‐3‐[2′‐(1H‐tetrazole‐5‐yl)‐biphenyl‐4‐ylmethyl]‐3H‐imidazo[4,5‐b]pyridine] (TM‐25659) as a TAZ modulator. TM‐25659 enhanced nuclear TAZ localization in a dose‐dependent manner and attenuated PPARγ‐mediated adipocyte differentiation by facilitating PPARγ suppression activity of TAZ. In addition, TAZ‐induced RUNX2 activity activation was further increased in osteoblasts, causing increased osteoblast differentiation. Accordingly, TM‐25659 suppressed bone loss in vivo and decreased weight gain in an obesity model. After oral administration, TM‐25659 had a favourable pharmacokinetic profile.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS TM‐25659 stimulated nuclear TAZ localization and thus caused TAZ to suppress PPARγ‐dependent adipogenesis and enhance RUNX2‐induced osteoblast differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that TM‐25659 could be beneficial in the control of obesity and bone loss.
Chronic Physical Conditions in Older Adults with Mental Illness and/ or Substance Use Disorders
Authors: Lin Wen‐Chieh , Zhang Jianying , Leung Gary Y. , Clark Robin E.
Published: September 2011

Objectives

To examine the association between mental illness and chronic physical conditions in older adults and investigate whether co‐occurring substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with greater risk of chronic physical conditions beyond mental illness alone.

Design

A retrospective cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Medicare and Medicaid programs in Massachusetts.

Participants

Massachusetts Medicare and Medicaid members aged 65 and older as of January 1, 2005 (N = 679,182).

Measurements

Diagnoses recorded on Medicare and Medicaid claims were used to identify mental illness, SUDs, and 15 selected chronic physical conditions.

Results

Community‐dwelling older adults with mental illness or SUDs had higher adjusted risk for 14 of the 15 selected chronic physical conditions than those without these disorders; the only exception was eye diseases. Moreover, those with co‐occurring SUDs and mental illness had the highest adjusted risk for 11 of these chronic conditions. For residents of long‐term care facilities, mental illness and SUDs were only moderately associated with the risk of chronic physical conditions.

Conclusion

Community‐dwelling older adults with mental illness or SUDs, particularly when they co‐occurred, had substantially greater medical comorbidity than those without these disorders. For residents of long‐term care facilities, the generally uniformly high medical comorbidity may have moderated this relationship, although their high prevalence of mental illness and SUDs signified greater healthcare needs. These findings strongly suggest the imminent need for integrating general medical care, mental health services, and addiction health services for older adults with mental illness or SUDs.
Increased intramuscular fat improves both ‘chewiness’ and ‘hardness’ as defined in ISO5492:1992 of beef Longissimus muscle of Holstein × Japanese Black F1 steers
Authors: SASAKI Keisuke , MOTOYAMA Michiyo , NARITA Takumi
Published: September 2011

It is considered that high‐fat beef is more ‘tender’ than low‐fat beef in Japanese consumers. However, ‘tenderness’ which has been an important beef characteristic, has not been commonly defined. ISO5492:1992 provides internationally established items for sensory texture analysis with simple definitions, and the items classified under ‘chewiness’ and ‘hardness’ as defined in the international standard are characterized as useful texture descriptors for beef. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intramuscular fat on beef texture using the ISO5492 texture vocabulary. Longissimus muscles were harvested from Holstein × Japanese black F1 beef steers with different intramuscular fat levels and were subjected to sensory tests by a trained panel using ISO5492:1992 texture terms. Correspondence analysis indicated that the intramuscular fat level was related to both ‘chewiness’ and ‘hardness’ and the intensities of these characteristics decreased as intramuscular fat increased. These findings suggest that intramuscular fat improves both ‘chewiness’ and ‘hardness’ as defined in ISO5492:1992.
Plant‐frugivore interactions in an intact tropical forest in north‐east Thailand
Authors: SANKAMETHAWEE Wangworn , PIERCE Andrew J. , GALE George A. , HARDESTY Britta Denise
Published: September 2011

Fleshy‐fruited plants in tropical forests largely rely on vertebrate frugivores to disperse their seeds. Although this plant–animal interaction is typically considered a diffuse mutualism, it is fundamental as it provides the template on which tropical forest communities are structured. We applied a mutualistic network approach to investigate the relationship between small‐fruited fleshy plant species and the fruit‐eating bird community in an intact evergreen forest in northeast Thailand. A minimum of 53 bird species consumed fruits of 136 plant species. Plant‐avian frugivore networks were highly asymmetrical, with observed networks filling 30% of all potential links. Whereas some of the missing links in the present study might be due to undersampling, forbidden links can be attributed to size constraints, accessibility and phenological uncoupling, and although the majority of missing links were unknown (58.2%), many were probably due to a given bird species being either rare or only a very occasional fruit eater. The most common frugivores were bulbuls, barbets and fairy‐bluebirds, which were responsible for the majority of fruit removal from small fleshy fruited species in our system. Migratory birds seemed to be a minor component of the plant‐frugivore networks, accounting for only 3% of feeding visits to fruiting trees; they filled 2% of the overall potential networks. The majority of interactions were generalized unspecific; however, Saurauia roxburghii Wall. appeared to be dependent on flowerpeckers for dispersal, while Thick‐billed Pigeons were only seen to eat figs.
Introduction to Statistical Methods for Analyzing Large Data Sets: Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis
Authors: Clark Neil R. , Ma’ayan Avi
Published: September 2011

Lecture materials and homework assignments illustrate the mathematical concepts behind gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA).
The Streptococcus iniae Transcriptional Regulator CpsY Is Required for Protection from Neutrophil-Mediated Killing and Proper Growth
In
Vitro
Authors: Allen Jonathan P. , Neely Melody N.
Published: September 2011

The ability of a pathogen to metabolically adapt to the local environment for optimal expression of virulence determinants is a continued area of research. Orthologs of the
Streptococcus iniae
LysR family regulator CpsY have been shown to regulate methionine biosynthesis and uptake pathways but appear to influence expression of several virulence genes as well. An
S. iniae
mutant with an in-frame deletion of
cpsY
(Δ
cpsY
mutant) is highly attenuated in a zebrafish infection model. The Δ
cpsY
mutant displays a methionine-independent growth defect in serum, which differs from the methionine-dependent defect observed for orthologous mutants of
Streptococcus mutans
and
Streptococcus agalactiae
. On the contrary, the Δ
cpsY
mutant can grow in excess of the wild type (WT) when supplemented with proteose peptone, suggesting an inability to properly regulate growth. CpsY is critical for protection of
S. iniae
from clearance by neutrophils in whole blood but is dispensable for intracellular survival in macrophages. Susceptibility of the Δ
cpsY
mutant to killing in whole blood is not due to a growth defect, because inhibition of neutrophil phagocytosis rescues the mutant to WT levels. Thus, CpsY appears to have a pleiotropic regulatory role for
S. iniae
, integrating metabolism and virulence. Furthermore,
S. iniae
provides a unique model to investigate the paradigm of CpsY-dependent regulation during systemic streptococcal infection.
Progression of Human Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma to Invasive Adenocarcinoma Is Modeled in a Transgenic Mouse Model of K-ras–Induced Lung Cancer by Loss of the TGF-β Type II Receptor
Authors: Borczuk Alain C. , Sole Marieta , Lu Ping , Chen Jinli , Wilgus May-Lin , Friedman Richard A. , Albelda Steven M. , Powell Charles A.
Published: September 2011

Clinical investigations have suggested that repression of the TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII) may be an important step in progression of lung adenocarcinoma from an indolent in situ state to a frank invasive carcinoma. To test this hypothesis, we compared the effects of deleting the murine homolog of this receptor (Tgfbr2) in a mouse model of mutant K-ras–induced lung carcinoma, which normally induces the formation of multifocal tumors of low invasive potential. In this model, loss of Tgfbr2 induced a highly invasive phenotype associated with lymph node metastasis and reduced survival. Tumor-associated stromal cells displayed an immunosuppressive profile marked by increased numbers of B and T cells. Moreover, tumor stromal cell profiling revealed a developmental TGF-β response profile that associated with a collagenized extracellular matrix and increased invasion of TGF-β nonresponsive tumor cells. Together, these results suggest that our KrasTgfbr2−/− mouse model of invasive lung carcinoma mirrors the genomic response and clinical progression of human lung adenocarcinoma, recapitulating changes in lung stromal pathways that occur in the tumor microenvironment during malignant progression in this disease. Cancer Res; 71(21); 6665–75. ©2011 AACR.
Enactive Systems and Enactive Media: Embodied Human-Machine Coupling beyond Interfaces
Authors: Kaipainen Mauri , Ravaja Niklas , Tikka Pia , Vuori Rasmus , Pugliese Roberto , Rapino Marco , Takala Tapio
Published: September 2011

This paper proposes the concept of enactive system as an alternative to the standard human-computer system and elaborates the idea of content mediation as enactive media. The authors' system consists of the two elements coupled in a holistic manner by means of bodily and spatial involvement, or enactment. Such a system is recursive by nature, involving the impact of the technology on the human agent as well as the effect of the human experience on the technology. Instead of the standard explicit interface, there is an implicit connecting surface, based on unconscious psycho-physiological reactions. The aim is not only to point out an analytic approach to existing media systems but also to develop radically novel media concepts implied by the enactive systems.
SNP diversity of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium in a South East Queensland waterway, Australia, and associated antibiotic resistance gene profiles
Authors: Rathnayake Irani , Hargreaves Megan , Huygens Flavia
Published: September 2011

Background

Enterococcus faecalisandEnterococcus faeciumare associated with faecal pollution of water, linked to swimmer-associated gastroenteritis and demonstrate a wide range of antibiotic resistance. The Coomera River is a main water source for the Pimpama-Coomera watershed and is located in South East Queensland, Australia, which is used intensively for agriculture and recreational purposes. This study investigated the diversity ofE. faecalisandE. faeciumusing Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and associated antibiotic resistance profiles.

Results

Total enterococcal counts (cfu/ml) for three/six sampling sites were above the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recommended level during rainfall periods and fall into categories B and C of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines (with a 1-10% gastrointestinal illness risk).E. faecalisandE. faeciumisolates were grouped into 29 and 23 SNP profiles (validated by MLST analysis) respectively. This study showed the high diversity ofE. faecalisandE. faeciumover a period of two years and both human-related and human-specific SNP profiles were identified. 81.8% ofE. faecalisand 70.21% ofE. faeciumSNP profiles were associated with genotypic and phenotypic antibiotic resistance. Gentamicin resistance was higher inE. faecalis(47% resistant) and harboured theaac(6')-aph(2') gene. Ciprofloxacin resistance was more common inE. faecium(12.7% resistant) andgyrAgene mutations were detected in these isolates. Tetracycline resistance was less common in both species whiletet(L) andtet(M) genes were more prevalent. Ampicillin resistance was only found inE. faeciumisolates with mutations in thepbp5gene. Vancomycin resistance was not detected in any of the isolates. We found that antibiotic resistance profiles further sub-divided the SNP profiles of bothE. faecalisandE. faecium.

Conclusions

The distribution ofE. faecalisandE. faeciumgenotypes is highly diverse in the Coomera River. The SNP genotyping method is rapid and robust and can be applied to study the diversity ofE. faecalisandE. faeciumin waterways. It can also be used to test for human-related and human-specific enterococci in water. The resolving power can be increased by including antibiotic-resistant profiles which can be used as a possible source tracking tool. This warrants further investigation.
Incidence of pancreatitis, secondary causes, and treatment of patients referred to a specialty lipid clinic with severe hypertriglyceridemia: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sandhu Supna , Al-Sarraf Ahmad , Taraboanta Catalin , Frohlich Jiri , Francis Gordon A
Published: September 2011

Background

Severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is one cause of acute pancreatitis, yet the level of plasma triglycerides likely to be responsible for inducing pancreatitis has not been clearly defined.

Methods and Results

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients presenting non-acutely to the Healthy Heart Program Lipid Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital with a TG level > 20 mM (1772 mg/dl) between 1986 and 2007. Ninety-five patients with TG > 20 mM at the time of referral were identified, in who follow up data was available for 84. Fifteen patients (15.8%), with a mean outpatient TG level of 38.1 mM, had a history of acute pancreatitis. Among 91 additional patients with less severe HTG, none had a history of pancreatitis when TG were between 10 and 20 mM. Among patients with TG > 20 mM on presentation, 8 (8.5%), with a mean TG level of 67.8 mM, exhibited eruptive xanthomata. A diet high in carbohydrates and fats (79%) and obesity (47.6%) were the two most frequent secondary causes of HTG at initial visit. By 2009, among patients with follow up data 53% exhibited either pre-diabetes or overt Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Upon referral only 23 patients (24%) were receiving a fibrate as either monotherapy or part of combination lipid-lowering therapy. Following initial assessment by a lipid specialist this rose to 84%, and remained at 67% at the last follow up visit.

Conclusions

These results suggest hypertriglyceridemia is unlikely to be the primary cause of acute pancreatitis unless TG levels are > 20 mM, that dysglycemia, a diet high in carbohydrates and fats, and obesity are the main secondary causes of HTG, and that fibrates are frequently overlooked as the drug of first choice for severe HTG.
Phytotreatment of sludges (Phragmites australis) for their reuse in the environment
Authors: Ceccanti B. , Bianchi V. , Iannelli R. , Peruzzi E. , Masciandaro G.
Published: September 2011

The aim of this study is the evaluation of the agronomic characteristics acquired by a phytotreated sludge coming from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Tuscany (central Italy). The chemical characterization showed values which are within the Italian legislation limits for mixed composts. From an agronomic point of view, the sludge did not present a level of phytotoxicity, as shown by the germination index (GI% = 77). Furthermore, pathogen compounds are inexistent (Escherichia coli <1,000 CFU/g). Different substrates (obtained by mixing the sludge with sandy agronomic soil – 0.5% w/w, 1% w/w, 2.5% w/w and 5% w/w) were prepared in order to evaluate the best mixture performance in terms of water retention capacity and plant growth. No significant differences were observed for all sludge mixtures. Different plants were tested in plots (Lepidium sativum, Cucumis sativus and Avena sativa). The best plant adaptation, measured as dry biomass production, was observed for Avena sativa. The results obtained underlined that the phytotreatment of sludge can bring about the transformation of sewage sludges into organic products that are reusable in agriculture, if previously mixed with other appropriate materials and taking into account their heavy metal content.
IT Outsourcing Theories
Authors: Gottschalk P.
Published: September 2011

Based on outsourcing definitions explored in Chapter II, we can identify taxonomies, or schools of IT outsourcing. The primary purpose of this framework is to guide executives on choice to initiate outsourcing projects according to goals, organizational character, and technological, behavioral, or economic biases. This approach is adapted from Earl (2001).
The BP Network Classification Leafminer-Infected Leaves Based on the Fractal Dimension
Authors: Wu Da Ke , Xie Chun Yan
Published: September 2011

Leafminer is one of pest of many vegetables, and the damage may cover so much of the leaf that the plant is unable to function, and yields are noticeably decreased. In order to get the information of the pest in the vegetable before the damage was not serious, this research used a BP neural network to classify the leafminer-infected tomato leaves, and the fractal dimension of the leaves was the input data of the BP neural network. Prediction results showed that when the number of FD was 21 and the hidden nodes of BP neural network were 21, the detection performance of the model was good and the correlation coefficient (r) was 0.836. Thus, it is concluded that the FD is an available technique for the detection of disease level of leafminer on tomato leaves.
Information Delay Protocol Using Non-Orthogonal Quantum States
Authors: Zhang De Xi , Li Xiao Yu
Published: September 2011

In this paper we provide an information delay protocol using non-orthogonal quantum states. One person can send the other person some information which cannot be read until he or she lets the latter do. The principles of quantum mechanics guarantee that the protocol is unconditionally secure. When the sender decides to let the other get the information, he or she need only to send the latter some dictates through a public classical channel. There are no entangled states and complex quantum operations except measurements needed in our protocol. So it is easier to carry out and more robust in practice.
The Comparison of the Effect of Haimming Window and Blackman Window in the Time-Scaling and Pitch-Shifting Algorithms
Authors: Lin Zhi Wei , Da Li , Wang Hao , Han Wei , Lin Fan
Published: September 2011

The real-time pitch shifting process is widely used in various types of music production. The pitch shifting technology can be divided into two major types, the time domain type and the frequency domain type. Compared with the time domain method, the frequency domain method has the advantage of large shifting scale, low total cost of computing and the more flexibility of the algorithm. However, the use of Fourier Transform in frequency domain processing leads to the inevitable inherent frequency leakage effects which decrease the accuracy of the pitch shifting effect. In order to restrain the side effect of Fourier Transform, window functions are used to fall down the spectrum-aliasing. In practical processing, Haimming Window and Blackman Window are frequently used. In this paper, we compare both the effect of the two window functions in the restraint of frequency leakage and the performance and accuracy in subjective based on the traditional phase vocoder[1]. Experiment shows that Haimming Window is generally better than Blackman Window in pitch shifting process.
Algorithm for Feature Extraction of Heart Sound Signal Based on Sym7 Wavelet
Authors: Zhang Guo Hua , Yuan Zhong Fan , Liu Shi Xuan
Published: September 2011

In order to extract pathological features of heart sound signal accurately, an algorithm for extracting the sub-band energy is developed based on the wavelet packet analysis. Through the spectrum analysis of heart sound signal, the sym7 wavelet, with high energy concentration and good time localization, is taken as the mother function, and the best wavelet packet basis of heart sound signal is picked out. Then, various heart sound signals are decomposed into four levels and the wavelet packet coefficients of the best basis are obtained. According to the equal-value relation between wavelet packet coefficients and signal energy in time domain, the normalized sub-band energy of the best basis is extracted as the feature vector. The mean of class separability measure is 3.049, which indicates that the algorithm is effective for feature extraction of heart sound signal.
Design on Highway Information Publishing System and Benefit Analysis of Traffic Control System
Authors: Li Wei , Han Guo Dong
Published: September 2011

With the purpose of offering dynamic information services for road users, the information publishing scheme is proposed based on variable message sign and variable speed limit sign. And the information publishing system shared information control center with public transportation service system is established. The economic benefit of intelligent traffic control system is quantitatively studied by radar map method for the first time. Research shows that intelligent traffic control system has reached ideal-steady state. The research results reduce traffic congestion and improve the highway utilization and traffic management efficiency.
Developing the Indicators of e-Decision Making Competence for College Students
Authors: Hsu Pi Shan , Chang Te Jeng , Tang Joni Tzuchen
Published: September 2011

The decision-making competence has become the inevitable tendency in information communication technology. Schools today focus on how to raise student’s e-decision making competence. The purposes of this research are (1) to define the e-decision making competence of students major in computer science should attain; (2) to establish the indicators of e-decision making competence. The indicator content of e-decision making competence is identified through literature review. Then the Hermeneutics methodology is applied to construct the indicators. The finding indicates that indicators include seven competences in terms of information definition, information access, information assessment, information management, information conformity, information innovation and information dissemination.
Correlation Analysis of Behavioral Factors of Construction Safety Based on the Chi-Square Test
Authors: Sun Kai Chang , Zhou Jian Lan , Sun Zhi Yu , Li Kun
Published: September 2011

The construction safety supervision errors can lead to unsafe behavior; further affect the working conditions of workers and result in accidents at last. The probabilities of data are provided by statistical analysis between the different types of neighborhood-level factors by the independence of the chi-square test. The relationship analysis of the independence between the behavioral factors has been performed in order to find the non-independent factors. Among the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), the impact of the high-level factors on the bottom level is determined. Based on the data, the work path of various factors in the HFACS frame is confirmed and it can be a reference for the development of the preventive measures.
Study on Forensic Investigation of Network Crime in Cloud Computing Environment
Authors: Yan Cheng
Published: September 2011

Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information to computers and other devices on demand. Besides the benefits, it provides a new environment and convenience for network crime, which results difficulties and challenges for forensic investigation. This paper reviews the conception of cloud computing and identifies some key issues of network crime. After analyzing the mechanism and architecture of cloud computing, we propose a forensic model to obtain and fix the criminal evidences. Through investigating from cloud and client aspects, we collect relative log files and communicated data packages, which can succeed to monitor network and store original crime behaviors.
On the Solid Hydrogen Intercalation in Multilayer Carbohydride-Like Graphane Nanostructures, Relevance to the Storage Applications
Authors: Nechaev Yuriy S.
Published: September 2011

In this analytical review, some thermodynamic, physical and nanotechnological aspects of the graphene/graphane problem are considered (in a correlation), relevance to developing a much simpler and efficient method (in comparison with the megabar compression dynamic and static ones) of producing a high-density solid molecular hydrogen carrier. It is achieved by the hydrogen intercalation (at the cost of the hydrogen association energy) in closed multigraphane (carbohydride-like) nanostructures of the megabar strength properties. The limiting density value (0.7±0.2 g/cm3(H2)) of such intercalated high-purity reversible hydrogen carrier corresponds to a megabar compression. The “volumetric” hydrogen capacity is of 0.3±0.1 g/cm3(system), and the “gravimetric” one being ≥ 15 wt %( H2). Such a hydrogen storage nanotechnology can exceed and/or correspond to the known U.S. DOE requirements-targets on the hydrogen on-board storage for 2015 (www.eere.energy.gov /hydrogenandfuelcells), with respect to the hydrogen capacities (0.081 g/cm3(system), 9.0 wt %( H2)), safety, reversibility and purity.
Lattice vibrations in KCuF3
Authors: Deisenhofer J. , Schmidt M. , Wang Zhe , Kant Ch. , Mayr F. , Schrettle F. , Krug von Nidda H.‐A. , Ghigna P. , Tsurkan V. , Loidl A.
Published: September 2011

We report on polarization dependent reflectivity measurements in KCuF3 in the far‐infrared frequency regime. The observed IR active phonons at room temperature are in agreement with the expected modes for tetragonal symmetry. We observe a splitting of one mode already at 150 K and the appearance of a new mode in the vicinity of the Néel temperature.
Anomalous criticality near semimetal‐to‐superfluid quantum phase transition in a two‐dimensional Dirac cone model
Authors: Obert B. , Takei S. , Metzner W.
Published: September 2011

We analyze the scaling behavior at and near a quantum critical point separating a semimetallic from a superfluid phase. To this end we compute the renormalization group flow for a model of attractively interacting electrons with a linear dispersion around a single Dirac point. We study both ground state and finite temperature properties. In two dimensions, the electrons and the order parameter fluctuations exhibit power‐law scaling with anomalous scaling dimensions. The quasi‐particle weight and the Fermi velocity vanish at the quantum critical point. The order parameter correlation length turns out to be infinite everywhere in the semimetallic ground state.