bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tuberculosis Vaccines and Prevention of Infection
Authors: Hawn Thomas R. , Day Tracey A. , Scriba Thomas J. , Hatherill Mark , Hanekom Willem A. , Evans Thomas G. , Churchyard Gavin J. , Kublin James G. , Bekker Linda-Gail , Self Steven G.
Published: November 2014

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death worldwide despite the availability of effective chemotherapy for over 60 years. Although
Mycobacterium bovis
bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination protects against active TB disease in some populations, its efficacy is suboptimal. Development of an effective TB vaccine is a top global priority that has been hampered by an incomplete understanding of protective immunity to TB. Thus far, preventing TB disease, rather than infection, has been the primary target for vaccine development. Several areas of research highlight the importance of including preinfection vaccines in the development pipeline. First, epidemiology and mathematical modeling studies indicate that a preinfection vaccine would have a high population-level impact for control of TB disease. Second, immunology studies support the rationale for targeting prevention of infection, with evidence that host responses may be more effective during acute infection than during chronic infection. Third, natural history studies indicate that resistance to TB infection occurs in a small percentage of the population. Fourth, case-control studies of BCG indicate that it may provide protection from infection. Fifth, prevention-of-infection trials would have smaller sample sizes and a shorter duration than disease prevention trials and would enable opportunities to search for correlates of immunity as well as serve as a criterion for selecting a vaccine product for testing in a larger TB disease prevention trial. Together, these points support expanding the focus of TB vaccine development efforts to include prevention of infection as a primary goal along with vaccines or other interventions that reduce the rate of transmission and reactivation.
The impact of universal newborn hearing screening on long-term literacy outcomes: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Pimperton Hannah , Blythe Hazel , Kreppner Jana , Mahon Merle , Peacock Janet L , Stevenson Jim , Terlektsi Emmanouela , Worsfold Sarah , Yuen Ho Ming , Kennedy Colin R
Published: November 2014

Objective

To determine whether the benefits of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) seen at age 8 years persist through the second decade.

Design

Prospective cohort study of a population sample of children with permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) followed up for 17 years since birth in periods with (or without) UNHS.

Setting

Birth cohort of 100 000 in southern England.

Participants

114 teenagers aged 13–19 years, 76 with PCHI and 38 with normal hearing. All had previously their reading assessed aged 6–10 years.

Interventions

Birth in periods with and without UNHS; confirmation of PCHI before and after age 9 months.

Main outcome measure

Reading comprehension ability. Regression modelling took account of severity of hearing loss, non-verbal ability, maternal education and main language.

Results

Confirmation of PCHI by age 9 months was associated with significantly higher mean z-scores for reading comprehension (adjusted mean difference 1.17, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.97) although birth during periods with UNHS was not (adjusted mean difference 0.15, 95% CI −0.75 to 1.06). The gap between the reading comprehension z-scores of teenagers with early compared with late confirmed PCHI had widened at an adjusted mean rate of 0.06 per year (95% CI −0.02 to 0.13) during the 9.2-year mean interval since the previous assessment.

Conclusions

The benefit to reading comprehension of confirmation of PCHI by age 9 months increases during the teenage years. This strengthens the case for UNHS programmes that lead to early confirmation of permanent hearing loss.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN03307358.
Penile strangulation due to plastic bottle neck: a surgical emergency
Authors: Agarwal Akshay Anand , Singh Kul Ranjan , Kushwaha Jitendra Kumar , Sonkar Abhinav Arun
Published: November 2014

Use of various metallic and non-metallic constricting objects on the external male genitalia for increasing sexual performance or because of autoerotic intentions is an unusual practice that can potentially lead to penile strangulation with severe consequences. Depending on the type of constricting material, emergency removal of such an object is a challenge. We report a case of a 45-year-old man who presented to our hospital with a hard plastic bottle neck at the base of his penis that led to penile strangulation. The constricting agent was successfully removed. The patient had an uneventful recovery.
Effect on structural and magnetic properties of aluminum substitutedNi–Znnanoferrite system prepared via citrate-gel route
Authors: Babu B. Rajesh , Prasad M. S. R. , Ramesh K. V.
Published: December 2014

Nickel zinc aluminum nanoferrites with general formula Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2-xAlxO4(x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25) were prepared by citrate-gel autocombustion method and heat treated in air at 1100°C for 4 h. The crystallography, surface morphology and magnetic properties were studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. XRD analysis confirms that the system exhibits polycrystalline single phase cubic spinel structure and absence of any secondary phases. The crystallite size estimated from Scherrer formula for the Gaussian peak (311) has been found to be around 30 nm. The results obtained show that with Al3+doping, the lattice parameter decreases due to smaller ionic radii of Al3+ions replaces larger Fe3+ions. The distribution of Al3+ions over tetrahedral (A) and octahedral (B) sites is estimated from X-ray intensity calculations. The arrangement of magnetic ions among the tetrahedral and octahedral sites due to the substitution of Al3+ions modifies the saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc). The room temperature magnetization values increases up to x = 0.1 and then decreases for the increase in aluminum concentration above x > 0.1. Surface topography of the powder samples exhibits nearly spherical shape microstructure and the average grain size has been found to be 180 nm (x = 0.05). The observed variations in the structural and magnetic properties are discussed in the light of existing understanding.
Hopf bifurcation in a gene regulatory network model: Molecular movement causes oscillations
Authors: Chaplain Mark , Ptashnyk Mariya , Sturrock Marc
Published: November 2014

Gene regulatory networks, i.e. DNA segments in a cell which interact with each other indirectly through their RNA and protein products, lie at the heart of many important intracellular signal transduction processes. In this paper, we analyze a mathematical model of a canonical gene regulatory network consisting of a single negative feedback loop between a protein and its mRNA (e.g. the Hes1 transcription factor system). The model consists of two partial differential equations describing the spatio-temporal interactions between the protein and its mRNA in a one-dimensional domain. Such intracellular negative feedback systems are known to exhibit oscillatory behavior and this is the case for our model, shown initially via computational simulations. In order to investigate this behavior more deeply, we undertake a linearized stability analysis of the steady states of the model. Our results show that the diffusion coefficient of the protein/mRNA acts as a bifurcation parameter and gives rise to a Hopf bifurcation. This shows that the spatial movement of the mRNA and protein molecules alone is sufficient to cause the oscillations. Our result has implications for transcription factors such as p53, NF-κB and heat shock proteins which are involved in regulating important cellular processes such as inflammation, meiosis, apoptosis and the heat shock response, and are linked to diseases such as arthritis and cancer.
The youngest globular clusters
Authors: Beck Sara
Published: November 2014

It is likely that all stars are born in clusters, but most clusters are not bound and disperse. None of the many protoclusters in our Galaxy are likely to develop into long-lived bound clusters. The super star clusters (SSCs) seen in starburst galaxies are more massive and compact and have better chances of survival. The birth and early development of SSCs takes place deep in molecular clouds, and during this crucial stage the embedded clusters are invisible to optical or UV observations but are studied via the radio-infrared supernebulae (RISN) they excite. We review observations of embedded clusters and identify RISN within 10 Mpc whose exciting clusters have ≈ 106 M⊙ or more in volumes of a few pc3 and which are likely to not only survive as bound clusters, but to evolve into objects as massive and compact as Galactic globulars. These clusters are distinguished by very high star formation efficiency η, at least a factor of 10 higher than the few percent seen in the Galaxy, probably due to the violent disturbances their host galaxies have undergone. We review recent observations of the kinematics of the ionized gas in RISN showing outflows through low-density channels in the ambient molecular cloud; this may protect the cloud from feedback by the embedded H II region.
Plasma Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Based Palladium Nanoparticles as a New Catalyst for C-C Coupling Reactions
Authors: Ren Liang , Yang Fan , Liu Zhichang , Li Yongfeng
Published: November 2014

The contents of this paper was previously published in RSC Advances and its publication has been retracted from IJN. Please contact ijn@wspc.com
Synthesis and Characterization of Ag-PILC Through the Formation of Ag@Montmorillonite Nanocomposite
Authors: Rao Feng , Song Shaoxian , Lopez-Valdivieso Alejandro
Published: November 2014

Ag pillared interlayered clays ( Ag -PILCs) were synthesized through a novel method, in which Ag nanoparticles were formed in montmorillonite interlayers. In this method, silver ions were first exchanged into montmorillonite interlayers, and then reduced into Ag nanoparticles by trisodium citrate at 100°C in aqueous solutions. The synthesized Ag @montmorillonite nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and its surface area was evaluated by using Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) method. Compared to traditional PILCs synthesized through ion exchange method, the formed Ag -PILCs had better thermal stability and stronger structure because their pillars are nanoparticles. Furthermore, this method introduces a possibility to control the size of the pillars and thus the pore size of the PILCs, due to that the nanoparticle pillars can be modified on their forms and diameters in the synthesizing process. Also, it was found that the intercalating Ag nanoparticle pillars were formed at restricted pH values and silver ion concentrations.
Oscillatory blood flow through a capillary in presence of thermal radiation
Authors: Sinha A. , Shit G. C.
Published: November 2014

This paper deals with the theoretical investigation of a fundamental problem of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of blood in a capillary in the presence of thermal radiation and chemical reaction. The unsteadiness in the flow and temperature fields is caused by the time-dependence of the stretching velocity and the surface temperature. The fluid is considered to be non-Newtonian, whose flow is governed by the equation of a third-order fluid. The problem is first reduced to solving a system of coupled nonlinear differential equations involving several parameters. Considering blood as an electrically conducting fluid and using the present analysis, an attempt is made to compute some parameters of the blood flow by developing a suitable numerical method and by devising an appropriate finite difference scheme. The computational results are presented in graphical form, and thereby some theoretical predictions are made with respect to the hemodynamical flow of the blood in a hyperthermal state under the action of a magnetic field. Computational results for the variation in velocity, temperature, concentration, skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are presented in graphical/tabular form. Since the study takes care of thermal radiation in blood flow, the results reported here are likely to have an important bearing on the therapeutic procedure of hyperthermia, particularly in understanding blood flow and heat transfer in capillaries.
SIGecom news
Authors: Parkes David C.
Published: November 2014

We have had another successful year! Before I forget:
join the SIG
to keep our membership healthy and be able to participate in the nominating process for our new awards, and remember to use the
ACM Author-Izer
to drive additional revenue to the SIG.
Online decision making in crowdsourcing markets
Authors: Slivkins Aleksandrs , Vaughan Jennifer Wortman
Published: November 2014

Over the past decade, crowdsourcing has emerged as a cheap and efficient method of obtaining solutions to simple tasks that are difficult for computers to solve but possible for humans. The popularity and promise of crowdsourcing markets has led to both empirical and theoretical research on the design of algorithms to optimize various aspects of these markets, such as the pricing and assignment of tasks. Much of the existing theoretical work on crowdsourcing markets has focused on problems that fall into the broad category of online decision making; task requesters or the crowdsourcing platform itself make repeated decisions about prices to set, workers to filter out, problems to assign to specific workers, or other things. Often these decisions are complex, requiring algorithms that learn about the distribution of available tasks or workers over time and take into account the strategic (or sometimes irrational) behavior of workers.

As human computation grows into its own field, the time is ripe to address these challenges in a principled way. However, it appears very difficult to capture all pertinent aspects of crowdsourcing markets in a single coherent model. In this paper, we reflect on the modeling issues that inhibit theoretical research on online decision making for crowdsourcing, and identify some steps forward. This paper grew out of the authors' own frustration with these issues, and we hope it will encourage the community to attempt to understand, debate, and ultimately address them.
Budget feasible mechanism design
Authors: Singer Yaron
Published: November 2014

In this letter we sketch a brief introduction to budget feasible mechanism design. This framework captures scenarios where the goal is to buy items or services from strategic agents under budget. The setting introduces interesting challenges that arise from the tension between incentive compatibility and the budget constraint, and leaves many interesting open questions. We will discuss several application domains that include crowdsourcing, information dissemination in social networks, and privacy-preserving recommendation systems.
Dynamic reconfiguration in multi-hop switched ethernet networks
Authors: Ashjaei Mohammad , Pedreiras Paulo , Behnam Moris , Almeida Luis , Nolte Thomas
Published: November 2014

The FTT-SE protocol provides adaptive real-time communication on Ethernet networks. To assure a continued real-time behavior, FTT-SE integrates admission control with a quality-of-service mechanism, which screen all adaptation and reconfiguration requests, accepting only those that do not compromise the system timeliness. The adaptability and reconfigurability have been deeply studied in the case of single switch FTT-SE architectures, whereas the extension of that for the multi-hop FTT-SE architecture was not yet investigated. Therefore, in this paper we study the challenges of enabling dynamic reconfiguration in multi-hop FTT-SE networks, we propose two methods (one centralized and one distributed) and we present a qualitative comparison between them.
An fMRI Study of Neuronal Specificity in Acupuncture: The Multiacupoint Siguan and Its Sham Point
Authors: Shan Yi , Wang Zhi-qun , Zhao Zhi-lian , Zhang Mo , Hao Shi-lei , Xu Jian-yang , Shan Bao-ci , Lu Jie , Li Kun-cheng
Published: November 2014

Clarifying the intrinsic mechanisms of acupuncture’s clinical effects has recently been gaining popularity. Here, we choose the Siguan acupoint (a combination of bilateral LI4 and Liv3) and its sham point to evaluate multiacupoint specificity. Thirty‐one healthy volunteers were randomly divided into real acupoint (21 subjects) and sham acupoint (10 subjects) groups. Our study used a single block experimental design to avoid the influence of posteffects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired during acupuncture stimulation. Results showed extensive increase in neuronal activities with Siguan acupuncture and significant differences between stimulation at real and sham points. Brain regions that were activated more by real acupuncture stimulation than by sham point acupuncture included somatosensory cortex (the superior parietal lobule and postcentral gyrus), limbic‐paralimbic system (the calcarine gyrus, precuneus, cingulate cortex, and parahippocampal gyrus), visual‐related cortex (the fusiform and occipital gyri), basal ganglia, and the cerebellum. In this way, our study suggests Siguan may elicit specific activities in human brain.
Label Propagation withα-Degree Neighborhood Impact for Network Community Detection
Authors: Sun Heli , Huang Jianbin , Zhong Xiang , Liu Ke , Zou Jianhua , Song Qinbao
Published: November 2014

Community detection is an important task for mining the structure and function of complex networks. In this paper, a novel label propagation approach withα-degree neighborhood impact is proposed for efficiently and effectively detecting communities in networks. Firstly, we calculate the neighborhood impact of each node in a network within the scope of itsα-degree neighborhood network by using an iterative approach. To mitigate the problems of visiting order correlation and convergence difficulty when updating the node labels asynchronously, our method updates the labels in an ascending order on theα-degree neighborhood impact of all the nodes. Theα-degree neighborhood impact is also taken as the updating weight value, where the parameter impact scopeαcan be set to a positive integer. Experimental results from several real-world and synthetic networks show that our method can reveal the community structure in networks rapidly and accurately. The performance of our method is better than other label propagation based methods.
Break-before-Make CMOS Inverter for Power-Efficient Delay Implementation
Authors: Puhan Janez , Raič Dušan , Tuma Tadej , Bűrmen Árpád
Published: November 2014

A modified static CMOS inverter with two inputs and two outputs is proposed to reduce short-circuit current in order to increment delay and reduce power overhead where slow operation is required. The circuit is based on bidirectional delay element connected in series with the PMOS and NMOS switching transistors. It provides differences in the dynamic response so that the direct-path current in the next stage is reduced. The switching transistors are never ON at the same time. Characteristics of various delay element implementations are presented and verified by circuit simulations. Global optimization procedure is used to obtain the most power-efficient transistor sizing. The performance of the modified CMOS inverter chain is compared to standard implementation for various delays. The energy (charge) per delay is reduced up to 40%. The use of the proposed delay element is demonstrated by implementing a low-power delay line and a leading-edge detector cell.
Dual-Polarized Crossed Bowtie Dipole Array for Wireless Communication Applications
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Ya , Li Shuang , Zuo Shao-Li , Zhao Jia-Yue , Yang Xiao-dong , Fu Guang
Published: November 2014

A dual-polarized array with downtilted radiation patterns is proposed for wireless communication applications. The proposed dual-polarized antenna element achieves an enhanced impedance bandwidth and compact dimensions by introducing a parasitic circular patch and vertical metal cylinders, which is a good candidate for radiating elements in base station antennas. By optimizing the amplitude and phase distribution along the feed, a radiation pattern with a downtilted angle is obtained. The dual-polarized array antenna achieves an impedance bandwidth for VSWR≤1.5, covering the frequency bands for 3G/LTE systems. Moreover, the proposed array achieves high port isolation, the stable antenna gain over the entire operating band. Therefore, the proposed array antenna is very suitable for potential wireless communication applications. A prototype has been manufactured and measured. The measurements, that match the design objectives, are also presented.
Interfacial Properties of CZTS Thin Film Solar Cell
Authors: Muhunthan N. , Singh Om Pal , Thakur M. K. , Karthikeyan P. , Singh Dinesh , Saravanan M. , Singh V. N.
Published: November 2014

Cu-deficient CZTS (copper zinc tin sulfide) thin films were grown on soda lime as well as molybdenum coated soda lime glass by reactive cosputtering. Polycrystalline CZTS film with kesterite structure was produced by annealing it at 500°C in Ar atmosphere. These films were characterized for compositional, structural, surface morphological, optical, and transport properties using energy dispersive X-ray analysis, glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Hall effect measurement. A CZTS solar cell device having conversion efficiency of ~0.11% has been made by depositing CdS, ZnO, ITO, and Al layers over the CZTS thin film deposited on Mo coated soda lime glass. The series resistance of the device was very high. The interfacial properties of device were characterized by cross-sectional SEM and cross-sectional HRTEM.
Complex Network-Driven View of Genomic Mechanisms Underlying Parkinson’s Disease: Analyses in Dorsal Motor Vagal Nucleus, Locus Coeruleus, and Substantia Nigra
Authors: Corradini Beatriz Raposo , Iamashita Priscila , Tampellini Edilaine , Farfel José Marcelo , Grinberg Lea Tenenholz , Moreira-Filho Carlos Alberto
Published: November 2014

Parkinson’s disease (PD)—classically characterized by severe loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta—has a caudal-rostral progression, beginning in the dorsal motor vagal nucleus and, in a less extent, in the olfactory system, progressing to the midbrain and eventually to the basal forebrain and the neocortex. About 90% of the cases are idiopathic. To study the molecular mechanisms involved in idiopathic PD we conducted a comparative study of transcriptional interaction networks in the dorsal motor vagal nucleus (VA), locus coeruleus (LC), and substantia nigra (SN) of idiopathic PD in Braak stages 4-5 (PD) and disease-free controls (CT) using postmortem samples. Gene coexpression networks (GCNs) for each brain region (patients and controls) were obtained to identify highly connected relevant genes (hubs) and densely interconnected gene sets (modules). GCN analyses showed differences in topology and module composition between CT and PD networks for each anatomic region. In CT networks, VA, LC, and SN hub modules are predominantly associated with neuroprotection and homeostasis in the ageing brain, whereas in the patient’s group, for the three brain regions, hub modules are mostly related to stress response and neuron survival/degeneration mechanisms.
Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumour: Report of a Rare Form with Exclusive Pleural Involvement
Authors: Nobre de Jesus Gustavo , Rocha Sara Lemos , Lopes João Madeira , Santos João Meneses , Oliveira Pedro Soares , Victorino Rui M. M.
Published: November 2014

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare scleroinflammatory lesion, characterized by a myofibroblastic proliferation with inflammatory infiltrates, with many possible locations and diagnosis based on immunohistochemistry. Pleural IMT is uncommon and is usually an extension of a pulmonary involvement. We report on a 28-year-old woman with a new form of this rare entity, characterized by exclusive pleural involvement.
Metabolic Effects of Social Isolation in Adult C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Sun Meng , Choi Eugene Y. , Magee Daniel J. , Stets Colin W. , During Matthew J. , Lin En-Ju D.
Published: November 2014

Obesity and metabolic dysfunction are risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and certain forms of cancers. Both animal studies and human population-based and clinical studies have suggested that chronic stress is a risk factor for metabolic disorders. A good social support system is known to exert positive effects on the mental and physical well-being of an individual. On the other hand, long-term deprivation of social contacts may represent a stressful condition that has negative effects on health. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic social isolation on metabolic parameters in adult C57BL/6 mice. We found that individually housed mice had increased adipose mass compared to group-housed mice, despite comparable body weight. The mechanism for the expansion of white adipose tissue mass was depot-specific. Notably, food intake was reduced in the social isolated animals, which occurred around the light-dark phase transition periods. Similarly, reductions in heat generated and the respiratory exchange ratio were observed during the light-dark transitions. These phase-specific changes due to long-term social isolation have not been reported previously. Our study shows social isolation contributes to increased adiposity and altered metabolic functions.
Abdominal Adiposity Distribution in Diabetic/Prediabetic and Nondiabetic Populations: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Jane J. , Beretvas S. Natasha , Freeland-Graves Jeanne H.
Published: November 2014

Excess fat in the abdomen can be classified generally as visceral and subcutaneous adiposity. Evidence suggests that visceral adiposity has greater implications for diabetes than other fat depots. The purpose of this study is to explore the disparities in the distribution of abdominal adiposity in diabetic/prediabetic and nondiabetic populations and to identify moderators that influence the pattern of central obesity via a meta-analysis technique. The Hedges’gwas used as a measure of effect size and 95% confidence interval was computed. A total of 41 relevant studies with 101 effect sizes were retrieved. Pooled effect sizes for visceral and subcutaneous adiposity were 0.69 and 0.42, respectively. Diabetic/prediabetic populations exhibited greater visceral and subcutaneous adiposity compared to nondiabetic populations (Z=10.35,P<0.05). Significant moderator effects of gender (Z=-2.90) and assessment method of abdominal adiposity (Z=-2.17) were found for visceral fat (P<0.05), but not for subcutaneous fat. Type of health condition influenced both visceral (Z=-5.10) and subcutaneous (Z=-7.09) abdominal adiposity volumes (P<0.05). Abdominal adiposity distributions were significantly altered in the diabetic/prediabetic population compared to the nondiabetic population. Gender, assessment method of abdominal adiposity, and type of health conditions (diabetic/prediabetics) were identified as crucial moderators that influence the degree of abdominal adiposity.
Adaptive Handover Decision Algorithm Based on Multi-Influence Factors through Carrier Aggregation Implementation in LTE-Advanced System
Authors: Shayea Ibraheem , Ismail Mahamod , Nordin Rosdiadee , Mohamad Hafizal
Published: November 2014

Although Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced) system has benefited from Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology, the advent of CA technology has increased handover scenario probability through user mobility. That leads to a user’s throughput degradation and its outage probability. Therefore, a handover decision algorithm must be designed properly in order to contribute effectively for reducing this phenomenon. In this paper, Multi-Influence Factors for Adaptive Handover Decision Algorithm (MIF-AHODA) have been proposed through CA implementation in LTE-Advanced system. MIF-AHODA adaptively makes handover decisions based on different decision algorithms, which are selected based on the handover scenario type and resource availability. Simulation results show that MIF-AHODA enhances system performance better than the other considered algorithms from the literature by 8.3 dB, 46%, and 51% as average gains over all the considered algorithms in terms of SINR, cell-edge spectral efficiency, and outage probability reduction, respectively.
Changes in Responses of Neurons in Spinal and Medullary Subnucleus Reticularis Dorsalis to Acupoint Stimulation in Rats with Visceral Hyperalgesia
Authors: Yu Ling-Ling , Li Liang , Rong Pei-Jing , Zhu Bing , Qin Qing-Guang , Ben Hui , Huang Guo-Fu
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of acupoints sensitization phenomenon at the spinal and medulla levels. Experiments were performed on adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats and visceral noxious stimuli was generated by colorectal distension (CRD). The activities of wide dynamic range (WDR) and subnucleus reticularis dorsalis (SRD) neurons were recorded. The changes of the reactions of WDR and SRD neurons to electroacupuncture (EA) on acupoints of “Zusanli‐Shangjuxu” before and after CRD stimulation were observed. The results showed that visceral nociception could facilitate the response of neurons to acupoints stimulation. In spinal dorsal horn, EA‐induced activation of WDR neurons further increased to 106.84 ± 17.33% (1.5 mA) (P < 0.001) and 42.27 ± 13.10% (6 mA) (P < 0.01) compared to the neuronal responses before CRD. In medulla oblongata, EA‐induced activation of SRD neurons further increased to 63.28 ± 15.96% (1.5 mA) (P < 0.001) and 25.02 ± 7.47% (6 mA) (P < 0.01) compared to that before CRD. Taken together, these data suggest that the viscerosomatic convergence‐facilitation effect of WDR and SRD neurons may underlie the mechanism of acupoints sensitization. But the sensitizing effect of visceral nociception on WDR neurons is stronger than that on SRD neurons.
Interleukin-16 Gene Polymorphisms Are Considerable Host Genetic Factors for Patients’ Susceptibility to Chronic Hepatitis B Infection
Authors: Romani Sara , Hosseini Seyed Masoud , Mohebbi Seyed Reza , Kazemian Shabnam , Derakhshani Shaghayegh , Khanyaghma Mahsa , Azimzadeh Pedram , Sharifian Afsaneh , Zali Mohammad Reza
Published: November 2014

Host genetic background is known as an important factor in patients’ susceptibility to infectious diseases such as viral hepatitis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of genetic polymorphisms of interleukin-16 (IL-16) cytokine on susceptibility of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients to develop chronic HBV infection. Genotyping was conducted using PCR followed by enzymatic digestion and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis. We genotyped three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Il-16 gene (rs11556218 T>G, rs4778889 T>C, and rs4072111 C>T) to test for relationship between variation at these loci and patients’ susceptibility to chronic HBV infection. Allele frequency of Il-16 gene rs4072111 and rs11556218 was significantly different between chronic HBV patients and healthy blood donors. Genotype frequency of rs4778889 polymorphism of Il-16 gene was significantly different when chronic HBV patients and HBV clearance subjects were compared. Our results showed that Il-16 gene polymorphisms are considerable host genetic factors when we chase biomarkers for prognosis of HBV infected patients.
Comparative Analysis between Biogas Flow in Landfill and Electrical Resistivity Tomography in Rio Claro City, Brazil
Authors: Moreira César , Castro Marcus , Gonsalez Ana , Cavallari Fernanda , Munhoz Thais , Pereira Alice
Published: November 2014

The biogas originated from anaerobic degradation of organic matter in landfills consists basically in CH4, CO2, and H2O. The landfills represent an important depository of organic matter with high energetic potential in Brazil, although with inexpressive use in the present. The estimation of production of the productive rate of biogas represents one of the major difficulties of technical order to the planning of capture system for rational consumption of this resource. The applied geophysics consists in a set of methods and techniques with wide use in environmental and hydrogeological studies. The DC resistivity method is largely applied in environmental diagnosis of the contamination in soil and groundwater, due to the contrast of electrical properties frequent between contaminated areas and the natural environment. This paper aims to evaluate eventual relationships between biogas flows quantified in drains located in the landfill, with characteristic patterns of electrical resistivity in depth. The drain of higher flow (117 m3/h) in depth was characterized for values between 8000 Ω·m and 100.000 Ω·m, in contrast with values below 2000 Ω·m, which characterize in subsurface the drain with less flow (37 m3/h), besides intermediary flow and electrical resistivity values, attributed to the predominance of areas with accumulation or generation of biogas.
Severe Slugging in Air-Water Hybrid Riser System
Authors: Gong Jing , Yang Zhiyuan , Ma Liang , Wang Ping
Published: November 2014

In the subsea pipeline gathering system, severe slugging flow is prone to occur. Severe slugging flow brings major threat to production and flow assurance in oil and gas industry due to periodical pressure oscillation and large liquid volume. Currently many researchers pay much more attention on L-shaped riser, catenaries, and S-shaped riser; little research has been made on hybrid riser, which is applied in the Africa West and Gulf of Mexico oil fields. Flow characteristics simulation for hybrid riser is made in this paper, using the one-dimensional and quasi-equilibrium model to simulate not only the riser-base pressure, severe slugging period, and the liquid slug length of the whole system but also base-pressure in the flexible pipe section. The calculated results match well with the experiment data. Besides, the influence of flexible pipe to the severe slugging characteristics of hybrid riser system is analyzed, which are significant for the determination of riser structure.
Nitric Oxide Mediates Metabolic Coupling of Omentum-Derived Adipose Stroma to Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer Cells
Authors: Salimian Rizi Bahar , Caneba Christine , Nowicka Aleksandra , Nabiyar Ahmad W. , Liu Xinran , Chen Kevin , Klopp Ann , Nagrath Deepak
Published: November 2014

Omental adipose stromal cells (O-ASC) are a multipotent population of mesenchymal stem cells contained in the omentum tissue that promote endometrial and ovarian tumor proliferation, migration, and drug resistance. The mechanistic underpinnings of O-ASCs' role in tumor progression and growth are unclear. Here, we propose a novel nitric oxide (NO)–mediated metabolic coupling between O-ASCs and gynecologic cancer cells in which O-ASCs support NO homeostasis in malignant cells. NO is synthesized endogenously by the conversion of l-arginine into citrulline through nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Through arginine depletion in the media using l-arginase and NOS inhibition in cancer cells using NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), we demonstrate that patient-derived O-ASCs increase NO levels in ovarian and endometrial cancer cells and promote proliferation in these cells. O-ASCs and cancer cell cocultures revealed that cancer cells use O-ASC–secreted arginine and in turn secrete citrulline in the microenvironment. Interestingly, citrulline increased adipogenesis potential of the O-ASCs. Furthermore, we found that O-ASCs increased NO synthesis in cancer cells, leading to decrease in mitochondrial respiration in these cells. Our findings suggest that O-ASCs upregulate glycolysis and reduce oxidative stress in cancer cells by increasing NO levels through paracrine metabolite secretion. Significantly, we found that O-ASC–mediated chemoresistance in cancer cells can be deregulated by altering NO homeostasis. A combined approach of targeting secreted arginine through l-arginase, along with targeting microenvironment-secreted factors using l-NAME, may be a viable therapeutic approach for targeting ovarian and endometrial cancers. Cancer Res; 75(2); 456–71. ©2014 AACR.
HER2 as a Therapeutic Target in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Pollock Netanya I. , Grandis Jennifer R.
Published: November 2014

The majority of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) present with advanced-stage disease. The current standard of care is surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy or chemoradiation alone. The addition of cetuximab for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic HNSCC has improved overall survival and locoregional control; however, responses are often modest, and treatment resistance is common. A variety of therapeutic strategies are being explored to overcome cetuximab resistance by blocking candidate proteins implicated in resistance mechanisms such as HER2. Several HER2 inhibitors are in clinical development for HNSCC, and HER2-targeted therapy has been approved for several cancers. This review focuses on the biology of HER2, its role in cancer development, and the rationale for clinical investigation of HER2 targeting in HNSCC. Clin Cancer Res; 21(3); 526–33. ©2014 AACR.
Induction of Robust Type-I CD8+ T-cell Responses in WHO Grade 2 Low-Grade Glioma Patients Receiving Peptide-Based Vaccines in Combination with Poly-ICLC
Authors: Okada Hideho , Butterfield Lisa H. , Hamilton Ronald L. , Hoji Aki , Sakaki Masashi , Ahn Brian J. , Kohanbash Gary , Drappatz Jan , Engh Johnathan , Amankulor Nduka , Lively Mark O. , Chan Michael D. , Salazar Andres M. , Shaw Edward G. , Potter Douglas M. , Lieberman Frank S.
Published: November 2014

Purpose: WHO grade 2 low-grade gliomas (LGG) with high risk factors for recurrence are mostly lethal despite current treatments. We conducted a phase I study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of subcutaneous vaccinations with synthetic peptides for glioma-associated antigen (GAA) epitopes in HLA-A2+ adults with high-risk LGGs in the following three cohorts: (i) patients without prior progression, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy (RT); (ii) patients without prior progression or chemotherapy but with prior RT; and (iii) recurrent patients.

Experimental Design: GAAs were IL13Rα2, EphA2, WT1, and Survivin. Synthetic peptides were emulsified in Montanide-ISA-51 and given every 3 weeks for eight courses with intramuscular injections of poly-ICLC, followed by q12 week booster vaccines.

Results: Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 enrolled 12, 1, and 10 patients, respectively. No regimen-limiting toxicity was encountered except for one case with grade 3 fever, fatigue, and mood disturbance (cohort 1). ELISPOT assays demonstrated robust IFNγ responses against at least three of the four GAA epitopes in 10 and 4 cases of cohorts 1 and 3, respectively. Cohort 1 patients demonstrated significantly higher IFNγ responses than cohort 3 patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) periods since the first vaccine are 17 months in cohort 1 (range, 10–47+) and 12 months in cohort 3 (range, 3–41+). The only patient with large astrocytoma in cohort 2 has been progression-free for more than 67 months since diagnosis.

Conclusion: The current regimen is well tolerated and induces robust GAA-specific responses in WHO grade 2 glioma patients. These results warrant further evaluations of this approach. Clin Cancer Res; 21(2); 286–94. ©2014 AACR.
Activin Signaling Disruption in the Cochlea Does Not Influence Hearing in Adult Mice
Authors: Horvath Lukas , Bodmer Daniel , Radojevic Vesna , Monge Naldi Arianne
Published: November 2014

Activin, a member of the TGF-F superfamily, was found to play an important role in the development, repair and apoptosis of different tissues and organs. Accordingly, activin signaling is involved in the development of the cochlea. Activin binds to its receptor ActRII, then dimerizes with ActRI and induces a signaling pathway resulting in gene expression. A study reported a case of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva with an unusual mutation in the ActRI gene leading to sensorineural hearing loss. This draws attention to the role of activin and its receptors in the developed cochlea. To date, only the expression of ActRII is known in the adult mammalian cochlea. In this study, we present for the first time the presence of activin A and ActRIB in the adult cochlea. Transgenic mice with postnatal dominant-negative ActRIB expression causing disruption of activin signaling in vivo were used for assessing cochlear morphology and hearing ability through the auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold. Nonfunctioning ActRIB did not affect the ABR thresholds and did not alter the microscopic anatomy of the cochlea. We conclude, therefore, that activin signaling is not necessary for hearing in adult mice under physiological conditions but may be important during and after damaging events in the inner ear. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Comparison of Topical Dorzolamide and Ketorolac Treatment for Cystoid Macular Edema in Retinitis Pigmentosa and Usher's Syndrome
Authors: Lemos Reis Ricardo Filipe , Moreira-Gonçalves Nuno , Estrela Silva Sérgio E. , Brandão Elisete M. , Falcão-Reis Fernando M.
Published: November 2014

Purpose: To investigate the topical effect of dorzolamide versus ketorolac on retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Usher's syndrome (US) macular edema. Methods: Prospective, randomized and interventional study. A total of 28 eyes of 18 patients were included. Five eyes had US, 23 had RP. Fifteen eyes were allocated to ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% (4 drops daily regimen) and 13 eyes to dorzolamide hydrochloride 2% (3 drops daily regimen) treatment groups. Snellen's best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), foveal thickness (FT) and foveal zone thickness (FZT) measured by Stratus® optical coherence tomography (OCT) were evaluated at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Results: Patients assigned to ketorolac had a baseline BCVA of 0.37 ± 0.17 logMAR which improved at the end of 1 year to 0.28 ± 0.16 (p = 0.02). Three eyes (20%) of 2 patients improved by 7 letters or more. Mean FT and FZT did not change significantly during the study follow-up. After 1 year of treatment, 4 eyes (27%) of 3 patients showed an improvement of at least 16% of FT and 11% of FZT. Patients assigned to dorzolamide had a baseline BCVA of 0.48 ± 0.34 logMAR which improved in the first 6 months (0.40 ± 0.30; p = 0.01), with a decrease at 1 year (0.42 ± 0.27; p = 0.20). Seven eyes (54%) of 5 patients had an improvement of 7 letters or more. Mean FT and FZT did not change significantly either. After 1 year of treatment, 3 eyes (23%) of 2 patients showed an improvement of at least 16% on FT and 11% on FZT. Conclusions: Results suggest that dorzolamide and ketorolac might improve visual acuity and therefore be of interest in selected cases. No relationship between retinal thickness fluctuation and visual acuity was found. Sample size was a limitation to the study.
The Mechanism of Ipsilateral Ataxia in Lacunar Hemiparesis: SPECT Perfusion Imaging
Authors: Yamamoto Ryoo , Johkura Ken , Nakae Yoshiharu , Tanaka Fumiaki
Published: November 2014

Background and Purpose: Although ataxic hemiparesis is a common lacunar syndrome, the precise mechanism underlying hemiataxia is not clear. We attempted to identify ataxia-related, cerebral blood flow changes in patients presenting with ataxic hemiparesis after acute capsular infarct. Methods: We used 99mTc-ECD brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography to evaluate regional cerebral blood flow in 12 patients with ataxic hemiparesis caused by capsular infarct, and we compared the regional blood flow of these patients with that of 11 patients with pure motor hemiparesis caused by similar lesions. Results: The ipsilateral red nucleus blood flow was significantly decreased in the ataxic hemiparesis patients, whereas the ipsilateral red nucleus blood flow was increased in the pure motor hemiparesis patients. Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (decreased contralateral cerebellar blood flow) was seen in ataxic hemiparesis patients; similarly, it was seen in pure motor hemiparesis patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ataxia in hemiparetic patients with capsular infarct can be caused by ipsilateral red nucleus dysfunction secondary to cortico-rubral pathway disruption at the internal capsule. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Influence of Lifestyle Factors on Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Dieterich Max , Stubert Johannes , Reimer Toralf , Erickson Nicole , Berling Anika
Published: November 2014

Breast Cancer (BC) is a life-changing event. Compared to other malignancies in women, BC has received considerably more public attention. Despite improved neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and palliative treatment strategies for each characteristic molecular BC subtype, recommendations for evidence-based preventive strategies for BC treatment are not given equivalent attention. This may be partly due to the fact that high-quality long-term prevention studies are still difficult to carry out and are thus underrepresented in international studies. The aim of this review is to discuss the most relevant lifestyle factors associated with BC and to identify and discuss the evidence supporting practical prevention strategies that can be used in everyday clinical practice.
Stroke as the First Clinical Manifestation of Takayasu's Arteritis
Authors: Caldeira Pereira Vanessa , Clayton Macedo de Freitas Carlos , José Luvizutto Gustavo , Lima Sobreira Marcone , Escobar Bueno Peixoto Daniel , do Nascimento Magalhães Inaldo , Bazan Rodrigo , Pereira Braga Gabriel
Published: November 2014

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and neurological symptoms occur in 50% of cases, most commonly including headache, dizziness, visual disturbances, convulsive crisis, transient ischemic attack, stroke and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The aim of this study was to report the case of a young Brazilian female with a focal neurological deficit. She presented with asymmetry of brachial and radial pulses, aphasia, dysarthria and right hemiplegia. Stroke was investigated extensively in this young patient. Only nonspecific inflammatory markers such as velocity of hemosedimentation and C-reactive protein were elevated. During hospitalization, clinical treatment was performed with pulse therapy showing improvement in neurological recuperation on subsequent days. In the chronic phase, the patient was submitted to medicated angioplasty of the brachiocephalic trunk with paclitaxel, with significant improvement of the stenosis. At the 6-month follow-up, the neurological exam presented mild dysarthria, faciobrachial predominant disproportionate hemiparesis, an NIHSS score of 4 and a modified Rankin Scale score of 3 (moderate incapacity). In conclusion, Takayasu's arteritis must be recognized as a potential cause of ischemic stroke in young females.
A Case of Laparoscopic Ureteric Reimplantation in a Solitary Urinary System
Authors: Pang Karl H. , Miah Saiful , Haynes Mark D. , Oakley Neil E.
Published: November 2014

Ureteric strictures can be caused by traumatic pelvic surgery, urolithiasis and instrumentation. There are various treatment options for ureteric stricture, including laparoscopic ureteric reimplantation. A 56-year-old female with a history of chronic left pelviureteric junction obstruction presented with urosepsis secondary to right-sided urolithiasis. The patient had a left nephrectomy and developed right-sided ureteric stricture following repeated ureteroscopy to manage her stone disease. The treatment with ureteric stenting was unsuccessful. Here we present a case on the feasibility of laparoscopic reimplantation for ureteric stricture in a solitary kidney to preserve renal function and avoid further ureteroscopy or nephrostomies.