bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishment, Culture, and Characterization of Guinea Pig Fetal Fibroblast Cell
Authors: Mehrabani Davood , Mahboobi Reza , Dianatpour Mehdi , Zare Shahrokh , Tamadon Amin , Hosseini Seyed Ebrahim
Published: March 2014

Establishment of Guinea pig fetal fibroblast cells and their biological evaluation before and after cryopreservation were the main purposes of this study. After determination of the proper age of pregnancy by ultrasonography, 30 days old fetuses of Guinea pigs were recovered. Their skins were cut into small pieces (1 mm2) and were cultured. When reaching 80–90% confluence, the cells were passaged. Cells of the second and eighth passages were cultured in 24-well plates (4×104cells/well) for 6 days and three wells per day were counted. The average cell counts at each time point were then plotted against time and the population doubling time (PDT) was determined. Then, vials of cells (2×106cells/mL) were cryopreserved for 1 month and after thawing, the cell viability was evaluated. The PDT of the second passage was about 23 h and for the eighth passage was about 30 h. The viability of the cultures was 95% in the second passage and 74.5% in the eighth passage. It was shown that the Guinea pig fetal fibroblast cell culture can be established using the adherent culture method while, after freezing, the viability indices of these cells were favorable.
Trend Analysis of Visceral Leishmaniasis at Addis Zemen Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Wondimeneh Yitayih , Takele Yegnasew , Atnafu Asmamaw , Ferede Getachew , Muluye Dagnachew
Published: March 2014

Background.Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic disease caused by theLeishmania donovanicomplex. It is one of the fatal diseases if left untreated. In Ethiopia, there are many VL endemic foci. The aim of this study was to determine the trends of VL in the study area.Methodology.A retrospective study was conducted at Addis Zemen health center from September 2005 to August 2011. Data were collected from laboratory registration book and entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20 software andPvalue of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.Result.A total of 7161 VL suspected cases were reported in the study area. The overall prevalence of VL was 2801 (39.1%). Of the 2801 VL positive cases, the highest annual prevalence, 988 (46.8%), was reported in 2005 but the trend gradually decreases. Majority of the VL confirmed cases were in the age groups of 5–14 years and males were more affected.Conclusion.The prevalence of VL in the study area was high in early 2005 but, gradually, the trend has been decreased and it becomes one of VL endemic foci in Ethiopia.
A Hybrid Algorithm for Clustering of Time Series Data Based on Affinity Search Technique
Authors: Aghabozorgi Saeed , Ying Wah Teh , Herawan Tutut , Jalab Hamid A. , Shaygan Mohammad Amin , Jalali Alireza
Published: March 2014

Time series clustering is an important solution to various problems in numerous fields of research, including business, medical science, and finance. However, conventional clustering algorithms are not practical for time series data because they are essentially designed for static data. This impracticality results in poor clustering accuracy in several systems. In this paper, a new hybrid clustering algorithm is proposed based on the similarity in shape of time series data. Time series data are first grouped as subclusters based on similarity in time. The subclusters are then merged using thek-Medoids algorithm based on similarity in shape. This model has two contributions: (1) it is more accurate than other conventional and hybrid approaches and (2) it determines the similarity in shape among time series data with a low complexity. To evaluate the accuracy of the proposed model, the model is tested extensively using syntactic and real-world time series datasets.
Orthogonal Design Method for Optimizing Roughly Designed Antenna
Authors: Zhang Qing , Zeng Sanyou , Wu Chunbang
Published: March 2014

Orthogonal design method (ODM) is widely used in real world application while it is not used for antenna design yet. It is employed to optimize roughly designed antenna in this paper. The geometrical factors of the antenna are relaxed within specific region and each factor is divided into some levels, and the performance of the antenna is constructed as objective. Then the ODM samples small number of antennas over the relaxed space and finds a prospective antenna. In an experiment of designing ST5 satellite miniantenna, we first get a roughly evolved antenna. The reason why we evolve roughly is because the evolving is time consuming even if numerical electromagnetics code 2 (NEC2) is employed (NEC2 source code is openly available and is fast in wire antenna simulation but not much feasible). Then the ODM method is employed to locally optimize the antenna with HFSS (HFSS is a commercial and feasible electromagnetics simulation software). The result shows the ODM optimizes successfully the roughly evolved antenna.
Hepatoprotective Effects of Silybum marianum (Silymarin) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (Glycyrrhizin) in Combination: A Possible Synergy
Authors: Rasool Mahmood , Iqbal Javed , Malik Arif , Ramzan Hafiza Sobia , Qureshi Muhammad Saeed , Asif Muhammad , Qazi Mahmood Husain , Kamal Mohammad Amjad , Chaudhary Adeel Gulzar Ahmed , Al-Qahtani Mohammed Hussain , Gan Siew Hua , Karim Sajjad
Published: March 2014

Oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and transaminase reactions are some of the mechanisms that can lead to liver dysfunction. A time‐dependent study was designed to evaluate the ability of silymarin (SLN) and glycyrrhizin (GLN) in different dosage regimens to lessen oxidative stress in the rats with hepatic injury caused by the hepatotoxin carbon tetrachloride. Wistar male albino rats (n = 60) were randomly assigned to six groups. Group A served as a positive control while groups B, C, D, E, and F received a dose of CCl4 (50% solution of CCl4 in liquid paraffin, 2 mL/kg, intraperitoneally) twice a week to induce hepatic injury. Additionally, the animals received SLN and GLN in different doses for a period of six weeks. CCl4 was found to induce hepatic injury by significantly increasing serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances while decreasing total protein and the activities of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. Treatment with various doses of SLN and GLN significantly reduced ALT, AST, ALP, and TBARS levels and increased GSH, SOD, and CAT levels. Our findings indicated that SLN and GLN have hepatoprotective effects against oxidative stress of the liver.
Property-Based Anonymous Attestation in Trusted Cloud Computing
Authors: Ning Zhen-Hu , Jiang Wei , Zhan Jing , Liang Peng
Published: March 2014

In the remote attestation on Trusted Computer (TC) computing mode TCCP, the trusted computer TC has an excessive burden, and anonymity and platform configuration information security of computing nodes cannot be guaranteed. To overcome these defects, based on the research on and analysis of current schemes, we propose an anonymous proof protocol based on property certificate. The platform configuration information is converted by the matrix algorithm into the property certificate, and the remote attestation is implemented by trusted ring signature scheme based on Strong RSA Assumption. By the trusted ring signature scheme based on property certificate, we achieve the anonymity of computing nodes and prevent the leakage of platform configuration information. By simulation, we obtain the computational efficiency of the scheme. We also expand the protocol and obtain the anonymous attestation based on ECC. By scenario comparison, we obtain the trusted ring signature scheme based on RSA, which has advantages with the growth of the ring numbers.
Effect of Mn‐Site for Al Substitution on Structural, Electrical and Magnetic Properties in La0.67Sr0.33Mn1−xAlxO3 Thin Films by Sol‐Gel Method
Authors: Abdullah H. , Zulfakar M. Syafiq , Chen S. Kien
Published: March 2014

Nanocrystalline La0.67Sr0.33Mn1−xAlxO3 (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25) thin films have been prepared on quartz substrates by sol‐gel method. The structural and morphology studies were investigated via X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). XRD graph patterns show rhombohedral distorted perovskite structures. FESEM images show that the average grain size decreased as the concentration of x increased. Electrical property was investigated using four‐point probe technique. Resistivity results show that metal‐insulator transition (MIT) temperatures (Tp) decreased when the concentration of x increased. Tp shifted to lower temperature when the concentration of x increased. The data was analyzed based on theoretical models, where the ferromagnetic resistivity is followed with the equation ρ = ρo + ρ2T2, where ρo is due to the significance of grain boundary effects and a second‐term ~ρ2T2 appears that might be applied to the electrons scattering. In the high temperature regime (T > Tp), the resistivity data can be well described by small polaron hopping (SPH) and variable range hopping (VRH) mechanisms. Magnetic property was investigated using a vibration sample magnetometer. All samples that were obtained showed hysteresis curve with the highest value of magnetization for sample x = 0.10.
User-Independent Activity Recognition via Three-Stage GA-Based Feature Selection
Authors: Saputri Theresia Ratih Dewi , Khan Adil Mehmood , Lee Seok-Won
Published: March 2014

Advancement in wireless sensor networks gave birth to applications that can provide friendly and intelligent services based on the recognition of human activities. Although the technology supports monitoring activity patterns, enabling applications to recognize activities user-independently is still a main concern. Achieving this goal is tough for two reasons: firstly, different people exhibit different physical patterns for the same activity due to their different behavior. Secondly, different activities performed by the same person could have different underlying models. Therefore, it is unwise to recognize different activities using the same features. This work presents a solution to this problem. The proposed system uses simple time domain features with a single neural network and a three-stage genetic algorithm-based feature selection method for accurate user-independent activity recognition. System evaluation is carried out for six activities in a user-independent setting using 27 subjects. Recognition performance is also compared with well-known existing methods. Average accuracy of 93% in these experiments shows the feasibility of using our method for subject-independent human activity recognition.
Postoperative Pharyngolaryngeal Adverse Events with Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA Supreme) in Laparoscopic Surgical Procedures with Cuff Pressure Limiting 25 cmH2O: Prospective, Blind, and Randomised Study
Authors: Kang Joo-Eun , Oh Chung-Sik , Choi Jae Won , Son Il Soon , Kim Seong-Hyop
Published: March 2014

To reduce the incidence of postoperative pharyngolaryngeal adverse events, laryngeal mask airway (LMA) manufacturers recommend maximum cuff pressures not exceeding 60 cmH2O. We performed a prospective randomised study, comparing efficacy and adverse events among patients undergoing laparoscopic surgical procedures who were allocated randomly into low (limiting 25 cmH2O, L group) and high (at 60 cmH2O, H group) LMA cuff pressure groups with LMA Supreme. Postoperative pharyngolaryngeal adverse events were evaluated at discharge from postanaesthetic care unit (PACU) (postoperative day 1, POD 1) and 24 hours after discharge from PACU (postoperative day 2, POD 2). All patients were well tolerated with LMA without ventilation failure. Before pneumoperitoneum, cuff volume and pressure and oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP) showed significant differences. Postoperative sore throat at POD 2 (3 versus 12 patients) and postoperative dysphagia at POD 1 and POD 2 (0 versus 4 patients at POD 1; 0 versus 4 patients at POD 2) were significantly lower in L group, compared with H group. In conclusion, LMA with cuff pressure limiting 25 cmH2O allowed both efficacy of airway management and lower incidence of postoperative adverse events in laparoscopic surgical procedures. This clinical trial is registered withKCT0000334.
Multiple Positive Periodic Solutions for Functional Differential Equations with Impulses and a Parameter
Authors: Luo Zhenguo
Published: March 2014

We apply the Krasnoselskii fixed-point theorem to investigate the existence of multiple positive periodic solutions for a class of impulsive functional differential equations with a parameter; some verifiable sufficient results are established easily. In particular, our results extend and improve some previous results.
Improved Energy Detector with Weights for Primary User Status Changes in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Xie Xianzhong , Hu Xiaofeng , Ma Bin , Song Ting
Published: March 2014

This paper presents an improved energy detector (ED) with weights to improve detection performance in this situation that the primary user's status changes as arriving or leaving randomly in cognitive radio networks. The idea is derived from the concept of unequal scale sampling such that the instantaneous energy statistic of the sampling points in the sensing period is endowed with monotonic weights. The probabilities of false alarm and detection for our ED are deduced under the new detection model. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed ED offers better detection performances with a reduced probability of false alarm compared to conventional ED, and improved energy detector can improve the overall probabilities of detection, when spectrum sensing is performed for a network with high traffic.
HIF-1αhad Pivotal Effects on Downregulation of miR-210 Decreasing Viability and Inducing Apoptosis in Hypoxic Chondrocytes
Authors: Chang Zhiqiang , Huo Lifeng , Wu Yimin , Zhang Pei
Published: March 2014

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and some microRNA (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in response to hypoxia-related physiologic and pathophysiologic responses. Up to date, the regulatory mechanisms of these molecules were largely unknown in chondrocytes. In this study, to study the mechanisms of degradation and homeostasis of chondrocytes, the effects of miRNAs and HIF-1αon chondrocytes in physiologic environment were investigated. We found that the overexpression of miR-210 and HIF-1αwas present on hypoxia in C28/I2 human chondrocytes significantly by qRT-PCR and western plot. Further study displayed that miR-210 played positive role as a promoter in regulation and its regulated molecules (bcl-xl and PHD-2) in C28/I2 cells on hypoxia by silenced miR-210, silenced HIF-1α, and adding miR-210. Moreover, downregulated miR-210 could significantly repress the viability and increase the apoptosis in C28/I2 cells on hypoxia, compared to those on normoxia. Furthermore, miR-210 could not modulate viability and apoptosis in C28/I2 cells with the HIF-1αknockdown on hypoxia and normoxia. Taken together, this study demonstrated that the MiR-210 was involved in an HIF-1α-dependent way in C28/I2 human chondrocytes for the first time. It also suggested that miR-210 downregulation decreased viability and induced apoptosis in hypoxic chondrocytes depending on HIF-1α.
Evaluation of Traditional Medicines for Neurodegenerative Diseases Using Drosophila Models
Authors: Lee Soojin , Bang Se Min , Lee Joon Woo , Cho Kyoung Sang
Published: March 2014

Drosophila is one of the oldest and most powerful genetic models and has led to novel insights into a variety of biological processes. Recently, Drosophila has emerged as a model system to study human diseases, including several important neurodegenerative diseases. Because of the genomic similarity between Drosophila and humans, Drosophila neurodegenerative disease models exhibit a variety of human‐disease‐like phenotypes, facilitating fast and cost‐effective in vivo genetic modifier screening and drug evaluation. Using these models, many disease‐associated genetic factors have been identified, leading to the identification of compelling drug candidates. Recently, the safety and efficacy of traditional medicines for human diseases have been evaluated in various animal disease models. Despite the advantages of the Drosophila model, its usage in the evaluation of traditional medicines is only nascent. Here, we introduce the Drosophila model for neurodegenerative diseases and some examples demonstrating the successful application of Drosophila models in the evaluation of traditional medicines.
Antitumor Activity of 7-Aminocarboxycoumarin Derivatives, a New Class of Potent Inhibitors of Lactate Influx but Not Efflux
Authors: Draoui Nihed , Schicke Olivier , Seront Emmanuel , Bouzin Caroline , Sonveaux Pierre , Riant Olivier , Feron Olivier
Published: March 2014

High lactate concentration in tumors is associated with bad prognosis. Lactate is released by glycolytic cells in tumors and recaptured by oxidative cancer cells to feed the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle after conversion into pyruvate. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) mediate these fluxes of proton-linked lactate and represent attractive targets to interrupt lactate shuttle and to inhibit tumor growth. Here, we investigated the properties of 7-aminocarboxycoumarins (7ACC) developed to selectively interfere with lactate fluxes in the lactate-rich tumor microenvironment. The pharmacologic properties of two compounds of this family, including their effects on lactate influx and efflux and antitumor activity, were investigated using human cancer cell lines and mouse xenograft models. Contrary to the reference MCT1 inhibitor AR-C155858, 7ACC unexpectedly inhibited lactate influx but not efflux in tumor cells expressing MCT1 and MCT4 transporters. 7ACC delayed the growth of cervix SiHa tumors, colorectal HCT116 tumors, and orthoptopic MCF-7 breast tumors. MCT target engagement was confirmed by the lack of activity of 7ACC on bladder UM-UC-3 carcinoma that does not express functional MCT. 7ACC also inhibited SiHa tumor relapse after treatment with cisplatin. Finally, we found that contrary to AR-C155858, 7ACC did not prevent the cell entry of the substrate-mimetic drug 3-bromopyruvate (3BP) through MCT1, and contributed to the inhibition of tumor relapse after 3BP treatment. In conclusion, our results indicate that 7ACC selectively affects a single part of the MCT symporter translocation cycle, leading to strict inhibition of lactate influx. This singular activity is associated with antitumor effects less prone to resistance and side effects. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(6); 1410–8. ©2014 AACR.
Phase 2 study of TAK-442, an oral factor Xa inhibitor, in patients following acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Bates Eric R. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Cao Charlie , Holmes David , Kupfer Stuart , Martinez Felipe , Spaeder Jeffrey , Weitz Jeffrey I. , Ye Zhan , Zannad Faiez , Goldstein Sidney ,   the AXIOM Investigators
Published: March 2014

TAK-442 is an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor. We sought to determine the dose-dependent effect of TAK-442 on major bleeding when added to standard treatment in stabilised patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this phase II double-blind study, 2,753 ACS patients were randomised to TAK-442 or placebo in addition to usual care using a three-stage adaptive design. Patients were randomised to placebo in all stages, but doses of TAK-442 escalated from 10 mg BID, 20 mg twice-daily (BID), or 40 mg once-daily (QD) in stage 1; to 40 mg BID, 80 mg QD, or 80 mg BID in stage 2; and to 160 mg QD or 120 mg BID in stage 3. Study drug was started 36 hours after emergent treatment of ACS and within seven days of admission, and continued for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was incidence of TIMI (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction) major bleeding. TIMI major bleeding incidence was low, but higher with the pooled TAK-442 doses than with placebo (17 [0.9%] vs 4 [0.5%]; p=0.47), although the difference was neither significant nor dose-dependent. However, a dose response was evident when using the modified ISTH scale. The incidence of cardiovascular events was similar among TAK-442 dose groups and placebo. When administered over a wide range of doses after an ACS event, TAK-442 treatment did not result in a dose-dependent increase in TIMI major bleeding, but increased bleeding was observed when a more sensitive bleeding scale was used. There was no evidence for efficacy.
Does the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay overestimate “therapeutic response” to clopidogrel?
Authors: Khanna Vikram , Hobson Alex , Mikael Rand , Sambu Nalyaka , Englyst Nicola , Curzen Nick
Published: March 2014

In contrast to short thrombelastography (s-TEG) which utilises adenosine diphosphate (ADP) alone, the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (VN-P2Y12) additionally uses prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) as agonist to assess response to P2Y12 inhibitors. Based upon previous observations, we hypothesised that VN-P2Y12 overestimates the therapeutic effects of clopidogrel. Simultaneous assay with s-TEG and VN-P2Y12 was performed in 43 healthy volunteers and 170 patients either on or off clopidogrel. Furthermore, in 27 patients on clopidogrel 75 mg we compared the effects of adding 22 nM PGE1 to ADP on platelet aggregation in s-TEG to ADP alone. A higher proportion of individuals had a result indicating high platelet reactivity (HPR) with s-TEG than VN-P2Y12 in (i) 43 clopidogrel naïve volunteers (95.3% vs 81.4%, p = NS); (ii) 28 volunteers loaded with clopidogrel 600 mg (39.3% vs 10.7 %, p = < 0.01); (iii) 123 clopidogrel naïve patients (93.5% vs 78%, p = < 0.0001); (iv) 47 patients on clopidogrel 75 mg (42.6% vs 4.3%, p = < 0.0001). In 59 patients loaded with clopidogrel 600 mg/900 mg, a greater proportion had a “therapeutic response” with VN-P2Y12 compared to s-TEG, regardless of the threshold for defining HPR with VN-PY12 (P2Y12 reaction units ≥ 230 or 208). Furthermore, adding PGE1 to ADP in s-TEG potentiated the anti-aggregatory effects of clopidogrel compared with ADP alone. In conclusion, VN-P2Y12 overestimates the functional effects of clopidogrel in some individuals, possibly because it utilises PGE1 in addition to ADP. This could have implications for the ability of VN-P2Y12 to stratify patients as “responders” or “non-responders” to clopidogrel.
Analysis of the expression of nine secreted matrix metalloproteinases and their endogenous inhibitors in the brain of mice subjected to ischaemic stroke
Authors: Lenglet Sébastien , Montecucco Fabrizio , Mach François , Schaller Karl , Gasche Yvan , Copin Jean-Christophe
Published: March 2014

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of more than twenty secreted and cell-surface endopeptidases. Among them, MMP2, MMP3 and MMP9 are involved in blood-brain barrier injury and neuronal death after cerebral ischaemia. On the other hand, very little is known about the expression of the other secreted MMPs. Herein, we compared the global changes in MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP7, MMP8, MMP9, MMP10, MMP12 and MMP13, and their endogenous inhibitors TIMP1 and TIMP2, both at the mRNA and protein levels, during the hyperacute (6 h), acute (24 h) and subacute (72 h) stages following transient focal cerebral ischaemia and treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). We observed a significant increase in MMP1, MMP2, MMP9, MMP10, MMP13 and TIMP1 levels during the acute stage of reperfusion, which was further amplified during the subacute stage for MMP1, MMP2, MMP10 and TIMP1. In general, no change of MMP3, MMP7, MMP8, MMP12 and TIMP2 was observed. However, rtPA treatment induced a rapid increase in MMP1/TIMP2, MMP2/TIMP2, MMP8/TIMP2 and MMP9/TIMP2 ratios during the hyperacute stage of reperfusion compared to saline treatment, which may have potential implications in the early disruption of the blood-brain barrier after rtPA treatment.
Carbonic Anhydrase Activation Is Associated With Worsened Pathological Remodeling in Human Ischemic Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Torella Daniele , Ellison Georgina M. , Torella Michele , Vicinanza Carla , Aquila Iolanda , Iaconetti Claudio , Scalise Mariangela , Marino Fabiola , Henning Beverley J. , Lewis Fiona C. , Gareri Clarice , Lascar Nadia , Cuda Giovanni , Salvatore Teresa , Nappi Gianantonio , Indolfi Ciro , Torella Roberto , Cozzolino Domenico , Sasso Ferdinando Carlo
Published: March 2014

Background

Diabetes mellitus (
DM
) has multifactorial detrimental effects on myocardial tissue. Recently, carbonic anhydrases (
CAs
) have been shown to play a major role in diabetic microangiopathy but their role in the diabetic cardiomyopathy is still unknown.

Methods and Results

We obtained left ventricular samples from patients with
DM
type 2 (DM‐T2) and nondiabetic (
NDM
) patients with postinfarct heart failure who were undergoing surgical coronary revascularization. Myocardial levels of
CA
‐I and CA‐
II
were 6‐ and 11‐fold higher, respectively, in
DM
‐T2 versus
NDM
patients. Elevated
CA
‐I expression was mainly localized in the cardiac interstitium and endothelial cells.
CA
‐I induced by high glucose levels hampers endothelial cell permeability and determines endothelial cell apoptosis in vitro. Accordingly, capillary density was significantly lower in the
DM
‐T2 myocardial samples (mean±
SE
=2152±146 versus 4545±211/mm
2
). On the other hand, CA‐II was mainly upregulated in cardiomyocytes. The latter was associated with sodium‐hydrogen exchanger‐1 hyperphosphorylation, exaggerated myocyte hypertrophy (cross‐sectional area 565±34 versus 412±27 μm
2
), and apoptotic death (830±54 versus 470±34 per 10
6
myocytes) in
DM
‐T2 versus
NDM
patients. CA‐II is activated by high glucose levels and directly induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and death in vitro, which are prevented by sodium‐hydrogen exchanger‐1 inhibition. CA‐II was shown to be a direct target for repression by micro
RNA
‐23b, which was downregulated in myocardial samples from
DM
‐T2 patients. MicroRNA‐23b is regulated by p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase, and it modulates high‐glucose CA‐II–dependent effects on cardiomyocyte survival in vitro.

Conclusions

Myocardial
CA
activation is significantly elevated in human diabetic ischemic cardiomyopathy. These data may open new avenues for targeted treatment of diabetic heart failure.
Between Thought and Expression, a Magnetoencephalography Study of the “Tip-of-the-Tongue” Phenomenon
Authors: Resnik Karmen , Bradbury David , Barnes Gareth R. , Leff Alex P.
Published: March 2014

“Tip-of-the-tongue” (TOT) is the phenomenon associated with the inaccessibility of a known word from memory. It is universally experienced, increases in frequency with age, and is most common for proper nouns. It is a good model for the symptom of anomia experienced much more frequently by some aphasic patients following brain injury. Here, we induced the TOT state in older participants while they underwent brain scanning with magnetoencephalography to investigate the changes in oscillatory brain activity associated with failed retrieval of known words. Using confrontation naming of pictures of celebrities, we successfully induced the TOT state in 29% of trials and contrasted it with two other states: “Know” where the participants both correctly recognized the celebrity's face and retrieved their name and “Don't Know” when the participants did not recognize the celebrity. We wished to test Levelt's influential model of speech output by carrying out two analyses, one epoching the data to the point in time when the picture was displayed and the other looking back in time from when the participants first articulated their responses. Our main findings supported the components of Levelt's model, but not their serial activation over time as both semantic and motor areas were identified in both analyses. We also found enduring decreases in the alpha frequency band in the left ventral temporal region during the TOT state, suggesting ongoing semantic search. Finally, we identified reduced beta power in classical peri-sylvian language areas for the TOT condition, suggesting that brain regions that encode linguistic memories are also involved in their attempted retrieval.
The Initiation and Developing Mechanisms of Central Pacific El Niños
Authors: Su Jingzhi , Li Tim , Zhang Renhe
Published: March 2014

The initiation and developing mechanisms of four major central Pacific (CP) El Niño events in 1994, 2002, 2004, and 2009 were investigated by analyzing oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis data. A mixed layer heat budget analysis was conducted and the result shows that the initiation mechanism of the 1994 CP El Niño is very different from other CP El Niños in 2000s, while the developing mechanisms are similar among these events. The initial sea surface temperature (SST) warming of the 1994 El Niño was caused by enhanced solar radiation, which was related to atmospheric meridional overturning circulation in association with positive SST anomaly forcing in the subtropical Pacific. The subtropical SST anomalies also induced anticyclonic surface wind stress curl anomalies, which caused the formation of subsurface warmer waters in the off-equatorial regions. The off-equatorial subsurface warmer waters were transported farther equatorward by the mean subsurface ocean currents, leading to the subsurface warming in the central equatorial Pacific. The deepened thermocline anomaly at the equator further promoted a positive advective and thermocline feedback so that the SST anomaly grew. During the initiation phase of the 2000s El Niños, ocean dynamics played a dominant role, while the effect of surface heat flux anomalies was minor. Preexisting subsurface warmer waters appeared in the equatorial region during their initiation phases. Such subsurface anomalies can cause the SST warming in the central Pacific through induced anomalous eastward zonal currents that advect high mean SST eastward. This positive zonal advective feedback, along with a positive thermocline feedback, continued to warm the local SST throughout the developing phase of the 2000s El Niño events.
Residual Flows in Cook Strait, a Large Tidally Dominated Strait
Authors: Stevens Craig
Published: March 2014

Flows at subtidal frequencies are resolved from 20 months of current observations at multiple sites across the narrows of Cook Strait, New Zealand. The substantial tidal flows (spring tides >3 m s−1) are challenging to measure with moored ADCPs. Along-strait residual flows are on the order of 0.05–0.1 m s−1, but there were differences across the strait and also through the annual cycle. The calculated net residual transport is −0.25 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) (i.e., negative sign implies to the south, from Tasman Sea to Pacific Ocean). This is smaller (by a factor of 2–3) than that estimated from previous sparse current measurements. Crucially, however, these new data also suggest that, over the austral summer–autumn period, there is persistent residual flow northward on the western side of the strait so that the summer–autumn net −0.15-Sv flow can be separated into +0.065-Sv westside and −0. 22-Sv eastside flow. This western northward flow had a seasonal bias, appearing only in the summer–autumn period. The observations also show persistent temperature stratification on the order of 2°C over the full depth of the water column in this late summer–autumn period. An implication is that there is vertical shear influencing the residual flow estimates. A range of exchange flow scenarios are considered with the most extreme indicating that the flow on the western side of the strait in the January–June period might be as much as +0.08 Sv northward. This has substantial implications for regional circulation as well as for the nutrient supply for the nearby Marlborough Sounds.
EASI: An Air–Sea Interaction Buoy for High Winds
Authors: Drennan W. M. , Graber H. C. , Collins C. O. , Herrera A. , Potter H. , Ramos R. J. , Williams N. J.
Published: March 2014

This paper describes the new Extreme Air–Sea Interaction (EASI) buoy designed to measure direct air–sea fluxes, as well as mean properties of the lower atmosphere, upper ocean, and surface waves in high wind and wave conditions. The design of the buoy and its associated deep-water mooring are discussed. The performance of EASI during its 2010 deployment off Taiwan, where three typhoons were encountered, is summarized.
Aerial Imaging of Fluorescent Dye in the Near Shore
Authors: Clark David B. , Lenain Luc , Feddersen Falk , Boss Emmanuel , Guza R. T.
Published: March 2014

Aerial images are used to quantify the concentration of fluorescent Rhodamine water tracing (WT) dye in turbid and optically deep water. Tracer releases near the shoreline of an ocean beach and near a tidal inlet were observed with a two-band multispectral camera and a pushbroom hyperspectral imager, respectively. The aerial observations are compared with near-surface in situ measurements. The ratio of upwelling radiance near the Rhodamine WT excitation and emission peaks varies linearly with the in situ dye concentrations for concentrations <20 ppb (r2 = 0.70 and r2 = 0.85–0.88 at the beach and inlet, respectively). The linear relationship allows for relative tracer concentration estimates without in situ calibration. The O(1 m) image pixels resolve complex flow structures on the inner shelf that transport and mix tracer.
The Effect of Different Angiolytic Lasers on Resolution of Subepithelial Mucosal Hematoma in an Animal Model
Authors: Novakovic Daniel , D’Elia Joanna , Branski Ryan C. , Blitzer Andrew
Published: March 2014

Objective:

Vocal fold hematoma is traditionally managed with a period of voice rest, in the order of weeks, to allow natural resolution. This study is designed to examine the efficacy and safety of a number of hemoglobin-avid (vascular) lasers when used in the setting of acute vocal fold hematoma.

Methods:

Venous blood drawn from 4 white rabbits was used to create an array of subepithelial hematomas in the buccal cavities of each animal. Laser energy from 1 of 3 different lasers (532-nm pulsed potassium titanyl phosphate [KTP], 532-nm diode KTP, and 940-nm diode laser) was applied to each of the test hematomas at varying energy levels. Hematoma sites were photographed at days 0, 1, 5, 7, 9, and 12. Two animals were sacrificed on day 7 and the remainder on day 12. Histological evaluation of collateral tissue damage and residual hematoma was performed on biopsy specimens.

Results:

Macroscopic and microscopic ulceration at laser-treated sites was mostly resolved by day 7. Inflammatory cell infiltrate was present in laser-treated and hematoma-only sites. Laser-treated samples showed alterations in vascularity.

Conclusion:

Hemoglobin-avid lasers may be beneficial in accelerating subepithelial hematoma resolution with a favorable tissue damage profile.
Does the kidney injury molecule-1 predict cisplatin-induced kidney injury in early stage?
Authors: Tekce Buket Kin , Uyeturk Ummugul , Tekce Hikmet , Uyeturk Ugur , Aktas Gulali , Akkaya Akcan
Published: March 2014

Background

It is not possible to diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI) in early stages with traditional biomarkers. Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a novel biomarker promising the diagnosis of AKI in early stages. We studied whether urinary and serum KIM-1 (KIM-1 U and KIM-1 S) concentrations were useful in predicting cisplatin-induced AKI in early stages.

Methods

We prospectively analysed 22 patients on cisplatin treatment. KIM-1 S and KIM-1 U concentrations were assessed in the samples of the patients on four different time periods (before treatment [BT], first [AT1], third [AT3] and fifth [AT5] day after treatment).

Results

KIM-1 U concentrations on the first day after cisplatin treatment in patients with AKI were significantly increased compared to both KIM-1 U concentrations of the same patients BT ( P = 0.009) and to AT1-KIM-1 U concentrations of the patients without AKI ( P = 0.008). A receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that AT1-KIM-1 U concentrations may predict AKI with an 87.5% sensitivity and 93.3% specificity (area under the curve = 0.94). KIM-1 S concentrations were not significantly changed between BT and AT periods.

Conclusions

KIM-1 U concentrations may predict cisplatin-induced AKI in early stages with high sensitivity and specificity.
Prescription of Home Oxygen Therapy to Very Low Birth Weight Infants in Germany
Authors: Peter Corinna , Boberski Beke , Bohnhorst Bettina , Pirr Sabine
Published: March 2014

Objective. There is no consensus on prescription of home oxygen therapy to infants in Germany. We hypothesized that this causes considerable variability in prescribing home oxygen to infants. Study Design. A structured questionnaire involving management of home oxygen therapy was sent to all German pediatric departments (n = 293). Results. Response rate was 84% (247/293). SpO2 cutoff values below which oxygen therapy was considered indicated showed a wide range (80% to 94%, mean 90%). Respondents admitting >50 very low birth weight infants annually significantly more frequently prescribed home oxygen ( P < .001) and aimed for SpO2 levels closer to the physiological range than those admitting less very low birth weight infants ( P = .046). Conclusion. Management of pediatric home oxygen therapy is diverse in Germany. Optimal SpO2 targets have to be further investigated by controlled studies and German guidelines should be established. Until then practice should abide by existing foreign guidelines.
Visualization of foaming phenomena in thermoplastic injection molding process
Authors: Ahmadzai Ahmadzia , Behravesh Amir Hossein , Sarabi Majid Tabkhpaz , Shahi Peyman
Published: March 2014

The present study focuses on visualization analysis of foaming mechanisms in foam injection molding process. A novel approach in mold design is introduced to take advantages of concepts such as counter-pressure and mold opening to further extension of expansion range, a visual mold with a rectangular cavity was designed and manufactured to observe the effectiveness of this approach. The mold consists of a main cavity and an over-flow well connected together via a secondary gate of variable sizes. The selected processing parameters were gate width and part thickness. The observation clearly showed the development of melt frontier and gas escape, which were affected by varying the selected parameters. The results showed that the relative bulk density and cell diameter decreased and cell population density increased as the optimum gate width (7 mm) was employed.
EFL Learners’ Incidental Acquisition of English Prepositions through Enhanced Extensive Reading Instruction
Authors: Song Jayoung , Sardegna Veronica Gabriela
Published: March 2014

This study investigated whether enhanced extensive reading contributed to significant gains on the incidental acquisition of English prepositions. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) secondary school students in Korea ( N=12) received enhanced extensive reading instruction for one semester in an after-school program. Pre- and post-achievement scores on preposition use revealed that this group exhibited gains in noticing and correcting wrong prepositions, and on producing correct prepositions. However, pre- and post- achievement scores drawn from a comparable group not receiving the additional instruction ( N=12) exhibited small gains only in noticing wrong prepositions in sentences. Students’ responses to retrospective interviews provided evidence for five factors likely to affect the acquisition of English prepositions through enhanced extensive reading: increased reading comprehension, increased vocabulary knowledge, frequent encounters of prepositions in meaningful contexts, increased intuition for preposition use, and opportunities to use the newly taken input in output activities. These results suggested that enhanced extensive reading can effectively contribute to EFL secondary school students’ incidental acquisition of English prepositions.
Preparing Business Vocabulary for the ESP Classroom
Authors: Tangpijaikul Montri
Published: March 2014

This research combines corpus-based and intuition-based approaches in developing a list of important words in business news that Thai learners of business English need to know. The Thai corpus of English for Business and Economic News (Thai-EBEN) has been compiled from English business news articles in the Thai press. A computer concordancing program was used to identify keywords in the corpus. The keywords are lemmatized and words irrelevant to business and economic activities weeded out using lexical profiling and a rating scale approach conducted by expert inter-raters. Ideas on how the derived keywords can be incorporated into vocabulary exercises are discussed.
Developing an ELT Context-Specific Teacher Efficacy Instrument
Authors: Akbari Ramin , Tavassoli Kobra
Published: March 2014

Teacher efficacy is a topic of significance in mainstream education and various instruments have been developed to measure this construct. The available instruments however, are general both in terms of their subject matter and context. To compensate for this generality, the present study aims to develop a new teacher efficacy instrument whose items are specific to ELT classes. To this end, based on a thorough analysis of the existing literature and the researchers’ conceptualization of typical ELT classes, a tentative theoretical model of ELT teacher efficacy was developed. This phase was followed by a series of classroom observations plus interviews with students, teachers, and experts. The model was then crosschecked against the results of the observations and interviews, and evolved into a scenario-based, Likert-scale ELT teacher efficacy instrument (ELTEI). The newly developed instrument was validated through administering it to 206 English language teachers, leading to some modifications in the model. The study hopefully can lead to a more meaningful interpretation of teacher efficacy in terms of context, language skills, students’ age and proficiency, as well as teachers’ perception in L2 settings.
Doorstep Interactions and Interviewer Effects on the Process Leading to Cooperation or Refusal
Authors: Durrant Gabriele B. , D’Arrigo Julia
Published: March 2014

This article presents an analysis of interviewer effects on the process leading to cooperation or refusal in face-to-face surveys. The focus is on the interaction between the householder and the interviewer on the doorstep, including initial reactions from the householder, and interviewer characteristics, behaviors, and skills. In contrast to most previous research on interviewer effects, which analyzed final response behavior, the focus here is on the analysis of the process that leads to cooperation or refusal. Multilevel multinomial discrete-time event history modeling is used to examine jointly the different outcomes at each call, taking account of the influence of interviewer characteristics, call histories, and sample member characteristics. The study benefits from a rich data set comprising call record data (paradata) from several face-to-face surveys linked to interviewer observations, detailed interviewer information, and census records. The models have implications for survey practice and may be used in responsive survey designs to inform effective interviewer calling strategies.
Normal Ranges and Variability of Novel Urinary Renal Biomarkers in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Gautier Jean-Charles , Gury Thierry , Guffroy Magali , Khan-Malek Richard , Hoffman David , Pettit Syril , Harpur Ernie
Published: March 2014

Differences were examined between male and female Sprague-Dawley rats in basal levels of a wide range of urinary biomarkers, including 7 recently qualified biomarkers. The data were generated from urine samples collected on 3 occasions from untreated rats included in a study of the effect of gentamicin nephrotoxicity on urinary renal biomarkers, reported in a companion article in this journal (Gautier et al. 2014). The performance of multiple assays (9 singleplex assays and 2 multiplex platforms from Rules Based Medicine [RBM] and Meso Scale Discovery [MSD]) was evaluated, and normal ranges and variability estimates were derived. While variability was generally greater on the RBM platform than other assays, the more striking difference in the results from different assays was in magnitude. Where differences were observed between assays for an individual biomarker, they were seen in both sexes and consistent across samples collected at different time points. Differences of up to 15-fold were observed for some biomarker values between assays indicating that results generated using different assays should not be compared. For 8 biomarkers, there was compelling evidence for a sex difference. Baseline values in males were significantly higher than in females for total protein, β2-microglobulin, clusterin, cystatin-C, glutathione-S-transferase (GST-α), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); female values were significantly higher than that of males for albumin. The largest sex differences (male greater than female by 2- to 11-fold) were seen with β2-microglobulin, GST-α, and TIMP-1. These data add substantially to the limited body of knowledge in this area and provide a useful framework for evaluation of the potential relevance of sex differences in the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers.
Quantitative Evaluation of Drug-induced Microvascular Constriction in Mice Kidney Using a Novel Tool for 3D Geometrical Analysis of Ex vivo Organ Vasculature
Authors: Ramot Yuval , Brauner Raul , Kang Kongbin , Heymach John V. , Furtado Stacia , Nyska Abraham
Published: March 2014

The analysis of organ vasculature, and more specifically organ microvasculature, carries special importance for toxicological sciences, and especially for evaluation of drug-induced vascular toxicity. This field presents a special challenge in nonclinical drug safety assessments since there are currently no reliable microvascular toxicity biomarkers. Therefore, we aimed to systematically investigate the use of microvascular 3D geometrical analysis of corrosion casts for evaluation of drug-induced vascular toxicity, utilizing a novel image investigation tool that allows full 3D-quantified geometrical analysis of the entire vascular tree structure. Vascular casts of kidneys from control and low- and high-dose ephedrine/caffeine-treated mice were scanned by a micro CT, and images were processed and analyzed using the VasculomicsTM platform. All evaluations were performed on the kidney cortex. Treatment resulted in a significant and dose-related reduction in overall microvessel density throughout the kidney cortex. This effect was most pronounced for vessels with diameters between 25 µm and 35 µm, and affected mostly vessels located in the superficial part of the kidney cortex. The use of 3D analysis tools in drug-induced vascular toxicity studies allows for very high resolution and characterization of drug effects on the microvasculature and can be used as a valuable tool in drug safety assessments.