bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practical Agar-Based Disk Potentiation Test for Detection of Fosfomycin-Nonsusceptible Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates Producing Glutathione
S
-Transferases
Authors: Nakamura Genki , Wachino Jun-ichi , Sato Natsumi , Kimura Kouji , Yamada Keiko , Jin Wanchun , Shibayama Keigo , Yagi Tetsuya , Kawamura Kumiko , Arakawa Yoshichika
Published: June 2014

The number of reports concerning
Escherichia coli
clinical isolates that produce glutathione
S
-transferases responsible for fosfomycin resistance (FR-GSTs) has been increasing. We have developed a disk-based potentiation test in which FR-GST producers expand the growth inhibition zone around a Kirby-Bauer disk containing fosfomycin in combination with sodium phosphonoformate (PPF). PPF, an analog of fosfomycin, is a transition-state inhibitor of FosA
PA
, a type of FR-GST from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Considering its mechanism of action, PPF was expected to inhibit a variety of FR-GSTs. In the presence of PPF, zone enlargement around the disk containing fosfomycin was observed for FosA3-, FosA4-, and FosC2-producing
E. coli
clinical isolates. Moreover, the growth inhibition zone was remarkably enlarged when the Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar plate contained 25 μg/ml glucose-6-phosphate (G6P). When we retrospectively tested 12 fosfomycin-resistant (MIC, ≥256 μg/ml)
E. coli
clinical isolates from our hospital with the potentiation test, 6 FR-GST producers were positive phenotypically by potentiation disk and were positive for FR-GST genes: 5 harbored
fosA3
and 1 harbored
fosA4
. To identify the production of FR-GSTs, we set the provisional cutoff value, 5-mm enlargement, by adding PPF to a fosfomycin disk on the MH agar plates containing G6P. Our disk-based potentiation test reliably identifies FR-GST producers and can be performed easily; therefore, it will be advantageous in epidemiological surveys and infection control of fosfomycin-resistant bacteria in clinical settings.
Epidemic Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 Is a Hybrid Strain
Authors: Chen Liang , Mathema Barun , Pitout Johann D. D. , DeLeo Frank R. , Kreiswirth Barry N.
Published: June 2014

Carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(CRE), especially
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC)-producing
K. pneumoniae
, pose an urgent threat in health facilities in the United States and worldwide.
K. pneumoniae
isolates classified as sequence type 258 (ST258) by multilocus sequence typing are largely responsible for the global spread of KPC. A recent comparative genome study revealed that ST258
K. pneumoniae
strains are two distinct genetic clades; however, the molecular origin of ST258 largely remains unknown, and our understanding of the evolution of the two genetic clades is incomplete. Here we compared the genetic structures and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distributions in the core genomes of strains from two ST258 clades and other STs (ST11, ST442, and ST42). We identified an ~1.1-Mbp region on ST258 genomes that is homogeneous to that of ST442, while the rest of the ST258 genome resembles that of ST11. Our results suggest ST258 is a hybrid clone—80% of the genome originated from ST11-like strains and 20% from ST442-like strains. Meanwhile, we sequenced an ST42 strain that carries the same K-antigen-encoding capsule polysaccharide biosynthesis gene (
cps
) region as ST258 clade I strains. Comparison of the
cps
-harboring regions between the ST42 and ST258 strains (clades I and II) suggests the ST258 clade I strains evolved from a clade II strain as a result of
cps
region replacement. Our findings unravel the molecular evolution history of ST258 strains, an important first step toward the development of diagnostic, therapeutic, and vaccine strategies to combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant
K. pneumoniae
.

IMPORTANCE
Recombination events and replacement of chromosomal regions have been documented in various bacteria, and these events have given rise to successful pathogenic clones. Here we used comparative genomic analyses to discover that the ST258
K. pneumoniae
genome is a hybrid—80% of the chromosome is homologous to ST11 strains, while the remaining 20% is homologous to that of ST442. Meanwhile, a recent study indicated that ST258 strains can be segregated into two ST258 clades, with distinct capsule polysaccharide gene (
cps
) regions. Our analysis suggests ST258 clade I strains evolved from clade II through homologous recombination of
cps
region. Horizontal transfer of the
cps
region appears to be a key element driving the molecular diversification in
K. pneumoniae
strains. These findings not only extend our understanding of the molecular evolution of ST258 but are an important step toward the development of effective control and treatment strategies for multidrug-resistant
K. pneumoniae.
Ruptured intercostal artery pseudoaneurysm in a patient with blunt thoracic trauma: diagnosis and management
Authors: Gutierrez Romero Diego Felipe , Barrufet Marta , Lopez-Rueda Antonio , Burrel Marta
Published: June 2014

Intercostal artery pseudoaneurysm is an extremely unusual condition, with less than 10 reported cases to our knowledge. Most of them have been associated with surgical interventions or blunt thoracic trauma. The bleeding risk in this kind of lesions is considerable, the majority of them presenting as haemothorax. We present a case of an intercostal artery pseudoaneurysm detected after a blunt thoracic trauma in a patient with signs of acute bleeding. The identification of a small artery pseudoaneurysm as the cause of haemothorax requires knowledge of this possible aetiology as well as detailed attention to the CT technique. Embolisation is considered to be the first therapeutic method in the management of a ruptured pseudoaneurysm. To reduce the risk of failure, the anatomic features and adjacent vessels providing collateral branches must be studied and embolised if needed, with important attention to collateral blood supply arising from the musculophrenic and anterior intercostal arteries.
Extreme dilation of pulmonary artery: a literature review
Authors: Shafiq Ali , Bokhari Abdullah , Nahin Imran , Rabbani Bobak
Published: June 2014

Massive pulmonary dilation is a rare finding. These aneurysms can result from different aetiologies that can be congenital or acquired. We present a case of a 61-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with dyspnoea and cough and was discovered to have a massive pulmonary aneurysm. After eliminating most other possible causes, pulmonary hypertension and congenital pulmonic valve stenosis were deemed likely aetiological factors for our patient. These aneurysms are very rare and should prompt close attention and surveillance when present. It is essential to diagnose these findings in a timely fashion as severe complications such as arterial perforation and fatal haemorrhage may occur if left untreated. We present this case because mechanisms leading to pulmonary artery dilation are poorly understood. Furthermore the clinical symptoms and complications are not commonly known, meriting case presentation.
Understanding experiences of participating in a weight loss lifestyle intervention trial: a qualitative evaluation of South Asians at high risk of diabetes
Authors: Morrison Zoe , Douglas Anne , Bhopal Raj , Sheikh Aziz ,   on behalf of the trial investigators
Published: June 2014

Objective

To explore the reasons for enrolling, experiences of participating and reasons for remaining in a family-based, cluster randomised controlled trial of a dietitian-delivered lifestyle modification intervention aiming to reduce obesity in South Asians at high risk of developing diabetes.

Design

Qualitative study using narrative interviews of a purposive sample of trial participants following completion of the intervention. Data were thematically analysed.

Setting

The intervention was conducted in Scotland and resulted in a modest decrease in weight, but did not statistically reduce the incidence of diabetes.

Participants

We conducted 21 narrative interviews with 24 participants (20 trial participants and four family volunteers).

Results

Many participants were motivated to participate because of: known family history of diabetes and the desire to better understand diabetes-related risks to their own and their family's health; ways to mitigate these risks and to benefit from personalised monitoring. Home-based interventions, communication in the participant's chosen language(s) and continuity in dietitians supported their continuing engagement with the trial. Adaptations in food choices were initially accommodated by participants, although social and faith-based responsibilities were reported as important barriers to persevering with agreed dietary goals. Many participants reported that increasing their level of physical activity was difficult given their long working hours, physically demanding employment and domestic commitments; this being compounded by Scotland's challenging climate and a related reluctance to exercise in the outdoors.

Conclusions

Although participants had strong personal interests in participation and found the information provided by dietitians useful, they nonetheless struggled to incorporate the dietary and exercise recommendations into their daily lives. In particular, increasing levels of physical exercise was described as an additional and in some cases unachievable burden. Consideration needs to be given to strengthening and supporting lifestyle interventions with community-based approaches in order to help overcome wider social and environmental factors.
Measures of vitamin K antagonist control reported in atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism studies: a systematic review
Authors: Mearns Elizabeth S , Hawthorne Jessica , Song Ju-Sung , Coleman Craig I
Published: June 2014

Objective

To aid trialists, systematic reviewers and others, we evaluated the degree of standardisation of control measure reporting that has occurred in atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) studies since 2000; and attempted to determine whether the prior recommendation of reporting ≥2 measures per study has been employed.

Design

Systematic review.

Search strategy

We searched bibliographic databases (2000 to June 2013) to identify AF and VTE studies evaluating dose-adjusted vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and reporting ≥1 control measure. The types of measures reported, proportion of studies reporting ≥2 measures and mean (±SD) number of measures per study were determined for all studies and compared between subgroups.

Data extraction

Through the use of a standardised data extraction tool, we independently extracted all data, with disagreements resolved by a separate investigator.

Results

148 studies were included, 57% of which reported ≥2 control measures (mean/study=2.13±1.36). The proportion of time spent in the target international normalised ratio range (TTR) was most commonly reported (79%), and was frequently accompanied by time above/below range (52%). AF studies more frequently reported ≥2 control measures compared with VTE studies (63% vs 37%; p=0.004), and reported a greater number of measures per study (mean=2.36 vs 1.53; p<0.001). Observational studies were more likely to provide ≥2 measures compared with randomised trials (76% vs 33%; p<0.001) and report a greater number of measures (mean=2.58 vs 1.63; p<0.001). More recent studies (2004–2013) reported ≥2 measures more often than older (2000–2003) studies (59% vs 35%; p=0.05) and reported more measures per study (mean=2.23 vs 1.48; p=0.02).

Conclusions

While TTR was often utilised, studies reported ≥2 measures of VKA control only about half of the time and lacked consistency in the types of measures reported. A trend towards studies reporting greater numbers of VKA control measures over time was observed over our review time horizon, particularly, with AF and observational studies.
Solitary plasmacytoma of the index finger
Authors: Daneshbod Yahya , Nowshadi Pooria Ali , Negahban Shahrzad , Aledavood Azita , Ramzi Mani , Fanaie Sara , Bedayat Gholamreza , Medeiros L Jeffrey
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Solitary osseous plasmacytoma rarely involves the distal extremities. We report a case and provide a brief review of the relevant literature.

Case presentation

We report a 64-year-old man who presented with swelling, mild pain and a deformed right index finger. The workup led to the diagnosis of solitary osseous plasmacytoma and the patient eventually required amputation of his finger. With clinical follow-up, the disease spread to regional lymph nodes and subsequently the patient developed systemic involvement and received chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Solitary osseous plasmacytoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of distal extremity neoplasms.
Triage in the Defence Medical Services
Authors: Horne Simon T , Vassallo J
Published: June 2014

Triage of patients into categories according to their need for intervention is a core part of military medical practice. This article reviews how triage has evolved in the Defence Medical Services and how it might develop in the context of recent research. In particular, a simple model demonstrates that the ideal sensitivity and specificity of a triage system depends upon the availability of transport and the capacity of the receiving units. As a result, we may need to fundamentally change the way we approach triage in order to optimise outcomes—especially if casualty evacuation timelines become longer and smaller medical units more prevalent on future operations. Some pragmatic options for change are discussed. Finally, other areas of current research around triage are highlighted, perhaps showing where triage may go next.
M1 is not M1 in ischemic stroke: the disability-free survival after mechanical thrombectomy differs significantly between proximal and distal occlusions of the middle cerebral artery M1 segment
Authors: Behme D , Kowoll A , Weber W , Mpotsaris A
Published: June 2014

Aims

Recent recommendations on the designation of target artery lesions in acute ischemic stroke include the anatomical differentiation between a proximal and a distal occlusion site of the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether these occlusion types differ in terms of a disability-free (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0 or 1) clinical outcome at 90 days.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients with MCA M1 occlusions who had a successful revascularization result after mechanical thrombectomy between October 2009 and September 2013 and for whom follow-up at 90 days was available. Imaging data were regraded and re-evaluated according to the modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) scale and the respective vessel occlusion site definitions. Outcome measures included National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), mRS, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) scoring and procedural timings.

Results

62 patients were successfully recanalized; follow-up at 90 days was available for 42/62 patients (68%). There were proximal MCA occlusions in 24/42 patients (57%) and distal occlusions in 18/42 (43%). Baseline NIHSS, ASPECTS, procedural timings and final mTICI scores did not differ significantly between proximal and distal M1 occlusions. There was a statistically significant difference between proximal and distal M1 occlusions regarding a disability-free early outcome (mRS 0 or 1) at discharge (p=0.03) and at 90 days (p=0.04).

Conclusions

Proximal occlusions of the M1 segment of the MCA incorporating the lenticulostriate perforators are associated with a poorer clinical outcome than distal M1 occlusions that spare these perforators. Involvement of these perforators might become an additional predictor of clinical outcome after mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke.
The ICD-10 system: a gift that keeps on taking
Authors: Hirsch Joshua A , Leslie-Mazwi Thabele M , Nicola Gregory N , Oklu Rahmi , Schoppe Kurt A , Silva Ezequiel , Manchikanti Laxmaiah
Published: June 2014

The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 was signed into law on April Fool's Day. Indeed, 2014 saw unprecedented enthusiasm for the possibility of a permanent solution to the sustainable growth rate formula. Congress failed to come together on methods to pay for that fix. Instead, Congress provided another temporary patch on April 1. As part of that law, International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) adoption was pushed back by at least 1 year until, at the earliest, October 1, 2015. While many physicians support the delay in ICD-10 implementation, there are those that disagree.
Prediction of Douglas-fir fertilizer response using biogeoclimatic properties in the coastal Pacific Northwest
Authors: Littke K.M. , Harrison R.B. , Zabowski D. , Ciol M.A. , Briggs D.G.
Published: June 2014

Fertilizer response of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) has been related to site and soil properties in the past, but the models have explained only about half of the variation in these investigations. Fertilizer response and percent response after two years were examined, according to mapped and measured biogeoclimatic variables, for 71 Douglas-fir installations in the coastal Pacific Northwest. Paired-tree installations consisted of 12–20 pairs of Douglas-fir trees with one tree fertilized with urea at 224 kg N·ha−1. Pearson correlation coefficients and boosted regression tree (BRT) models were used to determine the best predictor variables and models of Douglas-fir fertilizer response. The BRT models, using the combination of mapped and measured variables, performed the best for predicting fertilizer response. Basal area and volume responses were most related to high forest floor and surface soil carbon to nitrogen ratios. Basal area mean annual increment (MAI) and site index were both negatively correlated with fertilizer response. Also, low basal area MAI was the most important tree measurement for predicting fertilizer response in the BRT models. Installations with many of the predictors from the BRT models (>66% of the model criteria) were found to have a significantly greater fertilizer response than installations with only a few predictors (<33% of the model criteria). These findings support the use of these models for predicting fertilizer response of similar Douglas-fir stands in the coastal Pacific Northwest.
Phantom of RAMSES (POR): A new Milgromian dynamics N-body code
Authors: Lüghausen Fabian , Famaey Benoit , Kroupa Pavel
Published: June 2014

Since its first formulation in 1983, Milgromian dynamics (MOND) has been very successful in predicting the gravitational potential of galaxies from the distribution of baryons alone, including general scaling relations and detailed rotation curves of large statistical samples of individual galaxies covering a large range of masses and sizes. Most predictions, however, rely on static models, and only a handful of N-body codes have been developed over the years to investigate the consequences of the Milgromian framework for the dynamics of complex evolving dynamical systems. In this work, we present a new Milgromian N-body code, which is a customized version of the RAMSES code (R. Teyssier. Astron. Astrophys. 385, 337 (2002). doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20011817 ) and thus comes with all its features: it includes particles and gas dynamics, and importantly allows for high spatial resolution of complex systems owing to the adaptive mesh refinement technique. It further allows the direct comparison between Milgromian simulations and standard Newtonian simulations with dark matter particles. We provide basic tests of this customized code and demonstrate its performance by presenting N-body computations of dark-matter-free spherical equilibrium models as well as dark-matter-free disk galaxies in Milgromian dynamics.
The prime spectrum and primitive ideal space of a graph C*-algebra
Authors: Abrams Gene , Tomforde Mark
Published: June 2014

We describe primitive and prime ideals in the C*-algebra C*(E) of a graph E satisfying Condition (K), together with the topologies on each of these spaces. In particular, we find that primitive ideals correspond to the set of maximal tails disjoint union the set of finite-return vertices, and that prime ideals correspond to the set of clusters of maximal tails disjoint union the set of finite-return vertices.
Efficiency and robustness of different bus network designs
Authors: Pang John Zhen Fu , Bin Othman Nasri , Ng Keng Meng , Monterola Christopher
Published: June 2014

We compare the efficiencies and robustness of four transport networks that can be possibly formed as a result of deliberate city planning. The networks are constructed based on their spatial resemblance to the cities of Manhattan (lattice), Sudan (random), Beijing (single-blob) and Greater Cairo (dual-blob). For a given type, a genetic algorithm is employed to obtain an optimized set of the bus routes. We then simulate how commuter travels using Yen's algorithms for k shortest paths on an adjacency matrix. The cost of traveling such as walking between stations is captured by varying the weighted sums of matrices. We also consider the number of transfers a posteriori by looking at the computed shortest paths. With consideration to distances via radius of gyration, redundancies of travel and number of bus transfers, our simulations indicate that random and dual-blob are more efficient than single-blob and lattice networks. Moreover, dual-blob type is least robust when node removals are targeted but is most resilient when node failures are random. The work hopes to guide and provide technical perspectives on how geospatial distribution of a city limits the optimality of transport designs.
The PSTD Method with the 4th-Order Time Integration for 3D TAT Reconstruction of a Breast Model
Authors: Ye Gang , Deng Chunhua , Liu Qing Huo
Published: June 2014

The thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) is a novel noninvasive and nonionizing medical imaging modality for breast cancer detection. In the TAT, a short pulse of microwave is irradiated to the breast tissue. The tissue absorbs the microwave energy and is heated up momentarily, thus it generates acoustic waves due to the thermoelastic expansion. If the pulse width of the microwave radiation is around one microsecond, the generated acoustic waves are ultrasonic and are in the MHz range. Wide-band ultrasonic transducers are employed to acquire the time-resolved ultrasound signals, which carry information about the microwave absorption properties (mainly related to conductivities) of different tissues. An image showing such properties can then be reconstructed from the time-resolved ultrasound signals.

Most existing TAT reconstruction methods are based on the assumption that the tissue under study is acoustically homogeneous. In practice, however, most biological tissues are inhomogeneous. For example, the speed of sound has about 10% variation in breast tissue. The acoustic heterogeneity will cause phase distortion of the pressure field, which will in turn cause blurring in the reconstructed image, thus limiting the ability to resolve small objects. In this work, a 3D inhomogeneous reconstruction method based on pseudo-spectral time-domain (PSTD) is presented to overcome this problem. The method includes two steps. The first step is a homogeneous reconstruction process, from which an initial image is obtained. Since the inhomogeneity itself is usually an acoustic source, the shape and location of the inhomogeneity can be estimated. Then, the acoustic properties of the inhomogeneities (available from the literatures for known tissue types) are assigned to the classified regions, and the other reconstruction based on the updated acoustic property map is conducted. With this process, the phase distortion can be effectively corrected. So it can improve the ability to image small objects.

A 3D breast phantom is used to study the proposed method. The breast phantom was generated based on the data set of the Visible Human Project. Regions of different tissue types have been classified and acoustic and electric properties are assigned to such regions. Small phantom tumors placed in the breast phantom have been reconstructed successfully with the inhomogeneous reconstruction method. Improved resolution has been achieved compared to that obtained by homogeneous method.
Existence of positive solutions to Schrödinger–Poisson type systems with critical exponent
Authors: Li Fuyi , Li Yuhua , Shi Junping
Published: June 2014

The existence of positive solutions to Schrödinger–Poisson type systems in ℝ3with critically growing nonlocal term is proved by using variational method which does not require usual compactness conditions. A key ingredient of the proof is a new Brézis–Lieb type convergence result.
A note on the elliptic Kirchhoff equation in ℝNperturbed by a local nonlinearity
Authors: Azzollini A.
Published: June 2014

In this note, we complete the study made in [The elliptic Kirchhoff equation in ℝNperturbed by a local nonlinearity, Differential Integral Equations 25 (2012) 543–554] on a Kirchhoff type equation with a Berestycki–Lions nonlinearity. We also correct Theorem 0.6 inside.
Weyl's theorem for the square of operator and perturbations
Authors: Shi Weijuan , Cao Xiaohong
Published: June 2014

Let H be an infinite-dimensional separable complex Hilbert space and B(H) the algebra of all bounded linear operators on H. T ∈ B(H) satisfies Weyl's theorem if σ(T)\σw(T) = π00(T), where σ(T) and σw(T) denote the spectrum and the Weyl spectrum of T, respectively, π00(T) = {λ ∈ iso σ(T) : 0 < dim N(T - λI) < ∞}. T ∈ B(H) is said to have the stability of Weyl's theorem if T + K satisfies Weyl's theorem for all compact operator K ∈ B(H). In this paper, we characterize the operator T on H satisfying the stability of Weyl's theorem holds for T2.
Image denoising using local contrast and adaptive mean in wavelet transform domain
Authors: Sharma Pankaj , Khan Kashif , Ahmad Khalil
Published: June 2014

Images are often corrupted by noise due to the imperfection of image acquisition systems and transmission channels. Traditional algorithms perform image denoising in the pixel domain. However, the transform domain denoising methods have shown outstanding success over the last decades. There are many image denoising methods which are in existence over the last decades, originated from various disciplines such as probability theory, statistics, partial differential equations, linear and nonlinear filtering, spectral and multiresolution analysis due to the robustness of the systems. Recently, image denoising has been attracting much attention using the wavelet transform. Wavelet based approach provides a particularly useful method for image denoising when the preservation of contents in the scene is of importance because the local adaptivity is based explicitly on the values of the wavelet detail coefficients. In this paper, we have proposed a new thresholding technique based on local contrast and adaptive mean in the wavelet transform domain.
High performance shape memory effect in nitinol wire for actuators with increased operating temperature range
Authors: Casati Riccardo , Biffi Carlo Alberto , Vedani Maurizio , Tuissi Ausonio
Published: June 2014

In this research, the high performance shape memory effect (HP-SME) is experimented on a shape memory NiTi wire, with austenite finish temperature higher than room temperature. The HP-SME consists in the thermal cycling of stress induced martensite and it allows achieving mechanical work higher than that produced by conventional shape memory actuators based on the heating/cooling of detwinned martensite. The Nitinol wire was able to recover about 5.5% of deformation under a stress of 600 MPa and to withstand about 5000 cycles before failure. HP-SME path increased the operating temperature of the shape memory actuator wire. Functioning temperatures higher than 100°C was reached.
Sex differences with aging in nutritive skeletal muscle blood flow: impact of exercise training, nitric oxide, and α-adrenergic-mediated mechanisms
Authors: La Favor Justin D. , Kraus Raymond M. , Carrithers Jonathan A. , Roseno Steven L. , Gavin Timothy P. , Hickner Robert C.
Published: June 2014

The incidence of cardiovascular disease increases progressively with age, but aging may affect men and women differently. Age-associated changes in vascular structure and function may manifest in impaired nutritive blood flow, although the regulation of nutritive blood flow in healthy aging is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if nitric oxide (NO)-mediated or α-adrenergic-mediated regulation of nutritive skeletal muscle blood flow is impaired with advanced age, and if exercise training improves age-related deficiencies. Nutritive blood flow was monitored in the vastus lateralis of healthy young and aged men and women via the microdialysis-ethanol technique prior to and following seven consecutive days of exercise training. NO-mediated and α-adrenergic-mediated regulation of nutritive blood flow was assessed by microdialysis perfusion of acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, NG-monomethyl-l-arginine, norepinephrine, or phentolamine. Pretraining nutritive blood flow was attenuated in aged compared with young women (7.39 ± 1.5 vs. 15.5 ± 1.9 ml·100 g−1·min−1, P = 0.018), but not aged men (aged 13.5 ± 3.7 vs. young 9.4 ± 1.3 ml·100 g−1·min−1, P = 0.747). There were no age-associated differences in NO-mediated or α-adrenergic-mediated nutritive blood flow. Exercise training increased resting nutritive blood flow only in young men (9.4 ± 1.3 vs. 19.7 ml·100 g−1·min−1, P = 0.005). The vasodilatory effect of phentolamine was significantly reduced following exercise training only in young men (12.3 ± 6.14 vs. −3.68 ± 3.26 ml·100 g−1·min−1, P = 0.048). In conclusion, the age-associated attenuation of resting nutritive skeletal muscle blood flow was specific to women, while the exercise-induced alleviation of α-adrenergic mediated vasoconstriction that was specific to young men suggests an age-associated modulation of the sympathetic response to exercise training.
Variable t-tubule organization and Ca2+ homeostasis across the atria
Authors: Frisk Michael , Koivumäki Jussi T. , Norseng Per A. , Maleckar Mary M. , Sejersted Ole M. , Louch William E.
Published: June 2014

Although t-tubules have traditionally been thought to be absent in atrial cardiomyocytes, recent studies have suggested that t-tubules exist in the atria of large mammals. However, it is unclear whether regional differences in t-tubule organization exist that define cardiomyocyte function across the atria. We sought to investigate regional t-tubule density in pig and rat atria and the consequences for cardiomyocyte Ca2+ homeostasis. We observed t-tubules in approximately one-third of rat atrial cardiomyocytes, in both tissue cryosections and isolated cardiomyocytes. In a minority (≈10%) of atrial cardiomyocytes, the t-tubular network was well organized, with a transverse structure resembling that of ventricular cardiomyocytes. In both rat and pig atrial tissue, we observed higher t-tubule density in the epicardium than in the endocardium. Consistent with high variability in the distribution of t-tubules and Ca2+ channels among cells, L-type Ca2+ current amplitude was also highly variable and steeply dependent on capacitance and t-tubule density. Accordingly, Ca2+ transients showed great variability in Ca2+ release synchrony. Simultaneous imaging of the cell membrane and Ca2+ transients confirmed t-tubule functionality. Results from mathematical modeling indicated that a transmural gradient in t-tubule organization and Ca2+ release kinetics supports synchronization of contraction across the atrial wall and may underlie transmural differences in the refractory period. In conclusion, our results indicate that t-tubule density is highly variable across the atria. We propose that higher t-tubule density in cells localized in the epicardium may promote synchronization of contraction across the atrial wall.
In situ determination of alveolar septal strain, stress and effective Young's modulus: an experimental/computational approach
Authors: Perlman Carrie E. , Wu You
Published: June 2014

Alveolar septa, which have often been modeled as linear elements, may distend due to inflation-induced reduction in slack or increase in tissue stretch. The distended septum supports tissue elastic and interfacial forces. An effective Young's modulus, describing the inflation-induced relative displacement of septal end points, has not been determined in situ for lack of a means of determining the forces supported by septa in situ. Here we determine such forces indirectly according to Mead, Takishima, and Leith's classic lung mechanics analysis ( J Appl Physiol 28: 596–608, 1970), which demonstrates that septal connections transmit the transpulmonary pressure, PTP, from the pleural surface to interior regions. We combine experimental septal strain determination and computational stress determination, according to Mead et al., to calculate effective Young's modulus. In the isolated, perfused rat lung, we label the perfusate with fluorescence to visualize the alveolar septa. At eight PTP values around a ventilation loop between 4 and 25 cmH2O, and upon total deflation, we image the same region by confocal microscopy. Within an analysis region, we measure septal lengths. Normalizing by unstressed lengths at total deflation, we calculate septal strains for all PTP > 0 cmH2O. For the static imaging conditions, we computationally model application of PTP to the boundary of the analysis region and solve for septal stresses by least squares fit of an overdetermined system. From group septal strain and stress values, we find effective septal Young's modulus to range from 1.2 × 105 dyn/cm2 at low PTP to 1.4 × 106 dyn/cm2 at high PTP.
Liquid Phase Plasma Synthesis of Iron Oxide/Carbon Composite as Dielectric Material for Capacitor
Authors: Lee Heon , Park Sung Hoon , Kim Sun-Jae , Park Young-Kwon , An Kay-Hyeok , Kim Byung-Joo , Jung Sang-Chul
Published: June 2014

Iron oxide/carbon composite was synthesized using a liquid phase plasma process to be used as the electrode of supercapacitor. Spherical iron oxide nanoparticles with the size of 5~10 nm were dispersed uniformly on carbon powder surface. The specific capacitance of the composite increased with increasing quantity of iron oxide precipitate on the carbon powder up to a certain quantity. When the quantity of the iron oxide precipitate exceeds the threshold, however, the specific capacitance was rather reduced by the addition of precipitate. The iron oxide/carbon composite containing an optimum quantity (0.33 atomic %) of iron oxide precipitate exhibited the smallest resistance and the largest initial resistance slope.
Flexible Capturing Application for Enhanced Generation of EPCIS Events
Authors: Jia Fengjuan , Jeon Seungwoo , Hong Bonghee , Kwon Joonho , Kwak Yoon-sik
Published: June 2014

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and electronic product code (EPC) technology have been widely used to identify and keep track of physical objects. EPCglobal proposed the EPC network which consists of several components such as application level events (ALE) and EPC information service (EPCIS) to deal with the captured data from different layers. Many studies mostly concentrated on dealing with the RFID tag data in ALE, as well as querying and sharing EPCIS events in EPCIS. However, there is no well-known study on specifying how to generate higher level EPCIS events. The event types and semantic event fields are both uncertain for the capturing application to generate EPCIS events. Therefore, this paper proposes the flexible capturing application (FCA) to solve the problem that the event types and semantic event fields are both uncertain. FCA specifies generation rules about the four EPCIS event types. All the generation rules are matched for the incoming tag data to determine the event types. Event fields are generated with tag data and other sources of data after deciding event types. Thus, FCA can generate EPCIS events arising from supply chain activity. We evaluate our approaches by means of simulation and real experiments. Our experimental results indicate that FCA can be effective in processing EPCIS events data. We conclude with suggestions for future work.
In SilicoInvestigation of Potential Pyruvate Kinase M2 Regulators from Traditional Chinese Medicine against Cancers
Authors: Chen Kuan-Chung , Chen Kuen-Bao , Chen Hsin-Yi , Chen Calvin Yu-Chian
Published: June 2014

A recent research in cancer research demonstrates that tumor-specific pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) plays an important role in chromosome segregation and mitosis progression of tumor cells. To improve the drug development of TCM compounds, we aim to identify potent TCM compounds as lead compounds of PKM2 regulators. PONDR-Fit protocol was utilized to predict the disordered disposition in the binding domain of PKM2 protein before virtual screening as the disordered structure in the protein may cause the side effect and downregulation of the possibility of ligand to bind with target protein. MD simulation was performed to validate the stability of interactions between PKM2 proteins and each ligand after virtual screening. The top TCM compounds, saussureamine C and precatorine, extracted fromLycium chinenseMill. andAbrus precatoriusL., respectively, have higher binding affinities with target protein in docking simulation than control. They have stable H-bonds with residues A:Lys311 and some other residues in both chains of PKM2 protein. Hence, we propose the TCM compounds, saussureamine C and precatorine, as potential candidates as lead compounds for further study in drug development process with the PKM2 protein against cancer.
Utilizing Cytokines to Function-Enable Human NK Cells for the Immunotherapy of Cancer
Authors: Romee Rizwan , Leong Jeffrey W. , Fehniger Todd A.
Published: June 2014

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells important for host defense against pathogens and mediate antitumor immunity. Cytokine receptors transduce important signals that regulate proliferation, survival, activation status, and trigger effector functions. Here, we review the roles of major cytokines that regulate human NK cell development, survival, and function, including IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, and IL-21, and their translation to the clinic as immunotherapy agents. We highlight a recent development in NK cell biology, the identification of innate NK cell memory, and focus on cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) NK cells that result from a brief, combined activation with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18. This activation results in long lived NK cells that exhibit enhanced functionality when they encounter a secondary stimulation and provides a new approach to enable NK cells for enhanced responsiveness to infection and cancer. An improved understanding of the cellular and molecular aspects of cytokine-cytokine receptor signals has led to a resurgence of interest in the clinical use of cytokines that sustain and/or activate NK cell antitumor potential. In the future, such strategies will be combined with negative regulatory signal blockade and enhanced recognition to comprehensively enhance NK cells for immunotherapy.
The Reproducibility of Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) Measurement: A Test Case for the Measurement of Key Air Pollutants from the Pan Frying of Fish Samples
Authors: Kim Ki-Hyun , Kim Yong-Hyun , Kim Bo-Won , Ahn Jeong-Hyeon , Bae Min-Suk , Brown Richard J. C.
Published: June 2014

To assess the robustness of various indoor air quality (IAQ) indices, we explored the possible role of reproducibility-induced variability in the measurements of different pollutants under similar sampling and emissions conditions. Polluted indoor conditions were generated by pan frying fish samples in a closed room. A total of 11 experiments were carried out to measure a list of key variables commonly used to represent indoor air pollution (IAP) indicators such as particulate matter (PM: PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and TSP) and a set of individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with some odor markers. The cooking activity conducted as part of our experiments was successful to consistently generate significant pollution levels (mean PM10: 7110 μg m−3and mean total VOC (TVOC): 1400 μg m−3, resp.). Then, relative standard error (RSE) was computed to assess the reproducibility between different IAP paramters measured across the repeated experiments. If the results were evaluated by an arbitrary criterion of 10%, the patterns were divided into two data groups (e.g., <10% for benzene and some aldehydes and >10% for the remainders). Most noticeably, TVOC had the most repeatable results with a reproducibility (RSE) value of 3.2% (n=11).
A Quantitative Method for the Characterization of Lytic Metastases of the Bone from Radiographic Images
Authors: Baltasar Sánchez Alicia , Gonzalez Sistal Angel
Published: June 2014

The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic usefulness of the gray level parameters to distinguish osteolytic lesions using radiological images.Materials and Methods. A retrospective study was carried out. A total of 76 skeletal radiographs of osteolytic metastases and 67 radiographs of multiple myeloma were used. The cases were classified into nonflat (MM1 and OL1) and flat bones (MM2 and OL2). These radiological images were analyzed by using a computerized method. The parameters calculated were mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation (MGL, SDGL, and CVGL) based on gray level histogram analysis of a region-of-interest. Diagnostic utility was quantified by measurement of parameters on osteolytic metastases and multiple myeloma, yielding quantification of area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC).Results. Flat bone groups (MM2 and OL2) showed significant differences in mean values of MGL (P=0.048) and SDGL (P=0.003). Their corresponding values of AUC were 0.758 for MGL and 0.883 for SDGL in flat bones. In nonflat bones these gray level parameters do not show diagnostic ability.Conclusion. The gray level parameters MGL and SDGL show a good discriminatory diagnostic ability to distinguish between multiple myeloma and lytic metastases in flat bones.
Real-Time Hand Gesture Recognition Using Finger Segmentation
Authors: Chen Zhi-hua , Kim Jung-Tae , Liang Jianning , Zhang Jing , Yuan Yu-Bo
Published: June 2014

Hand gesture recognition is very significant for human-computer interaction. In this work, we present a novel real-time method for hand gesture recognition. In our framework, the hand region is extracted from the background with the background subtraction method. Then, the palm and fingers are segmented so as to detect and recognize the fingers. Finally, a rule classifier is applied to predict the labels of hand gestures. The experiments on the data set of 1300 images show that our method performs well and is highly efficient. Moreover, our method shows better performance than a state-of-art method on another data set of hand gestures.
Direct Growth of Copper Oxide Films on Ti Substrate for Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensors
Authors: Ji Xiaoxu , Wang Aihua , Zhao Qinghuai
Published: June 2014

Copper oxide (CuO) films directly grown on Ti substrate have been successfully prepared via a hydrothermal method and used to construct an amperometric nonenzymatic glucose sensor. XRD and SEM were used to characterize the samples. The electrochemical performances of the electrode for detection of glucose were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The CuO films based glucose sensors exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic properties which show very high sensitivity (726.9 μA mM−1 cm−2), low detection limit (2 μM), and fast response (2 s). In addition, reproducibility and long‐term stability have been observed. Low cost, convenience, and biocompatibility make the CuO films directly grown on Ti substrate electrodes a promising platform for amperometric nonenzymatic glucose sensor.
Dual Binding Site and Selective Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Derived from Integrated Pharmacophore Models and Sequential Virtual Screening
Authors: Gupta Shikhar , Mohan C. Gopi
Published: June 2014

In this study, we have employedin silicomethodology combining double pharmacophore based screening, molecular docking, and ADME/T filtering to identify dual binding site acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that can preferentially inhibit acetylcholinesterase and simultaneously inhibit the butyrylcholinesterase also but in the lesser extent than acetylcholinesterase. 3D-pharmacophore models of AChE and BuChE enzyme inhibitors have been developed from xanthostigmine derivatives through HypoGen and validated using test set, Fischer’s randomization technique. The best acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors pharmacophore hypotheses Hypo1_A and Hypo1_B, with high correlation coefficient of 0.96 and 0.94, respectively, were used as 3D query for screening the Zinc database. The screened hits were then subjected to the ADME/T and molecular docking study to prioritise the compounds. Finally, 18 compounds were identified as potential leads against AChE enzyme, showing good predicted activities and promising ADME/T properties.
Therapeutically Targeting Neuroinflammation and Microglia after Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Lee Youngjeon , Lee Sang-Rae , Choi Sung S. , Yeo Hyeon-Gu , Chang Kyu-Tae , Lee Hong J.
Published: June 2014

Inflammation has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke, and recent studies posit that inflammation acts as a double-edged sword, not only detrimentally augmenting secondary injury, but also potentially promoting recovery. An initial event of inflammation in ischemic stroke is the activation of microglia, leading to production of both pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators acting through multiple receptor signaling pathways. In this review, we discuss the role of microglial mediators in acute ischemic stroke and elaborate on preclinical and clinical studies focused on microglia in stroke models. Understanding how microglia can lead to both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses may be essential to implement therapeutic strategies using immunomodulatory interventions in ischemic stroke.
Changes in Predicted Muscle Coordination with Subject-Specific Muscle Parameters for Individuals after Stroke
Authors: Knarr Brian A. , Reisman Darcy S. , Binder-Macleod Stuart A. , Higginson Jill S.
Published: June 2014

Muscle weakness is commonly seen in individuals after stroke, characterized by lower forces during a maximal volitional contraction. Accurate quantification of muscle weakness is paramount when evaluating individual performance and response to after stroke rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of subject-specific muscle force and activation deficits on predicted muscle coordination when using musculoskeletal models for individuals after stroke. Maximum force generating ability and central activation ratio of the paretic plantar flexors, dorsiflexors, and quadriceps muscle groups were obtained using burst superimposition for four individuals after stroke with a range of walking speeds. Two models were created per subject: one with generic and one with subject-specific activation and maximum isometric force parameters. The inclusion of subject-specific muscle data resulted in changes in the model-predicted muscle forces and activations which agree with previously reported compensation patterns and match more closely the timing of electromyography for the plantar flexor and hamstring muscles. This was the first study to create musculoskeletal simulations of individuals after stroke with subject-specific muscle force and activation data. The results of this study suggest that subject-specific muscle force and activation data enhance the ability of musculoskeletal simulations to accurately predict muscle coordination in individuals after stroke.