bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell Death of Gamma Interferon-Stimulated Human Fibroblasts upon Toxoplasma gondii Infection Induces Early Parasite Egress and Limits Parasite Replication
Authors: Niedelman Wendy , Sprokholt Joris K. , Clough Barbara , Frickel Eva-Maria , Saeij Jeroen P. J.
Published: September 2013

The intracellular protozoan parasiteToxoplasma gondiiis a major food-borne illness and opportunistic infection for the immunosuppressed. Resistance toToxoplasmais dependent on gamma interferon (IFN-γ) activation of both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. Although IFN-γ-induced innate immunity in nonhematopoietic cells has been extensively studied in mice, it remains unclear what resistance mechanisms are relied on in nonhematopoietic human cells. Here, we report an IFN-γ-induced mechanism of resistance toToxoplasmain primary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) that does not depend on the deprivation of tryptophan or iron. In addition, infection is still controlled in HFFs deficient in the p65 guanylate binding proteins GBP1 or GBP2 and the autophagic protein ATG5. Resistance is coincident with host cell death that is not dependent on the necroptosis mediator RIPK3 or caspases and is correlated with early egress of the parasite before replication. This IFN-γ-induced cell death and early egress limits replication in HFFs and could promote clearance of the parasite by immune cells.
Functional Comparison of Plasmodium falciparum Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Candidates by the Standard Membrane-Feeding Assay
Authors: Miura Kazutoyo , Takashima Eizo , Deng Bingbing , Tullo Gregory , Diouf Ababacar , Moretz Samuel E. , Nikolaeva Daria , Diakite Mahamadou , Fairhurst Rick M. , Fay Michael P. , Long Carole A. , Tsuboi Takafumi
Published: September 2013

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the development of transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) against
Plasmodium falciparum
malaria. While several candidate TBVs have been reported, studies directly comparing them in functional assays are limited. To this end, recombinant proteins of TBV candidates Pfs25, Pfs230, and PfHAP2 were expressed in the wheat germ cell-free expression system. Outbred CD-1 mice were immunized twice with the antigens. Two weeks after the second immunization, IgG levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and IgG functionality was assessed by the standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA) using cultured
P. falciparum
NF54 gametocytes and
Anopheles stephensi
mosquitoes. All three recombinant proteins elicited similar levels of antigen-specific IgG judged by ELISA. When IgGs purified from pools of immune serum were tested at 0.75 mg/ml in the SMFA, all three IgGs showed 97 to 100% inhibition in oocyst intensity compared to control IgG. In two additional independent SMFA evaluations, anti-Pfs25, anti-Pfs230, and anti-PfHAP2 IgGs inhibited oocyst intensity in a dose-dependent manner. When all three data sets were analyzed, anti-Pfs25 antibody showed significantly higher inhibition than the other two antibodies (
P
< 0.001 for both), while there was no significant difference between the other two (
P
= 0.15). A proportion of plasma samples collected from adults living in an area of malaria endemicity in Mali recognized Pfs230 and PfHAP2. This is the first study showing that the HAP2 protein of
P. falciparum
can induce transmission-blocking antibody. The current study supports the possibility of using this system for a comparative study with multiple TBV candidates.
Development and initial validation of a new outcome measure for hospice and palliative care: the St Christopher's Index of Patient Priorities (SKIPP)
Authors: Addington-Hall Julia , Hunt Katherine , Rowsell Ali , Heal Rosanna , Hansford Penny , Monroe Barbara , Sykes Nigel
Published: September 2013

Objective

To develop and conduct a preliminary psychometric analysis of a hospice and palliative care patient-reported outcome measure to detect patients’ perceptions of change in quality of life (QoL) and issues of concern, and views of service benefit.

Methods

Following pilot testing and cognitive interviewing, St Christopher's Index of Patient Priorities (SKIPP) was administered twice to hospice inpatients and homecare patients. QoL was rated ‘now’, and retrospectively ‘before starting hospice care’ or ‘at the time of the first interview’. Patients nominated and rated progress with main concerns, rated the difference the service was making, and completed palliative care outcome scale. Patients completed SKIPP again within 24 h to measure test-retest reliability.

Results

QoL scores ‘now’ differed significantly from retrospective scores made at same time: QoL increased with hospice care when patients ‘looked back’ on previous QoL. Four-fifths reported that their first concern had got ‘a little’/ ‘much’ better since initial service contact: this declined subsequently. Four-fifths at both time points said the hospice had made ‘a lot of difference’ to them. No significant differences were noted between time points on palliative care outcome scale items. Test-retest analyses were prevented by low numbers.

Conclusions

SKIPP can detect patients’ perception of change in QoL and main concerns, and the difference patients think the service has made to them. Its design with current and retrospective components addresses response shift and means it can be used for quality improvement or clinical purposes with only one administration, an advantage in frail populations. It is therefore a useful addition to hospice and palliative care patient-reported outcome measures.
Routine urinalysis in patients with a blunt abdominal trauma mechanism is not valuable to detect urogenital injury
Authors: Olthof Dominique C , Joosse Pieter , van der Vlies Cornelis H , de Reijke Theo M , Goslings J Carel
Published: September 2013

Objective

To investigate whether the routine performance of urinalysis in patients with a blunt trauma mechanism is still valuable.

Methods

Consecutive patients aged ≥16 years, admitted to a Dutch Level 1 trauma centre between January 2008 and August 2011, were included in this retrospective cohort study. Results of urinalysis (erythrocytes per µL) were divided into no, microscopic or macroscopic haematuria. Patients were divided into four groups based on whether a urinalysis was performed or not, with or without imaging for urogenital injury. Main outcome measures were the presence of urogenital injury and whether the findings on urine specimen and/or imaging led to clinical consequences.

Results

A total of 1815 patients were included. The prevalence of intra-abdominal and urogenital injuries was 13% and 8%, respectively. In 1363 patients (75%), urinalysis was performed and 1031 patients (57%) underwent imaging for urogenital injury as well. The presence of macroscopic haematuria (n=16) led to clinical consequences in 73% of the patients (11 out of 15), regardless of the findings on imaging. Microscopic haematuria on urinalysis in combination with no findings on imaging led to clinical consequences in 8 out of 212 patients (4%). Microscopic haematuria on urinalysis in patients who did not have imaging for urogenital injury did not lead to clinical consequences (0 out of 54 patients; 0%). All the 8 patients who underwent an intervention had positive findings on imaging.

Conclusions

The results do not support the routine performance of urinalysis in patients admitted with a blunt trauma mechanism. Although urinalysis could be valuable in specific patient populations, we should consider omitting this investigation as a routine part of the assessment of trauma patients.
Antidysrhythmic drug therapy for the termination of stable, monomorphic ventricular tachycardia: a systematic review
Authors: deSouza Ian S , Martindale Jennifer L , Sinert Richard
Published: September 2013

Objective

We performed a systematic review of the literature to compare the efficacy of different drug therapies for the termination of stable, monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Methods

We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane for trials from 1965 through July 2013 using a search strategy derived from the following clinical question in PICO format:Patients: Adults (≥18 years) with stable monomorphic VT;Intervention: Intravenous antidysrhythmic drug;Comparator: Intravenous lidocaine or amiodarone;Outcome: Termination of VT. For all drug comparisons, we calculated relative risks (RR; 95% CI) and number needed to treat (NNT, 95% CI) between drugs. We also evaluated the methodological quality of the studies.

Results

Our search yielded 219 articles by PubMed and 390 articles by EMBASE. 3 prospective studies (n=93 patients) and 2 retrospective studies (n=173 patients) met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. From the prospective studies, RR of VT termination of procainamide versus lidocaine was 3.7 (1.3–10.5); ajmaline versus lidocaine, RR=5.3 (1.4–20.5); and sotalol versus lidocaine, RR=3.9 (1.3–11.5). From the retrospective studies: procainamide versus lidocaine, RR=2.2 (1.2–4.0); and procainamide versus amiodarone RR=4.3 (0.8–23.6). All 5 reviewed studies had quality issues, including potential bias for randomisation and concealment.

Conclusions

Based on limited available evidence from small heterogeneous human studies, for the treatment of stable, monomorphic VT, procainamide, ajmaline and sotalol were all superior to lidocaine; amiodarone was not more effective than procainamide.
A national survey of hereditary colorectal cancer services in the UK
Authors: Monahan Kevin J , Clark Susan K ,   on behalf of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Cancer Group
Published: September 2013

Objectives

The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Cancer Group designed a survey to determine how we might understand and improve the service for patients at elevated risk of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC).

Design and Setting

United Kingdom (UK) gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, and oncologists were invited by email to complete a 10 point questionnaire. This was cascaded to 1,793 members of the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP), the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI), as well as BSG members.

Results

Three hundred and eighty-two members responded to the survey, an overall response rate of 21.3%. Although 69% of respondents felt there was an adequate service for these higher risk patients, 64% believed that another clinician was undertaking this work. There was no apparent formal patient pathway in 52% of centres, and only 33% of centres maintain a registry of these patients. Tumour block testing for Lynch Syndrome is not usual practice. Many appeared to be unaware of the BSG/ACPGBI UK guidelines for the management of these patients.

Conclusions

There is wide variability in local management and in subsequent clinical pathways for hereditary CRC patients. There is a perception that they are being managed by 'another', unspecified clinician. National guidelines are not adhered to. We therefore recommend improved education, well defined pathways and cyclical audit in order to improve care of patients with hereditary CRC risk.
Clinical performance evaluation of the CellaVision Image Capture System in the white blood cell differential on peripheral blood smears
Authors: Smits Simone M , Leyte Anja
Published: September 2013

Introduction

Differential counting and morphological analysis of peripheral blood smears is of great diagnostic importance to the clinician. For economic and time-saving reasons, automated imaging processes have been successfully introduced over the years. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a new morphology system, the CellaVision Image Capture System (CICS), can be used to perform a white blood cell (WBC) differential on peripheral blood smears.

Methods

WBCs in 200 peripheral blood smears were analysed with the CICS method and compared with the DM96 method to establish accuracy, short-term imprecision and clinical sensitivity and specificity for morphology. For establishing long-term imprecision, two blood smears were analysed for 20 days with the CICS method.

Results

Evaluation of accuracy in 199 samples demonstrated a good correlation for the CICS when compared with the postclassification on the DM96. Regression coefficients ranged from 0.97 for monocyte counts to 0.99 for neutrophil counts. All regression lines showed slopes with 1 and intercepts with 0 within the 95% CI. Long-term imprecision was less than 5% for neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and monocytes. Comparison of the short-term imprecision demonstrated that the SD did not differ by more than 1.1% between the DM96 method and the CICS method. Clinical sensitivity of the CICS was 93.5% and specificity was 97.8%. Specificity and sensitivity for blasts was 100%.

Conclusions

The CICS has proven to be a reliable and accurate tool in the differential WBC count on peripheral blood smears and provides small laboratories with a 24 h available real-time digital differential WBC count on peripheral blood smears and consultation for patients in remote locations.
AVERAGE BRIDGE NUMBER OF SHADOW RESOLUTIONS
Authors: LIU DONGLUN , MACKEY STEVEN , NICHOLSON NEIL R. , SCHROEDER TYLER , THOMAS KYLE
Published: September 2013

A Gauss code for a virtual knot diagram is a sequence of crossing labels, each repeated twice and assigned a + or - symbol to identify over and undercrossings. Eliminate these symbols and what remains is a Gauss code for the shadow of the diagram, one type of virtual pseudodiagram. While it is now impossible to determine which particular virtual diagram the shadow resulted from, we can consider the collection of all diagrams, called resolutions of the shadow, that would yield such a code. We compute the average virtual bridge number over all these diagrams and show that for a shadow with n classical precrossings, the average virtual bridge number is [Formula: see text].
SHADOW DARK MATTER AS A MANIFESTATION OF i ↔ -i SYMMETRY IN PRE-QUANTUM TRACE DYNAMICS
Authors: ADLER STEPHEN L.
Published: September 2013

We propose an alternate version of the "shadow world" hypothesis for the origin of dark matter. Instead of postulating that the shadow world is a "mirror" world under parity or charge-parity reflection, we suggest that the existence of a shadow world arises from the fact that i or –i can be the imaginary unit in complex quantum mechanics. This mechanism is a natural consequence of "trace dynamics" pre-quantum theory, from which quantum mechanics over the complex number field emerges as a statistical mechanical approximation. Because the pre-quantum dynamics does not pick out a preferred imaginary unit, the emergent quantum dynamics contains two sectors, one based on i and the other on –i, with both sectors coupled to gravity.
TRANSMISSION RELIABILITY OF A STOCHASTIC IMPERFECT VERTEX COMPUTER NETWORK WITH PACKET UNRELIABILITY AND TIME ATTRIBUTES
Authors: LIN YI-KUEI , HUANG CHENG-FU
Published: September 2013

Quality of the received data at the sink can be based on packet delay, packet errors, packet loss, etc. From the viewpoint of quality of service (QoS), the packet unreliability (PU) and transmission time are both of critical attributes to assess internet quality for supervisor and customers. A computer system is usually modeled as a network topology with arcs and vertices where each arc denotes a transmission medium and each vertex represents an Internet data center. Due to failure, partial failure, maintenance, etc., each component (arc or vertex) should be considered as stochastic. The network with imperfect vertices is more complex to evaluate the reliability issue because vertex failure results in the disablement of adjacent arcs. Such a network named a stochastic imperfect vertex computer network (SIVCN) is addressed in this paper. We study how the data can be delivered through multiple minimal paths simultaneously within both permitted PU and time constraint. A solution procedure comprising two efficient algorithms is proposed to assess transmission reliability accordingly.
Father and I
Authors: Yang Chen Ning
Published: September 2013

Father (K. C. Yang (楊克純), 1896–1973) was a high school teacher in Anqing (安慶) in 1922 when I was born in Hefei (合肥). Anqing was then also called Huaining (懷寧). Father gave me the name Chen Ning, of which Chen was the name of my generation in our family, and Ning was derived from Huaining. Before I was one year old Father won an Anhui (安徽) Provincial Fellowship for studying in the USA. We had a family picture (Fig. 1) taken in the courtyard outside our bedroom a few days before he left home. Father had on the traditional robe and coat, standing stiff and erect. He had probably up to that point never worn a western suit. Two years later he sent a picture (Fig. 2) to Mother from the University of Chicago, in which his attire and bearing had both entered the twentieth century. Father was a handsome man. The exuberance and optimism of his youth were clearly captured in this photograph.
An energy-efficient method of supporting flexible special instructions in an embedded processor with compact ISA
Authors: She Dongrui , He Yifan , Corporaal Henk
Published: September 2013

In application-specific processor design, a common approach to improve performance and efficiency is to use special instructions that execute complex operation patterns. However, in a generic embedded processor with compact Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), these special instructions may lead to large overhead such as: (
i
) more bits are needed to encode the extra opcodes and operands, resulting in wider instructions; (
ii
) more Register File (RF) ports are required to provide the extra operands to the function units. Such overhead may increase energy consumption considerably.

In this article, we propose to support flexible operation pair patterns in a processor with a compact 24-bit RISC-like ISA using: (
i
) a partially reconfigurable decoder that exploits the pattern locality to reduce opcode space requirement; (
ii
) a software-controlled bypass network to reduce operand encoding bit and RF port requirement. An energy-aware compiler backend is designed for the proposed architecture that performs pattern selection and bypass-aware scheduling to generate energy-efficient codes. Though the proposed design imposes extra constraints on the operation patterns, the experimental results show that for benchmark applications from different domains, the average dynamic instruction count is reduced by over 25%, which is only about 2% less than the architecture without such constraints. The proposed architecture reduces total energy by an average of 15.8% compared to the RISC baseline, while the one without constraints achieves almost no improvement due to its high overhead. When high performance is required, the proposed architecture is able to achieve a speedup of 13.8% with 13.1% energy reduction compared to the baseline by introducing multicycle SFU operations.
Gems in decision tree complexity revisited
Authors: Kulkarni Raghav
Published: September 2013

The decision tree model, aka the query model, perhaps due to its simplicity and fundamental nature has been extensively studied over decades. Yet there remain some fascinating open questions about it. The purpose of this paper is to revisit three such conjectures in decision tree complexity and present related open questions.
Moving heaven and earth
Authors: Venkatasubramanian Suresh
Published: September 2013

This column comes in two parts. In the first, I discuss various ways of defining distances between distributions. In the second, Jeff Erickson (chair of the SoCG steering committee) discusses some matters related to the relationship between ACM and the Symposium on Computational Geometry.
Anomaly-based bug prediction, isolation, and validation
Authors: Dimitrov Martin , Zhou Huiyang
Published: September 2013

Software defects, commonly known as bugs, present a serious challenge for system reliability and dependability. Once a program failure is observed, the debugging activities to locate the defects are typically nontrivial and time consuming. In this paper, we propose a novel automated approach to pin-point the root-causes of software failures.

Our proposed approach consists of three steps. The first step is bug prediction, which leverages the existing work on anomaly-based bug detection as exceptional behavior during program execution has been shown to frequently point to the root cause of a software failure. The second step is bug isolation, which eliminates false-positive bug predictions by checking whether the dynamic forward slices of bug predictions lead to the observed program failure. The last step is bug validation, in which the isolated anomalies are validated by dynamically nullifying their effects and observing if the program still fails. The whole bug prediction, isolation and validation process is fully automated and can be implemented with efficient architectural support. Our experiments with 6 programs and 7 bugs, including a real bug in the gcc 2.95.2 compiler, show that our approach is highly effective at isolating only the relevant anomalies. Compared to state-of-art debugging techniques, our proposed approach pinpoints the defect locations more accurately and presents the user with a much smaller code set to analyze.
DFTL
Authors: Gupta Aayush , Kim Youngjae , Urgaonkar Bhuvan
Published: September 2013

Recent technological advances in the development of flash-memory based devices have consolidated their leadership position as the preferred storage media in the embedded systems market and opened new vistas for deployment in enterprise-scale storage systems. Unlike hard disks, flash devices are free from any mechanical moving parts, have no seek or rotational delays and consume lower power. However, the internal idiosyncrasies of flash technology make its performance highly dependent on workload characteristics. The poor performance of random writes has been a cause of major concern, which needs to be addressed to better utilize the potential of flash in enterprise-scale environments. We examine one of the important causes of this poor performance: the design of the Flash Translation Layer (FTL), which performs the virtual-to-physical address translations and hides the erase-before-write characteristics of flash. We propose a complete paradigm shift in the design of the core FTL engine from the existing techniques with our Demand-based Flash Translation Layer (DFTL), which selectively caches page-level address mappings. We develop a flash simulation framework called FlashSim. Our experimental evaluation with realistic enterprise-scale workloads endorses the utility of DFTL in enterprise-scale storage systems by demonstrating: (i) improved performance, (ii) reduced garbage collection overhead and (iii) better overload behavior compared to state-of-the-art FTL schemes. For example, a predominantly random-write dominant I/O trace from an OLTP application running at a large financial institution shows a 78% improvement in average response time (due to a 3-fold reduction in operations of the garbage collector), compared to a state-of-the-art FTL scheme. Even for the well-known read-dominant TPC-H benchmark, for which DFTL introduces additional overheads, we improve system response time by 56%.
Phantom-BTB
Authors: Burcea Ioana , Moshovos Andreas
Published: September 2013

Modern processors use branch target buffers (BTBs) to predict the target address of branches such that they can fetch ahead in the instruction stream increasing concurrency and performance. Ideally, BTBs would be sufficiently large to capture the entire working set of the application and sufficiently small for fast access and practical on-chip dedicated storage. Depending on the application, these requirements are at odds.

This work introduces a BTB design that accommodates large instruction footprints without dedicating expensive onchip resources. In the proposed Phantom-BTB (PBTB) design, a conventional BTB is augmented with a virtual table that collects branch target information as the application runs. The virtual table does not have fixed dedicated storage. Instead, it is transparently allocated, on demand, in the on-chip caches, at cache line granularity. The entries in the virtual table are proactively prefetched and installed in the dedicated conventional BTB, thus, increasing its perceived capacity. Experimental results with commercial workloads under full-system simulation demonstrate that PBTB improves IPC performance over a 1K-entry BTB by 6.9% on average and up to 12.7%, with a storage overhead of only 8%. Overall, the virtualized design performs within 1% of a conventional 4K-entry, single-cycle access BTB, while the dedicated storage is 3.6 times smaller.
StreamRay
Authors: Ramani Karthik , Gribble Christiaan P. , Davis Al
Published: September 2013

The wide availability of commodity graphics processors has made real-time graphics an intrinsic component of the human/computer interface. These graphics cores accelerate the z-buffer algorithm and provide a highly interactive experience at a relatively low cost. However, many applications in entertainment, science, and industry require high quality lighting effects such as accurate shadows, reflection, and refraction. These effects can be difficult to achieve with z-buffer algorithms but are straightforward to implement using ray tracing. Although ray tracing is computationally more complex, the algorithm exhibits excellent scaling and parallelism properties. Nevertheless, ray tracing memory access patterns are difficult to predict and the parallelism speedup promise is therefore hard to achieve.

This paper highlights a novel approach to ray tracing based on stream filtering and presents StreamRay, a multicore wide SIMD microarchitecture that delivers interactive frame rates of 15-32 frames/second for scenes of high geometric complexity and exhibits high utilization for SIMD widths ranging from eight to 16 elements. StreamRay consists of two main components: the ray engine, which is responsible for stream assembly and employs address generation units that generate addresses to form large SIMD vectors, and the filter engine, which implements the ray tracing operations with programmable accelerators. Results demonstrate that separating address and data processing reduces data movement and resource contention. Performance improves by 56% while simultaneously providing 11.63% power savings per accelerator core compared to a design which does not use separate resources for address and data computations.
Cell matrix contact modifies endothelial major histocompatibility complex class II expression in high-glucose environment
Authors: Nickmann Markus , Saemisch Michael , Wilbert-Lampen Ute , Nickel Thomas , Edelman Elazer R. , Methe Heiko
Published: September 2013

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and arterial hypertension induce endothelial dysfunction with alterations in endothelial biosecretion and immune behavior. The aim of this study is to elucidate whether glucose-induced modifications of endothelial biosecretory and immune functions are regulated by interactions of endothelial cells (ECs) with their extracellular matrix [ECs plated on polystyrene-coated tissue culture plates (TC-EC) vs. ECs embedded within three-dimensional (3-D) collagen-based matrixes (3D-EC)]. In the absence of glucose, IFN-γ-induced phosphorylation of JAK and STAT proteins and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR expression were lower in 3D-EC compared with TC-EC. Inversely, the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins (SOCS)-1 and -3 were significantly higher in naïve 3D-EC compared with naïve TC-EC. IFN-γ-induced upregulation of SOCS proteins was further amplified by the 3-D environment. Glucose significantly augmented IFN-γ-dependent signaling pathways in TC-EC. IFN-γ-induced phosphorylation of JAK and STAT proteins as well as HLA-DR expression by ECs in low- and high-glucose medium was significantly lower in 3-D than in two-dimensional environment. Glucose increased SOCS expression in TC-EC and 3D-EC to the same extent, such that expression levels in 3D-EC exceeded SOCS-1 and -3 expression in TC-EC by 1.6–2.5-fold. In conclusion, low- and high-glucose concentrations amplify IFN-γ-induced signaling pathways in TC-EC. Increased SOCS expression raises the threshold for IFN-γ to induce HLA-DR expression in a 3-D environment. This immunoprotective effect is maintained even in states of experimental hyperglycemia.
Analyses of synovial tissues from arthritic and protected congenic rat strains reveal a new core set of genes associated with disease severity
Authors: Brenner Max , Laragione Teresina , Gulko Pércio S.
Published: September 2013

Little is known about the genes regulating disease severity and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study we analyzed the gene expression characteristics of synovial tissues from four different strains congenic for non-MHC loci that develop mild and nonerosive arthritis compared with severe and erosive DA rats. DA.F344(Cia3d), DA.F344(Cia5a), DA.ACI(Cia10), and DA.ACI(Cia25) rats developed mild arthritis compared with DA. We found 685 genes with significantly different expression between congenics and DA, independent of the specific congenic interval, suggesting that these genes represent a new nongenetic core group of mediators of arthritis severity. This core group includes genes not previously implicated or with unclear role in arthritis severity, such as Tnn, Clec4m, and Spond1 among others, increased in DA. The core genes also included Scd1, Selenbp1, and Slc7a10, increased in congenics. Genes implicated in nuclear receptor activity, xenobiotic and lipid metabolism were also increased in the congenics, correlating with protection. Several disease mediators were among the core genes reduced in congenics, including IL-6, IL-17, and Ccl2. Analyses of upstream regulators (genes, pathways, or chemicals) suggested reduced activation of Stat3 and TLR-related genes and chemicals in congenics. Additionally, cigarette smoking was among the upstream regulators activated in DA, while p53 was an upstream regulator activated in congenics. We observed congenic-specific differential expression and detection in each individual strain. In conclusion, this new nongenetically regulated core genes of disease severity or protection in arthritis should provide new insight into critical pathways and potential new environmental risk factor for arthritis.
The Algorithm of Link Prediction on Social Network
Authors: Dong Liyan , Li Yongli , Yin Han , Le Huang , Rui Mao
Published: September 2013

At present, most link prediction algorithms are based on the similarity between two entities. Social network topology information is one of the main sources to design the similarity function between entities. But the existing link prediction algorithms do not apply the network topology information sufficiently. For lack of traditional link prediction algorithms, we propose two improved algorithms: CNGF algorithm based on local information and KatzGF algorithm based on global information network. For the defect of the stationary of social network, we also provide the link prediction algorithm based on nodes multiple attributes information. Finally, we verified these algorithms on DBLP data set, and the experimental results show that the performance of the improved algorithm is superior to that of the traditional link prediction algorithm.
Pressure Transient Analysis of Dual Fractal Reservoir
Authors: Tan Xiao-Hua , Li Xiao-Ping , Liu Jian-Yi , Tang Chuan , Li Jin-man
Published: September 2013

A dual fractal reservoir transient flow model was created by embedding a fracture system simulated by a tree-shaped fractal network into a matrix system simulated by fractal porous media. The dimensionless bottom hole pressure model was created using the Laplace transform and Stehfest numerical inversion methods. According to the model's solution, the bilogarithmic type curves of the dual fractal reservoirs are illustrated, and the influence of different fractal factors on pressure transient responses is discussed. This semianalytical model provides a practical and reliable method for empirical applications.
Chronic Heat Stress Inhibits Immune Responses to H5N1 Vaccination through Regulating CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs
Authors: Meng Di , Hu Yanxin , Xiao Chong , Wei Tangting , Zou Qiang , Wang Ming
Published: September 2013

Chronic heat stress (CHS) is known to have negative impacts on the immune responses in animals and increases their susceptibility to infections including the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. However, the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in CHS immunosuppression remains largely undefined. In this study, we demonstrated a novel mechanism by which CHS suppressed both Th1 and Th2 immune responses and dramatically decreased the protective efficacy of the formalin-inactivated H5N1 vaccine against H5N1 influenza virus infection. This suppression was found to be associated with the induced generation of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs and the increased secretions of IL-10 and TGF-βin CD4+T cells. Adoptive transfer of the induced Tregs also suppressed the protective efficacy of formalin-inactivated H5N1 virus immunization. Collectively, this study identifies a novel mechanism of CHS immunosuppression mediated by regulating CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs.
MHD-Conjugate Free Convection from an Isothermal Horizontal Circular Cylinder with Joule Heating and Heat Generation
Authors: Azim NHM. A. , Chowdhury M. K.
Published: September 2013

The present work is devoted to the numerical study of laminar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) conjugate natural convection flow from a horizontal circular cylinder taking into account Joule heating and internal heat generation. The governing equations and the associated boundary conditions for this analysis are made nondimensional forms using a set of dimensionless variables. Thus, the nondimensional governing equations are solved numerically using finite difference method with Keller box scheme. Numerical outcomes are found for different values of the magnetic parameter, conjugate conduction parameter, Prandtl number, Joule heating parameter, and heat generation parameter for the velocity and the temperature within the boundary layer as well as the skin friction coefficients and the rate of heat transfer along the surface. It is found that the skin friction increases, and heat transfer rate decreases for escalating value of Joule heating parameter and heat generation parameter. Results are presented graphically with detailed discussion.
Cytocompatibility of Plasma and Thermally Treated Biopolymers
Authors: Slepička Petr , Michaljaničová Iva , Slepičková Kasálková Nikola , Sajdl Petr , Kolská Zdeňka , Švorčík Václav
Published: September 2013

This paper is focused on the surface characterization of plasma and consequently thermally treated biocompatible polymers. PLLA (poly(L‐lactide acid) and PMP (poly‐4‐methyl‐1‐pentene) are studied. The influence of Ar plasma treatment on the surface polarity of substrate measured immediately after treatment and during the polymer surface aging is studied. Surface roughness, morphology, wettability, and surface chemistry were determined. Plasma treatment leads to significant changes in PLLA surface morphology and chemistry, with the PMP being slightly affected. The higher resistance to plasma fluence results in smaller ablation of PMP than that of PLLA. The plasma treatment improves cell adhesion and proliferation on the PMP. Plasma treatment of PLLA influences mostly the homogeneity of adhered and proliferated VSMC.
Diagnostic Modalities of Precancerous and Cancerous Cervical Lesions with Special Emphasis on CD31 Angiogenesis Factor as a Marker
Authors: Sharma Bandana , Singh Neetu , Gupta Neena , Lal Pavika , Pande Shefali , Chauhan Shashi
Published: September 2013

Objectives. To evaluate the role of angiogenesis tumor marker CD31 in the detection of precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions and to compare its efficacy with colposcopy and histopathology. Materials and Methods. 230 patients with a suspicious looking cervix and an abnormal Pap smear attending the Outpatient Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of GSVM Medical College were subjected to a colposcopic examination. 180 patients with suspected colposcopic findings were subjected to a colposcopic directed biopsy. Biopsy tissues were sent for histopathological examination out of which 50 biopsied samples were sent for immunostaining of CD-31. Statistical analysis was done. Results. Comparison of microvessel density (MVD) count by haematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) and immunostaining of CD31 in preinvasive group were and , respectively, and in invasive group were and , respectively, which showed that MVD was higher by CD31 both in preinvasive and invasive group, and it was statistically significant. Conclusion. Angiogenesis is a marker of tumor progression, and CD31 fixes up vessel better as compared to HE, so aggressiveness of the tumor can be better predicted by MVD-CD31 as compared to MVD-HE.
Comparative Assessment of Antimicrobial Efficiency of Ionic Silver, Silver Monoxide, and Metallic Silver Incorporated onto an Aluminum Oxide Nanopowder Carrier
Authors: Jastrzębska Agnieszka Maria , Karwowska Ewa , Olszyna Andrzej R. , Kunicki Antoni R.
Published: September 2013

The present paper provides comparative assessment of antimicrobial efficiency of ionic silver (Ag+), silver monoxide (Ag2O), and metallic silver (Ag) incorporated onto an aluminum oxide nanopowder carrier (Al2O3). The deposition of Ag+ ions, Ag2O nanoparticles, and Ag nanoparticles on an different phases of aluminum oxide nanopowder carrier was realized using consecutive stages of dry sol-gel method. The Al2O3-Ag+, Al2O3-Ag2O, and Al2O3-Ag nanopowders were widely characterized qualitatively and quantitatively by SEM, physical nitrogen sorption and XRD analyses. Results indicate that the Al2O3 nanopowders added with Ag+, Ag2O, and Ag, apart from phase composition, were not differing considerably from one another in terms of their morphology and physical properties. However, nanopowders of Al2O3-Ag were more agglomerated than Al2O3-Ag2O and Al2O3-Ag+ nanopowders. The antibacterial activity of the nanopowders was examined by the spread plate method using bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli, Sarcina lutea, and Bacillus subtilis. The best antibacterial properties against Sarcina lutea strain were achieved in the amorphous-Al2O3-Ag+ and Al2O3-Ag2O nanopowders, whereas the worst antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli was shown by the Al2O3-Ag+ and Al2O3-Ag nanopowders. The observed increase of the antibacterial activity as the silver content was not however significant for Al2O3-Ag nanopowders. The results obtained in the present experiments show that the Al2O3-Ag+, Al2O3-Ag2O, and Al2O3-Ag nanopowders, possessing good bactericidal properties, can be produced by using consecutive stages of dry sol-gel method, and Al2O3 nanopowder added with Ag2O is considered as the best raw material in the production of antiseptic materials.
Adding to the Burden: Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Syndromes in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Levinthal David J. , Rahman Ambreen , Nusrat Salman , O’Leary Margie , Heyman Rock , Bielefeldt Klaus
Published: September 2013

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. However, the full extent and prevalence of such symptoms are not clearly established. Thus, we sought to define the prevalence of GI symptoms and syndromes in those with MS.Methods. 218 MS patients completed self-reported demographic and clinical data questionnaires as well as several standardized surveys probing MS severity and GI health.Results. Nearly two thirds (65.6%) of patients endorsed at least one persistent GI symptom. Constipation (36.6%), dysphagia (21.1%), and fecal incontinence (15.1%) were common. Surprisingly, nearly 30% (28.4%) of the patients reported dyspeptic symptoms. Using validated diagnostic algorithms, patients met criteria for functional dysphagia (14.7%), functional dyspepsia (16.5%), functional constipation (31.7%), and IBS (19.3%), among others. Functional dysphagia, functional dyspepsia, and IBS were significantly more common in those with self-identified mood disorders.Conclusions. Constipation, fecal incontinence, and dysphagia are indeed frequent symptoms seen in MS patients. We also noted a ~30% prevalence of dyspepsia in this population. The mechanisms driving this association are not clear and require further study. However, due to this high prevalence, dyspeptic symptoms should be incorporated into the routine assessment of MS patients and, if found, may warrant collaborative referral with a GI specialist.
Occupational Exposure to Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter and Lung Functions Deterioration of Steel Workers: An Exploratory Study in India
Authors: Singh Lakhwinder Pal , Bhardwaj Arvind , Deepak Kishore Kumar
Published: September 2013

Objective. Manufacturing industry, especially casting and forging (iron and steel) industry, comprises a major part of the occupation in India. However, health protection is still ignored. Therefore the present study explores the respiratory symptoms among steel workers and subsequently measured the level of exposure to RSPM and lung functions parameters using spirometry investigation. Method. Present study assessed the level of respiratory symptoms through questionnaire survey of 572 workers, out of which 309 workers and another control group of 74 subjects were assessed for the spirometry test. Both of the groups were statistically matched for age and BMI. Students’ t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the various subgroups. Results. The results reveal that workers are exposed to higher respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) levels than the limit of 5 mg/m3 prescribed by Indian factory act. The spirometric parameters such as FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, FEF25–75, PEFR, PIFR, and FIVC were significantly lower in exposed group than in controls. In the present scenario the iron and steel SMEs of the region are very much lagging behind in implementing the occupational health and safety practices.
Conclusions. The majority of the workers were not wearing proper PPEs like masks due to ergonomically bad design, and at the same time they were working 60 to 72 hrs/week, which leads to very high level of exposure to RSPM. Therefore, the workers were under higher risk of lungs functions deterioration.
Validation and Uncertainty Estimation of an Ecofriendly and Stability-Indicating HPLC Method for Determination of Diltiazem in Pharmaceutical Preparations
Authors: Sadeghi Fahimeh , Navidpour Latifeh , Bayat Sima , Afshar Minoo
Published: September 2013

A green, simple, and stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed for the determination of diltiazem in topical preparations. The separation was based on a C18analytical column using a mobile phase consisted of ethanol: phosphoric acid solution (pH = 2.5) (35 : 65, v/v). Column temperature was set at 50°C and quantitation was achieved with UV detection at 240 nm. In forced degradation studies, the drug was subjected to oxidation, hydrolysis, photolysis, and heat. The method was validated for specificity, selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The applied procedure was found to be linear in diltiazem concentration range of 0.5–50 μg/mL (r2=0.9996). Precision was evaluated by replicate analysis in which % relative standard deviation (RSD) values for areas were found below 2.0. The recoveries obtained (99.25%–101.66%) ensured the accuracy of the developed method. The degradation products as well as the pharmaceutical excipients were well resolved from the pure drug. The expanded uncertainty (5.63%) of the method was also estimated from method validation data. Accordingly, the proposed validated and sustainable procedure was proved to be suitable for routine analyzing and stability studies of diltiazem in pharmaceutical preparations.
On Caristi Type Maps and Generalized Distances with Applications
Authors: Du Wei-Shih
Published: September 2013

We prove some new existence theorems of fixed points for Caristi type maps and some suitable generalized distances without lower semicontinuity assumptions on dominated functions. As applications of our results, some new fixed point theorems and new generalizations of the Banach contraction principle are given.
Theoretical Research on the Mechanism of the Dimerization Reactions of Alkyl Ketene
Authors: Zhang Zhiguo , Li Guoneng , Hu Guilin , Sun Yaoyu
Published: September 2013

A quantum chemical method was employed to investigate the mechanism of dimerization reactions of alkyl ketene. All the geometric configurations of the stationary points on the reactions path were optimized with Gaussian03 employing density functional theory at the B3LYP/6‐311G++(d, p) level by energy gradient technique. The transition states were also investigated through synchronous transit method, and its reasonability was confirmed by using frequency analysis and intrinsic reaction coordinate analysis. The results can be summed up as follows: according to the frontier orbital theory, the dimerization reaction (3) to generate four‐membered carbon cyclic product P3 is forbidden. Two different dimerization processes of alkyl ketene are all concerted but nonsynchronous, taking place through twisted four‐membered cyclic transition states. The activation energies were calculated to be 34.54 and 61.73 kJ/mol, respectively for the two ketene dimerization processes. Calculation results satisfactorily explained the experimental facts.
Successful Treatment of Localized Pemphigus Foliaceus with Topical Pimecrolimus
Authors: Tyros G. , Kalapothakou K. , Christofidou E. , Kanelleas A. , Stavropoulos P. G.
Published: September 2013

We report the case of successful treatment of a 79-year-old male patient with recurrent pemphigus foliaceus with pimecrolimus cream 1% once daily for 40 days. The patient initially presented with localized lesions on the scalp and nose area and was treated with systemic corticosteroids. At his fourth relapse within a period of 16 months, he refused any systemic treatment. Pimecrolimus cream was suggested to him as an alternative option.
Haematological Response of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinusBurchell 1822) Fingerlings Exposed to Different Concentrations of Tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum) Leaf Dust
Authors: Musa Safina M. , Aura Christopher Mulanda , Ogello Erick Ochieng , Omondi Reuben , Charo-Karisa Harrison , Munguti Jonathan Mbonge
Published: September 2013

The present study set out to investigate the haematological effects of tobacco leaf dust on African catfish,Clarias gariepinus, fingerlings, with a mean weight of 3.01 ± 1.25 g using “static renewal bioassay system” during a 120-hour bioassay exposure period. Water quality parameters such as pH and dissolved oxygen significantly decreased while total alkalinity and conductivity increased significantly in the exposed media, compared to the control test. Leucocytes counts increased significantly while erythrocytes counts decreased significantly with increasing concentration of tobacco dust. Packed cell volume significantly reduced with increase in the concentration of tobacco dust. Haematological examination showed that there was destruction of the erythrocytes production, and the concentration of haemoglobin was much lower in the exposed fish compared to the control depicting an anaemic condition. The results could provide baseline information for the safe limits of using tobacco leaf dust in fish ponds; hence 1.56 g L−1concentration of tobacco leaf dust was recommended for pond preparation forClarias gariepinusfingerling stocking. For better survival rates, the fish should only be introduced in the pond after three days of tobacco application.
Periodic Solutions for Impulsive Stochastic BAM Neural Networks with Time-Varying Delays in Leakage Terms
Authors: Yang Li , Li Yongkun
Published: September 2013

By using an integral inequality, we establish some sufficient conditions for the existence andp-exponential stability of periodic solutions for a class of impulsive stochastic BAM neural networks with time-varying delays in leakage terms. Moreover, we present an example to illustrate the feasibility of our results.