bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Characterization of a Multiplex Bead-Based Immunoassay To Quantify Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharide-Specific Antibodies
Authors: Klein David L. , Martinez Joseph E. , Hickey Michael H. , Hassouna F. , Zaman K. , Steinhoff Mark
Published: June 2012

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the traditional antibody quantification technique, has several limitations, especially when used to evaluate multivalent and/or infant vaccines. We have developed a multiplex bead-based antibody quantification assay (MBIA) to measure antibody response to multiple pneumococcal (Pn) serotypes (St) in a single assay. MBIA was compared with the WHO ELISA using a WHO panel of 12 international calibration sera for 7 Pn Sts. An agreement of 75 to 92% was obtained for all 7 Sts. MBIA exhibited good robustness, with the assay variability at ≤16%. A major contributor to MBIA variability was the cell wall polysaccharide (CWPs) content in Pn St-specific capsular Ps. This necessitated careful CWPs (20 μg/ml) preadsorption of sera. MBIA is specific, robust, and reproducible and offers high throughput. The use of MBIA will greatly reduce the cost and time required to evaluate the immune response to multiple Pn Sts and could help promote the licensure of future Pn and other multivalent vaccines.
Comprehensive Detection and Discrimination of Campylobacter Species by Use of Confocal Micro-Raman Spectroscopy and Multilocus Sequence Typing
Authors: Lu Xiaonan , Huang Qian , Miller William G. , Aston D. Eric , Xu Jie , Xue Feng , Zhang Hongwei , Rasco Barbara A. , Wang Shuo , Konkel Michael E.
Published: June 2012

A novel strategy for the rapid detection and identification of traditional and emerging
Campylobacter
strains based upon Raman spectroscopy (532 nm) is presented here. A total of 200 reference strains and clinical isolates of 11 different
Campylobacter
species recovered from infected animals and humans from China and North America were used to establish a global Raman spectroscopy-based dendrogram model for
Campylobacter
identification to the species level and cross validated for its feasibility to predict
Campylobacter
-associated food-borne outbreaks. Bayesian probability coupled with Monte Carlo estimation was employed to validate the established Raman classification model on the basis of the selected principal components, mainly protein secondary structures, on the
Campylobacter
cell membrane. This Raman spectroscopy-based typing technique correlates well with multilocus sequence typing and has an average recognition rate of 97.21%. Discriminatory power for the Raman classification model had a Simpson index of diversity of 0.968. Intra- and interlaboratory reproducibility with different instrumentation yielded differentiation index values of 4.79 to 6.03 for wave numbers between 1,800 and 650 cm
−1
and demonstrated the feasibility of using this spectroscopic method at different laboratories. Our Raman spectroscopy-based partial least-squares regression model could precisely discriminate and quantify the actual concentration of a specific
Campylobacter
strain in a bacterial mixture (regression coefficient, >0.98; residual prediction deviation, >7.88). A standard protocol for sample preparation, spectral collection, model validation, and data analyses was established for the Raman spectroscopic technique. Raman spectroscopy may have advantages over traditional genotyping methods for bacterial epidemiology, such as detection speed and accuracy of identification to the species level.
HTLV-1 Tax-Induced Rapid Senescence Is Driven by the Transcriptional Activity of NF-κB and Depends on Chronically Activated IKKα and p65/RelA
Authors: Ho Yik-Khuan , Zhi Huijun , DeBiaso Dominic , Philip Subha , Shih Hsiu-Ming , Giam Chou-Zen
Published: June 2012

The HTLV-1 oncoprotein Tax is a potent activator of classical and alternative NF-κB pathways and is thought to promote cell proliferation and transformation via NF-κB activation. We showed recently that hyperactivation of NF-κB by Tax triggers a cellular senescence response (H. Zhi et al., PLoS Pathog. 7:e1002025, 2011). Inhibition of NF-κB activation by expression of I-κBα superrepressor or by small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of p65/RelA rescues cells from Tax-induced rapid senescence (Tax-IRS). Here we demonstrate that Tax-IRS is driven by the transcriptional activity of NF-κB. Knockdown of IKKγ, the primary Tax target, by shRNAs abrogated Tax-mediated activation of both classical and alternative NF-κB pathways and rendered knockdown cells resistant to Tax-IRS. Consistent with a critical role of IKKα in the transcriptional activity of NF-κB, IKKα deficiency drastically decreased NF-κB
trans
-activation by Tax, although it only modestly reduced Tax-mediated I-κBα degradation and NF-κB nuclear localization. In contrast, although IKKβ knockdown attenuated Tax-induced NF-κB transcriptional activation, the residual NF-κB activation in IKKβ-deficient cells was sufficient to trigger Tax-IRS. Importantly, the phenotypes of NIK and TAK1 knockdown were similar to those of IKKα and IKKβ knockdown, respectively. Finally, double knockdown of RelB and p100 had a minor effect on senescence induction by Tax. These data suggest that Tax, through its interaction with IKKγ, helps recruit NIK and TAK1 for IKKα and IKKβ activation, respectively. In the presence of Tax, the delineation between the classical and alternative NF-κB pathways becomes obscured. The senescence checkpoint triggered by Tax is driven by the transcriptional activity of NF-κB, which depends on activated IKKα and p65/RelA.
Structural Basis of Ligand Interactions of the Large Extracellular Domain of Tetraspanin CD81
Authors: Rajesh Sundaresan , Sridhar Pooja , Tews Birke Andrea , Fénéant Lucie , Cocquerel Laurence , Ward Douglas G. , Berditchevski Fedor , Overduin Michael
Published: June 2012

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and primary liver cancer. Despite 130 million people being at risk worldwide, no vaccine exists, and effective therapy is limited by drug resistance, toxicity, and high costs. The tetraspanin CD81 is an essential entry-level receptor required for HCV infection of hepatocytes and represents a critical target for intervention. In this study, we report the first structural characterization of the large extracellular loop of CD81, expressed in mammalian cells and studied in physiological solutions. The HCV E2 glycoprotein recognizes CD81 through a dynamic loop on the helical bundle, which was shown by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to adopt a conformation distinct from that seen in crystals. A novel membrane binding interface was revealed adjacent to the exposed HCV interaction site in the extracellular loop of CD81. The binding pockets for two proposed inhibitors of the CD81-HCV interaction, namely, benzyl salicylate and fexofenadine, were shown to overlap the HCV and membrane interaction sites. Although the dynamic loop region targeted by these compounds presents challenges for structure-based design, the NMR assignments enable realistic screening and validation of ligands. Together, these data provide an improved avenue for developing potent agents that specifically block CD81-HCV interaction and also pave a way for elucidating the recognition mechanisms of diverse tetraspanins.
Neutralizing Antibody Escape during HIV-1 Mother-to-Child Transmission Involves Conformational Masking of Distal Epitopes in Envelope
Authors: Goo Leslie , Milligan Caitlin , Simonich Cassandra A. , Nduati Ruth , Overbaugh Julie
Published: June 2012

HIV-1 variants transmitted to infants are often resistant to maternal neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), suggesting that they have escaped maternal NAb pressure. To define the molecular basis of NAb escape that contributes to selection of transmitted variants, we analyzed 5 viruses from 2 mother-to-child transmission pairs, in which the infant virus, but not the maternal virus, was resistant to neutralization by maternal plasma near transmission. We generated chimeric viruses between maternal and infant envelope clones obtained near transmission and examined neutralization by maternal plasma. The molecular determinants of NAb escape were distinct, even when comparing two maternal variants to the transmitted infant virus within one pair, in which insertions in V4 of gp120 and substitutions in HR2 of gp41 conferred neutralization resistance. In another pair, deletions and substitutions in V1 to V3 conferred resistance, but neither V1/V2 nor V3 alone was sufficient. Although the sequence determinants of escape were distinct, all of them involved modifications of potential N-linked glycosylation sites. None of the regions that mediated escape were major linear targets of maternal NAbs because corresponding peptides failed to compete for neutralization. Instead, these regions disrupted multiple distal epitopes targeted by HIV-1-specific monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that escape from maternal NAbs occurred through conformational masking of distal epitopes. This strategy likely allows HIV-1 to utilize relatively limited changes in the envelope to preserve the ability to infect a new host while simultaneously evading multiple NAb specificities present in maternal plasma.
A Common Strategy for Host RNA Degradation by Divergent Viruses
Authors: Gaglia Marta Maria , Covarrubias Sergio , Wong Wesley , Glaunsinger Britt A.
Published: June 2012

Infection with gammaherpesviruses, alphaherpesviruses, and betacoronaviruses can result in widespread mRNA degradation, in each case initiated predominantly by a single viral factor. Although not homologous, these factors exhibit significant mechanistic similarities. In cells, each targets translatable RNAs for cleavage and requires host Xrn1 to complete RNA degradation, although the mechanism of targeting and the position of the primary cleavage differ. Thus, multiple host shutoff factors have converged upon a common mRNA degradation pathway.
Conservation of a Unique Mechanism of Immune Evasion across the Lyssavirus Genus
Authors: Wiltzer L. , Larrous F. , Oksayan S. , Ito N. , Marsh G. A. , Wang L. F. , Blondel D. , Bourhy H. , Jans D. A. , Moseley G. W.
Published: June 2012

The evasion of host innate immunity by
Rabies virus
, the prototype of the genus
Lyssavirus
, depends on a unique mechanism of selective targeting of interferon-activated STAT proteins by the viral phosphoprotein (P-protein). However, the immune evasion strategies of other lyssaviruses, including several lethal human pathogens, are unresolved. Here, we show that this mechanism is conserved between the most distantly related members of the genus, providing important insights into the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targeting of lyssaviruses.
Malformations of cortical development with good clinical outcome: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Yanase Maya , Kaido Takanobu , Yamada Maki , Watanabe Masako
Published: June 2012

Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are important causes of chronic epilepsy. MCD encompass many varied disorders with diverse clinical manifestations. Schizencephaly, one of the MCD, is known to be complicated by various types of epilepsy, most of which are intractable. We treated a 28-year-old man with epilepsy, characterised by unprovoked generalised tonic–clonic seizures accompanied by MCD. Brain MRI detected multiple malformations including septum pellucidum defect, partial corpus callosum defect, schizencephaly, right hippocampal atrophy, cerebellar atrophy and cerebellum atrophy. 99m Tc-ethylcysteinate dimer single photon emission CT showed decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF), and the morphology of CBF defects overlapped with the anomalous findings on MRI. The clinical outcome of the patient was good despite his severe brain malformations. Although the reason of this discrepancy is unclear, the outcomes of social function and epileptic seizures may be relatively good despite severe MCD in some patients.
Offering neighbourly advice
Authors: Williams David
Published: June 2012

Your next door neighbour calls to ask your advice. Her grandson, who is living in another town, has taken his six‐year‐old rabbit to the local vet. It was in good health, bright, alert and eating normally, but with a swelling on the side of its face. The practice diagnosed an abscess and offered to remove it surgically for £300. You are not sure you would have recommended this had the rabbit been presented to you. How should you respond?
Comments on the dilemma in the May issue: ‘Accommodating cultural differences of opinion’
Authors: Antillon Gabriela Olmos
Published: June 2012

The dilemma in the May issue concerned cultural and religious differences of opinion during veterinary work overseas (In Practice, May 2012, volume 34, pages 310–311). While working for an animal charity in a developing country, there were disagreements between you and the local staff employed by the charity over the best course of action to improve animal welfare. Kimberly Wells commented that you should try to accommodate these differences when making decisions about individual cases and practice policy, remembering that everyone working there should have the same professional and charitable goal: an improvement in animal welfare. However, it could sometimes be difficult to find a balance between respecting equality and diversity and doing the right thing for the animal. People needed to balance personal, professional and charitable obligations in the decision‐making process, and these obligations would differ in line with cultural and religious beliefs. Taking these factors into consideration would help people to respect and understand the views of others, and differences of opinion could actually be strong drivers for positive change. It was important to communicate effectively with everyone involved with the care of the animal and to recognise how your actions were perceived. Cooperation was key, and activities such as icebreakers, brainstorms and simulations might provide insights into shared beliefs, help to set expectations and guide future decisions. Using an ethical matrix would also help inform decisions and allow you to justify them to others if necessary. Ultimately, you might have to agree to disagree, which would be fine as long as animal welfare was not truly compromised.
Generating content for social media
Authors: Henstridge Cat
Published: June 2012

Social media is a very effective way of reaching new clients and advertising your practice. It can be used to educate clients, increase goodwill and generate revenue. Cat Henstridge gives some simple tips on making sure you make the most of the opportunities social media presents, and suggests what kind of content you might post about on your pages. An article to be published in the next issue of In Practice will review how to protect your online reputation in the social media world.
Building a thriving workforce
Authors: Bartram David , Curwen Andrew , Hardy Ben
Published: June 2012

A thriving workforce makes for a thriving business. David Bartram, Andrew Curwen and Ben Hardy explain the importance of ensuring that staff are thriving and that morale is high, and how this can be achieved. They also discuss some common mistakes made by managers, and how these can be avoided.
Choosing the right drug: immunosuppressants
Authors: Whitley Nathaniel
Published: June 2012

Immune‐mediated diseases are uncommon in cats and dogs, but they can be serious or even life‐threatening. Management of these conditions often requires the use of immunosuppressant drugs. This article discusses the options for immunosuppressive therapy that are available to the small animal practitioner, including the indications and drawbacks of each agent. It also gives advice on the factors to consider when planning a treatment regimen using a single immunosuppressive drug or a combination of agents.
Ecosystem services of pollinator diversity: a review of the relationship with pollen limitation of plant reproduction1This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Pollination biology research in Canada: Perspectives on a mutualism at different scales”.
Authors: Davila Yvonne C. , Elle Elizabeth , Vamosi Jana C. , Hermanutz Luise , Kerr Jeremy T. , Lortie Christopher J. , Westwood A. Richard , Woodcock Thomas S. , Worley Anne C.
Published: June 2012

Recent work on the ecosystem service of biodiversity suggests that higher pollinator diversity could lower pollen limitation, but these two aspects of plant–pollinator communities have only rarely been causally connected. Here we present a review of studies that produced quantitative assessments of both pollinator diversity and evenness as well as pollen limitation of focal plant species. Although pollen limitation is expected to be lower when pollinator diversity is high, our analysis suggests this relationship is weak. The relationship may be obscured when features of the plant species (e.g., average level of specialization) are confounded with features of the plant communities (e.g., habitat). We encourage researchers investigating pollen limitation to consider including measures of diversity of the floral visitors, and their effectiveness. These data would permit a more powerful test of the relationships among these variables and improve our understanding of the critical elements of stable plant–pollinator networks.
Ploidy and sex expression in monoecious hop (Humulus lupulus)
Authors: Skof Suzana , Cerenak Andreja , Jakse Jernej , Bohanec Borut , Javornik Branka
Published: June 2012

Humulus lupulus L. is a dioecious perennial plant, cultivated for its female inflorescences. Spontaneously arising monoecious hop plants, carrying male and female flower types on a specific plant, occasionally occur in the progeny of certain hop crosses. We assessed the ploidy of 58 monoecious plants, progenies of various crosses of diploid parents, to provide additional data on hop monoeciousy. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that a high percentage (41.4%) were triploid. An inheritance analysis of parental alleles using six codominant SSR markers demonstrated a primarily paternal origin (84.2%) of unreduced gametes as the cause of triploidy in monoecious plants. All triploids had predominantly male flowers with a few female cones; this phenotype was found only within this ploidy group. All other monoecious plants were diploid, except for one genotype with the highest nuclear DNA content, which showed an aneuploidic number of chromosomes (21). Male hops showed the lowest nuclear DNA amount, as measured by DAPI and propidium iodide fluorochromes. The estimated AT frequency placed hop among species with a high AT content, which was slightly higher in male than in female plants (63.0% vs. 62.5%). The results are discussed in relation to the occurance of ploidy and sex expression in monoecious hop.
Optimum risk allocation model for construction contracts: fuzzy TOPSIS approach
Authors: Khazaeni Garshasb , Khanzadi Mostafa , Afshar Abas
Published: June 2012

Risk allocation, a responsibility-sharing scheme for each party in a risk management process, is an important decision-making process for project success. Although previous studies have discussed risk allocation extensively, no comprehensive quantitative modeling approach for risk allocation exists. Such a model, specific for contract negotiation, would conduct authorities through the risk allocation process to determine the best risk-bearing participant. The purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative model for the risk allocation process. This model should support decision making in risk management in a way that addresses the concerns of inappropriate risk allocation. Because linguistic principles and qualitative expert knowledge are the essential ingredients of any risk allocation process, the modeling scheme utilizes fuzzy set theory, which incorporates the quantification and reasoning of natural language.
Shear strength of concrete beams cast with self-compacting concrete containing different fillers and coarse aggregates
Authors: Safan Mohamed A.
Published: June 2012

An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the shear strength provided by different self-compacting concrete mixes proportioned using different fillers and coarse aggregates. A total of 28 simple beams without shear reinforcement were tested in flexure. The test parameters included the use of gravel versus crushed dolomite as coarse aggregates, the amount of longitudinal reinforcement, and the composition and percentage of fillers. Dolomite stone powder with either silica fume or fly ash was used as fillers replacing cement aiming at reducing the cost of the mix and obtaining better performance. The test results indicated that the overall structural performance in terms of cracking pattern and shear strength was comparable in all mixes. While the dolomite beams sustained higher ultimate shear loads, the normalized shear strength of most of the gravel beams were higher compared to their dolomite counterparts due to the capability of gravel beams to develop interlocking mechanisms and post-cracking shear resistance compensating the influence of the lower compressive strength.
Estimation of tensile strains at the bottom of asphalt concrete layers under wheel loading using deflection basins from falling weight deflectometer tests
Authors: Bilodeau Jean-Pascal , Doré Guy
Published: June 2012

The falling weight deflectometer is a pavement analysis tool that is now widely used in the pavement engineering field. Using the backcalculation process and the measured deflection basin, the layers moduli can be determined and a mechanistic analysis of the pavement can be made. A new approach is proposed to bypass the necessity of the backcalculation by allowing a direct estimation of the tensile strain at the bottom of asphalt concrete using the deflection basin. A model based on a finite element theoretical pavement analysis is proposed for this purpose. Complementary models have been developed to use the proposed models without having to determine the layers moduli. The proposed model to estimate the tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt concrete layers is validated and calibrated using data obtained on an instrumented experimental site.
Antiproliferative effect of catechin in GRX cells
Authors: Bragança de Moraes Cristina Machado , Melo Denizar Alberto da Silva , Santos Roberto Christ Vianna , Bitencourt Shanna , Mesquita Fernanda Cristina , Santos de Oliveira Fernanda dos , Rodrıguez-Carballo Edgardo , Bartrons Ramon , Rosa Jose Luis , Ventura Francesc Pujol , Rodrigues de Oliveira Jarbas
Published: June 2012

The phenolic compounds present in cocoa seeds have been studied regarding health benefits, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Fibrosis is a wound healing response that occurs in almost all patients with chronic liver injury. A large number of cytokines and soluble intercellular mediators are related to changes in the behavior and phenotype of the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) that develop a fibrogenic and contractile phenotype leading to the development of fibrosis. The objective of this study was to assess the catechin effect in GRX liver cells in activities such as cell growth and inflammation. The GRX cells treatment with catechin induced a significant decrease in cell growth. This mechanism does not occur by apoptosis or even by autophagy because there were no alterations in expression of caspase 3 and PARP (apoptosis), and LC3 (autophagy). The expression of p27 and p53 proteins, regulators of the cell cycle, showed increased expression, while COX-2 and IL-6 mRNA showed a significant decrease in expression. This study shows that catechin decreases cell growth in GRX cells and, probably, this decrease does not occur by apoptosis or autophagy but through an anti-inflammatory effect and cell cycle arrest. Catechin also significantly decreased the production of TGF-β by GRX cells, showing a significant antifibrotic effect.
Vitamin A status affects obesity development and hepatic expression of key genes for fuel metabolism in Zucker fatty rats
Authors: Zhang Yan , Li Rui , Li Yang , Chen Wei , Zhao Shi , Chen Guoxun
Published: June 2012

We hypothesized that vitamin A (VA) status may affect obesity development. Male Zucker lean (ZL) and fatty (ZF) rats after weaning were fed a synthetic VA deficient (VAD) or VA sufficient (VAS) diet for 8 weeks before their plasma parameters and hepatic genes’ expression were analyzed. The body mass (BM) of ZL or ZF rats fed the VAD diet was lower than that of their corresponding controls fed the VAS diet at 5 or 2 weeks, respectively. The VAD ZL and ZF rats had less food intake than the VAS rats after 5 weeks. The VAD ZL and ZF rats had lower plasma glucose, triglyceride, insulin, and leptin levels, as well as lower liver glycogen content, net mass of epididymal fat, and liver/BM and epididymal fat/BM ratios (ZL only) than their respective VAS controls. VAD rats had lower hepatic Cyp26a1, Srebp-1c, Fas, Scd1, Me1, Gck, and Pklr (ZL and ZF); and higher Igfbp1 (ZL and ZF), Pck1(ZF only), and G6pc (ZF only) mRNA levels than their respective VAS controls. We conclude that ZL and ZF rats responded differently to dietary VA deficiency. VA status affected obesity development and altered the expression of hepatic genes for fuel metabolism in ZF rats. The mechanisms will help us to combat metabolic diseases.
UNIQUENESS OF CANONICAL TENSOR MODEL WITH LOCAL TIME
Authors: SASAKURA NAOKI
Published: June 2012

Canonical formalism of the rank-three tensor model has recently been proposed, in which "local" time is consistently incorporated by a set of first class constraints. By brute-force analysis, this paper shows that there exist only two forms of a Hamiltonian constraint which satisfies the following assumptions: (i) A Hamiltonian constraint has one index. (ii) The kinematical symmetry is given by an orthogonal group. (iii) A consistent first class constraint algebra is formed by a Hamiltonian constraint and the generators of the kinematical symmetry. (iv) A Hamiltonian constraint is invariant under time reversal transformation. (v) A Hamiltonian constraint is an at most cubic polynomial function of canonical variables. (vi) There are no disconnected terms in a constraint algebra. The two forms are the same except for a slight difference in index contractions. The Hamiltonian constraint which was obtained in the previous paper and behaved oddly under time reversal symmetry can actually be transformed to one of them by a canonical change of variables.
EMBEDDING ℤ2 * Z AS A DISCRETE SUBGROUP INTO SMALL LINEAR GROUPS
Authors: SOIFER G. A.
Published: June 2012

At the 2011 Durham Conference "Geometry and Arithmetic of Lattices" M. Kapovich formulated the following

Question. Does there exist an embedding ℤ2 * ℤ ↪ SL(3, ℤ)?

The goal of the paper is to prove the following

Main Theorem.If p and m are arbitrary positive integers then there exists an embeddingℤ2 * Fm ↪ SL(3, ℤ[1/p]).
ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR OF STOCHASTIC DISSIPATIVE QUANTUM ZAKHAROV EQUATIONS
Authors: GUO YANFENG , GUO BOLING , LI DONGLONG
Published: June 2012

The stochastic dissipative quantum Zakharov equations with white noise are studied. The existence and uniqueness of solutions are obtained by using the standard Galerkin approximation method on the basis of the time uniform a priori estimates in various spaces. Moreover, the asymptotic behaviors of the solutions for the stochastic dissipative quantum Zakharov equations with white noise are also investigated.
Reinforcing operandum: rapid and reliable learning of skilled forelimb movements by head-fixed rodents
Authors: Kimura Rie , Saiki Akiko , Fujiwara-Tsukamoto Yoko , Ohkubo Fuki , Kitamura Kazuo , Matsuzaki Masanori , Sakai Yutaka , Isomura Yoshikazu
Published: June 2012

Stereotaxic head fixation plays a necessary role in current physiological techniques, such as in vivo whole cell recording and two-photon laser-scanning microscopy, that are designed to elucidate the cortical involvement in animal behaviors. In rodents, however, head fixation often inhibits learning and performance of behavioral tasks. In particular, it has been considered inappropriate for head-fixed rodents to be operantly conditioned to perform skilled movements with their forelimb (e.g., lever-press task), despite the potential applicability of the task. Here we have solved this problem conceptually by integrating a lever (operandum) and a rewarding spout (reinforcer) into one ″spout-lever″ device for efficient operant learning. With this device, head-fixed rats reliably learned to perform a pull manipulation of the spout-lever with their right forelimb in response to an auditory cue signal (external-trigger trial, namely, Go trial) within several days. We also demonstrated stable whole cell recordings from motor cortex neurons while the rats were performing forelimb movements in external-trigger trials. We observed a behavior-related increase in the number of action potentials in membrane potential. In the next session, the rats, which had already learned the external-trigger trial, effortlessly performed similar spout-lever manipulation with no cue presentation (internal-trigger trial) additionally. Likewise, some of the rats learned to keep holding the spout-lever in response to another cue signal (No-go trial) in the following session, so that they mastered the Go/No-go discrimination task in one extra day. Our results verified the usefulness of spout-lever manipulation for behavioral experiments employing cutting-edge physiological techniques.
Klatskin-Like Lesions
Authors: Senthil Kumar M. P. , Marudanayagam R.
Published: June 2012

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma, also known as Klatskin tumour, is the commonest type of cholangiocarcinoma. It poses unique problems in the diagnosis and management because of its anatomical location. Curative surgery in the form of major hepatic resection entails significant morbidity. About 5–15% of specimens resected for presumed Klatskin tumour prove not to be cholangiocarcinomas. There are a number of inflammatory, infective, vascular, and other pathologies, which have overlapping clinical and radiological features with a Klatskin tumour, leading to misinterpretation. This paper aims to summarise the features of such Klatskin-like lesions that have been reported in surgical literature.
Investigation of Effects and Mechanisms of Total Flavonoids ofAstragalusand Calycosin on Human Erythroleukemia Cells
Authors: Zhang Dongqing , Zhuang Yuan , Pan Jichun , Wang Haibao , Li Hui , Yu Yang , Wang Deqing
Published: June 2012

Flavonoids are found in most parts of plants and have been shown to have multiple biological activities such as anticancer, anti-inflammation, antibacteria, antivirus, and immune-stimulation. Existing data showed that the total flavonoids ofAstragalus(TFA) can provide biological system with resistance to injury and can possess antimutagenic, atherosclerotic inhibition, and other biological effects. This study investigated the effects of TFA and calycosin (a compound isolated from TFA), on apoptosis induction, and cell cycle of human erythroleukemia cell line K562 by an array of techniques, including proliferation (MTT), PI staining, Annexin V/PI double staining, and RT-PCR. The experimental data showed that TFA and calycosin could inhibit the proliferation of K562 cells. The 50% inhibiting concentrations of TFA and calycosin were 98.63 μg/mL and 130.32 μg/mL, respectively. However, TFA and calycosin could not induce apoptosis in K562 cells, but could increase the number of the cells in the G0/G1phase. The level of cyclin D1 mRNA in K562 cells decreased after the treatment with TFA and calycosin. This study provides new insights into the functional mechanism of total flavonoids ofAstragalusand calycosin on human erythroleukemia cells.
An Effective Method for Borehole Imaging of Buried Tunnels
Authors: Di Donato Loreto , Scapaticci Rosa , Isernia Tommaso , Catapano Ilaria , Crocco Lorenzo
Published: June 2012

Detection and imaging of buried tunnels is a challenging problem which is relevant to both geophysical surveys and security monitoring. To comply with the need of exploring large portions of the underground, electromagnetic measurements carried out under a borehole configuration are usually exploited. Since this requires to drill holes in the soil wherein the transmitting and receiving antennas have to be positioned, low complexity of the involved apparatus is important. On the other hand, to effectively image the surveyed area, there is the need for adopting efficient and reliable imaging methods. To address these issues, in this paper we investigate the feasibility of the linear sampling method (LSM), as this inverse scattering method is capable to provide almost real-time results even when 3D images of very large domains are built, while not requiring approximations of the underlying physics. In particular, the results of the reported numerical analysis show that the LSM is capable of performing the required imaging task while using a quite simple measurement configuration consisting of two boreholes and a few number of multiview-multistatic acquisitions.
Examination of the Relationship between Psychosocial Mediators and Intervention Effects in It’s Your Game: An Effective HIV/STI/Pregnancy Prevention Intervention for Middle School Students
Authors: Baumler Elizabeth , Glassman Jill , Tortolero Susan , Markham Christine , Shegog Ross , Peskin Melissa , Addy Robert , Franks Heather
Published: June 2012

A set of mediation analyses were carried out in this study using data from It’s Your Game. . .Keep It Real (IYG), a successful HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention program. The IYG study evaluated a skill and normbased. HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention program that was implemented from 2004 to 2007 among 907 urban low-income middle school youth in Houston, TX, USA. Analyses were carried out to investigate the degree to which a set of proposed psychosocial measures of behavioral knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, behavioral, and normative beliefs, and perceived risky situations, all targeted by the intervention, mediated the intervention’s effectiveness in reducing initiation of sex. The mediation process was assessed by examining the significance and size of the estimated effects from the mediating pathways. The findings from this study provide evidence that the majority of the psychosocial mediators targeted by the IYG intervention are indeed related to the desired behavior and provide evidence that the conceptual theory underlying the targeted psychosocial mediators in the intervention is appropriate. Two of the psychosocial mediators significantly mediated the intervention effect, knowledge of STI signs and symptoms and refusal self-efficacy. This study suggests that the underlying causal mechanisms of action of these interventions are complex and warrant further analyses.
Myeloma as a Second Malignancy following AML: Is a Second Allo Equivalent to Auto?
Authors: Bakanay Sule Mine , Serbest Esin , Dalva Klara , Kuzu Isinsu , Beksac Meral
Published: June 2012

We report a young male patient who developed plasma cell myeloma/plasmacytoma 11 years after having received an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for AML. The patient received a second transplantation from the same donor without immunosuppression and developed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Our observation has two aspects that warrant attention: first, insufficiency of long-term tolerance to prevent GVHD in the absence of immunosuppression and second, a stromal or genetic susceptibility to develop hematologic malignancies despite of a complete donor-type chimerism.
3D Finite Element Analysis of PWA-Oil Sand Terrain System Interaction
Authors: Li Y. , Frimpong S. , Liu W. Y.
Published: June 2012

A simulator for analyzing the interaction between the oil sand terrain and a pipe wagon articulating (PWA) system has been developed in this paper. An elastic-plastic oil sand model was built based on the finite element analysis (FEA) method and von Mises yield criterion using the Algor mechanical event simulation (MES) software. The three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the stress, strain, nodal displacement, and deformed shape of the oil sands was animated at an environmental temperature of 25°C. The 3D behavior of the oil sand terrain was investigated with different loading conditions. The effect of the load and contact area on the stress and nodal displacement was analyzed, respectively. The results indicate that both the max stress and max nodal displacement increase with the load varying from 0 to N and decrease with the contact area varying from 2 to 10 m2. The method presented in this paper forms the basis for evaluating the bearing capacity of oil sand ground.
Lenalidomide in the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Cortelezzi Agostino , Sciumè Mariarita , Reda Gianluigi
Published: June 2012

The application of nucleoside analogue-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy with rituximab or alemtuzumab has increased both response rate and survival in patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). However, because none of these therapies is curative, sequential therapeutic regimens are required. The majority of patients with relapsed or refractory CLL carry poor prognostic factors and show shorter overall survival and resistance to standard treatment. Numerous drugs have recently been approved for CLL therapy and many novel agents are under clinical investigation. The role of the tumor microenvironment and of immune dysfunction in CLL have allowed to enlarge the therapeutic armamentarium for CLL patients. This article will provide a comprehensive summary regarding mechanism of action, efficacy and safety of lenalidomide in CLL patients. Relevant clinical trials using lenalidomide alone or in combinations are discussed. Lenalidomide shows good activity also in relapsed/refractory or treatment-naive CLL patients. Definitive data from ongoing studies are needed to validate overall and progression-free survival. The toxicity profile might limit lenalidomide use because it can result in serious side effects, but largely controlled by gradual dose escalation. Further understanding of the exact mechanism of action in CLL will allow more efficacious use of lenalidomide alone or in combination regimens.
Finite Difference and Iteration Methods for Fractional Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations with the Neumann Condition
Authors: Ashyralyev Allaberen , Dal Fadime
Published: June 2012

The numerical and analytic solutions of the mixed
problem for multidimensional fractional hyperbolic partial
differential equations with the Neumann condition are presented. The
stable difference scheme for the numerical solution of the mixed
problem for the multidimensional fractional hyperbolic equation with
the Neumann condition is presented. Stability estimates for the
solution of this difference scheme and for the first‐ and second‐order difference derivatives are obtained. A procedure of modified
Gauss elimination method is used for solving this difference scheme
in the case of one‐dimensional fractional hyperbolic partial
differential equations. He′s variational iteration method is
applied. The comparison of these methods is presented.
Elastic Analysis for Nanocontact Problem with Surface Stress Effects under Shear Load
Authors: Lei D. X. , Wang L. Y. , Ou Z. Y.
Published: June 2012

Consideration of surface stress effects on the elastic field of nanocontact problem has extensive applications in several modern problems of solid mechanics. In this paper, the effects of surface stress on the contact problem at nanometers are studied in the frame of surface elasticity theory. Fourier integral transform method is adopted to derive the fundamental solution of the nanocontact problem under shear load. As two special cases, the deformations induced by a uniformly distributed shear load and a concentrated shear force are discussed in detail, respectively. The results indicate some interesting characteristics in nanocontact mechanics, which are distinctly different from those in macrocontact problem. At nanoscale, both the contact stresses and the displacements on the deformed surface transit continuously across the uniform distributed shear load boundary as a result of surface stress. In addition, the indent depth and the contact stress depend strongly on the surface stress for nanoindentation.
Evaluation of Fillers Dispersion Degree in Elastomeric Magnetic Composites
Authors: Kruželák Ján , Ilisch Sybill , Hudec Ivan , Dosoudil Rastislav
Published: June 2012

Elastomeric magnetic composites were prepared by incorporation of strontium ferrite into polymer matrices based on natural as well as butadiene rubber. Besides the rubber and ferrite, or the combinations of ferrite and carbon black (in case of natural rubber), the model rubber compounds contained only ingredients which support curing process. The study was dedicated to the observation of fillers dispersion degree in the rubber matrices and investigation of physical-mechanical and magnetic properties of prepared composites. The results indicate that the dispersion degree of ferrite in the rubber matrices is not very high, but it can be positively influenced by the addition of carbon black. Despite of the fact that ferrite exhibits only low reinforcing effect on cross-linked elastomeric materials, physical-mechanical properties can be also positively influenced by the mutual change in combinations of both fillers (ferrite and carbon black). The prepared materials seem to have suitable magnetic and elastic properties.
Flight Performance Analysis of an Image Processing Algorithm for Integrated Sense-and-Avoid Systems
Authors: Forlenza Lidia , Fasano Giancarmine , Accardo Domenico , Moccia Antonio
Published: June 2012

This paper is focused on the development and the flight performance analysis of an image-processing technique aimed at detecting flying obstacles in airborne panchromatic images. It was developed within the framework of a research project which aims at realizing a prototypical obstacle detection and identification System, characterized by a hierarchical multisensor configuration. This configuration comprises a radar, that is, the main sensor, and four electro-optical cameras. Cameras are used as auxiliary sensors to the radar, in order to increase intruder aircraft position measurement, in terms of accuracy and data rate. The paper thoroughly describes the selection and customization of the developed image-processing techniques in order to guarantee the best results in terms of detection range, missed detection rate, and false-alarm rate. Performance is evaluated on the basis of a large amount of images gathered during flight tests with an intruder aircraft. The improvement in terms of accuracy and data rate, compared with radar-only tracking, is quantitatively demonstrated.
Unusual Cause of Orocutaneous Fistula in the Neck
Authors: Saha Sudipta , Jha Ashesh , Kaur Navneet
Published: June 2012

A case of orocutaneous fistula secondary to submandibular sialolithiasis, which was masquerading clinically as branchial fistula is presented. This case highlights the importance of conducting fistulogram in the evaluation of discharging lesions in the neck.
Spacetime Deformation-Induced Inertia Effects
Authors: Ter-Kazarian Gagik
Published: June 2012

We construct a toy model of spacetime deformation-induced inertia effects, in which we prescribe to each and every particle individually a new fundamental constituent of hypothetical 2D, so-calledmaster space(MS), subject to certain rules. The MS, embedded in the background 4D-spacetime, is an indispensable companion to the particle of interest, without relation to every other particle. The MS is not measurable directly, but we argue that a deformation (distortion of local internal properties) of MS is the origin of inertia effects that can be observed by us. With this perspective in sight, we construct the alternativerelativistic theory of inertia. We go beyond the hypothesis of locality with special emphasis on distortion of MS, which allows to improve essentially the standard metric and other relevant geometrical structures referred to a noninertial frame in Minkowski spacetime for an arbitrary velocities and characteristic acceleration lengths. Despite the totally different and independent physical sources of gravitation and inertia, this approach furnishes justification for the introduction of theweakprinciple of equivalence (WPE), that is, the universality of free fall. Consequently, we relate the inertia effects to the more general post-Riemannian geometry.
Grid-Connection Half-Bridge PV Inverter System for Power Flow Controlling and Active Power Filtering
Authors: Shen Chih-Lung , Su Jye-Chau
Published: June 2012

A half-bridge photovoltaic (PV) system is proposed, which can not only deal with bidirectional power flowing but also improve power quality. According to varying insolation, the system conditions real power for dc and ac loads to accommodate different amounts of PV power. Furthermore, the system eliminates current harmonics and improves power factor simultaneously. As compared with conventional PV inverter, the total number of active switches and current sensors can be reduced so that its cost is lower significantly. For current command determination, a linear-approximation method (LAM) is applied to avoid the complicated calculation and achieve the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) feature. For current controlling, a direct-source-current-shaping (DSCS) algorithm is presented to shape the waveform of line current. Simulation results and practical measurements also demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed half-bridge PV system.
Fundamental Dynamical Modes Underlying Human Brain Synchronization
Authors: Alvarado-Rojas Catalina , Le Van Quyen Michel
Published: June 2012

Little is known about the long-term dynamics of widely interacting cortical and subcortical networks during the wake-sleep cycle. Using large-scale intracranial recordings of epileptic patients during seizure-free periods, we investigated local- and long-range synchronization between multiple brain regions over several days. For such high-dimensional data, summary information is required for understanding and modelling the underlying dynamics. Here, we suggest that a compact yet useful representation is given by a state space based on the first principal components. Using this representation, we report, with a remarkable similarity across the patients with different locations of electrode placement, that the seemingly complex patterns of brain synchrony during the wake-sleep cycle can be represented by a small number of characteristic dynamic modes. In this space, transitions between behavioral states occur through specific trajectories from one mode to another. These findings suggest that, at a coarse level of temporal resolution, the different brain states are correlated with several dominant synchrony patterns which are successively activated across wake-sleep states.
Targeting eNOS in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Lampson Benjamin L. , Kendall S. DiSean , Ancrile Brooke B. , Morrison Meghan M. , Shealy Michael J. , Barrientos Katharine S. , Crowe Matthew S. , Kashatus David F. , White Rebekah R. , Gurley Susan B. , Cardona Diana M. , Counter Christopher M.
Published: June 2012

Mortality from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer (PDAC) is among the highest of any cancer and frontline therapy has changed little in years. Activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, NOS3, or NOS III) has been implicated recently in the pathogenesis of PDACs. In this study, we used genetically engineered mouse and human xenograft models to evaluate the consequences of targeting eNOS in PDACs. Genetic deficiency in eNOS limited the development of preinvasive pancreatic lesions and trended toward an extended lifespan in mice with advanced pancreatic cancer. These effects were also observed upon oral administration of the clinically evaluated NOS small molecule inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME). Similarly, other transgenic models of oncogenic KRas–driven tumors responded to l-NAME treatment. Finally, these results were recapitulated in xenograft models of human pancreatic cancer, in which l-NAME was found to broadly inhibit tumorigenic growth. Taken together, our findings offer preclinical proof-of-principle to repurpose l-NAME for clinical investigations in treatment of PDACs and possibly other KRas-driven human cancers. Cancer Res; 72(17); 4472–82. ©2012 AACR.