bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing door to needle time for stroke thrombolysis
Authors: Gill Sumanjit
Published: December 2014

Better outcomes are obtained with stroke thrombolysis the more rapidly it is given, both in terms of the patient's level of functional ability and also mortality. Current UK performance targets (outside London) aim for a time of 45 minutes or less. Thrombolysis pathways involve multidisciplinary working across departmental boundaries as well as senior level decision making. Our system used telemedicine out of hours adding additional complexity to the pathway. The initial planning stages started by auditing current practice and mapping the existing pathway. The figures for door to needle times were held on a database on the stroke unit and collected in detail for the purposes of national reporting.

The pathway was mapped by combining personal experience of working within the stroke service with the experiences of the general medical registrars who worked the system out of hours. The initial action was to present this information throughout the hospital at departmental meetings. Opinions were canvassed at these meetings on where the biggest barriers were within the pathway and how we could address them. An awareness campaign was held by advertising over the intranet. An intervention comprising the following elements was introduced over the period of a year: introduction of an ambulance pre-alert, revision of the existing pathway, and education to all those involved in thrombolysis. The cases where particularly long delays were noted were audited in more depth to identify barriers to flow through the system. This was reported in ward meetings for staff to contribute experience and to offer solutions. We went to commissioning group meetings to gain the support of the local ambulance service, and talked to A&E seniors about the project and the ways in which they could help. Median times were calculated from a stroke database.

There was a fall in median door to needle time of 65.5 to 49 minutes over a period of 18 months. A complex intervention to improve door to needle time can and did produce good results with a reduction in times to within the London performance standards of care. The efficacy could be improved with an increased staffing level and provision of a formal setting within which to discuss changes and to keep up the momentum of change.
An electrochemical mechanisms study on steel/IrO2–Sb2O3 electrodes for oxidation of phenol in water
Authors: Jayathilaka Pavithra Bhakthi , Pathiraja Gayani Chathurika , Bandara Athula , Subasinghe Nalaka Deepal , Nanayakkara Nadeeshani
Published: December 2014

Phenol, a known water pollutant, was electrochemically oxidized on a steel/IrO2–Sb2O3 novel anode. Since the oxidation mechanisms vary based on the anode material, a mechanisms study of electrooxidation of phenol on it was conducted. The phenol oxidation was carried out at 20 mA/cm2 constant current density with a pH 11.00 Na2SO4 medium at room temperature. During 6 h of electrolysis, samples were tested for chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency of the anode. The steel/IrO2–Sb2O3anode showed 76.3% chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency. Both 4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline and the HCO3–/CO32– radical scavenger tests confirmed the formation and presence of the hydroxyl radicals in the system. Therefore, it was concluded that the hydroxyl radicals that are generated on the anode surface are the main cause for the oxidation mechanism. Moreover, ICE, HPLC, and UV-vis absorbance and cyclic voltammetry results confirmed the presence of catechol and benzoquinone as intermediates and the reaction mechanism.
Synthesis and characterisation of K2[LnTa3O10]·nH2O (Ln = La, Pr, Nd): cation-deficient layered perovskite tantalates for water photolysis
Authors: Valencia-Sanchez Hoover , Pfeiffer Heriberto , Acosta Dwight , Negrón-Mendoza Alicia , Tavizon Gustavo
Published: December 2014

Compounds with the nominal formula K2[LnTa3O10] (Ln = La, Nd, Pr), crystallising in a cation-deficient Ruddlesden–Popper structure, were prepared by the Pechini (polymeric complex) method. The crystal structures of the hydrated form of these compounds were determined by Rietveld analysis of the X-ray powder diffraction data and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The samples were also analysed to determine their specific areas (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method) and degree of hydration (thermogravimetric analysis) and were tested as photocatalysts in the photocatalytic production of H2from water. The activity to produce H2from pure water decreased in the order Pr > La > Nd. The NiOximpregnation on the surface of the photocatalysts had no notable effect on the photocatalytic activity.
Reducibility of automorphisms of Hurwitz surfaces and the η-invariant
Authors: Morifuji Takayuki
Published: December 2014

In this paper, we discuss a relationship between the surface symmetry and the spectral asymmetry. More precisely we show that an automorphism of the Macbeath surface of genus 7, or one of the three Hurwitz surfaces of genus 14 is reducible if and only if the η-invariant of the corresponding mapping torus vanishes.
Equivariant vector bundles on complete symmetric varieties of minimal rank
Authors: Biswas Indranil , Kannan S. Senthamarai , Nagaraj D. S.
Published: December 2014

Let X be the wonderful compactification of a complex symmetric space G/H of minimal rank. For a point x ∈ G, denote by Z the closure of BxH/H in X, where B is a Borel subgroup of G. The universal cover of G is denoted by [Formula: see text]. Given a [Formula: see text] equivariant vector bundle E on X, we prove that E is nef (respectively, ample) if and only if its restriction to Z is nef (respectively, ample). Similarly, E is trivial if and only if its restriction to Z is so.
Community detection in bipartite networks using weighted symmetric binary matrix factorization
Authors: Zhang Zhong-Yuan , Ahn Yong-Yeol
Published: December 2014

In this paper, we propose weighted symmetric binary matrix factorization (wSBMF) framework to detect overlapping communities in bipartite networks, which describes the relationships between two types of nodes. Our method improves performance by recognizing the distinction between two types of missing edges — ones among the nodes in each node type and the others between two node types. Our method can also explicitly assign community membership and distinguish outliers from overlapping nodes, as well as incorporating existing knowledge on the network. We propose a generalized partition density for bipartite networks as a quality function, which identifies the most appropriate number of communities. The experimental results on both synthetic and real-world networks demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Growth mode and properties of Mn–Co–Ni–O NTC thermistor thin films deposited on MgO (100) substrate by laser MBE
Authors: Xie Yahong , Kong Wenwen , Ji Guang , Gao Bo , Yao Jincheng , Chang Aimin
Published: December 2014

Mn 1.56 Co 0.96 Ni 0.48 O 4-δ thin films were deposited on MgO (100) substrate using laser molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) technique at the temperature range of 300–600°C under oxygen partial pressure of 5 × 10-3 Pa. The effect of growth temperature on microstructure and electrical properties as well as the growth mode were studied using XRD, RHEED, AFM and resistance–temperature measurements. The results showed that all prepared thin films underwent epitaxial growth along the single-(100) orientation direction of the MgO substrate from 3D-island mode to 2D layer-by-layer mode, and exhibited good crystallinity and NTC thermistor behavior. Their resistance at room temperature can be in the range of 10–50 MΩ together with a B-value of about 3300 K, which are desirable for a wide range of practical applications of the NTC thermistors.
Towards a possible solution for the coincidence problem: f(G) gravity as background
Authors: Rudra Prabir
Published: December 2014

In this paper, we address the well-known cosmic coincidence problem in the framework of the f(G) gravity. In order to achieve this, an interaction between dark energy and dark matter is considered. A set-up is designed and a constraint equation is obtained, which generates the f(G) models that do not suffer from the coincidence problem. Due to the absence of a universally accepted interaction term introduced by a fundamental theory, the study is conducted over three different forms of logically chosen interaction terms. To illustrate the set-up three widely known models of f(G) gravity are taken into consideration and the problem is studied under the designed set-up. The study reveals that the popular f(G) gravity models do not approve of a satisfactory solution of the long standing coincidence problem, thus proving to be a major setback for them as successful models of universe. Finally, two nonconventional models of f(G) gravity have been proposed and studied in the framework of the designed set-up. It is seen that a complete solution of the coincidence problem is achieved for these models. The study also reveals that the b-interaction term is much more preferable compared to the other interactions, due to its greater compliance with the recent observational data.
FORMULA FOR MAXIMUM SECONDARY ELECTRON YIELD FROM METALS
Authors: XIE AI-GEN , WANG LING , MU LIU-HUA
Published: December 2014

Based on free-electron model, the calculated inelastic mean escape depth of secondary electrons, experimental one, the energy band of metal, the characteristics and processes of secondary electron emission, maximum number of secondary electrons released per primary electron δ(Φ,EF)PEm as a function of parameter Km, work function Φ and Fermi energy EF was deduced, where Km is a constant for a given metal in the energy range 100–800 eV. According to the relationship between maximum secondary electron yield from metal δ(Φ,EF)m and δ(Φ,EF)PEm, the formula for δ(Φ,EF)m as a function of atomic number Z, parameter Km, Φ and EF was deduced. Using the deduced formula for δ(Φ,EF)m, Z, experimental δ(Φ,EF)m, Φ and EF, Km relative to alkali metals, Km relative to earth-alkali metals and the mean value of Km were computed, respectively. And the formulae for maximum secondary electron yield from alkali metals, earth-alkali metals and metals were obtained and proved to be true, respectively. On the basis of the deduced formula for δ(Φ,EF)m and the empirical relation that high Φ are connected with high EF, it can be concluded that high δ(Φ,EF)m are connected with high Φ and vice versa.
Environmental Policy and Market Structure: A Case of Asymmetric Firms
Authors: Chowdhury Indrani Roy
Published: December 2014

This study seeks to analyze the impact of governmental regulations on the pollution level in a duopoly framework with endogenous market structure. We consider a dirty industry which involves two asymmetric firms, an MNC and a domestic firm, producing a homogenous product, where the MNC is so efficient that in the absence of a joint venture the MNC firm will act as a monopolist. We use a game theoretic framework to demonstrate that an increase in abatement cost, arising out of stricter government regulations, could trigger a regime-switch from monopoly to joint venture (or from joint venture to monopoly), and consequently may increase pollution. Turning to the welfare analysis, we find that the constrained first best outcome always involves joint venture formation. Given a market structure, we find that the optimal emission tax is always less than the marginal social damage. We then demonstrate that if the synergistic effect (SE) is large and the industry is neither very dirty, nor very clean, then the constrained first best outcome can be implemented by setting the abatement tax appropriately. Otherwise the constrained first best outcome cannot be implemented.
Catalytic Oxidation of Formaldehyde Over Mesoporous MnOx-CeO2 Catalysts
Authors: Zhao Yanlei , Tian Hua , He Junhui , Yang Qiaowen
Published: December 2014

Formaldehyde is regarded as the major indoor air pollutant. Because of harmful effect on human health, its emission abatement is of significant practical interest. We report here excellent low-temperature catalytic performances of mesoporous MnO x - CeO 2 catalysts in the process of formaldehyde oxidation. These MnO x - CeO 2 catalysts were synthesized by a "nanocasting" method using SBA-15 as hard template. TEM images showed that the as-fabricated MnO x - CeO 2 composites possess well-ordered mesoporous architectures. Results of catalytic tests revealed that mesoporous MnO x - CeO 2 nanocomposites have excellent low-temperature catalytic activity for formaldehyde oxidation, the temperature for 100% formaldehyde conversion can be as low as 65°C over these noble-metal-free mesoporous catalysts. The excellent catalytic performance is attributed to their ordered mesoporous structures that expose abundant active sites to formaldehyde molecules.
Self-Assembly of Colloidal Nanorods Arrays
Authors: Qiao Fen , Wang Qian , He Zixia , Liu Qing , Liu Aimin
Published: December 2014

Recently, self-assembly of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted a great interest due to their flexible synthesis with tunable band gaps and shape-dependent optical and electronic properties. In particular, nanorods (NRs) superlattice is receiving considerable attention. Typically, the NRs superlattice is prepared by guiding the process of self-assembly through external forces. In this article, recent development of self-assembly approaches at work in fabricating NRs superlattices was reviewed. Despite those effective self-assembly techniques through external controls to obtain NCs assemblies during deposition were widespread used. But these techniques are time consuming, and cannot get rid of the organic capping insulated molecules surrounding the NCs. So there is still a challenge to guarantee the electron/hole dissociation as well as the charge transport of NCs. Here, thermal annealing method that applies selectivity even in the presence of organic molecules will be adopted to obtain colloidal NRs superlattices, and the self-assembly mechanism of NRs were briefly addressed.
Pantograph: A template-based method for genome-scale metabolic model reconstruction
Authors: Loira Nicolas , Zhukova Anna , Sherman David James
Published: December 2014

Genome-scale metabolic models are a powerful tool to study the inner workings of biological systems and to guide applications. The advent of cheap sequencing has brought the opportunity to create metabolic maps of biotechnologically interesting organisms. While this drives the development of new methods and automatic tools, network reconstruction remains a time-consuming process where extensive manual curation is required. This curation introduces specific knowledge about the modeled organism, either explicitly in the form of molecular processes, or indirectly in the form of annotations of the model elements. Paradoxically, this knowledge is usually lost when reconstruction of a different organism is started. We introduce the Pantograph method for metabolic model reconstruction. This method combines a template reaction knowledge base, orthology mappings between two organisms, and experimental phenotypic evidence, to build a genome-scale metabolic model for a target organism. Our method infers implicit knowledge from annotations in the template, and rewrites these inferences to include them in the resulting model of the target organism. The generated model is well suited for manual curation. Scripts for evaluating the model with respect to experimental data are automatically generated, to aid curators in iterative improvement. We present an implementation of the Pantograph method, as a toolbox for genome-scale model reconstruction, curation and validation. This open source package can be obtained from: http://pathtastic.gforge.inria.fr .
Synthesis of phthalocyanine dimers and trimers connected via a nitrogen atom and amino phenyl groups
Authors: Ali Hasrat , van Lier Johan E.
Published: December 2014

Methods for the preparation of a variety of covalently linked Pc–Pc homo-dimers (ortho and meta), heterodimers and Pc–Pc triads linked through NH and bridged viaN-aryl (phenyl) groups were developed. The palladium catalyzed intermolecular carbon–nitrogen coupling reaction (Buchwald–Hartwig) between Pc-iodo and Pc-amino phthalocyanine derivatives was used for these studies. Photophysical data reveal energy transfer between the Pc moieties resulting in the appearance of new red-shift Q-bands that correlate to the planarity and dihedral angle between the subunits. The shift and the nature of Q-band depend on the number of phenyl groups, the number of Pc and the position of attachment on the phenyl ring.
Study of capillary transit time distribution in coherent hemodynamics spectroscopy
Authors: Sassaroli Angelo , Kainerstorfer Jana , Fantini Sergio
Published: December 2014

A recently proposed analytical hemodynamic model1 [S. Fantini, NeuroImage85, 202–221 (2014)] is able to predict the changes of oxy, deoxy, and total hemoglobin concentrations (model outputs) given arbitrary changes in blood flow, blood volume, and rate of oxygen consumption (model inputs). One assumption of this model is that the capillary compartment is characterized by a single blood transit time. In this work, we have extended the original model by considering a distribution of capillary transit times and we have compared the outputs of both models (original and extended) for the case of sinusoidal input signals at different frequencies, which realizes the new technique of coherent hemodynamics spectroscopy (CHS). For the calculations with the original model, we have used the mean value of the distribution of capillary transit times considered in the extended model. We have found that, for distributions of capillary transit times having mean values around 1 s and a standard deviation less than about 45% of the mean value, the original and extended models yield the same CHS spectra (i.e., model outputs versus frequency of oscillation) within typical experimental errors. For wider capillary transit time distributions, the two models yield different CHS spectra. By assuming that Poiseuille's law is valid in the capillary compartment, we have related the distribution of capillary transit times to the distributions of capillary lengths and capillary speed of blood flow to calculate the average capillary and venous saturations. We have found that, for standard deviations of the capillary transit time distribution that are less than about 80% of the mean value, the average capillary saturation is always larger than the venous saturation. By contrast, the average capillary saturation may be less than the venous saturation for wider distributions of the capillary transit times.
William Thomson – father of thermogeology
Authors: Banks Dave
Published: December 2014

William Thomson was among the first scientists to try to understand
thermogeology
: the flow and storage of heat in the Earth. His interest in the field can be regarded as one of the fruits of a life-long love affair with the ‘mathematical poem’ of Joseph Fourier, which Thomson applied to a wide range of physical problems. For his inaugural lecture at Glasgow University, Thomson somewhat randomly selected terrestrial heat flow as an example to illustrate Fourier’s mathematics. Nevertheless, Thomson became ‘hooked’ on thermogeology: he spent a substantial proportion of his career trying to parameterize his thermogeological conceptual model, one of his goals being to establish the age of the Earth.
RORα inhibits adipocyte-conditioned medium-induced colorectal cancer cell proliferation and migration and chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane angiopoiesis
Authors: Xiao Lei , Wang Jing , Li Jiao , Chen Xiongwei , Xu Pengfei , Sun Suozhu , He Dacheng , Cong Yusheng , Zhai Yonggong
Published: December 2014

Lipid metabolic disturbances are related to many diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. Notably, lipid metabolic disturbances have been reported to be a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Nuclear receptors act as ligand-dependent transcription regulators and play key roles in the regulation of body lipid metabolism and the development of many cancers. Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor α (RORα) is a nuclear receptor and can regulate several lipid metabolism genes in certain cancers. Herein, we demonstrate that the conditioned medium from adipocytes has a proproliferative and promigratory effect on colorectal cancer cells and enhances angiogenesis in chicken embryonic chorioallantoic membranes. In addition, the conditioned medium leads to a decrease in the expression of RORα and its target genes. Meanwhile, RORα and its target gene expressions are lower in human colorectal tumor tissue compared with control colorectal tissue. Activation of RORα inhibits the effect of conditioned medium on the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells as well as the angiogenesis in chicken embryonic allantoic membranes. In colorectal cancer cells, the putative ligand of RORα, cholesterol sulfate (CS), prevents cell cycle progression at the G1/S boundary and concurrently modulates the expression of cell cycle-regulatory genes in colorectal cancer cell. CS inhibits angiogenesis in chicken embryonic chorioallantoic membranes and concurrently decreases the mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α as well as the secretion of VEGF. In addition, lipogenic gene expression is higher in human colorectal tumor tissue compared with control colorectal tissue. CS inhibits the expression of lipogenic genes in colorectal cancer cells. These results suggest that RORα could represent a direct link between local lipid metabolism of colorectal tissue and colorectal cancer. Therefore, the reduction of the expression of RORα could represent a potential warning sign of colorectal cancer.
Orexin system is expressed in avian muscle cells and regulates mitochondrial dynamics
Authors: Lassiter Kentu , Greene Elizabeth , Piekarski Alissa , Faulkner Olivia B. , Hargis Billy M. , Bottje Walter , Dridi Sami
Published: December 2014

Orexin A and B, orexigenic peptides produced primarily by the lateral hypothalamus that signal through two G protein-coupled receptors, orexin receptors 1/2, have been implicated in the regulation of several physiological processes in mammals. In avian (nonmammalian vertebrates) species; however, the physiological roles of orexin are not well defined. Here, we provide novel evidence that not only is orexin and its related receptors 1/2 (ORXR1/2) expressed in chicken muscle tissue and quail muscle (QM7) cell line, orexin appears to be a secretory protein in QM7 cells. In vitro administration of recombinant orexin A and B (rORX-A and B) differentially regulated prepro-orexin expression in a dose-dependent manner with up-regulation for rORX-A ( P < 0.05) and downregulation for rORX-B ( P < 0.05) in QM7 cells. While both peptides upregulated ORXR1 expression, only a high dose of rORX-B decreased the expression of ORXR2 ( P < 0.05). The presence of orexin and its related receptors and the regulation of its own system in avian muscle cells indicate that orexin may have autocrine, paracrine, and/or endocrine roles. rORXs differentially regulated mitochondrial dynamics network. While rORX-A significantly induced the expression of mitochondrial fission-related genes ( DNM1, MTFP1, MTFR1), rORX-B increased the expression of mitofusin 2, OPA1, and OMA1 genes that are involved in mitochondrial fusion. Concomitant with these changes, rORXs differentially regulated the expression of several mitochondrial metabolic genes ( av-UCP, av-ANT, Ski, and NRF-1) and their related transcriptional regulators ( PPARγ, PPARα, PGC-1α, PGC-1β, and FoxO-1) without affecting ATP synthesis. Taken together, our data represent the first evidence of the presence and secretion of orexin system in the muscle of nonmammalian species and its role in mitochondrial fusion and fission, probably through mitochondrial-related genes and their related transcription factors.
Chronic ANG II infusion induces sex-specific increases in renal T cells in Sprague-Dawley rats
Authors: Zimmerman Margaret A. , Baban Babak , Tipton Ashlee J. , O'Connor Paul M. , Sullivan Jennifer C.
Published: December 2014

Recent studies suggest that sex of the animal and T cell impact ANG II hypertension in Rag−/− mice, with females being protected relative to males. This study tested the hypothesis that ANG II results in greater increases in proinflammatory T cells and cytokines in males than in females. Male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, aged 12 wk, were treated with vehicle or ANG II (200 ng·kg−1·min−1) for 2 wk. Renal CD4+ T cells and Tregs were comparable between vehicle-treated males and females, although males expressed more Th17 and IL-17+ T cells and fewer IL-10+ T cells than females. ANG II resulted in greater increases in CD4+ T cells, Th17 cells, and IL-17+ cells in males; Tregs increased only in females. We previously showed that ANG (1–7) antagonizes ANG II-induced increases in blood pressure in females and ANG (1–7) has been suggested to be anti-inflammatory. Renal ANG (1–7) levels were greater in female SD at baseline and following ANG II infusion. Additional rats were treated with ANG II plus the ANG (1–7)-mas receptor antagonist A-779 (48 μg·kg−1·h−1) to test the hypothesis that greater ANG (1–7) in females results in more Tregs relative to males. Inhibition of ANG (1–7) did not alter renal T cells in either sex. In conclusion, ANG II induces a sex-specific effect on the renal T cell profile. Males have greater increases in proinflammatory T cells, and females have greater increases in anti-inflammatory Tregs; however, sex differences in the renal T cell profile are not mediated by ANG (1–7).
Pharmacological inhibition of galectin-3 protects against hypertensive nephropathy
Authors: Frenay Anne-Roos S. , Yu Lili , van der Velde A. Rogier , Vreeswijk-Baudoin Inge , López-Andrés Natalia , van Goor Harry , Silljé Herman H. , Ruifrok Willem P. , de Boer Rudolf A.
Published: December 2014

Galectin-3 activation is involved in the pathogenesis of renal damage and fibrogenesis. Limited data are available to suggest that galectin-3-targeted intervention is a potential therapeutic candidate for the prevention of chronic kidney disease. Homozygous TGR(mREN)27 (REN2) rats develop severe high blood pressure (BP) and hypertensive end-organ damage, including nephropathy and heart failure. Male REN2 rats were treated with N-acetyllactosamine [galectin-3 inhibitor (Gal3i)] for 6 wk; untreated REN2 and Sprague-Dawley rats served as controls. We measured cardiac function with echocardiogram and invasive hemodynamics before termination. BP and proteinuria were measured at baseline and at 3 and 6 wk. Plasma creatinine was determined at 6 wk. Renal damage was assessed for focal glomerular sclerosis, glomerular desmin expression, glomerular and interstitial macrophages, kidney injury molecule-1 expression, and α-smooth muscle actin expression. Inflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrix proteinases were quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Systolic BP was higher in control REN2 rats, with no effect of Gal3i treatment. Plasma creatinine and proteinuria were significantly increased in control REN2 rats; Gal3i treatment reduced both. Renal damage (focal glomerular sclerosis, desmin, interstitial macrophages, kidney injury molecule-1, α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, and collagen type III) was also improved by Gal3i. All inflammatory markers (CD68, IL-68, galectin-3, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) were elevated in control REN2 rats and attenuated by Gal3i. Markers of extracellular matrix turnover were marginally altered in untreated REN2 rats compared with Sprague-Dawley rats. In conclusion, galectin-3 inhibition attenuated hypertensive nephropathy, as indicated by reduced proteinuria, improved renal function, and decreased renal damage. Drugs binding to galectin-3 may be therapeutic candidates for the prevention of chronic kidney disease.
Putative mechanisms mediating tolerance for audiovisual stimulus onset asynchrony
Authors: Bhat Jyoti , Miller Lee M. , Pitt Mark A. , Shahin Antoine J.
Published: December 2014

Audiovisual (AV) speech perception is robust to temporal asynchronies between visual and auditory stimuli. We investigated the neural mechanisms that facilitate tolerance for audiovisual stimulus onset asynchrony (AVOA) with EEG. Individuals were presented with AV words that were asynchronous in onsets of voice and mouth movement and judged whether they were synchronous or not. Behaviorally, individuals tolerated (perceived as synchronous) longer AVOAs when mouth movement preceded the speech (V-A) stimuli than when the speech preceded mouth movement (A-V). Neurophysiologically, the P1-N1-P2 auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), time-locked to sound onsets and known to arise in and surrounding the primary auditory cortex (PAC), were smaller for the in-sync than the out-of-sync percepts. Spectral power of oscillatory activity in the beta band (14–30 Hz) following the AEPs was larger during the in-sync than out-of-sync perception for both A-V and V-A conditions. However, alpha power (8–14 Hz), also following AEPs, was larger for the in-sync than out-of-sync percepts only in the V-A condition. These results demonstrate that AVOA tolerance is enhanced by inhibiting low-level auditory activity (e.g., AEPs representing generators in and surrounding PAC) that code for acoustic onsets. By reducing sensitivity to acoustic onsets, visual-to-auditory onset mapping is weakened, allowing for greater AVOA tolerance. In contrast, beta and alpha results suggest the involvement of higher-level neural processes that may code for language cues (phonetic, lexical), selective attention, and binding of AV percepts, allowing for wider neural windows of temporal integration, i.e., greater AVOA tolerance.
Mefloquine and Its Enantiomers Are Active againstMycobacterium tuberculosisIn Vitro and in Macrophages
Authors: Bermudez Luiz E. , Meek Laura
Published: December 2014

Objective. Tuberculosis is a serious problem of public health. The increase on the number of clinical cases of tuberculosis infected with multidrug resistant (MDR)M. tuberculosiscalls for the development of novel therapy.Design. We investigated the effect of mefloquine and two enantiomers, (+)erythro-mefloquine and (+)threo-mefloquine againstM. tuberculosisstrains in the environment resembling the aspects of the granuloma environment and in macrophages.Results. The results suggest that mefloquine (racemic mixture) and (+)erythro-mefloquine have bactericidal activity againstM. tuberculosisstrains both in acidic, low oxygen tension and in macrophages. The activity, however, was impaired under increased osmolarity.Conclusion. Identification of the target for mefloquine in the pathogen will allow for the development of novel drugs with antituberculosis activity.
Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Differential Diagnosis to Remember after Bone Marrow Transplantation
Authors: Dantas Brito Margarida , Campilho Fernando , Branca Rosa , Pinho Vaz Carlos , Silva Cristina , Sousa Teresa , Mendes Carlos , Campos António
Published: December 2014

Leishmania infection in immunocompromised hosts is reported in the literature, mostly concerning human immunodeficiency virus infected patients. It is not well characterized in the context of stem cell transplantation. We report a rare case clinical case of visceral leishmaniasis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. A 50-year-old Caucasian male was referred to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation with a high-risk acute lymphoblastic B leukemia in first complete remission. Allogeneic SCT was performed with peripheral blood stem cells from an unrelated Portuguese matched donor. In the following months, patient developed mild fluctuating cytopenias, mostly thrombocytopenia (between 60 and 80∗109/L). The only significant complaint was intermittent tiredness. The common causes for thrombocytopenia in this setting were excluded—no evidence of graft versus host disease, no signs of viral or bacterial infection, and no signs of relapsed disease/dysplastic changes. The bone marrow smear performed 12 months after transplantation revealed an unsuspected diagnosis: a massive bone marrow infiltration with amastigotes.
Diffractive Optical Elements with a Large Angle of Operation Recorded in Acrylamide Based Photopolymer on Flexible Substrates
Authors: Akbari Hoda , Naydenova Izabela , Persechini Lina , Garner Sean M. , Cimo Pat , Martin Suzanne
Published: December 2014

A holographic device characterised by a large angular range of operation is under development. The aim of this study is to increase the angular working range of the diffractive lens by stacking three layers of high efficiency optical elements on top of each other so that light is collected (and focussed) from a broader range of angles. The angular range of each individual lens element is important, and work has already been done in an acrylamide-based photosensitive polymer to broaden the angular range of individual elements using holographic recording at a low spatial frequency. This paper reports new results on the angular selectivity of stacked diffractive lenses. A working range of 12° is achieved. The diffractive focussing elements were recorded holographically with a central spatial frequency of 300 l/mm using exposure energy of 60 mJ/cm2at a range of recording angles. At this spatial frequency with layers of thickness 50 ± 5 µm, a diffraction efficiency of 80% and 50% was achieved in the single lens element and combined device, respectively. The optical recording process and the properties of the multilayer structure are described and discussed. Holographic recording of a single lens element is also successfully demonstrated on a flexible glass substrate (Corning(R) Willow(R) Glass) for the first time.
Incomplete Vitreomacular Traction Release Using Intravitreal Ocriplasmin
Authors: Chin Eric K. , Almeida David R.P. , Sohn Elliott H. , Boldt H. Culver , Mahajan Vinit B. , Gehrs Karen M. , Russell Stephen R. , Folk James C.
Published: December 2014

Purpose: To report the clinical course of our first 7 consecutive patients treated with intravitreal ocriplasmin (Jetrea®). Methods: Retrospective case series of the first 7 patients treated with ocriplasmin between January and December 2013 at an academic tertiary care center. Results: The average age was 78.4 years (range: 63-92). Five patients were pseudophakic and 2 patients were phakic in the injected eye. The median baseline visual acuity (VA) was 20/60 (range: 20/25 to 20/200). The median 1-month postinjection VA was 20/70, with a mean loss of 2 lines of VA among all patients. None of the patients had complete resolution of their vitreomacular traction or macular hole at 1 month of follow-up. Three patients had subsequent pars plana vitrectomy and membrane peeling surgery. The mean follow-up period for those who did not undergo vitrectomy was 9 months (range: 1-13). One patient with known ocular hypertension had an increase in intraocular pressure requiring topical pressure-lowering eyedrops. There were no cases of postinjection uveitis, endophthalmitis, retinal tears, or retinal detachment. Conclusions: While ocriplasmin may be a viable pharmacological agent for vitreolysis, we present a series of patients that all had incomplete resolution of vitreomacular traction with and without full-thickness macular hole. There was an associated reduction in VA after ocriplasmin treatment at 1 month of follow-up. Careful analysis of the vitreoretinal interface and comorbid eye conditions is required to optimize outcome success with ocriplasmin.
A genome-wide association study of heparin-induced thrombocyto - penia using an electronic medical record
Authors: Karnes Jason H. , Cronin Robert M. , Rollin Jerome , Teumer Alexander , Pouplard Claire , Shaffer Christian M. , Blanquicett Carmelo , Bowton Erica A. , Cowan James D. , Mosley Jonathan D. , Van Driest Sara L. , Weeke Peter E. , Wells Quinn S. , Bakchoul Tamam , Denny Joshua C. , Greinacher Andreas , Gruel Yves , Roden Dan M.
Published: December 2014

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an unpredictable, potentially catastrophic adverse effect of heparin treatment resulting from an immune response to platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin complexes. No genome-wide evaluations have been performed to identify potential genetic influences on HIT. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and candidate gene study using HIT cases and controls identified using electronic medical records (EMRs) coupled to a DNA biobank and attempted to replicate GWAS associations in an independent cohort. We subsequently investigated influences of GWAS-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on PF4/heparin antibodies in non-heparin treated individuals. In a recessive model, we observed significant SNP associations (odds ratio [OR] 18.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.33-54.23; p=3.18×10-9) with HIT near the T-Cell Death-Associated Gene 8 (TDAG8). These SNPs are in linkage disequilibrium with a missense TDAG8 SNP. TDAG8 SNPs trended toward an association with HIT in replication analysis (OR 5.71; 0.47-69.22; p=0.17), and the missense SNP was associated with PF4/heparin antibody levels and positive PF4/heparin antibodies in non-heparin treated patients (OR 3.09; 1.14-8.13; p=0.02). In the candidate gene study, SNPs at HLA-DRA were nominally associated with HIT (OR 0.25; 0.15-0.44; p=2.06×10-6). Further study of TDAG8 and HLA-DRA SNPs is warranted to assess their influence on the risk of developing HIT.
Phospholamban as a Crucial Determinant of the Inotropic Response of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Ventricular Cardiomyocytes and Engineered 3-Dimensional Tissue Constructs
Authors: Chen Gaopeng , Li Sen , Karakikes Ioannis , Ren Lihuan , Zi-Ying Chow Maggie , Chopra Anant , Keung Wendy , Yan Bin , Chan Camie W.Y. , Costa Kevin D. , Kong Chi-Wing , Hajjar Roger J. , Chen Christopher S. , Li Ronald A.
Published: December 2014

Background—

Human (h) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) serve as a potential unlimited ex vivo source of cardiomyocytes (CMs). However, a well-accepted roadblock has been their immature phenotype. hESC/iPSC-derived ventricular (v) CMs and their engineered cardiac microtissues (hvCMTs) similarly displayed positive chronotropic but null inotropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation. Given that phospholamban (PLB) is robustly present in adult but poorly expressed in hESC/iPSC-vCMs and its defined biological role in β-adrenergic signaling, we investigated the functional consequences of PLB expression in hESC/iPSC-vCMs and hvCMTs.

Methods and Results—

First, we confirmed that PLB protein was differentially expressed in hESC (HES2, H9)- and iPSC-derived and adult vCMs. We then transduced hES2-vCMs with the recombinant adenoviruses (Ad) Ad-PLB or Ad-S16E-PLB to overexpress wild-type PLB or the pseudophosphorylated point–mutated variant, respectively. As anticipated from the inhibitory effect of unphosphorylated PLB on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
-ATPase, Ad-PLB transduction significantly attenuated electrically evoked Ca
2+
transient amplitude and prolonged the 50% decay time. Importantly, Ad-PLB–transduced hES2-vCMs uniquely responded to isoproterenol. Ad-S16E-PLB–transduced hES2-vCMs displayed an intermediate phenotype. The same trends were observed with H9- and iPSC-vCMs. Directionally, similar results were also seen with Ad-PLB–transduced and Ad-S16E–transduced hvCMTs. However, Ad-PLB altered neither the global transcriptome nor I
Ca,L
, implicating a PLB-specific effect.

Conclusions—

Engineered upregulation of PLB expression in hESC/iPSC-vCMs restores a positive inotropic response to β-adrenergic stimulation. These results not only provide a better mechanistic understanding of the immaturity of hESC/iPSC-vCMs but will also lead to improved disease models and transplantable prototypes with adult-like physiological responses.
Description of a new species of Uroballus Simon, 1902 (Araneae: Salticidae) from Malaysia, with the longest spinnerets of any known jumping spider
Authors: LOGUNOV DMITRI V.
Published: December 2014

A new species Uroballus koponeni sp. n. (♀) from Malaysia (Borneo) is diagnosed, illustrated and described. The genus is unusual for jumping spiders in having extremely long spinnerets.
A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 3. On new and poorly known Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804
Authors: MARUSIK YURI M. , OMELKO MIKHAIL M.
Published: December 2014

Two new species, Gnaphosa koponeni sp. n. (♂♀, Tuva, Russia) and G. tunevae sp. n. (♀, Mongolia) are described. New figures and distribution data are provided for G. gracilior Kulczyński, 1901, G. kansuensis Schenkel, 1963, G. mandschurica Schenkel, 1963, G. sticta Kulczyński, 1908, G. stoliczkai O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 and G. wiehlei Schenkel, 1963. Additional morphological evidence is provided that G. similis Kulczyński, 1926 is not a synonym of G. muscorum (L. Koch, 1866). Gnaphosa stoliczkai is reported from Mongolia for the first time. The synonymy of Gnaphosa potanini Simon, 1895 with G. silvicola Kamura, 1988 is discussed and is likely to be incorrect.
A revision of the Neotropical genus Austrohahnia Mello-Leitão (Araneae, Hahniidae)
Authors: RUBIO GONZALO D. , LO-MAN-HUNG NANCY F. , IURI HERNÁN A.
Published: December 2014

The Neotropical genus Austrohahnia Mello-Leitão, 1942 is revised, comprising four species from Argentina. The genus is here transferred to the subfamily Hahniinae Bertkau, 1878 from Cybaeolinae Lehtinen, 1967. Austrohahnia is diagnosed by a single synapomorphy, short setae ventrally on the abdomen, in immature as well as adult stages. The type species A. praestans Mello-Leitão, 1942 is redescribed. Austrohahnia catleyi new species is described and illustrated based both sexes from the alder forests of northwestern Argentina. Austrohahnia melloleitaoi (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942) new combination was transferred from Hahnia C.L. Koch, 1841, the male is described and illustrated for the first time, and the female is redescribed. Austrohahnia isophthalma (Mello-Leitão, 1941) new combination is also transferred from Hahnia and considered a nomen dubium. New geographic records of studied species are provided.
The Great Colorado Flood of September 2013
Authors: Gochis David , Schumacher Russ , Friedrich Katja , Doesken Nolan , Kelsch Matt , Sun Juanzhen , Ikeda Kyoko , Lindsey Daniel , Wood Andy , Dolan Brenda , Matrosov Sergey , Newman Andrew , Mahoney Kelly , Rutledge Steven , Johnson Richard , Kucera Paul , Kennedy Pat , Sempere-Torres Daniel , Steiner Matthias , Roberts Rita , Wilson Jim , Yu Wei , Chandrasekar V. , Rasmussen Roy , Anderson Amanda , Brown Barbara
Published: December 2014

During the second week of September 2013, a seasonally uncharacteristic weather pattern stalled over the Rocky Mountain Front Range region of northern Colorado bringing with it copious amounts of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. This feed of moisture was funneled toward the east-facing mountain slopes through a series of mesoscale circulation features, resulting in several days of unusually widespread heavy rainfall over steep mountainous terrain. Catastrophic flooding ensued within several Front Range river systems that washed away highways, destroyed towns, isolated communities, necessitated days of airborne evacuations, and resulted in eight fatalities. The impacts from heavy rainfall and flooding were felt over a broad region of northern Colorado leading to 18 counties being designated as federal disaster areas and resulting in damages exceeding $2 billion (U.S. dollars). This study explores the meteorological and hydrological ingredients that led to this extreme event. After providing a basic timeline of events, synoptic and mesoscale circulation features of the event are discussed. Particular focus is placed on documenting how circulation features, embedded within the larger synoptic flow, served to funnel moist inflow into the mountain front driving several days of sustained orographic precipitation. Operational and research networks of polarimetric radar and surface instrumentation were used to evaluate the cloud structures and dominant hydrometeor characteristics. The performance of several quantitative precipitation estimates, quantitative precipitation forecasts, and hydrological forecast products are also analyzed with the intention of identifying what monitoring and prediction tools worked and where further improvements are needed.
Remote Sensing of Tropical Cyclones: Observations from CloudSat and A-Train Profilers
Authors: Tourville Natalie , Stephens Graeme , DeMaria Mark , Vane Deborah
Published: December 2014

CloudSat (CS) heralded a new era of profiling the planet’s cloud systems and storms with its launch in 2006. This satellite flies the first 94-GHz spaceborne Cloud Profiling Radar, and the data collected have provided a unique perspective on Earth’s cloudiness and processes that affect clouds. CS flies in formation with the afternoon satellite constellation, a collection of active and passive satellite sensors offering near-simultaneous observations of the same cloud phenomena. While passes of the nadir-pointing Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) antenna occur infrequently over tropical cyclones, they happen enough to provide a detailed compilation of the inner structure of clouds and precipitation of these complex storm systems. Nearly 8,000 vertical profiles of TCs have been collected during the period June 2006–December 2013 and observations continue as CS flies in daylight-only mode. These observations have been assembled into a one-of-a-kind dataset of three-dimensional features revealing precipitation areas, moats, and multilayered clouds. Each unique overpass profiled by CS has been compiled with corresponding A-Train sensors, model data, and storm-specific best-track information. The multisensor components of the CS and A-Train TC dataset together with these other data are summarized and cataloged as a function of radial distance from storm center. Example imagery is provided along with stratified reflectivity profiles detailing changes in storm structures across varying environmental shear conditions. The data reported on in this paper offer an unprecedented view of these major storm types and their inner structure.
A Clustering Method to Characterize Intermittent Bursts of Turbulence and Interaction with Submesomotions in the Stable Boundary Layer
Authors: Vercauteren Nikki , Klein Rupert
Published: December 2014

Atmospheric boundary layers with stable stratification include a variety of small-scale nonturbulent motions such as waves, microfronts, and other complex structures. When the thermal stratification becomes strong, the presence of such motions could affect the turbulent mixing to a large extent, and common similarity theory that is used to describe weakly stable conditions may become unreliable. The authors apply a statistical clustering methodology based on a bounded variation, finite-element method (FEM-BV) to characterize the interaction between small-scale nonturbulent motions and turbulence. The clustering methodology achieves a multiscale representation of nonstationary turbulence data by approximating them through an optimal sequence of locally stationary multivariate autoregressive factor model (VARX) processes and some slow hidden process switching between them. The clustering method is used to separate periods with different influence of the nonturbulent motions on the vertical velocity fluctuations. The methodology can be used in a later stage to derive a stochastic parameterization for the interactions between nonturbulent and turbulent motions.