bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Twice-Daily Application of HIV Microbicides Alters the Vaginal Microbiota
Authors: Ravel Jacques , Gajer Pawel , Fu Li , Mauck Christine K. , Koenig Sara S. K. , Sakamoto Joyce , Motsinger-Reif Alison A. , Doncel Gustavo F. , Zeichner Steven L.
Published: December 2012

Vaginal HIV microbicides offer great promise in preventing HIV transmission, but failures of phase 3 clinical trials, in which microbicide-treated subjects had an increased risk of HIV transmission, raised concerns about endpoints used to evaluate microbicide safety. A possible explanation for the increased transmission risk is that the agents shifted the vaginal bacterial community, resulting in loss of natural protection and enhanced HIV transmission susceptibility. We characterized vaginal microbiota, using pyrosequencing of bar-coded 16S rRNA gene fragments, in samples from 35 healthy, sexually abstinent female volunteer subjects (ages 18 to 50 years) with regular menses in a repeat phase 1 study of twice-daily application over 13.5 days of 1 of 3 gel products: a hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)-based “universal” placebo (10 subjects), 6% cellulose sulfate (CS; 13 subjects), and 4% nonoxynol-9 (N-9; 12 subjects). We used mixed effects models inferred using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, which showed that treatment with active agents shifted the microbiota toward a community type lacking significant numbers of
Lactobacillus
spp. and dominated by strict anaerobes. This state of the vaginal microbiota was associated with a low or intermediate Nugent score and was not identical to bacterial vaginosis, an HIV transmission risk factor. The placebo arm contained a higher proportion of communities dominated by
Lactobacillus
spp., particularly
L. crispatus
, throughout treatment. The data suggest that molecular evaluation of microbicide effects on vaginal microbiota may be a critical endpoint that should be incorporated in early clinical assessment of microbicide candidates.

IMPORTANCE
Despite large prevention efforts, HIV transmission and acquisition rates remain unacceptably high. In developing countries, transmission mainly occurs through heterosexual intercourse, where women are significantly more vulnerable to infection than men. Vaginal microbicides are considered to be one of the most promising female-controlled products, in that women themselves insert the microbicides into the vagina to prevent HIV transmission during sexual intercourse. The failure of several microbicides in clinical trials has raised questions concerning the low
in vivo
efficacy of such anti-HIV molecules. This study was designed to gain insights into the failures of two microbicides by testing the hypothesis that the microbicides negatively affect a critical line of defense against HIV, the vaginal microbiota. The results suggest that in the early assessment of candidate microbicides, culture-independent evaluation of their effect on the vaginal microbiota should be considered and may constitute a critical endpoint.
Meconium is not enough: look for the hole!
Authors: Aldeiri Basher , Johal Navroop Singh , De Coppi Paolo
Published: December 2012

Anorectal malformations are usually diagnosed at birth, and the diagnosis is usually readily apparent in boys and girls by direct inspection of the perineal region. However, some of the less complex lesions, often referred to as ‘low lesions’, such as rectovestibular fistula in girls, may not be diagnosed at birth. These children are able to pass meconium, and it is only when the narrow fistula fails to pass formed stool later in infancy or childhood does the child become symptomatic. It is important to emphasise that the diagnosis of these defects should be made during neonatal predischarge examination. Such a delayed diagnosis may change their management, complicate surgical repair and may contribute to both functional and psychological problems for the patient and family.
Disseminated cysticercosis: rare manifestation of a common disease
Authors: Singh Neha , Singh Deepak Kumar , Parihar Anit , Singh Ragini
Published: December 2012

We are presenting a case of disseminated cysticercosis involving the brain, spinal cord, orbit, muscles, subcutaneous tissues, liver and spleen of an immunocompetent man. Although cysticercosis is a common tropical disease, such widespread dissemination is an uncommon manifestation. Imaging studies are described with emphasis on hepatic and splenic involvement which has been described only rarely in the published literature.
BIOMOLECULAR FIELD EFFECT SENSORS (BIOFETS): FROM QUALITATIVE SENSING TO MULTIPLEXING, CALIBRATION AND QUANTITATIVE DETECTION FROM WHOLE BLOOD
Authors: VACIC ALEKSANDAR , REED MARK A.
Published: December 2012

Nanoscale field effect based sensors have emerged as a potential label-free diagnostic tool capable of detecting extremely low levels of biomolecules with fast response times. To date, successful detection of various biomolecular species ranging from small molecules to antibodies have been demonstrated, however, the lack of quantitative methods, sensor calibration techniques and ability to detect charges in strong ionic strength environments has hindered their commercial application. In this paper we discuss a recent progress in this field directed primarily towards overcoming the aforementioned obstacles.
SPINTRONIC DEVICES AND CIRCUITS FOR LOW-VOLTAGE LOGIC
Authors: MORRIS DANIEL H. , BROMBERG DAVID M. , ZHU JIAN-GANG (JIMMY) , PILEGGI LARRY
Published: December 2012

This paper describes the design of digital logic circuits composed exclusively from magnetic devices. The logic level of a signal is embedded in the direction of steered currents, not voltages. The currents are steered by small (e.g., 2-3x) resistance changes. Sub-100 mV pulsed voltages power and synchronize the circuits. Logic gates are non-volatile, allowing for fully-pipelined logic that can achieve ultra-low energy for design examples.
PHASE FIELD SIMULATION FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE OXIDATION BEHAVIOR OF THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS UNDER SHOT PEENING
Authors: WANG CHAO , ZHANG RUBING , PEI YONGMAO , FANG DAINING
Published: December 2012

A two-dimensional platform phase field model is founded to apply in the Fe-Cr-Al-Y alloy with crack and zirconium diboride ceramic as thermal barrier coatings treated by shot peening. This modal is used to simulate the oxidation growth stress distribution in the platform. The high temperature oxidation resistance and crack propagation of this composite are studied in the numerical simulation. The results show the characteristics of fracture and oxidation resistance properties of the alloy dealt with these promoted technology. The effects of thickness of ceramic layer, surface residual stress by shot peening and direction of crack on oxidation growth stress distribution are also investigated. In this paper, maximum stress is founded linear to the ceramic layer. The suitable thickness of the crack layer and the appropriate intensity of shot peening should be chosen, and the direction of the crack makes a big difference in stress distribution. The study provides a new powerful tool for the simulation of shot-peening process.
FERROFLUID FLOW WITH MAGNETIC FIELD-DEPENDENT VISCOSITY DUE TO ROTATING DISK IN POROUS MEDIUM
Authors: RAM PARAS , KUMAR VIKAS
Published: December 2012

The present study is carried out to examine the effects of magnetic field-dependent viscosity on steady axi-symmetric ferrofluid flow due to rotating disk in porous medium. The momentum equations give rise to highly nonlinear partial differential equations, which are converted to a system of nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations on using Karman's similarity transformation. Then a numerical technique, which is the combination of finite difference and shooting methods, is employed in MATLAB environment to get the numerical solution of the problem. Beside the velocity and pressure profiles, the effect of MFD viscosity parameter and porosity parameter are also examined on radial, tangential skin frictions and on boundary layer displacement thickness. The results thus obtained numerically over the entire range of physical parameters are presented graphically.
STATIC AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF TIMOSHENKO BEAM USING NODAL INTEGRATION TECHNIQUE
Authors: FENG HUI , CUI XIANGYANG , LI GUANGYAO
Published: December 2012

In this paper, a nodal integration method (NIM) is presented to deal with the static and dynamic problems of Timoshenko beam. In the present method, linear-shape functions are employed to approximate the displacement field, and smoothing domains based on the nodes are further formed for computing the stiffness matrix. Through a smoothing operation, the shear locking is effectively avoided and the computation gets much simpler. For static problems, the upper bounds for a set of benchmark examples are obtained by nodal integration. For dynamic problems, while keeping the shear stiffness matrix the same as NIM, integration based on elements is adopted to construct the bending stiffness matrix to improve the stability and diminish singular modes caused by pure nodal integration. Results computed in this way prove to be much better than pure nodal integration method for free vibration and forced vibration problems. Numerical examples indicate that very accurate results can be obtained when a reasonable number of nodes is used. Both computational efficiency and accuracy are achieved by above formulations.
An unusual accumulation of crinoids from the Silurian of the Howgill Fells, Cumbria, UK
Authors: Donovan S. K.
Published: December 2012

A slab of Wenlock sandstone from the valley of the River Rawthey in the Howgill Fells, Cumbria, northern England, preserves a monospecific association of long, parallel to sub-parallel crinoid pluricolumnals. No crowns or attachment structures are associated; this is either an artefact of cut effect or an indication that the columns had been autotomized in response to adverse environmental conditions. The accumulation is allochthonous, but may represent a life assemblage. Current direction corresponded to the long axes of the pluricolumnals, as indicated by an example of a ‘train crash’ crinoid pluricolumnal.
The anatomy of a Fenland roddon: sedimentation and environmental change in a lowland Holocene tidal creek environment
Authors: Smith Dinah M. , Zalasiewicz Jan A. , Williams Mark , Wilkinson Ian P. , Scarborough James J. , Knight Mark , Sayer Carl , Redding Martin , Moreton Steven G.
Published: December 2012

A Holocene sand/silt-filled tidal creek, locally called a roddon, excavated at Must Farm near Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, within the English Fenland, preserves an unprecedented record of Fenland tidal creek evolution. The tidal creek was formed sometime between
c
. 4735 BP and
c
. 3645 BP. Its infill comprised centimetre-scale, laminated, tidal sand-mud couplets, numbering some 600 in total, with microfossils that show marine and coastal derivation of the sediment. The nature of the infill suggests rapid sedimentation that choked the creek system, perhaps in as little as a few years. At least three successive generations of roddons are present in the Fenland, suggesting at least three distinct episodes of tidal creek formation. The Must Farm roddon belongs to the first generation. A later, mud-filled channel was subsequently incised into the roddon, perhaps initiated by a marine surge. It quickly transformed into a slowly flowing river, as suggested by molluscs, ostracods and diatoms. Infill of this late-stage channel was slow, perhaps over about 1200 years between
c
. 3250 and 2050 BP (
c
. 1300–100 cal BC), as shown by archaeological finds. The mud-filled channel superficially resembles late-stage, organic-rich channel infills visible on aerial photographs, but is wider and deeper and might have been part of a more substantial long-lived ‘river’, perhaps a tributary of the proto-Nene.

Supplementary

material is available at:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18584
.
Chronic levothyroxine and acute T3 treatments enhance the amplitude and time course of uterine contractions in human
Authors: Corriveau Stéphanie , Pasquier Jean-Charles , Blouin Simon , Bellabarba Diego , Rousseau Éric
Published: December 2012

This study compares the functional consequences of levothyroxine (T4) treatment during pregnancy as well as the acute affects of triiodothyronine (T3) on spontaneous uterine contractile activities observed in vitro. Uterine biopsies were obtained from consenting women undergoing elective caesarean at term ( n = 28). Spontaneous contractile activities from T4-treated pregnant women ( n = 8) were compared with control patients ( n = 20) by isometric tension measurements. Effects of acute T3 and T4 on control tissues were also monitored. Area under the curve, amplitude, time to peak, duration, and frequency were quantified. In uterine strips from women treated for hypothyroidism, phasic uterine contractions of larger amplitude (+77%) were observed, with a prolonged duration at 90% relaxation (+138%) and reduced frequency (−55%) compared with values of the control group. The addition of exogenous T3 in vitro on control strips induced a significant increase in the duration of the contractions and a significant decrease in frequency ( P < 0.05), which partially mimics the results obtained in strips from T4-treated women. Significant modifications of contractile properties were observed in strips from pregnant women treated with levothyroxine, consistent with those observed with the addition of exogenous T3. Clinical practices of modern obstetrics should take into account the effect of thyroid hormones on uterine contractions' time course to ensure a tighter followup at the end of pregnancy to achieve safer delivery.
Selective SGLT2 inhibition by tofogliflozin reduces renal glucose reabsorption under hyperglycemic but not under hypo- or euglycemic conditions in rats
Authors: Nagata Takumi , Fukazawa Masanori , Honda Kiyofumi , Yata Tatsuo , Kawai Mio , Yamane Mizuki , Murao Naoaki , Yamaguchi Koji , Kato Motohiro , Mitsui Tetsuya , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Ikeda Sachiya , Kawabe Yoshiki
Published: December 2012

To understand the risk of hypoglycemia associated with urinary glucose excretion (UGE) induced by sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) inhibitors, it is necessary to know the relationship between the ratio of contribution of SGLT2 vs. SGLT1 to renal glucose reabsorption (RGR) and the glycemic levels in vivo. To examine the contributions of SGLT2 and SGLT1 in normal rats, we compared the RGR inhibition by tofogliflozin, a highly specific SGLT2 inhibitor, and phlorizin, an SGLT1 and SGLT2 (SGLT1/2) inhibitor, at plasma concentrations sufficient to completely inhibit rat SGLT2 (rSGLT2) while inhibiting rSGLT1 to different degrees. Under hyperglycemic conditions by glucose titration, tofogliflozin and phlorizin achieved ≥50% inhibition of RGR. Under hypoglycemic conditions by hyperinsulinemic clamp, RGR was reduced by 20–50% with phlorizin and by 1–5% with tofogliflozin, suggesting the smaller contribution of rSGLT2 to RGR under hypoglycemic conditions than under hyperglycemic conditions. Next, to evaluate the hypoglycemic potentials of SGLT1/2 inhibition, we measured the plasma glucose (PG) and endogenous glucose production (EGP) simultaneously after UGE induction by SGLT inhibitors. Tofogliflozin (400 ng/ml) induced UGE of about 2 mg·kg−1·min−1 and increased EGP by 1–2 mg·kg−1·min−1, resulting in PG in the normal range. Phlorizin (1,333 ng/ml) induced UGE of about 6 mg·kg−1·min−1 and increased EGP by about 4 mg·kg−1·min−1; this was more than with tofogliflozin, but the minimum PG was lower. These results suggest that the contribution of SGLT1 to RGR is greater under lower glycemic conditions than under hyperglycemic conditions and that SGLT2-selective inhibitors pose a lower risk of hypoglycemia than SGLT1/2 inhibitors.
Heterozygous knockout of transforming growth factor-β1 protects Dahl S rats against high salt-induced renal injury
Authors: Chen Chun Cheng Andy , Geurts Aron M. , Jacob Howard J. , Fan Fan , Roman Richard J.
Published: December 2012

The present study employed a zinc-finger nuclease strategy to create heterozygous knockout (KO) rats for the transforming growth factor-β1 ( Tgfb1) gene on the Dahl SS/Jr genetic background (TGF-β1+/−Dahl S). Intercrossing TGF-β1+/−rats did not produce any homozygous KO rats (66.4% +/−, 33.6% +/+), indicating that the mutation is embryonic lethal. Six-week-old wild-type (WT) littermates and TGF-β1+/−Dahl S rats were fed a 0.4% (low salt, LS) or 8% NaCl (high salt, HS) diet for 5 wk. Renal cortical expression of TGF-β1, urinary TGF-β1 excretion, proteinuria, glomerular injury and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and systolic blood pressure were similar in WT and TGF-β1+/−Dahl S rats maintained on the LS diet. The expression and urinary excretion of TGF-β1 increased to a greater extent in WT than in TGF-β1+/−Dahl S rats fed an HS diet for 1 wk. Systolic blood pressure rose by the same extent to 235 ± 2 mmHg in WT and 239 ± 4 mmHg in TGF-β1+/−Dahl S rats fed a HS diet for 5 wk. However, urinary protein excretion was significantly lower in TGF-β1+/−Dahl S than in the WT animals. The degree of glomerular injury and renal cortical and outer medullary fibrosis was markedly less in TGF-β1+/−than in WT rats. These findings suggest that the loss of one copy of the TGF-β1 gene blunts the increase in renal TGF-β1 protein expression and slows the progression of proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, and renal interstitial fibrosis in Dahl S rats fed an HS diet independently of changes in blood pressure.
Exclusive Reconstruction ofB-Decays with Missing Neutrals
Authors: Dima M.
Published: December 2012

Often decay channels that are of theoretical interest cannot be reconstructed exclusively due to missing neutrals (such as neutrinos), or due to single-track vertices. This situation appears both in underground astrophysics experiments as well as in conventional accelerator experiments. A method to “recover” such missing particles from their kinematics and reconstruct “exclusively” the modes would benefit both domains in a number of ways. The main idea is to combine 4-momentum conservations in vertices with available geometric information in the event. The paper gives details of such methods on theBs0→Ds−K+,Ds−→K+K−π−(π0)prototype decay, which also encounters 2-fold ambiguities in its solutions. Such ambiguities can be lifted and the paper shows how, while also addressing the potential the method has in physics analyses and detector studies.
Visceral Kaposi's Sarcoma Related to Human Herpesvirus-8 in Liver Transplant Recipient: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Benhammane H. , Mentha G. , Tschanz E. , El Mesbahi O. , Dietrich P. Y.
Published: December 2012

Background. Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) in transplant recipients is about 400 to 500 times rate in the general population. It is strongly associated to Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection which has been found in 95% of KS lesions. The optimal approach to managing posttransplantation KS is to reduce or discontinue immunosuppressive therapy but this strategy carries a risk of the acute rejection of the graft. Recently, the use of an mTOR inhibitor has added new opportunities for KS treatment and prevention.Case Report. We report a case of 24 years-old Turkish woman with visceral HHV-8-associated Kaposi's sarcoma after orthotopic liver transplantation.Conclusion. Posttransplantation KS is considered an experimental model of virus induced tumor suggesting the usefulness of HHV-8 screening in transplant recipient and donor. Therapeutic approaches are complex and require a multidisciplinary team.
Brazilian Green Propolis: Anti-Inflammatory Property by an Immunomodulatory Activity
Authors: Machado Joleen Lopes , Assunção Anne Karine Martins , da Silva Mayara Cristina Pinto , Reis Aramys Silva dos , Costa Graciomar Conceição , Arruda Diêgo de Sousa , Rocha Bruno Alves , Vaz Mirela Mara de Oliveira Lima Leite , Paes Antonio Marcus de Andrade , Guerra Rosane Nassar Meireles , Berretta Andresa Aparecida , Nascimento Flávia Raquel Fernandes do
Published: December 2012

The immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities of green propolis extracts fromApis melliferawere investigated using acute and chronic inflammation models. Swiss mice were anesthetized and a cotton pellet granuloma was implanted in subcutaneous tissue. Then the mice were divided into six groups and received apyrogenic water or different propolis extracts by oral route (5 mg/kg). According to the treatment the groups were designated as E1A, E1B, E10, E11, and E12. The control group received apyrogenic water. The treatment was performed by six days when the mice were killed. The blood and the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were collected to measure the leukocyte recruitment. In acute pulmonary inflammation, Balb/c mice received lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ofEscherichia coliby intranasal route for three days. Concomitantly the mice received by oral route apyrogenic water (control) or E10 and E11 propolis extracts. BAL was performed to assess the inflammatory infiltrate and cytokine quantification. The results showed that the E11 extract has anti-inflammatory property in both models by the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines suggesting an immunomodulatory activity.
Using Lie Symmetry Analysis to Solve a Problem That Models Mass Transfer from a Horizontal Flat Plate
Authors: Sinkala W. , Chaisi M.
Published: December 2012

We use Lie symmetry analysis to solve a boundary value problem that arises in chemical engineering, namely, mass transfer during the contact of a solid slab with an overhead flowing fluid. This problem was earlier tackled using Adomian decomposition method (Fatoorehchi and Abolghasemi 2011), leading to the Adomian series form of solution. It turns out that the application of Lie group analysis yields an elegant form of the solution. After introducing the governing mathematical model and some preliminaries of Lie symmetry analysis, we compute the Lie point symmetries admitted by the governing equation and use these to construct the desired solution as an invariant solution.
Learning-Based Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radio Systems
Authors: Hassan Yasmin , El-Tarhuni Mohamed , Assaleh Khaled
Published: December 2012

This paper presents a novel pattern recognition approach to spectrum sensing in collaborative cognitive radio systems. In the proposed scheme, discriminative features from the received signal are extracted at each node and used by a classifier at a central node to make a global decision about the availability of spectrum holes for use by the cognitive radio network. Specifically, linear and polynomial classifiers are proposed with energy, cyclostationary, or coherent features. Simulation results in terms of detection and false alarm probabilities of all proposed schemes are presented. It is concluded that cyclostationary-based schemes are the most reliable in terms of detecting primary users in the spectrum, however, at the expense of a longer sensing time compared to coherent based schemes. Results show that the performance is improved by having more users collaborating in providing features to the classifier. It is also shown that, in this spectrum sensing application, a linear classifier has a comparable performance to a second-order polynomial classifier and hence provides a better choice due to its simplicity. Finally, the impact of the observation window on the detection performance is presented.
Mechanical and Tribological Properties of PVD-Coated Cemented Carbide as Evaluated by a New Multipass Scratch-Testing Method
Authors: Fallqvist M. , M'Saoubi R. , Andersson J. M. , Olsson M.
Published: December 2012

A new test method based on multipass scratch testing has been developed for evaluating the mechanical and tribological properties of thin, hard coatings. The proposed test method uses a pin-on-disc tribometer and during testing a Rockwell C diamond stylus is used as the “pin” and loaded against the rotating coated sample. The influence of normal load on the number of cycles to coating damage is investigated and the resulting coating damage mechanisms are evaluated by posttest scanning electron microscopy. The present study presents the test method by evaluating the performance of Ti0.86Si0.14N, Ti0.34Al0.66N, and (Al0.7Cr0.3)2O3coatings deposited by cathodic arc evaporation on cemented carbide inserts. The results show that the test method is quick, simple, and reproducible and can preferably be used to obtain relevant data concerning the fatigue, wear, chipping, and spalling characteristics of different coating-substrate composites. The test method can be used as a virtually nondestructive test and, for example, be used to evaluate the fatigue and wear resistance as well as the cohesive and adhesive interfacial strength of coated cemented carbide inserts prior to cutting tests.
Writing about the Personal Utility of Learning Contents in a Learning Journal Improves Learning Motivation and Comprehension
Authors: Schmidt Kristin , Maier Julia , Nückles Matthias
Published: December 2012

Reflecting on the personal utility and value of learning contents is important for motivation building and engagement in high quality learning processes. We investigated the effects of a personal-utility prompt in journal writing on students’ learning motivation and comprehension in biology education. 40 students of a German secondary school took part in a quasi-experimental field study. The students kept a weekly learning journal over six weeks. For writing their journal entries, the students received a brief instruction that either did or did not include a personal-utility prompt. Results showed that the personal-utility prompt successfully supported the students in reflecting about the personal utility of the learning contents. Consequently, students in the personal-utility prompt condition reported higher degrees of learning motivation and achieved better comprehension scores as compared to students who had no personal-utility prompt available. Evidently, using journal writing to reflect upon the utility and value of learning contents is a beneficial method to support students’ learning motivation and comprehension in secondary science education.
Analysis and Modeling of Time-Correlated Characteristics of Rainfall-Runoff Similarity in the Upstream Red River Basin
Authors: Sang Xiuli , Xu Jianxin , Zhang Kun , Wang Hua
Published: December 2012

We constructed a similarity model (based on Euclidean distance between rainfall and runoff) to study time-correlated characteristics of rainfall-runoff similar patterns in the upstream Red River Basin and presented a detailed evaluation of the time correlation of rainfall-runoff similarity. The rainfall-runoff similarity was used to determine the optimum similarity. The results showed that a time-correlated model was found to be capable of predicting the rainfall-runoff similarity in the upstream Red River Basin in a satisfactory way. Both noised and denoised time series by thresholding the wavelet coefficients were applied to verify the accuracy of model. And the corresponding optimum similar sets obtained as the equation solution conditions showed an interesting and stable trend. On the whole, the annual mean similarity presented a gradually rising trend, for quantitatively estimating comprehensive influence of climate change and of human activities on rainfall-runoff similarity.
The Design of a Semi-Prefabricated LVL-Concrete Composite Floor
Authors: Yeoh David , Fragiacomo Massimo
Published: December 2012

This paper describes the design of a novel semi-prefabricated LVL-concrete composite floor that has been developed in New Zealand. In this solution, the floor units made from LVL joists and plywood are prefabricated in the factory and transported to the building site. The units are then lifted onto the supports and connected to the main frames of the building and to the adjacent units. Finally, a concrete topping is poured on top of the units in order to form a continuous slab connecting all the units. Rectangular notches cut from the LVL joists and reinforced with coach screws provide the composite action between the concrete slab and the LVL joists. This system proved to be an effective modular solution that ensures rapid construction. A design procedure based on the use of the effective flexural stiffness method, also known as the “gamma method” is proposed for the design of the composite floor at ultimate and serviceability limit states, in the short and long term. By comparison with the experimental results, it is shown that the proposed method leads to conservative design. A step-by-step design worked example of this novel semi-prefabricated composite floor concludes the paper.
Pre-, Pro-, and Synbiotics: Do They Have a Role in Reducing Uremic Toxins? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rossi Megan , Klein Kerenaftali , Johnson David W. , Campbell Katrina L.
Published: December 2012

Objective. This paper assessed the effectiveness of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics on reducing two protein-bound uremic toxins, p-cresyl sulphate (PCS) and indoxyl sulphate (IS).Methods. English language studies reporting serum, urinary, or fecal PCS and/or IS (or their precursors) following pre-, pro-, or synbiotic interventions (>1 day) in human adults were included. Population estimates of differences in the outcomes between the pre- and the postintervention were estimated for subgroups of studies using four meta-analyses. Quality was determined using the GRADE approach.Results. 19 studies met the inclusion criteria, 14 in healthy adults and five in haemodialysis patients. Eight studies investigated prebiotics, six probiotics, one synbiotics, one both pre- and probiotics, and three studies trialled all three interventions. The quality of the studies ranged frommoderatetovery low. 12 studies were included in the meta-analyses with all four meta-analyses reporting statistically significant reductions in IS and PCS with pre- and probiotic therapy.Conclusion. There is a limited but supportive evidence for the effectiveness of pre- and probiotics on reducing PCS and IS in the chronic kidney disease population. Further studies are needed to provide more definitive findings before routine clinical use can be recommended.
IL-8, IL-10, TGF-β, and GCSF Levels Were Increased in Severe Persistent Allergic Asthma Patients with the Anti-IgE Treatment
Authors: Yalcin Arzu D. , Bisgin Atil , Gorczynski Reginald M.
Published: December 2012

Background. Allergic asthma is showed an increase in Th2-cytokine and IgE levels and an accumulation activation of Th2 cells, eosinophils and mast cells. However, recent studies focused on cell-based mechanisms for the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.Objectives. In this study, we compare the anti-IgE treatment modality in the dynamics of immune system cytokine levels in severe persistent asthma (SPA) patients who had no other any allergic disease, newly diagnosed allergic asthma patients and healthy volunteers.Study Design. The study population consisted of 14 SPA patients, 14 newly diagnosed allergic asthma patients and 14 healthy volunteers included as controls. Cytokine levels were measured. Total and specific IgE levels of anti-IgE monoclonal antibody treated patients, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, FEV1/FVC rates and asthma control test (ACT) were measured for the clinical follow-up.Results. We observed that SPA patients presented increasing levels of IL-8, IL-10, TGF-βand GCSF during the anti-IgE treatment in period of sampling times at 4 months and 18 months. However this increase was not correlated neither with serum hsCRP levels nor FEV1/FVC rates.Conclusions. Our study gives a different perspective for the SPA and anti-IgE immunotherapy efficacy at the cell cytokine-linked step.
Gemi: PCR Primers Prediction from Multiple Alignments
Authors: Sobhy Haitham , Colson Philippe
Published: December 2012

Designing primers and probes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a preliminary and critical step that requires the identification of highly conserved regions in a given set of sequences. This task can be challenging if the targeted sequences display a high level of diversity, as frequently encountered in microbiologic studies. We developed Gemi, an automated, fast, and easy-to-use bioinformatics tool with a user-friendly interface to design primers and probes based on multiple aligned sequences. This tool can be used for the purpose of real-time and conventional PCR and can deal efficiently with large sets of sequences of a large size.
Antibacterial-Coated Suture in Reducing Surgical Site Infection in Breast Surgery: A Prospective Study
Authors: Laas Enora , Poilroux Cécile , Bézu Corinne , Coutant Charles , Uzan Serge , Rouzier Roman , Chéreau Elisabeth
Published: December 2012

Background. To reduce the incidence of microbial colonization of suture material, Triclosan- (TC-)coated suture materials have been developed. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of suture-related complications (SRC) in breast surgery with and without the use of TC-coated sutures.Methods. We performed a study on two consecutive periods: 92 patients underwent breast surgery with conventional sutures (Group 1) and 98 with TC-coated sutures (Group 2). We performed subgroups analyses and developed a model to predict SRC in Group 1 and tested its clinical efficacy in Group 2 using a nomogram-based approach.Results. The SRC rates were 13% in Group 1 and 8% in Group 2. We found that some subgroups may benefit from TC-coated sutures. The discrimination obtained from a logistic regression model developed in Group 1 and based on multifocality, age and axillary lymphadenectomy was 0.88 (95% CI 0.77–0.95) (). There was a significant difference in Group 2 between predicted probabilities and observed percentages (). The predicted and observed proportions of complications in the high-risk group were 38% and 13%, respectively.Conclusion. This study used individual predictions of SRC and showed that using TC-coated suture may prevent SRC. This was particularly significant in high-risk patients.
Small‐Sized Flat‐Tip CNT Emitters for Miniaturized X‐Ray Tubes
Authors: Kim Hyun Jin , Ha Jun Mok , Heo Sung Hwan , Cho Sung Oh
Published: December 2012

Small tip‐type CNT emitters with the diameter of 0.8 mm were fabricated for miniaturized X‐ray tubes. The CNT emitters were prepared by dropping CNTs and silver nanoparticles on a flat surface of a W metal tip followed by annealing at 800°C for 2 h under vacuum. The CNT emitters exhibit good field emission properties with the threshold electric field of 1.15 V/μm and the field enhancement factor of 12,050. CNTs were well attached to a flat W tip surface without coating on the side plane of the tip, and thus beam divergence could be minimized. Consequently, a miniaturized X‐ray tube with the inner diameter of 5 mm was successfully demonstrated using the tip‐type CNT emitter.
Applications of Fianite in Electronics
Authors: Buzynin Alexander N. , Buzynin Yury N. , Panov Vitaly A.
Published: December 2012

Fianite or yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid solutions single crystals were known worldwide as jewelry material. The review is devoted to novel applications of the material in the field of microelectronics. A number of modern aspects of the application of fianite in micro-, opto- and SHF-electronics were analyzed in this paper. It was demonstrated that fianite is an extremely promising multipurpose material for new electronic technologies due to unique combination of physical and chemical properties. As a substrate and buffer layer for the epitaxy of Si, Ge, GeSi and AIIIBVcompounds (GaAs, InGaAs, GaSb, InAs, GaN, AlN), fianite has a number of advantages over the other dielectric materials. The use of fianite (as well as ZrO2and HfO2oxides) instead of SiO2as gate dielectrics in CMOC technology seems to be of peculiar interest. The unique properties of fianite as protecting, stabilizing and antireflecting coatings in electronics and optoelectronic devices have been outlined. A comparative study of the performance characteristics of fianite and conventional materials has been carried out.
Lower-Limb Joint Coordination Pattern in Obese Subjects
Authors: Ranavolo Alberto , Donini Lorenzo M. , Mari Silvia , Serrao Mariano , Silvetti Alessio , Iavicoli Sergio , Cava Edda , Asprino Rosa , Pinto Alessandro , Draicchio Francesco
Published: December 2012

The coordinative pattern is an important feature of locomotion that has been studied in a number of pathologies. It has been observed that adaptive changes in coordination patterns are due to both external and internal constraints. Obesity is characterized by the presence of excess mass at pelvis and lower-limb areas, causing mechanical constraints that central nervous system could manage modifying the physiological interjoint coupling relationships. Since an altered coordination pattern may induce joint diseases and falls risk, the aim of this study was to analyze whether and how coordination during walking is affected by obesity. We evaluated interjoint coordination during walking in 25 obese subjects as well as in a control group. The time-distance parameters and joint kinematics were also measured. When compared with the control group, obese people displayed a substantial similarity in joint kinematic parameters and some differences in the time-distance and in the coupling parameters. Obese subjects revealed higher values in stride-to-stride intrasubjects variability in interjoint coupling parameters, whereas the coordinative mean pattern was unaltered. The increased variability in the coupling parameters is associated with an increased risk of falls and thus should be taken into account when designing treatments aimed at restoring a normal locomotion pattern.
Some Pharmacodynamic Aspects of Cefepime
Authors: Elsayed Mossad Gamaleddin Ahmed , Elkomy Ashraf Abdelhakim Ahmed , Elbadawy Mohamed
Published: December 2012

Some pharmacodynamic effects of cefepime, a new injectable semisynthetic cephalosporin, were studied in laboratory animals and the following results were obtained. Cefepime maximally stimulated isolated guinea pig's ileum, rat's colon (80 μg/mL bath), and rabbit's duodenum (400 μg/mL bath). Contrarily, complete relaxation of isolated rat's fundic strip was produced by 80 μg/mL bath. Effects of cefepime on isolated rat's uterine muscle were different according to stage of sex cycle. Cefepime did not induce any effects on the resting tonus of isolated guinea pig's tracheal chain and rabbit's aortic strip. Concentrations of 200 and 400 μg/mL bath induced marked inhibition in the force of muscular twitches of the isolated frog's gastrocnemius muscle which was less potent than that induced by procaine hydrochloride 2%. Cefepime completely blocked the neuromuscular transmission of frog's rectus abdominis muscle (40 μg/mL bath) and rat's phrenic nerve hemidiaphragm preparation (200 μg/mL bath). This blockade was reversed by acetylcholine and neostigmine. Cefepime produced dose-dependent negative inotropic effect on isolated rabbit's heart and guinea pig's auricles. There were no changes in blood pressure and rate of respiration in anaesthetized dog after cefepime injection. These findings indicate that cefepime has a low potential to produce adverse reactions at therapeutic doses.
Analysis of Hydroxy Fatty Acids from the Pollen of Brassica campestris L. var. oleifera DC. by UPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Yang Nian-Yun , Yang Yi-Fang , Li Kun
Published: December 2012

Ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with negative electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was used to determine 7 hydroxy fatty acids in the pollen of Brassica campestris L. var. oleifera DC. All the investigated hydroxy fatty acids showed strong deprotonated molecular ions [M–H]−, which underwent two major fragment pathways of the allyl scission and the β-fission of the alcoholic hydroxyl group. By comparison of their molecular ions and abundant fragment ions with those of reference compounds, they were tentatively assigned as 15,16-dihydroxy-9Z,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (1), 10,11,12-trihydroxy-(7Z,14Z)-heptadecadienoic acid (2), 7,15,16-trihydroxy-9Z,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (3), 15,16-dihydroxy-9Z,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (4), 15-hydroxy-6Z,9Z,12Z-octadecatrienoic acid (5), 15-hydroxy-9Z,12Z- octadecadienoic acid (6), and 15-hydroxy-12Z-octadecaenoic acid (7), respectively. Compounds 3, 5, and 7 are reported for the first time.
Effect of Quercetin on Haematobiochemical and Histological Changes in the Liver of Polychlorined Biphenyls-Induced Adult Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Selvakumar Kandaswamy , Bavithra Senthamilselvan , Suganya Sekaran , Ahmad Bhat Firdous , Krishnamoorthy Gunasekaran , Arunakaran Jagadeesan
Published: December 2012

Polychlorinated biphenyls exposure damages the rat liver cells. Hematological parameters such as hemoglobin, packed cell volume, red-blood cells, white-blood cells, neutrophils, platelet counts, and RBC indices were significantly decreased. Polymorphs, eosinophil counts, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were significantly increased. Serum liver enzymes such as aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase were increased by PCBs treatment. Serum lipid profiles such as cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins and very-low-density lipoproteins were increased in PCBs-treated rats. High-density lipoprotein, total protein, albumin, globulin levels, and albumin/globulin ratio were also decreased after PCB exposure. Then levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate were also altered. Serum glucose levels were increased along with total bilirubin after PCBs exposure. Simultaneous quercetin supplementation significantly protected the PCBs-induced changes of hematobiochemical parameters. Thus, quercetin shows a protective role against PCBs-induced alterations in the hematological and biochemical parameters.
Combination Aspirin and/or Calcium Chemoprevention with Colonoscopy in Colorectal Cancer Prevention: Cost-effectiveness Analyses
Authors: Pence Barbara C. , Belasco Eric J. , Lyford Conrad P.
Published: December 2012

Background: Clinical and cohort studies have shown that low-dose aspirin and calcium are effective low-risk strategies for primary prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). We compared the cost-effectiveness of aspirin and calcium chemoprevention used with colonoscopy for primary prevention of CRCs.

Methods: Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations for a population of 100,000 persons, with a colonoscopy compliance rate of 50%, were used for the analysis. If adenomas were detected, colonoscopy was repeated every 4 years until no adenomas were evident. Data sources included adenoma transition rates, initial adenoma and CRC incidences, and treatment complication rates from existing literature. Age-adjusted U.S. standard population mortality rates were used and costs were from Medicare reimbursement data. The target population was U.S. adults, undergoing CRC screening from ages 50 to 75 years.

Results: Outcomes included incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER), life-years saved (LYS), and cancer-free years saved (CFYS). The ICER per LYS for colonoscopy alone dominated compared with no screening. Compared with colonoscopy alone, colonoscopies with aspirin (ICER = $12,950/LYS) or calcium (ICER = $13,041/LYS) were the next most cost-effective strategies. ICERs per CFYS were $3,061 and $2,317 for aspirin and calcium, respectively, when added to colonoscopy. Sensitivity analyses indicated that initial prevalence of adenomas was a main determinant of prevention cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion: Low-dose aspirin or calcium supplementation may be beneficial when added to colonoscopy, for optimum CRC prevention, at small incremental costs.

Impact: Cost-effectiveness analyses suggest that aspirin and calcium in combination with colonoscopies are cost-effective for CRC prevention in average-risk populations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(3); 399–405. ©2012 AACR.
Menthol Cigarettes, Race/Ethnicity, and Biomarkers of Tobacco Use in U.S. Adults: The 1999–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
Authors: Jones Miranda R. , Apelberg Benjamin J. , Tellez-Plaza Maria , Samet Jonathan M. , Navas-Acien Ana
Published: December 2012

Background: In the United States, cigarette flavorings are banned, with the exception of menthol. The cooling effects of menthol could facilitate the absorption of tobacco toxicants. We examined levels of biomarkers of tobacco exposure among U.S. smokers of menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes.

Methods: We studied 4,603 White, African-American, and Mexican-American current smokers 20 years of age or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 through 2010 and had data on cigarette type and serum cotinine, blood cadmium, and blood lead concentrations. Urinary total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol) (NNAL) was studied in 1,607 participants with available measures.

Results: A total of 3,210 (74.3%) participants smoked nonmenthol cigarettes compared with 1,393 (25.7%) participants who smoked menthol cigarettes. The geometric mean concentrations comparing smokers of nonmenthol with menthol cigarettes were 163.1 versus 175.9 ng/mL for serum cotinine; 0.95 versus 1.02 μg/L for blood cadmium; 1.87 versus 1.75 μg/dL for blood lead; and 0.27 versus 0.23 ng/mL for urine NNAL. After multivariable adjustment, the ratios [95% confidence interval (CI)] comparing smokers of menthol with nonmenthol cigarettes were 1.03 (0.95–1.11) for cotinine, 1.10 (1.04–1.16) for cadmium, 0.95 (0.90–1.01) for lead, and 0.81 (0.65–1.01) for NNAL.

Conclusions: In a representative sample of U.S. adult smokers, current menthol cigarette use was associated with increased concentration of blood cadmium, an established carcinogen and highly toxic metal, but not with other biomarkers.

Impact: These findings provide information regarding possible differences in exposure to toxic constituents among menthol cigarette smokers compared with nonmenthol cigarette smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 224–32. ©2012 AACR.
Serum Levels of the Chemokine CXCL13, Genetic Variation inCXCL13and Its Receptor CXCR5, and HIV-Associated Non-Hodgkin B-Cell Lymphoma Risk
Authors: Hussain Shehnaz K. , Zhu Weiming , Chang Shen-Chih , Breen Elizabeth Crabb , Vendrame Elena , Magpantay Larry , Widney Dan , Conn Daniel , Sehl Mary , Jacobson Lisa P. , Bream Jay H. , Wolinsky Steven , Rinaldo Charles R. , Ambinder Richard F. , Detels Roger , Zhang Zuo-Feng , Martínez-Maza Otoniel
Published: December 2012

Background: CXCL13 and CXCR5 are a chemokine and receptor pair whose interaction is critical for naïve B-cell trafficking and activation within germinal centers. We sought to determine whether CXCL13 levels are elevated before HIV-associated non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (AIDS-NHL), and whether polymorphisms in CXCL13 or CXCR5 are associated with AIDS-NHL risk and CXCL13 levels in a large cohort of HIV-infected men.

Methods: CXCL13 levels were measured in sera from 179 AIDS-NHL cases and 179 controls at three time-points. TagSNPs in CXCL13 (n = 16) and CXCR5 (n = 11) were genotyped in 183 AIDS-NHL cases and 533 controls. OR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between one unit increase in log CXCL13 levels and AIDS-NHL, as well as tagSNP genotypes and AIDS-NHL, were computed using logistic regression. Mixed linear regression was used to estimate mean ratios (MR) for the association between tagSNPs and CXCL13 levels.

Results: CXCL13 levels were elevated for more than 3 years (OR = 3.24; 95% CI = 1.90–5.54), 1 to 3 years (OR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.94–5.94), and 0 to 1 year (OR = 3.94; 95% CI = 1.98–7.81) before an AIDS-NHL diagnosis. The minor allele of CXCL13 rs355689 was associated with reduced AIDS-NHL risk (ORTCvsTT = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.45–0.96) and reduced CXCL13 levels (MRCCvsTT = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.68–0.99). The minor allele of CXCR5 rs630923 was associated with increased CXCL13 levels (MRAAvsTT = 2.40; 95% CI = 1.43–4.50).

Conclusions: CXCL13 levels were elevated preceding an AIDS-NHL diagnosis, genetic variation in CXCL13 may contribute to AIDS-NHL risk, and CXCL13 levels may be associated with genetic variation in CXCL13 and CXCR5.

Impact: CXCL13 may serve as a biomarker for early AIDS-NHL detection. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 295–307. ©2012 AACR.