bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ratio of mutated versus wild‐type coat protein sequences in Pepino mosaic virus determines the nature and severity of yellowing symptoms on tomato plants
Authors: Hasiów‐Jaroszewska Beata , Paeleman Anneleen , Ortega‐Parra Nelia , Borodynko Natasza , Minicka Julia , Czerwoniec Anna , Thomma Bart P.H.J. , Hanssen Inge M.
Published: July 2013

Recently, Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) infections causing severe yellowing symptoms in tomato plants have been reported in glasshouse tomato crops. When studying this phenomenon in commercial glasshouses, two different types of yellowing symptoms, occurring in adjacent plants, were distinguished: interveinal leaf yellowing and yellow mosaics. After several weeks, the interveinal leaf yellowing symptoms gradually disappeared and the plant heads became green again, with yellow mosaic patterns on the leaves as an intermediate stage. The sequencing of multiple isolates causing interveinal leaf yellowing identified two point mutations, occurring in positions 155 and 166 of the coat protein (CP), as unique to the yellowing pathotype. Site‐directed mutagenesis of infectious clones confirmed that both CP mutations are determinants of the interveinal leaf yellowing symptoms. Sequencing of CP clones from plants or plant parts with the yellow mosaic symptoms resulted in a mixture of wild‐type and mutated sequences, whereas sequencing of CP clones from the green heads of recovered plants resulted in only wild‐type sequences. Yellow mosaic symptoms could be reproduced by inoculation of an artificial 1:1 mixture of RNA transcripts from the wild‐type and mutated infectious clones. These results show that the ratio of mutated versus wild‐type sequences can determine the nature and severity of symptom development. The gradual recovery of the plants, which coincides with the disappearance of the yellowing mutations, suggests that selection pressure acts to the advantage of the wild‐type virus. Experiments with wild‐type and mutated infectious clones showed that reverse mutation events from mutant to wild‐type occur and that the wild‐type virus does not have a replicative advantage over the mutant. These results suggest that reverse mutation events occur, with subsequent selection pressure acting in favour of the wild‐type virus in the growing plant parts, possibly related to a lower long‐distance movement efficiency of the mutant.
Relationship between plasma total homocysteine level and dietary caffeine and vitamin B6 intakes in pregnant women
Authors: Shiraishi Mie , Haruna Megumi , Matsuzaki Masayo , Ota Erika , Murayama Ryoko , Sasaki Satoshi , Yeo SeonAe , Murashima Sachiyo
Published: July 2013

A high total homocysteine (tHcy) level during pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse perinatal outcomes, such as fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia. Caffeine is assumed to increase tHcy levels by acting as a vitamin B6 antagonist. The objective of this study was to examine a relationship between circulating tHcy levels and dietary caffeine and vitamin B6 intakes in pregnant Japanese women. A total of 321 healthy women with singleton pregnancies were recruited in metropolitan Tokyo, from June to December 2008, resulting in the final number included in the study as 254. Dietary caffeine intakes did not correlate with plasma tHcy levels. When we analyzed the data according to caffeinated beverages, caffeinated tea consumption was positively associated with plasma tHcy levels only among the women with a high intake of vitamin B6, after controlling for confounding factors (P = 0.029). No correlation between coffee consumption and plasma tHcy levels was found. Pregnant Japanese women might need to cut down the consumption of caffeinated tea as well as take sufficient vitamin B6 in order to prevent the tHcy levels from increasing.
Law and Finance Revisited: Evidence from African Countries
Authors: Fowowe Babajide
Published: July 2013

The law and finance theory essentially states that legal origins are a significant determinant of financial development. The conclusion from the law and finance theory is that countries whose legal traditions derived from British Common Law have better developed financial markets than countries following French Civil Law. This study conducted an empirical investigation of the law and finance theory for African countries. Our empirical results showed that legal origins are insignificant in explaining financial development but rather, legal effectiveness significantly explains cross‐country differences in financial development in Africa. We concluded that the law and finance theory does not hold in African countries.
Direct dating of mid‐crustal shear zones with synkinematic allanite: new in situ U‐Th‐Pb geochronological approaches applied to the Mont Blanc massif
Authors: Cenki‐Tok Bénédicte , Darling James R. , Rolland Yann , Dhuime Bruno , Storey Craig D.
Published: July 2013

Dating the timing of motion on crustal shear zones is of tremendous importance for understanding the assembly of orogenic terranes. This objective is achieved in this paper by combining petrological and structural observations with novel developments in in situ U‐Th‐Pb geochronology of allanite. A greenschist facies shear zone within the Mont Blanc Massif is documented. Allanite is synkinematic and belongs to the mylonitic assemblage. LA‐ICP‐MS U‐Th‐Pb isotope analyses of allanite reveal high contents and highly radiogenic isotopic compositions of the common‐Pb component. The use of measured Pb‐isotope compositions of associated minerals (feldspars and chlorite) is critical for accurate common‐Pb correction, and provides a powerful mechanism for linking allanite growth to the metamorphic assemblage. A mean 208Pb/232Th age of 29.44 ± 0.95 Ma is accordingly taken for synkinematic allanite crystallisation under greenschist facies conditions. This age reflects the timing of the Mont Blanc underthrusting below the Penninic Front and highlights the potential of directly dating deformation with allanite.
Scenarios for Motivating the Learning of Variability: An Example in Finances
Authors: Cordani Lisbeth K.
Published: July 2013

This article explores an example in finances in order to motivate the random variable learning to the very beginners in statistics. In addition, it offers a relationship between standard deviation and range in a very specific situation.
Unsharp Sharpness
Authors: Sahlin Nils‐Eric , Weirich Paul
Published: July 2013

In a recent, thought‐provoking paper Adam Elga ((2010) argues against unsharp – e.g., indeterminate, fuzzy and unreliable – probabilities. Rationality demands sharpness, he contends, and this means that decision theories like Levi's (1980, 1988), Gärdenfors and Sahlin's (1982), and Kyburg's (1983), though they employ different decision rules, face a common, and serious, problem. This article defends the rule to maximize minimum expected utility against Elga's objection.
New chiropterans from the middle Eocene of Shanghuang (Jiangsu Province, Coastal China): new insight into the dawn horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) in Asia
Authors: Ravel Anthony , Marivaux Laurent , Qi Tao , Wang Yuan‐Qing , Beard K. Christopher
Published: July 2013

Until recently, the fossil record of Paleogene bats in Asia primarily included extinct families (i.e. ‘Eochiroptera’) from the early Eocene of Vastan in India and from the middle‐late Eocene of the Liguanqiao and Yuanqu basins in central China. Here, we describe a new fauna of Chiroptera from the middle Eocene Shanghuang fissure fillings of China. The fauna includes abundant material referred to a new rhinolophid (Protorhinolophus shanghuangensis gen. and sp. n.), one specimen of a possible rhinopomatid and several indeterminate rhinolophoids. This new bat assemblage constitutes the earliest record of extant families of microbats in Asia. Because it lacks representatives of ‘Eochiroptera’, this Shanghuang bat fauna indicates significant turnover in Asian bat communities. The dental pattern of P. shanghuangensis shows a mosaic of primitive and derived features (‘Eochiroptera’ vs Rhinolophidae dental characteristics), suggesting that this taxon occupies a basal position among the Rhinolophidae. Rhinolophids were already well diversified at the end of the late Eocene in Europe. Interestingly, many dental characteristics of Protorhinolophus are also found in a primitive rhinolophoid taxon, Vaylatsia, from the middle Eocene to late Oligocene of Europe, supporting a close relationship between these taxa. These affinities testify to the widespread Eurasian distribution of rhinolophoids during the Eocene and are consistent with a westward dispersal of the group from eastern Asia to Europe owing to the greater antiquity of Protorhinolophus.
Laryngeal and tracheal afferent nerve stimulation evokes swallowing in anaesthetized guinea pigs
Authors: Tsujimura Takanori , Udemgba Chioma , Inoue Makoto , Canning Brendan J.
Published: July 2013

Key points

Activation of vagal afferent nerves innervating the tracheal and laryngeal mucosa evokes swallowing in anaesthetized guinea pigs.

The swallowing evoked by airway stimulation was probably initiated by the activation of the same afferent nerves that regulate coughing but occurred at lower stimulus intensities and was less susceptible to desensitization than the cough reflex.

We speculate that the swallowing associated with airway sensory nerve activation is a key component of airways protection from aspiration.

Abstract  We describe swallowing reflexes evoked by laryngeal and tracheal vagal afferent nerve stimulation in anaesthetized guinea pigs. The swallowing reflexes evoked by laryngeal citric acid challenges were abolished by recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) transection and mimicked by electrical stimulation of the central cut ends of an RLN. By contrast, the number of swallows evoked by upper airway/pharyngeal distensions was not significantly reduced by RLN transection but they were virtually abolished by superior laryngeal nerve transection. Laryngeal citric acid‐evoked swallowing was mimicked by laryngeal capsaicin challenges, implicating transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1)‐expressing laryngeal afferent nerves arising from the jugular ganglia. The swallowing evoked by citric acid and capsaicin and evoked by electrical stimulation of either the tracheal or the laryngeal mucosa occurred at stimulation intensities that were typically subthreshold for evoking cough in these animals. Swallowing evoked by airway afferent nerve stimulation also desensitized at a much slower rate than cough. We speculate that swallowing is an essential component of airway protection from aspiration associated with laryngeal and tracheal afferent nerve activation.
A Transient Thermography Method to Separate Heat Loss Mechanisms in Parabolic Trough Receivers
Authors: Röger Marc , Potzel Peter , Pernpeintner Johannes , Caron Simon
Published: July 2013

This paper describes a transient thermography method to measure the heat loss of parabolic trough receivers and separate their heat loss mechanisms. This method is complementary to existing stationary techniques, which use either energy balances or glass envelope temperature measurements to derive overall heat losses. It is shown that the receiver heat loss can be calculated by applying a thermal excitation on the absorber tube and measuring both absorber tube and glass envelope temperature signals. Additionally, the emittance of the absorber selective coating and the vacuum quality of the annulus can be derived. The benefits and the limits of the transient method are presented and compared to the established stationary method based on glass envelope temperature measurements. Simulation studies and first validation experiments are described. A simulation based uncertainty analysis indicates that an uncertainty level of approximately 5% could be achieved on heat loss measurements for the transient method introduced in this paper, whereas for a conventional stationary field measurement technique, the uncertainty is estimated to 17–19%.
Solar-Driven LiBr/H20 Air Conditioning System With a R-123 Heat Pump Assist
Authors: Rizza J. J.
Published: July 2013

This paper presents an energy system that utilizes solar energy to produce air conditioning with an absorption refrigeration system. Since there is often a temporal variance between the availability of the required solar energy and the demand for commercial building air conditioning, a liquid natural gas (LNG) subsystem is often used to supplement the solar-thermal array system. Because of operating cost consideration, this paper proposes the use of a R-123 heat pump to supply the required additional heat and temperature needed to effectively operate the absorption air conditioning system. Waste heat from the absorption system water condenser is used by the R-123 heat pump subsystem evaporator to supply the additional required heat at the appropriate temperature to the absorption system generator using the R-123 heat pump subsystem condenser. Under conditions when the pricing ratio of electric power and LNG is at certain level or when LNG is not available, the proposed R-123 heat pump subsystem offers a cost effective option. The solar-thermal collector array and R-123 heat pump are in a series just before the generator of the absorption system. The temperature differential between the absorption system water condenser temperature and the required absorption system generator temperature is relatively moderate, so that the coefficient of performance of the R-123 heat pump subsystem is sufficiently high to be a competitive alternative when compared to a LNG assist subsystem. Because of this moderate temperature difference, the proposed R-123 heat pump assist subsystem appears to be a better choice under certain conditions, than the use of LNG to raise the solar-thermal array transport fluid temperature to the required generator temperature when the solar-thermal array system fails to do so.
Numerical Investigation of Thermal Characteristics in a Solar Chimney Project
Authors: Xu Hongtao , Karimi Fariborz , Yang Mo
Published: July 2013

In order to create interior multiclimate zones suitable for plant cultivation in a solar chimney project proposed for the World Horticultural Exposition 2016 in China, the numerical investigation is performed to a solar chimney with 2 km radius and 1 km height. The simulation methodology is validated by experimental data. The impacts of inlet height and radius to interior thermal characteristics are evaluated. It is found that the temperature field is much similar when the inlet height decreases from 3.8 m to 0.5 m. With further decrease of the inlet height to 0.2 m, its impact to temperature field is significant. The temperature field is similar though the radius of solar chimney decreases from 2.0 km to 1.725 km. Further decrease to 1.13 km results in much lower temperature field as less radiate heat is obtained. The procedure of soil surface temperature calculation is also proposed to obtain the supplementary heat amount maintaining the required temperature for plant cultivation.
Multi-Angle Lensfree Holographic Imaging for 3-D Cytometry on a Chip
Authors: Su Ting-Wei , Isikman Serhan O. , Bishara Waheb , Tseng Derek K. , Erlinger Anthony , Ozcan Aydogan
Published: July 2013

Optical microscopy is an essential tool for many biomedical applications. Although commonly-used in laboratory settings, conventional optical microscopes are bulky and relatively costly to use in resource-limited settings which partially limit their use in point-of-care applications.
Conceptual Design of a Novel Laparoscopic Instrument for Manipulation of Large Internal Organs
Authors: Mirbagheri Alireza , Yahyazadehfar Mobin , Farahmand Farzam
Published: July 2013

Manipulation of large internal organs, e.g., spleen, kidney, and liver, is a demanding but challenging task during laparoscopic surgery using conventional miniature instruments. Recently fingered hand instruments have been proposed for doing this task which are assembled/disassemble inside the patient’s abdomen [1–3]. They are not, however, feasible for use in real surgeries considering the substantial time needed for their setting up process. This paper describes the conceptual design of an effective laparoscopic instrument for manipulation of large human organs. A novel mechanism is presented which enables the instrument to pass through a 10 mm trocar to enter the abdominal cavity when it is closed, and grasp body organs, as large as 80 mm diameter, when it is opened. It is shown that the instrument can be used effectively for laparoscopic surgery operations without the need to an assembling/disassembling procedure.
Lensless On-Chip Fluorescent Imaging Over an Ultra Wide Field-of-View
Authors: Coskun Ahmet F. , Su Ting-Wei , Ozcan Aydogan
Published: July 2013

We introduce a lensless high-throughput fluorescent detection modality that can simultaneously image micro-objects and labeled cells over an ultra-wide field-of-view (FOV) of ∼8cm2 without the use of any lenses, thin-film filters and mechanical scanners. This lensfree platform utilizes total-internal-reflection (TIR) to block the excitation light, and an inexpensive absorption filter to remove the weakly scattered light that does not obey TIR. The emitted fluorescent light from the objects is then detected on the same chip without the use of any lenses. A digital deconvolution algorithm is used to resolve overlapping fluorescent spots, enabling a resolution of ∼40–50 μm over the entire field-of-view. Such an ultra wide field-of-view lensfree fluorescent imaging modality might be very valuable for high-throughput screening applications as well as quantification of rare cells such as circulating tumor cells using ultra-large microfluidic devices.
Percutaneous Access Device With Stress Relief Features
Authors: Korivi Naga S. , Ajmera Pratul K.
Published: July 2013

A polymer based percutaneous access device (PAD) has been developed to allow for a physical interconnection between an implant and the outer world during chronic animal experiments. The PAD consists of a skin-piercing conduit connected to a flat base that is typically implanted. The skin-piercing conduit has one or more circumferential notches in its walls. The stress resulting from external forces acting on the PAD conduit is concentrated at the root of the notch. This permits the conduit to bend more easily at the notch rather than at the PAD-skin interface, thereby reducing the deleterious effect of forces on the PAD-skin interface and extending the useful life of the PAD.
High-Aspect-Ratio Titanium Micromachining: Enabling Technology for In Vivo Therapeutic Microdevice Applications
Authors: Rao Masaru P.
Published: July 2013

The continuing need for enhanced efficacy, safety, and/or functionality in in vivo therapeutics provides immense opportunity for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). However, continuing reliance upon materials adopted from the semiconductor industry may ultimately limit the scope of what can be achieved. Many such materials suffer from poor mechanical reliability due to low fracture toughness, which results in extreme sensitivity to stress concentration and predisposition to catastrophic failure by fracture. Although mitigation via robust design and packaging is sometimes possible, this invariably increases complexity and cost. Moreover, in many emerging applications, these avenues are not available, due to design constraint and/or performance restriction, thus underscoring need for development of viable alternatives. Herein, we present an overview of high-aspect-ratio titanium micromachining techniques we have developed to address this need. We then follow with a brief summary of recent results from several applications currently under development. In each, Ti micromachining provides a means for leveraging a host of advantageous properties that yield potential for enhanced safety, reliability, and/or performance. As such, Ti micromachining shows considerable promise for extending the utility of MEMS for in vivo therapeutics.
Energy Loss for Evaluating Transcatheter Valve Performance
Authors: Azadani Ali N.
Published: July 2013

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a new intervention for high surgical risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis [1]. The outcomes of the early experiences have been promising and the treatment modality is evolving very rapidly. However, mild to moderate paravalvular leaks occur commonly, over 50% of the time, after TAVI. While mild to moderate aortic regurgitation after TAVI may not have significant clinical impact in high surgical risk elderly patients, this degree of regurgitation may have considerable consequences long-term if TAV are implanted in younger and healthier patients.
Novel Microtechnology System for Cytometric Analysis of Adherent Cell Populations
Authors: Gunn Nicholas M. , Bachman Mark , Zheng Lifeng , Li G.-P. , Nelson Edward L.
Published: July 2013

The increasing appreciation of tissue cellular heterogeneity and recent identification of rare cell populations within tissues that are associated with specific biological behaviors, e.g., progenitor cells, has illuminated a limitation of current technologies to study such adherent cells directly from primary tissues. The micropallet array is a recently-developed technology designed to address this limitation by virtue of its capacity to isolate and recover single adherent cells on individual micropallets [1]. Micropallet arrays consist of hundreds of thousands of microscale polymer pedestals (“micropallets”) uniformly arrayed on a glass microscope slide. The micropallets are made from a high aspect photopolymerizable polymer using photolithographic methods. Cells are applied to the arrays and fall stochastically upon its surface, with single cells adhering to individual micropallets. Cells are then analyzed in situ and single, unperturbed cells can be selected and collected from the array by releasing the underlying micropallets using a focused pulsed laser.
2D Lump/Artery Detection by Using Piezoresistive Force Sensors
Authors: Kalantari M. , Ramezanifard M. , Ahmadi R. , Kövecses J. , Dargahi J.
Published: July 2013

Detection of harder tissues within softer tissues has great advantages in both surgical and clinical applications. In surgical applications, surgeons need to precisely identify the location of potential arteries within softer surrounding tissues to either avoid damage to them or fix them. In addition, surgeons might need to detect the shape, and the location of abnormal tissues such as tumorous lumps within normal ones. In clinical applications, for more reliable detection of the breast cancer, physicists also need a tactile system more accurate than human fingers. Therefore, many challenges in surgical and clinical applications can be met by developing an accurate and a reliable tactile system.
Kinematics of the Posterolateral Corner of the Knee: A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Quigley Ryan J. , Ishigooka Hideya , McGarry Michelle H. , Chen Yu J. , Gupta Akash , Bui Chris , Lee Thay Q.
Published: July 2013

Combined injuries of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee results in posterolateral rotatory instability. The detailed anatomy and kinematics of the PCL is well described in the literature as well as the anatomy of the PLC; however, the detailed kinematics of the posterolateral corner ligaments and tendons are not well understood. This information on the posterolateral corner is important for developing a strategy for accurate anatomical reconstructions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify the detailed kinematics of the posterolateral corner of the knee ligaments and tendons.
Restoration of Shoulder Biomechanics in the Massive Rotator Cuff Tear According to Degree of Repair Completion
Authors: Jun Bong Jae , Oh Joo Han , McGarry Michelle H. , Gupta Akash , Chung Kyung Chil , Hwang James , Lee Thay Q.
Published: July 2013

The development of new instruments and surgical techniques has improved the outcome of rotator cuff repair even with massive tears. Based on cuff integrity or amount of retraction with massive cuff tears a complete repair may not be possible allowing for only partial repair. The ability to mobilize the cuff to the footprint can affect the degree of partial repair that can be performed. Partial repair may lead to abnormal biomechanics that may predispose patients to limited function and subsequent pathology following rotator cuff repair. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the biomechanical characteristics of massive rotator cuff repair according to the degree of repair completion and to determine a minimum degree of repair required to restore normal biomechanics.
Innovative Biomimetic Hybrid Composites to Repair Multifunctional Anatomical Region
Authors: Tampieri A. , Sandri M. , D’Alessandro T. , Banobre-Lopez M. , Rivas J.
Published: July 2013

The development of biomimetic materials for osteochondral tissue substitution and repair can be the start for a revolution in the classical procedures of orthopaedic surgery. The persisting problems, linked to the absence of a complete functional recovery of the articulation and to the stabilization and protraction of the half-life of an articular prosthesis can be overcome by the new class of osteochondral substitutes. The characteristics of the artificial bone tissue are drastically different from those of the natural one and this is mainly due to the absence of the peculiar self-organizing interaction between apatite crystals and proteic matrix. At this purpose a biomimetic approach was used in which apatitic phases are directly nucleated on different macromolecular matrices, which act as template and induce peculiar physico-chemical features in the mineral phase to create a substitute for osteochondral lesions. In particular a biologically inspired approach was applied to nucleate bone-like hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals on self-assembling collagen fibers. Biohybrid composite materials were obtained mimicking composition, structure and morphology of human osteochondral interfaces. [1–4]
Engineered Membranes Improve Cardiac Function in Ischemic Rat Hearts
Authors: Sandri Monica , Tampieri Anna , Levialdi Ghiron Joung H. , Condorelli Gianluigi
Published: July 2013

In the relatively young field of cardiac tissue engineering, different biomaterials, methods and techniques have been tested for cardiac repair. In this study we examined the validity of a series of new preformed membrane scaffolds, based on collagen type I, for the transplantation of cardiac cells. One type of membrane, cross-linked with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDGE) and fibronectin-enriched, gave rise to spontaneously beating heart cell constructs 5–9 days after seeding with neonatal rat cardiac cells. This membrane was then grafted, with and without beating cardiac cells, onto the infarcted area of rat models of heart failure. Seriate echocardiography, performed on rats before transplantation and at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation, showed that rats that received collagen membranes with beating cells showed an improvement in cardiac function after 8 weeks. These results suggest that this new type of collagen membrane can be used as vector for the transplantation of beating heart cells to the injured myocardium, hence representing an important potential tool for cardiac tissue repair technologies.
Enhancing Video Capsule Endoscopy: Location and Bleeding Detection
Authors: Yeung Douglas , Sarvestani Amir Sabet , Yap Jonathan , Inoue Yuri
Published: July 2013

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is a non-invasive method of visually examining the internal lumen of small intestine for inflammation and bleeding through a wireless camera contained in a small capsule. Currently, VCE technology is limited because it cannot map images to their specific locations in the small bowel. Furthermore, approximately 40% of identified problem areas are false positives, making bleeding difficult to find. Therefore, physicians can only estimate the location of inflammation and bleeding areas based on the elapsed time before performing a wired endoscopy.

Our pill camera offers an innovative wireless imaging GPS-like location system, in an easy to swallow pill that accurately identifies and displays bleeding areas within the small intestine through an intuitive user interface, which results in a 50% reduction in clinical times, as well as improved diagnosis for potential investors and providers, thus resulting in a $500 cost reduction in physician fees per patient.
Improved reliability of Ti/ZrN/Pt resistive switching memory cells using hydrogen postannealing
Authors: Kim Hee-Dong , Ju Yun Min , Man Hong Seok , An Ho-Myoung , Geun Kim Tae
Published: July 2013

The authors investigated the effects of hydrogen postannealing on data retention and set/reset current variation in a Ti/ZrN/Pt resistive switching memory cell. Annealing the Ti/ZrN/Pt sample in a N2 + H2 ambient gas versus a N2 ambient gas reduced the set currents from 10.4 to 4.1 mA and the reset currents from 1.2 to 0.2 μA, whereas the current ratio increased from ∼9 × 103 to ∼2 × 104. In addition, current variations in the set and reset states decrease at temperatures of 25 and 85 °C (>10yr) due to reduction of the interface trap by hydrogen passivation effects.
Science Signaling
Podcast: 16 July 2013
Authors: DiCorleto Paul E. , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: July 2013

Proinflammatory signaling by tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 requires that it be released from nonmuscle myosin.
Antiviral Effect, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Five-Day Oral Administration of Deleobuvir (BI 207127), an Investigational Hepatitis C Virus RNA Polymerase Inhibitor, in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Larrey Dominique , Lohse Ansgar W. , Trepo Christian , Bronowicki Jean-Pierre , Arastéh Keikawus , Bourlière Marc , Calleja Jose Luis , Stern Jerry O. , Nehmiz Gerhard , Abdallah Nasri , Berger Kristi L. , Marquis Martin , Steffgen Jürgen , Kukolj George
Published: July 2013

Deleobuvir (BI 207127) is an investigational oral nonnucleoside inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B RNA polymerase. Antiviral activity, virology, pharmacokinetics, and safety were assessed in HCV genotype 1-infected patients receiving 5 days' deleobuvir monotherapy. In this double-blind phase 1b study, treatment-naive (TN;
n
= 15) and treatment-experienced (TE;
n
= 45) patients without cirrhosis received placebo or deleobuvir at 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1,200 mg every 8 h (q8h) for 5 days. Patients with cirrhosis (
n
= 13) received deleobuvir at 400 or 600 mg q8h for 5 days. Virologic analyses included NS5B genotyping and phenotyping of individual isolates. At day 5, patients without cirrhosis had dose-dependent median HCV RNA reductions of up to 3.8 log
10
(with no placebo response); patients with cirrhosis had median HCV RNA reductions of approximately 3.0 log
10
. Three patients discontinued due to adverse events (AEs). The most common AEs were gastrointestinal, nervous system, and skin/cutaneous tissue disorders. Plasma exposure of deleobuvir was supraproportional at doses ≥ 400 mg q8h and approximately 2-fold higher in patients with cirrhosis than in patients without cirrhosis. No virologic breakthrough was observed. NS5B substitutions associated with deleobuvir resistance
in vitro
were detected in 9/59 patients; seven encoded P495 substitutions, including P495L, which conferred 120- to 310-fold-decreased sensitivity to deleobuvir. P495 variants did not persist in follow-up without selective drug pressure. Deleobuvir monotherapy was generally well tolerated and demonstrated dose-dependent antiviral activity against HCV genotype 1 over 5 days.
Effect of Intracellular Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 on Growth of Escherichia coli Strain TOP10 under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions
Authors: Liu Wei , Dong Shi Lei , Xu Fei , Wang Xue Qin , Withers T. Ryan , Yu Hongwei D. , Wang Xin
Published: July 2013

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can cause lysis of target bacteria by directly inserting themselves into the lipid bilayer. This killing mechanism confounds the identification of the intracellular targets of AMPs. To circumvent this, we used a shuttle vector containing the inducible expression of a human cathelicidin-related AMP, LL-37, to examine its effect on
Escherichia coli
TOP10 under aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. Induction of LL-37 caused growth inhibition and alteration in cell morphology to a filamentous phenotype. Further examination of the
E. coli
cell division protein FtsZ revealed that LL-37 did not interact with FtsZ. Moreover, intracellular expression of LL-37 results in the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing lethal membrane depolarization under aerobic conditions. Additionally, the membrane permeability was increased after intracellular expression of LL37 under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that intracellular LL-37 mainly affected the expression of genes related to energy production and carbohydrate metabolism. More specifically, genes related to oxidative phosphorylation under both aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions were affected. Collectively, our current study demonstrates that intracellular expression of LL-37 in
E. coli
can inhibit growth under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. While we confirmed that the generation of ROS is a bactericidal mechanism for LL-37 under aerobic growth conditions, we also found that the intracellular accumulation of cationic LL-37 influences the redox and ion status of the cells under both growth conditions. These data suggest that there is a new AMP-mediated bacterial killing mechanism that targets energy metabolism.
High dose thiamine improves fatigue in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Costantini Antonio , Nappo Agostino , Pala Maria Immacolata , Zappone Antonietta
Published: July 2013

The majority of the patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience fatigue. Some observations indicate that fatigue and related manifestations concomitant with MS could be associated with an intracellular mild thiamine deficiency. We recruited 15 patients with MS who also experience fatigue and assessed the severity of the fatigue using the Fatigue Severity Scale. Although blood thiamine and thiamine pyrophosphate levels were within normal limit in all the patients, high-dose thiamine therapy administered orally or parenterally led to an appreciable improvement of the fatigue. The absence of apparent decrease in blood thiamine despite the presence of symptoms referable to a mild thiamine deficiency suggests that these patients may have a dysfunction of the mechanisms of intracellular transport or structural enzymatic abnormalities. The administration of large quantities of thiamine was effective in reversing the fatigue in MS, suggesting that the abnormalities in thiamine-dependent processes could be overcome by diffusion-mediated transport at supranormal thiamine concentrations.
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome in childhood: presentation with an inferior caval vein mass
Authors: Abdul Haium Abdul Alim , Sheppard Mary , Rubens Michael , Daubeney Piers
Published: July 2013

Venous thromboembolism remains one of the important causes of pulmonary hypertension in children. The causes of venous thromboembolism are varied and include antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). Catastrophic APS (CAPS) is a severe variant of APS characterised by disseminated thrombosis and microangiopathy resulting in multiorgan failure. CAPS can occur independently (primary APS) but mainly occurs in association with systemic lupus erythematosus including the paediatric population. We report a young girl with primary CAPS who presented with pulmonary hypertension and an inferior vena cava mass masquerading as a tumour.
Laughter-induced syncope
Authors: Haddad Charles , Haddad-Lacle Judella Edwina Maria
Published: July 2013

This case report describes a 58-year-old man who is otherwise healthy but has periodic episodes of syncope which only happen when he laughs vigorously. This occurs suddenly with no prodrome, so the patient has no time to react and is unable to brace himself when he falls. The case is one of the very few described in the medical literature, most of which have similar presentations and findings on subsequent investigation. Recognition of the typical presentation, in the absence of more serious causes of syncope, may avoid extensive and expensive evaluation.
Fountain of steroid from an ectopic ACTH-producing tumour
Authors: Lo Tom Edward Ngo , Jimeno Cecilia Alegado
Published: July 2013

This case is of a 39-year-old Filipino woman who within 2 months developed, Cushing's features she had no known comorbidities and no history of steroid intake. The patient also presented with hyperpigmentation of knuckles and toes, metabolic alkalosis and persistent hypokalaemia noted as proximal muscle weakness. The patient was referred to our institution for acutely worsening behavioural and psychiatric changes. Work-up for endogenous Cushing's syndrome revealed a significant adrenocorticotropic hormone production from an ectopic source. Further imaging was requested to locate the tumour, but the patient eventually succumbed to the drastic complications of hypercortisolism. On autopsy, the patient was found to have an ectopic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumour located at the pancreatic head with metastasis to the right hepatic lobe.
Republished: Emerging concepts in the management of acute retinal necrosis
Authors: Wong Robert William , Jumper J Michael , McDonald H Richard , Johnson Robert N , Fu Arthur , Lujan Brandon J , Cunningham Emmett T
Published: July 2013

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN), also known as Kirisawa-type uveitis, is an uncommon condition caused by infection of the retina by one of the herpes family of viruses, most typically varicella zoster virus or herpes simplex virus and less commonly cytomegalovirus. Clinical diagnosis can be challenging and is often aided by PCR-based analysis of ocular fluids. Treatment typically involves extended use of one or more antiviral agents. Long term retinal detachment risk is high. We review the literature on ARN and present an approach to the diagnosis and management of this serious condition.
Karyotype stability in the genusPhaseolusevidenced by the comparative mapping of the wild speciesPhaseolus microcarpus
Authors: Fonsêca Artur , Pedrosa-Harand Andrea
Published: July 2013

The genus Phaseolus L. (Fabaceae) is monophyletic and comprises approximately 75 species distributed into two principal clades. The five cultivated species, including the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), were placed in clade B. Clade A comprises only wild species, with more limited distribution. In the present work, bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) previously mapped in common bean (2n = 22) were used as probes in fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in this comparative study of Phaseolus microcarpus (2n = 22), a species from clade A. We also analyzed the chromomycin A3 (CMA)/4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) banding pattern and the localization of rDNA and telomeric DNA sites. The single 45S rDNA site from P. microcarpus was mapped to chromosome 6, showing conservation to the P. vulgaris homeolog. Of the two 5S rDNA sites identified in both species, only the site on chromosome 10 appeared conserved. In spite of the phylogenetic distance between the two species, all of the single-copy BACs demonstrated conservation of synteny. However, four collinearity breaks were observed, probably caused by para- and pericentric inversions. Some variation in the repetitive fraction of the genome was also observed. Thus, a broader analysis of the genus confirms that few, rare inversions seem to represent the main karyotype changes during the evolution of this genus.
GPU-ACCELERATED INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION OF 3D VOLUMETRIC DATA USING CUDA
Authors: KUMAR PIYUSH , AGRAWAL ANUPAM
Published: July 2013

Improving the image quality and the rendering speed have always been a challenge to the programmers involved in large scale volume rendering especially in the field of medical image processing. The paper aims to perform volume rendering using the graphics processing unit (GPU), in which, with its massively parallel capability has the potential to revolutionize this field. This work is now better with the help of GPU accelerated system. The final results would allow the doctors to diagnose and analyze the 2D computed tomography (CT) scan data using three dimensional visualization techniques. The system is used in multiple types of datasets, from 10 MB to 350 MB medical volume data. Further, the use of compute unified device architecture (CUDA) framework, a low learning curve technology, for such purpose would greatly reduce the cost involved in CT scan analysis; hence bring it to the common masses. The volume rendering has been done on Nvidia Tesla C1060 (there are 240 CUDA cores, which provides execution of data parallely) card and its performance has also been benchmarked.
Palaeobiology of
Floricolumnus
(col.)
girvanensis
Donovan & Clark (Crinoidea; Silurian) from the Girvan district, Ayrshire
Authors: Fearnhead Fiona E. , Donovan Stephen K , Ewin Timothy A.M.
Published: July 2013

Synopsis

Fossil crinoids are only rarely described from complete skeletons, that is, from the attachment structure to the ends of the arms. The crinoid
Floricolumnus
(col.)
girvanensis
Donovan & Clark was originally described on the basis of its distinctive column only, particularly the inflated, serrated nodal columnals; the crown remains unknown.
Floricolumnus
(col.) is important, with nodal columnals representing potential intercontinental stratigraphic markers for the interval from the Lower–Middle Llandovery boundary to the mid-Middle Llandovery (that is, late Rhuddanian to mid-Aeronian). The discovery of the attachment structure of
F
. (col.)
girvanensis
is, therefore, significant. A long pluricolumnal is interpreted as a distal planar coiled attachment; a simple discoidal holdfast with an anastomosing sculpture may be a juvenile attachment. Erect protuberances on some nodal epifacets may be a stereomic reaction to embedding or boring epizoobionts.
Rare earth element and La–Th–Sc analysis of cherts from the Highland Border Complex, Scotland: Geochemical determination of the sedimentary environment in greenschist facies rocks
Authors: Tanner P. W. G. , Armstrong H. A. , Owen A. W.
Published: July 2013

Synopsis

New geological maps of the Highland Border Complex (HBC) at four classical localities across Scotland – Stonehaven; River North Esk; Loch Ard Forest, Aberfoyle; and North Glen Sannox, Arran – are presented as part of this study. Cherts sampled from the HBC at these localities have rare earth element (REE) profiles and La–Th–Sc values that are comparable with published data from past and present-day oceanic settings. These new data are used to determine the palaeoenvironment, and plate tectonic setting, of the Highland Border cherts, and to shed further light on the controversial relationship between the HBC and the Neoproterozoic–(?)Lower Ordovician Dalradian Supergroup (
ss
) on the SE margin of Laurentia. Bedded cherts from the HBC at Loch Ard and Glen Sannox preserve REE profiles and La–Th–Sc values characteristic of continental margin/arc deposits sourced from a cratonic area with granites and gneisses, whereas cherts from Stonehaven originated from close to a mid-ocean ridge. Conversely, jaspers from the North Esk yield non-systematic results.

Whilst not resolving the HBC controversy, the REE and La–Th–Sc results demonstrate that bedded cherts preserve a geochemical record of their depositional environment, despite having been strongly deformed, cut by penetrative fabrics and microveins, and affected by greenschist facies regional metamorphism.
Femto-photography
Authors: Velten Andreas , Wu Di , Jarabo Adrian , Masia Belen , Barsi Christopher , Joshi Chinmaya , Lawson Everett , Bawendi Moungi , Gutierrez Diego , Raskar Ramesh
Published: July 2013

We present
femto-photography
, a novel imaging technique to capture and visualize the propagation of light. With an effective exposure time of 1.85 picoseconds (ps) per frame, we reconstruct movies of ultrafast events at an equivalent resolution of about one half trillion frames per second. Because cameras with this shutter speed do not exist, we re-purpose modern imaging hardware to record an ensemble average of repeatable events that are synchronized to a streak sensor, in which the time of arrival of light from the scene is coded in one of the sensor's spatial dimensions. We introduce reconstruction methods that allow us to visualize the propagation of femtosecond light pulses through macroscopic scenes; at such fast resolution, we must consider the notion of
time-unwarping
between the camera's and the world's space-time coordinate systems to take into account effects associated with the finite speed of light. We apply our femto-photography technique to visualizations of very different scenes, which allow us to observe the rich dynamics of time-resolved light transport effects, including scattering, specular reflections, diffuse interreflections, diffraction, caustics, and subsurface scattering. Our work has potential applications in artistic, educational, and scientific visualizations; industrial imaging to analyze material properties; and medical imaging to reconstruct subsurface elements. In addition, our time-resolved technique may motivate new forms of computational photography.
Example-based video color grading
Authors: Bonneel Nicolas , Sunkavalli Kalyan , Paris Sylvain , Pfister Hanspeter
Published: July 2013

In most professional cinema productions, the color palette of the movie is painstakingly adjusted by a team of skilled colorists -- through a process referred to as
color grading
-- to achieve a certain visual look. The time and expertise required to grade a video makes it difficult for amateurs to manipulate the colors of their own video clips. In this work, we present a method that allows a user to transfer the color palette of a model video clip to their own video sequence. We estimate a per-frame color transform that maps the color distributions in the input video sequence to that of the model video clip. Applying this transformation naively leads to artifacts such as bleeding and flickering. Instead, we propose a novel differential-geometry-based scheme that interpolates these transformations in a manner that minimizes their curvature, similarly to curvature flows. In addition, we automatically determine a set of keyframes that best represent this interpolated transformation curve, and can be used subsequently, to manually refine the color grade. We show how our method can successfully transfer color palettes between videos for a range of visual styles and a number of input video clips.
Gradient-domain metropolis light transport
Authors: Lehtinen Jaakko , Karras Tero , Laine Samuli , Aittala Miika , Durand Frédo , Aila Timo
Published: July 2013

We introduce a novel Metropolis rendering algorithm that directly computes image gradients, and reconstructs the final image from the gradients by solving a Poisson equation. The reconstruction is aided by a low-fidelity approximation of the image computed during gradient sampling. As an extension of path-space Metropolis light transport, our algorithm is well suited for difficult transport scenarios. We demonstrate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art in several well-known test scenes. Additionally, we analyze the spectral properties of gradient-domain sampling, and compare it to the traditional image-domain sampling.