bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparisons of individual and community photosynthetic production indicate light limitation in the shallow water macroalgal communities of the Northern Baltic Sea
Authors: Pärnoja Merli , Kotta Jonne , Orav‐Kotta Helen , Paalme Tiina
Published: August 2013

Primary production is of special importance in ecology, since it fuels other trophic levels with energy and biomass. In aquatic ecosystems, almost all primary production is performed by algae. The primary production of aquatic macrophytes has been mainly quantified using detached phyto‐elements (fronds and algal thalli) or whole plants, whereas the community level is usually ignored. In a field experiment we evaluated macroalgal photosynthesis at individual and community levels. We used natural communities dominated by the ephemeral green alga Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kützing and the perennial brown alga Fucus vesiculosus L. Fucus vesiculosus had temporally stable and C. glomerata highly variable photosynthetic production. On a biomass basis, net and gross photosynthetic production was always higher at the individual level than at the community level. The ratio of individual photosynthetic production to community photosynthetic production increased with light intensities. The observed relationships give clear evidence that in shallow water, where light is supposedly plentiful, macroalgae are nevertheless strongly light‐limited. Although photosynthetic production estimates at individual levels are traditionally extrapolated to the community level, such estimates largely overestimate reality and give a false impression of the potential photosynthetic production of macroalgae.
Equity Returns and the Business Cycle: the Role of Supply and Demand Shocks
Authors: Velázquez Alfonso Mendoza , Smith Peter N.
Published: August 2013

The equity premium in the UK has risen significantly since the start of the financial crisis and the associated extended recession. This paper examines the relationship between the business cycle and equity returns to see how robust this association is. Using official business cycle dating and identified structural macroeconomic shocks, evidence is found for counter‐cyclicality in excess returns. Negative supply shocks are found to have an especially large and significant counter‐cyclical impact. A long sample of realized returns using revised data and a sample of expected returns using real‐time data show similar results suggesting similarity in realized and expected returns.
Overweight increases risk of first trimester hypothyroxinaemia in iodine‐deficient pregnant women
Authors: Gowachirapant Sueppong , Melse‐Boonstra Alida , Winichagoon Pattanee , Zimmermann Michael B.
Published: August 2013

Hypothyroxinaemia early in pregnancy may impair fetal brain development. Increased body weight has been associated with low thyroxine concentrations in non‐pregnant women. In pregnant women, morbid maternal obesity is a risk factor for thyroid dysfunction. But whether lesser degrees of overweight that are much more common could be a risk factor for hypothyroxinaemia in pregnancy is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate if overweight increases risk for thyroid dysfunction, and specifically hypothyroxinaemia, in iodine‐deficient pregnant women. We performed a cross‐sectional study at first hospital visit among healthy Thai pregnant women. We measured weight and height, urinary iodine concentration (UIC), serum thyroid hormones and thyroglobulin. Pre‐pregnancy weight and relevant dietary factors were determined by questionnaire, and body mass index (BMI) was used to classify weight status. Among 514 women (mean gestational age, 11 weeks) with a median UIC of 111 μg dL–1, indicating mild iodine deficiency, 12% had low free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations: 3% had overt hypothyroidism; 7% had subclinical hypothyroidism; and 8% had isolated hypothyroxinaemia. Based on pre‐pregnancy BMI, 26% of women were overweight or obese. In a multiple regression model, BMI was a negative predictor of fT4 (β = −0.20, P < 0.001). Compared to normal weight women, the prevalence ratio (95% CI) of a low fT4 in overweight women was 3.64 (2.08–6.37) (P < 0.01). Iodine‐deficient pregnant Thai women who are overweight have a 3.6‐fold higher risk of hypothyroxinaemia in the first trimester compared to normal weight women. Targeted screening should consider overweight a potential risk factor for thyroid dysfunction in pregnant women in iodine‐deficient areas.
Birth, death and horizontal transfer of the fumonisin biosynthetic gene cluster during the evolutionary diversification of Fusarium
Authors: Proctor Robert H. , Van Hove François , Susca Antonia , Stea Gaetano , Busman Mark , van der Lee Theo , Waalwijk Cees , Moretti Antonio , Ward Todd J.
Published: August 2013

Fumonisins are a family of carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced by members of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) and rare strains of Fusarium oxysporum. In Fusarium, fumonisin biosynthetic genes (FUM) are clustered, and the cluster is uniform in gene organization. Here, sequence analyses indicated that the cluster exists in five different genomic contexts, defining five cluster types. In FUM gene genealogies, evolutionary relationships between fusaria with different cluster types were largely incongruent with species relationships inferred from primary‐metabolism (PM) gene genealogies, and FUM cluster types are not trans‐specific. In addition, synonymous site divergence analyses indicated that three FUM cluster types predate diversification of FFSC. The data are not consistent with balancing selection or interspecific hybridization, but they are consistent with two competing hypotheses: (i) multiple horizontal transfers of the cluster from unknown donors to FFSC recipients and (ii) cluster duplication and loss (birth and death). Furthermore, low levels of FUM gene divergence in F. bulbicola, an FFSC species, and F. oxysporum provide evidence for horizontal transfer of the cluster from the former, or a closely related species, to the latter. Thus, uniform gene organization within the FUM cluster belies a complex evolutionary history that has not always paralleled the evolution of Fusarium.
Adenoviral expression of TDP‐43 and FUS genes and shRNAs for protein degradation pathways in rodent motoneurons in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Watabe Kazuhiko , Akiyama Keiko , Kawakami Emiko , Ishii Tomohiro , Endo Kentaro , Yanagisawa Hiroko , Sango Kazunori , Tsukamoto Masami
Published: August 2013

Formation of cytoplasmic aggregates in neuronal and glial cells is one of the pathological hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in two genes encoding transactivation response (TAR) DNA‐binding protein 43 (TDP‐43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS), both of which are main constituents of cytoplasmic aggregates, have been identified in patients with familial and sporadic ALS. Impairment of protein degradation machineries has also been recognized to participate in motoneuron degeneration in ALS. In the present study, we produced recombinant adenovirus vectors encoding wild type and mutant TDP‐43 and FUS, and those encoding short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) for proteasome (PSMC1), autophagy (ATG5), and endosome (VPS24) systems to investigate whether the coupled gene transductions in motoneurons by these adenoviruses elicit ALS pathology. Cultured neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes differentiated from adult rat neural stem cells and motoneurons derived from mouse embryonic stem cells were successfully infected with these adenoviruses showing cytoplasmic aggregate formation. When these adenoviruses were injected into the facial nerves of adult rats, exogenous TDP‐43 and FUS proteins were strongly expressed in facial motoneurons by a retrograde axonal transport of the adenoviruses. Co‐infections of adenovirus encoding shRNA for PSMC1, ATG5 or VPS24 with TDP‐43 or FUS adenovirus enhanced cytoplasmic aggregate formation in facial motoneurons, suggesting that impairment of protein degradation pathways accelerates formation of TDP‐43 and FUS‐positive aggregates in ALS.
Pathophysiology of gastro‐esophageal reflux disease: a role for mucosa integrity?
Authors: Farré R.
Published: August 2013

Background

Gastro‐esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very prevalent and has a high burden on health security system costs. Nevertheless, pathophysiology is complex and not well‐understood. Several mechanisms have been proposed: decreased salivation, impaired esophageal clearance, decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure resting tone, presence of hiatal hernia, increased number of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs), increased acid, and pepsin secretion, pyloric incompetence provoking duodeno‐gastro‐esophageal reflux of bile acids and trypsin. Independent of the relevance of each mechanism, the ultimate phenomenon is that mucosal epithelium is exposed for a longer time to agents as acid and pepsin or is in contact to luminal agents not commonly present in gastric refluxate as trypsin or bile acids. This leads to a visible damage of the epithelium (erosive esophagitis ‐EE) or impairing mucosal integrity without any sign of macroscopic alteration as occurs in non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD). Luminal factors are not the only responsible for such impairment; more recent data indicate that endogenous factors may also play a role.

Purpose

This review will update the most recent findings on the putative pathophysiological mechanisms and specially will focus on the role of esophageal mucosal integrity in GERD. Methodologies used for the evaluation of mucosal integrity, its relevance in EE and NERD, its involvement in symptoms perception and the effect of luminal and endogenous factors will be discussed.
Can exploiting natural genetic variation in leaf photosynthesis contribute to increasing rice productivity? A simulation analysis
Authors: GU JUNFEI , YIN XINYOU , STOMPH TJEERD‐JAN , STRUIK PAUL C.
Published: August 2013

Rice productivity can be limited by available photosynthetic assimilates from leaves. However, the lack of significant correlation between crop yield and leaf photosynthetic rate (A) is noted frequently. Engineering for improved leaf photosynthesis has been argued to yield little increase in crop productivity because of complicated constraints and feedback mechanisms when moving up from leaf to crop level. Here we examined the extent to which natural genetic variation in A can contribute to increasing rice productivity. Using the mechanistic model GECROS, we analysed the impact of genetic variation in A on crop biomass production, based on the quantitative trait loci for various photosynthetic components within a rice introgression line population. We showed that genetic variation in A of 25% can be scaled up equally to crop level, resulting in an increase in biomass of 22–29% across different locations and years. This was probably because the genetic variation in A resulted not only from Rubisco (ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase)‐limited photosynthesis but also from electron transport‐limited photosynthesis; as a result, photosynthetic rates could be improved for both light‐saturated and light‐limited leaves in the canopy. Rice productivity could be significantly improved by mining the natural variation in existing germ‐plasm, especially the variation in parameters determining light‐limited photosynthesis.
Psoriasis First Presenting Around an Enteral Feeding Tube in Three Pediatric Patients: An Important Consideration for Timely Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Zitelli Kristine B. , Lucky Anne W.
Published: August 2013

Pediatric dermatologists may care for patients with percutaneous enteral feeding tubes. Although ostomy complications such as allergic contact and irritant dermatitis are common, psoriasis may be misdiagnosed. We report three novel cases of childhood psoriasis first presenting around an enteral feeding tube site. Localized psoriasis is an important clinical consideration in children with ostomy site eruptions to ensure timely diagnosis and effective management.
Off‐label and unlicensed drug use among neonatal intensive care units in Southern Italy
Authors: Laforgia Nicola , Nuccio Melissa Maria , Schettini Federico , Dell'Aera Marisa , Gasbarro Anna Rita , Dell'Erba Alessandro , Solarino Biagio
Published: August 2013

Background

Many drugs used for neonates are unlicensed or off‐label. An increased risk of medication errors and unexpected adverse drug reactions is associated with their use. This risk is even higher in preterm newborns, because of their physiological immaturity and the exposure to many different medicines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of unlicensed or off‐label drugs in eight tertiary‐level neonatal intensive care units (NICU) from two different southern Italian regions.

Methods

All drugs prescribed to newborns admitted to each NICU, during 1 month of observation, were recorded and classified as licensed, unlicensed or off‐label, according, respectively, first, to their license status and, then, their indications, dose, treatment route, and duration of treatment specified in each specific marketing authorization.

Results

A total of 126 newborns were treated with at least one drug during the observation period. A total of 483 prescriptions referred to 87 different drugs, classified as licensed, unlicensed or off‐label. Each newborn was exposed to three (median) different drugs; 88.6% were licensed and 11.4% unlicensed (range, according to different NICU, 1.9–26.7%). Among licensed drugs, 37.4% were used as off‐label (range, 27.3–53.4%).

Conclusions

The use of unlicensed or off‐label drugs use is common practice in NICU, with wide variation in local policies and newborn characteristics. Well‐designed and ‐conducted pharmaceutical studies in newborns are needed to increase the number of licensed drugs, thereby reducing any risk for patients due to over‐ or under‐treatment, and also legal issues for clinicians.
Incidence and index of severity of hemolytic uremic syndrome in a 26 year period in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Kawasaki Yukihiko , Suyama Kazuhide , Maeda Ryo , Yugeta Eichi , Takano Kei , Suzuki Shigeo , Sakuma Hiroko , Nemoto Kenji , Sato Tomoko , Nagasawa Katsutoshi , Hosoya Mitsuaki
Published: August 2013

Background

There have been a number of reports on large outbreaks of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), but there have been no long‐term studies of sporadic HUS in Japan. This study therefore investigated the epidemiology and prognosis of HUS in Fukushima Prefecture over a 26 year period.

Methods

The medical records of 26 patients with HUS between 1987 and 2012 were collected. These children were divided into two groups: those with HUS following an episode of gastroenteritis, often with bloody diarrhea (D + HUS; n = 24) and those with HUS not associated with prodromal diarrhea (D–HUS; n = 2). The D + HUS group was further subdivided into group A (11 patients requiring dialysis) and group B (13 patients not requiring dialysis). The epidemiological and clinical data, as well as prognosis, were retrospectively investigated for each group.

Results

Approximately 90% of HUS patients belonged to the D + HUS group. In this group, the mean number of patients per year from 1987 to 1999, and from 2000 to 2012 was 0.92 ± 0.95, and 1.08 ± 0.86, respectively. On admission, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine and serum fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) levels in group A were all higher than in group B. Serum albumin level and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in group A were lower than in group B. At 6 months after the onset of HUS in the D + HUS group, renal function was normal.

Conclusions

The frequency of HUS was constant from 1987 to 2012 in Fukushima. and serum LDH, ALT, BUN, creatinine, and FDP levels as well as eGFR might be risk factors for dialysis in D + HUS children.
Use of Rome II versus Rome III criteria for diagnosis of functional constipation in young children
Authors: Osatakul Seksit , Puetpaiboon Areeruk
Published: August 2013

Background

There has been no study to evaluate the use of the Rome III criteria for diagnosis of constipation in the unselected young pediatric population. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the use of the Rome II and Rome III criteria for diagnosis of constipation in a group of unselected young Thai children.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 3010 healthy children aged 4 months–5 years who attended a well‐baby clinic. Data concerning bowel habits and behavioral components of defecation of the children were obtained by interviewing the parents. Presence of a large fecal mass in the rectum of children with possible constipation was evaluated by abdominal palpation.

Results

Seventy‐one children (2.4%) were found to have constipation, based on at least one of the two sets of criteria, at the time of interview. The prevalence of constipation as defined according to the Rome II and Rome III criteria for functional constipation (FC) was 1.9% and 1.6%, respectively. The majority of constipated children (47.9%) met the diagnostic criteria of both the Rome II and Rome III for FC, followed by the Rome II criteria for FC alone (32.4%) and the Rome III criteria for FC alone (18.3%). Twenty‐one children (0.7%) whose parents reported defecation difficulties did not fulfill any diagnostic criteria for constipation.

Conclusions

The prevalence of FC in young Thai children is low. For unselected young children, the Rome II criteria for FC are still appropriate for diagnosis of FC.
One‐Way anova for Functional Data via Globalizing the Pointwise F‐test
Authors: Zhang Jin‐Ting , Liang Xuehua
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we propose and study a new global test, namely, GPF test, for the one‐way anova problem for functional data, obtained via globalizing the usual pointwise F‐test. The asymptotic random expressions of the test statistic are derived, and its asymptotic power is investigated. The GPF test is shown to be root‐n consistent. It is much less computationally intensive than a parametric bootstrap test proposed in the literature for the one‐way anova for functional data. Via some simulation studies, it is found that in terms of size‐controlling and power, the GPF test is comparable with two existing tests adopted for the one‐way anova problem for functional data. A real data example illustrates the GPF test.
Weakly decomposable regularization penalties and structured sparsity
Authors: van de Geer Sara
Published: August 2013

It has been shown in literature that the Lasso estimator, orℓ1‐penalized least squares estimator, enjoys good oracle properties. This paper examines which special properties of theℓ1‐penalty allow for sharp oracle results, and then extends the situation to general norm‐based penalties that satisfy a weak decomposability condition.
Practical dosing of praziquantel for schistosomiasis in preschool‐aged children
Authors: Olliaro Piero L. , Vaillant Michel , Hayes Daniel J. , Montresor Antonio , Chitsulo Lester
Published: August 2013

Objective

Schistosomiasis is known to occur in preschool‐aged children, but achieving accurate dosing of praziquantel in its current form is challenging. While waiting for a paediatric formulation, there is a need to develop a means for using the available products to treat this age group. Current 600‐mg tablets are differently scored to give units of 150 mg (a quarter of a tablet) or 300 mg (half a tablet).

Methods

We examined several dosing schemes to dose accurately (40‐60 mg/kg) children aged 3–72 months (weight range 4–25 kg, based on available weight‐for‐age growth references from sub‐Saharan Africa and Brazil, n = 106,230).

Results

Adequate dosing can be achieved with formulations that can be split into four 150 mg quarters for children weighing 5 kg or more, and with tablets than can be split into two 300 mg halves for children weighing 10 kg or more. Giving ½ tablet for 5–7 kg; ¾ tablet for 8–10 kg; 1 tablet for 11–15 kg; 1 ½ tablet for 16–21 kg; and two tablets for 22–25 kg will have 100% of subjects correctly dosed within the target 40–60 mg/kg range.

Conclusions

Formulations that can be divided into four parts (to give 150 mg increments) are preferred for children weighing less than 11 kg; the same dosing can be applied with 600 mf praziquantel formulations that can be divided into four quarters or two halves from 11 kg body weight.
Progression of leprosy disability after discharge: is multidrug therapy enough?
Authors: Sales Anna Maria , Campos Dayse Pereira , Hacker Mariana Andrea , da Costa Nery José Augusto , Düppre Nádia Cristina , Rangel Emanuel , Sarno Euzenir Nunes , Penna Maria Lucia Fernandes
Published: August 2013

Objective

To evaluate the risk factors related to worsening of physical disabilities after treatment discharge among patients with leprosy administered 12 consecutive monthly doses of multidrug therapy (MDT/WHO).

Methods

Cohort study was carried out at theLeprosyLaboratory inRio deJaneiro,Brazil. We evaluated patients with multibacillary leprosy treated (MDT/WHO) between 1997 and 2007. TheCox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the relationship between the onset of physical disabilities after release from treatment and epidemiological and clinical characteristics.

Results

The total observation time period for the 368 patients was 1 570 person‐years (PY), averaging 4.3 years per patient. The overall incidence rate of worsening of disability was 6.5/100 PY. Among those who began treatment with no disability, the incidence rate of physical disability was 4.5/100 PY. Among those who started treatment withGrade 1 or 2 disabilities, the incidence rate of deterioration was 10.5/100 PY. The survival analysis evidenced that when disability grade was 1, the risk was 1.61 (95%CI: 1.02–2.56), when disability was 2, the risk was 2.37 (95%CI1.35–4.16), and when the number of skin lesions was 15 or more, anHR = 1.97 (95%CI: 1.07–3.63). Patients with neuritis showed a 65% increased risk of worsening of disability (HR = 1.65 [95%CI: 1.08–2.52]).

Conclusion

Impairment at diagnosis was the main risk factor for neurological worsening after treatment/MDT. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of reactional episodes remain the main means of preventing physical disabilities.
Cryptococcal antigen prevalence in HIV‐infected Tanzanians: a cross‐sectional study and evaluation of a point‐of‐care lateral flow assay
Authors: Rugemalila Joan , Maro Venance P. , Kapanda Gibson , Ndaro Arnold J. , Jarvis Joseph N.
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) screening at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and pre‐emptive antifungal treatment for those testing positive could prevent many cases of cryptococcal meningitis (CM). To investigate whether CRAG screening would be feasible in Tanzania, we conducted a cross‐sectional study measuring CRAG prevalence in ART clinic patients and comparing the novel lateral flow assay (LFA) with the cryptococcal latex agglutination (LA) test.

Methods

Consecutive HIV‐infected outpatients with CD4 counts <200 cells/µL, who were ART naive or had been on ART for <6 months, were screened for CRAG using the LA and LFA kits. For further assay validation, HIV‐infected inpatients with suspected cryptococcal disease were also tested using the LA and LFA kits.

Results

Cryptococcal antigen was detected in seven of 218 ART clinic attendees (3%). Six patients (5%) with CD4 cell counts ≤100 cells/µL (n = 124) were CRAG‐positive. Agreement between the LA and LFA test in the 218 outpatients was 100%. Another 101 inpatients were tested for CRAG, of whom 56 (55%) were CRAG‐positive on both the LA and LFA tests. One patient was positive using the LFA test but negative on the LA test. The overall agreement between the two assays was 99.7%, kappa coefficient 0.99 (standard error 0.06, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Five percentage of ART clinic patients with CD4 cell counts ≤100 cells/µL in northern Tanzania had asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenaemia, suggesting that CRAG screening would be worthwhile in the Tanzanian ART programme. The LFA is a reliable, cheap and practical alternative to LA for detection of CRAG.
RACK1 scaffold proteins influence miRNA abundance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Speth Corinna , Willing Eva‐Maria , Rausch Stephanie , Schneeberger Korbinian , Laubinger Sascha
Published: August 2013

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate plant development by post‐transcriptional regulation of target genes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, DCL1 processes precursors (pri‐miRNAs) to miRNA duplexes, which associate with AGO1. Additional proteins act in concert with DCL1 (e.g. HYL1 and SERRATE) or AGO1 to facilitate efficient and precise pri‐miRNA processing and miRNA loading, respectively. In this study, we show that the accumulation of plant microRNAs depends on RECEPTOR FOR ACTIVATED C KINASE 1 (RACK1), a scaffold protein that is found in all higher eukaryotes. miRNA levels are reduced in rack1 mutants, and our data suggest that RACK1 affects the microRNA pathway via several distinct mechanisms involving direct interactions with known microRNA factors: RACK1 ensures the accumulation and processing of some pri‐miRNAs, directly interacts with SERRATE and is part of an AGO1 complex. As a result, mutations in RACK1 lead to over‐accumulation of miRNA target mRNAs, which are important for ABA responses and phyllotaxy, for example. In conclusion, our study identified complex functioning of RACK1 proteins in the Arabidopsis miRNA pathway; these proteins are important for miRNA production and therefore plant development.
Pleiotropic effect of sigE over‐expression on cell morphology, photosynthesis and hydrogen production in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Osanai Takashi , Kuwahara Ayuko , Iijima Hiroko , Toyooka Kiminori , Sato Mayuko , Tanaka Kan , Ikeuchi Masahiko , Saito Kazuki , Hirai Masami Yokota
Published: August 2013

Over‐expression of sigE, a gene encoding an RNA polymerase sigma factor in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, is known to activate sugar catabolism and bioplastic production. In this study, we investigated the effects of sigE over‐expression on cell morphology, photosynthesis and hydrogen production in this cyanobacterium. Transmission electron and scanning probe microscopic analyses revealed that sigE over‐expression increased the cell size, possibly as a result of aberrant cell division. Over‐expression of sigE reduced respiration and photosynthesis activities via changes in gene expression and chlorophyll fluorescence. Hydrogen production under micro‐oxic conditions is enhanced in sigE over‐expressing cells. Despite these pleiotropic phenotypes, the sigE over‐expressing strain showed normal cell viability under both nitrogen‐replete and nitrogen‐depleted conditions. These results provide insights into the inter‐relationship among metabolism, cell morphology, photosynthesis and hydrogen production in this unicellular cyanobacterium.
Identification of molecular phenotypic descriptors of breast capsular contracture formation using informatics analysis of the whole genome transcriptome
Authors: Kyle Daniel J. T. , Harvey Alison G. , Shih Barbara , Tan Kian T. , Chaudhry Iskander H. , Bayat Ardeshir
Published: August 2013

Breast capsular contracture formation following silicone implant augmentation/reconstruction is a common complication that remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify potential biomarkers implicated in breast capsular contracture formation by using, for the first time, whole genome arrays. Biopsy samples were taken from 18 patients (23 breast capsules) with Baker Grade I–II (Control) and Baker Grade III–IV (Contracted). Whole genome microarrays were performed and six significantly dysregulated genes were selected for further validation with quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Hematoxylin and eosin was also carried out to compare the histological characteristics of control and contracted samples. Microarray results showed that aggrecan, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 4 (TIMP4), and tumor necrosis factor superfamily (ligand) member 11 were significantly down‐regulated in contracted capsules; while matrix metallopeptidase 12, serum amyloid A 1, and interleukin 8 (IL8) were significantly up‐regulated. The dysregulation of aggrecan, tumor necrosis factor superfamily (ligand) member 11, TIMP4, and IL8 was validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry confirmed an increased protein expression for IL8 and matrix metallopeptidase 12 in contracted capsules (p < 0.05), and decreased protein expression of TIMP4 (p < 0.05). This study has shown, for the first time, a number of unique biomarkers of significance in capsular contracture formation. IL8 and TIMP4 may serve as potential key diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic biomarkers in capsular contracture formation.
Three-dimensional counter-examples to the Nash problem
Authors: de Fernex Tommaso
Published: August 2013

The Nash problem asks about the existence of a correspondence between families of arcs through singularities of complex varieties and certain types of divisorial valuations. It has been positively settled in dimension 2 by Fernández de Bobadilla and Pe Pereira, and it was shown to have a negative answer in all dimensions ${\geq }4$ by Ishii and Kollár. In this note we discuss examples which show that the problem has a negative answer in dimension 3 as well. These examples also bring to light the different nature of the problem depending on whether it is formulated in the algebraic setting or in the analytic setting.
Ba2+‐ and bupivacaine‐sensitive background K+ conductances mediate rapid EPSP attenuation in oligodendrocyte precursor cells
Authors: Chan Chu‐Fang , Kuo Tzu‐Wei , Weng Ju‐Yun , Lin Yen‐Chu , Chen Ting‐Yu , Cheng Jen‐Kun , Lien Cheng‐Chang
Published: August 2013

Key points

We developed detailed passive cable models of rat oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) based on dual somatic recordings and complete morphological reconstructions.

Both specific membrane capacitance and specific axial resistivity are comparable to those of central neurons, but the average specific membrane resistance (Rm∼4.1 kΩ cm2) is substantially lower in OPCs.

Large Ba2+‐ and bupivacaine‐sensitive background K+ conductances contribute to the low Rm.

Simultaneous dual soma and process whole‐cell recordings reveal powerful voltage attenuation along OPC processes, indicating that OPC processes are a strong voltage attenuator.

The low Rm also sharpens EPSPs and thus narrows the temporal window for EPSP integration.

Abstract  Glutamatergic transmission onto oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) may regulate OPC proliferation, migration and differentiation. Dendritic integration of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) is critical for neuronal functions, and mechanisms regulating dendritic propagation and summation of EPSPs are well understood. However, little is known about EPSP attenuation and integration in OPCs. We developed realistic OPC models for synaptic integration, based on passive membrane responses of OPCs obtained by simultaneous dual whole‐cell patch‐pipette recordings. Compared with neurons, OPCs have a very low value of membrane resistivity, which is largely mediated by Ba2+‐ and bupivacaine‐sensitive background K+ conductances. The very low membrane resistivity not only leads to rapid EPSP attenuation along OPC processes but also sharpens EPSPs and narrows the temporal window for EPSP summation. Thus, background K+ conductances regulate synaptic responses and integration in OPCs, thereby affecting activity‐dependent neuronal control of OPC development and function.
Short‐term exercise training augments α2‐adrenoreceptor‐mediated sympathetic vasoconstriction in resting and contracting skeletal muscle
Authors: Jendzjowsky Nicholas G. , DeLorey Darren S.
Published: August 2013

Key points

Postsynaptic α1‐ and α2‐adrenoreceptors produce tonic vasoconstriction in resting and contracting skeletal muscle.

Muscular contraction attenuates sympathetic vasoconstriction (functional sympatholysis). The blunting of sympathetic vasoconstriction during contraction has been mechanistically linked to a reduction in postsynaptic α1‐ and α2‐adrenoreceptor responsiveness and nitric oxide.

We recently demonstrated that exercise training augmented sympathetic vasoconstrictor responsiveness and functional sympatholysis. Whether these vascular adaptations were mediated by changes to postsynaptic adrenoreceptors was not investigated.

The present findings demonstrate that exercise training augmented α2‐adrenoreceptor‐ mediated vasoconstriction in resting and contracting skeletal muscle.

These data indicate that exercise training alters the relative contributions of α‐adrenoreceptors to sympathetic vasoconstriction in resting and contracting skeletal muscle and that the regulation of sympathetic vasoconstriction becomes more complex following exercise training.

Abstract  We hypothesized that exercise training (ET) would alter α2‐adrenoreceptor‐mediated sympathetic vasoconstriction. Sprague‐Dawley rats (n= 30) were randomized to sedentary (S), mild‐ (M) or heavy‐intensity (H) treadmill ET groups (5 days per week for 4 weeks). Following the ET component of the study, rats were anaesthetized, and instrumented for lumbar sympathetic chain stimulation, triceps surae muscle contraction and measurement of femoral vascular conductance (FVC). The percentage change of FVC in response to sympathetic stimulation was determined at rest and during contraction in control, α2 blockade (yohimbine) and combined α2+ nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) blockade (Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, l‐NAME) conditions. ET augmented (P < 0.05) sympathetic vasoconstrictor responses at rest and during contraction. Yohimbine reduced (P < 0.05) the vasoconstrictor response in ET rats at rest (M: 2 Hz: 8 ± 2%, 5 Hz: 9 ± 4%; H: 2 Hz: 14 ± 5%, 5 Hz: 11 ± 6%) and during contraction (M: 2 Hz: 9 ± 2%, 5 Hz: 9 ± 5%; H: 2 Hz: 8 ± 3%, 5 Hz: 6 ± 6%) but did not change the response in S rats. The addition of l‐NAME caused a larger increase (P < 0.05) in the vasoconstrictor response in ET than in S rats at rest (2 Hz: S: 8 ± 2%, M: 15 ± 3%, H: 23 ± 7%; 5 Hz: S: 8 ± 5%, M: 15 ± 3%, H: 17 ± 5%) and during contraction (2 Hz: S: 9 ± 3%, M: 18 ± 3%, H: 22 ± 6%; 5 Hz: S: 9 ± 5%, M: 22 ± 4%, H:26 ± 9%). Sympatholysis was greater (P < 0.05) in ET than in S rats. Blockade of α2‐adrenoreceptors and NOS reduced (P < 0.05) sympatholysis in ET rats, but had no effect on sympatholysis in S rats. In conclusion, ET increased α2‐mediated vasoconstriction at rest and during contraction.
The fast exercise drive to breathe
Authors: Duffin James
Published: August 2013

This paper presents a personal view of research into the exercise drive to breathe that can be observed to act immediately to increase breathing at the start of rhythmic exercise. It is based on a talk given at the Experimental Biology 2013 meeting in a session entitled ‘Recent advances in understanding mechanisms regulating breathing during exercise’. This drive to breathe has its origin in a combination of central command, whereby voluntary motor commands to the exercising muscles produce a concurrent respiratory drive, and afferent feedback, whereby afferent information from the exercising muscles affects breathing. The drive at the start and end of rhythmic exercise is proportional to limb movement frequency, and its magnitude decays as exercise continues so that the immediate decrease of ventilation at the end of exercise is about 60% of the immediate increase at the start. With such evidence for the effect of this fast drive to breathe at the start and end of rhythmic exercise, its existence during exercise is hypothesised. Experiments to test this hypothesis have, however, provided debatable evidence. A fast drive to breathe during both ramp and sine wave changes in treadmill exercise speed and grade appears to be present in some individuals, but is not as evident in the general population. Recent sine‐wave cycling experiments show that when cadence is varied sinusoidally the ventilation response lags by about 10 s, whereas when pedal loading is varied ventilation lags by about 30 s. It therefore appears that limb movement frequency is effective in influencing ventilation during exercise as well as at the start and end of exercise.
Online correction of licking‐induced brain motion during two‐photon imaging with a tunable lens
Authors: Chen Jerry L. , Pfäffli Oliver A. , Voigt Fabian F. , Margolis David J. , Helmchen Fritjof
Published: August 2013

Key points

In order to understand the underlying behaviour of neuronal circuit dynamics, it is necessary to monitor brain activity in the awake, behaving animal.

Licking to obtain water reward is an approach that is often used to measure an animal's decision during reward‐based behaviour tasks.

In head‐fixed mice, licking produces stereotyped brain motion that interferes with two‐photon calcium imaging of neuronal activity.

We describe a method to provide online optical correction of licking‐induced brain motion during two‐photon imaging using refocusing with an electrically tunable lens.

Online correction of licking‐induced brain motion improves the measurement of neuronal activity during reward‐based behaviour.

Abstract  Two‐photon calcium imaging in awake, head‐fixed animals enables the measurement of neuronal activity during behaviour. Often, licking for the retrieval of water reward is used as a measurable report of the animal's decision during reward‐driven behaviour. However, licking behaviour can induce severe motion artifacts that interfere with two‐photon imaging of cellular activity. Here, we describe a simple method for the online correction of licking‐induced focus shifts for two‐photon calcium imaging of neocortical neurons in the head‐fixed mouse. We found that licking causes a stereotyped drop of neocortical tissue, shifting neurons up to 20 μm out of focus. Based on the measurement of licking with a piezo film sensor, we developed a feedback model, which provides a corrective signal for fast optical focus adjustments with an electrically tunable lens. Using online correction with this feedback model, we demonstrate a reduction of licking‐related focus changes below 3 μm, minimizing motion artifact contamination of cellular calcium signals. Focus correction with a tunable lens is a simple and effective method to improve the ability to monitor neuronal activity during reward‐based behaviour.
Energy-Consistent Finite Element Modelling of Ferromagnetic Hysteresis
Authors: Geuzaine Christophe , Stainier Laurent , Henrotte Francois
Published: August 2013

In this article we propose a macroscopic model for ferromagnetic hysteresis that is well-suited for finite element implementation. The model is readily vectorial and relies on a consistent thermodynamic formulation. In particular, the stored magnetic energy and the dissipated energy are known at all times, and not solely after the completion of closed hysteresis loops as is usually the case. The obtained incremental formulation is variationally consistent, i.e., all internal variables follow from the minimization of a thermodynamic potential. This variational approach is directly inspired from the kinematic hardening theory of plasticity, which opens the door for novel energy-consistent coupled mechanical/electromagnetic models.
Factors Influencing the Measurement and Reproducibility of Foot-to-Foot in Body Fat Analysers
Authors: Bousbiat Sana , Jaffrin Michel Y. , Assadi Imen
Published: August 2013

Body fat analysers use four plantar electrodes integrated in a body scale to measure the foot-to-foot resistance and estimate body fat by using a proprietary equation. The variation of this resistance with the contact area between feet and electrodes has been investigated by using a podoscope permitting to photograph feet soles and electrodes. This resistance was found to decrease when current electrode area increased. The reproducibility of the electronics was excellent (< 2Ω) in measurements repeated without changing feet position, but the mean standard deviation was 3.5 to 4 Ω when the subject stepped down at each measurement due to feet position changes.
Instantaneous Kinematics and Singularities of Two Types of Under-Actuated Parallel Wrists
Authors: Di Gregorio Raffaele
Published: August 2013

S-(nS)PU-SPU and S-(nS)PU-2SPU are two out of three types of under-actuated wrists that are generated from the “ordinary” wrists of type S-3SPU (fully-parallel wrists), by replacing a spherical pair (S) with a nonholonomic spherical pair (nS) according to the rules stated in [1]. Position analysis, controllability, and path planning of these two wrist types have been addressed and solved in two previous papers [2, 3] of this author. Their kinetostatics and singularity analysis have not been addressed, yet; and they are studied in this paper.
Modelling of the Swelling of SiC-Based Refractory Lining Used in Waste-to-Energy Plants
Authors: Merzouki Tarek , Blond Eric , Schmitt Nicolas , Cutard Thierry , Gasser Alain , de Bilbao Emmanuel
Published: August 2013

This work provides a computational model of the chemo-mechanical behavior of based refractories used in waste to energy plant (WTE) linings. In this application, oxygen gas present in the atmosphere diffuses through the porosity and reacts with the refractory producing silica (SiO2). This new phase clogs gradually the pores and causes swelling of the refractory lining. The proposed thermo-chemo-mechanical model which simulates these phenomena is briefly summarized. The results obtained from the model implemented in a F.E code prove the ability of the model to reproduce qualitatively the swelling of post-mortem bricks taken from WTE linings.
Reducing Thermal Conductivity of Ceramic Materials Through Alloying
Authors: Huang Xiao
Published: August 2013

For gas turbines and advanced nuclear power reactors, ceramic materials are used to provide thermal insulation to metallic components. Reducing the thermal conductivity of these ceramic materials allows further decrease in either metal surface temperature or thickness of the insulating materials. In this paper, our past research on the effects of oxide dopants is summarized with a focus on thermal properties. Metal oxides of different valence, ionic radius, and mass were incorporated into yttria partially stabilized zirconia (7 wt% Y2O3-ZrO2) using mechanical alloying process. The powder blends were consolidated using sintering and plasma spraying. The oxides investigated included trivalent Yb2O3, Sc2O3 and Cr2O3, tetravalent CeO2 and TiO2, and pentavalent Nb2O5 and Ta2O5. While all oxides provided improvement to thermal conductivity reduction, the most significant effect on reducing the thermal conductivity of 7YSZ was found by using trivalent oxides. Furthermore, the effect of dopant was also heavily influenced by the molar percentage of dopants.
Multiscale Modelling of Electrical Contacts Using Domain Decomposition
Authors: Alotto Piergiorgio , Guarnieri Massimo , Moro Federico
Published: August 2013

A three-dimensional (3D) domain decomposition method for analyzing electrical-thermal contact problems is presented. The computational domain is subdivided into non-overlapping regions discretized according to the Cell Method. Voltage and temperature drops at the contact interfaces are modelled by means of boundary constitutive operators. Continuity between sub-domains is enforced with Lagrange multipliers. The final non-linear algebraic system is solved by an iterative Newton procedure combined to a Schur’s complement approach in order to reduce the problem size and improve the condition number. Potential and temperature jumps across the contact interface depend on the local surface conditions according to Holm’s theory. Surface roughness and a-spot density in the contact area are modelled by means of statistical parameters that can be easily embedded into a CM formulation. The developed code has been validated by a 3D FEM commercial software package.
MarkUs: An Open-Source Web Application to Annotate Student Papers On-Line
Authors: Magnin Morgan , Moreau Guillaume , Varoquaux Nelle , Vialle Benjamin , Reid Karen , Conley Mike , Gehwolf Severin
Published: August 2013

A critical component of the learning process lies in the feedback that students receive on their work that validates their progress, identifies flaws in their thinking, and identifies skills that still need to be learned. Many higher-education institutions have developed an active pedagogy that gives students opportunities for different forms of assessment and feedback. This means that students have numerous lab exercises, assignments, and projects. Both instructors and students thus require effective tools to efficiently manage the submission, assessment, and individualized feedback of students’ work. The open-source web application MarkUs aims at meeting these needs: it facilitates the submission and assessment of students’ work. Students directly submit their work using MarkUs, rather than printing it, or sending it by email. The instructors or teaching assistants use MarkUs’s interface to view the students’ work, annotate it, and fill in a marking rubric. Students use the same interface to read the annotations and learn from the assessment. Managing the students’ submissions and the instructors assessments within a single online system, has led to several positive pedagogical outcomes: the number of late submissions has decreased, the assessment time has been drastically reduced, students can access their results and read the instructor’s feedback immediately after the grading process is completed. Using MarkUs has also significantly reduced the time that instructors spend collecting assignments, creating the marking schemes, passing them on to graders, handling special cases, and returning work to the students.

In this paper, we introduce MarkUs’ features, and illustrate their benefits for higher education through our own teaching experiences and that of our colleagues. We also describe an important benefit of the fact that the tool itself is open-source. MarkUs has been developed entirely by students giving them a valuable learning opportunity as they work on a large software system that real users depend on. Virtuous circles indeed arise, with former users of MarkUs becoming developers and then supervisors of further development.

We will conclude by drawing perspectives about forthcoming features and use, both technically and pedagogically.
Study of the Static and Dynamic Performance of Rectangular Air Pads by Means of Lumped Parameters Models
Authors: Belforte Guido , Colombo Federico , Raparelli Terenziano , Trivella Andrea , Viktorov Vladimir
Published: August 2013

Externally pressurized gas bearings are widely used in linear guide-ways for measuring machines and precision positioning systems. The number and the diameter of the supply orifices and their position strongly influence the characteristic of the pad. Usually during the design process of a pad a distributed parameters model is used to simulate the pressure distribution under the pad because it doesn’t exist a general formula suitable for all possible geometries. Analytical methods can be applied for simplified geometries to calculate static and dynamic performance of pneumatic bearings. Analytical and lumped parameters models are of faster implementation with respect to distributed parameters models and are easier to implement in the design process.

The present paper proposes different lumped parameters models to obtain the static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic pads. These methods can be used in order to optimize the stiffness in correspondence of the operating conditions. Rectangular air pads of size 30×60 mm are considered. The results are compared with that obtained with a distributed parameters model to estimate the accuracy of the models.