bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of Braced Excavation under Asymmetrical Loads
Authors: Xu Changjie , Xu Yuanlei , Sun Honglei , Chen Qizhi
Published: June 2013

Numerous excavation practices have shown that large discrepancies exist between field monitoring data and calculated results when the conventional symmetry-plane method (with half-width) is used to design the retaining structure under asymmetrical loads. To examine the characteristics of a retaining structure under asymmetrical loads, we use the finite element method (FEM) to simulate the excavation process under four different groups of asymmetrical loads and create an integrated model to tackle this problem. The effects of strut stiffness and wall length are also investigated. The results of numerical analysis clearly imply that the deformation and bending moment of diaphragm walls are distinct on different sides, indicating the need for different rebar arrangements when the excavation is subjected to asymmetrical loads. This study provides a practical approach to designing excavations under asymmetrical loads. We analyze and compare the monitoring and calculation data at different excavation stages and find some general trends. Several guidelines on excavation design under asymmetrical loads are drawn.
Comparisons of Prediction Models of Myofascial Pain Control after Dry Needling: A Prospective Study
Authors: Huang Yuan-Ting , Neoh Choo-Aun , Lin Shun-Yuan , Shi Hon-Yi
Published: June 2013

Background. This study purposed to validate the use of artificial neural network (ANN) models for predicting myofascial pain control after dry needling and to compare the predictive capability of ANNs with that of support vector machine (SVM) and multiple linear regression (MLR).Methods. Totally 400 patients who have received dry needling treatments completed the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) at baseline and at 1 year postoperatively.Results. Compared to the MLR and SVM models, the ANN model generally had smaller mean square error (MSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values in the training dataset and testing dataset. Most ANN models had MAPE values ranging from 3.4% to 4.6% and most had high prediction accuracy. The global sensitivity analysis also showed that pretreatment BPI score was the best parameter for predicting pain after dry needling.Conclusion. Compared with the MLR and SVM models, the ANN model in this study was more accurate in predicting patient-reported BPI scores and had higher overall performance indices. Further studies of this model may consider the effect of a more detailed database that includes complications and clinical examination findings as well as more detailed outcome data.
An Alternating-Direction Implicit Difference Scheme for Pricing Asian Options
Authors: Cen Zhongdi , Le Anbo , Xu Aimin
Published: June 2013

We propose a fast and stable numerical method to evaluate two-dimensional partial differential equation (PDE) for pricing arithmetic average Asian options. The numerical method is deduced by combining an alternating-direction technique and the central difference scheme on a piecewise uniform mesh. The numerical scheme is stable in the maximum norm, which is true for arbitrary volatility and arbitrary interest rate. It is proved that the scheme is second-order convergent with respect to the asset price. Numerical results support the theoretical results.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Methanolic Extract ofBauhinia purpureaLeaves against Paracetamol-Induced Hepatic Damage in Rats
Authors: Yahya F. , Mamat S. S. , Kamarolzaman M. F. F. , Seyedan A. A. , Jakius K. F. , Mahmood N. D. , Shahril M. S. , Suhaili Z. , Mohtarrudin N. , Susanti D. , Somchit M. N. , Teh L. K. , Salleh M. Z. , Zakaria Z. A.
Published: June 2013

In an attempt to further establish the pharmacological properties ofBauhinia purpurea(Fabaceae), hepatoprotective potential of methanol extract ofB. purpurealeaves (MEBP) was investigated using the paracetamol- (PCM-) induced liver toxicity in rats. Five groups of rats (n=6) were used and administered orally once daily with 10% DMSO (negative control), 200 mg/kg silymarin (positive control), or MEBP (50, 250, and 500 mg/kg) for 7 days, followed by the hepatotoxicity induction using paracetamol (PCM). The blood samples and livers were collected and subjected to biochemical and microscopical analysis. The extract was also subjected to antioxidant study using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay with the total phenolic content (TPC) also determined. From the histological observation, lymphocyte infiltration and marked necrosis were observed in PCM-treated groups (negative control), whereas maintenance of the normal hepatic structural was observed in group pretreated with silymarin and MEBP. Hepatotoxic rats pretreated with silymarin or MEBP exhibited significant decrease (P<0.05) in ALT and AST enzyme level. Moreover, the extract also exhibited antioxidant activity and contained high TPC. In conclusion, MEBP exerts potential hepatoprotective activity that could be partly attributed to its antioxidant activity and high phenolic content and thus warrants further investigation.
TV-Based Caring Videophone System for the Elderly in the Smart Home Environment
Authors: Shen Jingshuang , Zhang Chongyang , Jiang Chuanwen
Published: June 2013

A novel videophone system for the elderly-care application is proposed. Based on the detailed analysis of the elderly’s physical and psychological characteristics, a TV-based caring videophone system for the elderly is developed: an embedded multimedia device is designed to implement the interactive video and audio processing and IP-based communication, in which TV is adopted as the display terminal to achieve a low-cost but high-quality service. Considering the user’s convenience, many personalized designs, such as photo-based address book, photo-click-dialing, and touch pad based remote controller, are developed to make the proposed videophone system more intuitive and easy to use for the elderly. Based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms, an evaluation model is also developed with the data collected from the embedded multimedia device. It is useful to evaluate the physical and psychological health of the elderly.
Antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine Attenuates the Reduction of Brg1 Protein Expression in the Myocardium of Type 1 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Xu Jinjin , Lei Shaoqing , Liu Yanan , Gao Xia , Irwin Michael G. , Xia Zhong-yuan , Hei Ziqing , Gan Xiaoliang , Wang Tingting , Xia Zhengyuan
Published: June 2013

Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) is a key gene in inducing the expression of important endogenous antioxidant enzymes, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) which is central to cardioprotection, while cardiac HO-1 expression is reduced in diabetes. It is unknown whether or not cardiac Brg1 expression is reduced in diabetes. We hypothesize that cardiac Brg1 expression is reduced in diabetes which can be restored by antioxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Control (C) and streptozotocin-induced diabetic (D) rats were treated with NAC in drinking water or placebo for 4 weeks. Plasma and cardiac free15-F2t-isoprostane in diabetic rats were increased, accompanied with increased plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), while cardiac Brg1, p-STAT3 and HO-1 protein expression levels were significantly decreased. Left ventricle weight/body weight ratio was higher, while the peak velocities of early (E) and late (A) flow ratio was lower in diabetic than in C rats. NAC normalized tissue and plasma levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane, significantly increased cardiac Brg1, HO-1 and p-STAT3 protein expression levels and reduced TNF-alpha and IL-6, resulting in improved cardiac function. In conclusion, myocardial Brg1 is reduced in diabetes and enhancement of cardiac Brg1 expression may represent a novel mechanism whereby NAC confers cardioprotection.
ComparativeIn VitroEffects of Calcineurin Inhibitors on Functional Vascular Relaxations of Both Rat Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta
Authors: Jadhav Ashok , Gopalakrishnan Venkat , Shoker Ahmed
Published: June 2013

Background and Aim. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) have shown to develop hypertension in transplant patients. Thein vitroincubation effects of cyclosporine (CsA) and tacrolimus (Tac) on vascular relaxations of rat thoracic aorta (TA) and abdominal aorta (AA) need to be investigated.Methods. The optimal concentrations of CsA (1.0 mg/mL) and Tac (0.1 mg/mL) used to compare endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine (ACh)) and endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside (SNP)) vascular relaxation against the agonists in phenylephrine (PE-) constricted TA and AA of 13-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats (n=6).Results. In TA, the maximal vasodilator response elicited by ACh (control:Imax98%) was significantly (P<0.01) inhibited by CsA (Imax10%) but not by Tac (Imax97%). In AA, (control: IC5050 nM;Imax100%) CsA (IC507 μM; (P<0.01) showed strong sensitivity to inhibit ACh-dependent vascular relaxation than Tac (IC50215 nM (P<0.05);Imax98%). CsA and Tac failed to affect the inhibitory responses to SNP in both TA and AA.Conclusion. CsA exerts profound inhibitory effect on endothelium-dependent vasodilatation as compared to Tac in both TA and AA. Aortic rings from the thoracic region are more sensitive to CNIs, since the vasodilator response to ACh is solely mediated by NO while in the AA, ACh likely recruits other endothelial mediators besides NO to maintain vasodilatation.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Obesity-Related Hypertension
Authors: Wang Jie , Feng Bo , Xiong Xingjiang
Published: June 2013

Objectives. To assess the clinical evidence of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for obesity-related hypertension. Search Strategy. Electronic databases were searched until January, 2013.Inclusion Criteria. We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing CHM against nondrug therapy and conventional western medicine, or combined with conventional western medicine against conventional western medicine.Data Extraction and Analyses. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were conducted according to Cochrane standards.Results. 11 trials were included. Methodological quality was evaluated as low. 1 trial investigated the efficacy of CHM plus nondrug therapy versus nondrug therapy. Positive results in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: −5.40 [-5.88,-4.92];P<0.00001) were found in combination group. 1 trial investigated the efficacy of CHM versus conventional western medicine. Positive results in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD: −1.39 [-2.11,-0.67];P=0.0002) were found in CHM. 9 trials investigated the efficacy of CHM plus conventional western medicine versus conventional western medicine. Positive results in SBP (WMD: -6.71 [-11.08,-1.25];P=0.02) were found in combination group. The safety of CHM is unknown.Conclusions. No definite conclusion could be got due to poor methodological quality. Rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm these results.
A Simple Hybrid Model for Short-Term Load Forecasting
Authors: Annamareddi Suseelatha , Gopinathan Sudheer , Dora Bharathi
Published: June 2013

The paper proposes a simple hybrid model to forecast the electrical load data based on the wavelet transform technique and double exponential smoothing. The historical noisy load series data is decomposed into deterministic and fluctuation components using suitable wavelet coefficient thresholds and wavelet reconstruction method. The variation characteristics of the resulting series are analyzed to arrive at reasonable thresholds that yield good denoising results. The constitutive series are then forecasted using appropriate exponential adaptive smoothing models. A case study performed on California energy market data demonstrates that the proposed method can offer high forecasting precision for very short-term forecasts, considering a time horizon of two weeks.
The Spectrum of Quantum Dots Film for UV CCD
Authors: Jiang Lin , Sun Haojie , Xu Bang-lian , Zhang Da-wei , Tao Chun-xian , Huang Yuan-shen , Ni Zheng-ji , Zhuang Song-lin
Published: June 2013

A new kind of UV-responsive film with quantum dots (QDs) fabricated by a spin-coating method is proposed in this paper. In a previous study, the monolayer QDs film is deposited onto fused silica slides by the spin-coating way, which has some luminous problem. The introduction of composite QDs coating which adds PEDOT:PSS and poly-TPD films to the monolayer QDs film is found to have excellent performance. The reason can be that PEDOT:PSS and poly-TPD weaken the scattering and enhance the emitting of quantum dot fluorescence. The intensity of photoluminescence (PL) for composite QDs coating is dozens of times stronger than that for monolayer QDs film. Experiment results show that this composite coating has excellent fluorescent properties and emits a blue purple glow together a wide excitation spectrum field from 190 nm to 300 nm. The spectrum of the composite coating matches accurately with the detected zone of CCD, which achieves an outstanding UV-responsive coating for conventional silicon-based image sensors.
Differential Localization of Pain-Related and Pain-Unrelated Neural Responses for Acupuncture at BL60 Using BOLD fMRI
Authors: Kim Na-Hee , Cho Seung-Yeon , Jahng Geon-Ho , Ryu Chang-Woo , Park Seong-Uk , Ko Chang-Nam , Park Jung-Mi
Published: June 2013

The objective of this study was to differentiate between pain-related and pain-unrelated neural responses of acupuncture at BL60 to investigate the specific effects of acupuncture. A total of 19 healthy volunteers were evaluated. fMRI was performed with sham or verum acupuncture stimulation at the left BL60 before and after local anesthesia. To investigate the relative BOLD signal effect for each session, a one-samplet-test was performed for individual contrast maps, and a pairedt-test to investigate the differences between the pre- and post-anesthetic signal effects. Regarding verum acupuncture, areas that were more activated before local anesthesia included the superior, middle, and medial frontal gyri, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, thalamus, middle temporal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, culmen, and cerebellar tonsil. The postcentral gyrus was more deactivated before local anesthesia. After local anesthesia, the middle occipital gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, precuneus, superior parietal lobule, and declive were deactivated. Pre-anesthetic verum acupuncture at BL60 activated areas of vision and pain transmission. Post-anesthetic verum acupuncture deactivated brain areas of visual function, which is considered to be a pain-unrelated acupuncture response. It indicates that specific effects of acupoint BL60 are to control vision sense as used in the clinical setting.
Multiphase Alkaline Basalts of Central Al-Haruj Al-Abyad of Libya: Petrological and Geochemical Aspects
Authors: Abdel-Karim Abdel-Aal M. , Ramadan El-Nuri M. , Embashi Mohamed R.
Published: June 2013

Al-Haruj basalts that represent the largest volcanic province in Libya consist of four lava flow phases of varying thicknesses, extensions, and dating. Their eruption is generally controlled by the larger Afro-Arabian rift system. The flow phases range from olivine rich and/or olivine dolerites to olivine and/or normal basalts that consist mainly of variable olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and glass. Olivine, plagioclase, and clinopyroxene form abundant porphyritic crystals. In olivine-rich basalt and olivine basalt, these minerals occur as glomerophyric or seriate clusters of an individual mineral or group of minerals. Groundmass textures are variably intergranular, intersertal, vitrophyric, and flow. The pyroclastic, clastogenic flows and/or ejecta of the volcanic cones show porphyritic, vitrophric, pilotaxitic, and vesicular textures. They are classified into tholeiite, alkaline, and olivine basalts. Three main groups are recorded. Basalts of phase 1 are generated from tholeiitic to alkaline magma, while those of phases 3 and 4 are derived from alkaline magma. It is proposed that the tholeiitic basalts represent prerift stage magma generated by higher degree of partial melting (2.0–3.5%) of garnet-peridotite asthenospheric mantle source, at shallow depth, whereas the dominant alkaline basalts may represent the rift stage magma formed by low degree of partial melting (0.7–1.5%) and high fractionation of the same source, at greater depth in an intra-continental plate with OIB affinity. The melt generation could be also attributed to lithosphere extension associated with passive rise of variable enriched mantle.
Evaluation, Energy Optimization, and Spectrum Analysis of an Artificial Noise Technique to Improve CWSN Security
Authors: Blesa Javier , Araujo Alvaro , Romero Elena , Nieto-Taladriz Octavio
Published: June 2013

This paper presents the security evaluation, energy consumption optimization, and spectrum scarcity analysis of artificial noise techniques to increase physical-layer security in Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSNs). These techniques introduce noise into the spectrum in order to hide real information. Nevertheless, they directly affect two important parameters in Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSNs), energy consumption and spectrum utilization. Both are affected because the number of packets transmitted by the network and the active period of the nodes increase. Security evaluation demonstrates that these techniques are effective against eavesdropper attacks, but also optimization allows for the implementation of these approaches in low-resource networks such as Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks. In this work, the scenario is formally modeled and the optimization according to the simulation results and the impact analysis over the frequency spectrum are presented.
Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Loaded Biomaterials for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Recruitment
Authors: van de Kamp Julia , Jahnen-Dechent Willi , Rath Bjoern , Knuechel Ruth , Neuss Sabine
Published: June 2013

Human adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can be readily harvested from bone marrow through aspiration. MSC are involved in tissue regeneration and repair, particularly in wound healing. Due to their high self-renewal capacity and excellent differentiation potentialin vitro, MSC are ideally suited for regenerative medicine. The complex interactions of MSC with their environment and their influence on the molecular and functional levels are widely studied but not completely understood. MSC secrete, for example, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), whose concentration is enhanced in wounded areas and which is shown to act as a chemoattractant for MSC. We produced HGF-loaded biomaterials based on collagen and fibrin gels to develop a recruitment system for endogenous MSC to improve wound healing. Here, we report that HGF incorporated into collagen or fibrin gels leads to enhanced and directed MSC migrationin vitro. HGF-loaded biomaterials might be potentially used asin vivowound dressings to recruit endogenous MSC from tissue-specific niches towards the wounded area. This novel approach may help to reduce costly multistep procedures of cell isolation,in vitroculture, and transplantation usually used in tissue engineering.
Accurate RFID Trilateration to Learn and Recognize Spatial Activities in Smart Environment
Authors: Bouchard Kevin , Fortin-Simard Dany , Gaboury Sebastien , Bouchard Bruno , Bouzouane Abdenour
Published: June 2013

The rapid adoption of wireless communication and sensors technology has raised the awareness of many laboratories about the field of network embedded system. Most researchers aim to exploit these advances to enable technological assistance of frail persons in smart homes. However, to reach the full potential of applications using network embedded systems such as assistive smart home, scientists need to work toward the creation of support services. In this paper, we present an accurate passive RFID localization technique, which can easily be implemented and deployed in various environments, coupled to a complete human activity recognition model. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate, through concrete experiments, that support services can enable powerful solution to long-lived challenges of the network embedded system community. Particularly, the model exploits qualitative spatial reasoning from RFID localization of objects in the smart home to learn and recognize the basic and instrumental activities of daily living of a resident. Our system was deployed in a real smart home, and the results obtained were quite encouraging. The developed RFID technique gives an average precision of ±14.12 cm, and the recognition algorithm recognizes up to 92% activities.
Toward a Theory of the Primo Vascular System: A Hypothetical Circulatory System at the Subcellular Level
Authors: Lee Byung-Cheon , Yoon Ji Woong , Park Sang Hyun , Yoon Seung Zhoo
Published: June 2013

This paper suggests a theoretical framework for the primo vascular system (PVS), a hypothetical circulatory system, in which extracellular DNA microvesicles interact to form and break down cell structures. Since Bonghan Kim reported the existence of Bonghan ducts and the SNU research team reinvestigated and named it the PVS, there has been series of studies trying to examine its structure and functions. In this paper, we hypothesize that the PVS is the network system in which extracellular DNA microvesicles circulate and interact at the subcellular level, forming and breaking down cell structures. This idea integrates A. Béchamp’s idea of microzymas and Bonghan Kim’s idea of sanals. A proof of this idea may complement modern medical theory, perhaps providing an essential clue for an alternative solution dealing with modern healthcare problem.
Real Time Monitoring of Diesel Engine Injector Waveforms for Accurate Fuel Metering and Control
Authors: Farooqi Q. R. , Snyder B. , Anwar S.
Published: June 2013

This paper presents the development, experimentation, and validation of a reliable and robust system to monitor the injector pulse generated by an engine control module (ECM) which can easily be calibrated for different engine platforms and then feedback the corresponding fueling quantity to the real-time computer in a closed-loop controller in the loop (CIL) bench in order to achieve optimal fueling. This research utilizes field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and direct memory access (DMA) transfer capability to achieve high speed data acquisition and delivery. This work is conducted in two stages: the first stage is to study the variability involved in the injected fueling quantity from pulse to pulse, from injector to injector, between real injector stators and inductor load cells, and over different operating conditions. Different thresholds have been used to find out the best start of injection (SOI) threshold and the end of injection (EOI) threshold that capture the injector “on-time” with best reliability and accuracy. Second stage involves development of a system that interprets the injector pulse into fueling quantity. The system can easily be calibrated for various platforms. Finally, the use of resulting correction table has been observed to capture the fueling quantity with highest accuracy.
Pathway-Based Serum microRNA Profiling and Survival in Patients with Advanced Stage Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Yan , Gu Jian , Roth Jack A. , Hildebrandt Michelle A.T. , Lippman Scott M. , Ye Yuanqing , Minna John D. , Wu Xifeng
Published: June 2013

This study was designed to identify TGF-β signaling pathway-related serum microRNAs (miRNA) as predictors of survival in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Serum samples from 391 patients with advanced NSCLC were collected before treatment. Global miRNA microarray expression profiling based on sera from four patients with good survival (>24 months) and four patients with poor survival (<6 months) was used to identify 140 highly expressed serum miRNAs, among which 35 miRNAs had binding sites within the 3′-untranslated regions of a panel of 11 genes in the TGF-β signaling pathway and were assayed by quantitative RT-PCR for their associations with survival in a training (n = 192) and testing set (n = 191). Out of the 35 miRNAs, survival analysis using Cox regression model identified 17 miRNAs significantly associated with 2-year patient survival. MiR-16 exhibited the most statistically significant association: high expression of miR-16 was associated with a significantly better survival [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3–0.5]. A combined 17-miRNA risk score was created that was able to identify patients at the highest risk of death. Those with a high-risk score had a 2.5-fold increased risk of death compared with those with a low risk score (95% CI: 1.8–3.4; P = 1.1 × 10−7). This increase in risk of death was corresponding to a 7.8-month decrease in median survival time (P = 9.5 × 10−14). Our results suggest that serum miRNAs could serve as predictors of survival for advanced NSCLC. Cancer Res; 73(15); 4801–9. ©2013 AACR.
DDB2: A Novel Regulator of NF-κB and Breast Tumor Invasion
Authors: Ennen Marie , Klotz Rémi , Touche Nadège , Pinel Sophie , Barbieux Claire , Besancenot Vanessa , Brunner Emilie , Thiebaut Denise , Jung Alain C. , Ledrappier Sonia , Domenjoud Lionel , Abecassis Joseph , Plénat François , Grandemange Stéphanie , Becuwe Philippe
Published: June 2013

The DNA repair protein damaged DNA-binding 2 (DDB2) has been implicated in promoting cell-cycle progression by regulating gene expression. DDB2 is selectively overexpressed in breast tumor cells that are noninvasive, but not in those that are invasive. We found that its overexpression in invasive human breast tumor cells limited their motility and invasiveness in vitro and blocked their ability to colonize lungs in vivo, defining a new function for DDB2 in malignant progression. DDB2 overexpression attenuated the activity of NF-κB and the expression of its target matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP9). Mechanistic investigations indicated that DDB2 decreased NF-κB activity by upregulating expression of IκBα by binding the proximal promoter of this gene. This effect was causally linked to invasive capacity. Indeed, knockdown of DDB2-induced IκBα gene expression restored NF-κB activity and MMP9 expression, along with the invasive properties of breast tumor cells overexpressing DDB2. Taken together, our findings enlighten understanding of how breast cancer cells progress to an invasive phenotype and underscore potential clinical interest in DDB2 as a prognostic marker or therapeutic target in this setting. Cancer Res; 73(16); 5040–52. ©2013 AACR.
Potassium Channel KCNA1 Modulates Oncogene-Induced Senescence and Transformation
Authors: Lallet-Daher Hélène , Wiel Clotilde , Gitenay Delphine , Navaratnam Naveenan , Augert Arnaud , Le Calvé Benjamin , Verbeke Stéphanie , Carling David , Aubert Sébastien , Vindrieux David , Bernard David
Published: June 2013

Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) constitutes a failsafe program that restricts tumor development. However, the mechanisms that link oncogenesis to senescence are not completely understood. We carried out a loss-of-function genetic screen that identified the potassium channel KCNA1 as a determinant of OIS escape that can license tumor growth. Oncogenic stress triggers an increase in KCNA1 expression and its relocation from the cytoplasm to the membrane. Mechanistically, this relocation is due to a loss of protein kinase A (PKA)-induced phosphorylation at residue S446 of KCNA1. Accordingly, sustaining PKA activity or expressing a KCNA1 phosphomimetic mutant maintained KCNA1 in the cytoplasm and caused escape from OIS. KCNA1 relocation to the membrane induced a change in membrane potential that invariably resulted in cellular senescence. Restoring KCNA1 expression in transformation-competent cells triggered variation in membrane potential and blocked RAS-induced transformation, and PKA activation suppressed both effects. Furthermore, KCNA1 expression was reduced in human cancers, and this decrease correlated with an increase in breast cancer aggressiveness. Taken together, our results identify a novel pathway that restricts oncogenesis through a potassium channel-dependent senescence pathway. Cancer Res; 73(16); 5253–65. ©2013 AACR.
mTOR Signaling Feedback Modulates Mammary Epithelial Differentiation and Restrains Invasion Downstream of PTEN Loss
Authors: Ghosh Susmita , Varela Lidenys , Sood Akshay , Park Ben Ho , Lotan Tamara L.
Published: June 2013

Oncogenic signaling pathways are tightly regulated by negative feedback circuits and relief of these circuits represents a common mechanism of tumor drug resistance. Although the significance of these feedback pathways for signal transduction is evident, their relevance for cellular differentiation and morphogenesis in a genetically defined context is unclear. In this study, we used isogenic benign mammary organotypic cultures to interrogate the role of mTOR-mediated negative feedback in the specific setting of PTEN inactivation. We found that mTOR signaling promoted basal-like differentiation and repressed nuclear hormone receptor expression after short-term PTEN loss in murine cell cultures analyzed ex vivo. Unexpectedly, we found that PTEN inactivation inhibited growth factor-induced epithelial invasion and that downstream mTOR-mediated signaling feedback was both necessary and sufficient for this effect. Mechanistically, using isogenic MCF10A cells with and without somatic PTEN deletion, we showed that mTOR inhibition promoted EGF-mediated epithelial invasion by derepressing upstream EGF receptor, SRC tyrosine kinase, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling. In addition to offering new signal transduction insights, these results bring to light a number of important and potentially clinically relevant cellular consequences of mTOR inhibition in the specific context of PTEN loss, including modulation of hormone and growth factor responsiveness and promotion of epithelial invasion. Our findings prompt future investigations of the possibility that mTOR inhibitor therapy may not only be ineffective but even deleterious in tumors with PTEN loss. Cancer Res; 73(16); 5218–31. ©2013 AACR.
Inexperienced Sonographers Can Successfully Visualize and Assess a Three-Dimensional Image of the Fetal Face Using a Standardized Ultrasound Protocol
Authors: Guenot C. , Baud D. , Lepigeon K. , Francini K. , Rossier M.-C. , Hohlfeld P. , Vial Y.
Published: June 2013

Introduction: A standardized three-dimensional ultrasonographic (3DUS) protocol is described that allows fetal face reconstruction. Ability to identify cleft lip with 3DUS using this protocol was assessed by operators with minimal 3DUS experience. Material and Methods: 260 stored volumes of fetal face were analyzed using a standardized protocol by operators with different levels of competence in 3DUS. The outcomes studied were: (1) the performance of post-processing 3D face volumes for the detection of facial clefts; (2) the ability of a resident with minimal 3DUS experience to reconstruct the acquired facial volumes, and (3) the time needed to reconstruct each plane to allow proper diagnosis of a cleft. Results: The three orthogonal planes of the fetal face (axial, sagittal and coronal) were adequately reconstructed with similar performance when acquired by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist or by residents with minimal experience (72 vs. 76%, p = 0.629). The learning curve for manipulation of 3DUS volumes of the fetal face corresponds to 30 cases and is independent of the operator's level of experience. Discussion: The learning curve for the standardized protocol we describe is short, even for inexperienced sonographers. This technique might decrease the length of anatomy ultrasounds and improve the ability to visualize fetal face anomalies.
Evolutionary Consequences, Constraints and Potential of Polyploidy in Plants
Authors: Weiss-Schneeweiss H. , Emadzade K. , Jang T.-S. , Schneeweiss G.M.
Published: June 2013

Polyploidy, the possession of more than 2 complete genomes, is a major force in plant evolution known to affect the genetic and genomic constitution and the phenotype of an organism, which will have consequences for its ecology and geography as well as for lineage diversification and speciation. In this review, we discuss phylogenetic patterns in the incidence of polyploidy including possible underlying causes, the role of polyploidy for diversification, the effects of polyploidy on geographical and ecological patterns, and putative underlying mechanisms as well as chromosome evolution and evolution of repetitive DNA following polyploidization. Spurred by technological advances, a lot has been learned about these aspects both in model and increasingly also in nonmodel species. Despite this enormous progress, long-standing questions about polyploidy still cannot be unambiguously answered, due to frequently idiosyncratic outcomes and insufficient integration of different organizational levels (from genes to ecology), but likely this will change in the near future. See also the sister article focusing on animals by Choleva and Janko in this themed issue.
Metabolomics and Incident Hypertension Among Blacks
Authors: Zheng Yan , Yu Bing , Alexander Danny , Mosley Thomas H. , Heiss Gerardo , Nettleton Jennifer A. , Boerwinkle Eric
Published: June 2013

Development of hypertension is influenced by genes, environmental effects, and their interactions, and the human metabolome is a measurable manifestation of gene–environment interaction. We explored the metabolomic antecedents of developing incident hypertension in a sample of blacks, a population with a high prevalence of hypertension and its comorbidities. We examined 896 black normotensives (565 women; aged, 45–64 years) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, whose metabolome was measured in serum collected at the baseline examination and analyzed by high-throughput methods. The analyses presented here focus on 204 stably measured metabolites during a period of 4 to 6 weeks. Weibull parametric models considering interval censored data were used to assess the hazard ratio for incident hypertension. We used a modified Bonferroni correction accounting for the correlations among metabolites to define a threshold for statistical significance (
P
<3.9×10
–4
). During 10 years of follow-up, 38% of baseline normotensives developed hypertension (n=344). With adjustment for traditional risk factors and estimated glomerular filtration rate, each +1SD difference in baseline 4-hydroxyhippurate, a product of gut microbial fermentation, was associated with 17% higher risk of hypertension (
P
=2.5×10
–4
), which remained significant after adjusting for both baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure (
P
=3.8×10
–4
). After principal component analyses, a sex steroids pattern was significantly associated with risk of incident hypertension (highest versus lowest quintile hazard ratio, 1.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–2.82;
P
for trend, 0.03), and stratified analyses suggested that this association was consistent in both sexes. Metabolomic analyses identify novel pathways in the pathogenesis of hypertension.
Postnatal Sulfur Dioxide Exposure Reversibly Alters Parasympathetic Regulation of Heart Rate
Authors: Woerman Amanda L. , Mendelowitz David
Published: June 2013

Perinatal sulfur dioxide exposure disrupts parasympathetic regulation of cardiovascular activity. Here, we examine the relative risks of prenatal versus postnatal exposure to the air pollutant and the reversibility of the cardiovascular effects. Two groups of animals were used for this study. For prenatal exposure, pregnant Sprague–Dawley dams were exposed to 5 parts per million sulfur dioxide for 1 hour daily throughout gestation and with their pups after birth to medical-grade air through 6 days postnatal. For postnatal exposure, dams were exposed to air, and after delivery along with their pups to 5 parts per million sulfur dioxide through postnatal day 6. ECGs were recorded from pups on postnatal day 5 to examine changes in heart rate. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology was used to examine changes in neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus on sulfur dioxide exposure. Postnatal sulfur dioxide exposure diminished glutamatergic neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons by 40.9% and increased heart rate, whereas prenatal exposure altered neither of these properties. When postnatal exposure concluded on postnatal day 5, excitatory neurotransmission remained decreased through day 6 and returned to basal levels by day 7. ECGs showed that heart rate remained elevated through day 6 and recovered by day 7. On activation of the parasympathetic diving reflex, the response was significantly blunted by postnatal sulfur dioxide exposure through day 7 but recovered by day 8. Postnatal, but not prenatal, exposure to sulfur dioxide can disrupt parasympathetic regulation of cardiovascular activity. Neonates can recover from these effects within 2 to 3 days of discontinued exposure.
Population Coding and the Labeling Problem: Extrinsic Versus Intrinsic Representations
Authors: Lehky Sidney R. , Sereno Margaret E. , Sereno Anne B.
Published: June 2013

Current population coding methods, including weighted averaging and Bayesian estimation, are based on extrinsic representations. These require that neurons be labeled with response parameters, such as tuning curve peaks or noise distributions, which are tied to some external, world-based metric scale. Firing rates alone, without this external labeling, are insufficient to represent a variable. However, the extrinsic approach does not explain how such neural labeling is implemented. A radically different and perhaps more physiological approach is based on intrinsic representations, which have access only to firing rates. Because neurons are unlabeled, intrinsic coding represents relative, rather than absolute, values of a variable. We show that intrinsic coding has representational advantages, including invariance, categorization, and discrimination, and in certain situations it may also recover absolute stimulus values.
Effect of Phase Response Curve Skewness on Synchronization of Electrically Coupled Neuronal Oscillators
Authors: Dodla Ramana , Wilson Charles J.
Published: June 2013

We investigate why electrically coupled neuronal oscillators synchronize or fail to synchronize using the theory of weakly coupled oscillators. Stability of synchrony and antisynchrony is predicted analytically and verified using numerical bifurcation diagrams. The shape of the phase response curve (PRC), the shape of the voltage time course, and the frequency of spiking are freely varied to map out regions of parameter spaces that hold stable solutions. We find that type 1 and type 2 PRCs can hold both synchronous and antisynchronous solutions, but the shape of the PRC and the voltage determine the extent of their stability. This is achieved by introducing a five-piecewise linear model to the PRC and a three-piecewise linear model to the voltage time course, and then analyzing the resultant eigenvalue equations that determine the stability of the phase-locked solutions. A single time parameter defines the skewness of the PRC, and another single time parameter defines the spike width and frequency. Our approach gives a comprehensive picture of the relation of the PRC shape, voltage time course, and stability of the resultant synchronous and antisynchronous solutions.
Formal Modeling of Robot Behavior with Learning
Authors: Kirwan Ryan , Miller Alice , Porr Bernd , Prodi P. Di
Published: June 2013

We present formal specification and verification of a robot moving in a complex network, using temporal sequence learning to avoid obstacles. Our aim is to demonstrate the benefit of using a formal approach to analyze such a system as a complementary approach to simulation. We first describe a classical closed-loop simulation of the system and compare this approach to one in which the system is analyzed using formal verification. We show that the formal verification has some advantages over classical simulation and finds deficiencies our classical simulation did not identify. Specifically we present a formal specification of the system, defined in the Promela modeling language and show how the associated model is verified using the Spin model checker. We then introduce an abstract model that is suitable for verifying the same properties for any environment with obstacles under a given set of assumptions. We outline how we can prove that our abstraction is sound: any property that holds for the abstracted model will hold in the original (unabstracted) model.
Attention as Reward-Driven Optimization of Sensory Processing
Authors: Chalk Matthew , Murray Iain , Seriès Peggy
Published: June 2013

Attention causes diverse changes to visual neuron responses, including alterations in receptive field structure, and firing rates. A common theoretical approach to investigate why sensory neurons behave as they do is based on the efficient coding hypothesis: that sensory processing is optimized toward the statistics of the received input. We extend this approach to account for the influence of task demands, hypothesizing that the brain learns a probabilistic model of both the sensory input and reward received for performing different actions. Attention-dependent changes to neural responses reflect optimization of this internal model to deal with changes in the sensory environment (stimulus statistics) and behavioral demands (reward statistics). We use this framework to construct a simple model of visual processing that is able to replicate a number of attention-dependent changes to the responses of neurons in the midlevel visual cortices. The model is consistent with and provides a normative explanation for recent divisive normalization models of attention (Reynolds & Heeger, 2009 ).
International Conventions and the Failure of a Transnational Approach to Controlling Crime Business
Authors: Findlay Mark , Hanif Nafis
Published: June 2013

The article argues that without a realistic understanding of criminal enterprise located against the commercial forces shaping contemporary market contexts, then domestic, bi-lateral, regional and international control initiatives are not only likely to fail in their regulatory objectives, but the premises on which they are constructed may heighten the market conditions for crime business profitability. The international convention-based approach to regulating transnational and organised crime is the framework from which a critique of non-market-centred law enforcement control concentrations is developed. This critique reveals the transposition of flawed normative control considerations from domestic to supra-national control contexts, and shows how this in turn constrains and is constrained by organised crime research. The article suggests the need for a novel methodology to reveal and understand crime business in its specific market realities and conditions. The analysis calls for a shift away from the normative ascription to supply-directed regulatory emphasis. In conclusion, conventional crime control perspectives and directives can usefully be critiqued from their international as well as their domestic frames, enabling the creation of a refined and more holistic legal response at each level of criminal enterprise that is supported and not retarded by business-grounded and market-reliant research understandings.
One new genus of cockroach in the Neotropical subfamily Nyctiborinae (Dictyoptera: Blattodea: Ectobiidae)
Authors: VÉLEZ-BRAVO ANDRÉS
Published: June 2013

The genus Nyctantonina gen. nov. and its two species Nyctantonina breviclasma sp. nov. and Nyctantonina pteromacro-tata sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Dichotomous key to identify the species of genus is given.
Allopachria yiae sp. n. from Chongqing, China (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae)
Authors: BIAN DONGJU , GUO CHENG , JI LANZHU
Published: June 2013

The genus Allopachria Zimmermann, 1924 (Hydroporinae: Hyphydrini) with a rich diversity of species occurs throughout southeastern Asia. Recently eight new species were reported from China, Laos and Indonesia by Wewalka (2010) and another four new species from China were added by Bian & Ji (2010, 2012). In the most recent version of the World Catalogue of Dytiscidae, Nilsson (2013) listed 45 species, 27 of which are known from southern parts of China (cf. Nilsson & Hájek 2013). The study of Allopachria specimens recently collected in the Chongqing Municipality revealed another new species, raising the number of Allopachria to 46. Allopachria yiae sp. n. is described, illustrated and compared with related species. It is the first species of the genus recorded from Chongqing.
First European records of an alien paper wasp: Polistes (Aphanilopterus) major Palisot de Beauvois, 1818 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in northern Spain
Authors: CASTRO LEOPOLDO , ARIAS ANDRÉS , TORRALBA-BURRIAL ANTONIO
Published: June 2013

The frequency and speed of the transport of goods and passengers have been on the increase for decades, involving a higher rate of introductions of animals and plants to new regions that they were not able to colonise unassisted. In particular, a large number of Hymenoptera have become introduced, either deliberately (for crop pollination purposes or pest control) or unintentionally. No global data are available, but a few regional examples may outline the size of the problem: 286 hymenopteran species are known to have been introduced into Europe (Rasplus et al. 2010), 148 into New Zealand (Landcare Research 2009), 35 into the Galápagos Islands (Causton et al. 2006) and 28 into the Canary Islands (Báez & Oromí 2010).
New species and records of the genus Lesteva Latreille, 1797 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) from Jiangxi province, China
Authors: SHAVRIN ALEXEY V.
Published: June 2013

The genus Lesteva Latreille, 1797 has been recently, intensively studied in China and twenty species are currently known from this vast territory (Rougemont, 2000; Watanabe, 2005; Li & al., 2005; Ma & al., 2012; Ma & Li, 2012). In this paper, I describe a new species of the genus with yellow round elytral spots, as well as provide records of L. (s.str.) pulcherrima Rougemont, 2000 and L. (s.str.) submaculata Rougemont, 2000 from Jiangxi province.
Available Energy of Geophysical Systems
Authors: Bannon Peter R.
Published: June 2013

An alternative derivation of the available energy for a geophysical fluid system is presented. It is shown that determination of the equilibrium temperature of the system by the minimization of an energy availability function is equivalent to that found by the vanishing of the entropy difference between the fluid and its equilibrium state. Applications to the atmosphere and the ocean are presented.