bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors governing burr formation during high-speed slot milling of wrought aluminum alloys
Authors: Niknam Seyed Ali , Songmene Victor
Published: May 2013

Burr formation and edge finishing are research topics with high relevance to industrial applications. To remove burrs, however, a secondary operation known as deburring is usually required. Deburring is more complex and costly when dealing with milled parts, because multiple burrs form at different locations with various sizes. Therefore, proper selection of process parameters to minimize the burr size is strongly recommended. Therefore, this requires an understanding of milling burr formation mechanism and the governing cutting parameters on milling burrs. In this article, a multilevel experimental study is arranged to investigate the effects of machining conditions, tooling and workpiece materials on burr size (height and thickness). Statistical tools are then used to determine the dominant cutting parameters on burr size and to effectively prescribe an operational window to control and minimize burr formation. It was found that optimum setting levels of process parameters to minimize each burr are different. The analysis of results shows the significant effects of cutting tool, feed per tooth and depth of cut on slot milling burrs.
Finite element analysis and experimental validation of the wedge rolling process
Authors: Nitu Eduard , Tabacu Stefan , Iordache Monica , Iacomi Doina
Published: May 2013

A numerical model, developed for LS-Dyna solver, aimed to study the wedge rolling process is presented in this article. In addition, a comparison is made between the experimental and simulated results in order to set up the numerical model’s definition and simulation parameters. The computational performances are evaluated throughout this article to identify the best practice parameters for cold rolling numerical analysis using wedge tools. For an evaluation of the performances of the numerical model, an experimental system was developed to analyse the process parameters of the complex profiles with grooves formed by wedge tools. The methodologies used to record and evaluate the experimental results and the capabilities of the technique are discussed. For a complete analysis, the material behaviour is described by using a five-parameter strain-hardening law. Both the radial force (process force) and the micro-hardness were measured using the Vickers method on a radial section of the rolled piece. The issues addressing the numerical simulation can be extrapolated to other processes (e.g. riveting, flow forming) as this article provides the required information for the development of reliable numerical models.
Effect of trajectory-controlled algorithm on the mechatronical performance of high-speed machining
Authors: Ding Wen Z , Huang Xiox D , Wang Mu L , Wang Bao S
Published: May 2013

For high-speed machining, the position commands from the trajectory-controlled algorithm should be as smooth as possible since even a small discontinuity in position command may lead to vibrations of the mechanical structure and the servo system. A simplified mechatronic model was proposed to analyze the impact of the trajectory-controlled algorithm on the performance of high-speed machining. The effects of the control loop parameters and natural frequency of mechanical structure on the vibration were also studied. Experimental tests on the vertical z-axis of a high-speed machining center indicate that the presented methodology is able to evaluate the evolution of the vibration due to the trajectory-controlled algorithm, and it is also helpful to choose the suitable controlled parameters for improving the mechatronic performance of high-speed machining.
Influence factor analysis and prediction models for component removal time in manufacturing
Authors: Tian Guangdong , Chu Jiangwei , Qiang Tiangang
Published: May 2013

Disassembly issues are important in the sustainable manufacturing field. One of them is influence factor analysis and time prediction of product disassembly. To deal with such issue, taking the bolt as a removal object, this work designs its removal experiment considering some factors influencing its removal process. Moreover, factor analysis and ranking on removal time are performed by a grey relational analysis method. In addition, based on the analysed and obtained main factors on removal time, its prediction models are established by multiple linear regressions, artificial neural networks and optimized artificial neural networks based on genetic algorithm methods. A numerical example is given to illustrate the proposed models and the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
A Behavioral Demonstration of Overconfidence in Judgment
Authors: Mannes Albert E. , Moore Don A.
Published: May 2013

Overprecision—an excessive confidence that one knows the truth—is both the most durable and the least understood form of overconfidence. This article outlines an approach to the study of overprecision that avoids some of the methodological problems of other approaches and better reflects the way uncertainty affects choices in everyday life. We measured the precision in judgment implied by people’s tendency to adjust their point estimates of an uncertain quantity in response to the costs of overestimating or underestimating the correct answer. The results revealed robust overprecision. People adjusted their estimates less than they should have given their actual knowledge, and this effect was driven by their subjective confidence.
Leaving a Flat Taste in Your Mouth
Authors: van der Wal Reine C. , van Dillen Lotte F.
Published: May 2013

In recent years, people have tended to pay less attention to their meals, often consuming them while engaging in other activities. At the same time, foods have become increasingly sweet and salty. We therefore investigated how performing concurrent activities affects taste perception and how this relates to actual consumption. Participants tasted sour, sweet, and salty substances in various concentrations under differing task loads. Our results demonstrated that under high task load (relative to low task load), participants rated the substances as less intense, consumed more of the substances, and preferred stronger tastants. Our findings suggest that increased task load reduces people’s taste perception by limiting attentional capacity to assess taste intensity and that people adjust their consumption accordingly.
Power and access in the public hearings of city council meetings
Authors: Farkas Kerrie RH
Published: May 2013

This article investigates the public hearings of a northeast Ohio city’s council meetings. Using grounded theory, conversation analysis (CA), and critical discourse analysis (CDA), the article examines the discourse exchanges between government officials and the general public during public hearings, access to the legislative process leading up to the public hearings, and access to the agenda that controls the topics and method in which the meetings are run. Results demonstrate that although the public has access to the public hearings, their access is controlled and restricted not only during the hearings but in the entire legislative, agenda-setting, and decision-making processes preceding the hearings.
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome with concurrent thrombotic and hemorrhagic manifestations
Authors: Rangel ML , Alghamdi I , Contreras G , Harrington T , Thomas DB , Barisoni L , Andrews D , Wolf M , Asif A , Nayer A
Published: May 2013

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a distinct autoimmune prothrombotic disorder due to pathogenic autoantibodies directed against proteins that bind to phospholipids. APS is characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis and their clinical sequelae. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare and often fatal form of APS characterized by disseminated intravascular thrombosis and ischemic injury resulting in multiorgan failure. Rarely, intravascular thrombosis in CAPS is accompanied by hemorrhagic manifestations such as diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Here, we report a 43-year-old woman who presented with anemia, acute gastroenteritis, abnormal liver function tests, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, and a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. The patient developed respiratory failure as a result of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage followed by acute renal failure. Laboratory tests disclosed hematuria, proteinuria, and reduced platelet count. Microbiologic tests were negative. A renal biopsy demonstrated acute thrombotic microangiopathy and extensive interstitial hemorrhage. Serologic tests disclosed antinuclear antibodies and reduced serum complement C4 concentration. Coagulation studies revealed the lupus anticoagulant and autoantibodies against cardiolipin, beta 2-glycoprotein I, and prothrombin. High-dose glucocorticoids and plasma exchange resulted in rapid resolution of pulmonary, renal, and hematological manifestations. This rare case emphasizes that CAPS can present with concurrent thrombotic and hemorrhagic manifestations. Rapid diagnosis and treatment may result in complete recovery.
Multiple-stage sampling procedure for covariate-adjusted response-adaptive designs
Authors: Park Eunsik , Chang Yuan-chin Ivan
Published: May 2013

Covariate-adjusted response-adaptive (CARA) design becomes an important statistical tool for evaluating and comparing the performance of treatments when targeted medicine and adaptive therapy become important medical innovations. Due to the nature of the adaptive therapies of interest and how subjects accrue to a sampling procedure, it is of interest how to control the sample size sequentially such that the estimates of treatment effects have satisfactory precision in addition to its asymptotic properties. In this paper, we apply a multiple-stage sequential sampling method to CARA design in such a way that the control of the sample size is more feasible. The theoretical properties of the proposed method, including the estimates of regression parameters and the allocation probabilities under this randomly stopped sampling procedure, are discussed. The numerical results based on synthesized data and a real example are presented.
Early Medieval Law in India and Europe: A Plea for Comparisons
Authors: Reynolds Susan
Published: May 2013

The records of the customary law that seems to have been practised in early medieval India differ from those that survive from Western Europe, but the law that was followed in the two subcontinents seems rather similar. In both cases it offers insights to the structures and norms of the societies that produced it. It is harder to compare the evidence for the existence and the beginning of professional law since some aspects of the way that it began in Europe seem likely to be peculiar to that subcontinent. Consideration of possible reasons for the origin of European legal professions suggests, however, that it may be worth questioning any assumption there was no professional law in early medieval India.
Jean Gerson’s Assessment of the Issue of Religious Zeal in the Context of the Tyrannicide Controversy
Authors: Mazour-Matusevich Yelena
Published: May 2013

This article explores the issue of religious zeal and politics in the works of the leading French theologian and chancellor of the University of Paris, Jean Gerson (1363–1429). The article examines it in the context of the tyrannicide controversy, which landed him in open conflict with the powerful Duke of Burgundy. It was for Gerson no ordinary political dispute, concerned with material well-being, but a matter of choice between the ruin and salvation of human nature. Focusing on theological treatisesDe Consolatione Theologiae and Dialogus Apologeticus, the study aims at exploring Gerson’s increasingly anxious and personal thoughts concerning his actions and his involvement in politics in general. Revealing the very core of tensions between, on one hand, moral conscience and the Christian doctrine, and, on the other, temporal power and political wisdom, Gerson raises the crucial questions of dangers, boundaries and applications of religious zeal while bringing to light the inherent conflict between collective good and personal salvation.
Stakeholder Flux
Authors: Walton Rebecca
Published: May 2013

Technical communication increasingly occurs in distributed, cross-cultural, and cross-organizational environments in which stakeholders may have widely disparate—even conflicting—perspectives. Information and communication technology for development (ICTD) is one such environment. Balancing complex and conflicting perspectives of multiple stakeholder groups is a challenge, and unstable stakeholder participation is a widespread problem in ICTD projects. The study presented here shows that stakeholders’ participation in a project was sustained most easily when the value that the stakeholders would gain from such participation was congruent with their respective national and organizational cultures. This study has implications for technical communicators working on cross-organizational projects, particularly projects that occur in distributed, cross-cultural environments.
Counseling Single-Parent Multiracial Families
Authors: Harris Henry L.
Published: May 2013

Single-parent families represent a growing segment of the family households in the United States today and while some literature has addressed racial differences, information focusing on single parents of multiracial children in the United States is virtually nonexistent. Single-parent multiracial families (SPMFs) must not only contend with societal challenges related to their single-parent status but also racial issues related to their multiracial children. This article will address some of the unique challenges encountered by SPMFs and offer suggestions to counselors and other mental health professionals working with this unique population.
Counseling Single Mothers of Multiple Heritage Children
Authors: Harris Kristin , Henriksen Richard C. , Onwuegbuzie Anthony J.
Published: May 2013

An instrumental qualitative multiple case study design was conducted on 3 single mothers raising multiple heritage children concerning issues involved in being a single mother and attempting to juggle socializing their children among two different cultures. Using constant comparison analysis, themes were assigned by analyzing the single mothers’ interview responses to determine the advantages and disadvantages that single mothers might face while raising multiple heritage children. Results indicate an array of pertinent issues single mothers might face while attempting to juggle family and social issues pertaining to raising a multiple heritage child on their own. Recommendations for counselors working with single mothers of multiple heritage children are presented.
Grief Counseling and Crisis Intervention in Hospital Trauma Units
Authors: Jacobson Lamerial , Butler S. Kent
Published: May 2013

The demand for family counselors implementing crisis intervention and grief counseling in hospital trauma units continues to increase. Thus, this article provides a review of the nature of family counselors working with individuals and families affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and medical trauma in hospitals. Specifically, the article presents (a) unique aspects of crisis intervention and grief services provided in hospital trauma units, (b) effective rapport building strategies for family counselors working with families in crisis from TBI, (c) multidisciplinary collaboration in hospitals, (d) diagnostic approaches and common mental health disorders following TBI, (e) ethical issues working in hospitals, (f) family-focused grief therapy and stages of grief interventions, and (g) implications with a case example of a family counselor working with a family affected by TBI.
Influence of myocardial fiber/sheet orientations on left ventricular mechanical contraction
Authors: Eriksson TSE , Prassl AJ , Plank G , Holzapfel GA
Published: May 2013

At any point in space the material properties of the myocardium are characterized as orthotropic, that is, there are three mutually orthogonal axes along which both electrical and mechanical parameters differ. To investigate the role of spatial structural heterogeneity in an orthotropic material, electro-mechanically coupled models of the left ventricle (LV) were used. The implemented models differed in their arrangement of fibers and sheets in the myocardium, but were identical otherwise: (i) a generic homogeneous model, where a rule-based method was applied to assign fiber and sheet orientations, and (ii) a heterogeneous model, where the assignment of the orthotropic tissue structure was based on experimentally obtained fiber/sheet orientations. While both models resulted in pressure–volume loops and metrics of global mechanical function that were qualitatively and quantitatively similar and matched well with experimental data, the predicted deformations were strikingly different between these models, particularly with regard to torsion. Thus, the simulation results strongly suggest that heterogeneous structure properties play an important nonnegligible role in LV mechanics and, consequently, should be accounted for in computational models.
Predictors of outcome for cats with ureteral obstructions after interventional management using ureteral stents or a subcutaneous ureteral bypass device
Authors: Horowitz Cara , Berent Allyson , Weisse Chick , Langston Cathy , Bagley Demetrius
Published: May 2013

Novel treatment alternatives for feline ureteral obstruction(s) include placement of a double pigtail ureteral stent and a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) device. This study evaluated parameters for the prediction of hospitalization times, peri-operative survival, renal recovery and long-term survival in cats with benign ureteral obstructions after successful decompression with either a ureteral stent or SUB device. The medical records of 41 cats treated for benign ureteral obstruction(s) were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative historical, biochemical and imaging parameters, along with intra- and postoperative biochemical parameters and complications were evaluated for predictors of hospitalization length, survival to discharge, 3-, 6- and 9-month post-procedure creatinine, and overall survival time. All patients had successful decompression of their renal pelvis. Hospitalization time was positively associated with presenting creatinine, perioperative complications, post-procedure creatinine and potassium, but was negatively associated with post-procedure sodium. No parameters were associated with survival to discharge. A higher creatinine at discharge was positively associated with a higher creatinine at follow-up. A decreased overall survival was associated with a higher presenting blood urea nitrogen, higher creatinine at hospital discharge and in overhydrated patients during hospitalization. Cats with International Renal Interest Society stage 1 and 2 kidney disease, versus stage 3 and 4, at 3 months and 6 months post-procedure, lived longer. Cats with ureteral obstruction(s) treated with a ureteral stent or SUB device had an overall good survival and no admitting parameter was associated with survival to discharge. No single parameter was associated with all outcomes in this study, making predicting patient survival and cost prior to ureteral decompression difficult.
Association of Symptoms and Cytokines in Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Treatment
Authors: Dirksen Shannon Ruff , Kirschner Kenneth Ferris , Belyea Michael J.
Published: May 2013

Introduction:

Men with prostate cancer undergoing radiation treatment frequently report fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety and urinary, bowel, sexual, and hormonal symptoms. Plasma concentrations of cytokines may be related to these symptoms, but few studies have examined these relationships. The study purpose was to explore the association between prostate cancer symptoms and cytokine levels at pretreatment and posttreatment.

Method:

In this longitudinal, correlational study, 29 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer completed symptom questionnaires at preradiation and postradiation treatment. Blood drawn at these same time points was used to determine levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukins-1β, 6, 10, and 4 (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-4).

Results:

Men reported symptom severity at pretreatment and posttreatment as low to moderate. There were significant differences from pretreatment to posttreatment in fatigue, insomnia, urinary irritative and incontinence, bowel, sexual, and hormonal problems. There were no significant differences in TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, or IL-4. At pretreatment, TNF-α was associated with depression, anxiety, urinary irritative, and bowel problems, and IL-4 was related to urinary irritative symptoms. At posttreatment, IL-4 was associated with urinary irritative symptoms. Findings suggest that, in men with prostate cancer, there is no strong association between symptom reporting and cytokine levels. Ongoing research focused on neuroendocrine and genetic markers and their associations with symptoms is promising and may result in the provision of better markers for quantifying the symptom experience in patients with cancer.
Revisiting “Complexification,” Technology, and Urban Form in Lefebvre
Authors: Read Stephen , de Laat-Lukkassen Martine , Jonauskis Tadas
Published: May 2013

Henri Lefebvre gave suggestive hints at a theory of urban form that have inspired those involved in the design and planning disciplines. His search was for an urban praxis that opened potentials for new forms of social relations and to this end he proposed a “metaphilosophy” designed to engage with the open-ended material relations of cities and societies. This, however, contradicted his Marxist commitment to a “finality” of man and society and his association of technology with alienation. We try here to rethink technology as intrinsic to human and social life: not as means to realize thought in the materialization of spaces and societies, but as medium and source, in processes of historical realization, of orders that come before thought in human practice. We relate this to “worlds” of practice which are the technically and historically constructed “metaphilosophical” “totalities” within which we are enabled and act. This pluralizes and technologizes “world,” and Lefebvre’s “urban form” becomes a construction of multiple relational–technological “worlds,” each perceived, conceived, and lived as wholes. These articulate with one another and evolve historically. It is the articulations and interfaces between “worlds” rather than the “worlds” themselves which locate the places of productivity and vitality in the city. The question of an open urban shifts subtly from one of resistance to the abstract rationalities of “planning” or an “authoritarian state” to one of the maintenance of open relations between different “worlds” each with their necessary technical or abstract rationalities.
Let’s bullshit! Arguing, bargaining and dissembling over Darfur
Authors: Seymour Lee J.M.
Published: May 2013

The crisis in Darfur led to one of the most powerful advocacy campaigns in recent US history. Responding to intense political pressures from this campaign, the US engaged Sudan in a heated public confrontation, increasingly echoing the rhetoric of an advocacy campaign that was surprisingly indifferent to realities on the ground in Darfur. This article examines how the exceptional mobilization around Darfur affected US policy and diplomatic outcomes, using the case to explore larger theoretical questions around deception and truthfulness in International Relations. There was a curious disconnect between the exceptionally strong language US leaders used during the crisis, and the failure of these public claims, promises and threats to achieve the desired diplomatic outcomes. Such strong language should have bolstered US arguments to persuade allies to support measures against Sudan, given the US bargaining leverage with Sudan, and opened opportunities for activists to rhetorically entrap US officials into defending the norms they publicly invoked. Instead, I argue that US leaders bullshitted their way through the crisis in response to advocacy and the demands it generated. Far from being a harmless form of moral posturing, this complicated US diplomatic efforts and undermined the prospects for a political solution in Darfur.
A model for computing the dual stiffness matrix of the human knee joint
Authors: Enea Cristiano , Pennestrì Ettore , Valentini Pier Paolo
Published: May 2013

This paper discusses an application of dual algebra to the analysis of human knee joint stiffness matrix. According to the proposed methodology, the general stiffness matrix characterizing the elasticity properties of the knee ligaments is reduced to a dual diagonal stiffness matrix. For this purpose, the similarity transform was extended to the field of dual numbers. The theoretical framework proposed seems particularly useful when comparing stiffness matrices obtained from different experimental setup and within different Cartesian coordinate systems.
A question of quality: the art/science of doing collaborative public ethnography
Authors: Mosher Heather
Published: May 2013

Social science researchers have long stressed the importance of a more publically relevant and accessible science. Nevertheless, significant barriers remain within the academy, such as processes for peer review, promotion, and awarding of degrees, which discourage the use of nontraditional dissemination techniques that support a more public ethnography. Concerns over scientific rigor, best practices, and methods for disseminating ethnographic research to public audiences may act as some of the barriers, among others. The purpose of this article is to discuss challenges in doing and disseminating collaborative ethnography to public audiences while still operating within the constraints of the academy. By sharing this experience, my intent is to stimulate debate and scholarship around assessing the quality of public ethnography using less traditional modes of reporting, such as video, and to encourage changes in peer review and institutional practices to more effectively support quality and dialogic dissemination of public ethnography that aims to bring together both academic and public audiences to address issues of great public significance.
Properties and manufacture technique of the functional bamboo charcoal/metal complex fabrics
Authors: Lin Ching-Hui , Chen An-Pang , Lin Jia-Horng
Published: May 2013

Functional textiles of far infrared emissivity and electromagnetic shielding are attracting increasing attention, thus in this research we fabricated the bamboo charcoal/metal complex yarns with stainless steel wires or copper wires as the core yarn and bamboo charcoal polyester textured yarn as the wrapped yarn, using a rotor twister machine. The two manufacture parameters were rotor speed (7000–11,000 r/min) and wrapped number (2–7 turns/cm), and the bamboo charcoal/metal complex yarns which had optimum breaking strength and elongation became the weft yarns of the bamboo charcoal/metal complex woven fabrics. After the complex woven fabrics were tested in tensile strength and tensile strain, they were changed with different lamination numbers for the tests of the far infrared emissivity, anion density and air permeability. When the core yarn was 80 ìm stainless steel wires, the complex woven fabrics had the optimum tensile strength and air permeability of 364.8 N and 174.8 cm3/s/cm2. When the lamination number was 2, the complex woven fabrics had the optimum far infrared ray emissivity of 0.94.
Application of Porter's Five Forces Model and generic strategies for vascular surgery: should be stuck in the middle?
Authors: Sumpio Bauer E
Published: May 2013

There are many stakeholders in the vascular marketplace from clinicians to hospitals, third party payers, medical device manufacturers and the government. Economic stress, threats of policy reform and changing health-care delivery are adding to the challenges faced by vascular surgeons. Use of Porter's Five Forces analysis to identify the sources of competition, the strength and likelihood of that competition existing, and barriers to competition that affect vascular surgery will help our specialty understand both the strength of our current competition and the strength of a position that our specialty will need to move to. By understanding the nature of the Porter's Five Forces as it applies to vascular surgery, and by appreciating their relative importance, our society would be in a stronger position to defend itself against threats and perhaps influence the forces with a long-term strategy. Porter's generic strategies attempt to create effective links for business with customers and suppliers and create barriers to new entrants and substitute products. It brings an initial perspective that is convenient to adapt to vascular surgery in order to reveal opportunities. Vascular surgery is uniquely situated to pursue both a differentiation and high value leadership strategy.
Forearm and hand arteries' aneurysms – a case report of bilateral true ulnar artery aneurysm in the hypothenar eminence and systematic review of the literature
Authors: De Santis F , Martini G , Mani G , Zywica M , Zipponi D
Published: May 2013

Arterial aneurysms in the forearm, wrist and hand are relatively uncommon. Penetrating injuries, arterial traumas, infections and repetitive microtraumas represent the most frequent cause of these secondary aneurysms or pseudo-aneurysms, while true non-traumatic or infective peripheral aneurysms of the upper extremities are very rarely encountered. Over the last 20 years these have been reported only sporadically, both in adults and children. We describe a case of bilateral true idiopathic saccular artery aneurysms in the hypothenar eminence, treated with excision and arterial continuity restoration by primary end-to-end anastomosis on the left side and conservatively on the right. To our knowledge, no other similar case has been documented to date. Starting from this original case we conducted a systematic review of the literature via PubMed search on peripheral aneurysms of the forearm and hand arteries from 1933 to the present, including specifically true distal ulnar and radial artery aneurysms. Etiology, clinical characteristics and management of these rare pathological entities are extensively discussed.
Stent outcomes for infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease
Authors: Mwipatayi Bibombe Patrice , Thomas Shannon , Angel Donna , Wong Jackie , Vijayan Vikram
Published: May 2013

This study aimed to determine if the different stent types used in the treatment of infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease provide any significant advantage over one another at 6 and 12-month follow-up. Consecutive patients undergoing stenting of infrapopliteal lesions were enrolled into a non-randomised prospective registry and followed-up for 1 year. Outcome measures included binary restenosis, target lesion revascularisation, major amputation, and change in Rutherford-Becker score and ankle-brachial index (ABI). Thirty-three patients were enrolled including four patients with bilateral disease. There were 20 target vessels in the drug-eluting stent (DES) group, 13 target vessels in the balloon-expandable bare metal stent (BE-BMS) group and 14 target vessels in the self-expandable bare metal stent (SE-BMS) group. Most of the patients in the study were octogenarians except in the SE-BMS group where the mean age was 73 ± 9 years. At 12 months, seven patients had died (DES = 6, BE-BMS = 1) from cardiac and cancer-related diseases. In-stent and peri-stent binary restenosis were non-statistically different between all three groups. There was a non-statistically significant trend towards higher target vessel revascularisation in the BE-BMS group. Survival curves in all stent types demonstrated restenosis to occur within the first 6 months post-procedure. There was no significant difference in the change in Rutherford-Becker score or ABI between the groups. No major limb amputations occurred during the 12-month period. In conclusion, we did not detect a significant difference in stent performance between the different stent types used to treat infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease. The choice of stent did not seem to affect patient survival or major amputation-free survival at 1-year follow-up.
Contained rupture of a celiac artery aneurysm treated with aortic endograft deployment and assisting percutaneous coil and thrombin infusion
Authors: Papakostas John C , Theodoropoulos Emmanouil , Karydas George , Chatzigakis Petros K
Published: May 2013

In this report we present a case of a ruptured celiac artery aneurysm (CAA) with a thrombosed distal neck, which was treated as an emergently with a deployment of a tube thoracic endograft to the descending thoracic and upper abdominal aorta. The initial treatment was assisted with a second stage percutaneous, transhepatic, ultrasound guided needle infusion of coil and thrombin to the aneurysmal sac due to type Ib endoleak, with immediate thrombosis of the aneurysm. This technique, although not standard, could also be considered as a useful choice for the treatment of CAAs with wide proximal and patent distal neck.
IL-18 provided in dying bacterial-infected macrophages induces IFN-γ production in functional T-cell hybridoma B6HO3 through cell conjugates
Authors: Kubota Koichi , Kadoya Yuichi
Published: May 2013

We have previously reported that the co-culture of functional T-cell hybridoma B6HO3 with dying J774 macrophage cells infected with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) results in the production of IFN-γ by B6HO3 cells. Here, we explore the mechanism underlying this phenomenon. We found that IFN-γ production was dependent on IL-18, but that the dying LM-infected macrophages produced no more than 100 pg/ml of IL-18, much less than the amount of IL-18 required for stimulating B6HO3 cells to produce IFN-γ. Furthermore, IL-18 binding protein added to the co-culture was unable to easily gain access to IL-18 for neutralisation. B6HO3 cells formed cell conjugates with J774 macrophages, and IFN-γ-producing B6HO3 cells were spatially and temporally associated with LM-infected macrophage cell death that exhibited neither pyroptosis nor pyronecrosis. These results suggest that the IL-18 produced by dying LM-infected macrophages is released to the interface of the cell conjugates, thereby inducing B6HO3 cells to produce IFN-γ. Based on the present and also previous findings, we propose that IL-18 released from macrophages because of cell death caused by bacteria may be the primary cytokine that triggers the innate IFN-γ production that is required for activating the bactericidal functions of macrophages at early stages of bacterial infection.
Canine gut dendritic cells in the steady state and in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Junginger Johannes , Lemensieck Frederik , Moore Peter F , Schwittlick Ulrike , Nolte Ingo , Hewicker-Trautwein Marion
Published: May 2013

Alongside the intestinal border, dendritic cells (DCs) sample large amounts of endogenous and potentially pathogenic antigens followed by initiation of protective immune responses or induction of tolerance. Breakdown of oral tolerance towards commensal bacteria is suggested to be crucial for the development of both human and canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate canine intestinal DCs in the steady state and in dogs with IBD using multicolour immunofluorescence. In the healthy gut, DC-like cells expressed MHC II, CD1a8.2 and CD11c, and, in lower amounts, CD11b, within lamina propria, Peyer’s patches (PPs) and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), whereas those expressing CD80 and CD86 were only present in PPs and MLNs. Occasionally, DC-like cells were in contact with the intestinal lumen through transepithelial projections. In canine IBD, CD1a8.2+, CD11b+ and CD11c+ DC-like cells were decreased within the stomach, duodenum and colon, whereas the colonic mucosa revealed elevation of CD86+ DC-like cells. The complex network of DC-like cells in the gut indicates their important role in canine mucosal immunity, including active sampling of luminal antigens. Furthermore, their shift in diseased dogs suggests a pathogenetic significance for canine IBD.
Use of aliskiren in Latin America in a real-world setting: Aliskiren in Latin America Study (ALAS)
Authors: Volman Sergio , Benitez Fernando Nicolas , Cedenio Harold , Giorgi Mariano , Jaramillo Nicolas , Molina Nelys , Zilberman Judith
Published: May 2013

Background:

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Western countries, and disease control is of major relevance in order to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Different approaches have shown efficacy, and one of the proven therapies for HTN control is the blockade of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, which may be accomplished by means of various drugs with different modes of action. Aliskiren is a novel direct renin inhibitor that reduces both angiotensin I and II blood levels. Different randomized clinical trials (phase II and III) have shown its safety and efficacy either alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide. However, although aliskiren has been on the market for some years, reports on the post-marketing experience with aliskiren in the real-world setting are lacking.

Methods:

The Aliskiren in Latin America Study (ALAS) was designed with the aim of describing the effectiveness of aliskiren at reducing blood pressure (BP) values by prospectively assessing BP control in outpatient clinics in different countries in Latin America. A total of 435 sites in 5 Latin American countries (Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Venezuela) enrolled 4588 patients who had just been initiated on aliskiren (either alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide) based on their treating physicians’ discretion, and they were followed for a 6-month period. Prior antihypertensive drugs could be continued if their doses were not modified along the study.

Results:

At the end of the follow-up period, a statistically significant reduction in BP values was observed, with a mean systolic BP reduction of 29.2 mmHg and a mean diastolic BP reduction of 13.78 mmHg from baseline at the 6-month visit.

Conclusion:

The BP reduction levels and the low adverse event rate demonstrate the adequate efficacy and safety profile of aliskiren (alone or with hydrochlorothiazide).
High Prevalence of Hepatitis Delta Virus among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection and HIV-1 in an Intermediate Hepatitis B Virus Endemic Region
Authors: Saravanan Shanmugam , Madhavan Vidya , Velu Vijayakumar , Murugavel Kailapuri G. , Waldrop Greer , Solomon Sunil S. , Balakrishnan Pachamuthu , Kumarasamy Nagalingeswaran , Smith Davey M. , Mayer Kenneth H. , Solomon Suniti , Thyagarajan Sadras P.
Published: May 2013

We conducted a study to investigate HIV and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) coinfection among patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the triple infection’s (HIV/HBV/HDV) clinical implications in India, an intermediate HBV endemic region, with an estimated HIV-positive population of 2.5 million. A total of 450 patients (men: 270; women: 180) with chronic HBV infections and 135 healthy volunteers were screened for HIV and HDV. The incidence of the triple infection was low (4 [0.8%]) compared with dual infections of HIV-1/HBV (7 [1.5%]) and HBV/HDV (22[4.8%]). Among 21- to 40-year-olds, HBV/HDV coinfection (45.8%) and HBV/HDV/HIV-1 triple infection was predominant (75%). Among 11 patients coinfected with HIV-1/HBV, 4 (36%) were tri-infected and were also associated with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The HDV coinfection was higher among patients coinfected with HBV/HIV-1, despite the declining trend in HDV infection among HIV-negative patients, as previously reported. Thus, it is important to assess the impact of HIV, chronic HBV, and HDV tri-infection in India.
The impact of COPD on health status: findings from the BOLD study
Authors: Janson Christer , Marks Guy , Buist Sonia , Gnatiuc Louisa , Gislason Thorarinn , McBurnie Mary Ann , Nielsen Rune , Studnicka Michael , Toelle Brett , Benediktsdottir Bryndis , Burney Peter
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to describe the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on health status in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) populations.

We conducted a cross-sectional, general population-based survey in 11 985 subjects from 17 countries. We measured spirometric lung function and assessed health status using the Short Form 12 questionnaire. The physical and mental health component scores were calculated.

Subjects with COPD (post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity <0.70, n = 2269) had lower physical component scores (44±10versus48±10 units, p<0.0001) and mental health component scores (51±10versus52±10 units, p = 0.005) than subjects without COPD. The effect of reported heart disease, hypertension and diabetes on physical health component scores (-3 to -4 units) was considerably less than the effect of COPD Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease grade 3 (-8 units) or 4 (-11 units). Dyspnoea was the most important determinant of a low physical and mental health component scores. In addition, lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s, chronic cough, chronic phlegm and the presence of comorbidities were all associated with a lower physical health component score.

COPD is associated with poorer health status but the effect is stronger on the physical than the mental aspects of health status. Severe COPD has a greater negative impact on health status than self-reported cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Similar dose-dependence of motor neuron cell death caused by wild type human TDP-43 and mutants with ALS-associated amino acid substitutions
Authors: Wu Lien-Szu , Cheng Wei-Cheng , Shen Che-Kun James
Published: May 2013

Background

TDP-43, a multi-functional DNA/ RNA-binding protein encoded by the TARDBP gene, has emerged as a major patho-signature factor of the ubiquitinated intracellular inclusions (UBIs) in the diseased cells of a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Mutations in at least 9 different genes including TARDBP have been identified in ALS with TDP-43 (+)-UBIs. Thus far, the pathogenic role(s) of the more than 30 ALS-associated mutations in the TARDBP gene has not been well defined.

Results

By transient DNA transfection studies, we show that exogenously expressed human TDP-43 (hTDP-43), either wild type (WT) or 2 different ALS mutant (MT) forms, could cause significantly higher apoptotic death rate of a mouse spinal motor neuron-like cell line (NSC34) than other types of cells, e.g. mouse neuronal Neuro2a and human fibroblast HEK293T cells. Furthermore, at the same plasmid DNA dose(s) used for transfection, the percentages of NSC34 cell death caused by the 2 exogenously expressed hTDP-43 mutants are all higher than that caused by the WT hTDP-43. Significantly, the above observations are correlated with higher steady-state levels of the mutant hTDP-43 proteins as well as their stabilities than the WT.

Conclusions

Based on these data and previous transgenic TDP-43 studies in animals or cell cultures, we suggest that one major common consequence of the different ALS-associated TDP-43 mutations is the stabilization of the hTDP-43 polypeptide. The resulting elevation of the steady state level of hTDP-43 in combination with the relatively low tolerance of the spinal motor neurons to the increased amount of hTDP-43 lead to the neurodegeneration and pathogenesis of ALS, and of diseases with TDP-43 proteinopathies in general.
Positive association between the plasma levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and the severity of depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Sekiduka-Kumano Tomomi , Kawayama Tomotaka , Ito Kosuke , Shoji Yoshihisa , Matsunaga Kazuko , Okamoto Masaki , Edakuni Nobutaka , Imaoka Haruki , Uchimura Naohisa , Hoshino Tomoaki
Published: May 2013

Background

The role of plasma monoamines in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with depression is unclear. To investigate monoamines in 20 depressed patients with COPD, the plasma concentrations of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were measured and compared with those in 50 non-depressed COPD patients, and also with 23 age- and gender-matched non-smokers and 13 smokers as non-depressed healthy controls.

Methods

Diagnosis of depression was assessed using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Plasma concentrations of monoamines were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results

None of the depressed COPD patients had suicidal ideation. The plasma 5-HIAA level [median, (25% and 75% quartiles)] in depressed COPD patients [6.8 ng/mL, (4.9 and 13.1)] was significantly higher than in non-depressed COPD patients [5.4, (4.2 and 7.5)] (p=0.022) and non-smokers [5.1 (3.8 and 7.2)] (p=0.041), but not smokers [4.7, (4.0 and 6.7)] (p>0.05). The plasma 5-HIAA level (r=0.24, p=0.049) was significantly associated with the severity of depression in patients with COPD. The plasma MHPG level was significantly higher in depressed COPD patients (p=0.043) than in smokers, but was not higher than that in non-depressed COPD patients or non-smokers, although the level of MHPG was not associated with the severity of depression.

Conclusion

The plasma 5-HIAA level is increased in depressed COPD patients. Plasma monoamines may be a good biomarker for detection of depression in patients with COPD.
Molecular signature of adipose tissue in patients with both Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Authors: Baranova Ancha , Tran Thuy Phuong , Afendy Arian , Wang Lei , Shamsaddini Amirhossein , Mehta Rohini , Chandhoke Vikas , Birerdinc Aybike , Younossi Zobair M
Published: May 2013

Background

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive disorders with strong association with both insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To untangle the complex relationship between PCOS and NAFLD, we analyzed serum biomarkers of apoptosis, some adipokines and mRNA profiles in the visceral adipose tissue of obese patients with NAFLD who were also diagnosed with PCOS and compared to a group with NAFLD only.

Methods

We included patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and PCOS (N = 12) and BMI-matched biopsy-proven NAFLD patients without PCOS (N = 12). Expression levels of individual mRNAs and soluble serum biomarkers were compared by non-parametric Mann–Whitney test. The analysis also included Spearman rank correlation tests and multiple regression analysis. For co-correlated genes, the factor analysis was performed.

Results

The total serum levels of apoptotic biomarker M30 were significantly elevated in PCOS patients with liver steatosis as compared to non-PCOS NAFLD controls (P < 0.02), pointing that androgen-dependent proapoptotic PCOS environment that may directly contribute to NAFLD progression in these patients. Similarly, hyperandrogenism may explain the observed PCOS-specific decrease (P < 0.04) in adipose LDLR mRNA expression that may be connected to the proneness of PCOS patients to NAFLD. The levels of mRNA encoding angiogenesis-associated GSK-3B interacting protein ninein were also significantly increased in the adipose tissue of NAFLD patients with PCOS (P < 0.007). Furthermore, the levels of resistin positively correlated with expression levels of LDLR and prothrombin time (PT).

Conclusion

An androgen-dependent proapoptotic PCOS environment may directly contribute to NAFLD progression in these patients. Hyperandrogenism may explain an observed decrease in adipose LDLR mRNA expression. An inflammation-associated increase in the release of resistin into circulation might contribute to the prothrombotic state observed under conditions associated with insulin resistance, including PCOS. The studies of larger cohorts of NAFLD with and without PCOS patients are needed to further assess these potential interactions.