bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Les apports du Chronomètre géologique 234 U - 230 Th dans la karstogenèse de la Grande Moucherolle-Rochers de la Balme (Vercors)
Authors: Delannoy Jean-Jacques , Holliger Philippe , Aubert Christophe , Haffner Dominique , Krattinger Thierry , Pomot Christian
Published: March 2017

Dans cet article est présentée une première synthèse géomorphologique et spéléologique du karst subalpin de la Grande Moucherolle (2285 m)-Rochers de la Balme. Cette région du Vercors qui possède 8 cavités supérieures à -300 m (Antre des Damnés -720 m ; Clos de la Fure -580 m. . .) est assurément le secteur spéléologique le plus prometteur. Au travers de l'étude du modelé glacio-karstique et de la répartition des grandes cavités, il apparaît qu'il existe une réelle relation entre ces deux paramètres. Afin de mieux cerner la contribution des glaciations quaternaires dans la genèse des cavités, des datations isotopiques (234 U - 230 Th) ont été effectuées sur des dépôts souterrains carbonatés. Après une rapide présentation de la méthode chronométrique 234 U - 230 Th, les résultats sont analysés en fonction de leur environnement spéléologique. Une reconstitution paléogéographique au cours du Quaternaire moyen et récent est proposée pour le géosystème de la Grande Moucherolle-Rochers de la Balme et pour les cavités qui s'y développent.
Les monts de Pardailhan : Etude hydrodynamique et des sources karstiques de Poussarou et Malibert (Montagne Noire - Hérault)
Authors: Guyot Jean-Louis
Published: March 2017

The Pardailhan mountains : hydrodynamic and hydrochemical study of karstic springs of Poussarou and Malibert.

The hydrogeological study of the Monts de Pardailhan carried out in collaboration with the Regional Service of Development Water (Montpellier), has allowed the definition of the systems of flow of the principal courses of water and sources of this region to become apparent.

The hydrodynamic analysis of the two main karstic springs, Poussarou and Malibert, showed, thanks to the utilisation of different methods (débits classés, variogrammes) that these sources have different systems of flow. The hydrochemical study confirmed this difference of behavioural patterns towards the outlet.
Un pseudo-karst dans les argiles (Las Bardenas, Navarre-Espagne)
Authors: Maire Richard , Pernette Jean-François
Published: March 2017

Pseudo-karst in sandy-clay (Las Bardenas Navarra-Spain)

The spectacular bad-lands of Las Bardenas are situated south of the Navarra province (NE Spain) ; they develop in the sandy-clay (Oligo-Miocene) of the tertiary Ebra basin, with a semi-arid climatic context (<400 mm/year). Pseudo-karstic landforms have been observed near mini-canyons : sinkholes, pits, caves, natural bridges... This morphology of mechanical origin is possible because the running waters disappear undergroud into the decompression fissures generated on the edges of canyon cliffs. Yet, in a few caves (photo 2), the gallery is made directly in the mass of sandy-clay, without the help of joints, cracks or fissures («piping»). This recent pseudo-karst and bad-lands are the obvious consequence of the historical destruction of forest during the Middle Ages.
UCA1 Regulates the Growth and Metastasis of Pancreatic Cancer by Sponging miR-135a
Authors: Zhang Xiaobo , Gao Feng , Zhou Lei , Wang Huaitao , Shi Gang , Tan Xiaodong
Published: March 2017

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a devastating malignant disease with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) in the progression of PC. Our results revealed that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) UCA1 was overexpressed in PC tissues
compared with adjacent histologically normal tissues. A downregulated level of UCA1 was also detected in five human PC cell lines (SW1990, BxPC-3, MiaPaCa-2, PANC-1, and CAPAN-1) compared with normal pancreatic duct epithelial HPDE cells. The proliferation of PC cells was inhibited after UCA1
was suppressed by a lentiviral vector. The cell apoptosis rate was largely promoted by downregulating UCA1. Further research revealed that microRNA (miRNA)-135a is a direct target of UCA1. The expression of miR-135a was decreased in PC tissues and cell lines compared with control groups. In
addition, the decreased level of miR-135a was elevated by adding miR-135a mimic in SW1990 cells transfected with lncRNA UCA1. Similarly, an upregulated level of miR-135a was downregulated by adding miR-135a inhibitor in SW1990 cells transfected with UCA1 siRNA. Luciferase activity assay further
confirmed the targeting relationship between UCA1 and miR-135a. Moreover, miR-135a reversed the effect of UCA1 on cell apoptosis rate and cell viability in SW1990 cells. The migration and invasion capacities of PC cells were suppressed by UCA1. siRNA was then enhanced by the miR-135a inhibitor.
In vivo, UCA1 siRNA effectively suppressed tumor growth and the expression of migration markers. Taken together, our research revealed that UCA1 works as an oncogene by targeting miR-135a. The UCA1‐miR-135a pathway regulated the growth and metastasis of PC, providing new insight in
the treatment of PC.
HARMONIC BALANCE FOR NON-PERIODIC HYPERBOLIC SOLUTIONS OF NONLINEAR ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: Yamgoue Serge Bruno , Lekeufack Olivier Tiokeng , Kofane Timoleon Crepin
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we propose a new approach for obtaining explicit analytical approximations to the homoclinic or heteroclinic solutions of a general class of strongly nonlinear ordinary differential equations describing conservative singledegree-of-freedom systems. Through a simple and explicit change of the independent variable that we introduce, these equations are transformed to others for which the original homoclinic or heteroclinic solutions are mapped into periodic solutions that satisfy some boundary conditions. Recent simplified methods of harmonic balance can then be exploited to construct highly accurate analytic approximations to these solutions. Here, we adopt the combination of Newton linearization with the harmonic balance to construct the approximates in incremental steps, thereby proposing both appropriate initial approximates and increments that together satisfy the required boundary conditions. Three examples including a septic Duffing oscillator, a controlled mechanical pendulum and a perturbed KdV equations are presented to illustrate the great accuracy and simplicity of the new approach.
TWO AREA PRESERVING MAPS FROM THE SQUARE TO THE P-BALL
Authors: Holhos Adrian
Published: March 2017

We construct two area preserving maps from the square to the p-ball (the domain defined by |x|p + |y|p ≤ |a|p ) and use them to obtain low distorted uniform grids on the p-ball.
THE POWER MUTH DISTRIBUTION∗
Authors: Jodra Pedro , Gomez Hector Wladimir , Jimenez-Gamero Maria Dolores , Alba-Fernandez Maria Virtudes
Published: March 2017

Muth introduced a probability distribution with application in reliability theory. We propose a new model from the Muth law. This paper studies its statistical properties, such as the computation of the moments, computer generation of pseudo-random data and the behavior of the failure rate function, among others. The estimation of parameters is carried out by the method of maximum likelihood and a Monte Carlo simulation study assesses the performance of this method. The practical usefulness of the new model is illustrated by means of two real data sets, showing that it may provide a better fit than other probability distributions.
ASYMPTOTIC DYNAMICS OF A NEW MECHANOCHEMICAL MODEL IN BIOLOGICAL PATTERNS
Authors: Liu Aibo , Liu Changchun
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we prove the existence of attractor for a new mechanochemical model with Neumann boundary conditions on a bounded domain of space dimension n ≤ 3. Based on the regularity estimates for the semigroups and the classical existence theorem of global attractors, we prove that the mechanochemical model possesses a global attractor and Hk attractor.
Performance et authenticité, changement individuel et changement collectif : une perspective sociologique sur quelques paradoxes apparents du « développement personnel »
Authors: Marquis Nicolas
Published: March 2017

Le développement personnel est un phénomène social, économique et culturel, qui a gagné droit de cité dans de nombreux domaines, et en particulier dans les sphères de l’entreprise et du travail. Au-delà des différentes formes qu’il peut prendre, le message moral qu’il porte est qu’il est possible, pour tout individu et quelle que soit la situation problématique dans laquelle il se trouve, de découvrir en lui des ressources qui permettent d’accéder à un mieux-être individuel, voire collectif. Cette idée, aujourd’hui si banale, est le fruit d’une histoire que cet article retrace, tout en interrogeant, d’un point de vue sociologique, ce qu’elle signifie et implique.
Niveaux d’organisation, niveaux de changement
Authors: Duterme Claude
Published: March 2017

D’un point de vue systémique et interactionnel (Bateson 1984, Watzlawick 1981), le questionnement sur l’oscillation « changement personnel/changement organisationnel » amène à poser la question des niveaux logiques concernés dans les réflexions sur le changement, en entreprise comme ailleurs. « Changer » fait référence à des processus différents selon l’équilibre systémique impliqué. De même, le point de vue de l’observateur/acteur de changement sera déterminant quant à la qualification du processus de changement engagé. A partir de ces distinctions théoriques, je propose d’envisager l’accompagnement de changement en revisitant les propositions historiques du MRI et leur application actuelle dans le monde de l’entreprise. Le format de cet article ne permettra malheureusement pas de proposer des exemples d’intervention comme illustration aux propos théoriques et propositions méthodologiques.
Mandibular Second Molar having Four Roots and Unusual Root Canal Morphology
Authors: Bhardwaj Anuj , Tarun GS
Published: March 2017

Introduction

The objective of this article is to highlight the importance of having a thorough knowledge about the root canal anatomy and the possibility of extra root/root canal.

Materials and methods

This case report presents the endodontic management of a left mandibular second molar with four roots and five canals.

Results

The clinical and radiographic diagnosis shows the existence of four roots and five canals (two in distobuccal root, one in distolingual root, one in mesiobuccal root, and one in mesiolingual root) in mandibular second molar.

Conclusion

Anatomic variation in the number of roots and root canals can occur in any tooth. Close examination of radiographs taken from different angles and careful evaluation of the internal anatomy of teeth is essential or else root canal treatment is likely to fail if extra roots or root canals are not detected.

How to cite this article

Bhardwaj A, Tarun GS. Mandibular Second Molar having Four Roots and Unusual Root Canal Morphology. J Health Sci Res 2017;8(1):49-52.
Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility of in Situ Enzymatically Cross-Linked Gelatin Hydrogels
Authors: Alarake Nada Z. , Frohberg Patrick , Groth Thomas , Pietzsch Markus
Published: March 2017

Objectives

Gelatin, a degraded collagen, has been widely used as a scaffolding material in tissue engineering applications. In this work, we aimed at the development of in situ, cross-linking, cytocompatible hydrogels by the use of transglutaminase as a cross-linker for potential application in the regeneration of tissues.

Methods

Hydrogels were prepared from gelatin of different concentrations and bloom degree (175 (G175) or 300 (G300) bloom gelatin) and cross-linked with various amounts of microbial transglutaminase (mTG) at 37°C. Mechanical properties and cross-linking degree were studied by rheology and swelling experiments. Four hydrogels with different stiffness were selected for studies with embedded human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs).

Results

Hydrogels were obtained with storage modulus (G’) values between 11 (±1) Pa and 1,800 (±200) Pa with gelation times between 80 (±6) and 450 (±36) seconds. G300 cross-linked gelatin hydrogels displayed higher gel stiffness, lower swelling ratio and gelled more rapidly compared to the hydrogels prepared from G175. Stiffer hydrogels (50 and 200 Pa) showed greater ability to support the proliferation of hASCs than softer ones (11 and 30 Pa). The highest cell proliferation was observed with a hydrogel of 200 Pa modulus.

Conclusions

Overall, transglutaminase cross-linked gelatin hydrogels might be suitable as injectable hydrogels for the engineering of musculoskeletal and other types of connective tissues.
Does the Roller Pump Adjustment in Cardiopulmonary Bypass Settings Influence Hemolysis?
Authors: Junior Francisco U. Vieira , Antunes Nilson , de Oliveira Pedro P. , Filho Lindemberg M. Silveira , Vilarinho Karlos A.S. , Costa Eduardo T.
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Roller pumps are widely used in procedures involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) due to their ease of operation and maintenance, safety, and cost. Several studies in the literature have compared the use of roller pumps with centrifugal pumps, but the influence of the roller pump adjustment on hemolysis has been poorly explored.

Methods

Measurements of hemolysis rates were carried out in 86 patients. The pump was adjusted by the dynamic calibration method, which was performed by an auxiliary device, and the patients were grouped according to the pump calibration: Group 1 (n = 20) 75 mmHg; Group 2 (n = 24) 150 mmHg; Group 3 (n = 22) 300 mmHg and Group 4 (n = 21) 450 mmHg. The hemolysis rates were measured at 4 different times during CPB (TO: before the surgical procedure; T1: 5 minutes after the start of CPB; T2: 30 minutes of CPB; and T3: 5 minutes after the CPB procedure). Hemolysis rates were calculated between the time intervals T0–T1, T1–T2, and T0–T3.

Results

No difference in hemolysis rates was observed between the groups (p>0.31). During the first 5 minutes of CPB, hemolysis represented 35.5% of the total hemolysis and no significant difference was found between groups (p>0.60).

Conclusions

Calibration of roller pumps by the dynamic method did not influence the hemolysis rates. Additionally, the hemolysis during the first 5 minutes of CPB accounted for ∼1/3 of the total hemolysis.
Cullin-1 Regulates MG63 Cell Proliferation and Metastasis and is a Novel Prognostic Marker of Osteosarcoma
Authors: Cheng Qinghua , Yin Guoyong
Published: March 2017

Background

There is no reliable marker available for early detection, diagnostic confirmation or disease prognosis of osteosarcoma. Cullin-1 (CUL1) is a newly reported tumor-related gene, and we aimed to unravel its role in osteosarcoma.

Methods

We used immunohistochemistry to analyze the correlation between CUL1 expression and clinicopathological variables and patient survival. To evaluate the function of CUL1, a group of 28 osteosarcoma patients were recruited for this study. The role of regulation of CUL1 in osteosarcoma was studied in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we further investigated the signaling pathway of CUL1 in osteosarcoma progression.

Results

We first discovered that CUL1 expression was up-regulated in human osteosarcoma tissues and inversely correlated with osteosarcoma differentiation. In addition, CUL1 promotes osteosarcoma cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We also found that CUL1 promotes osteosarcoma cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. High levels of CUL1 promote osteosarcoma progression via up-regulation of MMP9 expression.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that increased CUL1 expression is significantly correlated with poor prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma. CUL1 might be an important marker and a therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.
Clinicopathological and Prognostic Value of CD24 Expression in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Gao , Liu Guo-Xing , Fang Yu , Cao Zhen-Yu , Du Hui-Hui , Fu Jie , Qian Ke
Published: March 2017

Background

A number of studies have been conducted to explore the relationship between CD24 expression and the prognosis of breast cancer; however, the results remain inconsistent. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to clarify the impact of CD24 expression on clinicopathological features and prognosis of breast cancer.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search for relevant studies was performed, and statistical analysis was conducted using Stata software.

Results

Twenty studies, including 5,179 cases, were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis indicated that CD24 expression was associated with lymph node invasion (odds ratio [OR] = 0.68, for negative vs. positive, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.53-0.87, p = 0.002) and TNM stage (OR = 0.63, for I + II vs. III + IV, 95% CI, 0.49-0.81, p<0.001). The prognosis analysis also suggested CD24 overexpression indicated a poorer 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (relative risk ratio [RR] = 0.93, 95% CI, 0.86-0.99, p = 0.03) and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate (RR = 0.90, 95% CI, 0.83-0.98, p = 0.02). However, CD24 expression had no correlation with tumor size, tumor grade, distance metastasis, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, or HER2 status.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that higher CD24 expression is significantly associated with lower OS rate, lower DFS rate and some clinicopathological factors such as lymph node invasion and TNM stage. This meta-analysis suggested that CD24 is an efficient prognostic factor in breast cancer.
Tumor Markers in Pancreatic Cystic Fluids for Diagnosis of Malignant Cysts
Authors: Levy Alexandre , Popovici Theodora , Bories Phuong-Nhi
Published: March 2017

Background and aim

Early diagnosis of premalignant or malignant pancreatic cysts is essential to improve prognosis. Sampling of pancreatic cyst fluid by fine-needle aspiration during endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) enables cytopathological examination combined with biochemical analysis. This study aimed to provide an aid based on biological markers for the preoperative management of patients with pancreatic cysts.

Methods

Pancreatic fluids obtained by EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration from 115 patients with cystic lesions were assayed for amylase, lipase, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA 19-9 and CA 72-4. In addition, chromogranin A (CgA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were measured in 28 fluid samples.

Results

ROC curve analysis of the different markers for diagnosis of mucinous cysts showed that CEA had the highest area under the curve (0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.97), with a sensitivity and specificity of 89% and 93%, respectively, at the cutoff value of 317 μg/L. The CgA and NSE concentrations in 5 NET cysts (median values of 210 [63-492] and 68.5 [9-496] μg/L, respectively) were higher than in 23 other cysts (median values of 8 [7-828] and 2.7 [0.5-35.8] μg/L, respectively) (p = 0.0015 and p = 0.0045, respectively).

Conclusions

CEA is the best marker for identifying a cyst as mucinous. In case of low levels of CEA, our results suggest that CgA and NSE measurements may be helpful in the diagnosis of a neuroendocrine tumor and therefore deserve further investigation.
Policies for reirradiation of recurrent high-grade gliomas: a survey among Italian radiation oncologists
Authors: Furlan Carlo , Arcangeli Stefano , Avanzo Michele , Mirri Maria A. , Munoz Fernando , Giudici Stefania , Perrone Antonio , Amelio Dante , Tomio Luigi , Draghini Loredana , Deli Aniko M. , Pavanato Giovanni , Giuliano Francesca M. , Pontoriero Antonio , Ciammella Patrizia , Navarria Pierina , Iannalfi Alberto , Buglione Michela , Guida Cesare , Cammelli Silvia , Iorio Vincenzo , Cardinali Massimo , Genovesi Domenico , Barsacchi Lucia , Balducci Mario , Bagnoli Rita , Berti Franco , Montesi Giampaolo , Pasqualetti Francesco , Bonome Paolo , Santoni Riccardo , Doino Daniela , Schirru Patrizia , Pinzi Valentina , Borzillo Valentina , Ferrarese Fabio , Ferro Marica , Cicco Luigi De , Krengli Marco , Scoccianti Silvia , Donato Vittorio
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To assess the contribution of Italian radiation oncologists in the current management of recurrent high-grade gliomas (HGG), focusing on a reirradiation (reRT) approach.

Methods:

In 2015, the Reirradiation and the Central Nervous System Study Groups on behalf of the Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) proposed a survey. All Italian radiation oncologists were individually invited to complete an online questionnaire regarding their clinical management of recurrent HGG, focusing on a reRT approach.

Results:

A total of 37 of 210 questionnaires were returned (18% of all centers): 16 (43%) from nonacademic hospitals, 14 (38%) from academic hospitals, 5 (13%) from private institutions, and 2 (6%) from hadron therapy centers. The majority of responding centers (59%) treated ≤5 cases per year. Performance status at the time of recurrence, along with a target diameter <5 cm and an interval from primary radiation ≥6 months, were the prevalent predictive factors considered for reRT. Sixty percent of reirradiated patients had already received a salvage therapy, either chemotherapy (40%) or reoperation (20%). The most common approach for reRT was fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy to a mean (photon) dose of 41.6 Gy.

Conclusions:

Although there were wide variations in the clinical practice of reRT across the 37 centers, the core activities were reasonably consistent. These findings provide a basis for encouraging a national collaborative study to develop, implement, and monitor the use of reRT in this challenging clinical setting.
Long-term Results of Therapy with Sunitinib in Metastatic Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma
Authors: Jagodzińska-Mucha Paulina , Świtaj Tomasz , Kozak Katarzyna , Koseła-Paterczyk Hanna , Klimczak Anna , Ługowska Iwona , Rogala Pawel , Wągrodzki Michał , Falkowski Sławomir , Rutkowski Piotr
Published: March 2017

Background

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare, highly vascularized soft tissue sarcoma characterized by a high frequency of metastatic disease and resistance to classical chemotherapy. The purpose of our analysis was to assess long-term sunitinib activity in the treatment of metastatic ASPS.

Patients and Methods

Between 2009 and 2015, 15 patients were diagnosed with metastatic ASPS and received therapy with sunitinib at initial continuous daily dosing of 37.5 mg. Median age was 32 years. The primary tumor sites were lower extremities ( 8 ), trunk-retroperitoneum/pelvis ( 2 ), upper extremity ( 3 ) and other ( 2 ). All patients had unresectable disease (primary or relapse in the form of metastases to the lungs ± bones). Five patients received systemic therapy before initiating sunitinib. Median follow-up from start of sunitinib was 38 months (range 5-69 months).

Results

At the time of analysis 4 patients continue therapy and 9 are still alive. Six patients had RECIST partial remission as best response, 8 had stable disease, and 1 had disease progression. The median progression-free survival was 19 months, with 86% of patients being free of progression at 6 months. Median overall survival was 56 months; the 5-year overall survival rate was 49%. Five patients were treated with sunitinib longer than 2 years. All patients experienced some side effects: 8 patients (53%) had CTCAE grade 3/4 toxicity, 7 patients required dose reduction. The most common toxicities were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hypothyroidism, arterial hypertension, and hand-foot syndrome.

Conclusions

Our analysis confirms the long-term efficacy of sunitinib in patients with advanced ASPS.
Deletion of GSTM1 and GSTT1 Genes and Lung Cancer Survival: a Systematic Review
Authors: Hernández Cristina Ramos , Mouronte-Roibás Cecilia , Barros-Dios Juan Miguel , Fernández-Villar Alberto , Ruano-Ravina Alberto
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The mechanisms of lung carcinogenesis are not fully understood. Not all smokers develop lung cancer, indicating that genetic variations and other environmental factors may play an important role in its development. The human glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) have been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Glutathione S-transferases are phase II biotransformation enzymes that play a role in detoxifying a wide range of exogenous agents including carcinogens but also anticarcinogenic drugs.

Methods

We assessed the effect of allelic deletions in the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes on lung cancer overall survival through a systematic review of the scientific literature after applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

Most of the included studies found no effect or a tendency to worse survival for individuals with deletion of GSTs.

Conclusions

Further studies are necessary to understand the magnitude of the effect of the deletion of both genes on lung cancer survival.
Risk Stratification for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Authors: Zattoni Fabio , Ficarra Vincenzo , Novara Giacomo
Published: March 2017

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) represents an important public health problem in ageing men due to frequently associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which may impair quality of life. BPH is also a progressive disease, mainly characterized by a worsening of LUTS over time, and in some patients by the occurrence of serious outcomes such as acute urinary retention and need for BPH-related surgery. The management of BPH and LUTS in men should move forward its focus on symptom control only. Indeed, the goals of therapy for BPH are not only to improve bothersome LUTS but also to identify those patients at risk of unfavourable outcomes in order to optimize their management and reduce complications. Risk stratification and tailored treatment should improve the reductions in both symptoms and the long-term consequences of BPH and BPH treatments. To do this, clinicians need to know possible factors that may support the develop of PBH and possible risks due to the BPH itself.
Relation between Sexual Dysfunctions and Epilepsy, Type of Epilepsy, Type of Antiepileptic Drugs: A Prospective Study
Authors: Pavone Carlo , Giacalone Ninfa , Vella Marco , Urso Lidia , Zummo Leila , Fierro Brigida
Published: March 2017

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of sexual dysfunctions in males with epilepsy, the type of epilepsy, the frequency of seizures, the type of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), the serum hormonal profile and the presence of psychiatric comorbidity.

Methods

Sixty-one patients focused on type of epilepsy, frequency of seizures, AEDs, hormonal profile and presence of mood disorders. We excluded all patients with severe neurologic and psychiatric impairment and patient who were not able to fill questionnaires. Mean age was 31.2 years (range 18-50 years); 31 patients (50.8%) had an idiopathic generalised epilepsy and 30 (49.2%) a focal epilepsy; among them, latter 18 (60%) had probably symptomatic type and 12 (40%) symptomatic type. Sexual functions were evaluated by “International Inventory of Erectile Function” questionnaire.

Results

Out of 61 enrolled patients, 22 (36.7%) showed sexual dysfunctions: erectile dysfunctions in 14 (23%), orgasmic dysfunctions in (11.5%) and sexual drive dysfunctions in 12 (19.7%). Out of 61 patients, 36 were subjected to blood measurement of sexual hormones and 21 (58.3%) showed hormonal modifications.

Conclusions

Sexual dysfunction are present in 36.7% of enrolled males with epilepsy; there is any association between sexual dysfunctions and various AEDs in the treatment, except for carbamazepine (CBZ); there is not any association between sexual dysfunctions and frequency of seizures; hormonal changes are associated with sexual dysfunction in males with epilepsy treated with AEDs but not with the orgasmic dysfunction; there is not any association between hormonal changes and type of AEDs, except for CBZ; depression is associated with sexual dysfunctions.
Pediatric Acute Compartment Syndrome
Authors: Livingston Kristin S. , Glotzbecker Michael P. , Shore Benjamin J.
Published: March 2017

Pediatric acute compartment syndrome (PACS) is a clinical entity that must be carefully differentiated from the adult version (ie, acute compartment syndrome). Healthcare providers must understand the variable etiologies of PACS, of which trauma is the most common but can also include vascular insult, infection, surgical positioning, neonatal phenomena, overexertion, and snake and insect bites. In addition to the unique etiologies of PACS, providers must also recognize the different signs and symptoms of PACS. The three As (ie, anxiety, agitation, analgesic requirement) of PACS have supplanted the classic adult signs as being more accurate and allowing earlier detection. In children with questionable clinical signs but concern for PACS, compartment pressure measurement may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Overall, outcomes after fasciotomy in children tend to be excellent; however, diagnostic delays secondary to unfamiliar clinical scenarios can lead to myonecrosis and subsequent poor outcomes.
Differential effects of antiretrovirals on microbial translocation and gut microbiota composition of HIV‐infected patients
Authors: Villanueva‐Millán María J. , Pérez‐Matute Patricia , Recio‐Fernández Emma , Lezana Rosales José M. , Oteo José A.
Published: March 2017

Introduction: Increased bacterial translocation and alterations to gut microbiota composition have been described in HIV infection and contribute to immune activation and inflammation. These effects persist despite combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, the contribution of different cART combinations has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyse the long‐term effects of different combinations of cART on bacterial translocation and gut microbiota composition in HIV‐infected patients.

Methods: We carried out a cross‐sectional study of 45 HIV‐infected patients on cART, classified as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)+ protease inhibitors (PIs) (n = 15), NRTIs+ non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) (n = 22), and NRTIs+ integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) (n = 8). Untreated HIV‐infected patients (n = 5) and non‐infected volunteers (n = 21) were also included. Soluble markers of bacterial translocation and inflammation were measured and gut microbiota composition was analysed using 16S rDNA pyrosequencing (Illumina MiSeq).

Results: The NRTIs+INSTIs regimen was associated with levels of systemic inflammation that were similar to uninfected controls. The reduction in faecal bacterial diversity induced by HIV infection was also restored by this regimen. HIV infection was more closely related to changes in lower taxonomic units and diversity rather than at the phylum level. The NRTIs+PIs regimen showed the highest reduction in bacterial species, whereas NRTIs+INSTIs induced a minor loss of bacterial species and a significant increase in others.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that INSTI‐based ART was associated with levels of systemic inflammation and microbial diversity similar to that of uninfected controls. The role of INSTIs other than raltegravir needs to be further investigated. Patients on the NRTIs+PIs regimen presented the highest reduction in bacterial species compared with other antiretrovirals and naive patients. Thus, different cART regimens are associated with diverse profiles in gut microbiota composition. Longitudinal and functional studies are needed to better understand these findings.
Fail-safe control of translation initiation by dissociation of eIF2α phosphorylated ternary complexes
Authors: Jennings Martin D , Kershaw Christopher J , Adomavicius Tomas , Pavitt Graham D
Published: March 2017

Phosphorylation of eIF2α controls translation initiation by restricting the levels of active eIF2-GTP/Met-tRNAi ternary complexes (TC). This modulates the expression of all eukaryotic mRNAs and contributes to the cellular integrated stress response. Key to controlling the activity of eIF2 are translation factors eIF2B and eIF5, thought to primarily function with eIF2-GDP and TC respectively. Using a steady-state kinetics approach with purified proteins we demonstrate that eIF2B binds to eIF2 with equal affinity irrespective of the presence or absence of competing guanine nucleotides. We show that eIF2B can compete with Met-tRNAi for eIF2-GTP and can destabilize TC. When TC is formed with unphosphorylated eIF2, eIF5 can out-compete eIF2B to stabilize TC/eIF5 complexes. However when TC/eIF5 is formed with phosphorylated eIF2, eIF2B outcompetes eIF5 and destabilizes TC. These data uncover competition between eIF2B and eIF5 for TC and identify that phosphorylated eIF2-GTP translation initiation intermediate complexes can be inhibited by eIF2B.
Enhancement of 2,3-butanediol production from Jerusalem artichoke tuber extract by a recombinant Bacillus sp. strain BRC1 with increased inulinase activity
Authors: Park Jang Min , Oh Baek-Rock , Kang In Yeong , Heo Sun-Yeon , Seo Jeong-Woo , Park Seung-Moon , Hong Won-Kyung , Kim Chul Ho
Published: March 2017

A Bacillus sp. strain named BRC1 is capable of producing 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) using hydrolysates of the Jerusalem artichoke tuber (JAT), a rich source of the fructose polymer inulin. To enhance 2,3-BD production, we undertook an extensive analysis of the Bacillus sp. BRC1 genome, identifying a putative gene (sacC) encoding a fructan hydrolysis enzyme and characterizing the activity of the resulting recombinant protein expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli. Introduction of the sacC gene into Bacillus sp. BRC1 using an expression vector increased enzymatic activity more than twofold. Consistent with this increased enzyme expression, 2,3-BD production from JAT was also increased from 3.98 to 8.10 g L−1. Fed-batch fermentation of the recombinant strain produced a maximal level of 2,3-BD production of 28.6 g L−1, showing a high theoretical yield of 92.3%.
contienda por los contenidos de educación sexual: repertorios discursivos y políticos utilizados por actores en México a inicios del siglo XXI
Authors: Díaz Camarena Armando Javier
Published: March 2017

En 2006, en México hubo una contienda para modificar contenidos de educación sexual en secundaria. Para entender esta lucha por la educación laica, aplicamos entrevistas y revisamos declaraciones públicas de distintos actores, documentando el uso de repertorios discursivos para argumentar sus propuestas y la articulación con empresarios y funcionarios públicos. La disputa muestra cómo el Estado laico se construye mediante estrategias de diferentes actores y refleja la legitimidad de los discursos tanto religiosos como seculares. La laicidad de la educación sexual avanzó debido a que el Estado laico se sostiene en un complejo marco legal y político; y a que la evidencia científica y las prioridades en población, salud, género y derechos humanos mostraron mayor legitimidad que los valores religiosos. Sin embargo, los contenidos son permeados por discursos católicos debido al uso de redes de poder y a la preocupación por la pérdida del orden sexual.
Repensar la práctica del cuidado en el contexto del síndrome de Down
Authors: Maldonado Ramírez Jhonatthan
Published: March 2017

El texto reflexiona sobre la experiencia de cuidadores de sujetos con la condición del síndrome de Down en la ciudad de Puebla. El objetivo del artículo es visibilizar tres acontecimientos: 1) la particularidad de la relación entre cuidado, género y discapacidad, 2) el cuidado como práctica corporal y 3) la trascendencia de la interdependencia corporal en clave de una ética feminista de la vulnerabilidad. Considero que el cuidado en la discapacidad abre la posibilidad de cuestionar las expectativas restrictivas sobre lo que pueden hacer los cuerpos, pues a medida que el sujeto cuidador padece la (dis)capacidad, también va experimentando cierta interdependencia corporal que le afecta a niveles muy personales. Quizá si hubiera un trabajo más radical sobre la singularidad de ser afectado por la (dis)capacidad se lograría desplazar la potencia de padecer a la potencia de actuar, articulando el sentido personal del cuidado con su urgencia política.
Seasonal patterns in self-reported peripartum depressive symptoms
Authors: Henriksson H.E. , Sylvén S.M. , Kallak T.K. , Papadopoulos F.C. , Skalkidou A.
Published: March 2017

Background:

In the peripartum period, the literature on seasonality in depression is still scarce and studies present varying findings. The aims of this study were to investigate whether seasonal patterns in postpartum depressive symptoms previously identified in a Swedish study could be replicated in a larger study, as well as to assess seasonal patterns in depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Methods:

This was a nested case-control study comprised of 4129 women who participated in the BASIC project and gave birth at Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, between February 2010 and December 2015.

Results:

Women who gave birth in October–December 2011 had an increased odds of depressive symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum, when compared with women giving birth in April–June 2011 (aOR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.12–5.26). The same pattern was found among women with a history of depression. No other seasonal patterns for depressive symptoms during pregnancy or at 6 weeks postpartum were identified.

Conclusions:

In general, no consistent seasonal patterns were found in peripartum depressive symptoms. Whether the seasonal patterns found in some studies during certain years may be due to other factors relating to specific years and seasons, such as extreme climatic conditions or other particular events, warrants further investigation.
POMC and NPY mRNA expression during development is increased in rat offspring brain from mothers fed with a high fat diet
Authors: Klein Marianne Orlandini , MacKay Harry , Edwards Alexander , Park Su‐Bin , Kiss Ana Carolina Inhasz , Felicio Luciano Freitas , Abizaid Alfonso
Published: March 2017

Developmental programing is influenced by perinatal nutrition and it has long‐lasting impacts on adult metabolism in the offspring. In particular, maternal high fat diet has been associated with increased risk of obesity and metabolic disorders during adulthood in the descendants. These effects may be due to the effects of the high fat diet on the development of the systems that regulate food intake and energy balance in the offspring hypothalamus. The arcuate nucleus (ARC) may be a particularly sensitive region to it as this nucleus contains the POMC and AgRP/NPY neurons that integrate the melanocortin system. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal high fat diet during pregnancy on the transcription factors that regulate hypothalamic development in the offspring as a potential mechanism that may result in altered neuronal expression of POMC, NPY and/or AgRP. To this end, pregnant females exposed to high fat diet (60% fat diet since day 0 of pregnancy) or standard rat chow were sacrificed on days 12, 14, 16 and 18 of gestation to obtain brains from their developing fetuses and examine the mRNA expression of transcription factors associated with the development of cells in the ARC. Results show that, while no changes in transcription factor expression between groups were observed, POMC and NPY mRNA expression were higher on embryonic day 18 in the high fat group. These results suggest that POMC and NPY expression are altered by in utero exposure to a high fat diet, but these changes in gene expression are not associated with changes in the expression of transcription factors known to determine the fate of ARC cells.
Beamforming vector design for regenerative wired two‐way relay systems
Authors: Joung J.
Published: March 2017

A new structure for a regenerative two‐way relay (TWR) system, called a wired TWR (WTWR) system is introduced. The WTWR consists of two relay nodes that are connected through an optical link, and it operates as a single conventional TWR node. For the WTWR system, beamforming vectors maximising the sum rate of two source/destination nodes (i.e. users) are designed. The WTWR exploiting the proposed beamforming is applicable to various systems that can employ a TWR protocol, such as heterogeneous networks, distributed antenna systems, and coordinated multipoint transmission systems.
Schottky‐barrier graphene nanoribbon field‐effect transistors‐based field‐programmable gate array's configurable logic block and routing switch
Authors: Seif Kashani Sayed Ali , Karimiyan Alidash Hossein , Miryala Sandeep
Published: March 2017

Configurable electronic devices have been developed to provide more flexibility in the advanced digital system design, which needs more device density and there by relies on device scaling. Besides, International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor (ITRS) has predicted scaling limitation for conventional silicon (Si)‐based devices. Researches on post‐Si materials have proved that carbon could be one of the material which can replaced with Si. Owing to exceptional properties of graphene, designs with graphene‐based devices can replace with Si based ones. This study proposes design and characterisation of graphene‐based simple field‐programmable gate array as a platform of configurable logic structure for future developments. This study focuses on design and characterisation of configurable logic block (CLB), flip‐flop as internal sequential logic devices in CLB, and routing switch, which are designed using graphene nanoribbon field‐effect transistor (GNRFET). The results indicate that proposed CLB is much faster than Si based one and power–delay product of proposed sequential element is much lesser than its counterpart in Si‐based technology. In addition, the proposed GNRFET‐based routing switch requires minimum count of 6 transistors to provide desirable functionality. Foreseeing the feasibility of architecture, this study suggests the possible layout of the proposed logic elements needed for CLB.
Observer‐based disturbance rejection for linear systems by aperiodical sampling control
Authors: Wang XiaoKe , Yu Hao , Hao Fei
Published: March 2017

This paper is devoted to introduce integral‐based triggering condition to design the observer‐based controller for linear systems with disturbances. A model‐based form is employed to generate the control signals. Based on the different cases of communication channels, the controller and the observer are implemented by three different architectures. Furthermore, for all the architectures, the designed closed‐loop systems satisfy a prescribed performance and exclude Zeno behaviour. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the efficiency and the feasibility of the proposed results.
Implicit iterative algorithms with a tuning parameter for discrete stochastic Lyapunov matrix equations
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wu Ai‐Guo , Shao Chun‐Tao
Published: March 2017

An implicit iterative algorithm is established for solving a class of Lyapunov matrix equations appearing in the discrete‐time stochastic systems with multiplicative noise. This algorithm contains a tuning parameter which can be appropriately chosen such that it has better convergence performance. Some convergence conditions have been derived for the proposed iterative algorithm, and for a special case an approach is given to choose the optimal tuning parameter such that the algorithm has the best convergence performance. In addition, the properties of boundedness and monotonicity of the proposed algorithm are also investigated when the corresponding stochastic system is asymptotically mean‐square stable.
Spatial‐temporal decomposition approach for systematically tracking dominant modes, mode shapes and coherent groups in power systems
Authors: Jiang Tao , Yuan Haoyu , Li Guoqing , Jia Hongjie , Li Fangxing
Published: March 2017

This study proposes a novel spatial‐temporal decomposition approach for systematically tracking dominant modes, mode shapes and coherent groups in bulk power systems using measurement data. First, components of the dominant oscillation modes, including frequencies and damping ratios, are identified from measurement data through a proposed recursive continuous wavelet transform. Second, cross‐wavelet transform is employed to estimate the mode shapes using the wavelet coefficient of the dominant modes. Furthermore, a reconstructed wavelet coefficient, which integrates the wavelet coefficients of all the estimated dominant modes, is used to identify the coherent groups of generators via the cross‐correlation coefficient. The proposed approach is evaluated on the simulation data from 16‐machine 68‐bus test system and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) as well as the field‐measurement data collected from phasor measurement units of CSG. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach performs with high accuracy, robustness and efficiency in tracking dominant modes, mode shapes and coherent groups in the bulk power systems.
Observation and analysis of the sparkover around grounding electrode under impulse current
Authors: Lu Hailiang , Feng Zhiqiang , Tong Xuefang , Chen Wenguang , Tan Bo , Wen Xishan
Published: March 2017

Soil sparkover is one of the key factors that affect the impulse characteristics of grounding devices under lightning current. In this study, the polyester‐based sensitive films are applied to observe the morphology features of the sandy sparkover around a horizontal grounding rod 1 m in length buried in a hemispheric pool 8 m in diameter under impulse current. Moreover, the releasing current distribution of the grounding rod is measured by modular multi‐channel simultaneous signal acquisition system. Along with injected impulse current increasing, the ratio of current released from two ends of the rod increases because the spark discharge leads the redistribution of the dissipating current. The discharge in the sand becomes more intense with current increasing. The discharge on middle segments spreads around the electrode‐like cluster, while sparkover at the terminal develops into tree creeping discharge finally. Analysis based on combining observation images with current measurement result suggests that sparkover morphology is related to not only electric field value but also electric field distribution. The sparkover strength is determined by electric field intensity, while the sparkover concentration depends on electric field uniformity.
Analytical discrete Fourier transformer‐based phasor estimation method for reducing transient impact of capacitor voltage transformer
Authors: Tajdinian Mohsen , Allahbakhshi Mehdi , Seifi Ali Reza , Bagheri Alireza
Published: March 2017

The output voltage of capacitor voltage transformer (CVT) is highly influential during initiation of contingencies due to its transient behaviour. This study proposes a novel method for fundamental component phasor estimation which reduces the transient impact of CVT. The proposed method (PM) first, based on hybrid full‐cycle averaging window and also least squares (LS) technique, calculates the transient components of the CVT. In the next stage, by subtracting estimated transient behaviour from fault voltage signal, the fundamental phasor component of the obtained signal can be estimated utilising discrete Fourier transformer (DFT). Also, in order to prevent instability due to off‐nominal frequency sampling rate, DFT formulation is improved. Several case studies have been carried out in order to show the robustness of the PM in the realistic simulation scenarios. Results show that the PM given in this study is able to estimate fundamental phasor voltage fault signal quickly and precisely with ignorable effect from transient impacts of CVT in almost always one cycle after fault occurrence.