bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery of blood flow regulation in microvascular resistance networks during regeneration of mouse gluteus maximus muscle
Authors: Fernando Charmain A. , Pangan Aaron M. , Cornelison DDW , Segal Steven S.
Published: December 2018

Key points

Skeletal muscle regenerates after injury, however the recovery of its microvascular supply is poorly understood. We injured the gluteus maximus muscle in mice aiming to investigate the recovery of blood flow regulation in microvascular resistance networks. We hypothesized that blood flow regulation recovers in concert with myofibre regeneration.

Microvascular perfusion ceased within 1 day post injury and was restored at 5 days coincident with the appearance of new myofibres; however, the resistance network was dilated and unresponsive to vasoactive agents. Spontaneous vasomotor tone, endothelium‐dependent dilatation and adrenergic vasoconstriction increased at 10 days in concert with myofibre regeneration. Vasomotor control recovered at 21 days, when regenerated myofibres matured and active force production stabilized. Functional vasodilatation in response to muscle contraction recovered at 35 days.

Physiological integrity of microvascular smooth muscle and endothelium recovers in parallel with myofibre regeneration. Additional time is required to restore the efficacy of signalling between myofibres and microvascular networks controlling their oxygen supply.

Myofibre regeneration after skeletal muscle injury is well‐studied, although little is known about how microvascular perfusion is restored. The present study aimed to evaluate the recovery of blood flow regulation during skeletal muscle regeneration. In anaesthetized male C57BL/6J mice (aged 4 months), the gluteus maximus muscle (GM) was injured by local injection of barium chloride solution (1.2%, 75 μL). Functional integrity of the resistance network was evaluated at 5, 10, 21 and 35 days post‐injury vs. Control by measuring internal diameter of feed arteries, first‐, second‐ and third‐order arterioles supplying the GM using intravital microscopy. The resting diameters of all branch orders were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than Control at 5 and 10 days and recovered to Control by 21 days, as did spontaneous vasomotor tone. Vasodilatation to ACh and vasoconstriction to phenylephrine (10−9 to 10−5 m) were absent at 5 days, increased at 10 days and recovered to Control by 21 days; reactivity improved in a distal‐to‐proximal gradient. Across branch orders, functional vasodilatation to single tetanic contraction (100 Hz, 500 ms) and to rhythmic twitch contractions (4 Hz, 30 s) was impaired at 5 days, improved through 21 days and was not different from Control at 35 days. Peak force development (g) was 60% of Control at 10 days and recovered by 21 days. Diminished vasomotor tone during the initial stages of regeneration promotes tissue perfusion as myofibre recovery begins. Recovery of tone and vasomotor responses to agonists occur in concert with myofibre regeneration. Delayed recovery of functional vasodilatation indicates that additional time is required to restore signalling between contracting myofibres and their vascular supply.
Experimental Investigation of a Flat-Plate Closed-Loop Pulsating Heat Pipe
Authors: Wits Wessel W. , Groeneveld Gerben , van Gerner Henk Jan
Published: December 2018

The thermal performance and operating modi of a flat-plate closed-loop pulsating heat pipe (PHP) are experimentally observed. The PHP is manufactured through computer numerical controlled milling and vacuum brazing of stainless steel 316 L. Next to a plain closed-loop PHP, also one that promotes fluid circulation through passive Tesla-type valves was developed. Each channel has a 2 × 2 mm2 square cross section, and in total, 12 parallel channels fit within the 50 × 200 mm2 effective area. During the experimental investigation, the power input was increased from 20 W to 100 W, while cooling was performed using a thermo-electric cooler (TEC) and thermostat bath. Three working fluids were assessed: water, methanol, and ammonia. The PHP was charged with a 40% filling ratio. Thermal resistances were obtained for different inclination angles. It was observed that the PHP operates well in vertical evaporator-down orientation but not horizontally. Moreover, experiments show that the minimum operating orientation is between 15 and 30 deg. Two operating modi are observed, namely, the thermosyphon modus, without excessive fluctuations, and the pulsating modus, in which both the temperature and pressure responses oscillate frequently and violently. Overall thermal resistances were determined as low as 0.15 K/W (ammonia) up to 0.28 and 0.48 K/W (water and methanol, respectively) at a power input of 100 W in the vertical evaporator-down orientation. Infrared thermography was used to visualize the working fluid behavior within the PHPs. Infrared observations correlated well with temperature and pressure measurements. The experimental results demonstrated that the developed flat-plate PHP design, suitable for high-volume production, is a promising candidate for electronics cooling applications.
Bringing a Superhero Down to Earth
Authors: DiLisi Greg
Published: December 2018

I am always looking for ways to bring current events into my introductory physics classroom or laboratory. I am especially interested in finding examples where basic principles of physics can be used to cast skepticism on assertions made by celebrities, politicians, or professional athletes. The other day, one such example literally fell into my lap.
Introducing ROAVEE: An Advanced STEM-Based Project in Aquatic Robotics
Authors: Hartigan Campbell , Hademenos George
Published: December 2018

One way that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives are being utilized is to encourage schools and teachers to integrate key science-based concepts into daily instruction. The reason is simple: it is more than just an instructional improvement or curricular enhancement; it is a research-based strategy that addresses the future needs of a technology-driven work force and sustaining a global economy. The importance of STEM is further validated by its prominence in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). One of the most effective instructional approaches toward the implementation of STEM in grade-level courses is through project-based learning. In project-based learning, instruction occurs through student-centered investigations focused on a specific topic driven by a set of objectives, culminating in a broadly defined product or technique. Projects foster an environment of discussion, creativity, problem solving, inquiry, modeling, and testing, and are applicable to students in all grade levels and subjects, but particularly within the STEM arena. In this paper, we describe a STEM-based project entitled ROAVEE (Remotely Operated Amphibious Vehicle for Environmental Exploration), which was initially introduced into a physics class but would later include the collaborative involvement of environmental science, robotics, and computer science students. This project challenged the students to design, model, construct, test, and navigate a robotic vehicle equipped with sensors that can collect environmental data in air and water.
Using Dice Towers in an Introductory Physics Lab
Authors: Lane W. Brian
Published: December 2018

In tabletop games involving dice, it is important to ensure randomness of the dice rolls and to protect other gaming elements from being scattered by rolling dice. One way of ensuring random rolls and protecting gaming elements is to drop dice into a dice-rolling tower (“dice tower”). A dice tower is usually small (20 cm by 20 cm) and made of foam board or wood and contains various obstacles (ramps, pegs, etc.) for the dice to collide with in a confined environment. With the rising popularity of tabletop gaming and the importance of engaging students with design projects, the process of designing, building, and testing a dice tower can be the basis of various interesting physics lab activities. Here, we discuss the basics of dice tower design and construction, present the results of a few simple experiments that our students have conducted using dice towers, and outline some of the physics principles that a dice tower can be used to illustrate.
Galilean Transformations of Kinetic Energy, Work, and Potential Energy
Authors: Hilborn Robert C.
Published: December 2018

Work, kinetic energy (KE), and potential energy (PE) are key physics concepts, taught in essentially every introductory physics course along with the physical laws such as the work-kinetic energy theorem and the conservation of mechanical energy, which describe how the values of those quantities change during various processes. Quite appropriately for introductory courses, little attention is paid to how those concepts play out when implemented via observations in reference frames moving with respect to each other.
Antarctic ice melt 125,000 years ago offers warning
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: December 2018

Ice sheet apparently collapsed in a previous warm period.
Link to Alzheimer's seen in nodding syndrome
Authors: Spinney Laura
Published: December 2018

Protein tangles hint that childhood illness is a degenerative disease of the brain.
Development cell by cell
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: December 2018

With a trio of techniques, scientists are tracking embryo development in stunning detail.
Runners-up
Authors: Hand Eric , Vogel Gretchen , Garber Ken , Kaiser Jocelyn , Servick Kelly , Clery Daniel , Service Robert F. , Wadman Meredith
Published: December 2018

Science
has named nine scientific advances as runners-up for the 2018 Breakthrough of the Year.
2018 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award winners named
Authors: Lane Earl
Published: December 2018

The international competition drew entries from 54 countries
Escaping atmospheres of extrasolar planets
Authors: Brogi Matteo
Published: December 2018

The study of helium absorption opens a new window on escaping exo-atmospheres
Enhancing Traditional Recommender Systems via Social Communities
Authors: Homann Leschek , Martins Denis Mayr Lima , Vossen Gottfried , Kraume Karsten
Published: December 2018

Collaborative Filtering (CF) has become the most popular approach for developing Recommender Systems in diverse business applications. Unfortunately, problems such as the cold-start problem (i.e., new users or items enter the system and for those no previous preference information is available) and the gray sheep problem (i.e., cases in which a user profile does not match any other profile in the user community) are widely recognized for hindering recommendation effectiveness of traditional CF methods. To alleviate such problems, substantial research has focused on enhancing CF with social information about users (e.g., social relationships and communities). However, despite the crescent interest in social-based approaches, researches and practitioners face the challenge of developing their own Recommender System architecture for appropriately combining social and collaborative filtering methods to improve recommendation results. In this paper, we address this issue by introducing a flexible architecture to support researchers and practitioners in the task of designing real-world Recommender Systems that exploit social network data. We focus on detailing our proposed architecture modules and their interplay, potential algorithms for extracting and combining relevant social information, and candidate technologies for handling diverse and massive data volumes. Additionally, we provide an empirical analysis demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed architecture on alleviating the cold-start problem over a concrete experimental case.
Efficiently Managing the Impact of Hardware Variability on GPUs’ Streaming Processors
Authors: Tan Jingweijia , Yan Kaige
Published: December 2018

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are widely used in general-purpose high-performance computing fields due to their highly parallel architecture. In recent years, a new era with the nanometer scale integrated circuit manufacture process has come. As a consequence, GPUs’ computation capability gets even stronger. However, as process technology scales down, hardware variability, e.g., process variations (PVs) and negative bias temperature instability (NBTI), has a higher impact on the chip quality. The parallelism of GPU desires high consistency of hardware units on chip; otherwise, the worst unit will inevitably become the bottleneck. So the hardware variability becomes a pressing concern to further improve GPUs’ performance and lifetime, not only in integrated circuit fabrication, but more in GPU architecture design.

Streaming Processors (SPs) are the key units in GPUs, which perform most of parallel computing operations. Therefore, in this work, we focus on mitigating the impact of hardware variability in GPU SPs. We first model and analyze SPs’ performance variations under hardware variability. Then, we observe that both PV and NBTI have a large impact on SPs’ performance. We further observe unbalanced SP utilization, e.g., some SPs are idle when others are active, during program execution. Leveraging this observation, we propose a Hardware Variability-aware SPs’ Management policy (HVSM), which dynamically dispatches computation in appropriate SPs to balance the utilizations. In addition, we find that a large portion of compute operations are duplicate. We also propose an Operation Compression (OC) technique to minimize the unnecessary computations to further mitigate the hardware variability effects. Our experimental results show the combined HVSM and OC technique effectively reduces the impact of hardware variability, which can translate to 37% performance improvement or 18.3% lifetime extension for a GPU chip.
Origin, Organization, Dynamics, and Function of Actin and Actomyosin Networks at the T Cell Immunological Synapse
Authors: Hammer John A. , Wang Jia C. , Saeed Mezida , Pedrosa Antonio T.
Published: December 2018

The engagement of a T cell with an antigen-presenting cell (APC) or activating surface results in the formation within the T cell of several distinct actin and actomyosin networks. These networks reside largely within a narrow zone immediately under the T cell's plasma membrane at its site of contact with the APC or activating surface, i.e., at the immunological synapse. Here we review the origin, organization, dynamics, and function of these synapse-associated actin and actomyosin networks. Importantly, recent insights into the nature of these actin-based cytoskeletal structures were made possible in several cases by advances in light microscopy.
Long noncoding RNA MEG3 prevents vascular endothelial cell senescence by impairing miR-128-dependent Girdin downregulation
Authors: Lan Yong , Li Yong-Jun , Li Da-Jun , Li Peng , Wang Ji-Yang , Diao Yong-Peng , Ye Guo-Dong , Li Yang-Fang
Published: December 2018

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly associated with various biological functions, in which the function of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) has been identified in various cancers. Strikingly, an association between MEG3 with microRNAs (miRNAs), mRNAs, and proteins has been reported. This study investigates the role of MEG3 in vascular endothelial cell (VEC) senescence. Expression of Girdin and miR-128 was monitored in the blood vessel samples of young and old mice/healthy volunteers, along with the measurement of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The relationship between MEG3/Girdin and miR-128 was determined and verified. Loss- and gain-of-function approaches were applied to analyze the regulatory effects of MEG3 on platelet phagocytosis and lipoprotein oxidation of HUVEC membrane. In addition, the effect of MEG3 on HUVEC senescence was evaluated by detection of the reactive oxygen species, telomerase activity, and telomere length. To further analyze the MEG3-mediated regulatory mechanism, miR-128 upregulation and inhibition were introduced into the HUVECs. Downregulated Girdin and upregulated miR-128 were found in the blood vessels of old individuals and old mice, as well as in senescent HUVECs. MEG3 downregulation was found to be capable of inhibiting Girdin but enhancing miR-128 expression. It was also indicated to inhibit platelet phagocytosis and reduce telomerase activity and telomere length, while enhancing lipoprotein oxidation and reactive oxygen species production, which ultimately contributed in preventing and protecting HUEVCs from senescence. These findings provide evidence supporting that MEG3 leads to miR-128 downregulation and Girdin upregulation, which promotes platelet phagocytosis, thus protecting VECs from senescence.
Triple arginine residues in the proximal C-terminus of TREK K+ channels are critical for biphasic regulation by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate
Authors: Woo JooHan , Jeon Young Keul , Zhang Yin-Hua , Nam Joo Hyun , Shin Dong Hoon , Kim Sung Joon
Published: December 2018

TWIK-related two-pore domain K+ channels (TREKs) are activated by acidic intracellular pH (pHi), membrane stretch, temperature, and arachidonic acid (AA). Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) exerts concentration-dependent biphasic regulations, which have been observed: inhibition by high PIP2, activation by partial decrease of PIP2, and inhibition by depletion of PIP2. Consistently, the stimulation of voltage-sensitive PIP2 phosphatase (Dr-VSP) induces initial activation and subsequent inhibition of TREKs. Lys in the proximal C-terminus (pCt) is responsible for the inhibition by high PIP2, which is generated by phosphatidylinositol kinases with ATP; its neutralizing mutation [K330A of human TREK-2 (hTREK-2)] induces tonic high activity, irrespective of ATP. Here we focus on triple successive Arg in pCt (R3-pCt) as a candidate region for the stimulatory regulation by lower PIP2. Their neutralized mutant (R3A-pCt; RRR340-2A and RRR355-7A in hTREK-1 and -2, respectively) showed negligible basal current and was not affected by ATP removal or by Dr-VSP activation. Phosphatidic acid, a phospholipid agonist of TREKs, did not activate R3A-pCt. In contrast, acidic pHi, AA, and high temperature activated R3A-pCt normally, whereas activation by membrane stretch was attenuated. In hTREK-2, combined neutralizations of the inhibitory K330 and R3-pCt (K330A/RRR355-7A) did not recover the suppressed current. In contrast, combined neutralization of pHi-sensing Glu (E332A/R355-7A) induced tonic high current and no further activation by pHi. Interestingly, when the Gly between K330/E332 and R3-pCt was mutated (G334A), hTREK-2 was tonic activated with reversed responses to ATP and acidic pHi. Therefore, we propose that the PIP2-dependent converse regulation of TREKs by Lys and R3-pCt with Gly implies structural flexibility.
Hepatic STAT3 inhibition amplifies the inflammatory response in obese mice during sepsis
Authors: Williamson Lauren , Ayalon Itay , Shen Hui , Kaplan Jennifer
Published: December 2018

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role obesity plays in the inflammatory response during sepsis, specifically regarding the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway in the liver. We hypothesized that inhibiting STAT3 would lead to an increase in the inflammatory response and that obesity would amplify this effect. To investigate this, we inhibited STAT3 in two ways: pharmacological systemic inhibition and genetic hepatic-specific inhibition. In pharmacological inhibition studies, male C57BL/6 mice were randomized to a high-fat (60% kcal fat) or normal (16% kcal fat) diet for 6–7 wk and pretreated with Stattic before inducing sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture. In genetic inhibition studies, mice were randomized by genotype before induction of sepsis. To investigate obesity in mice with hepatic-specific STAT3 inhibition, we randomized mice to a high-fat or normal diet as described above for 6 mo before induction of sepsis. Body composition was analyzed using EchoMRI. We found that systemic STAT3 inhibition by Stattic resulted in an increased inflammatory response and that obesity amplified this effect. We also found that genetically inhibiting STAT3 in the liver resulted in higher mortality, increased inflammation, and liver injury. High-fat-fed mice with hepatic STAT3 inhibition gained more weight and had more fat than control mice on the same diet, and obesity increased neutrophil infiltration to the liver of these mice during sepsis. In conclusion, STAT3 plays an important regulatory role in the inflammatory response during sepsis, and obesity contributes to the dysregulated response observed when STAT3 is inhibited.
Repeated clodronate-liposome treatment results in neutrophilia and is not effective in limiting obesity-linked metabolic impairments
Authors: Bader Jackie E. , Enos Reilly T. , Velázquez Kandy T. , Carson Meredith S. , Sougiannis Alex T. , McGuinness Owen P. , Robinson Cory M. , Murphy E. Angela
Published: December 2018

Depletion of macrophages is thought to be a therapeutic option for obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. However, whether the therapeutic effect is a direct result of reduced macrophage-derived inflammation or secondary to decreases in fat mass is controversial, as macrophage depletion has been shown to disrupt energy homeostasis. This study was designed to determine if macrophage depletion via clodronate-liposome (CLD) treatment could serve as an effective intervention to reduce obesity-driven inflammatory and metabolic impairments independent of changes in energy intake. After 16 wk on a high-fat diet (HFD) or the AIN-76A control (low-fat) diet (LFD) ( n = 30/diet treatment), male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to a CLD- or PBS-liposome treatment ( n = 15/group) for 4 wk. Liposomes were administered biweekly via intraperitoneal injections (8 administrations in total). PBS-liposome-treated groups were pair-fed to their CLD-treated dietary counterparts. Metabolic function was assessed before and after liposome treatment. Adipose tissue, as well as the liver, was investigated for macrophage infiltration and the presence of inflammatory mediators. Additionally, a complete blood count was performed. CLD treatment reduced energy intake. When controlling for energy intake, CLD treatment was unable to regress metabolic dysfunction or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and impaired adipose tissue insulin action. Moreover, repeated CLD treatment induced neutrophilia and anemia, increased adipose tissue mRNA expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β, and augmented circulating IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations ( P < 0.05). This study suggests that repeated intraperitoneal administration of CLD to deplete macrophages attenuates obesity by limiting energy intake. Moreover, after controlling for the benefits of weight loss, the accompanying detrimental side effects limit regular CLD treatment as an effective therapeutic strategy.
Ghrelin acylation by ghrelin-O-acyltransferase can occur in healthy part of oncological liver in humans
Authors: Germain Natacha , Cuenco Joyceline , Ling Yiin , Minnion James S. , Bageacu Serban , Grouselle Dominique , Estour Bruno , Galusca Bogdan
Published: December 2018

Activation of ghrelin is controlled by the enzyme ghrelin- O-acyl transferase (GOAT). In humans, localization of this acylation is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to explore GOAT localization and activation in the human liver by evaluating both bioactive and non-bioactive ghrelin in the bloodstream entering and leaving the liver and to simultaneously evaluate GOAT mRNA expression in the liver. A healthy part of oncologic hepatic tissue collected from nine patients undergoing hepatectomy was used to evaluate GOAT mRNA expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Simultaneously, blood from the portal vein, the suprahepatic vein, the subclavicular vein, and the radial artery was also sampled to assay total and acylated ghrelin. Acylated ghrelin level was significantly increased in the suprahepatic vein compared with the portal vein level (385 ± 42 ng/ml vs. 268 ± 24 ng/ml, P = 0.04). Suprahepatic-to-portal vein ratio for acylated ghrelin (acylation ratio) is 1.4 ± 0.1. Mean expression of GOAT mRNA in the liver, expressed as 2−∆Ct·µg total RNA−1·1 µl of liver tissue−1 was at 0.042 ± 0.021 arbitrary units. GOAT mRNA expression in the liver was correlated with acylated-to-total ghrelin ratio in the suprahepatic vein ( P = 0.016, R = 0.75) and with the acylation liver ratio ( P = 0.05, R = 0.61). Blood concentration of acylated ghrelin was found significantly increased after its passage through the liver, suggesting that acylation can occur in the liver. RT-qPCR data confirmed the presence of GOAT in the liver, with a positive correlation between GOAT expression and acylated ghrelin liver ratio. This study strongly suggests that the liver is a site of ghrelin acylation in humans.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although the activation of ghrelin by the enzyme ghrelin- O-acyl transferase (GOAT) is yet well demonstrated, its localization, especially in humans, remains poorly understood. We explored GOAT localization and activation in the human liver by simultaneously evaluating both bioactive and non-bioactive ghrelin in the bloodstream entering and leaving the liver and also GOAT mRNA expression in the liver. We therefore showed for the first time, to our knowledge, that GOAT localized in the liver is active and takes part in ghrelin activation.
Pancreatic and mucosal enzymes in choline phospholipid digestion
Authors: Nilsson Åke , Duan Rui-Dong
Published: December 2018

The digestion of choline phospholipids is important for choline homeostasis, lipid signaling, postprandial lipid and energy metabolism, and interaction with intestinal bacteria. The digestion is mediated by the combined action of pancreatic and mucosal enzymes. In the proximal small intestine, hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to 1-lyso-PC and free fatty acid (FFA) by the pancreatic phospholipase A2IB coincides with the digestion of the dietary triacylglycerols by lipases, but part of the PC digestion is extended and must be mediated by other enzymes as the jejunoileal brush-border phospholipase B/lipase and mucosal secreted phospholipase A2X. Absorbed 1-lyso-PC is partitioned in the mucosal cells between degradation and reacylation into chyle PC. Reutilization of choline for hepatic bile PC synthesis, and the reacylation of 1-lyso-PC into chylomicron PC by the lyso-PC-acyl-CoA-acyltransferase 3 are important features of choline recycling and postprandial lipid metabolism. The role of mucosal enzymes is emphasized by sphingomyelin (SM) being sequentially hydrolyzed by brush-border alkaline sphingomyelinase (alk-SMase) and neutral ceramidase to sphingosine and FFA, which are well absorbed. Ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate are generated and are both metabolic intermediates and important lipid messengers. Alk-SMase has anti-inflammatory effects that counteract gut inflammation and tumorigenesis. These may be mediated by multiple mechanisms including generation of sphingolipid metabolites and suppression of autotaxin induction and lyso-phosphatidic acid formation. Here we summarize current knowledge on the roles of pancreatic and mucosal enzymes in PC and SM digestion, and its implications in intestinal and liver diseases, bacterial choline metabolism in the gut, and cholesterol absorption.
Anti-inflammatory reflex action of splanchnic sympathetic nerves is distributed across abdominal organs
Authors: Martelli Davide , Farmer David G. S. , McKinley Michael J. , Yao Song T. , McAllen Robin M.
Published: December 2018

The splanchnic anti-inflammatory pathway has been proposed as the efferent arm of the inflammatory reflex. Although much evidence points to the spleen as the principal target organ where sympathetic nerves inhibit immune function, a systematic study to locate the target organ(s) of the splanchnic anti-inflammatory pathway has not yet been made. In anesthetized rats made endotoxemic with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 60 µg/kg iv), plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured in animals with cut (SplancX) or sham-cut (Sham) splanchnic nerves. We confirm here that disengagement of the splanchnic anti-inflammatory pathway in SplancX rats (17.01 ± 0.95 ng/ml, mean ± SE) strongly enhances LPS-induced plasma TNF-α levels compared with Sham rats (3.76 ± 0.95 ng/ml). In paired experiments, the responses of SplancX and Sham animals were compared after the single or combined removal of organs innervated by the splanchnic nerves. Removal of target organ(s) where the splanchnic nerves inhibit systemic inflammation should abolish any difference in LPS-induced plasma TNF-α levels between Sham and SplancX rats. Any secondary effects of extirpating organs should apply to both groups. Surprisingly, removal of the spleen and/or the adrenal glands did not prevent the reflex splanchnic anti-inflammatory action nor did the following removals: spleen + adrenals + intestine; spleen + intestine + stomach and pancreas; or spleen + intestine + stomach and pancreas + liver. Only when spleen, adrenals, intestine, stomach, pancreas, and liver were all removed did the difference between SplancX and Sham animals disappear. We conclude that the reflex anti-inflammatory action of the splanchnic nerves is distributed widely across abdominal organs.
Locating primary somatosensory cortex in human brain stimulation studies: experimental evidence
Authors: Holmes Nicholas Paul , Tamè Luigi , Beeching Paisley , Medford Mary , Rakova Mariyana , Stuart Alexander , Zeni Silvia
Published: December 2018

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over human primary somatosensory cortex (S1) does not produce immediate outputs. Researchers must therefore rely on indirect methods for TMS coil positioning. The “gold standard” is to use individual functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, but the majority of studies don’t do this. The most common method to locate the hand area of S1 (S1-hand) is to move the coil posteriorly from the hand area of primary motor cortex (M1-hand). Yet, S1-hand is not directly posterior to M1-hand. We localized the index finger area of S1-hand (S1-index) experimentally in four ways. First, we reanalyzed functional MRI data from 20 participants who received vibrotactile stimulation to their 10 digits. Second, to assist the localization of S1-hand without MRI data, we constructed a probabilistic atlas of the central sulcus from 100 healthy adult MRIs and measured the likely scalp location of S1-index. Third, we conducted two experiments mapping the effects of TMS across the scalp on tactile discrimination performance. Fourth, we examined all available neuronavigation data from our laboratory on the scalp location of S1-index. Contrary to the prevailing method, and consistent with systematic review evidence, S1-index is close to the C3/C4 electroencephalography (EEG) electrode locations on the scalp, ~7–8 cm lateral to the vertex, and ~2 cm lateral and 0.5 cm posterior to the M1-hand scalp location. These results suggest that an immediate revision to the most commonly used heuristic to locate S1-hand is required. The results of many TMS studies of S1-hand need reassessment.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Noninvasive human brain stimulation requires indirect methods to target particular brain areas. Magnetic stimulation studies of human primary somatosensory cortex have used scalp-based heuristics to find the target, typically locating it 2 cm posterior to the motor cortex. We measured the scalp location of the hand area of primary somatosensory cortex and found that it is ~2 cm lateral to motor cortex. Our results suggest an immediate revision of the prevailing method is required.
Dynamics of synaptic extracellular field potentials in the nucleus laminaris of the barn owl
Authors: McColgan Thomas , Kuokkanen Paula T. , Carr Catherine E. , Kempter Richard
Published: December 2018

Synaptic currents are frequently assumed to make a major contribution to the extracellular field potential (EFP). However, in any neuronal population, the explicit separation of synaptic sources from other contributions such as postsynaptic spikes remains a challenge. Here we take advantage of the simple organization of the barn owl nucleus laminaris (NL) in the auditory brain stem to isolate synaptic currents through the iontophoretic application of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-receptor antagonist 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2,3-dioxo-benzo[ f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (NBQX). Responses to auditory stimulation show that the temporal dynamics of the evoked synaptic contributions to the EFP are consistent with synaptic short-term depression (STD). The estimated time constants of an STD model fitted to the data are similar to the fast time constants reported from in vitro experiments in the chick. Overall, the putative synaptic EFPs in the barn owl NL are significant but small (<1% change of the variance by NBQX). This result supports the hypothesis that the EFP in NL is generated mainly by axonal spikes, in contrast to most other neuronal systems.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Synaptic currents are assumed to make a major contribution to the extracellular field potential in the brain, but it is hard to directly isolate these synaptic components. Here we take advantage of the simple organization of the barn owl nucleus laminaris in the auditory brain stem to isolate synaptic currents through the iontophoretic application of a synaptic blocker. We show that the responses are consistent with a simple model of short-term synaptic depression.
Differential circRNA expression profiles in latent human cytomegalovirus infection and validation using clinical samples
Authors: Lou Yun-yan , Wang Qiong-dan , Lu Yu-tian , Tu Meng-yun , Xu Xi , Xia Ying , Peng Ying , Lai Mei-mei , Zheng Xiao-qun
Published: December 2018

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an opportunistic prototypic beta-herpesvirus that can cause severe and even fatal diseases in immune-naive newborns and immunocompromised adults. Host-virus interactions occurring at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels are critical for establishing an HCMV latent or lytic infection, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the expression of circRNAs in human leukemia monocytes (THP-1 cells) latently infected with HCMV and explored the diagnostic value of circRNAs in children with HCMV infection. A total of 2,110 and 1,912 circRNAs were identified in mock-infected and HCMV latent-infected THP-1 cells, respectively. Of these, we identified 1,421 differently expressed circRNAs, of which 650 were upregulated and 771 were downregulated. The host genes corresponding to the differentially expressed circRNAs were mainly involved in the regulation of host cell secretion pathways, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis. The differentially expressed circRNAs had binding sites for microRNAs, suggesting an important role in the mechanism of HCMV latent infection. Furthermore, a clinical analysis showed that the expression levels of hsa_circ_0001445 and hsa_circ_0001206 were statistically significantly different in HCMV-infected patients vs. normal controls, suggesting that these circRNAs could potentially serve as biomarkers of HCMV-infection.
Shield‐Roof Interaction in Longwall Panels: Insights from Field Data and Their Application to Ground Control
Authors: Cheng Jingyi , Wan Zhijun , Ji Yinlin
Published: December 2018

The shield‐roof interaction as mining proceeds in longwall panels remains unclear, hindering the further increase of longwall productivity. To uncover the mechanisms of shield‐roof interaction, using our self‐developed Status of Shield and Roof IntelliSense (SSRI) system, we investigated the effects of idle time, retreating rate, setting pressure, yielding, and shearer’s cutting, as well as neighboring shields’ advance on the spatial‐temporal evolution of leg pressure and leg closure of shields. Our results show that the shield‐roof interaction is not only dependent on the shield capacity, but also collectively determined by the time‐related factors, the geological condition, the setting pressure, yielding characteristics, and mining method. Understanding the shield‐roof interaction in longwall panels enables us to apply the SSRI system for ground control in longwall coal mines. Early warning of severe roof weighting can be achieved by establishing a warning model based on the decision tree algorithm. Apart from this, we can also assess the working condition of yield valve and diagnose fluid leakage of shield cylinder using the SSRI system. Finally, we propose the research prospects on shield‐roof interaction in longwall panels to achieve a more reasonable determination of shield capacity, prediction of roof fall and coal wall spalling, and self‐adaptive control of the shield.
Cutaneous Malignancy due to Arsenicosis in Bangladesh: 12-Year Study in Tertiary Level Hospital
Authors: Choudhury Md. Iqbal Mahmud , Shabnam Nilufar , Ahsan Tazin , Ahsan S. M. Abu , Kabir Md. Saiful , Khan Rashed Md. , Miah Md. Abdal , Uddin Mohd. Kamal , Liton Md. Aminur Rashid
Published: December 2018

Bangladesh is grappling with the largest mass poisoning of a population in the world due to contamination of drinking water with naturally occurring inorganic arsenic. It is estimated that 75 million people of 59 (out of 64) districts are at risk of drinking contaminated water with arsenic above 50μg/L. Long term exposure to arsenic causes cancers, including skin, lung, and bladder. This is a randomized prospective study to see the prevalence of skin cancer from arsenic affected area of Bangladesh, as well as their variation by geographical area, age, gender, location on the body, and socioeconomic conditions, in outpatient department of plastic surgery unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). A total of 960 patients with skin cancers comprised of 528 males and 432 females were selected for the study from January 2004 to December 2015. In this 12-year study, we found squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma to be associated with the ingestion of arsenic contaminated ground water. This is a reflection of a small part of the total national scenario of devastating result of arsenic mediated cancer in terms of skin malignancy. This study will help the future researchers who are contemplating to work on arsenic induced health problem.
Exploring the Capability of HAADF-STEM Techniques to Characterize Graphene Distribution in Nanocomposites by Simulations
Authors: Baladés N. , Sales D. L. , Herrera M. , Raya A. M. , Hernández-Garrido J. C. , López-Haro M. , Molina S. I.
Published: December 2018

This paper explores the capability of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) techniques in determining the dispersion degree of graphene layers within the carbon matrix by using simulated high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) images. Results ensure that unmarked graphene layers are only detectable if their orientation is parallel to the microscope beam. Additionally, gold-marked graphene layers allow evaluating the dispersion degree in structural composites. Moreover, electron tomography has been demonstrated to provide truthfully 3D distribution of the graphene sheets inside the matrix when an appropriate reconstruction algorithm and 2D projections including channelling effect are used.
Credibilistic Loss Aversion Nash Equilibrium for Bimatrix Games with Triangular Fuzzy Payoffs
Authors: Cui Chunsheng , Feng Zhongwei , Tan Chunqiao
Published: December 2018

Inspired by Shalev’s model of loss aversion, we investigate the effect of loss aversion on a bimatrix game where the payoffs in the bimatrix game are characterized by triangular fuzzy variables. First, we define three solution concepts of credibilistic loss aversion Nash equilibria, and their existence theorems are presented. Then, three sufficient and necessary conditions are given to find the credibilistic loss aversion Nash equilibria. Moreover, the relationship among the three credibilistic loss aversion Nash equilibria is discussed in detail. Finally, for 2 × 2 bimatix game with triangular fuzzy payoffs, we investigate the effect of loss aversion coefficients and confidence levels on the three credibilistic loss aversion Nash equilibria. It is found that an increase of loss aversion levels of a player leads to a decrease of his/her own payoff. We also find that the equilibrium utilities of players are decreasing (increasing) as their own confidence levels when players employ the optimistic (pessimistic) value criterion.
Bioinformatics Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism of Aging on Fracture Healing
Authors: Zhao Shu-Jie , Kong Fan-Qi , Fan Jin , Chen Ying , Zhou Shuai , Xue Ming-Xin , Yin Guo-Yong
Published: December 2018

Increasing age negatively affects different phases of bone fracture healing. The present study aimed to explore underlying mechanisms related to bone fracture repair in the elderly. GSE17825 public transcriptome data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were used for analysis. First, raw data were normalized and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Next, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses were implemented to evaluate pathways and DEGs. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was then constructed. A total of 726, 861, and 432 DEGs were identified between the young and elderly individuals at 1, 3, and 5 days after fracture, respectively. The results of GO, KEGG, and PPI network analyses suggested that the inflammatory response, Wnt signaling pathway, vascularization-associated processes, and synaptic-related functions of the identified DEGs are markedly enriched, which may account for delayed fracture healing in the elderly. These findings provide valuable clues for investigating the effects of aging on fracture healing but should be validated through further experiments.
Study of a Microbistable Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting
Authors: Chen Li Hua , Cui Shou Jie , Yang Shuo , Zhang Wei
Published: December 2018

A microbistable piezoelectric energy harvester has been developed. The harvester was based on a center-fixed and quadrilateral-free microbistable plate with mass blocks placed at the four corners. Considering the thermoelectromechanical coupling effect, a nonlinear oscillation differential equation was established by Hamilton’s principle. Strain gradient theory was applied to consider the size effect, and von Karman theory was used to consider the large deformation effect. The influences of the laying position and area of the piezoelectric layer on the efficiency of energy capture were investigated. The voltage-frequency response of the nonlinear system was investigated, and the snap-through behavior of the bistable plate results in energy harvesting achieving the ideal broaden frequency range before the resonance region.
The Entropy of Weighted Graphs with Atomic Bond Connectivity Edge Weights
Authors: Kwun Young Chel , Rehman Hafiz Mutee ur , Yousaf Muhammad , Nazeer Waqas , Kang Shin Min
Published: December 2018

The aim of this report to solve the open problem suggested by Chen et al. We study the graph entropy with ABC edge weights and present bounds of it for connected graphs, regular graphs, complete bipartite graphs, chemical graphs, tree, unicyclic graphs, and star graphs. Moreover, we compute the graph entropy for some families of dendrimers.
Secretomes from Mesenchymal Stem Cells against Acute Kidney Injury: Possible Heterogeneity
Authors: Tsuji Kenji , Kitamura Shinji , Wada Jun
Published: December 2018

A kidney has the ability to regenerate itself after a variety of renal injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to ameliorate tissue damages during renal injuries and diseases. The regenerations induced by MSCs are primarily mediated by the paracrine release of soluble factors and extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles. Extracellular vesicles contain proteins, microRNAs, and mRNAs that are transferred into recipient cells to induce several repair signaling pathways. Over the past few decades, many studies identified trophic factors from MSCs, which attenuate renal injury in a variety of animal acute kidney injury models, including renal ischemia-reperfusion injury and drug-induced renal injury, using microarray and proteomic analysis. Nevertheless, these studies have revealed the heterogeneity of trophic factors from MSCs that depend on the cell origins and different stimuli including hypoxia, inflammatory stimuli, and aging. In this review article, we summarize the secretomes and regenerative mechanisms induced by MSCs and highlight the possible heterogeneity of trophic factors from different types of MSC and different circumstances for renal regeneration.
Coexistence of Gastric Cancer and Multiple Small Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Report of a Unique Case and Review of the Literature
Authors: Trihia Helen J.
Published: December 2018

Background: In recent years, the synchronous occurrence of tumors of different histotypes arising in the same organ has been reported more frequently in the literature. The simultaneous development of adenocarcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has been documented rarely. Summary: The coexistence of primary gastric adenocarcinoma and GIST has been detected incidentally on gastric mucosa, serosa or occasionally intramurally, at surgery, or gastroscopy for other reasons. We present a case of a 79-year-old male patient who underwent surgery for an advanced gastric carcinoma, where multiple nodules of GIST were incidentally discovered during the work-up of his gastrectomy specimen. Key Message: GISTs range from small “low-risk” tumors to sarcomas. Small GISTs are found incidentally during unrelated surgery or autopsy. Multiple GISTs are extremely rare and usually associated with hereditary diseases. Practical Implications: In any case of gastrointestinal neoplasm, the surgeon and pathologist should be alert to perform a thorough investigation. Our case could provide further awareness and insight into the entity of concurrent tumors.
Exudative Type 3 Retinal Arteriovenous Malformation in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Dens Helena , Casteels Ingele
Published: December 2018

We describe a 7-year-old girl who developed exudation nasally to the right optic disc due to retinal arteriovenous malformation. Fluorescein angiography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and optical coherence tomography angiography were performed. We give an overview of the different imaging techniques and discuss the differential diagnosis. Since there was no visual impairment, no treatment was started. A spontaneous decrease in edema and exudation was noted after 6 months.
Rapidly Emerging Megaureteral Stump Empyema after Pretransplant Nephrectomy: A Case Report
Authors: Gadelkareem Rabea Ahmed
Published: December 2018

Acute presentation of ureteral stump empyema after pretransplant nephrectomy has not been reported so far. We report on a 25-year-old male patient with end-stage renal disease due to congenital vesicoureteral reflux and a long-term history of management of infected kidneys including the last step of pretransplant right native nephrectomy. Within 2 weeks after operation, he presented with clinically visible ureteral stump empyema. Computed tomography and surgical exploration confirmed the diagnosis of a huge retentive stump of obstructive-refluxing megaureter which was excised with a smooth postoperative course. So, ureteral stump empyema may develop after a pretransplant nephrectomy and threaten the transplant process and the patient’s life. Consecutive nephrectomy and ureterectomy procedures to keep the iliac fossa fresh for kidney transplantation do not outweigh the risks of ureteral stump infections. Therefore, simultaneous nephroureterectomy is mandatory in the case of obstructive-refluxing megaureter.