bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Significant decrease in maternal serum concentrations of angiopoietin‐1 and ‐2 after delivery
Authors: KEIKKALA ELINA , HYTINANTTI TIMO , WATHÉN KATJA‐ANNELI , ANDERSSON STURE , VUORELA PIIA
Published: May 2012

Objective. To characterize the physiological distribution of angiopoietins (Ang)‐1 and Ang‐2 and soluble endothelial cell‐spesific tyrosine kinase receptor‐2 (Tie‐2) at term and following delivery. Design. A prospective, descriptive study. Setting. Helsinki University Central Hospital. Population. Twenty healthy term pregnant women undergoing elective cesarean delivery and their newborns. Methods. The concentrations were analysed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in maternal antepartum and the first postpartum day sera, umbilical serum, amniotic fluid and maternal and newborn urine. Main outcome measures. Concentrations of Ang‐1, Ang‐1 and Tie‐2. Results. Concentrations of maternal serum Ang‐1 and Ang‐2 decreased after delivery {[median (range)]: Ang‐1, from 33 (25–51) to 30 (18–49) ng/mL, p= 0.017; and Ang‐2, from 5.4 (1.8–18) to 1.4 (0.7–4.6) ng/mL, p < 0.0001}, whereas Tie‐2 concentrations remained stable [23 (13–41) vs. 25 (14–29) ng/mL, p= 0.107]. Compared with maternal antepartum serum, umbilical serum concentrations of Ang‐1 [46 (28–59) ng/mL, p < 0.0001] and Tie‐2 [45 (21–71) ng/mL, p < 0.0001] were higher and those of Ang‐2 similar [5.4 (1.8–18) vs. 4.2 (2.9–6.0) ng/mL; p= 0.067]. Low concentrations of Ang‐1 [1.2 (0.1–2.2) ng/mL], Ang‐2 [1.1 (0.3–4.1) ng/mL] and Tie‐2 [0.4 (0.08–0.9) ng/mL] were observed in amniotic fluid, but they were undetectable in newborn urine and in most of the maternal urine samples. Conclusions. Maternal Ang‐1 and Ang‐2 concentrations decreased following delivery. Umbilical concentrations of Ang‐1 and Tie‐2 were higher than the maternal concentrations.
The impacts of gingivitis and calculus on Thai children's quality of life
Authors: Krisdapong Sudaduang , Prasertsom Piyada , Rattanarangsima Khanit , Sheiham Aubrey , Tsakos Georgios
Published: May 2012

Aim

To assess associations of socio‐demographic, behavioural and the extent of gingivitis and calculus with oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) in nationally representative samples of 12‐ and 15‐year‐old Thai children.

Material and Methods

In the Thailand National Oral Health Survey, 1,063 twelve‐year olds and 811 fifteen‐year olds were clinically examined and interviewed for OHRQoL using the Child‐OIDP and OIDP indices, respectively, and completed a behavioural questionnaire. We assessed associations of condition‐specific impacts (CS‐impacts) with gingivitis and calculus, adjusted for socio‐demographic and behavioural factors.

Results

Gingivitis and calculus were highly prevalent: 79.3% in 12‐year and 81.5% in 15‐year olds. CS‐impacts relating to calculus and/or gingivitis were reported by 26.0% of 12‐year and 29.6% of 15‐year olds. Except for calculus without gingivitis, calculus and/or gingivitis in any form was significantly related to any level of CS‐impacts. At a moderate or higher level of CS‐impacts, there were significant relationships with extensive calculus and/or gingivitis in 12‐year olds and for extensive gingivitis and gingivitis without calculus in 15‐year olds.

Conclusions

Gingivitis was generally associated with any level of CS‐impacts attributed to calculus and/or gingivitis. CS‐impacts were related more to gingivitis than to calculus.
Oxidative stress status and DNA damage in saliva of human subjects with oral lichen planus and oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Agha‐Hosseini Farzaneh , Mirzaii‐Dizgah Iraj , Farmanbar Niloofar , Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: May 2012

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 736–740

Background:  The aim of this study was to evaluate oxidative stress status in the saliva of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods:  Thirty‐two patients with OLP, 26 patients with OSCC, and 30 non‐involved subjects were enrolled in this study. The study was conducted at the Cancer Department, Clinic of Oral Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The unstimulated whole saliva malondialdehyde (MDA), as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) were assayed by thiobarbituric acid, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), and ELISA method, respectively. The TAC/MDA ratio was used as an index of oxidative stress status. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Tukey’s post hoc test.

Results and Conclusion:  There were no significant differences in saliva TAC and MDA levels between OLP and control, and also between OLP and OSCC patients. MDA and 8‐OHdG were significantly higher but TAC was lower in OSCC patients than control. TAC/MDA ratio was significantly lower in patients with OSCC than both OLP patients and control. TAC/MDA ratio was significantly lower but 8‐OHdG was higher in patients with OLP compared to control. This suggests that patients with OLP and OSCC are more susceptible to an imbalance of antioxidant‐oxidative stress status.
Efficacy of Fungiflora Y staining for the diagnosis of oral erythematous candidiasis
Authors: Okamoto Mariko R. , Kamoi Miho , Yamachika Shigeo , Tsurumoto Akihisa , Imamura Takahiro , Yamamoto Ken , Kadomatsu Shinichi , Saito Ichiro , Maeda Nobuko , Nakagawa Yoichi
Published: May 2012

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00668.x

Efficacy of Fungiflora Y staining for the diagnosis of oral erythematous candidiasis

Objective:  The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Fungiflora Y staining (fluorescent stain) for the diagnosis of erythematous candidiasis.

Subjects and methods:  This study enrolled 48 patients who were diagnosed with erythematous candidiasis and who underwent fungal culture and microscopic examination of a smear specimen stained with CytoQuick (modification of the Giemsa stain) and Fungiflora Y. Fungiflora Y staining was observed using a portable fluorescent microscope (CyScope®). The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were calculated using fungal culture as the gold standard test. Accuracy was calculated, and the difference between the CytoQuick and Fungiflora Y groups was examined using contingency tables and the chi‐square test.

Results:  The sensitivity and specificity of the CytoQuick stain was 0.51 and 0.91, respectively; the positive predictive value was 0.95, and the negative predictive value was 0.36. The sensitivity and specificity of the Fungiflora Y stain was 0.84 and 1.0, respectively; the positive predictive value was 1.00, and the negative predictive value was 0.65. The accuracy of Fungiflora Y (0.88) was superior to that of CytoQuick (0.60) (p = 0.0052).

Conclusions:  Microscopic examinations of smear specimens using a combination of Fungiflora Y staining and the CyScope® portable fluorescent microscope was found to be useful for the diagnosis of oral erythematous candidiasis.
Secondary analysis of national survey datasets
Authors: BOO Sunjoo , FROELICHER Erika Sivarajan
Published: May 2012

Aim:  This paper describes the methodological issues associated with secondary analysis of large national survey datasets.

Methods:  Issues about survey sampling, data collection, and non‐response and missing data in terms of methodological validity and reliability are discussed.

Results:  Although reanalyzing large national survey datasets is an expedient and cost‐efficient way of producing nursing knowledge, successful investigations require a methodological consideration of the intrinsic limitations of secondary survey analysis.

Conclusions:  Nursing researchers using existing national survey datasets should understand potential sources of error associated with survey sampling, data collection, and non‐response and missing data. Although it is impossible to eliminate all potential errors, researchers using existing national survey datasets must be aware of the possible influence of errors on the results of the analyses.
Navigating the cancer journey: A review of patient navigator programs for Indigenous cancer patients
Authors: WHOP Lisa J. , VALERY Patricia C. , BEESLEY Vanessa L. , MOORE Suzanne P. , LOKUGE Kamalini , JACKA Catherine , GARVEY Gail
Published: May 2012

Patient navigator programs have evolved to facilitate access to care and improve outcomes for Indigenous cancer patients. We reviewed the scientific literature on patient navigator programs in Indigenous people with cancer. We conducted a review of the published literature up to 13 April 2011. PubMed, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases were searched for original articles on Indigenous patient navigation programs. The review produced eight relevant articles covering two specific programs, the Native Sisters Program and the Walking Forward Program. Program descriptions, patient navigator's roles, cultural aspects and the impact of the programs were described. Patient navigators' roles in the programs varied, as did their qualifications, but importantly, all were Indigenous. Both programs aimed to increase participation in screening, remove barriers to treatment and decrease mortality. The Native Sisters Program documented an increase in adherence to breast screening among navigated American Indian participants, although there were substantial differences in the baseline screening adherence between navigated and non‐navigated participants. The Walking Forward Program yielded on average 3 fewer days of treatment delays for navigated American Indians than for non‐navigated American Indians. However, adjustments for socioeconomic characteristics and disease characteristics were not described. Although preliminary outcomes are seemingly positive, further rigorous evaluation of quantitative impacts are needed.
MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, induces apoptosis in tumor cells
Authors: GUO Na , PENG Zhilan
Published: May 2012

The balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis is critical for normal development and for the maintenance of homeostasis in adult organisms. Disruption of this balance has been implicated in a large number of disease processes, ranging from autoimmunity and neurodegenerative disorders to cancer. The ubiquitin–proteasome pathway, responsible for mediating the majority of intracellular proteolysis, plays a crucial role in the regulation of many normal cellular processes, including the cell cycle, differentiation and apoptosis. Apoptosis in cancer cells is closely connected with the activity of ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. The peptide‐aldehyde proteasome inhibitor MG132 (carbobenzoxyl‐L‐leucyl‐L‐leucyl‐L‐leucine) induces the apoptosis of cells by a different intermediary pathway. Although the pathway of induction of apoptosis is different, it plays a crucial role in anti‐tumor treatment. There are many cancer‐related molecules in which the protein levels present in cells are regulated by a proteasomal pathway; for example, tumor inhibitors (P53, E2A, c‐Myc, c‐Jun, c‐Fos), transcription factors (transcription factor nuclear factor‐kappa B, IκBα, HIFI, YYI, ICER), cell cycle proteins (cyclin A and B, P27, P21, IAP1/3), MG132 induces cell apoptosis through formation of reactive oxygen species or the upregulation and downregulation of these factors, which is ultimately dependent upon the activation of the caspase family of cysteine proteases. In this article we review the mechanism of the induction of apoptosis in order to provide information required for research.
Intraosseous schwannoma of the proximal femur
Authors: HOSHI Manabu , TAKADA Jun , OEBISU Naoto , NAKAMURA Hiroaki
Published: May 2012

A schwannoma is a benign nerve sheath tumor commonly located in soft tissue. An intraosseous schwannoma is very rare, and only four cases involving the femur were found in a review of the English‐language medical literature. We present a rare case of a schwannoma with well‐defined, lytic, dumbbell‐shaped and benign‐appearing lesions of the proximal femur.
Metadherin is a novel prognostic marker for bladder cancer progression and overall patient survival
Authors: ZHOU Jian , LI Jie , WANG Zengjun , YIN Changjun , ZHANG Wei
Published: May 2012

Aim:  Metadherin (MTDH) is a potential oncogene in tumor development and is highly expressed in various types of human cancers. However, there has been no report on the role of MTDH in bladder cancer. Our aim was to investigate the expression pattern of MTDH in bladder tissue at different clinic pathological stages and evaluate the potential of MTDH as a biomarker of bladder cancer.

Methods:  The expression of MTDH in bladder tumors at different stages and normal bladder tissue was examined using immunohistochemical staining and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. A statistical analysis was used to test for the association of MTDH and bladder cancer classification, staging and prognosis. The expression of proliferation marker Ki67 was examined and the relation between MTDH and Ki67 was studied.

Results:  The expression of MTDH was not detected in normal bladder tissue; however, up to 65% (39/60) of bladder tumors were found to have positive MTDH expression. A significant correlation was found between MTDH expression and the Union for International Cancer Control stage (P < 0.001), World Health Organization classification (P = 0.001), tumor recurrence (P = 0.015) and tumor multiplicity (P = 0.026). Patients with higher MTDH expression had shorter overall survival time, suggesting the potential of MTDH to be an independent prognostic indicator of bladder cancer. The positive correlation between MTDH and of Ki67 suggests the ability to promote tumor growth of MTDH.

Conclusions:  Our results suggest that MTDH protein may be a valuable marker of bladder cancer progression. MTDH expression is associated with poor overall survival in patients with bladder cancer.
Predicting the mortality of necrotizing fasciitis with blood pressure and white blood cell count
Authors: Fann Wen‐Chih , Chiang I‐Jen , Hsiao Cheng‐Ting , Hong Yu‐Cheng , Chen I‐Chuan
Published: May 2012

Aim

Even with modern care, necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life‐threatening emergency disease. The present study attempts to identify simple clinical admission characteristics or laboratory tests to differentiate between high‐ and low‐mortality risk groups in patients with NF.

Patients and Methods

The records of 272 patients who received debridement were reviewed. The χ
2‐test (or the Mann–Whitney U‐test) and C4.5 decision tree were utilized to analyse 23 clinical characteristics and laboratory tests. The main outcome measure was in‐hospital mortality.

Results

The overall mortality rate was 17 per cent. Three independent predictors of mortality – white blood cell (WBC) count; left shift in the differential WBC count, with an increase in immature neutrophils (band form); and hypotension – were determined using the C4.5 decision tree. From these predictors, a decision tree was produced to classify patients with NF into high‐ and low‐mortality risk groups. The accuracy of the C4.5 decision tree with cross‐validation was 84.2 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval: 80.3–88.1 per cent).

Conclusion

Using routine blood pressure measurements and simple laboratory tests of WBC count and differentials, clinicians can rapidly identify patients with high‐mortality risk.
Development of an enzyme‐linked immunoassay for the quantitation of influenza haemagglutinin: an alternative method to single radial immunodiffusion
Authors: Bodle Jesse , Verity Erin E. , Ong Chi , Vandenberg Kirsten , Shaw Robert , Barr Ian G. , Rockman Steven
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Bodle et al. (2013) Development of an enzyme‐linked immunoassay for the quantitation of influenza haemagglutinin: an alternative method to single radial immunodiffusion. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(2) 191–200.

Background  The current method used to measure haemagglutinin (HA) content for influenza vaccine formulation, single radial immunodiffusion (SRID), is lengthy and relies on the availability of matched standardised homologous reagents. The 2009 influenza pandemic highlighted the need to develop alternate assays that are able to rapidly quantitate HA antigen for vaccine formulation.

Objectives  The aim of this work was to develop an enzyme‐linked immunoassay (EIA) for the rapid quantitation of H1, H3, H5 and B influenza HA antigens.

Methods  Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) selected for haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) activity were conjugated with horseradish peroxidase and used to establish a capture–detection EIA for the quantitation of HA antigen. Results were compared with the appropriate reference SRID assays to investigate assay performance and utility.

Results  Quantitation of HA antigen by EIA correlated well with current reference SRID assays. EIA results showed equivalent precision and exhibited a similar capacity to detect HA antigen in virus samples that had been used in either stability or splitting studies, or subjected to physical or chemical stresses. EIA exhibited greater sensitivity than SRID and has the potential to be used in high‐throughput applications.

Conclusions  We demonstrated the utility of EIA as a suitable alternative to SRID for HA antigen quantitation and stability assessment. This approach would lead to earlier availability of both seasonal and pandemic vaccines, because of the extended cross‐reactivity of reagents.
Onwards and Upwards? Gender and Work in Ireland
Authors: O’Sullivan Sara
Published: May 2012

It can be argued that the Irish workforce has been revolutionised over the past 25 years, as married women entered the world of paid work in increasing numbers, bolstering the female participation rate. There have also been changes in gender roles and gender role attitudes over the period. This review will present sociological research analysing this major social change, including research that places the Irish case in a comparative European and international context. The review will mirror the main foci of the field, paying particular attention to research on gender role attitudes, occupational segregation and unpaid work. The gendering of the Irish workforce has been a complex and uneven process, involving continuities as well as changes. Overall, the sexual division of labour remains a key feature of paid and unpaid work in Ireland, and the concept has considerable explanatory power in relation to persistent gender inequalities.
A Sociological Overview of Cortisol as a Biomarker of Response to the Social Environment
Authors: Taylor Catherine J.
Published: May 2012

Cortisol is a stress hormone that is reactive to social stress and thus should be of use to sociologists interested in understanding specific processes related to the broad category of “threats to the social self”. In this paper I use cortisol as a case study to explore the utility of biomarkers for elucidating the relationship between the social environment and human biology. I focus on cortisol because it is a stress hormone that reacts in particular to social stress, and therefore could be of special interest to sociologists. I first discuss the relationship between the social environment and cortisol response. Then I briefly review sociological literature that uses cortisol as a measure. Finally, I provide an overview of how to use cortisol in research projects. This overview addresses some of the basic questions that are typically asked by social scientists who are considering taking cortisol measures in their own work.
Levels Of Interventions For MFTs Working With Family Businesses
Authors: Distelberg Brian , Castanos Carolina
Published: May 2012

Family businesses (FBs) are a significant population in the world and therefore part of most practicing marriage and family therapists (MFTs) clientele; however, little is mentioned about FBs in the training of MFTs. This article offers some guidance to practicing MFTs who service this population, as well as MFTs who wish to expand their practice into a focused consultation practices with FB systems. This article uses Doherty’s Levels of Family Involvement Model as a road map for MFTs to organize the vast amount of literature on FB systems as well as the many ways in which MFTs might serve FBs. We also offer suggestions for the necessary skills, experiences, and levels of engagement required at each level of intervention provided by MFTs.
Liability of Newness: Assessing Couple Social Support When Starting A New Business Venture
Authors: Danes Sharon M. , Craft Shonda M. , Jang Juyoung , Lee Jinhee
Published: May 2012

Study purpose was to investigate adapted social support instruments of nurturance and affiliation with male and female entrepreneurs and spouses starting a new business. Family Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation theory was the theoretical grounding. Business structure differed by entrepreneur gender in both direct and indirect spousal involvement. Both couple types were highly connected with their firms having high nurturance and affiliation scores. When couple discrepancies were compared, more male entrepreneur couples had shared meaning on business‐oriented nurturance questions compared with female entrepreneur couples. The opposite was true for shared meaning on relationship‐oriented nurturance. For all affiliation questions, more male entrepreneur couples had shared meaning than did female entrepreneur couples. Clinical applications of resulting instruments are discussed.
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder’: People who think they are drunk also think they are attractive
Authors: Bègue Laurent , Bushman Brad J. , Zerhouni Oulmann , Subra Baptiste , Ourabah Medhi
Published: May 2012

This research examines the role of alcohol consumption on self‐perceived attractiveness. Study 1, carried out in a barroom (N= 19), showed that the more alcoholic drinks customers consumed, the more attractive they thought they were. In Study 2, 94 non‐student participants in a bogus taste‐test study were given either an alcoholic beverage (target BAL [blood alcohol level]= 0.10 g/100 ml) or a non‐alcoholic beverage, with half of each group believing they had consumed alcohol and half believing they had not (balanced placebo design). After consuming beverages, they delivered a speech and rated how attractive, bright, original, and funny they thought they were. The speeches were videotaped and rated by 22 independent judges. Results showed that participants who thought they had consumed alcohol gave themselves more positive self‐evaluations. However, ratings from independent judges showed that this boost in self‐evaluation was unrelated to actual performance.
Relationship between body mass index, fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk factors in Indian children and adolescents
Authors: Jahagirdar R. , Hemchand K. P. , Chiplonkar S. A. , Khadilkar V. V. , Khadilkar A. V.
Published: May 2012

Background

Studies assessing the relationship of BMI and BF with cardiometabolic (CM) risks in Indian children are scarce.

Objective

To assess the occurrence of cardiometabolic risk factors in Indian children and adolescents in relation to BMI and body fat and to study their association with body fat distribution.

Methods

286 children and adolescents (mean age 11.2 ± 2.6 years, 139 boys) were recruited from routine health checks and schools. Anthropometry and blood pressure were recorded, total body fat (BF) and fat distribution (android and gynoid) were measured by Dual Energy X‐ray Absorptiometry. Fasting plasma glucose, lipid profile and insulin were also measured.

Results

When the study cohort was divided as per their BMI and biochemical cardiometabolic risk factors, 8% children had normal BMI with abnormal biochemical parameters while 40% children had abnormal BMI but normal biochemical parameters.

Conclusion

There are normal weight children with cardiometabolic risks. There was an increase in the occurrence of cardiometabolic risk factors with increased android distribution of fat (p‐value < 0.05).
Some projective surfaces of GK-dimension 4
Authors: Rogalski D. , Sierra Susan J.
Published: May 2012

We construct an interesting family of connected graded domains of Gel’fand–Kirillov dimension 4, and show that the general member of this family is noetherian. The algebras we construct are Koszul and have global dimension 4. They fail to be Artin–Schelter Gorenstein, however, showing that a theorem of Zhang and Stephenson for dimension 3 algebras does not extend to dimension 4. The Auslander–Buchsbaum formula also fails to hold for these algebras. The algebras we construct are birational to ℙ2, and their existence disproves a conjecture of the first author and Stafford. The algebras can be obtained as global sections of a certain quasicoherent graded sheaf on ℙ1×ℙ1, and our key technique is to work with this sheaf. In contrast to all previously known examples of birationally commutative graded domains, the graded pieces of the sheaf fail to be ample in the sense of Van den Bergh. Our results thus require significantly new techniques.
CM cycles on Shimura curves, and p-adic L-functions
Authors: Masdeu Marc
Published: May 2012

Let f be a modular form of weight k≥2 and level N, let K be a quadratic imaginary field and assume that there is a prime p exactly dividing N. Under certain arithmetic conditions on the level N and the field K, one can attach to this data a p-adic L-function Lp (f,K,s) , as done by Bertolini–Darmon–Iovita–Spieß in [Teitelbaum’s exceptional zero conjecture in the anticyclotomic setting, Amer. J. Math. 124 (2002), 411–449]. In the case of p being inert in K, this analytic function of a p-adic variable s vanishes in the critical range s=1,…,k−1 , and one may be interested in the values of its derivative in this range. We construct, for k≥4 , a Chow motive endowed with a distinguished collection of algebraic cycles which encode these values, via the p-adic Abel–Jacobi map. Our main result generalizes the result obtained by Iovita and Spieß in [Derivatives of p-adic L-functions, Heegner cycles and monodromy modules attached to modular forms, Invent. Math. 154 (2003), 333–384], which gives a similar formula for the central value s=k/2 . Even in this case our construction is different from the one found by Iovita and Spieß.
Biomarkers of mitochondrial content in skeletal muscle of healthy young human subjects
Authors: Larsen Steen , Nielsen Joachim , Hansen Christina Neigaard , Nielsen Lars Bo , Wibrand Flemming , Stride Nis , Schroder Henrik Daa , Boushel Robert , Helge Jørn Wulff , Dela Flemming , Hey‐Mogensen Martin
Published: May 2012

Key points

Several biochemical measures of mitochondrial components are used as biomarkers of mitochondrial content and muscle oxidative capacity. However, no studies have validated these surrogates against a morphological measure of mitochondrial content in human subjects.

The most commonly used markers (citrate synthase activity, cardiolipin content, mitochondrial DNA content (mtDNA), complex I–V protein, and complex I–IV activity) were correlated with a measure of mitochondrial content (transmission electron microscopy) and muscle oxidative capacity (respiration in permeabilized fibres).

Cardiolipin content followed by citrate synthase activity and complex I activity were the biomarkers showing the strongest association with mitochondrial content.

mtDNA was found to be a poor biomarker of mitochondrial content.

Complex IV activity was closely associated with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity.

Abstract  Skeletal muscle mitochondrial content varies extensively between human subjects. Biochemical measures of mitochondrial proteins, enzyme activities and lipids are often used as markers of mitochondrial content and muscle oxidative capacity (OXPHOS). The purpose of this study was to determine how closely associated these commonly used biochemical measures are to muscle mitochondrial content and OXPHOS. Sixteen young healthy male subjects were recruited for this study. Subjects completed a graded exercise test to determine maximal oxygen uptake () and muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis. Mitochondrial content was determined using transmission electron microscopy imaging and OXPHOS was determined as the maximal coupled respiration in permeabilized fibres. Biomarkers of interest were citrate synthase (CS) activity, cardiolipin content, mitochondrial DNA content (mtDNA), complex I–V protein content, and complex I–IV activity. Spearman correlation coefficient tests and Lin's concordance tests were applied to assess the absolute and relative association between the markers and mitochondrial content or OXPHOS. Subjects had a large range of (range 29.9–71.6 ml min−1 kg−1) and mitochondrial content (4–15% of cell volume). Cardiolipin content showed the strongest association with mitochondrial content followed by CS and complex I activities. mtDNA was not related to mitochondrial content. Complex IV activity showed the strongest association with muscle oxidative capacity followed by complex II activity. We conclude that cardiolipin content, and CS and complex I activities are the biomarkers that exhibit the strongest association with mitochondrial content, while complex IV activity is strongly associated with OXPHOS capacity in human skeletal muscle.
Permeation, selectivity and gating in store‐operated CRAC channels
Authors: McNally Beth A. , Prakriya Murali
Published: May 2012

Abstract  Store‐operated Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels are a widespread mechanism for generating cellular Ca2+ signals and regulate many Ca2+‐dependent functions, including transcription, motility and proliferation. The opening of CRAC channels in response to depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores involves a cascade of cellular events that culminate in direct interactions between STIM1, the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor, and the channels composed of Orai proteins. Evidence gathered over the last two decades indicates that CRAC channels display a unique functional pore fingerprint characterized by exquisite Ca2+ selectivity, low unitary conductance, and low permeability to large cations. Here, we review the key pore properties of CRAC channels and discuss recent progress in addressing the molecular foundations of these properties. Structure–function and cysteine‐scanning studies have revealed the identity and organization of pore‐lining residues, including those that form the selectivity filter, providing a structural framework for understanding CRAC channel pore properties. Recent studies in pore mutants that produce STIM1‐independent constitutive channel activation indicate that exquisite Ca2+ selectivity in CRAC channels is not hardwired into Orai proteins, but is instead manifested only following the binding of STIM1 to the intrinsically poorly Ca2+‐selective Orai channels. These findings reveal new functional aspects of CRAC channels and suggest that the selectivity filter of the CRAC channel is a dynamic structure whose conformation and functional properties are powerfully regulated by the channel activation stimulus.
Corticospinal reorganization after spinal cord injury
Authors: Oudega Martin , Perez Monica A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract  The corticospinal tract (CST) is a major descending pathway contributing to the control of voluntary movement in mammals. During the last decades anatomical and electrophysiological studies have demonstrated significant reorganization in the CST after spinal cord injury (SCI) in animals and humans. In animal models of SCI, anatomical evidence showed corticospinal sprouts rostral and caudal to the lesion and their integration into intraspinal axonal circuits. Electrophysiological data suggested that indirect connections from the primary motor cortex to forelimb motoneurons, via brainstem nuclei and spinal cord interneurons, or direct connections from slow uninjured corticospinal axons, might contribute to the control of movement after a CST injury. In humans with SCI, post mortem spinal cord tissue revealed anatomical changes in the CST some of which were similar but others markedly different from those found in animal models of SCI. Human electrophysiological studies have provided ample evidence for corticospinal reorganization after SCI that may contribute to functional recovery. Together these studies have revealed a large plastic capacity of the CST after SCI. There is also a limited understanding of the relationship between anatomical and electrophysiological changes in the CST and control of movement after SCI. Increasing our knowledge of the role of CST plasticity in functional restoration after SCI may support the development of more effective repair strategies.
Feature‐based multibody rigid registration of CT and ultrasound images of lumbar spine
Authors: Rasoulian Abtin , Abolmaesumi Purang , Mousavi Parvin
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

Fusion of intraprocedure ultrasound and preprocedure CT data is proposed for guidance in percutaneous spinal injections, a common procedure for pain management. CT scan of the lumbar spine is usually collected in a supine position, whereas spinal injections are performed in prone or sitting positions. This leads to a difference in the spine curvature between CT and ultrasound images; as such, a single‐body rigid registration approach cannot be used for the whole lumbar vertebrae.

Methods:

To compensate for the difference in the spinal curvature between the two imaging modalities, a multibody rigid registration algorithm is presented. The approach utilizes a point‐based registration technique based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), taking as input segmented vertebrae surfaces in both CT and ultrasound data. Ultrasound images are automatically segmented using a dynamic programming method, while the CT images are semiautomatically segmented using thresholding. The registration approach is designed to simultaneously align individual groups of points segmented from each vertebra in the two imaging modalities. A biomechanical model is developed to constrain the vertebrae transformation parameters during the registration and to ensure convergence.

Results:

The proposed methodology is evaluated on human spine phantoms and a sheep cadaver. Registrations on phantom data have a mean target registration error (TRE) of 1.99 mm in the region of interest and converged in 87% of cases. Registrations on sheep cadaver have a mean target registration error of 2.2 mm and converged in 82% of cases.

Conclusions:

The proposed technique can robustly and simultaneously register several vertebrae extracted from CT images to the ultrasound volumes. The registration error below 2.2 mm is sufficient for most spinal injections.
MicroSCALE Screening Reveals Genetic Modifiers of Therapeutic Response in Melanoma
Authors: Wood Kris C. , Konieczkowski David J. , Johannessen Cory M. , Boehm Jesse S. , Tamayo Pablo , Botvinnik Olga B. , Mesirov Jill P. , Hahn William C. , Root David E. , Garraway Levi A. , Sabatini David M.
Published: May 2012

Miniaturized functional genomics uncovers potentially useful combination therapies and drug targets for melanoma.
Rewiring the Networks
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: May 2012

A systems-level analysis shows that, after their oncogenic signaling pathways are perturbed, tumor cells become more sensitive to DNA-damaging chemotherapy.
In Vitro
Activities of LTX-109, a Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptide, against Methicillin-Resistant, Vancomycin-Intermediate, Vancomycin-Resistant, Daptomycin-Nonsusceptible, and Linezolid-Nonsusceptible Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Saravolatz Louis D. , Pawlak Joan , Johnson Leonard , Bonilla Hector , Saravolatz Louis D. , Fakih Mohamad G. , Fugelli Anders , Olsen Wenche Marie
Published: May 2012

LTX-109 and eight other antimicrobial agents were evaluated against 155 methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) isolates, including strains resistant to vancomycin and strains with decreased susceptibility to daptomycin and linezolid, by microdilution tests to determine MICs. Time-kill assays were performed against representative MRSA, vancomycin-intermediate
S. aureus
(VISA), and vancomycin-resistant
S. aureus
(VRSA) isolates. LTX-109 demonstrated a MIC range of 2 to 4 μg/ml and dose-dependent rapid bactericidal activity against
S. aureus
. This activity was not influenced by resistance to other antistaphylococcal agents.
Plasma Concentrations of Posaconazole Administered via Nasogastric Tube in Patients in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Störzinger Dominic , Borghorst Stephan , Hofer Stefan , Busch Cornelius J. , Lichtenstern Christoph , Hempel Georg , Weigand Markus A. , Hoppe-Tichy Torsten
Published: May 2012

Abdominal surgery may affect intestinal absorption and the resulting levels of posaconazole in the blood. We measured plasma posaconazole levels in surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients and tried to develop a predictive population pharmacokinetics model. A total of 270 samples from 15 patients receiving posaconazole via nasogastric tube were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). SICU patients showed lower plasma drug concentrations, a higher apparent clearance, and a higher volume of distribution than those in hematology patients, possibly due to poor absorption.
Behavioural and weight status outcomes from an exploratory trial of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP): a novel school-based obesity prevention programme
Authors: Lloyd Jennifer J , Wyatt Katrina M , Creanor Siobhan
Published: May 2012

Objectives

To assess the behavioural and weight status outcomes in English children in a feasibility study of a novel primary school-based obesity prevention programme.

Design

Exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme.

Setting

Four city primary schools (two control and two intervention) in the South West of England.

Participants

202 children aged 9–10 years, of whom 193 and 188 were followed up at 18 and 24 months, respectively. No child was excluded from the study; however, to be eligible, schools were required to have at least one single Year 5 class.

Intervention

Four-phase multicomponent programme using a range of school-based activities including lessons, assemblies, parents' evenings, interactive drama workshops and goal setting to engage and support schools, children and their families in healthy lifestyle behaviours. It runs over the spring and summer term of Year 5 and the autumn term of Year 6.

Primary and secondary outcomes

Weight status outcomes were body mass index, waist circumference and body fat standard deviation scores (SDS) at 18 and 24 months, and behavioural outcomes were physical activity, television (TV) viewing/screen time and food intake at 18 months.

Results

At 18 months of follow-up, intervention children consumed less energy-dense snacks and more healthy snacks; had less ‘negative food markers’, more ‘positive food markers’, lower mean TV/screen time and spent more time doing moderate-vigorous physical activity each day than those in the control schools. Intervention children had lower anthropometric measures at 18 and 24 months than control children, with larger differences at 24 months than at 18 months for nearly all measures.

Conclusions

Results from this exploratory trial show consistent positive changes in favour of the intervention across all targeted behaviours, which, in turn, appear to affect weight status and body shape. A definitive trial is now justified.
Effect of a school-based peer education intervention on physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Chinese adolescents: a pilot study
Authors: Cui Zhaohui , Shah Smita , Yan Lijing , Pan Yongping , Gao Aiyu , Shi Xiaoyan , Wu Yangfeng , Dibley Michael John
Published: May 2012

Objective

To evaluate the effect on physical activity and sedentary behaviour of a pilot school-based peer education programme in urban Beijing, China.

Design

4 junior high schools were matched by school size and randomised to intervention (n=346) and control group (n=336).

Intervention

Trained peer leaders from grade 7 by research staff delivered weekly 40-min lessons to their classmates over four consecutive weeks. Students in control schools received no intervention.

Outcome measures

A validated 7-day youth physical activity questionnaire was used to evaluate physical activity and sedentary behaviours at baseline (September 2010), 3 months (December 2010) and 7 months (May 2011). Generalised linear mixed models were applied to evaluate the effect.

Results

There was a significant decrease in time in sedentary behaviour on weekdays, 20 min/day at 7 months (p=0.020) reported by students in the intervention schools compared with control schools. This reduction was mainly due to a reduction of 14 min/day in computer usage on weekdays (p=0.0009). There were no significant differences in time on other sedentary behaviours, including television and DVD, video game, extracurricular reading, writing, drawing and listening to music, passive commuting and sitting to talk. There was also no significant difference in time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity between intervention and control group.

Conclusions

Peer education appears to be a promising intervention in reducing sedentary behaviours in adolescents in China. These results need confirmation in a larger study.

Clinical trial registration number

ACTRN12612000417886 athttp://ANZCTR.org.au
HEAD-CENTRIC DISPARITY AND EPIPOLAR GEOMETRY ESTIMATION FROM A POPULATION OF BINOCULAR ENERGY NEURONS
Authors: PAUWELS KARL , VAN HULLE MARC M.
Published: May 2012

We present a hybrid neural network architecture that supports the estimation of binocular disparity in a cyclopean, head-centric coordinate system without explicitly establishing retinal correspondences. Instead the responses of binocular energy neurons are gain-modulated by oculomotor signals. The network can handle the full six degrees of freedom of binocular gaze and operates directly on image pairs of possibly varying contrast. Furthermore, we show that in the absence of an oculomotor signal the same architecture is capable of estimating the epipolar geometry directly from the population response. The increased complexity of the scenarios considered in this work provides an important step towards the application of computational models centered on gain modulation mechanisms in real-world robotic applications. The proposed network is shown to outperform a standard computer vision technique on a disparity estimation task involving real-world stereo images.
ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK BASED APPROACH TO EEG SIGNAL SIMULATION
Authors: TOMASEVIC NIKOLA M. , NESKOVIC ALEKSANDAR M. , NESKOVIC NATASA J.
Published: May 2012

In this paper a new approach to the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal simulation based on the artificial neural networks (ANN) is proposed. The aim was to simulate the spontaneous human EEG background activity based solely on the experimentally acquired EEG data. Therefore, an EEG measurement campaign was conducted on a healthy awake adult in order to obtain an adequate ANN training data set. As demonstration of the performance of the ANN based approach, comparisons were made against autoregressive moving average (ARMA) filtering based method. Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative statistical analysis showed clearly that the EEG process obtained by the proposed method was in satisfactory agreement with the one obtained by measurements.
AUTOMATED DIAGNOSIS OF NORMAL AND ALCOHOLIC EEG SIGNALS
Authors: ACHARYA U. RAJENDRA , SREE S. VINITHA , CHATTOPADHYAY SUBHAGATA , SURI JASJIT S.
Published: May 2012

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, which record the electrical activity in the brain, are useful for assessing the mental state of a person. Since these signals are nonlinear and non-stationary in nature, it is very difficult to decipher the useful information from them using conventional statistical and frequency domain methods. Hence, the application of nonlinear time series analysis to EEG signals could be useful to study the dynamical nature and variability of the brain signals. In this paper, we propose a Computer Aided Diagnostic (CAD) technique for the automated identification of normal and alcoholic EEG signals using nonlinear features. We first extract nonlinear features such as Approximate Entropy (ApEn), Largest Lyapunov Exponent (LLE), Sample Entropy (SampEn), and four other Higher Order Spectra (HOS) features, and then use them to train Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier of varying kernel functions: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order polynomials and a Radial basis function (RBF) kernel. Our results indicate that these nonlinear measures are good discriminators of normal and alcoholic EEG signals. The SVM classifier with a polynomial kernel of order 1 could distinguish the two classes with an accuracy of 91.7%, sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 93.3%. As a pre-analysis step, the EEG signals were tested for nonlinearity using surrogate data analysis and we found that there was a significant difference in the LLE measure of the actual data and the surrogate data.
EXPLORATION OF THE PARAMETER SPACE IN AN AGENT-BASED MODEL OF TUBERCULOSIS SPREAD: EMERGENCE OF DRUG RESISTANCE IN DEVELOPING VS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
Authors: ESPINDOLA AQUINO L. , GIRARDI DANIEL , PENNA THADEU J. P. , BAUCH CHRIS T. , MARTINEZ ALEXANDRE S. , CABELLA BRENNO C. T.
Published: May 2012

In this work we present an agent-based model for the spread of tuberculosis where the individuals can be infected with either drug-susceptible or drug-resistant strains and can also receive a treatment. The dynamics of the model and the role of each one of the parameters are explained. The whole set of parameters is explored to check their importance in the numerical simulation results. The model captures the beneficial impact of the adequate treatment on the prevalence of tuberculosis. Nevertheless, depending on the treatment parameters range, it also captures the emergence of drug resistance. Drug resistance emergence is particularly likely to occur for parameter values corresponding to less efficacious treatment, as usually found in developing countries.
Pulse Analysis in Bipolar Disordered and Nonpsychotic Human Subjects
Authors: Chen Fun-Jou , Wang Hong-Song , Huang Chih-Yang , Chen Yueh-Sheng
Published: May 2012

The research literature indicates that patients with bipolar disorder (BPD) differ from healthy individuals in various ways that are also recognized in traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of the current study was to analyze the pulse spectra in BPD patients to determine any differences from nonpsychotic healthy individuals. Sphygmography was used to measure the radial arterial pulse waves in all subjects. We analyzed the original waveforms and then transformed them into frequency spectra via Fourier transformation. The relative strength of each harmonic, believed to be connected to meridians in Chinese medicine, was identified from the frequency, and we compared the differences among the harmonics. A total of sixty individuals, thirty with BPD and thirty nonpsychotic healthy controls, participated in the study. The harmonic values of C4 (Lung Meridian) on the right hand, 401.33 ± 50.10 vs. 762.44 ± 125.17, were significantly different (p < 0.05) between the BPD group and the nonpsychotic healthy group. The harmonic percentage of C3 (Spleen Meridian) on the right hand, 7.85 ± 0.59% vs. 10.79 ± 1.01%, and C4 (Lung Meridian), 1.80 ± 0.15 vs. 3.24 ± 0.43, was significantly different (p < 0.05) between the two groups. The results were similar for the right and left hands. In this study, we objectively detected constitutional differences between BPD patients and healthy controls through arterial pulse analysis. The pulse spectrum analyzer is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that can be used to integrate scientific technology with traditional Chinese medicine. We plan further study in this field to improve the accuracy of diagnosis in Chinese medicine.