bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing Ni–Al and Ru–Al intermetallic films for use in microelectromechanical systems
Authors: Howell J. A. , Mohney S. E. , Muhlstein C. L.
Published: August 2011

Ordered intermetallic films have a favorable combination of properties such as high strength, metallic electrical conductivity, good oxidation and corrosion resistance, and a high melting temperature and thermal stability that make them suitable for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). One potential drawback to intermetallics is a lack of ductility at room temperature; however, the B2 compounds NiAl and RuAl show some ductility at room temperature, which has been shown to increase as the grain size decreases. Additionally, the fracture toughness of both materials is higher than those of Si and SiGe. It is also possible to deposit these materials at temperatures that make them compatible with complementary metal oxide semiconductor processing. The authors have shown that by controlling the Ar pressure during cosputtering, NiAl and RuAl thin films can be deposited near room temperature with stresses ranging from compressive to tensile, possibly eliminating the need for annealing. This article examines Ni–Al and Ru–Al intermetallic thin films with an overall composition of 50% Al and 50% Ni (or Ru) deposited by cosputtering or the annealing of multilayer stacks for use in MEMS by first establishing an appropriate combination of etchant/sacrificial layer that results in crack-free, freestanding, fixed-fixed beams. Finally, two different MEMS devices were successfully fabricated using a XeF2 etch and actuated: electrostatically actuated resonators and bent beam thermal actuators.
Initial stages of MnAs heteroepitaxy and nanoisland growth on GaAs(110) and (001) surfaces
Authors: Hirayama Motoi , Bell Gavin R. , Tsukamoto Shiro
Published: August 2011

The authors have investigated the initial growth of MnAs layers by step-by-step epitaxy on GaAs(110) and GaAs(001). On both surfaces, MnAs nanocrystals developed as the initial stage of MnAs layer formation. Surprisingly, an ultrahigh density (∼1×1012 cm−2) of the nanocrystals with a height of ∼5 nm and a size of ∼20 nm appeared on GaAs(110). On different surface orientations, the density and the size of the nanocrystals vary. The behavior of the nanocrystallizations can be explained by symmetry at the surface.
Kinetics of long-time photoluminescence in quantum dots
Authors: Král K. , Menšík M.
Published: August 2011

Some quantum dot samples show a long-time behavior of their luminescence intensity decay. This effect has been recently explained as being due to a cooperation of many tunneling channels transferring electrons from quantum dots with triplet exciton to quantum dots at which the electrons can recombine with the holes in the valence band states. In this work, the authors show that the long-time character of the sample luminescence decay can also be caused by an intrinsic property of a single dot, namely, by a nonadiabatic effect of the up-conversion caused by the electron-phonon multiple scattering mechanism.
Green Connections
Authors: Zahn Laura
Published: August 2011

An analysis of protein-protein interactions in
Arabidopsis
identifies the plant interactome.
A “Swell” Way to Regulate Pannexin-Mediated ATP Release
Authors: Thompson Heather M.
Published: August 2011

TRPV4 and RhoA signaling act upstream of pannexin 1 to mediate ATP release induced by osmotic cell swelling.
The Insect Peptide Coprisin Prevents Clostridium difficile-Mediated Acute Inflammation and Mucosal Damage through Selective Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Kang Jin Ku , Hwang Jae Sam , Nam Hyo Jung , Ahn Keun Jae , Seok Heon , Kim Sung-Kuk , Yun Eun Young , Pothoulakis Charalabos , Lamont John Thomas , Kim Ho
Published: August 2011

Clostridium difficile
-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis are typically treated with vancomycin or metronidazole, but recent increases in relapse incidence and the emergence of drug-resistant strains of
C. difficile
indicate the need for new antibiotics. We previously isolated coprisin, an antibacterial peptide from
Copris tripartitus
, a Korean dung beetle, and identified a nine-amino-acid peptide in the α-helical region of it (LLCIALRKK) that had antimicrobial activity (J.-S. Hwang et al., Int. J. Pept., 2009, doi:10.1155/2009/136284). Here, we examined whether treatment with a coprisin analogue (a disulfide dimer of the nine peptides) prevented inflammation and mucosal damage in a mouse model of acute gut inflammation established by administration of antibiotics followed by
C. difficile
infection. In this model, coprisin treatment significantly ameliorated body weight decreases, improved the survival rate, and decreased mucosal damage and proinflammatory cytokine production. In contrast, the coprisin analogue had no apparent antibiotic activity against commensal bacteria, including
Lactobacillus
and
Bifidobacterium
, which are known to inhibit the colonization of
C. difficile
. The exposure of
C. difficile
to the coprisin analogue caused a marked increase in nuclear propidium iodide (PI) staining, indicating membrane damage; the staining levels were similar to those seen with bacteria treated with a positive control for membrane disruption (EDTA). In contrast, coprisin analogue treatment did not trigger increases in the nuclear PI staining of
Bifidobacterium thermophilum
. This observation suggests that the antibiotic activity of the coprisin analogue may occur through specific membrane disruption of
C. difficile
. Thus, these results indicate that the coprisin analogue may prove useful as a therapeutic agent for
C. difficile
infection-associated inflammatory diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis.
The Trypanocidal Activity of Amidine Compounds Does Not Correlate with Their Binding Affinity to Trypanosoma cruzi Kinetoplast DNA
Authors: Daliry A. , Pires M. Q. , Silva C. F. , Pacheco R. S. , Munde M. , Stephens C. E. , Kumar A. , Ismail M. A. , Liu Z. , Farahat A. A. , Akay S. , Som P. , Hu Q. , Boykin D. W. , Wilson W. D. , De Castro S. L. , Soeiro M. N. C.
Published: August 2011

Due to limited efficacy and considerable toxicity, the therapy for Chagas' disease is far from being ideal, and thus new compounds are desirable. Diamidines and related compounds such as arylimidamides have promising trypanocidal activity against
Trypanosoma cruzi
. To better understand the mechanism of action of these heterocyclic cations, we investigated the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) binding properties and trypanocidal efficacy against
T. cruzi
of 13 compounds. Four diamidines (DB75, DB569, DB1345, and DB829), eight arylimidamides (DB766, DB749, DB889, DB709, DB613, DB1831, DB1852, and DB2002), and one guanylhydrazone (DB1080) were assayed in thermal denaturation (

T
m

) and circular dichroism (CD) studies using whole purified
T. cruzi
kDNA and a conserved synthetic parasite sequence. The overall CD spectra using the whole kDNA were similar to those found for the conserved sequence and were indicative of minor groove binding. Our findings showed that some of the compounds that exhibited the highest trypanocidal activities (e.g., DB766) caused low or no change in the

T
m

measurements. However, while some active compounds, such as DB766, induced profound alterations of kDNA topology, others, like DB1831, although effective, did not result in altered

T
m

and CD measurements. Our data suggest that the strong affinity of amidines with kDNA
per se
is not sufficient to generate and trigger their trypanocidal activity. Cell uptake differences and possibly distinct cellular targets need to be considered in the final evaluation of the mechanisms of action of these compounds.
First Description of an RND-Type Multidrug Efflux Pump in Achromobacter xylosoxidans, AxyABM
Authors: Bador Julien , Amoureux Lucie , Duez Jean-Marie , Drabowicz Anthony , Siebor Eliane , Llanes Catherine , Neuwirth Catherine
Published: August 2011

Achromobacter xylosoxidans
is an emerging pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients. The multidrug resistance of these bacteria remains poorly understood. We have characterized in a clinical strain the first resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type multidrug efflux pump in this species: AxyABM. The inactivation of the transporter component
axyB
gene led to decreased MICs of cephalosporins (except cefepime), aztreonam, nalidixic acid, fluoroquinolones, and chloramphenicol.
Quantitative Impact of Neutrophils on Bacterial Clearance in a Murine Pneumonia Model
Authors: Guo Beining , Abdelraouf Kamilia , Ledesma Kimberly R. , Chang Kai-Tai , Nikolaou Michael , Tam Vincent H.
Published: August 2011

The rapid increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is a global problem that has challenged our ability to treat serious infections. Currently, clinical decisions on treatment are often based on
in vitro
susceptibility data. The role of the immune system in combating bacterial infections is unequivocal, but it is not well captured quantitatively. In this study, the impact of neutrophils on bacterial clearance was quantitatively assessed in a murine pneumonia model.
In vitro
time-growth studies were performed to determine the growth rate constants of
Acinetobacter baumannii
ATCC BAA 747 and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PAO1. The absolute neutrophil count in mice resulting from different cyclophosphamide preparatory regimens was determined. The dynamic change of bacterial (
A. baumannii
BAA 747) burden in mice with graded immunosuppression over 24 h was captured by a mathematical model. The fit to the data was satisfactory (
r
2
= 0.945). The best-fit maximal kill rate (

K
k

) of the bacterial population by neutrophils was 1.743 h
−1
, the number of neutrophils necessary for 50% maximal killing was 190.8/μl, and the maximal population size was 1.8 × 10
9
CFU/g, respectively. Using these model parameter estimates, the model predictions were subsequently validated by the bacterial burden change of
P. aeruginosa
PAO1 at 24 h. A simple mathematical model was proposed to quantify the contribution of neutrophils to bacterial clearance and predict the bacterial growth/suppression in animals. Our results provide a novel framework to link
in vitro
and
in vivo
information and may be used to improve clinical treatment of bacterial infections.
Antagonistic Interactions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms in Planktonic but Not Biofilm Growth
Authors: Mulet Xavier , Moyá Bartolomé , Juan Carlos , Macià María D. , Pérez José L. , Blázquez Jesús , Oliver Antonio
Published: August 2011

Pseudomonas aeruginosahas an extraordinary capacity to evade the activity of antibiotics through a complex interplay of intrinsic and mutation-driven resistance pathways, which are, unfortunately, often additive or synergistic, leading to multidrug (or even pandrug) resistance. However, we show that one of these mechanisms, overexpression of the MexCD-OprJ efflux pump (driven by inactivation of its negative regulator NfxB), causes major changes in the cell envelope physiology, impairing the backbone ofP. aeruginosaintrinsic resistance, including the major constitutive (MexAB-OprM) and inducible (MexXY-OprM) efflux pumps and the inducible AmpC β-lactamase. Moreover, it also impaired the most relevant mutation-driven β-lactam resistance mechanism (constitutive AmpC overexpression), through a dramatic decrease in periplasmic β-lactamase activity, apparently produced by an abnormal permeation of AmpC out of the cell. While these results could delineate future strategies for combating antibiotic resistance in cases of acute nosocomial infections, a major drawback for the potential exploitation of the described antagonistic interaction between resistance mechanisms came from the differential bacterial physiology characteristics of biofilm growth, a hallmark of chronic infections. Although the failure to concentrate AmpC activity in the periplasm dramatically limits the protection of the targets (penicillin-binding proteins [PBPs]) of β-lactams at the individual cell level, the expected outcome for cells growing as biofilm communities, which are surrounded by a thick extracellular matrix, was less obvious. Indeed, our results showed that AmpC produced bynfxBmutants is protective in biofilm growth, suggesting that the permeation of AmpC into the matrix protects biofilm communities against β-lactams.
d
-Ala-
d
-Ser VanN-Type Transferable Vancomycin Resistance in Enterococcus faecium
Authors: Lebreton François , Depardieu Florence , Bourdon Nancy , Fines-Guyon Marguerite , Berger Pierre , Camiade Sabine , Leclercq Roland , Courvalin Patrice , Cattoir Vincent
Published: August 2011

Enterococcus faecium
UCN71, isolated from a blood culture, was resistant to low levels of vancomycin (MIC, 16 μg/ml) but susceptible to teicoplanin (MIC, 0.5 μg/ml). No amplification was observed with primers specific for the previously described glycopeptide resistance ligase genes, but a PCR product corresponding to a gene called
vanN
was obtained using degenerate primers and was sequenced. The deduced VanN protein was related (65% identity) to the
d
-alanine:
d
-serine VanL ligase. The organization of the
vanN
gene cluster, determined using degenerate primers and by thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL)-PCR, was similar to that of the
vanC
operons. A single promoter upstream from the resistance operon was identified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR. The presence of peptidoglycan precursors ending in
d
-serine and
d
,
d
-peptidase activities in the absence of vancomycin indicated constitutive expression of the resistance operon. VanN-type resistance was transferable by conjugation to
E. faecium
. This is the first report of transferable
d
-Ala-
d
-Ser-type resistance in
E. faecium
.
Prevention of Experimental Cerebral Malaria by Flt3 Ligand during Infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA
Authors: Tamura Takahiko , Kimura Kazumi , Yuda Masao , Yui Katsuyuki
Published: August 2011

Dendritic cells are the most potent antigen-presenting cells, but their roles in blood-stage malaria infection are not fully understood. We examined the effects of Flt3 ligand, a cytokine that induces dendritic cell production,in vivoon the course of infection withPlasmodium bergheiANKA. Mice treated with Flt3 ligand showed preferential expansion of CD8+dendritic cells and granulocytes, as well as lower levels of parasitemia, and were protected from the development of lethal experimental cerebral malaria (ECM). Rag2 knockout mice treated with Flt3 ligand also showed inhibition of parasitemia, suggesting that this protection was due, at least in part, to the stimulation of innate immunity. However, it was unlikely that the inhibition of ECM was due simply to the reduction in the level of parasitemia. In the peripheral T cell compartment, CD8+T cell levels were markedly increased in Flt3 ligand-treated mice after infection. These CD8+T cells expressed CD11c and upregulated CXCR3, while the expression of CD137, CD25, and granzyme B was reduced. In the brain, the number of sequestered CD8+T cells was not significantly different for treated versus untreated mice, while the proportion of CD8+T cells that produce gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and granzyme B was significantly reduced in treated mice. In addition, sequestration of parasitized red blood cells (RBCs) in the brain was reduced, suggesting that altered CD8+T cell activation and reduced sequestration of parasitized RBCs culminated in inhibition of ECM development. These results suggest that the quantitative and qualitative changes in the dendritic cell compartment are important for the pathogenesis of ECM.
The Burkholderia pseudomallei Δ
asd
Mutant Exhibits Attenuated Intracellular Infectivity and Imparts Protection against Acute Inhalation Melioidosis in Mice
Authors: Norris Michael H. , Propst Katie L. , Kang Yun , Dow Steven W. , Schweizer Herbert P. , Hoang Tung T.
Published: August 2011

Burkholderia pseudomallei
, the cause of serious and life-threatening diseases in humans, is of national biodefense concern because of its potential use as a bioterrorism agent. This microbe is listed as a select agent by the CDC; therefore, development of vaccines is of significant importance. Here, we further investigated the growth characteristics of a recently created
B. pseudomallei
1026b Δ
asd
mutant
in vitro
, in a cell model, and in an animal model of infection. The mutant was typified by an inability to grow in the absence of exogenous diaminopimelate (DAP); upon single-copy complementation with a wild-type copy of the
asd
gene, growth was restored to wild-type levels. Further characterization of the
B. pseudomallei
Δ
asd
mutant revealed a marked decrease in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cytotoxicity compared to the wild type and the complemented Δ
asd
mutant. RAW264.7 cells infected by the Δ
asd
mutant did not exhibit signs of cytopathology or multinucleated giant cell (MNGC) formation, which were observed in wild-type
B. pseudomallei
cell infections. The Δ
asd
mutant was found to be avirulent in BALB/c mice, and mice vaccinated with the mutant were protected against acute inhalation melioidosis. Thus, the
B. pseudomallei
Δ
asd
mutant may be a promising live attenuated vaccine strain and a biosafe strain for consideration of exclusion from the select agent list.
Regulation of Chlamydial Infection by Host Autophagy and Vacuolar ATPase-Bearing Organelles
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Pachikara Niseema D. , Bao Xiaofeng , Pan Zui , Fan Huizhou
Published: August 2011

As arguably the most successful parasite,Chlamydiais an obligate intracellular bacterium replicating inside a vacuole of eukaryotic host cells. The chlamydial vacuole does not fuse with the defense cell organelle lysosome. We previously showed that chlamydial infection increases markers of autophagy, an innate antimicrobial activity requiring lysosomal function. However, the work presented here demonstrates that p62, an autophagy protein that is degraded in lysosomes, either remained unchanged or increased in chlamydia-infected human epithelial, mouse fibroblast, and mouse macrophage cell lines. In addition, the activities of three lysosomal enzymes analyzed were diminished in chlamydia-infected macrophages. Bafilomycin A1 (BafA), a specific inhibitor of vacuolar ATPase (vATPase) required for lysosomal function, increased the growth of the human pathogenChlamydia trachomatis(L2) in wild-type murine fibroblasts and macrophages but inhibited growth in the autophagy-deficient ATG5−/−fibroblasts. BafA exhibited only slight inhibition or no effect on L2 growth in multiple human genital epithelial cell lines. In contrast to L2, the mouse pathogenChlamydia muridarum(MoPn) was consistently inhibited by BafA in all cell lines examined, regardless of species origin and autophagy status. Finally, L2 but not MoPn grew more efficiently in the ATG5−/−cells than in wild-type cells. These results suggest that there are two types of vATPase-bearing organelles that regulate chlamydial infection: one supports chlamydial infection, while the other plays a defensive role through autophagy when cells are artificially infected with certain chlamydiae that have not been adapted to the host species.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Core O Polysaccharide Conjugated to H:g,m Flagellin as a Candidate Vaccine for Protection against Invasive Infection withS.Enteritidis
Authors: Simon Raphael , Tennant Sharon M. , Wang Jin Y. , Schmidlein Patrick J. , Lees Andrew , Ernst Robert K. , Pasetti Marcela F. , Galen James E. , Levine Myron M.
Published: August 2011

NontyphoidalSalmonella entericaserovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium are a common cause of gastroenteritis but also cause invasive infections and enteric fever in certain hosts (young children in sub-Saharan Africa, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals).SalmonellaO polysaccharides (OPS) and flagellar proteins are virulence factors and protective antigens. The surface polysaccharides ofSalmonellaare poorly immunogenic and do not confer immunologic memory, limitations overcome by covalently attaching them to carrier proteins. We conjugated core polysaccharide-OPS (COPS) ofSalmonellaEnteritidis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to flagellin protein from the homologous strain. COPS and flagellin were purified from a genetically attenuated (ΔguaBA) “reagent strain” (derived from an isolate from a patient with clinical bacteremia) engineered for increased flagellin production (ΔclpPX). Conjugates were constructed by linking flagellin monomers or polymers at random COPS hydroxyls with various polysaccharide/protein ratios by 1-cyano-4-dimethylaminopyridinium tetrafluoroborate (CDAP) or at the 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (KDO) terminus by thioether chemistry. Mice immunized on days 0, 28, and 56 with COPS-flagellin conjugates mounted higher anti-LPS IgG levels than mice receiving unconjugated COPS and exhibited high antiflagellin IgG; anti-LPS and antiflagellin IgG levels increased following booster doses. Antibodies generated by COPS-flagellin conjugates mediated opsonophagocytosis ofS.Enteritidis cells into mouse macrophages. Mice immunized with flagellin alone, COPS-CRM197, or COPS-flagellin conjugates were significantly protected from lethal challenge with wild-typeS.Enteritidis (80 to 100% vaccine efficacy).
The quality of websites addressing fibromyalgia: an assessment of quality and readability using standardised tools
Authors: Daraz Lubna , MacDermid Joy C , Wilkins Seanne , Gibson Jane , Shaw Lynn
Published: August 2011

Background

Patients living with fibromyalgia strongly prefer to access health information on the web. However, the majority of subjects in previous studies strongly expressed their concerns about the quality of online information resources.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate existing online fibromyalgia information resources for content, quality and readability by using standardised quality and readability tools.

Methods

The first 25 websites were identified using Google and the search keyword ‘fibromyalgia’. Pairs of raters independently evaluated website quality using two structured tools (DISCERN and a quality checklist). Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease score maps.

Results

Ranking of the websites' quality varied by the tool used, although there was general agreement about the top three websites (Fibromyalgia Information, Fibromyalgia Information Foundation and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases). Content analysis indicated that 72% of websites provided information on treatment options, 68% on symptoms, 60% on diagnosis and 40% on coping and resources. DISCERN ratings classified 32% websites as ‘very good’, 32% as ‘good and 36% as ‘marginal’. The mean overall DISCERN score was 36.88 (good). Only 16% of websites met the recommended literacy level grade of 6–8 (range 7–15).

Conclusion

Higher quality websites tended to be less readable. Online fibromyalgia information resources do not provide comprehensive information about fibromyalgia, and have low quality and poor readability. While information is very important for those living with fibromyalgia, current resources are unlikely to provide necessary or accurate information, and may not be usable for most people.
The humanising power of medical history: responses to biomedicine in the 20th century United States
Authors: Warner John Harley
Published: August 2011

Most American historians of medicine today would be very hesitant about any claim that medical history humanises doctors, medical students or the larger health care enterprise. Yet, the idea that history can and ought to serve modern medicine as a humanising force has been a persistent refrain in American medicine. This essay explores the emergence of this idea from the end of the 19th century, precisely the moment when modern biomedicine became ascendant. At the same institutions where the new version of scientific medicine was most energetically embraced, some professional leaders warned that the allegiance to science driving the profession's technical and cultural success was endangering humanistic values fundamental to professionalism and the art of medicine. They saw in history a means for rehumanising modern medicine and countering the risk of cultural crisis. While some iteration of this vision of history was remarkably durable, the meanings attached to ‘humanism’ were both multiple and changing, and the role envisioned for history in a humanistic intervention was transformed. Starting in the 1960s as part of a larger cultural critique of the putative ‘dehumanisation’ of the medical establishment, some advocates promoted medical history as a tool to help fashion a new kind of humanist physician and to confront social inequities in the health care system. What has persisted across time is the way that the idea of history as a humanising force has almost always functioned as a discourse of deficiency—a response to perceived shortcomings of biomedicine, medical institutions and medical professionalism.
MULTI-CLASS CLASSIFICATION VIA SUBSPACE MODELING
Authors: SHYU MEI-LING , CHEN CHAO , CHEN SHU-CHING
Published: August 2011

Aiming to build a satisfactory supervised classifier, this paper proposes a Multi-class Subspace Modeling (MSM) classification framework. The framework consists of three parts, namely Principal Component Classifier Training Array, Principal Component Classifier Testing Array, and Label Coordinator. The role of Principal Component Classifier Training Array is to get a set of optimized parameters and principal components from each subspace-based training classifier and pass them to the corresponding subspace-based testing classifier in Principal Component Classifier Testing Array. In each subspace-based training classifier, the instances are projected from the original space into the principal component (PC) subspace, where a PC selection method is developed and applied to construct the PC subspace. In Principal Component Classifier Testing Array, each subspace-based testing classifier will utilize the parameters and PCs from its corresponding subspace-based training classifier to determine whether to assign its class label to the instances. Since one instance may be assigned zero or more than one label by the Principal Component Classifier Testing Array, the Label Coordinator is designed to coordinate the final class label of an instance according to its Attaching Proportion (AP) values towards multiple classes. To evaluate the classification accuracy, 10 rounds of 3-fold cross-validation are conducted and many popular classification algorithms (like SVM, Decision Trees, Multi-layer Perceptron, Logistic, etc.) are served as comparative peers. Experimental results show that our proposed MSM classification framework outperforms those compared classifiers in 10 data sets, among which 8 of them hold a confidence level of significance higher than 99.5%. In addition, our framework shows its ability of handling imbalanced data set. Finally, a demo is built to display the accuracy and detailed information of the classification.
Omental Evisceration after Cesarean Section: Safety of Peritoneal Nonclosure Technique
Authors: Bhattacharya Sohini , Bhattacharyya Sanjay Kumar , Alam Hajekul , Ghosh Roy Samir Chandra
Published: August 2011

A case of omental prolapse presented to us on the fifteenth postoperative day following an uneventful Cesarean section. A rare complication as such questions the safety of peritoneal nonclosure that has been adopted by obstetricians in recent times.
Prethymic Cytoplasmic CD3 Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia: A Case Report
Authors: Cannizzo Elisa , Carulli Giovanni , Del Vecchio Luigi , Azzarà Antonio , Galimberti Sara , Ottaviano Virginia , Preffer Frederic , Petrini Mario
Published: August 2011

Acute undiffentiated leukemia (AUL) is an acute leukemia with no more than one membrane marker of any given lineage. Blasts often express HLA-DR, CD34, and/or CD38 and may be positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). The expression of CD34, HLA-DR, and CD38 has been shown in pro-T-ALL, although in this case, blasts should also express CD7 and cyCD3. However, some cases of T-ALL without CD3 in the cytoplasm and all TCR chain genes in germ line configuration are reported, features that fit well with a very early hematopoietic cell. We report a case of acute leukemia CD34+/−HLADR+CD7+CD38+cyCD3− in which a diagnosis of AUL was considered. However the blasts were also positive for CD99 and TCR delta gene rearrangement which was found on molecular studies. Therefore a differential diagnosis between AUL and an early cyCD3 negative T-ALL was debated.
A Class of Fourth‐Order Telegraph‐Diffusion Equations for Image Restoration
Authors: Zeng Weili , Lu Xiaobo , Tan Xianghua
Published: August 2011

A class of nonlinear
fourth‐order telegraph‐diffusion equations (TDE)
for image restoration are proposed based on
fourth‐order TDE and bilateral filtering. The
proposed model enjoys the benefits of both
fourth‐order TDE and bilateral filtering, which
is not only edge preserving and robust to noise
but also avoids the staircase effects. The
existence, uniqueness, and stability of the
solution for our model are proved. Experiment
results show the effectiveness of the proposed
model and demonstrate its superiority to the
existing models.
The Impact of Comorbid Depression on Adherence to Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Tarrants M. , Oleen-Burkey M. , Castelli-Haley J. , Lage M. J.
Published: August 2011

Objective. Examine the impact of comorbid depression on adherence to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS).Methods. A retrospective database was used to identify patients with MS treated with a DMT. Patients with MS and comorbid depression were matched to patients with MS only. Adherence to DMT was proxied by the medication possession ratio (MPR) and multivariate regressions were used to examine the association between comorbid depression and adherence to DMT.Results. Patients with comorbid depression had a 10 point lower MPR (P<0.01) and were less likely to achieve a MPR of at least 80% (odds ratio(OR)=0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42–0.74) than those without depression. While treatment with an antidepressant generally had no significant impact on the likelihood of achieving an MPR threshold of 80% (OR=1.32; 95% CI 0.50–3.48), adherence to antidepressant therapy guidelines were associated with improved adherence to DMT therapy.Conclusions. MS patients with comorbid depression were approximately half as likely to be adherent to their DMT relative to patients with MS without depression. Although treatment with antidepressant therapy generally did not improve the likelihood of adherence, treatment with antidepressants for at least 6 months was associated with better adherence to DMT.
Capsule Endoscopy in a Patient with an Implanted CCM System and an Implantable Defibrillator
Authors: Streitner Florian , Schoene Nina , Borggrefe Martin , Kuschyk Jürgen
Published: August 2011

Wireless video capsule endoscopy (CE) is a modern diagnostic tool. Because of its use of digital radiofrequency, it is still relatively contraindicated in patients with implanted cardiac devices. We report the case of a patient with an Optimizer III system delivering cardiac contractility modulating signals (CCM) for heart failure therapy and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) who underwent CE. No interferences between the devices were found.
Two Cases of Orbital Myositis as a Rare Feature of Lyme Borreliosis
Authors: Sauer Arnaud , Speeg-Schatz Claude , Hansmann Yves
Published: August 2011

Myositis has been reported as a rare manifestation of Lyme disease, and the Lyme disease spirochetes can be an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of unusual cases of myositis, especially in patients who live in or travel to endemic areas. We report the case of two patients who presented with focal orbital myositis which are rare localization for Lyme disease. Myositis were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Diagnosis criteria forBorrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi)infection was supported by (i) medical history (tick bite in an endemic area), (ii) systemic clinical findings (Erythema migrans, neurological manifestation or arthritis), (iii) positive Lyme serology and/or the detection ofB. burgdorferiDNA by polymerase chain reaction, as well as (iv) exclusion of other infectious and inflammatory causes. The current cases are reviewed in the context of findings from previous myositis descriptions.
A New Hybrid Methodology for Nonlinear Time Series Forecasting
Authors: Khashei Mehdi , Bijari Mehdi
Published: August 2011

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are flexible computing frameworks and universal approximators that can be applied to a wide range of forecasting problems with a high degree of accuracy. However, using ANNs to model linear problems have yielded mixed results, and hence; it is not wise to apply them blindly to any type of data. This is the reason that hybrid methodologies combining linear models such as ARIMA and nonlinear models such as ANNs have been proposed in the literature of time series forecasting. Despite of all advantages of the traditional methodologies for combining ARIMA and ANNs, they have some assumptions that will degenerate their performance if the opposite situation occurs. In this paper, a new methodology is proposed in order to combine the ANNs with ARIMA in order to overcome the limitations of traditional hybrid methodologies and yield more general and more accurate hybrid models. Empirical results with Canadian Lynx data set indicate that the proposed methodology can be a more effective way in order to combine linear and nonlinear models together than traditional hybrid methodologies. Therefore, it can be applied as an appropriate alternative methodology for hybridization in time series forecasting field, especially when higher forecasting accuracy is needed.
A Rare Presentation of AKI: Gastric Infiltration of the Bladder Wall
Authors: Sandilya Sandipani , Golestaneh Ladan
Published: August 2011

We describe the case of a man who presented with back pain and acute kidney injury and was found to have bilateral ureteral obstruction, which initially corrected with ureteral stents. Imaging studies showed thickening of the bladder. Shortly thereafter, he developed obstructive jaundice, pancreatitis, recurrence of renal failure, and was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer after a laparotomy revealed peritoneal carcinomatosis. The patient deteriorated rapidly after diagnosis. While peritoneal carcinomatosis, ureteral metastases, and extrinsic ureteral compression have been recognized in gastric cancer, obstructive renal failure due to tumor infiltration of the bladder wall is seldom described. We present this case as an unusual cause of acute renal failure and presentation of gastric cancer.
Effective Prolonged Therapy with Voriconazole in a Lung Transplant Recipient with Spondylodiscitis Induced byScedosporium apiospermum
Authors: Luijk B. , Ekkelenkamp M. B. , De Jong P. A. , Kwakkel-van Erp J. M. , Grutters J. C. , van Kessel D. A. , van de Graaf E. A.
Published: August 2011

Scedosporium/Pseudallescheriaspecies are frequently seen in cystic fibrosis patients. However, disseminated forms after lung transplantation in these patients are rarely seen, but often with poor outcome. In this case report we describe a lung transplant recipient with cystic fibrosis who developed a spondylodiscitis that was caused byScedosporium apiospermum. The patient was treated with anti-fungal treatment by voriconazole for over three years with a clinical good response and without the need for surgical intervention. To our opinion this is the first anti-fungal treated case of invasive disease caused byScedosporium/Pseudallescheriain a cystic fibrosis (CF) patient who underwent lung transplantation that survived.
Polyarteritis Nodosa with Bilateral Asynchronous Testicular Necrosis: A Case Report
Authors: Toepfer Nicholas J. , Lountzis Nektarios I. , Ugoeke Joseph C. , Ferringer Tammie C.
Published: August 2011

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a systemic vasculitis which may result in thrombosis or aneurysm formation in any organ of the body. We report a case polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) resulting in bilateral asynchronous testicular necrosis. A 55-year-old male developed acute onset of left testicular pain resulting in a left orchiectomy and right orchidopexy for an ischemic left testicle without evidence of torsion. Three weeks later, the patient developed acute right-sided scrotal pain, and surgical exploration revealed a right necrotic testicle resulting in a right orchiectomy. Pathologic evaluations demonstrated benign testes with acute interstitial hemorrhage and focal atrophy. The patient also experienced abdominal skin necrosis, penile pain and swelling, and temporary loss of vision. This is a unique case of PAN and the only case of asynchronous testicular necrosis in the medical literature.
Nevus of Ota with Rare Palatal Involvement: A Case Report with Emphasis on Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Sharma Gaurav , Nagpal Archna
Published: August 2011

Nevus of Ota, a dermal melanocytic nevus, is rare in the Indian subcontinent. It presents as a brown, blue, or gray patch on the face and is within the distribution of the ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve. The oral cavity is infrequently involved in nevus of Ota. Only 11 cases have been documented in the English literature. We report a rare case of intraoral nevus of Ota in a 22-year-old male patient. This paper focuses on the differential diagnosis of oral manifestations of nevus of Ota to assist in proper followup to avert malignant transformation.
Strong Convergence Theorems for Countable Families of Uniformly Quasi‐ϕ‐Asymptotically Nonexpansive Mappings and a System of Generalized Mixed Equilibrium Problems
Authors: Saewan Siwaporn , Kumam Poom
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this paper is to present a new hybrid block iterative scheme by the generalized f‐
projection method for finding a common element of the fixed point set for a countable family of uniformly
quasi‐ϕ‐asymptotically nonexpansive mappings and the set of solutions of the system of generalized mixed
equilibrium problems in a strictly convex and uniformly smooth Banach space with the Kadec‐Klee
property. Furthermore, we prove that our new iterative scheme converges strongly to a common element
of the aforementioned sets. The results presented in this paper improve and extend important recent
results in the literature.
Towards an (Even More) Natural Probabilistic Interpretation of Fuzzy Transforms (and of Fuzzy Modeling)
Authors: Perfilieva Irina , Kreinovich Vladik
Published: August 2011

In many practical applications, it turns out to be useful to use the notion offuzzy transform:once we have functionsA1(x)≥0,...,An≥0,with∑i=1nAi(x)=1, we can then represent each functionf(x)by the coefficientsFi=(∫f(x)⋅Ai(x)dx)/(∫Ai(x)dx).Once we know the coefficientsFi, we can (approximately) reconstruct the original functionf(x)as∑i=1nFi⋅Ai(x). The original motivation for this transformation came from fuzzy modeling, but the transformation itself is a purely mathematical transformation. Thus, the empirical successes of this transformation suggest that this transformation can be also interpreted in more traditional (nonfuzzy) mathematics as well. Such an interpretation is presented in this paper. Specifically, we show that the 2002 probabilistic interpretation of fuzzy modeling by Sánchez et al. can be modified into a natural probabilistic explanation of fuzzy transform formulas.
Apple Procyanidins Suppress Amyloidβ-Protein Aggregation
Authors: Toda Toshihiko , Sunagawa Tadahiro , Kanda Tomomasa , Tagashira Motoyuki , Shirasawa Takuji , Shimizu Takahiko
Published: August 2011

Procyanidins (PCs) are major components of the apple polyphenols (APs). We previously reported that treatment with PC extended the mean lifespan ofCaenorhabditis elegans(Sunagawa et al., 2011). In order to estimate the neuroprotective effects of PC, we investigated the antiaggregative activity of PC on amyloidβ-protein (Aβ) aggregation, which is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. We herein report that PC significantly suppressed Aβ42 aggregation and dissociated Aβ42 aggregates in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that PC is a potent suppressor of Aβaggregation. Furthermore, PC significantly inhibited Aβ42 neurotoxicity and stimulated proliferation in PC-12 cells. These results suggested that the PC and AP acted as neuroprotective factors against toxic Aβaggregates.
Solitary Necrotic Nodule of the Liver: A Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Wang Hong-Qun , Wu Zheng-Sheng , Li Dao-Wang
Published: August 2011

To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and possible causes of solitary necrotic nodule of the liver (SNN), two cases of SNN of the liver were studied with clinicopathological data, immunohistochemistry, and histochemistry staining. The patients had no specific symptoms, with negative results for the serum tumor markers. CT and ultrasound all showed low-density lesion. Morphologically, there was isolate, single necrosis tubercle of the liver. It was composed of a central necrotic core and a peripheral fibrotic capsule with inflammatory cells, including histiocytes, plasma cells, lymphocytes, and so forth. The staining result of PAS, acid-fast, and iron was all negative, and AG + VG staining showed that the outline of reticular fibers and collagen was intact. Vimtin was positive for necrotic tissue and surrounding fibrous tissue. CD34 and CD68 was both positive for case 1. CK was negative in case 2 but positive for a few residual cells in case 1. SNN of the liver is a rare nonmalignant disease with a good prognosis. Hemangioma and fatty liver might be ones of the causes of SNN.
Emergent Completion Pneumonectomy for Postoperative Hemorrhage from Rupture of the Infected Pulmonary Artery in Lung Cancer Surgery
Authors: Ayabe Takanori , Shimizu Tetsuya M. , Tomita Masaki , Yano Mitsuhiro , Nakamura Kunihide , Onitsuka Toshio
Published: August 2011

Completion pneumonectomy (CP) is one of the most difficult procedures and known to be associated with a high morbidity and mortality. A 74-year-old male underwent a left upper lobectomy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma (T3N0M0); six days later after the surgery, he had a sudden postoperative intrathoracic excessive hemorrhage with shock. Emergent redo thoracotomy was performed to treat the bleeding from the ablated interlobar pulmonary artery by suturing with prolene. However, 3 days later after the second operation, he had the second intrathoracic bleeding. Emergent CP was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass by anterior transpericarsial approach via a median sternotomy. The hemorrhage was caused by a rupture of the proximal fragile and infected pulmonary artery. We performed omentopexy for the infected intrathoracic cavity and for covering of the divided main bronchial stump. We had a rare experience of two times of postoperative life-threatening hemorrhage from rupture of the infected pulmonary artery after left upper lobectomy. Emergent CP as salvage surgery should have an advantage in control of infected proximal pulmonary arterial hemorrhage. We should take care of tearing off of adventitia of pulmonary artery in lobectomy because of a possibility of postoperative hemorrhage under a fragility of the injured pulmonary artery with infection.
The Pain System in Oesophageal Disorders: Mechanisms, Clinical Characteristics, and Treatment
Authors: Lottrup Christian , Olesen Søren Schou , Drewes Asbjørn Mohr
Published: August 2011

Pain is common in gastroenterology. This review aims at giving an overview of pain mechanisms, clinical features, and treatment options in oesophageal disorders. The oesophagus has sensory receptors specific for different stimuli. Painful stimuli are encoded by nociceptors and communicated via afferent nerves to the central nervous system. The pain stimulus is further processed and modulated in specific pain centres in the brain, which may undergo plastic alterations. Hence, tissue inflammation and long-term exposure to pain can cause sensitisation and hypersensitivity. Oesophageal sensitivity can be evaluated ,for example, with the oesophageal multimodal probe. Treatment should target the cause of the patient's symptoms. In gastro-oesophageal reflux diseases, proton pump inhibitors are the primary treatment option, surgery being reserved for patients with severe disease resistant to drug therapy. Functional oesophageal disorders are treated with analgesics, antidepressants, and psychological therapy. Lifestyle changes are another option with less documentation.
Physical Properties and Behaviour of Highly Bi-Substituted Magneto-Optic Garnets for Applications in Integrated Optics and Photonics
Authors: Nur-E-Alam Mohammad , Vasiliev Mikhail , Alameh Kamal , Kotov Viacheslav
Published: August 2011

Rare-earth and Bi-substituted iron garnet thin film materials exhibit strong potential for application in various fields of science and frontier optical technologies. Bi-substituted iron garnets possess extraordinary optical and MO properties and are still considered as the best MO functional materials for various emerging integrated optics and photonics applications. However, these MO garnet materials are rarely seen in practical photonics use due to their high optical losses in the visible spectral region. In this paper, we report on the physical properties and magneto-optic behaviour of high-performance RF sputtered highly bismuth-substituted iron garnet and garnet-oxide nanocomposite films of generic composition type (Bi, Dy/Lu)3(Fe, Ga/Al)5O12. Our newly synthesized garnet materials form high-quality nanocrystalline thin film layers which demonstrate excellent optical and MO properties suitable for a wide range of applications in integrated optics and photonics.
Vitamin D3 Enhances the Apoptotic Response of Epithelial Tumors to Aminolevulinate-Based Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Anand Sanjay , Wilson Clara , Hasan Tayyaba , Maytin Edward V.
Published: August 2011

Photodynamic therapy, mediated by exogenously administered aminolevulinic acid (ALA-PDT), followed by exposure to a laser or broadband light source, is a promising modality for treatment of many types of cancers; however, it remains inadequate to treat large, deep, solid tumors. In this article, we report that calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D3, can be administered before ALA as a nontoxic preconditioning regimen to markedly increase the efficacy of ALA-PDT. Using mouse models of squamous cell skin cancer for preclinical proof of concept, we showed that calcitriol, delivered topically or intraperitoneally, increased tumoral accumulation of the PDT-activated ALA product protoporphyrin-IX (PpIX) up to 10-fold, mainly by altering expression of the porphyrin-synthesis enzymes coproporphyrinogen oxidase (increased) and ferrochelatase (decreased). Calcitriol-pretreated tumors underwent enhanced apoptotic cell death after ALA-based PDT. Mechanistic studies have documented activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, with specific cleavage of caspase-8 and increased production of TNF-α in tumors preconditioned by calcitriol treatment before receiving ALA-PDT. Very low doses of calcitriol (0.1–1 μg/kg body weight) were sufficient to elicit tumor-selective enhancement to ALA-PDT efficacy, rendering toxicity concerns negligible. Our findings define a simple, nontoxic, and highly effective preconditioning regimen to enhance the response of epithelial tumors to ALA-PDT, possibly broadening its clinical applications by selectively enhancing accumulation of photosensitizer PpIX together with TNF-α in tumors. Cancer Res; 71(18); 6040–50. ©2011 AACR.