bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UK Renal Registry 15th Annual Report: Chapter 8 UK Multisite Peritoneal Dialysis Access Catheter Audit for First PD Catheters 2011
Authors: Briggs Victoria , Pitcher David , Braddon Fiona , Fogarty Damian , Wilkie Martin
Published: June 2013

Background: The central paradigm of effective peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an appropriate standard of PD catheter function. Aim: The aim of the project was to develop an effective national PD access audit which would identify an ‘appropriate standard' of PD catheter function. Methods: The UK Renal Registry collected centre speciﬁc information on various PD access outcome measures including catheter functionality and post-insertion complications. The ﬁrst PD access audit covering England, Northern Ireland and Wales was conducted during April to June 2012 looking at incident dialysis patients in 2011. Results: Forty three data collection spreadsheets were returned from a total of 65 centres describing 917 PD catheter placements. The median age of PD patients was 61 years and 61.5% were male. The proportion of patients initiated on PD in comparison to HD was lower in socially deprived areas. There was a relationship between the timing of nephrology referral and the likelihood of surgical assessment regarding PD catheter placement. Patients with diabetes did not have higher rates of PD catheter failure or of early peritonitis. Conclusions: A comparative PD catheter audit has the potential to provide valuable information on an important patient related outcome measure and lead to an improvement in patient experience. There was wide variation between centres of PD catheter use for late presenting patients. Overall patients were more likely to get a PD catheter if they had been known to the service for more than 1 year. The percutaneous insertion technique was associated with a higher early (less than 2 week) peritonitis rate and more catheter flow problems.
UK Renal Registry 15th Annual Report: Chapter 9 Centre Variation in Access to Renal Transplantation in the UK (2006-2008)
Authors: Pruthi Rishi , Ravanan Rommel , O'Neill John , Roderick Paul , Pankhurst Laura , Udayaraj Udaya
Published: June 2013

Background: Renal transplantation is recognised as being the optimal treatment modality for many patients with established renal failure. This analysis aimed to explore inter-centre variation in access to renal transplantation in the UK. Methods: Transplant activity and waiting list data were obtained from NHS Blood and Transplant, demographic and laboratory data were obtained from the UK Renal Registry. All incident RRT patients starting treatment between 1st January 2006 and 31st December 2008 from 72 renal centres were considered for inclusion. The cohort was followed until 31st December 2010 (or until transplantation or death, whichever was earliest). Results: Age, ethnicity and primary renal diagnosis were associated with both accessing the kidney transplant waiting list and receiving a kidney transplant. A patient starting dialysis in a non-transplanting renal centre was less likely to be registered for transplantation (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.74-0.87) or receive a transplant from a donor after cardiac death or a living kidney donor (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.61-0.77) compared with patients cared for in transplanting renal centres. Once registered for kidney transplantation, patients in both transplanting and non-transplanting renal centres had an equal chance of receiving a transplant from a donor after brainstem death (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.79-1.08). Conclusion: There was wide variation in access to kidney transplantation between UK renal centres which cannot be explained by differences in case mix.
Adoption of Radial Access and Comparison of Outcomes to Femoral Access in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Feldman Dmitriy N. , Swaminathan Rajesh V. , Kaltenbach Lisa A. , Baklanov Dmitri V. , Kim Luke K. , Wong S. Chiu , Minutello Robert M. , Messenger John C. , Moussa Issam , Garratt Kirk N. , Piana Robert N. , Hillegass William B. , Cohen Mauricio G. , Gilchrist Ian C. , Rao Sunil V.
Published: June 2013

Background—

Radial access for percutaneous coronary intervention (r-PCI) is associated with reduced vascular complications; however, previous reports have shown that <2% of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures in the United States are performed via the radial approach. Our aims were to evaluate temporal trends in r-PCI and compare procedural outcomes between r-PCI and transfemoral PCI.

Methods and Results—

We conducted a retrospective cohort study from the CathPCI registry (n=2 820 874 procedures from 1381 sites) between January 2007 and September 2012. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the adjusted association between r-PCI and bleeding, vascular complications, and procedural success, using transfemoral PCI as the reference. Outcomes in high-risk subgroups such as age ≥75 years, women, and patients with acute coronary syndrome were also examined. The proportion of r-PCI procedures increased from 1.2% in quarter 1 2007 to 16.1% in quarter 3 2012 and accounted for 6.3% of total procedures from 2007 to 2012 (n=178 643). After multivariable adjustment, r-PCI use in the studied cohort of patients was associated with lower risk of bleeding (adjusted odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.49–0.54) and lower risk of vascular complications (adjusted odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.50) in comparison with transfemoral PCI. The reduction in bleeding and vascular complications was consistent across important subgroups of age, sex, and clinical presentation.

Conclusions—

There has been increasing adoption of r-PCI in the United States. Transradial PCI now accounts for 1 of 6 PCIs performed in contemporary clinical practice. In comparison with traditional femoral access, transradial PCI is associated with lower vascular and bleeding complication rates.
Japan and Stalin's Policy toward Northeast Asia after World War II
Authors: Wolff David
Published: June 2013

This article begins by showing that Japan was central to Iosif Stalin's postwar policy in Northeast Asia. The article then examines how the emphasis on Japan led to actions in and with North Korea (and China), first to try to block and then to try to compensate for the separate peace and military alliance between the United States and Japan. The penultimate section recounts meetings between Stalin and leaders of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) in the spring and summer of 1951. The article concludes by explaining how Stalin's meetings with the JCP fit into his policies in Northeast Asia as they evolved largely in step with U.S.-Soviet relations.
Gorbachev, Ozawa, and the Failed Back-Channel Negotiations of 1989–1990
Authors: Radchenko Sergey , Tarlow Lisbeth
Published: June 2013

This article analyzes the evolution, content, and fate of the back-channel negotiations between senior Soviet and Japanese officials in 1989–1990, a time of radical changes in most aspects of Soviet foreign policy. Sources that have recently become available—especially the private papers of Aleksandr Yakovlev and Anatolii Chernyaev and several recently published collections of documents—not only confirm what has long been suspected about this critical channel of negotiation but shed valuable light on motives and complications in Moscow that precipitated the channel's ultimate failure. Because Japanese documents on the matter have not yet been declassified, the article cannot offer a full account of these talks, but the Soviet documents are sufficient to indicate why a bilateral rapprochement has been so elusive.
Gliwiczia gen. nov. a new monoraphid diatom genus from Lake Baikal with a description of four species new for science
Authors: KULIKOVSKIY MAXIM , LANGE-BERTALOT HORST , WITKOWSKI ANDRZEJ
Published: June 2013

This paper proposes a new monoraphid genus Gliwiczia Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski, separated from Achnanthes sensu lato. Here we describe four species G. skvortzowii Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski, G. tenuis Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski, G. latarea Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski and G. vixcalcar Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski which all are new to science. In terms of morphology, this group of species closely resembles Achnanthes calcar Cleve. Also proposed is the taxonomic transfer of A. calcar Cleve to Gliwiczia calcar (Cleve) Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski comb. nov. Our taxonomic conclusions about the position of this group of species is based on light microscopic (LM) examination of the type material of A. calcar and on extensive LM and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies on material originating from Lake Baikal. This new genus differs from other established monoraphid genera in the of cavum (horse shoe) present on both raphe and sternums valves, uniseriate striae on both valves, and areola occlusions in a form of open circular foramina externally. The raphe valve is only slightly concave, whereas the sternum valves appear flat. Only one of the species belonging in Gliwiczia gen. nov., G. calcar, is known to inhabit oligotrophic and dystrophic freshwater lakes of Eurasia. It seems highly likely that the newly described species are limited in their distribution to the waters of Lake Baikal. None of them have thus far been illustrated in any accessible literature even under provisional names.
Molecular identification of the exotic lineage of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta, Solieriaceae) cultivated in the tropical region of Brazil
Authors: ARAÚJO PATRÍCIA G. , MIRANDA GEORGE E. C. , BARROS-BARRETO MARIA B. , FUJII MUTUE T.
Published: June 2013

Kappa carrageenan is an important phycocolloid extracted from the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii. This species has been introduced into several regions, most recently in Brazil. The remote invasive potential of this seaweed in both south and southeast waters of Brazil (subtropical regions) has been established, but introduction in the northeastern tropical area is contested due to the absence of biological information. An unknown exotic lineage of K. alvarezii has been illegally introduced and cultivated in an area characterized by the presence of coral reefs in Paraíba, the northeastern Brazilian coast, since the beginning of the last decade. This work focuses on the molecular identification of these samples in comparison with sequences of other strains of K. alvarezii and congeners available in Genbank. Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses showed strong similarities between K. alvarezii cultivated in the tropical waters in Brazil and those lineages cultivated in Hawaii, Venezuela, Malaysia and Tanzania that have never shown invasive behavior. However, more detailed investigations and use of environmental monitoring are recommended before commercial cultivation of this species can be authorized in tropical region of Brazil.
Extension of the Cryptanthus range in Northeastern Brazil with new findings in the phenotypic variation including changes in the trichome’s distribution, thus enhancing the understanding of the Cryptanthus zonatus complex (Bromeliaceae)
Authors: VERSIEUX LEONARDO M. , MAGALHÃES RAISSA , CALVENTE ALICE
Published: June 2013

In this paper we describe the first occurrences of the genus Cryptanthus in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), establishing a new northern distribution limit for the genus. Additionally, we report the finding of three forms of C. zonatus growing in sympatry within two different localities in Rio Grande do Norte along with the phenotypic variation in this species complex including changes in trichome’s distribution. Cryptanthus zonatus is one of the most popular bromeliads due to its banded leaves. Nevertheless, the fact that it exists in two distinct glabrous-leaved forms is not readily accepted by all the authors. Confusion could be attributed to the fact that they were described from cultivated material without any information about provenance. Based on extensive fieldwork and observations we document here that banded leaves can become glabrescent and that green and red-maroon leaves (treated as forms) may occur on the same shoot. Our finding is important for future biogeographic works when considering Bromelioideae genera distribution in Eastern Brazil center of diversification. This leads to a better understand of species delimitation within this poorly known complex and would impact conservation strategies, given that all the species related to C. zonatus are under threat.
Issue linkage and international cooperation: An empirical investigation
Authors: Poast Paul
Published: June 2013

Issue linkage—the simultaneous discussion of two or more issues for joint settlement—is a bargaining tactic that (1) increases the probability of states reaching a negotiated agreement and (2) motivates states to remain committed to an agreement. Unfortunately, beyond some suggestive case studies and a few indirect statistical tests, there exists no direct and systematic evidence to support either claim. To empirically identify the effect of issue linkage, one must overcome five difficulties: properly evaluating multilateral processes, identifying issue linkage, identifying failed negotiations, identifying enforcement problems, and accounting for missing linkage data. I address these limitations through a variety of new approaches, most notably a new unit of analysis (the k-ad) for analyzing multilateral events, new data on failed military alliance negotiations, and using “buffer states” to test the credibility of alliance commitments. I find that, for military alliance negotiations from 1860 to 1945, offers of trade cooperation provisions increase the probability of states reaching agreement and improve the credibility of those agreements. However, I also find that offers of trade cooperation do not have a positive effect on alliance negotiations from 1815 to 1859.
Weather, terrain and warfare: Coalition fatalities in Afghanistan
Authors: Carter Timothy Allen , Veale Daniel Jay
Published: June 2013

The study of conflict increasingly focuses on events and relationships within wars. Among these is the relationship between physical geography and violence. Careful examinations of the relationship between physical geography, especially weather, and events within wars are, however, still few. With increasingly available data on the violence within wars and the physical geography within states, the opportunities for such quantitative analysis have grown. In particular, the ongoing war in Afghanistan provides a useful opportunity to examine this relationship. Using this conflict, we test an argument about how the constraints and opportunities provided by physical geography, in particular daily and seasonal measures of weather, explain combat fatalities. We evaluate our argument with a series of event count models and find consistently significant evidence connecting warm temperatures, decreased visibility and windy conditions to coalition combat fatalities. Alternatively, we find mixed support that the more commonly studied elements of physical geography, distance and rough terrain are connected to these fatalities.
Towards a strategic view of engineering operations
Authors: Zhang Yufeng , Gregory Mike
Published: June 2013

The aim of this article is to introduce a strategic view of engineering operations. The reported research began with developing a theoretical foundation from the literature. Key elements of the theoretical framework and their relations have been enriched and extended through case studies with 28 UK-based engineering organisations. The case studies suggested three essential strategic elements of engineering operations such as (1) a coherent vision of how to compete through engineering, (2) a consistent pattern of decision-making and (3) a contingent fit with the contextual environment. Typical decision frames have been observed around these strategic elements. This article contributes to an improved understanding of operations strategies with engineering cases. The findings will be useful for scholars studying manufacturing and engineering management, as well as for practitioners who are looking for a strategic approach to enhance their engineering performance.
Salmonella septic arthritis of the knees in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Kim SS , Perino G , Boettner F , Miller A , Goodman S
Published: June 2013

Hematogenous Salmonella osteomyelitis is uncommon in immunocompetent hosts, but occurs with some regularity in immunosuppressed patients affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Surgical debridement with resection of compromised tissue is central to the surgical management of osteomyelitis. Persistence of septic arthropathy may result from inadequate debridement, areas of osteonecrosis (ON), and an abnormal cellular and humoral dysregulation characteristic of SLE. We describe a 53-year-old Hispanic female with SLE on immunosuppressive therapy, who developed acute salmonella-induced septic arthritis and osteomyelitis of both knees associated with ON and recurrent SLE synovitis. She received prolonged antibiotic therapy and an extensive surgical debridement as part of a successful two-stage bilateral total knee replacement. This report illustrates the significance of Salmonella enterica infection in SLE patients, and the role of underlying bone and joint pathology such as bone infarcts, sub-acute osteomyelitis, and SLE synovitis.
The CD11b-integrin (ITGAM) and systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Fagerholm SC , MacPherson M , James MJ , Sevier-Guy C , Lau CS
Published: June 2013

Variations at the ITGAM gene, which encodes for the CD11b chain of the Mac-1 (alphaMbeta2; CD11b/CD18; complement receptor-3) integrin, is one of the strongest genetic risk factors for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). More specifically, a genetic variant (rs1143679) which results in an arginine to histidine substitution at position 77 in the extracellular portion of the integrin is associated with disease. It has recently been shown that this amino acid substitution results in a dysfunctional integrin, which is deficient in mediating cell adhesion to integrin ligands, phagocytosis and in addition cannot restrict inflammatory cytokine production in macrophages. In this review, we discuss immunological functions of the Mac-1 integrin and how defects in the genetic variant of Mac-1 may relate to SLE development.
The nuns and Vatican II: Pandora’s box or goldmine?
Authors: Clark Mary Ryllis
Published: June 2013

This article surveys the reception of Vatican II among women’s religious orders, especially in Australia. By describing the situation for women religious prior to the Council, and indicating the minimal levels of involvement by women in the Council, the article outlines the radical transformation that Vatican II had for women religious who interpreted and implemented the directions set out in the document Perfectae Caritatis.
Designing Self-Contained Middle Schools for the Gifted
Authors: Klimis Jenny , VanTassel-Baska Joyce
Published: June 2013

Three years ago, Pinellas County in Florida approved a plan to develop and implement three middle school self-contained programs for gifted learners within three existing school sites. The purpose of this article is to share the major aspects of the development work that were crucial to the success of all three schools and to suggest a blueprint for other districts.
University of Washington Transition School
Authors: Halvorsen Maren , Hertzog Nancy B. , Childers Sarah A.
Published: June 2013

Transition School is a Special School like no other—seventh- or eighth-grade students prepare not only for their 1st year of college in one classroom for one academic year but they also transform themselves from middle schoolers to scholars. This article will detail their curriculum, support structures, and exceptional ways in which their social and emotional well-being is addressed and monitored throughout their rapid acceleration experience. The article concludes with an overview of the research that supports this unusual and rather unique educational experience.
Special Schools and Differentiated Curriculum
Authors: Kaplan Sandra N.
Published: June 2013

The long history related to the purpose and development of special schools to accommodate the needs of gifted students has been fraught with celebration and concern, envy, and disappointment. The site or location of the school, entry criteria, competencies of the faculty, test scores and evidence of awards received by students relative to different types of competitions, and graduation entries to prestigious schools are often used to determine the efficacy of a special school for the gifted. Regardless of the professional and personal responses evoked by special schools for the gifted, they have ignited the consistent inquiry into a series of educational questions: What is special about a special school for the gifted? and How do special schools for the gifted influence each other?
Prevalence of commonly prescribed medications potentially contributing to urinary symptoms in a cohort of older patients seeking care for incontinence
Authors: Kashyap Mandavi , Tu Le Mai , Tannenbaum Cara
Published: June 2013

Background

Several medication classes may contribute to urinary symptoms in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of use of these medications in a clinical cohort of incontinent patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 390 new patients aged 60 years and older seeking care for incontinence in specialized outpatient geriatric incontinence clinics in Quebec, Canada. The use of oral estrogens, alpha-blocking agents, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, ACE inhibitors, loop diuretics, NSAIDs, narcotics and calcium channel blockers was recorded from each patient’s medication profile. Lower urinary tract symptoms and the severity of incontinence were measured using standardized questionnaires including the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire. The type of incontinence was determined clinically by a physician specialized in incontinence. Co-morbidities were ascertained by self-report. Logistic regression analyses were used to detect factors associated with medication use, as well as relationships between specific medication classes and the type and severity of urinary symptoms.

Results

The prevalence of medications potentially contributing to lower urinary tract symptoms was 60.5%. Calcium channel blockers (21.8%), benzodiazepines (17.4%), other centrally active agents (16.4%), ACE inhibitors (14.4%) and estrogens (12.8%) were most frequently consumed. Only polypharmacy (OR = 4.9, 95% CI = 3.1-7.9), was associated with medication use contributing to incontinence in analyses adjusted for age, sex, and multimorbidity. No associations were detected between specific medication classes and the type or severity of urinary symptoms in this cohort.

Conclusion

The prevalence of use of medications potentially causing urinary symptoms is high among incontinent older adults. More research is needed to determine whether de-prescribing these medications results in improved urinary symptoms.
Flavokawain B, a kava chalcone, inhibits growth of human osteosarcoma cells through G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis
Authors: Ji Tao , Lin Carol , Krill Lauren S , Eskander Ramez , Guo Yi , Zi Xiaolin , Hoang Bang H
Published: June 2013

Background

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy with a high propensity for local invasion and distant metastasis. Limited by the severe toxicity of conventional agents, the therapeutic bottleneck of osteosarcoma still remains unconquered. Flavokawain B (FKB), a kava extract, has been reported to have significant anti-tumor effects on several carcinoma cell lines bothin vitroandin vivo. Its efficacy and low toxicity profile make FKB a promising agent for use as a novel chemotherapeutic agent.

Results

In the current study, we investigated the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of FKB against human osteosarcomas. Exposure of OS cells to FKB resulted in apoptosis, evidenced by loss of cell viability, morphological changes and the externalization of phosphatidylserine. Apoptosis induced by FKB resulted in activation of Caspase-3/7, -8 and −9 in OS cell lines, 143B and Saos-2. FKB also down-regulated inhibitory apoptotic markers, including Bcl-2 and Survivin and led to concomitant increases in apoptotic proteins, Bax, Puma and Fas. Therefore, the induction of apoptosis by FKB involved both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. FKB also caused G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, which was observed through reductions in the levels of cyclin B1, cdc2 and cdc25c and increases in Myt1 levels. Furthermore, migration and invasion ability was decreased by FKB in a dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxicity profile showed FKB had significant lower side effects on bone marrow cells and small intestinal epithelial cells compared with Adriamycin.

Conclusions

Taken together, our evidence of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by FKB treatment with less toxicity than the standard treatments provides an innovative argument for the use of FKB as a chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive compound.In vivoexperiments utilizing FKB to reduce tumorigenesis and metastatic potential will be crucial to further justify clinical application.
EpCAM overexpression prolongs proliferative capacity of primary human breast epithelial cells and supports hyperplastic growth
Authors: Martowicz Agnieszka , Rainer Johannes , Lelong Julien , Spizzo Gilbert , Gastl Guenther , Untergasser Gerold
Published: June 2013

Introduction

The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) has been shown to be strongly expressed in human breast cancer and cancer stem cells and its overexpression has been supposed to support tumor progression and metastasis. However, effects of EpCAM overexpression on normal breast epithelial cells have never been studied before. Therefore, we analyzed effects of transient adenoviral overexpression of EpCAM on proliferation, migration and differentiation of primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs).

Methods

HMECs were transfected by an adenoviral system for transient overexpression of EpCAM. Thereafter, changes in cell proliferation and migration were studied using a real time measurement system. Target gene expression was evaluated by transcriptome analysis in proliferating and polarized HMEC cultures. A Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) xenograft model was used to study effects on in vivo growth of HMECs.

Results

EpCAM overexpression in HMECs did not significantly alter gene expression profile of proliferating or growth arrested cells. Proliferating HMECs displayed predominantly glycosylated EpCAM isoforms and were inhibited in cell proliferation and migration by upregulation of p27KIP1 and p53. HMECs with overexpression of EpCAM showed a down regulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, cells were more resistant to TGF-β1 induced growth arrest and maintained longer capacities to proliferate in vitro. EpCAM overexpressing HMECs xenografts in chicken embryos showed hyperplastic growth, lack of lumen formation and increased infiltrates of the chicken leukocytes.

Conclusions

EpCAM revealed oncogenic features in normal human breast cells by inducing resistance to TGF-β1-mediated growth arrest and supporting a cell phenotype with longer proliferative capacities in vitro. EpCAM overexpression resulted in hyperplastic growth in vivo. Thus, we suggest that EpCAM acts as a prosurvival factor counteracting terminal differentiation processes in normal mammary glands.
CK2-dependent phosphorylation of occludin regulates the interaction with ZO-proteins and tight junction integrity
Authors: Dörfel Max J , Westphal Julie K , Bellmann Christian , Krug Susanne M , Cording Jimmi , Mittag Sonnhild , Tauber Rudolf , Fromm Michael , Blasig Ingolf E , Huber Otmar
Published: June 2013

Background

Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a ubiquitously expressed Ser/Thr kinase with multiple functions in the regulation of cell proliferation and transformation. In targeting adherens and tight junctions (TJs), CK2 modulates the strength and dynamics of epithelial cell-cell contacts. Occludin previously was identified as a substrate of CK2, however the functional consequences of CK2-dependent occludin phosphorylation on TJ function were unknown.

Results

Here, we present evidence that phosphorylation of a Thr400-XXX-Thr404-XXX-Ser408 motif in the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of human occludin regulates assembly/disassembly and barrier properties of TJs. In contrast to wildtype and T400A/T404A/S408A-mutated occludin, a phospho-mimetic Occ-T400E/T404E/S408E construct was impaired in binding to ZO-2. Interestingly, pre-phosphorylation of a GST-Occ C-terminal domain fusion protein attenuated binding to ZO-2, whereas, binding to ZO-1 was not affected. Moreover, Occ-T400E/T404E/S408E showed delayed reassembly into TJs in Ca2+-switch experiments. Stable expression of Occ-T400E/T404E/S408E in MDCK C11 cells augments barrier properties in enhancing paracellular resistance in two-path impedance spectroscopy, whereas expression of wildtype and Occ-T400A/T404A/S408A did not affect transepithelial resistance.

Conclusions

These results suggest an important role of CK2 in epithelial tight junction regulation. The occludin sequence motif at amino acids 400–408 apparently represents a hotspot for Ser/Thr-kinase phosphorylation and depending on the residue(s) which are phosphorylated it differentially modulates the functional properties of the TJ.
Single-step electrochemical functionalization of double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) membranes and the demonstration of ionic rectification
Authors: Zhan Xin , Wu Ji , Chen Zhiqiang , Hinds Bruce J
Published: June 2013

Carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes allow the mimicking of natural ion channels for applications in drug delivery and chemical separation. Double-walled carbon nanotube membranes were simply functionalized with dye in a single step instead of the previous two-step functionalization. Non-faradic electrochemical impedance spectra indicated that the functionalized gatekeeper by single-step modification can be actuated to mimic the protein channel under bias. This functional chemistry was proven by a highly efficient ion rectification, wherein the highest experimental rectification factor of ferricyanide was up to 14.4. One-step functionalization by electrooxidation of amine provides a simple and promising functionalization chemistry for the application of CNT membranes.
Myoelectrically controlled wrist robot for stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Song Rong , Tong Kai-yu , Hu Xiaoling , Zhou Wei
Published: June 2013

Background

Robot-assisted rehabilitation is an advanced new technology in stroke rehabilitation to provide intensive training. Post-stroke motor recovery depends on active rehabilitation by voluntary participation of patient’s paretic motor system as early as possible in order to promote reorganization of brain. However, voluntary residual motor efforts to the affected limb have not been involved enough in most robot-assisted rehabilitation for patients after stroke. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of robot-assisted rehabilitation using myoelectric control on upper limb motor recovery.

Methods

In the present study, an exoskeleton-type rehabilitation robotic system was designed to provide voluntarily controlled assisted torque to the affected wrist. Voluntary intention was involved by using the residual surface electromyography (EMG) from flexor carpi radialis(FCR) and extensor carpi radialis (ECR)on the affected limb to control the mechanical assistance provided by the robotic system during wrist flexion and extension in a 20-session training. The system also applied constant resistant torque to the affected wrist during the training. Sixteen subjects after stroke had been recruited for evaluating the tracking performance and therapeutical effects of myoelectrically controlled robotic system.

Results

With the myoelectrically-controlled assistive torque, stroke survivors could reach a larger range of motion with a significant decrease in the EMG signal from the agonist muscles. The stroke survivors could be trained in the unreached range with their voluntary residual EMG on the paretic side. After 20-session rehabilitation training, there was a non-significant increase in the range of motion and a significant decrease in the root mean square error (RMSE) between the actual wrist angle and target angle. Significant improvements also could be found in muscle strength and clinical scales.

Conclusions

These results indicate that robot-aided therapy with voluntary participation of patient’s paretic motor system using myoelectric control might have positive effect on upper limb motor recovery.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum and homocysteine concentrations in Japanese men and women: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kume Ayami , Kurotani Kayo , Sato Masao , Ejima Yuko , Pham Ngoc Minh , Nanri Akiko , Kuwahara Keisuke , Mizoue Tetsuya
Published: June 2013

Background

Supplementation studies have suggested a role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in homocysteine metabolism, but the evidence is limited and inconsistent among studies that measured blood levels of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs. We examined the association between blood levels of PUFAs and homocysteine in Japanese men and women.

Methods

The subjects were 496 employees (290 men and 206 women) of 2 municipal offices in Japan. Fatty acid composition in serum phospholipids and cholesterol ester (CE) was measured using gas–liquid chromatography. Multiple regression was used to calculate means of homocysteine concentrations according to PUFA tertile with adjustment for potential confounders.

Results

Serum homocysteine concentration decreased with increasing levels of total n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in serum phospholipids and CE with adjustment for age, sex and workplace. However, only DHA in serum phospholipids remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for other potential confounders including serum folate (P-trend = 0.04). N-6 PUFAs were not significantly associated with homocysteine concentrations.

Conclusions

Higher proportion of DHA in serum phospholipids may be associated with lower homocysteine concentrations in Japanese men and women.
Giant biatrial myxoma nearly obstructing the orifice of the inferior vena cava
Authors: Choi Chang-Hu , Park Chul-Hyun , Kim Ji-Sung , Jeon Yang-Bin , Lee Jae-Ik , Park Kook-Yang
Published: June 2013

Cardiac myxomas are the most common type of benign cardiac tumors and most of them occur in the left atrium but the biatrial myxoma is uncommon. We present a rare case of giant biatrial myxoma nearly obstructing the orifice of the inferior vena cava. A 58-year old woman presented with exertional dyspnea and intermittent chest discomfort. The non-pedunculated tumor involved most of the interatrial septum and extended from the orifice of the inferior vena cava to the displaced mitral annulus and the lower left pulmonary vein. The resected specimen weighed 76 gram and measured 80 × 40 × 30 mm. She did not complain of dyspnea or show any sign of recurrence by echocardiography during the 2-year follow-up period.
On the use of data mining for estimating carbon storage in the trees
Authors: Sanquetta Carlos Roberto , Wojciechowski Jaime , Corte Ana Paula Dalla , Rodrigues Aurélio Lourenço , Maas Greyce Charllyne Benedet
Published: June 2013

Forests contribute to climate change mitigation by storing carbon in tree biomass. The amount of carbon stored in this carbon pool is estimated by using either allometric equations or biomass expansion factors. Both of the methods provide estimate of the carbon stock based on the biometric parameters of a model tree. This study calls attention to the potential advantages of the data mining technique known as instance-based classification, which is not used currently for this purpose. The analysis of the data on the carbon storage in 30 trees of Brazilian pine (Araucaria angustifolia) shows that the instance-based classification provides as relevant estimates as the conventional methods do. The coefficient of correlation between the estimated and measured values of carbon storage in tree biomass does not vary significantly with the choice of the method. The use of some other measures of method performance leads to the same result. In contrast to the convention methods the instance-based classification does not presume any specific form of the function relating carbon storage to the biometric parameters of the tree. Since the best form of such function is difficult to find, the instance-based classification could outperform the conventional methods in some cases, or simply get rid of the questions about the choice of the allometric equations.
Inverted Y incision and trans-sacral approach in retroperitoneal aggressive angiomyxoma: a case report
Authors: Hong Dae Gy , Chong Gun Oh , Cho Young Lae , Park Il Soo , Park Ji Young , Lee Yoon Soon
Published: June 2013

Introduction

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare myxedematous mesenchymal tumor that mainly occurs in the female pelvis and perineum. The principle of treatment for aggressive angiomyxoma is surgical excision. The tumor can be removed by local excision alone when it occurs locally on the perineum. However, it cannot be completely excised by a perineal approach alone when it passes through the perineum and pelvic bone to extend into the retroperitoneal space.

Case presentation

A 34-year-old Asian woman presented with a rapidly growing left perineal mass and swelling in the left gluteal region. The swelling was associated with a mild, dull pain in the left gluteal region. In the present case of bulky aggressive angiomyxoma extending to the perineum and retroperitoneal space, the authors made an inverted Y incision through the buttock, removed the coccyx and lower portion of the sacrum, and excised the retroperitoneal mass and perineal lesion through a perineal approach.

Conclusion

The inverted Y incision and trans-sacral approach can provide easy access to deep retroperitoneal aggressive angiomyxoma and reduce damage to neighboring organs.
Autophagy lessens ischemic liver injury by reducing oxidative damage
Authors: Sun Kai , Xie Xuqin , Liu Yan , Han Zhipeng , Zhao Xue , Cai Ning , Zhang Shanshan , Song Jianrui , Wei Lixin
Published: June 2013

Background

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion is a multi-factorial process which causes liver injury. It is reported that ischemia alone is sufficient to induce liver injury. Nutrient deprivation is a crucial factor impacting ischemic injury of the liver. Therefore, we explored the role of autophagy in ischemia through using hepatic ischemia rat model in vivo and nutrient-free model in vitro.

Results

We found that both ischemia in vivo and nutrient deprivation in vitro activated autophagy, inhibition of which aggravated ischemia- or nutrient deficiency-induced injury. In the nutrient-free condition, autophagy inhibition enhanced liver cell necrosis but not apoptosis by promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and antioxidant NAC could reverse this trend. Inhibition of autophagy also resulted in the increase of the percentage of necrotic cell but not apoptotic cell in the ischemia-treated rat livers. Further studies showed that under nutrient deprivation, autophagy inhibition promoted mitochondrial ROS generation, which further aggravated mitochondria damage. These changes formed a “vicious cycle” that accelerated the process of cell necrosis. Autophagy inhibition also increased mitochondrial oxidative stress during hepatic ischemia, and antioxidant could suppress the aggravation of ischemia-induced liver damage in the co-treatment of autophagy inhibitor.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results suggested that autophagy suppressed ischemic liver injury by reducing ROS-induced necrosis. This finding will contribute to the development of the therapeutic strategy about the pre-treatment of liver surgery.
High resolution micrograph synthesis using a parametric texture model and a particle filter
Authors: Tipireddy Ramakrishna , Ghanem Roger , Ghosh Somnath , Paquet Daniel
Published: June 2013

We present a methodology for synthesizing high resolution micrographs from low resolution ones using a parametric texture model and a particle filter. Information contained in high resolution micrographs is relevant to the accurate prediction of microstructural behavior and the nucleation of instabilities. As these micrographs may be tedious and uneconomical to obtain over an extended spatial domain, we propose a statistical approach for interpolating fine details over a whole computational domain starting with a low resolution prior and high resolution micrographs available only at a few spatial locations. As a first step, a small set of high resolution micrographs are decomposed into a set of multi-scale and multi-orientation subbands using a complex wavelet transform. Parameters of a texture model are computed as the joint statistics of the decomposed subbands. The synthesis algorithm then generates random micrographs satisfying the parameters of the texture model by recursively updating the gray level values of the pixels in the input micrograph. A density-based Monte Carlo filter is used at each step of the recursion to update the generated micrograph, using a low resolution micrograph at that location as a measurement. The process is continued until the synthesized micrograph has the same statistics as those from the high resolution micrographs. The proposed method combines a texture synthesis procedure with a particle filter and produces good quality high resolution micrographs.
Leibniz and the Ground of Possibility
Authors: Newlands Samuel
Published: June 2013

Leibniz’s views on modality are among the most discussed by his interpreters. Although most of the discussion has focused on Leibniz’s analyses of modality, this essay explores Leibniz’s grounding of modality. Leibniz holds that possibilities and possibilia are grounded in the intellect of God. Although other early moderns agreed that modal truths are in some way dependent on God, there were sharp disagreements surrounding two distinct questions: (1) On what in God do modal truths and modal truth-makers depend? (2) What is the manner(s) of dependence by which modal truths and modal truth-makers depend on God? Very roughly, Leibniz’s own answers are: (1) God’s intellect and (2) a form of ontological dependence. The essay first distinguishes Leibniz’s account from two nearby (and often misunderstood) alternatives found in Descartes and Spinoza. It then examines Leibniz’s theory in detail, showing how, on his account, God’s ideas provide both truth-makers for possibilities and necessities and an ontological foothold for those truth-makers, thereby explaining modal truths. Along the way, it suggests several refinements and possible amendments to Leibniz’s grounding thesis. It then defends Leibniz against a pair of recent objections by Robert Merrihew Adams and Andrew Chignell that invoke the early work of Kant. I conclude that whereas Leibniz’s alternative avoids collapsing into yet another form of Spinozism, the alternatives proposed by Adams, Chignell, and the early Kant do not.
Making a Difference in a Deterministic World
Authors: Sartorio Carolina
Published: June 2013

Some philosophers have claimed that causally determined agents are not morally responsible because they cannot make a difference in the world. A recent response by philosophers who defend the compatibility of determinism and responsibility has been to concede that causally determined agents are incapable of making a difference, but to argue that responsibility is not grounded in difference making. These compatibilists have rested such a claim on Frankfurt cases—cases where agents are intuitively responsible for acts that they couldn’t have failed to perform. This essay argues, first, that the intuitive plausibility of the idea that responsibility is grounded in difference making is not completely put to rest by Frankfurt cases, even if those cases successfully show that responsibility is not grounded in difference making in the sense of access to alternative possibilities of action. It then goes on to develop a different compatibilist strategy, one according to which responsibility is grounded in difference making, but the type of difference making it is grounded in does not require access to alternative possibilities. Indeed, it is a form of difference making that is clearly compatible with determinism.
Causal Decision Theory: A Counterexample
Authors: Ahmed Arif
Published: June 2013

The essay presents a novel counterexample to Causal Decision Theory (CDT). Its interest is that it generates a case in which CDT violates the very principles that motivated it in the first place. The essay argues that the objection applies to all extant formulations of CDT and that the only way out for that theory is a modification of it that entails incompatibilism. The essay invites the reader to find this consequence of CDT a reason to reject it.
Line Segments in the Isotropic Planar Stit Tessellation
Authors: Cowan Richard
Published: June 2013

This paper presents a powerful characterisation for the structure of internal vertices of the STIT's I-segments. The characterisation allows certain mathematical analyses to be performed easily. We demonstrate this by deriving new results for various topological properties of the tessellation: for example, the numbers of various types of edge and cell side within the typical I-segment. The characterisation also provides a tool for the calculations of metric properties of the tessellation; many new length distributions and frame-coverage results are given.
Central Limit Theorems for Volume and Surface Content of Stationary Poisson Cylinder Processes in Expanding Domains
Authors: Heinrich Lothar , Spiess Malte
Published: June 2013

A stationary Poisson cylinder process in the d-dimensional Euclidean space is composed of a stationary Poisson process of k-flats (0 ≤ k ≤ d−1) which are dilated by independent and identically distributed random compact cylinder bases taken from the corresponding (d−k)-dimensional orthogonal complement. If the second moment of the (d−k)-volume of the typical cylinder base exists, we prove asymptotic normality of the d-volume of the union set of Poisson cylinders that covers an expanding star-shaped domain ϱ W as ϱ grows unboundedly. Due to the long-range dependencies within the union set of cylinders, the variance of its d-volume in ϱ W increases asymptotically proportional to the (d+k) th power of ϱ. To obtain the exact asymptotic behaviour of this variance, we need a distinction between discrete and continuous directional distributions of the typical k-flat. A corresponding central limit theorem for the surface content is stated at the end.
Stability of the Bipartite Matching Model
Authors: Bušić Ana , Gupta Varun , Mairesse Jean
Published: June 2013

We consider the bipartite matching model of customers and servers introduced by Caldentey, Kaplan and Weiss (2009). Customers and servers play symmetrical roles. There are finite sets C and S of customer and server classes, respectively. Time is discrete and at each time step one customer and one server arrive in the system according to a joint probability measure μ on C× S, independently of the past. Also, at each time step, pairs of matched customers and servers, if they exist, depart from the system. Authorized matchings are given by a fixed bipartite graph (C, S, E⊂ C × S). A matching policy is chosen, which decides how to match when there are several possibilities. Customers/servers that cannot be matched are stored in a buffer. The evolution of the model can be described by a discrete-time Markov chain. We study its stability under various admissible matching policies, including ML (match the longest), MS (match the shortest), FIFO (match the oldest), RANDOM (match uniformly), and PRIORITY. There exist natural necessary conditions for stability (independent of the matching policy) defining the maximal possible stability region. For some bipartite graphs, we prove that the stability region is indeed maximal for any admissible matching policy. For the ML policy, we prove that the stability region is maximal for any bipartite graph. For the MS and PRIORITY policies, we exhibit a bipartite graph with a non-maximal stability region.