bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role‐play as a learning modality in Pakistan
Authors: Mumtaz Sadaf , Zahra Tatheer
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To assess the effectiveness of role‐play practised as a part of an integrated modular curriculum at Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad.

Methods

Each class of 100 students from the first to the final years of studying for a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), was split into seven or eight groups. Students divided the roles amongst themselves. Students were given one week's notice to prepare for each session, and had a maximum of 7 minutes for performance and 5 minutes for feedback from faculty members. Faculty staff observed the skills performed and content explored at the level of the students' training. The students' responses were recorded by a formulated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data. The results obtained were presented as frequencies and percentages.

Results

In this study, 351 (70.2%) of eligible students participated. The advantage of role‐play in alleviating potential difficulties in communicating with patients was agreed by 63 per cent (n = 223). Two hundred and forty‐two students (69%) considered that role‐play promoted teamwork and interpersonnel skills. One hundred and ninety‐three students (55%) agreed that role‐play helped them to integrate knowledge of basic sciences into clinical skills. That these sessions evoked critical thinking among students was reported by 41 per cent (n = 144). The roles created reflected real life scenarios was agreed by 27 per cent (n = 96) students.

Students were given one week's notice to prepare for each session

Conclusion

Role‐play was accepted to enhance communication skills, the promotion of teamwork and the provision of a healthy environment to integrate learning processes among students.
Pumped up to rumble
Authors: Rosen Julia
Published: June 2015

Massive studies of wastewater injection wells show fast pumping raises earthquake risk.
Outperforming nature's membranes
Authors: Freger Viatcheslav
Published: June 2015

Ultrathin synthetic membranes that reach a record permeability can clean up organic solutions

[Also see Report by

Karan
et al.

]
Diversity and Evolution in the Genome of Clostridium difficile
Authors: Knight Daniel R. , Elliott Briony , Chang Barbara J. , Perkins Timothy T. , Riley Thomas V.
Published: June 2015

Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI) is the leading cause of antimicrobial and health care-associated diarrhea in humans, presenting a significant burden to global health care systems. In the last 2 decades, PCR- and sequence-based techniques, particularly whole-genome sequencing (WGS), have significantly furthered our knowledge of the genetic diversity, evolution, epidemiology, and pathogenicity of this once enigmatic pathogen.
C. difficile
is taxonomically distinct from many other well-known clostridia, with a diverse population structure comprising hundreds of strain types spread across at least 6 phylogenetic clades. The
C. difficile
species is defined by a large diverse pangenome with extreme levels of evolutionary plasticity that has been shaped over long time periods by gene flux and recombination, often between divergent lineages. These evolutionary events are in response to environmental and anthropogenic activities and have led to the rapid emergence and worldwide dissemination of virulent clonal lineages. Moreover, genome analysis of large clinically relevant data sets has improved our understanding of CDI outbreaks, transmission, and recurrence. The epidemiology of CDI has changed dramatically over the last 15 years, and CDI may have a foodborne or zoonotic etiology. The WGS era promises to continue to redefine our view of this significant pathogen.
Seropositivity for Antibodies to DRS-G, a Virulence Factor from Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, Is an Independent Risk Factor for Poststreptococcus Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Kidney Disease in Mumbai, India
Authors: Hule Gouri P. , Karmarkar Mohan G. , Cameron Ainslie , Hase Niwrutti , Khopkar Uday , Mehta Preeti R. , McNeilly Celia L. , McMillan David , Sriprakash Kadaba S.
Published: June 2015

The disease spectrum caused byStreptococcus dysgalactiaesubsp.equisimilisresembles that ofS. pyogenes(group A streptococcus [GAS]). These two bacterial species are closely related and possess many common virulence characteristics. While some GAS strains express virulence factors called streptococcal inhibitor of complement (SIC) and distantly related to SIC (DRS), someS. dysgalactiaesubsp.equisimilisisolates express an orthologue of DRS, which is referred to as DRS-G. We reported previously that seropositivity for either anti-SIC or anti-DRS antibodies (Abs) is associated with poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN). However, only seropositivity for anti-SIC Abs is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We now extend the study to test whether seropositivity for anti-DRS-G Abs is also associated with these renal diseases. Stored serum samples collected for our previous study were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Abs to DRS-G. The samples represented sera from 100 CKD adult patients, 70 adult end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, 25 PSGN pediatric patients, and corresponding age-matched control subjects. The proportion of PSGN, CKD, and ESRD patients who showed seroreaction to anti-DRS-G Abs was significantly higher than that of the corresponding age-matched controls, who in general exhibited seropositivity rates commensurate with the isolation rate ofdrsG-positiveS. dysgalactiaesubsp.equisimilisin the community during this study period. Since higher rates of seropositivity for anti-DRS-G Abs in the renal disease categories are resultant of previous infections with DRS-G-positiveS. dysgalactiaesubsp.equisimilisstrains, we conclude the seropositivity is an additional risk factor for these renal diseases. In this regard, anti-DRS-G Abs have attributes similar to those of the anti-SIC Abs.
Structure of the C-Terminal Domain of the Multifunctional ICP27 Protein from Herpes Simplex Virus 1
Authors: Patel Vidhi , Dahlroth Sue-Li , Rajakannan Venkatachalam , Ho Hai Ting , Cornvik Tobias , Nordlund Pär
Published: June 2015

Herpesviruses are nuclear-replicating viruses that have successfully evolved to evade the immune system of humans, establishing lifelong infections. ICP27 from herpes simplex virus is a multifunctional regulatory protein that is functionally conserved in all known human herpesviruses. It has the potential to interact with an array of cellular proteins, as well as intronless viral RNAs. ICP27 plays an essential role in viral transcription, nuclear export of intronless RNAs, translation of viral transcripts, and virion host shutoff function. It has also been implicated in several signaling pathways and the prevention of apoptosis. Although much is known about its central role in viral replication and infection, very little is known about the structure and mechanistic properties of ICP27 and its homologs. We present the first crystal structure of ICP27 C-terminal domain at a resolution of 2.0 Å. The structure reveals the C-terminal half of ICP27 to have a novel fold consisting of α-helices and long loops, along with a unique CHCC-type of zinc-binding motif. The two termini of this domain extend from the central core and hint to possibilities of making interactions. ICP27 essential domain is capable of forming self-dimers as seen in the structure, which is confirmed by analytical ultracentrifugation study. Preliminary
in vitro
phosphorylation assays reveal that this domain may be regulated by cellular kinases.

IMPORTANCE
ICP27 is a key regulatory protein of the herpes simplex virus and has functional homologs in all known human herpesviruses. Understanding the structure of this protein is a step ahead in deciphering the mechanism by which the virus thrives. In this study, we present the first structure of the C-terminal domain of ICP27 and describe its novel features. We critically analyze the structure and compare our results to the information available form earlier studies. This structure can act as a guide in future experimental designs and can add to a better understanding of mechanism of ICP27, as well as that of its homologs.
Newly Emergent Highly Pathogenic H5N9 Subtype Avian Influenza A Virus
Authors: Yu Yang , Wang Xingbo , Jin Tao , Wang Hailong , Si Weiying , Yang Hui , Wu Jiusheng , Yan Yan , Liu Guang , Sang Xiaoyu , Wu Xiaopeng , Gao Yuwei , Xia Xianzhu , Yu Xinfen , Pan Jingcao , Gao George F. , Zhou Jiyong
Published: June 2015

The novel H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV) was demonstrated to cause severe human respiratory infections in China. Here, we examined poultry specimens from live bird markets linked to human H7N9 infection in Hangzhou, China. Metagenomic sequencing revealed mixed subtypes (H5, H7, H9, N1, N2, and N9). Subsequently, AIV subtypes H5N9, H7N9, and H9N2 were isolated. Evolutionary analysis showed that the hemagglutinin gene of the novel H5N9 virus originated from A/Muscovy duck/Vietnam/LBM227/2012 (H5N1), which belongs to clade 2.3.2.1. The neuraminidase gene of the novel H5N9 virus originated from
human-infective A/Hangzhou/1/2013 (H7N9). The six internal genes were similar to those of other H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 virus strains. The virus harbored the PQRERRRKR/GL motif characteristic of highly pathogenic AIVs at the HA cleavage site. Receptor-binding experiments demonstrated that the virus binds α-2,3 sialic acid but not α-2,6 sialic acid. Identically, pathogenicity experiments also showed that the virus caused low mortality rates in mice. This newly isolated H5N9 virus is a highly pathogenic reassortant virus originating from H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 subtypes. Live bird markets represent a potential transmission risk to public health and the poultry industry.

IMPORTANCE
This investigation confirms that the novel H5N9 subtype avian influenza A virus is a reassortant strain originating from H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 subtypes and is totally different from the H5N9 viruses reported before. The novel H5N9 virus acquired a highly pathogenic H5 gene and an N9 gene from human-infecting subtype H7N9 but caused low mortality rates in mice. Whether this novel H5N9 virus will cause human infections from its avian host and become a pandemic subtype is not known yet. It is therefore imperative to assess the risk of emergence of this novel reassortant virus with potential transmissibility to public health.
Role of Host Cell p32 in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 De-Envelopment during Viral Nuclear Egress
Authors: Liu Zhuoming , Kato Akihisa , Oyama Masaaki , Kozuka-Hata Hiroko , Arii Jun , Kawaguchi Yasushi
Published: June 2015

To clarify the function(s) of the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) major virion structural protein UL47 (also designated VP13/14), we screened cells overexpressing UL47 for UL47-binding cellular proteins. Tandem affinity purification of transiently expressed UL47 coupled with mass spectrometry-based proteomics technology and subsequent analyses showed that UL47 interacted with cell protein p32 in HSV-1-infected cells. Unlike in mock-infected cells, p32 accumulated at the nuclear rim in HSV-1-infected cells, and this p32 recruitment to the nuclear rim required UL47. p32 formed a complex(es) with HSV-1 proteins UL31, UL34, Us3, UL47, and/or ICP22 in HSV-1-infected cells. All these HSV-1 proteins were previously reported to be important for HSV-1 nuclear egress, in which nucleocapsids bud through the inner nuclear membrane (primary envelopment) and the enveloped nucleocapsids then fuse with the outer nuclear membrane (de-envelopment). Like viral proteins UL31, UL34, Us3, and UL47, p32 was detected in primary enveloped virions. p32 knockdown reduced viral replication and induced membranous invaginations adjacent to the nuclear rim containing primary enveloped virions and aberrant localization of UL31 and UL34 in punctate structures at the nuclear rim. These effects of p32 knockdown were reduced in the absence of UL47. Therefore, the effects of p32 knockdown in HSV-1 nuclear egress were similar to those of the previously reported mutation(s) in HSV-1 regulatory proteins for HSV-1 de-envelopment during viral nuclear egress. Collectively, these results suggested that p32 regulated HSV-1 de-envelopment and replication in a UL47-dependent manner.

IMPORTANCE
In this study, we have obtained data suggesting that (i) the HSV-1 major virion structural protein UL47 interacted with host cell protein p32 and mediated the recruitment of p32 to the nuclear rim in HSV-1-infected cells; (ii) p32 was a component of the HSV-1 nuclear egress complex (NEC), whose core components were UL31 and UL34; and (iii) p32 regulated HSV-1 de-envelopment during viral nuclear egress. It has been reported that p32 was a component of human cytomegalovirus NEC and was required for efficient disintegration of nuclear lamina, which has been thought to facilitate HSV-1 primary envelopment during viral nuclear egress. Thus, p32 appeared to be a core component of herpesvirus NECs, like UL31 and UL34 homologs in other herpesviruses, and to play multiple roles in herpesvirus nuclear egress.
The Nucleocapsid Protein of Coronaviruses Acts as a Viral Suppressor of RNA Silencing in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Cui Lei , Wang Haiying , Ji Yanxi , Yang Jie , Xu Shan , Huang Xingyu , Wang Zidao , Qin Lei , Tien Po , Zhou Xi , Guo Deyin , Chen Yu
Published: June 2015

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process of eukaryotic posttranscriptional gene silencing that functions in antiviral immunity in plants, nematodes, and insects. However, recent studies provided strong supports that RNAi also plays a role in antiviral mechanism in mammalian cells. To combat RNAi-mediated antiviral responses, many viruses encode viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSR) to facilitate their replication. VSRs have been widely studied for plant and insect viruses, but only a few have been defined for mammalian viruses currently. We identified a novel VSR from coronaviruses, a group of medically important mammalian viruses including Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and showed that the nucleocapsid protein (N protein) of coronaviruses suppresses RNAi triggered by either short hairpin RNAs or small interfering RNAs in mammalian cells. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is closely related to SARS-CoV in the family
Coronaviridae
and was used as a coronavirus replication model. The replication of MHV increased when the N proteins were expressed
in trans
, while knockdown of Dicer1 or Ago2 transcripts facilitated the MHV replication in mammalian cells. These results support the hypothesis that RNAi is a part of the antiviral immunity responses in mammalian cells.

IMPORTANCE
RNAi has been well known to play important antiviral roles from plants to invertebrates. However, recent studies provided strong supports that RNAi is also involved in antiviral response in mammalian cells. An important indication for RNAi-mediated antiviral activity in mammals is the fact that a number of mammalian viruses encode potent suppressors of RNA silencing. Our results demonstrate that coronavirus N protein could function as a VSR through its double-stranded RNA binding activity. Mutational analysis of N protein allowed us to find out the critical residues for the VSR activity. Using the MHV-A59 as the coronavirus replication model, we showed that ectopic expression of SARS-CoV N protein could promote MHV replication in RNAi-active cells but not in RNAi-depleted cells. These results indicate that coronaviruses encode a VSR that functions in the replication cycle and provide further evidence to support that RNAi-mediated antiviral response exists in mammalian cells.
Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever at 60 Years: Early Evolution of Concepts of Causation and Treatment
Authors: Halstead Scott B. , Cohen Sanford N.
Published: June 2015

During the decade of the 1960s, the epidemiology of a new dengue disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS), was described by collaborative research performed by Thai scientists from many institutions and by workers at the U.S. Army's SEATO Medical Research Laboratory in Bangkok, Thailand. Careful clinical and physiological studies provided the initial description of DSS. DSS cases were caused by each of the four dengue viruses (DENV) and not chikungunya (CHIK) virus or DENV 5 and 6, were associated with a secondary-type dengue antibody response in children over the age of 1 year, were associated with a primary antibody response in infants less than 1 year old whose mothers had neutralizing antibodies to all four DENV, were associated more frequently with secondary DENV 2 infections than those due to DENV 1 and 3, and were more common in females than males over the age of 3 years. Robust laboratory methods for growth and recovery of DENV in tissue cultures were introduced. In addition, life-saving principles of fluid and plasma protein resuscitation of hypovolemia were described. Most epidemiological observations made during the decade of the 1960s have been confirmed in the succeeding 45 years. Much contemporary research on pathogenesis fails to address the two distinct immunological antecedents of DHF/DSS.
Fractionated branes and black hole interiors
Authors: Martinec Emil J.
Published: June 2015

Combining a variety of results in string theory and general relativity, a picture of the black hole interior is developed wherein spacetime caps off at an inner horizon and the inter-horizon region is occupied by a Hagedorn gas of a very low tension state of fractionated branes. This picture leads to natural resolutions of a variety of puzzles concerning quantum black holes.
YIELD STRESS OF FRACTAL AGGREGATES
Authors: XI YUE , CHEN JINJIAN , XU YONGFU , CHU FEIFEI , LIU CHUANXIN
Published: June 2015

A model for the yield stress of aggregates is presented that incorporates fractal dimension taking into account the solid volume fraction and the aggregate diameter. The model shows the yield stress (σy) of aggregates increases with the solid volume fraction (ϕs) as a power law, and is given by [Formula: see text], where the exponent (m) is related to fractal dimension (D), and σy0is a referenced parameter. The relationship between exponent (m) and fractal dimension is validated by published data of aggregates and represents the measured data very well, over a wide range of the solid volume fractions. The referenced parameter (σy0) is calibrated from experiments of yield stress using power law fittings. The agreement between theory and experiments supports the idea that yielding is ultimately caused by the rupture of a few interparticle bonds within aggregates. In addition, the proposed model for the yield stress of aggregates is found to match better with experiments by comparing with all models in literature.
Synthesis of new porphyrin dimers linked by diamines and their supramolecular assemblies
Authors: Mikhalitsyna Elena A. , Tyurin Vladimir S. , Beletskaya Irina P.
Published: June 2015

For the first time the bisporphyrins connected via diamine bridges were synthesized by palladium catalyzed Buchwald–Hartwig amination reaction with high yields. The diamine bridges include linear, cyclic and macrocyclic types. Homo- and heteronuclear metallocomplexes of bisporphyrins were investigated with UV-vis spectroscopy in the processes of supramolecular assembly. The interaction with diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) and cesium and diammonium cations led to the coordination dimers. Control of the conformation of the bisporphyrin was realized via coordination of diamine moiety with copper cation.
TWO-SIDED EFFECTS OF EMBEDDEDNESS IN ALLIANCE PORTFOLIOS
Authors: KIM MARCO JINHWAN , PARK GUNNO , KANG JINA
Published: June 2015

Alliance portfolios are an important source of competitive advantage for firms. Diverse resources of partners contribute to enhancing firms' performance, but relationships among the firms' partners also influence the performance. This paper, employing an embeddedness lens, aims to examine how these relationships influence the firms' innovation performance. We confirm two-sided effects of embeddedness within alliance portfolios. While the focal firms increase the size of their portfolios, dense relationships among their partners increase the performance and competitive relationships weaken the performance. For the empirical test, we collected data on 1863 technology alliances between US biotechnology and multinational pharmaceutical companies. This study highlights how firms have to consider relationships among their partners when configuring their alliance portfolios to maximise innovation performance.
Sea Lion Field discovery and appraisal: a turning point for the North Falkland Basin
Authors: MacAulay F.
Published: June 2015

In 1998, the first six wells were drilled in the North Falkland Basin, and demonstrated the presence of excellent source rock and good reservoirs. Oil and gas shows were encountered in all but one well; however, no commercial volumes of hydrocarbons were proven. At that time, the focus of exploration was almost exclusively on traditional structural traps mapped on two-dimensional (2D) seismic surveys. Eleven years later, in May 2010, Rockhopper Exploration discovered the Sea Lion Field, which has over a billion barrels of estimated oil in place. Discovery well 14/10-2 was drilled on three-dimensional (3D) seismic data acquired by Rockhopper in 2007. Unlike the targets of the first campaign, the Sea Lion prospect was a stratigraphic trap imaged as a series of fan-shaped amplitude anomalies.

Following a successful drill stem test of the SL10 and SL20 fans in the discovery well, Rockhopper embarked on an aggressive field appraisal and exploration drilling programme in the Sea Lion area. A second fully engineered production test was successfully performed on a later well to establish commercial flow rates. In addition to appraising the Sea Lion reservoirs, a further three hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs were proven (Casper, Casper South and Beverley). Comprehensive data acquisition and analysis has been key to de-risking the first commercial development in the basin. A full suite of wireline logs was run in all the appraisal wells; seven wells were extensively cored and fluid samples were recovered for analysis from all reservoirs. In parallel with the drilling campaign, in 2010–11 a total of 4500 km
2
of 3D seismic data was acquired and processed in a collaborative programme with Argos and Desire.

In 2012, Premier Oil farmed-in to the licence and assumed operatorship with 60% equity. Dynamic modelling indicates that estimated resources of approximately 160 million barrels (160 mmbbl) can be recovered from the north-east flank of the field based on a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facilities concept for Phase 1 of the field development. The concepts for additional phases of field development are currently being evaluated.
An EDU-Based Approach for Thai Multi-Document Summarization and Its Application
Authors: Ketui Nongnuch , Theeramunkong Thanaruk , Onsuwan Chutamanee
Published: June 2015

Due to lack of a word/phrase/sentence boundary, summarization of Thai multiple documents has several challenges in unit segmentation, unit selection, duplication elimination, and evaluation dataset construction. In this article, we introduce Thai Elementary Discourse Units (TEDUs) and their derivatives, called Combined TEDUs (CTEDUs), and then present our three-stage method of Thai multi-document summarization, that is, unit segmentation, unit-graph formulation, and unit selection and summary generation. To examine performance of our proposed method, a number of experiments are conducted using 50 sets of Thai news articles with their manually constructed reference summaries. Based on measures of ROUGE-1, ROUGE-2, and ROUGE-SU4, the experimental results show that: (1) the TEDU-based summarization outperforms paragraph-based summarization; (2) our proposed graph-based TEDU weighting with importance-based selection achieves the best performance; and (3) unit duplication consideration and weight recalculation help improve summary quality.
Model Generation of Accented Speech using Model Transformation and Verification for Bilingual Speech Recognition
Authors: Shen Han-ping , Wu Chung-hsien , Tsai Pei-shan
Published: June 2015

Nowadays, bilingual or multilingual speech recognition is confronted with the accent-related problem caused by non-native speech in a variety of real-world applications. Accent modeling of non-native speech is definitely challenging, because the acoustic properties in highly-accented speech pronounced by non-native speakers are quite divergent. The aim of this study is to generate highly Mandarin-accented English models for speakers whose mother tongue is Mandarin. First, a two-stage, state-based verification method is proposed to extract the state-level, highly-accented speech segments automatically. Acoustic features and articulatory features are successively used for robust verification of the extracted speech segments. Second, Gaussian components of the highly-accented speech models are generated from the corresponding Gaussian components of the native speech models using a linear transformation function. A decision tree is constructed to categorize the transformation functions and used for transformation function retrieval to deal with the data sparseness problem. Third, a discrimination function is further applied to verify the generated accented acoustic models. Finally, the successfully verified accented English models are integrated into the native bilingual phone model set for Mandarin-English bilingual speech recognition. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can effectively alleviate recognition performance degradation due to accents and can obtain absolute improvements of 4.1%, 1.8%, and 2.7% in word accuracy for bilingual speech recognition compared to that using traditional ASR approaches, MAP-adapted, and MLLR-adapted ASR methods, respectively.
Stimulation of the cardiac myocyte Na+-K+ pump due to reversal of its constitutive oxidative inhibition
Authors: Chia Karin K. M. , Liu Chia-Chi , Hamilton Elisha J. , Garcia Alvaro , Fry Natasha A. , Hannam William , Figtree Gemma A. , Rasmussen Helge H.
Published: June 2015

Protein kinase C can activate NADPH oxidase and induce glutathionylation of the β1-Na+-K+ pump subunit, inhibiting activity of the catalytic α-subunit. To examine if signaling of nitric oxide-induced soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)/cGMP/protein kinase G can cause Na+-K+ pump stimulation by counteracting PKC/NADPH oxidase-dependent inhibition, cardiac myocytes were exposed to ANG II to activate NADPH oxidase and inhibit Na+-K+ pump current ( Ip). Coexposure to 3-(5′-hydroxymethyl-2′-furyl)-1-benzylindazole (YC-1) to stimulate sGC prevented the decrease of Ip. Prevention of the decrease was abolished by inhibition of protein phosphatases (PP) 2A but not by inhibition of PP1, and it was reproduced by an activator of PP2A. Consistent with a reciprocal relationship between β1-Na+-K+ pump subunit glutathionylation and pump activity, YC-1 decreased ANG II-induced β1-subunit glutathionylation. The decrease induced by YC-1 was abolished by a PP2A inhibitor. YC-1 decreased phosphorylation of the cytosolic p47 phox NADPH oxidase subunit and its coimmunoprecipitation with the membranous p22 phox subunit, and it decreased O2·−-sensitive dihydroethidium fluorescence of myocytes. Addition of recombinant PP2A to myocyte lysate decreased phosphorylation of p47 phox indicating the subunit could be a substrate for PP2A. The effects of YC-1 to decrease coimmunoprecipitation of p22 phox and p47 phox NADPH oxidase subunits and decrease β1-Na+-K+ pump subunit glutathionylation were reproduced by activation of nitric oxide-dependent receptor signaling. We conclude that sGC activation in cardiac myocytes causes a PP2A-dependent decrease in NADPH oxidase activity and a decrease in β1 pump subunit glutathionylation. This could account for pump stimulation with neurohormonal oxidative stress expected in vivo.
Delta rhythm in wakefulness: evidence from intracranial recordings in human beings
Authors: Sachdev Robert N. S. , Gaspard Nicolas , Gerrard Jason L. , Hirsch Lawrence J. , Spencer Dennis D. , Zaveri Hitten P.
Published: June 2015

A widely accepted view is that wakefulness is a state in which the entire cortical mantle is persistently activated, and therefore desynchronized. Consequently, the EEG is dominated by low-amplitude, high-frequency fluctuations. This view is currently under revision because the 1–4 Hz delta rhythm is often evident during “quiet” wakefulness in rodents and nonhuman primates. Here we used intracranial EEG recordings to assess the occurrence of delta rhythm in 18 awake human beings. Our recordings reveal rhythmic delta during wakefulness at 10% of all recording sites. Delta rhythm could be observed in a single cortical lobe or in multiple lobes. Sites with high delta could flip between high and low delta power or could be in a persistently high delta state. Finally, these sites were rarely identified as the sites of seizure onset. Thus rhythmic delta can dominate the background operation and activity of some neocortical circuits in awake human beings.
Congenital Ulnar Drift in a Surgeon
Authors: McKee Desirae , Eliasson Shannon , Griswold John
Published: June 2015

Windblown hand is a term used in many instances to describe ulnar deviations of the fingers with or without other malformations. In 1994 Wood reviewed all of the descriptions of cases of windblown hand and pointed out how many variants of congenital ulnar drift there are, suggesting that the many variations seen may all belong to a larger type of arthrogryposis. While the most common cause of ulnar deviation of the fingers is rheumatoid arthritis, it can also be caused by other conditions such as windblown hand or Jaccoud’s arthropathy. While most hand surgeons are familiar with presentations of congenital ulnar drift, few of them are knowledgeable about Jaccoud’s arthropathy as this is usually discussed within medical communities such as Rheumatology. We present a case of a surgeon who has had noticeable ulnar deviation of the digits at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joint since his early 20s. We propose that the current case is a demonstration of a type of windblown hand that has some hereditary component but is not immediately obvious at birth and presents physically more like Jaccoud’s arthropathy than traditional windblown hand.
Phenotypical Expression of Maize Seedlings from Lines with the “Tallos Gemelos” Trait
Authors: Meraz-Fonseca Ma. Lorena , Mendoza-Castillo Ma. del Carmen , Kato-Yamakake Takeo Ángel , Delgado-Alvarado Adriana
Published: June 2015

In the Colegio de Postgraduados in Mexico, we have generated lines of maize (Zea mays L.) with the particularity that from a seed two or more stalks emerge and develop normally, calling that character “tallos gemelos.” This trait possibly modifies the proportions of the constituent tissues of the seed and could increase the nutritional and nutraceutical quality of the grain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the germination percentage and quantify and describe the types of phenotypic expression of seedling with twin stalks in the lines. 100 seeds of each of the 26 S5 lines tested were used. At 15 days after planting in a greenhouse, the seedlings were classified based on their morphology. The results showed that, on average, the lines had 81.3% of emergence and 51% of twin stalks. Eight types of phenotypic expression in seedlings were identified and described with the character “tallos gemelos”; Type II showed the highest proportion (59.5%). The phenotypical expressions identified in seedlings with the “tallos gemelos” trait are evidence of epigenetic mechanisms, since they present one of the features of epimutants, which is that they are reversible, that is; they can return to the original phenotype, in the present circumstance to normal plants (single stalk).
Transcolonic Migration of Retained Epicardial Pacing Wires
Authors: Gonzales Sara , White Hugh , Echavarria Juan
Published: June 2015

Temporary epicardial pacing wires are associated with rare complications. Most of these occur in the chest. Even rarer are complications that occur within the abdomen. We report a case of migrating epicardial pacing wires entering the abdomen and penetrating the transverse colon found incidentally on colonoscopy in an asymptomatic patient.
A Study on the Stoichiometry of One-Dimensional Nanostructures
Authors: Davami Keivan , Shaygan Mehrdad , Kheirabi Nazli , Ghassemi Hessam
Published: June 2015

While attributes such as small dimensions, low power consumption, fast sensor response, and a wide range of detection give one-dimensional nanostructures excellent potential to revolutionize sensor and detector industries, challenges to achieving uniform stoichiometry pose significant obstacles to their commercial use. Diverse characteristics arise from nanostructures with variable compositions and morphologies. Thus, investigation of physical properties of nanostructures would be pointless if one cannot assure the exact stoichiometry of the material. We studied the stoichiometry of ZnTe nanowires grown via the vapor-liquid-solid method. Different microscopy and composition analysis methods were exploited to study the stoichiometry of the nanowires. It was observed that nonstoichiometric wires had relatively higher defect concentrations. The temperature profile along the substrate during nanowire growth was found to be the reason for the formation of nanowires with different stoichiometries.
Isolated Upper Extremity Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder in a Child
Authors: Halula Sarah E. , Leino Daniel G. , Patel Manish N. , Racadio John M. , Lungren Matthew P.
Published: June 2015

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a well-described complication of solid organ and bone marrow transplants. The most common presentation is intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy or single or multiple intraparenchymal masses involving the liver, spleen, or kidneys. Here we describe the imaging and pathology findings of an unusual case of PTLD appearing as an intramuscular forearm lesion in a pediatric male. The manifestation of PTLD as an isolated upper extremity mass in a pediatric patient has to our knowledge not been described.
Centroids of Lie Supertriple Systems
Authors: Peng Jianrong , Chen Liangyun , Sun Bing
Published: June 2015

We derive certain structural results concerning centroids of Lie supertriple systems. Centroids of the tensor product of a Lie supertriple system and a unital commutative associative algebra are studied. Furthermore, the centroid of a tensor product of a simple Lie supertriple system and a polynomial ring is partly determined.
Intravitreal Ranibizumab in Daily Clinical Practice for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Treatment of Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Real Life
Authors: Cazet-Supervielle Agathe , Gozlan Julien , Cabasson Séverin , Boissonnot Michèle , Manic Hélène , Leveziel Nicolas
Published: June 2015

Purpose: To describe the anatomical and functional outcomes in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) undergoing ranibizumab therapy in real-life practice. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with exudative AMD treated with ranibizumab. Visual acuity (VA) and optic coherence tomography characteristics at baseline and at the end of the follow-up, clinical forms of the disease, delay between diagnosis and treatment as well as the number of follow-up visits and of intravitreal injections were collected. Results: One hundred and seventy-nine patients (220 eyes) were followed up during a mean of 24 months. The mean delay between diagnosis and treatment was 20.3 days (SD ±16.8). VA stabilization was observed in 46.4% of eyes, 21.7% of eyes gained ≥15 ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) letters and 31.9% lost ≥15 ETDRS letters. The mean central retinal thickness decreased from 380.6 μm at baseline to 295.6 µm at the final examination. A lower baseline VA score was associated with a greater gain of letters (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Shortening the delays in diagnosis appears to be a key point in real-life situations.
Effect of Weight Loss Induced by Intragastric Balloon Therapy on Cardiac Function in Morbidly Obese Individuals: A Pilot Study
Authors: Koc Fatih , Kayaoglu Huseyin Ayhan , Celik Atac , Altunkas Fatih , Karayakali Metin , Ozbek Kerem , Karaman Kayihan , Kadi Hasan , Yenidogan Erdinc
Published: June 2015

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of intragastric balloon therapy on left ventricular function and left ventricular mass in a cohort of morbidly obese patients. Subjects and Methods: A prospective trial was performed in a cohort of 17 class II and class III morbidly obese individuals. The intragastric balloon was retained in the stomach for an average of 6 months. Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography were performed in all patients before and after the procedure. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 36 ± 10 years (range: 18-55). The mean body mass index was significantly decreased following the intragastric balloon insertion procedure (44 ± 8 vs. 38 ± 5, p < 0.001). The left ventricular mass index and left atrial volume index were significantly decreased following the procedure (112 ± 21 vs. 93 ± 17, p = 0.001 and 20 ± 6 vs. 14 ± 5, p = 0.02, respectfully). In addition, the ratio of mitral peak early diastolic velocity to tissue Doppler-derived peak diastolic velocity and tissue Doppler echocardiography-derived left ventricular myocardial performance index were decreased significantly following the procedure (9.5 ± 1.9 vs. 7.7 ± 1.5, p = 0.002 and 0.57 ± 0.11 vs. 0.46 ± 0.06, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Intragastric balloon therapy resulted in significant weight reduction in morbidly obese patients. This weight reduction was associated with improved left ventricular function.
Complications with Endobronchial Ultrasound with a Guide Sheath for the Diagnosis of Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions
Authors: Hayama Manabu , Izumo Takehiro , Matsumoto Yuji , Chavez Christine , Tsuchida Takaaki , Sasada Shinji
Published: June 2015

Background: Diagnostic bronchoscopy has been considered as a safe and effective procedure. Endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) is becoming a common procedure, but reports about its safety are missing. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety profile of EBUS-GS for the diagnosis of PPLs. Methods: All patients with PPLs who underwent EBUS-GS between September 2012 and August 2014 at the National Cancer Center Hospital were included. Postprocedural complications and the durability of devices were retrospectively reviewed. Results: During the study period, EBUS-GS procedures were performed for 965 PPLs. The overall complication rate was 1.3% (13/965): 0.8% (8/965) for pneumothorax and 0.5% (5/965) for pulmonary infection. There was no significant hemorrhage, air embolism, tumor seeding or procedure-related death, and there was no breakage of the guide sheath. Only four radial probes were broken during the study period without any adverse reactions. Conclusions: EBUS-GS is a tolerable procedure, and the devices are durable.
Evaluation of Oxygen Supplementation Status as a Risk Factor Associated with the Development of Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity
Authors: Enomoto Hiroko , Miki Akiko , Matsumiya Wataru , Honda Shigeru
Published: June 2015

Purpose: The effects of oxygen supplementation status and other clinical risk factors on the development of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were evaluated. Methods: Clinical records of 143 newborn infants with a gestational age of 32 weeks or less were reviewed. Severe ROP was diagnosed when photocoagulation due to progression to stage 3 was identified or when ‘plus disease' developed. The factors were evaluated with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses between the groups with severe (n = 24) and non-severe (n = 119) ROP. Results: Gestational age, birth weight, duration of oxygen supplementation, duration of directional positive air pressure and maximum fraction of inspiratory oxygen (FiO2) were significantly associated with severe ROP in the univariate analyses. In the multivariate analysis, a longer duration of oxygen supplementation and a higher maximum FiO2 were revealed as significant risk factors associated with severe ROP. Conclusions: Duration of oxygen supplementation and maximum FiO2 required were important factors associated with severe ROP.
Description of the newly-hatched juvenile of Aegla perobae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Aeglidae)
Authors: MORAES JULIANA CRISTINA BERTACINI , DE SIQUEIRA BUENO SÉRGIO LUIZ
Published: June 2015

The present paper contains the complete description of the external morphology of the first juvenile stage of Aegla perobae analysed through light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Newly-hatched juveniles were obtained from ovigerous females kept under laboratory conditions. Hatching is asynchronous, taking 2–4 days for all juveniles of a single brood to hatch. Average carapace dimensions are 1.54 mm wide and 1.69 mm long (rostrum excluded). Morphology of the carapace, of the cephalothoracic appendages (antennule, antenna, mandible, maxillule, maxilla, maxillipeds, and pereopods), of the pleon, and of the tail fan (telson plus uropods) are described in detail. Aegla perobae juveniles can be readily differentiate from the first juveniles of other aeglids species described so far by the upwardly curved condition of the distal region of the rostrum and the distinct groove along the orbital sinus produced the elevated free in this area. Pleopods 2–5 are present as rudimentary digitiform buds. Rudimentary pleopods are still present in adult males of the species, a trait not yet described in freshwater aeglids. This curious condition is compared and discussed in the light of the current knowledge of early postembryonic developmental patterns found in other anomurans.
Sound absorption analysis of thermally bonded high-loft nonwovens
Authors: Suvari Fatih , Ulcay Yusuf , Pourdeyhimi Behnam
Published: June 2015

Sound absorption characteristics of specially designed high-loft nonwovens with minimum thickness were reported in this study. Three different polypropylene and polyester fiber-based high-loft, air-laid, and thermally bonded nonwovens varying in basis weight were produced. Heavier high-loft nonwoven samples at various thicknesses were formed using a specially designed mold. The sound absorption coefficients of samples with mass per unit areas ranging from 350 to 1575 g/m2 and with thicknesses ranging from 5 to 45 mm were measured. Acoustical absorptive behavior of the high-loft nonwovens was explained by analyzing the displacements of small air control volumes in a high-loft nonwoven and the air velocities in the impedance tube. Results indicate that the velocity and the total displacement of the small air volumes inside the fiber network have a major effect on sound absorption. High-loft nonwovens can be much more effective in terms of sound absorption if they are produced at the thickness at which average maximum velocity of the air is calculated highest. If there is a desire to absorb more acoustic energy, heavier nonwovens can be produced. It is suggested that relatively heavy nonwovens (from 700 to 1575 g/m2) can be produced thinner (5–10 mm) than the calculated thickness value based on the average maximum air velocity to get maximum sound absorption at lower thickness.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments Attenuate the Neutrophil‐to‐Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Li Hang , Zhao Daqing , Diao Mingfang , Yang Chen , Zhang Yu , Lv Yan , Zhao Jinjing , Pan Shuyi
Published: June 2015

Objective

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a promising treatment in the management of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL), but the speciﬁc mechanisms of HBOT in ISSNHL are still unclear. The curative effects of HBOT in many diseases are related to the attenuation of inflammatory response. The neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a new inflammatory marker that can be assessed quickly. We investigated the relationship between HBOT and the inflammatory response in ISSNHL using the NLR.

Study Design

Case series with chart review

Setting

Tertiary teaching and research hospital

Subjects and Methods

Between December 2007 and December 2013, 41 ISSNHL patients who underwent HBOT, 45 ISSNHL patients who did not undergo HBOT, and 14 healthy control subjects who underwent HBOT were included in the study. NLRs were assessed at 2 time points: at baseline (pretreatment) and on day 1 after 10 sessions of HBOT (posttreatment). Audiometric testing was performed at the above 2 time points.

Results

The mean post‐HBOT NLRs, neutrophil, and white blood cell count values of the ISSNHL patients were significantly lower than their pretreatment values (P <. 001). Compared with the ISSNHL patients who did not undergo HBOT, the posttreatment NLR levels of the ISSNHL patients who underwent HBOT were much lower (P =. 036). Higher relative hearing gains were significantly associated with a greater reduction in the NLR after HBOT (r = −0.885, P =. 001).

Conclusions

The beneficial effect of HBOT on ISSNHL may be mediated at least in part by a decrease of inflammation.
Effect of mean stress on multiaxial ratcheting life: A simplified life prediction model based on average equivalent stress amplitude
Authors: Paul Surajit Kumar , Hilditch Timothy B
Published: June 2015

This article proposes a model to predict uniaxial and multiaxial ratcheting life by addressing the three primary parameters that influence failure life: fatigue damage, ratcheting damage and the multiaxial loading path. These three factors are addressed in the present model by (a) the stress amplitude for fatigue damage, (b) mean stress-dependent Goodman equation for ratcheting damage and (c) an inherent weight factor based on average equivalent stress to account for the multiaxial loading. The proposed model requires only two material constants which can be easily determined from uniaxial symmetric stress-controlled fatigue tests. Experimental ratcheting life data collected from the literature for 1025 and 42CrMo steel under multiaxial proportional and nonproportional constant amplitude loading ratcheting with triangular sinusoidal and trapezoidal waveform (i.e. linear, rhombic, circular, elliptical and square stress paths) have shown good agreement with the proposed model.
Effects of T-2 toxin on the regulation of steroidogenesis in mouse Leydig cells
Authors: Yang Jian Ying , Zhang Yong Fa , Li Yuan Xiao , Guan Gui Ping , Kong Xiang Feng , Liang Ai Min , Ma Kai Wang , Da Li Guang , Bai Xue Fei
Published: June 2015

T-2 toxin is one of the mycotoxins, a group of type A trichothecenes produced by several fungal genera including Fusarium species, which may lead to the decrease of testosterone secretion in primary Leydig cells derived from mouse testis. The previous study demonstrated T-2 toxin decrease the testosterone biosynthesis in the primary Leydig cells derived from the mouse testis directly. In this study, we further examined the direct biological effects of T-2 toxin on the process of steroidogenesis, primarily in Leydig cells of mice. Leydig cells of mature mouse were purified by Percoll gradient centrifugation and the cell purity was determined by 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) staining. To examine the decrease in T-2 toxin-induced testosterone secretion, we measured the transcription level of three key steroidogenic enzymes including 3β-HSD-1, cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc) enzyme, and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein in T-2 toxin/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) co-treated cells. Our previous study showed that T-2 toxin (10−7, 10−8, and 10−9 M) significantly suppressed hCG (10 ng/ml)-induced testosterone secretion. The studies demonstrated that the suppressive effect is correlated with a decrease in the level of transcription of 3β-HSD-1, P450scc, and StAR ( p < 0.05).