bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Most Useful Subtests of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Minor Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Bocti Christian , Legault Véronique , Leblanc Nancy , Berger Léo , Nasreddine Ziad , Beaulieu-Boire Isabelle , Yaneva Krasimira , Boulanger Jean-Martin
Published: July 2013

Background/Aims: Cognitive impairment is frequent in cerebrovascular disease but often remains undetected. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has been proposed in this context. Our aim was to evaluate the MoCA and its subtests in cerebrovascular disease. Methods: We assessed 386 consecutive patients with minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Score <4) or transient ischemic attack at 3 months. The MoCA and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were administered. Computed tomography (CT) scans were assessed for stroke and white matter changes. An unfavorable functional outcome was defined as mRS >1. Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment (cutoff of 26) was 55% using the MoCA and 13% using the MMSE. In a multivariate analysis, MoCA <26 was associated with the outcome (OR 3.00, CI 1.78-5.03), as were remote lacunar stroke on CT and white matter changes of at least moderate severity. Five subtests (5-word recall, word list generation, trail-making, abstract reasoning and cube copy) formed an optimal short MoCA with 6/10 or less showing a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 83%. Conclusion: This study extends the utility of the MoCA to milder forms of cerebrovascular disease. The MoCA is associated with the 3-month functional outcome. Five subtests may constitute an optimal brief tool in vascular cognitive impairment.
Soluble Thrombomodulin and Endothelial Cell Protein C Receptor Levels in Patients with Cerebral Venous and Sinus Thrombosis
Authors: Javanmard Shaghayegh Haghjooy , Shahsavarzadeh Tayebeh , Saadatnia Mohammad
Published: July 2013

Introduction: Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a potentially serious disorder. In search for underlying coagulopathy in CVST patients, we measured plasma levels of soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR) in patients with CVST as candidate biomarkers of thrombosis. Materials and Methods: The concentrations of sTM and sEPCR in 19 CVST patients without protein C and protein S deficiency were measured by ELISA and compared with 53 healthy controls. We also examined the association between those plasma markers and the risk of CVST. Results: Significant difference was identified in plasma sTM level between CVST patients and controls (0.95 ± 0.09 vs. 1.26 ± 0.12 ng/ml, respectively; p = 0.038). The plasma level of sEPCR was not different between groups, and no significant quantitative association was identified between the risk of CVST and the levels of sEPCR. The adjusted odds ratio for CVST associated with low (<10th percentile) levels of sTM was 2.3 (95% CI: 1.29-20.08; p = 0.012) after adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusion: Decreased plasma sTM concentration may be associated with an increased risk of CVST.
Programmed Cell Death Is Impaired in the Developing Brain of Fmr1 Mutants
Authors: Cheng Ying , Corbin Joshua G. , Levy Richard J.
Published: July 2013

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), due to transcriptional silencing of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), is characterized by excess synaptic connections and impaired dendrite maturation. Programmed cell death (PCD) is critical for synaptogenesis and elimination of aberrant neuronal connections in the developing brain; however, the role of FMRP in PCD is unknown. The aim of this work was to assess the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in the developing brain of Fmr1 mutants. To accomplish this, we evaluated two different Fmr1 mutant strains of 10-day-old male mice compared with appropriate controls. We performed immunohistochemistry for activated caspase-3 and TUNEL assays, quantified the number of neurons in neocortex and hippocampus, determined cytochrome c peroxidase activity, measured the amount of cytochrome c release from forebrain mitochondria, and assessed levels of key pro- and antiapoptotic mediators with immunoblot analysis. Both Fmr1 mutant strains demonstrated decreased apoptosis in neocortex, hippocampus, and basolateral amygdala, impaired cytochrome c and procaspase-9 release from mitochondria despite intact Bax translocation, increased expression of the antiapoptotic protein, BCL-xL, and increased number of neurons. Taken together, the data suggest that PCD is impaired due to increased BCL-xL expression and is associated with excess neurons in the developing brain of FMRP-deficient mice. It is possible that deficient PCD prevents neuron elimination and results in abnormal retention of developmentally transient neurons. Thus, defective PCD may contribute to the excess synaptic connections known to exist in Fmr1 mutants and could play a role in the behavioral phenotype of children with FXS.
The Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity in Jaspers and Husserl: On the Capacities and Limits of Empathy and Communication in Psychiatric Praxis
Authors: Luft Sebastian , Schlimme Jann E.
Published: July 2013

In this article, we present two accounts of intersubjectivity in Jaspers and Husserl, respectively. We argue that both can be brought together for a more satisfying account of empathy and communication in the context of psychiatric praxis. But while we restrict ourselves for the most part to this praxis, we also indicate the larger agenda that drives Jaspers and Husserl, despite all disagreement. Here we spell out, in particular, how a phenomenologically inspired account of empathy and intersubjectivity can have larger ramifications for a theory of social life and interaction. Finally, we argue for a ‘relaxed' view concerning the relation between pure and applied phenomenology, such that both can mutually benefit from one another.
Discriminative Learning of Propagation and Spatial Pattern for Motor Imagery EEG Analysis
Authors: Li Xinyang , Zhang Haihong , Guan Cuntai , Ong Sim Heng , Ang Kai Keng , Pan Yaozhang
Published: July 2013

Effective learning and recovery of relevant source brain activity patterns is a major challenge to brain-computer interface using scalp EEG. Various spatial filtering solutions have been developed. Most current methods estimate an instantaneous demixing with the assumption of uncorrelatedness of the source signals. However, recent evidence in neuroscience suggests that multiple brain regions cooperate, especially during motor imagery, a major modality of brain activity for brain-computer interface. In this sense, methods that assume uncorrelatedness of the sources become inaccurate. Therefore, we are promoting a new methodology that considers both volume conduction effect and signal propagation between multiple brain regions. Specifically, we propose a novel discriminative algorithm for joint learning of propagation and spatial pattern with an iterative optimization solution. To validate the new methodology, we conduct experiments involving 16 healthy subjects and perform numerical analysis of the proposed algorithm for EEG classification in motor imagery brain-computer interface. Results from extensive analysis validate the effectiveness of the new methodology with high statistical significance.
Encoding Binary Neural Codes in Networks of Threshold-Linear Neurons
Authors: Curto Carina , Degeratu Anda , Itskov Vladimir
Published: July 2013

Networks of neurons in the brain encode preferred patterns of neural activity via their synaptic connections. Despite receiving considerable attention, the precise relationship between network connectivity and encoded patterns is still poorly understood. Here we consider this problem for networks of threshold-linear neurons whose computational function is to learn and store a set of binary patterns (e.g., a neural code) as “permitted sets” of the network. We introduce a simple encoding rule that selectively turns “on” synapses between neurons that coappear in one or more patterns. The rule uses synapses that are binary, in the sense of having only two states (“on” or “off”), but also heterogeneous, with weights drawn from an underlying synaptic strength matrix S. Our main results precisely describe the stored patterns that result from the encoding rule, including unintended “spurious” states, and give an explicit characterization of the dependence on S. In particular, we find that binary patterns are successfully stored in these networks when the excitatory connections between neurons are geometrically balanced—i.e., they satisfy a set of geometric constraints. Furthermore, we find that certain types of neural codes are natural in the context of these networks, meaning that the full code can be accurately learned from a highly undersampled set of patterns. Interestingly, many commonly observed neural codes in cortical and hippocampal areas are natural in this sense. As an application, we construct networks that encode hippocampal place field codes nearly exactly, following presentation of only a small fraction of patterns. To obtain our results, we prove new theorems using classical ideas from convex and distance geometry, such as Cayley-Menger determinants, revealing a novel connection between these areas of mathematics and coding properties of neural networks.
Dorstenia acangatara (Moraceae), a new and threatened species from Southeastern Brazil
Authors: VIANNA f. MARCELO D. M. , DOS SANTOS ALESSANDRA , MACHADO ANDERSON F. P. , MANSANO VIDAL DE FREITAS , NETO SERGIO ROMANIUC
Published: July 2013

Dorstenia acangatara (Moraceae), a new species, endemic to the Atlantic rainforest between Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states, in Southeastern Brazil is described and illustrated. D. acangatara is considered threatened by IUCN standards due to its restricted geographic area of occurrence.
Pterygosomatid mites of a new species group ligare (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae: Pterygosoma) parasitizing tree iguanas (Squamata: Liolaemidae: Liolaemus)
Authors: FAJFER MONIKA , ACUÑA DANIEL GONZÁLEZ
Published: July 2013

A new species group, ligare, is established within the subgenus Pterygosoma (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae: Pterygosoma) based on an analysis of female morphology. This group includes 6 newly described species—all from Liolaemus spp. (Squamata: Liolaemidae) from Chile: P. ligare sp. nov., P. formosus sp. nov., P. ovata sp. nov., and P. levissima sp. nov. from Liolaemus pictus; P. chilensis sp. nov. from L. chilensis, and P. cyanogasteri sp. nov. from L. cyanogaster. The ligare species group differs from other mites of the subgenus Pterygosoma by the presence of the movable cheliceral digit without a basal spur, solenidion ω of the palp tarsus, anterior mid-dorsal setae, large number of setae (about 200–300 pairs) on the lateral and the posterior parts of the idiosomal dorsum and the lateral parts of the idiosomal venter, by the idiosomal hypertrichy of ventro-median setae vm, setae 3a located outside of coxal fields II, the absence of setae 4b, the presence of paired setae tc and vs on tarsi III–IV, 5 setae on tibiae II–IV, 4 or 5 setae on genua I, II, 3 setae on genua III–IV, 5 setae on femur I, 5 or 4 setae on femur II and 3 setae on femur III. A key to females of the new species group is provided. Pterygosoma patagonica Dittmar de la Cruz, Morando and Avila, 2004 insufficiently described but showing most characterisitcs of ligare group is considered as nomen dubium.
Mimulus Stimpson, 1860, a junior synonym of Pugettia Dana, 1851 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea: Epialtidae)
Authors: Wicksten Mary K. , Stachowicz JOHN J.
Published: July 2013

William Stimpson (1860) established Mimulus (Brachyura: Majoidea: Epialtidae), with a single species, M. foliatus. Rathbun (1894) placed the genus in synonymy with Pugettia Dana, 18951, but subsequent authors have considered Mimulus to be a valid genus. Genetic evidence and re-examination of the morphology indicate that M. foliatus belongs to a clade of majoid crabs consisting of species of Pugettia. We therefore consider Mimulus to be a junior synonym of Pugettia. We provide a list of all species of Pugettia
Afrophloeus, a new genus of African weevils of the tribe Embrithini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), with description of a new species and notes on the composition of Embrithini
Authors: BOROVEC ROMAN , OBERPRIELER ROLF G.
Published: July 2013

A new genus, Afrophloeus gen. n., is described for three South African weevil species assigned to the tribe Embrithini Marshall: Trachyphloeus spathulatus Boheman (type species), T. squamifer Boheman and Afrophloeus dilaticornis sp. n. Afrophloeus squamifer has been introduced to Australia in 1992 and become an agricultural pest in South Australia in recent years. All three species are illustrated and keyed. The concept and composition of Embrithini is discussed and revised. Thirteen genera are newly transferred to Embrithini: Bryochaeta Pascoe, Cosmorhinus Schoenherr, Cycliscus Schoenherr, Glyptosomus Schoenherr, Porpacus Schoenherr and Syntaphocerus J. Thomson from the tribe Oosomini Lacordaire and Bicodes Marshall, Goniorhinus Faust, Holorygma Marshall, Lecanophora Aurivillius, Neobicodes Hustache, Sympiezorhynchus Schoenherr and Zeugorygma Marshall from the tribe Myorhinini Marseul. Two genera are excluded from Embrithini, Epibrithus Marshall and Rhyncholobus Gahan, left without tribal assignment in Entiminae. In its revised concept the tribe Embrithini includes 67 genera of African Entiminae.
A new species of Glochinomyia Kertész from Papua New Guinea (Diptera: Stratiomyidae, Pachygastrinae)
Authors: ROZKOŠNÝ RUDOLF
Published: July 2013

Glochinomyia nigriseta sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The generic characters of Glochinomyia are summarized and the new species is compared with the description of the only known species, G. albiseta Kertész. The taxonomic position of Glochinomyia is briefly discussed and the Papuan species of the Pachygastrinae with four scutellar spines are keyed.
A new species of Microcaecilia (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Siphonopidae) from the Guianan region of Brazil
Authors: MACIEL ADRIANO O. , HOOGMOED MARINUS S.
Published: July 2013

We describe a new species of Microcaecilia from the Guianan region of Brazil, based on a series of eight specimens from the states of Pará and Amazonas. Microcaecilia marvaleewakeae sp. nov. is very similar to M. taylori, but differs from it in having more primary annuli, more secondary grooves, and more secondary grooves that completely encircle the body. The new species also seems to have a relatively shorter and thinner head than M. taylori, but additional specimens of the new species are necessary to check this. A brief discussion of the taxonomy of M. taylori is presented.
Pressure–Slope Momentum Transfer in Ocean Surface Boundary Layers Coupled with Gravity Waves
Authors: Mellor George
Published: July 2013

The paper focuses on the consequences of including surface and subsurface, wind-forced pressure–slope momentum transfer into the oceanic water column, a transfer process that competes with now-conventional turbulence transfer based on mixing coefficients. Horizontal homogeneity is stipulated as is customary when introducing a new surface boundary layer model or significantly new vertical momentum transfer physics to an existing model. An introduction to pressure–slope momentum transfer is first provided by a phase-resolved, vertically dependent analytical model that excludes turbulence transfer. There follows a discussion of phase averaging; an appendix is an important adjunct to the discussion. Finally, a coupled wave–circulation model, which includes pressure–slope and turbulence momentum transfer, is presented and numerically executed. The calculated temperatures compare well with measurements from ocean weather station Papa.
Energy efficiency in high-performance computing with and without knowledge of applications and services
Authors: Diouri Mohammed EM , Chetsa Ghislain L. Tsafack , Glück Olivier , Lefèvre Laurent , Pierson Jean-Marc , Stolf Patricia , Da Costa Georges
Published: July 2013

The constant demand of raw performance in high-performance computing (HPC) often leads to over-provisioning in high-performance systems which in turn can result in a colossal energy waste due to workload/application variation over time. Proposing energy efficient solutions in the context of large-scale HPC is a real, unavoidable challenge. This article explores two alternative approaches (with or without knowledge of applications and services) dealing with the same goal: reducing the energy usage of large-scale infrastructures which support HPC applications. This article describes the first approach, with knowledge of applications and services, which enables users to choose the less consuming implementation of services. Based on the energy consumption estimation of the different implementations (protocols) for each service, this approach is validated on the case of fault tolerance service in HPC. The ‘without knowledge’ approach allows some intelligent framework to observe the life of HPC systems and proposes some energy reduction schemes. This framework automatically estimates the energy consumption of the HPC system in order to apply power saving schemes. Both approaches are experimentally evaluated and analysed in terms of energy efficiency.
Narrative analysis as a feminist method: The case of genetic ancestry tests
Authors: Oikkonen Venla
Published: July 2013

This article contributes to discussions of methodology in gender studies by examining narrative analysis as a feminist method. Using direct-to-consumer genetic ancestry services as a case study, the author discusses the potential of narrative analysis in interrogating complex cultural phenomena. The analysis focuses on the commercial website of the UK-based genetics company Oxford Ancestors, which the author situates at the intersection of the cultural narratives of commercialization, scientific advance and personal quest. By interrogating the mutual embeddedness of these narratives, the author demonstrates how narrative analysis moves across structure and context capturing the processes through which facts about gender come into being. The author suggests that this focus on the tension between the abstract and the specific in cultural phenomena is what makes narrative analysis a particularly effective tool for feminist cultural analysis.
Story Tracker: Incremental visual text analytics of news story development
Authors: Krstajić Miloš , Najm-Araghi Mohammad , Mansmann Florian , Keim Daniel A
Published: July 2013

Online news sources produce thousands of news articles every day, reporting on local and global real-world events. New information quickly replaces the old, making it difficult for readers to put current events in the context of the past. The stories about these events have complex relationships and characteristics that are difficult to model: they can be weakly or strongly related or they can merge or split over time. In this article, we present a visual analytics system for temporal analysis of news stories in dynamic information streams, which combines interactive visualization and text mining techniques to facilitate the analysis of similar topics that split and merge over time. Text clustering algorithms extract stories from online news streams in consecutive time windows and identify similar stories from the past. The stories are displayed in a visualization, which (1) sorts the stories by minimizing clutter and overlap from edge crossings, (2) shows their temporal characteristics in different time frames with different levels of detail, and (3) allows incremental updates of the display without recalculating the past data. Stories can be interactively filtered by their duration and connectivity in order to be explored in full detail. To demonstrate the system’s capabilities for detailed dynamic text stream exploration, we present a use case with real news data about the Arabic Uprising in 2011.
Irrigation and Agrarian Change in India: Two Village Studies of Differentiation Without De-peasantization
Authors: Vaddiraju Anil Kumar
Published: July 2013

This article is based on two village studies and a primary survey conducted in the irrigated part of South Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, India. It shows that, in the period 1960–96, canal irrigation and the rapid commercialisation of agriculture reinforced the dominant castes/classes, but also that the small and middle peasantry survived. State intervention strengthened the dominant landowners, particularly through irrigation, which increased the value of land, as well as through subsidies for tractors and mechanisation. These interventions increased caste/class inequalities, but did not lead to the disappearance of the peasantry. The article points to the consequences of irrigation for agrarian change and concludes that irrigation without meaningful land reform can only strengthen the pre-existing inequalities, in terms of both caste and class.
A note on ‘Modified proof of Caristi’s fixed point theorem on partial metric spaces, Journal of Inequalities and Applications 2013, 2013:210’
Authors: Aydi Hassen , Karapınar Erdal , Kumam Poom
Published: July 2013

In this note, we emphasize that the proofs and statements of the main results of the paper ‘Modified proof of Caristi’s fixed point theorem on partial metric spaces’ (Journal of Inequalities and Applications 2013, 2013:210) do not have any utility to use the partial metric. Hence, it has no contribution to either partial metric theory or Caristi-type fixed point problems.

MSC:47H10, 54H25.
A new approach for prediction of tumor sensitivity to targeted drugs based on functional data
Authors: Berlow Noah , Davis Lara E , Cantor Emma L , Séguin Bernard , Keller Charles , Pal Ranadip
Published: July 2013

Background

The success of targeted anti-cancer drugs are frequently hindered by the lack of knowledge of the individual pathway of the patient and the extreme data requirements on the estimation of the personalized genetic network of the patient’s tumor. The prediction of tumor sensitivity to targeted drugs remains a major challenge in the design of optimal therapeutic strategies. The current sensitivity prediction approaches are primarily based on genetic characterizations of the tumor sample. We propose a novel sensitivity prediction approach based on functional perturbation data that incorporates the drug protein interaction information and sensitivities to a training set of drugs with known targets.

Results

We illustrate the high prediction accuracy of our framework on synthetic data generated from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and an experimental dataset of four canine osteosarcoma tumor cultures following application of 60 targeted small-molecule drugs. We achieve a low leave one out cross validation error of <10% for the canine osteosarcoma tumor cultures using a drug screen consisting of 60 targeted drugs.

Conclusions

The proposed framework provides a unique input-output based methodology to model a cancer pathway and predict the effectiveness of targeted anti-cancer drugs. This framework can be developed as a viable approach for personalized cancer therapy.
Transcriptome profiling of peanut gynophores revealed global reprogramming of gene expression during early pod development in darkness
Authors: Xia Han , Zhao Chuanzhi , Hou Lei , Li Aiqin , Zhao Shuzhen , Bi Yuping , An Jing , Zhao Yanxiu , Wan Shubo , Wang Xingjun
Published: July 2013

Background

After the zygote divides few times, the development of peanut pre-globular embryo and fruit is arrested under white or red light. Embryo development could be resumed in dark condition after gynophore is buried in soil. It is interesting to study the mechanisms of gynophore development and pod formation in peanut.

Results

In this study, transcriptome analysis of peanut gynophore was performed using Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 to understand the mechanisms of geocarpy. More than 13 million short sequences were assembled into 72527 unigenes with average size of 394 bp. A large number of genes that were not identified previously in peanut EST projects were identified in this study, including most genes involved in plant circadian rhythm, intra-cellular transportation, plant spliceosome, eukaryotes basal transcription factors, genes encoding ribosomal proteins, brassinosteriod biosynthesis, light-harvesting chlorophyll protein complex, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and TCA cycle. RNA-seq based gene expression profiling results showed that before and after gynophore soil penetration, the transcriptional level of a large number of genes changed significantly. Genes encoding key enzymes for hormone metabolism, signaling, photosynthesis, light signaling, cell division and growth, carbon and nitrogen metabolism as well as genes involved in stress responses were high lighted.

Conclusions

Transcriptome analysis of peanut gynophore generated a large number of unigenes which provide useful information for gene cloning and expression study. Digital gene expression study suggested that gynophores experience global changes and reprogram from light to dark grown condition to resume embryo and fruit development.
Chronic treatment with agomelatine or venlafaxine reduces depolarization-evoked glutamate release from hippocampal synaptosomes
Authors: Milanese Marco , Tardito Daniela , Musazzi Laura , Treccani Giulia , Mallei Alessandra , Bonifacino Tiziana , Gabriel Cecilia , Mocaer Elisabeth , Racagni Giorgio , Popoli Maurizio , Bonanno Giambattista
Published: July 2013

Background

Growing compelling evidence from clinical and preclinical studies has demonstrated the primary role of alterations of glutamatergic transmission in cortical and limbic areas in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Chronic antidepressants have been shown to dampen endogenous glutamate release from rat hippocampal synaptic terminals and to prevent the marked increase of glutamate overflow induced by acute behavioral stress in frontal/prefrontal cortex. Agomelatine, a new antidepressant endowed with MT1/MT2 agonist and 5-HT2C serotonergic antagonist properties, has shown efficacy at both preclinical and clinical levels.

Results

Chronic treatment with agomelatine, or with the reference drug venlafaxine, induced a marked decrease of depolarization-evoked endogenous glutamate release from purified hippocampal synaptic terminals in superfusion. No changes were observed in GABA release. This effect was accompanied by reduced accumulation of SNARE protein complexes, the key molecular effector of vesicle docking, priming and fusion at presynaptic membranes.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that the novel antidepressant agomelatine share with other classes of antidepressants the ability to modulate glutamatergic transmission in hippocampus. Its action seems to be mediated by molecular mechanisms located on the presynaptic membrane and related with the size of the vesicle pool ready for release.
Purple Acid Phosphatase5 is required for maintaining basal resistance against Pseudomonas syringaein Arabidopsis
Authors: Ravichandran Sridhar , Stone Sophia L , Benkel Bernhard , Prithiviraj Balakrishnan
Published: July 2013

Background

Plants have evolved an array of constitutive and inducible defense strategies to restrict pathogen ingress. However, some pathogens still manage to invade plants and impair growth and productivity. Previous studies have revealed several key regulators of defense responses, and efforts have been made to use this information to develop disease resistant crop plants. These efforts are often hampered by the complexity of defense signaling pathways. To further elucidate the complexity of defense responses, we screened a population of T-DNA mutants in Colombia-0 background that displayed altered defense responses to virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000).

Results

In this study, we demonstrated that the Arabidopsis Purple Acid Phosphatse5 (PAP5) gene, induced under prolonged phosphate (Pi) starvation, is required for maintaining basal resistance to certain pathogens. The expression of PAP5 was distinctly induced only under prolonged Pi starvation and during the early stage of Pst DC3000 infection (6 h.p.i). T-DNA tagged mutant pap5 displayed enhanced susceptibility to the virulent bacterial pathogen Pst DC3000. The pap5 mutation greatly reduced the expression of pathogen inducible gene PR1 compared to wild-type plants. Similarly, other defense related genes including ICS1 and PDF1.2 were impaired in pap5 plants. Moreover, application of BTH (an analog of SA) restored PR1 expression in pap5 plants.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results demonstrate the requirement of PAP5 for maintaining basal resistance against Pst DC3000. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that PAP5 acts upstream of SA accumulation to regulate the expression of other defense responsive genes. We also provide the first experimental evidence indicating the role PAP5 in plant defense responses.
Safe temperature range for intraoperative and early postoperative continuous hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion in a swine model of experimental distal gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction
Authors: Li Sheng , Zhang Yong-lei , Sun Jia-yuan , Hua Ya-wei , Wu Pei-hong
Published: July 2013

Background

The current study sought to investigate the safety of intraoperative and early postoperative continuous hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion (IEPCHIP) at different temperatures in a swine model of experimental distal gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction.

Methods

Thirty pigs were randomly divided into 5 groups. Two groups were used as the control groups (groups A1 and A2), and 3 groups were used as the perfusion groups (groups B, C and D). Pigs in group A1 received distal gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction only. Pigs in groups A2, B, C and D received the same surgery as group A1, followed by IEPCHIP at 37 ± 0.5°C, 42.5 ± 0.5°C, 43.5 ± 0.5°C or 44.5 ± 0.5°C, respectively. The perfusion time was assessed for each pig in group A2 as well as in the perfusion groups, and the perfusions were performed twice for each group. The first perfusion was conducted intraoperatively, and the second perfusion was initiated 1 day after surgery. Data concerning vital signs and hepatic and renal function were collected. Parameters concerning anastomotic healing, the pathology of the anastomotic tissue and abdominal adhesion were compared.

Results

The vital signs and hepatic and renal functions of the pigs in groups A1, A2, B and C were not significantly affected by this procedure. In contrast, the vital signs and hepatic and renal functions of the pigs in group D were significantly affected. Compared to the pigs in groups A1, A2 or B, the anastomotic bursting pressure, breaking strength and hydroxyproline content in group C and D pigs were significantly lower. No significant differences were observed in these parameters between groups A1, A2 and B. Abdominal adhesion was more severe in group D pigs. Collagen deposition in group A1, A2 and B pigs was dense in the anastomosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in group D.

Conclusions

IEPCHIP at 42.5 ± 0.5°C was safe and caused minimal impairments. However, anastomotic healing was affected by perfusion at 43.5 ± 0.5°C and 44.5 ± 0.5°C, and abdominal adhesion was most severe in the group D animals, which were perfused at 44.5 ± 0.5°C.
Fixed points and strict fixed points for multivalued contractions of Reich type on metric spaces endowed with a graph
Authors: Chifu Cristian , Petruşel Gabriela , Bota Monica-Felicia
Published: July 2013

The purpose of this paper is to present some strict fixed point theorems for multivalued operators satisfying a Reich-type condition on a metric space endowed with a graph. The well-posedness of the fixed point problem is also studied.

MSC:47H10, 54H25.
Design and FPGA implementation of a wireless hyperchaotic communication system for secure real-time image transmission
Authors: Sadoudi Said , Tanougast Camel , Azzaz Mohamed Salah , Dandache Abbas
Published: July 2013

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate experimentally a new wireless digital encryption hyperchaotic communication system based on radio frequency (RF) communication protocols for secure real-time data or image transmission. A reconfigurable hardware architecture is developed to ensure the interconnection between two field programmable gate array development platforms through XBee RF modules. To ensure the synchronization and encryption of data between the transmitter and the receiver, a feedback masking hyperchaotic synchronization technique based on a dynamic feedback modulation has been implemented to digitally synchronize the encrypter hyperchaotic systems. The obtained experimental results show the relevance of the idea of combining XBee (Zigbee or Wireless Fidelity) protocol, known for its high noise immunity, to secure hyperchaotic communications. In fact, we have recovered the information data or image correctly after real-time encrypted data or image transmission tests at a maximum distance (indoor range) of more than 30 m and with maximum digital modulation rate of 625,000 baud allowing a wireless encrypted video transmission rate of 25 images per second with a spatial resolution of 128 × 128 pixels. The obtained performance of the communication system is suitable for secure data or image transmissions in wireless sensor networks.
Involvement of glial P2Y1 receptors in cognitive deficit after focal cerebral stroke in a rodent model
Authors: Chin Yo , Kishi Mayo , Sekino Masaki , Nakajo Fukiko , Abe Yoshifumi , Terazono Yasushi , Hiroyuki Ohsaki , Kato Fusao , Koizumi Schuichi , Gachet Christian , Hisatsune Tatsuhiro
Published: July 2013

Background

Neuroinflammation is associated with many conditions that lead to dementia, such as cerebrovascular disorders or Alzheimer’s disease. However, the specific role of neuroinflammation in the progression of cognitive deficits remains unclear. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these events we used a rodent model of focal cerebral stroke, which causes deficits in hippocampus-dependent cognitive function.

Methods

Cerebral stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Hippocampus-dependent cognitive function was evaluated by a contextual fear conditioning test. The glial neuroinflammatory responses were investigated by immunohistochemical evaluation and diffusion tensor MRI (DTI). We used knockout mice for P2Y1 (P2Y1KO), a glial ADP/ATP receptor that induces the release of proinflammatory cytokines, to examine the links among P2Y1-mediated signaling, the neuroinflammatory response, and cognitive function.

Results

Declines in cognitive function and glial neuroinflammatory response were observed after MCAO in both rats and mice. Changes in the hippocampal tissue were detected by DTI as the mean diffusivity (MD) value, which corresponded with the cognitive decline at 4 days, 1 week, 3 weeks, and 2 months after MCAO. Interestingly, the P2Y1KO mice with MCAO showed a decline in sensory-motor function, but not in cognition. Furthermore, the P2Y1KO mice showed neither a hippocampal glial neuroinflammatory response (as assessed by immunohistochemistry) nor a change in hippocampal MD value after MCAO. In addition, wild-type mice treated with a P2Y1-specific antagonist immediately after reperfusion did not show cognitive decline.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that glial P2Y1 receptors are involved in the hippocampal inflammatory response. The findings from this study may contribute to the development of a therapeutic strategy for brain infarction, targeting the P2Y1 receptor.
Summarizing cellular responses as biological process networks
Authors: Lasher Christopher D , Rajagopalan Padmavathy , Murali T M
Published: July 2013

Background

Microarray experiments can simultaneously identify thousands of genes that show significant perturbation in expression between two experimental conditions. Response networks, computed through the integration of gene interaction networks with expression perturbation data, may themselves contain tens of thousands of interactions. Gene set enrichment has become standard for summarizing the results of these analyses in terms functionally coherent collections of genes such as biological processes. However, even these methods can yield hundreds of enriched functions that may overlap considerably.

Results

We describe a new technique called Markov chain Monte Carlo Biological Process Networks (MCMC-BPN) capable of reporting a highly non-redundant set of links between processes that describe the molecular interactions that are perturbed under a specific biological context. Each link in the BPN represents the perturbed interactions that serve as the interfaces between the two processes connected by the link.

We apply MCMC-BPN to publicly available liver-related datasets to demonstrate that the networks formed by the most probable inter-process links reported by MCMC-BPN show high relevance to each biological condition. We show that MCMC-BPN’s ability to discern the few key links from in a very large solution space by comparing results from two other methods for detecting inter-process links.

Conclusions

MCMC-BPN is successful in using few inter-process links to explain as many of the perturbed gene-gene interactions as possible. Thereby, BPNs summarize the important biological trends within a response network by reporting a digestible number of inter-process links that can be explored in greater detail.
Probiotics and food allergy
Authors: Castellazzi Anna Maria , Valsecchi Chiara , Caimmi Silvia , Licari Amelia , Marseglia Alessia , Leoni Maria Chiara , Caimmi Davide , Miraglia del Giudice Michele , Leonardi Salvatore , La Rosa Mario , Marseglia Gian Luigi
Published: July 2013

The exact prevalence of food allergy in the general population is unknown, but almost 12% of pediatric population refers a suspicion of food allergy. IgE mediated reactions to food are actually the best-characterized types of allergy, and they might be particularly harmful especially in children. According to the “hygiene hypothesis” low or no exposure to exogenous antigens in early life may increase the risk of allergic diseases by both delaying the development of the immune tolerance and limiting the Th2/Th1 switch. The critical role of intestinal microbiota in the development of immune tolerance improved recently the interest on probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acid, folate and vitamins, which seem to have positive effects on the immune functions.

Probiotics consist in bacteria or yeast, able to re-colonize and restore microflora symbiosis in intestinal tract. One of the most important characteristics of probiotics is their safety for human health. Thanks to their ability to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells and to modulate and stabilize the composition of gut microflora, probiotics bacteria may play an important role in the regulation of intestinal and systemic immunity. They actually seem capable of restoring the intestinal microbic equilibrium and modulating the activation of immune cells.

Several studies have been recently conducted on the role of probiotics in preventing and/or treating allergic disorders, but the results are often quite contradictory, probably because of the heterogeneity of strains, the duration of therapy and the doses administered to patients. Therefore, new studies are needed in order to clarify the functions and the utility of probiotics in food allergies and ion other types of allergic disorders.
Development and testing of gold nanoparticles for drug delivery and treatment of heart failure: a theranostic potential for PPP cardiology
Authors: Spivak Mykola Ya , Bubnov Rostyslav V , Yemets Ilya M , Lazarenko Liudmyla M , Tymoshok Natalia O , Ulberg Zoia R
Published: July 2013

Introduction

Nanoscale gold particles (AuNPs) have wide perspectives for biomedical applications because of their unique biological properties, as antioxidative activity and potentials for drug delivery.

Aims and objectives

The aim was to test effects of AuNPs using suggested heart failure rat model to compare with proved medication Simdax, to test gold nanoparticle for drug delivery, and to test sonoporation effect to increase nanoparticles delivery into myocardial cells.

Material and methods

We performed biosafety and biocompatibility tests for AuNPs and conjugate with Simdax. Forin vivotests, we included Wistar rats weighing 180–200 g (n= 54), received doxorubicin in cumulative dose of 12.0 mg/kg to model advance heart failure, registered by ultrasonography. We formed six groups: the first three groups of animals received, respectively, 0.06 ml Simdax, AuNPs, and conjugate (AuNPs-Simdax), intrapleurally, and the second three received them intravenously. The seventh group was control (saline). We performed dynamic assessment of heart failure regressionin vivomeasuring hydrothorax. Sonoporation of gold nanoparticles to cardiomyocytes was tested.

Results

We designed and constructed colloidal, spherical gold nanoparticles, AuNPs-Simdax conjugate, both founded biosafety (in cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and immunoreactivity). In all animals of the six groups after the third day post-medication injection, no ascites and liver enlargement were registered (P< 0.001 vs controls). Conjugate injection showed significantly higher hydrothorax reduction than Simdax injection only (P< 0.01); gold nanoparticle injection showed significantly higher results than Simdax injection (P< 0.05). AuNPs and conjugate showed no significant difference for rat recovery. Difference in rat life continuity was significant between Simdax vs AuNPs (P< 0.05) and Simdax vs conjugate (P< 0.05). Sonoporation enhances AuNP transfer into the cell and mitochondria that were highly localized, superior to controls (P< 0.01 for both).

Conclusions

Gold nanoparticles of 30 nm and its AuNPs-Simdax conjugate gave positive results in biosafety and biocompatibilityin vitroandin vivo. AuNPs-Simdax and AuNPs have similar significant cardioprotective effects in rats with doxorubicin-induced heart failure, higher than that of Simdax. Intrapleural (local) delivery is preferred over intravenous (systemic) delivery according to all tested parameters. Sonoporation is able to enhance gold nanoparticle delivery to myocardial cellsin vivo.
Research gaps for three main tropical diseases in the People’s Republic of China
Authors: Zheng Qi , Vanderslott Samantha , Jiang Bin , Xu Li-Li , Liu Cong-Shan , Huo Le-Le , Duan Li-Ping , Wu Ning-Bo , Li Shi-Zhu , Xia Zhi-Gui , Wu Wei-Ping , Hu Wei , Zhang Hao-Bing
Published: July 2013

This scoping review analyzes the research gaps of three diseases: schistosomiasis japonica, malaria and echinococcosis. Based on available data in the P.R. China, we highlight the gaps between control capacity and prevalence levels, and between diagnostic/drug development and population need for treatment at different stages of the national control programme. After reviewing the literature from 848 original studies and consultations with experts in the field, the gaps were identified as follows. Firstly, the malaria research gaps include (i) deficiency of active testing in the public community and no appropriate technique to evaluate elimination, (ii) lack of sensitive diagnostic tools for asymptomatic patients, (iii) lack of safe drugs for mass administration. Secondly, gaps in research of schistosomiasis include (i) incongruent policy in the implementation of integrated control strategy for schistosomiasis, (ii) lack of effective tools for Oncomelania sp. snail control, (iii) lack of a more sensitive and cheaper diagnostic test for large population samples, (iv) lack of new drugs in addition to praziquantel. Thirdly, gaps in research of echinococcosis include (i) low capacity in field epidemiology studies, (ii) lack of sanitation improvement studies in epidemic areas, (iii) lack of a sensitivity test for early diagnosis, (iv) lack of more effective drugs for short-term treatment. We believe these three diseases can eventually be eliminated in mainland China if all the research gaps are abridged in a short period of time.
Is there evidence for change to collagen within parchment samples after exposure to an X-ray dose during high contrast X-ray microtomography? a multi technique investigation
Authors: Patten Kate , Gonzalez Lee , Kennedy Craig , Mills David , Davis Graham , Wess Tim
Published: July 2013

The potential use of high contrast X-ray microtomography (XMT) for the reading of fragile historic documents without the need to physically unravel them is a new analytical imaging development in the field of conservation however, it is important to first assess if there is any evidence of change in the parchment structure during scanning by XMT. Modern and historic parchment samples were exposed to X-rays using the high contrast XMT equipment. Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Near-infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were utilised to investigate whether there is any evidence for change to collagen within parchment samples after exposure to XMT. Results show that the inherent differences in the parchment structure due to the material source, production and storage appear to produce larger differences than that due to the exposure to XMT. This indicates that XMT may be a suitable technique for data recovery from parchment samples that cannot be unrolled.
Winsor & Newton original handbooks: a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and Raman spectral database of dyes from modern watercolor pigments
Authors: Pozzi Federica , Lombardi John R , Leona Marco
Published: July 2013

Background

Winsor & Newton Ltd. has been one of the main fine art products providers since its establishment in 1832, being responsible for the manufacture of a wide assortment of materials ranging from oils and pigments to brushes and papers. All the items produced over the years have been indexed in a comprehensive historical archive. Original Winsor & Newton handbooks are a powerful resource which can offer insight into the world of artists’ materials, and knowledge of artists’ choices through the identification of substances employed to obtain particular colors. Scientific analyses of various kinds have been carried out on Winsor & Newton art materials over the years; however, a detailed study of the organic dyes contained in the watercolors manufactured by the company has never been performed thus far to our knowledge.

Results

In the present study, we examined a number of color washes on drawing paper from two historical Winsor & Newton catalogues dating to the 19th and 20th century. An appropriate database was thus built, including surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and Raman spectra of organic colorants from a wide variety of shades. While the selection of colors offered by the company in the 19th century mostly included lakes prepared from plant and insect dyes, i.e. madder and cochineal, some tints based on synthetic dyes were also found in the 20th century handbook.

Conclusions

The present article sheds new light on the chemical composition of a number of original Winsor & Newton color washes in terms of organic colorants contained in each shade. A special attention was dedicated to the analysis of those colors for which the formulation was ambiguous or not specified by the manufacturers, such as dragons’ blood and most of the alizarin-based pigments. In addition, we were able to correct erroneous indications provided by Winsor & Newton on the composition of some tints, as in the case of violet carmine, and study how the formulation of certain pigments has been modified over the centuries.