bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spinal cord injury modulates the lung inflammatory response in mechanically ventilated rats: a comparative animal study
Authors: Truflandier Karine , Beaumont Eric , Maghni Karim , De Marchie Michel , Charbonney Emmanuel , Spahija Jadranka 
Published: December 2016

AbstractMechanical ventilation (MV) is widely used in spinal injury patients to compensate for respiratory muscle failure. MV is known to induce lung inflammation, while spinal cord injury (SCI) is known to contribute to local inflammatory response. Interaction between MV and SCI was evaluated in order to assess the impact it may have on the pulmonary inflammatory profile. Sprague Dawley rats were anesthetized for 24 h and randomized to receive either MV or not. The MV group included C4–C5 SCI, T10 SCI and uninjured animals. The nonventilated (NV) group included T10 SCI and uninjured animals. Inflammatory cytokine profile, inflammation related to the SCI level, and oxidative stress mediators were measured in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The cytokine profile in BAL of MV animals showed increased levels of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6 and a decrease in IL‐10 (P = 0.007) compared to the NV group. SCI did not modify IL‐6 and IL‐10 levels either in the MV or the NV groups, but cervical injury induced a decrease in IL‐1β levels in MV animals. Cervical injury also reduced MV‐induced pulmonary oxidative stress responses by decreasing isoprostane levels while increasing heme oxygenase‐1 level. The thoracic SCI in NV animals increased M‐CSF expression and promoted antioxidant pulmonary responses with low isoprostane and high heme oxygenase‐1 levels. SCI shows a positive impact on MV‐induced pulmonary inflammation, modulating specific lung immune and oxidative stress responses. Inflammation induced by MV and SCI interact closely and may have strong clinical implications since effective treatment of ventilated SCI patients may amplify pulmonary biotrauma.
The impact of exercise intensity on whole body and adipose tissue metabolism during energy restriction in sedentary overweight men and postmenopausal women
Authors: Walhin Jean‐Philippe , Dixon Natalie C. , Betts James A. , Thompson Dylan 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis study aimed to establish whether vigorous‐intensity exercise offers additional adipose‐related health benefits and metabolic improvements compared to energy‐matched moderate‐intensity exercise. Thirty‐eight sedentary overweight men (n = 24) and postmenopausal women (n = 14) aged 52 ± 5 years (mean ± standard deviations [SD]) were prescribed a 3‐week energy deficit (29302 kJ∙week−1) achieved by increased isocaloric moderate or vigorous‐intensity exercise (+8372 kJ∙week−1) and simultaneous restricted energy intake (−20930 kJ∙week−1). Participants were randomly assigned to either an energy‐matched vigorous (VIG; n = 18) or moderate (MOD; n = 20) intensity exercise group (five times per week at 70% or 50% maximal oxygen uptake, respectively). At baseline and follow‐up, fasted blood samples and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were obtained and oral glucose tolerance tests conducted. Body mass was reduced similarly in both groups (∆ 2.4 ± 1.1 kg and ∆ 2.4 ± 1.4 kg, respectively, P < 0.05). Insulinemic responses to a standard glucose load decreased similarly at follow‐up relative to baseline in VIG (∆ 8.6 ± 15.4 nmol.120 min.l−1) and MOD (∆ 5.4 ± 8.5 nmol.120 min.l−1; P < 0.05). Expression of SREBP‐1c and FAS in adipose tissue was significantly down‐regulated, whereas expression of PDK4 and hormone‐sensitive lipase (HSL) was significantly up‐regulated in both groups (P < 0.05). Thus, when energy expenditure and energy deficit are matched, vigorous or moderate‐intensity exercise combined with energy restriction provide broadly similar (positive) changes in metabolic control and adipose tissue gene expression.
Left ventricular endocardial and epicardial strain changes with apical myocardial ischemia in an open‐chest porcine model
Authors: Howard‐Quijano Kimberly , McCabe Melissa , Cheng Alexander , Zhou Wei , Yamakawa Kentaro , Mazor Einat , Scovotti Jennifer C. , Mahajan Aman 
Published: December 2016

AbstractEarly detection of acute myocardial ischemia is critical to prevent permanent myocardial damage. The impact of apical ischemia on global left ventricular (LV) function can be difficult to characterize using traditional volume‐based echocardiography measures. Myocardial strain imaging is a sensitive, quantitative marker of myocardial deformation that can measure ventricular function. Recent advances allow layer‐specific measurement of endo‐ and epicardial strain, enhancing the ability to evaluate myocardial ischemia. This study investigates the effects of apical ischemia on LV function using epi‐ and endocardial strain. We hypothesize that myocardial strain will identify changes in regional and global myocardial function associated with focal apical ischemia as compared to ejection fraction (EF), and that longitudinal strain will be a better indicator of myocardial dysfunction compared to circumferential or radial strain. In a porcine model (n = 9), acute ischemia was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Echocardiograms were performed at baseline, during 15‐min ischemia, and after reperfusion. Global longitudinal strain decreased with acute focal ischemia of the left ventricular apical region (baseline: −16.4% vs. ischemia: −12.2%; P = 0.010), with no change observed in global circumferential and radial strain or EF. Both endocardial and epicardial longitudinal strain decreased by 68% (P < 0.001) in the ischemic and peri‐ischemic zone, while circumferential and radial strain only decreased in endocardium of the ischemic zone. Longitudinal strain was more sensitive to ischemia, being able to detect changes in global LV function and thus may confer clinical diagnostic advantage in the evaluation of acute LV apical ischemia.
High‐ and low‐conductance NMDA receptors are present in layer 4 spiny stellate and layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of mouse barrel cortex
Authors: Scheppach Christian 
Published: December 2016

AbstractN‐Methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors are ion channels activated by the neurotransmitter glutamate in the mammalian brain and are important in synaptic function and plasticity, but are also found in extrasynaptic locations and influence neuronal excitability. There are different NMDA receptor subtypes which differ in their single‐channel conductance. Recently, synaptic plasticity has been studied in the mouse barrel cortex, the primary sensory cortex for input from the animal's whiskers. Pharmacological data imply the presence of low‐conductance NMDA receptors in spiny stellate neurons of cortical layer 4, but of high‐conductance NMDA receptors in pyramidal neurons of layer 2/3. Here, to obtain complementary electrophysiological information on the functional NMDA receptors expressed in layer 4 and layer 2/3 neurons, single NMDA receptor currents were recorded with the patch‐clamp method. Both cell types were found to contain high‐conductance as well as low‐conductance NMDA receptors. The results are consistent with the reported pharmacological data on synaptic plasticity, and with previous claims of a prominent role of low‐conductance NMDA receptors in layer 4 spiny stellate neurons, including broad integration, amplification and distribution of excitation within the barrel in response to whisker stimulation, as well as modulation of excitability by ambient glutamate. However, layer 4 cells also expressed high‐conductance NMDA receptors. The presence of low‐conductance NMDA receptors in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons suggests that some of these functions may be shared with layer 4 spiny stellate neurons.
From supine to standing: in vivo segregation of myogenic and baroreceptor vasoconstriction in humans
Authors: Estañol Bruno , Rivera Ana Leonor , Martínez Memije Raúl , Fossion Ruben , Gómez Fermín , Bernal Katherine , Murúa Beltrán Sofía , Delgado‐García Guillermo , Frank Alejandro 
Published: December 2016

AbstractMyogenic vascular response is a form of systemic and regional vasoconstriction produced increasing the intra‐arterial pressure by gravity. Here, the vasoconstriction due to the myogenic response, induced by the gravitational action in a dependent limb, is separated from that caused by the baroreceptor reflex. Regional changes of skin blood flow (SBF), total blood volume of the finger (TBVF), pulse pressure (PP), heart rate (HR), systolic, and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were analyzed in 10 healthy young subjects in supine and upright positions. By lowering the arm in supine position,SBFdecreased compared to its basal measurement,PRincreased, andPPcontracted, indicating arterial vasoconstriction that riseBP.TBVFincreased, demonstrating an increment in venous volume.HRdid not change, reflecting no action of the baroreceptor reflex. In upright position with lowered arm, there was an additional increase inBPvariables, demonstrating vasoconstriction. Moreover,BPandHRshowed oscillations at 0.1 Hz reflecting the entrance of the baroreceptor reflex. The action of gravity in a dependent limb in supine position induces a regional vasoconstriction and an increase ofBPdue to activation of the myogenic response, while the baroreceptor reflex or other neural factors do not appear to operate. In the upright position with the arm dependent, there is a further increase in regional vasoconstriction andBPwith reciprocal changes inHR, indicating the entrance of the baroreceptor superimposed to the myogenic response. This study demonstrates that the myogenic and baroreceptor vasoconstriction can be separated in vivo.
Free radical scavenging decreases endothelin‐1 excretion and glomerular albumin permeability during type 1 diabetes
Authors: Saleh Mohamed A. , De Miguel Carmen , Stevens David I. , Carmines Pamela K. , Pollock David M. , Pollock Jennifer S. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractIncreased renal endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) production and an ETA receptor‐dependent increase in glomerular albumin permeability (Palb) accompany type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). We hypothesized that T1D‐induced oxidative stress contributes to renal ET‐1 production and glomerular Palb. Male rats with streptozotocin‐induced T1D were provided free access to drinking water without additives (T1D rats) or containing the free radical scavenger tempol (1 mmol/L; T1D+Tempol). After 3 weeks, T1D+Tempol rats displayed lower urinary excretion of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and glomerular superoxide production (dihydroethidium staining) compared to T1D rats. Urinary ET‐1 excretion and inner medullary (but not cortical or outer medullary) prepro‐ET‐1 mRNA expression were lower in the T1D+Tempol group than in the T1D group. Palb, measured as the change in volume of isolated glomeruli upon exposure to oncotic gradients of albumin, was significantly lower in the T1D+Tempol group than in the T1D group. Tempol treatment did not alter protein excretion or creatinine clearance. These data support the postulate that oxidative stress contributes to glomerular Palb and renal ET‐1 production during the early phase of type 1 diabetes.
Role of BAFF in pulmonary autoantibody responses induced by chronic cigarette smoke exposure in mice
Authors: Morissette Mathieu C. , Gao Yang , Shen Pamela , Thayaparan Danya , Bérubé Jean‐Christophe , Paré Peter D. , Brandsma Corry‐Anke , Hao Ke , Bossé Yohan , Ettinger Rachel , Herbst Ronald , Humbles Alison A. , Kolbeck Roland , Zhong Nanshan , Chen Rongchang , Stämpfli Martin R. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractEmerging evidence suggests that autoimmune processes are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, we assessed the expression of B‐cell activating factor (BAFF) in smokers, and investigated the functional importance of BAFF in the induction and maintenance of cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs) using a preclinical mouse model. We observed that BAFF levels were elevated in smokers and mice exposed to cigarette smoke. In mice, BAFF expression was rapidly induced in the lungs following 4 days of cigarette smoke exposure and remained elevated following 8 and 24 weeks of exposure. Alveolar macrophages were the major source of BAFF. Blockade of BAFF using a BAFF receptor‐Fc (BAFFR‐Fc) construct prevented pulmonary ANA and TLT formation when delivered concurrent with cigarette smoke exposure. Under these conditions, no impact on lung inflammation was observed. However, administration of BAFFR‐Fc following smoking cessation markedly reduced the number of TLTs and ANA levels and, of note, reduced pulmonary neutrophilia. Altogether, this study shows for the first time a central role of BAFF in the induction and maintenance of cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary ANA and suggests that BAFF blockade following smoking cessation could have beneficial effects on persistent inflammatory processes.In this study, we assessed the expression of B‐cell activating factor (BAFF) in smokers, and investigated the functional importance of BAFF in the induction and maintenance of cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs) using a preclinical mouse model. Data presented show that BAFF plays a central role in the induction and maintenance of cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary ANA and suggest a therapeutic potential for BAFF blockade in limiting autoimmune processes associated with smoking.
The effect of polyphenols on cytokine and granulocyte response to resistance exercise
Authors: Jajtner Adam R. , Hoffman Jay R. , Townsend Jeremy R. , Beyer Kyle S. , Varanoske Alyssa N. , Church David D. , Oliveira Leonardo P. , Herrlinger Kelli A. , Radom‐Aizik Shlomit , Fukuda David H. , Stout Jeffrey R. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis study examined the effect of resistance exercise on the production, recruitment, percentage, and adhesion characteristics of granulocytes with and without polyphenol (PPB) supplementation. Thirty‐eight untrained men were randomized into three groups: PPB (n = 13, 21.8 ± 2.5 years, 171.2 ± 5.5 cm, 71.2 ± 8.2 kg), placebo (PL; n = 15, 21.6 ± 2.5 years, 176.5 ± 4.9 cm, 84.0 ± 15.7 kg), or control (CON; n = 10, 23.3 ± 4.3 years, 173.7 ± 12.6 cm, 77.3 ± 16.3 kg). Blood samples were obtained pre (PRE), immediately (IP), 1 h (1H), 5 h (5H), 24 h (24H), 48 h (48H), and 96 h (96H) postresistance exercise (PPB/PL) or rest (CON). Fine‐needle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis at PRE, 1H, 5H, and 48H. Plasma concentrations and intramuscular content of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), granulocyte (G‐CSF), and granulocyte–macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) were analyzed via multiplex assays. Changes in relative number of circulating granulocytes and adhesion receptor (CD11b) were assessed using flow cytometry. Intramuscular IL‐8 was significantly elevated at 1H, 5H, and 48H (P < 0.001). Area under the curve analysis indicated a greater intramuscular IL‐8 content in PL than PPB (P = 0.011). Across groups, circulating G‐CSF was elevated from PRE at IP (P < 0.001), 1H (P = 0.011), and 5H (P = 0.025), while GM‐CSF was elevated at IP (P < 0.001) and 1H (P = 0.007). Relative number of granulocytes was elevated at 1H (P < 0.001), 5H (P < 0.001), and 24H (P = 0.005, P = 0.006) in PPB and PL, respectively. Across groups, granulocyte CD11b expression was upregulated from PRE to IP (P < 0.001) and 1H (P = 0.015). Results indicated an increase in circulating CD11b on granulocytes, and IL‐8 within the muscle following intense resistance exercise. Polyphenol supplementation may attenuate the IL‐8 response, however, did not affect granulocyte percentage and adhesion molecule expression in peripheral blood following resistance exercise.
Cryptosporidium parvum infection attenuates the ex vivo propagation of murine intestinal enteroids
Authors: Zhang Xin‐Tian , Gong Ai‐Yu , Wang Yang , Chen Xiqiang , Lim Sheng‐Yau S. , Dolata Courtney E. , Chen Xian‐Ming 
Published: December 2016

AbstractCryptosporidium, a ubiquitous coccidian protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other mucosal surfaces, is an important opportunistic pathogen for immunocompromised individuals and a common cause of diarrhea in young children in the developing countries. One of the pathological hallmarks of intestinal cryptosporidiosis is villous atrophy, which results in a shorter height of intestinal villi. Here, we investigated the effects of Cryptosporidium infection on intestinal epithelial growth, using an ex vivo model of intestinal cryptosporidiosis employing enteroids from mice. We detected infection of enteroids isolated from immunocompetent adult and neonatal mice after ex vivo exposure to Cryptosporidium sporozoites. We observed a significant inhibition of enteroid propagation following infection. Intriguingly, we identified a decreased expression level of intestinal stem cell markers in enteroids following C. parvum infection. We further measured the expression levels of several Wnt antagonists or agonists in infected enteroids, as induction of the Wnt/β‐catenin activation is a key factor for intestinal stem cell function. We detected a markedly increased level of the Dickkopf‐related protein 1 and decreased level of the Wnt family member 5a in enteroids after infection. The low density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 5, one of the Wnt co‐receptors, is downregulated in the infected enteroids. In addition, increased apoptotic cell death and cell senescence were observed in the infected enteroids. Our results demonstrate a significant inhibitory effect of Cryptosporidium infection on the ex vivo propagation of enteroids from mice, providing additional insights into the impact of Cryptosporidium infection on intestinal epithelial growth.
Nrf2 deficiency does not affect denervation‐induced alterations in mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins in skeletal muscle
Authors: Kitaoka Yu , Takeda Kohei , Tamura Yuki , Fujimaki Shin , Takemasa Tohru , Hatta Hideo 
Published: December 2016

AbstractOxidative stress‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with age‐related and disuse‐induced skeletal muscle atrophy. However, the role of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) during muscle fiber atrophy remains to be elucidated. In this study, we examined whether deficiency of Nrf2, a master regulator of antioxidant transcription, promotes denervation‐induced mitochondrial fragmentation and muscle atrophy. We found that the expression of Nrf2 and its target antioxidant genes was upregulated at 2 weeks after denervation in wild‐type (WT) mice. The response of these antioxidant genes was attenuated in Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice. Nrf2 KO mice exhibited elevated levels of 4‐hydroxynonenal in the skeletal muscle, whereas the protein levels of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complex IV was declined in the denervated muscle of these mice. Increased in mitochondrial fission regulatory proteins and decreased fusion proteins in response to denervation were observed in both WT and KO mice; however, no difference was observed between the two groups. These findings suggest that Nrf2 deficiency aggravates denervation‐induced oxidative stress, but does not affect the alterations in mitochondrial morphology proteins and the loss of skeletal muscle mass.
Monitoring the Resistance of the Military Aircraft’s Fuselage
Authors: Gębura Andrzej , Mach-Cygankiewicz Aurelia 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
The article includes the description of the measurements of the military aircraft’s fuselage resistance, conducted for the purpose of identifying corroded spots in the fuselage’s mechanical connections’ structure. Considerations regarding the errors in measuring the single connections of the airframe’s mechanical element pairs and the entire structure of such connections in an actual aircraft are also presented. The paper includes the proposal of the superposition method for locating the mechanical connection pairs with improved electrical resistance. Simultaneously, for the purpose of forecasting the time of exploitation of the selected (most endangered) fuselage mechanical connections pairs, the article proposes conducting (in laboratory conditions) of the accelerated ageing process and converting the results to real-time using the Arrhenius method.
On a Linear Cryptanalysis of a Family of Modified DES Ciphers with Even Weight S-Boxes
Authors: Borissov Yuri , Boyvalenkov Peter , Tsenkov Robert 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWe investigate the effect of inserting extra linearity in the Data Encryption Standard (DES) through appropriate nonsingular linear encodings of the output of the individual S-boxes. More specifically, we examine the general situation when the output of each S-box of the DESis precoded separately intoaproperly constructed copy of the inherent even-weight code of length 4. The study is focused on finding multi-round linear characteristics for thus modified DESciphers having maximal effectiveness. Depending on the particular encodings, it turns out that the effectiveness of interest may be larger but in most cases is smaller than that one for the original DESwith the same number of rounds. The latter means that the complexity of successful linear cryptanalysis against these ciphers will mainly increase comparing to the DESitself. The present research extends inanatural way our previous work[Linear Cryptanalysis and Modified DESwith Parity Check in the S-boxes, LNCS 9540 (2016), pp. 60-78].
Learning a Class-Specific Dictionary for Facial Expression Recognition
Authors: Zhang Shiqing , Zhang Gang , Cui Yueli , Zhao Xiaoming 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
Sparse coding is currently an active topic in signal processing and pattern recognition. Meta Face Learning (MFL) isatypical sparse coding method and exhibits promising performance for classification. Unfortunately, due to using the l1-norm minimization, MFLis expensive to compute and is not robust enough. To address these issues, this paper proposesafaster and more robust version of MFLwith the l2-norm regularization constraint on coding coefficients. The proposed method is used to learnaclass-specific dictionary for facial expression recognition. Extensive experiments on two popular facial expression databases, i.e., the JAFFEdatabase and the Cohn-Kanade database, demonstrate that our method shows promising computational efficiency and robustness on facial expression recognition tasks.
Development of Control Strategies and Implementation to Electrical Water Heaters for Energy Conservation
Authors: Feyzioglu Ahmet , Kar A. Kerim 
Published: December 2016

Abstract
Optimum design for storage type Electric Water Heaters (EWHs) was analyzed for energy conservation and maximum hot water output. Single and dual tank EWHs were compared with each other. For each comparison, data were gathered for tank volumes and power ratings ranging 100-400land 1-4 k Wrespectively. Different dual tank EWHs were designed with different control mechanisms to find which one had the optimum outcome. For these comparisons, dual tank EWHs in which the upper part of the tanks had 25%of the total volume and 75%of the total power rating were used. Afive day usage period of an EWHinatypical household was simulated on SIMULINK. To minimize this energy loss, transient analysis on FLUENTwas performed to see how long it took for the outlet water temperature. In these simulations, single and dual tank EWHs with different control mechanisms were compared with each other to find the design with minimum energy consumption and maximum hot water output. From these results the most efficient control system cost analysis was determined for minimum operating cost and minimum carbon footprint through optimized control strategies.