bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An inducible transgenic mouse model for familial hypertension with hyperkalaemia (Gordon's syndrome or pseudohypoaldosteronism type II)
Authors: Chowdhury Jabed A. , Liu Che-Hsiung , Zuber Annie M. , O’Shaughnessy Kevin M. 
Published: January 2013

Mutations in the novel serine/threonine WNK [With No lysine (=K)] kinases WNK1 and WNK4 cause PHAII (pseudohypoaldosteronism type II or Gordon's syndrome), a rare monogenic syndrome which causes hypertension and hyperkalaemia on a background of a normal glomerular filtration rate. Current animal models for PHAII recapitulate some aspects of the disease phenotype, but give no clues to how rapidly the phenotype emerges or whether it is reversible. To this end we have created an inducible PHAII transgenic animal model that expresses a human disease-causing WNK4 mutation, WNK4 Q565E, under the control of the Tet-On system. Several PHAII inducible transgenic mouse lines were created, each with differing TG (transgene) copy numbers and displaying varying degrees of TG expression (low, medium and high). Each of these transgenic lines demonstrated similar elevations of BP (blood pressure) and plasma potassium after 4 weeks of TG induction. Withdrawal of doxycycline switched off mutant TG expression and the disappearance of the PHAII phenotype. Western blotting of microdissected kidney nephron segments confirmed that expression of the thiazide-sensitive NCC (Na+–Cl− co-transporter) was increased, as expected, in the distal convoluted tubule when transgenic mice were induced with doxycycline. The kidneys of these mice also do not show the morphological changes seen in the previous transgenic model expressing the same mutant form of WNK4. This inducible model shows, for the first time, that in vivo expression of a mutant WNK4 protein is sufficient to cause the rapid and reversible appearance of a PHAII disease phenotype in mice.
Low‐power, wide‐range time‐to‐digital converter for all digital phase‐locked loops
Authors: Jeong C.‐H. , Kwon C.‐K. , Kim H. , Hwang I.‐C. , Kim S.‐W. 
Published: January 2013

A time‐to‐digital converter (TDC) for a low‐power, wide‐range all digital phase‐locked loop (ADPLL) is presented. The proposed TDC uses an enabling signal with variable duration to achieve low power and wide range. For verification purpose, the ADPLL is fabricated in a 0.11 µm CMOS technology. The ADPLL dissipates 6.02mW at an output frequency of 1.68GHz and its output frequency is measured as 0.24–1.68 GHz from a 1.2 V supply.
VLSI implementation of low‐power cost‐efficient lossless ECG encoder design for wireless healthcare monitoring application
Authors: Chen S.‐L. , Wang J.‐G 
Published: January 2013

An efficient VLSI architecture of a lossless ECG encoding circuit is proposed for wireless healthcare monitoring applications. To reduce the transmission and storage data, a novel lossless compression algorithm is proposed for ECG signal compression. It consists of a novel adaptive rending predictor and a novel two‐stage entropy encoder based on two Huffman coding tables. The proposed lossless ECG encoder design was implemented using only simple arithmetic units. To improve the performance, the proposed ECG encoder was designed by pipeline technology and implemented the two‐stage entropy encoder by the architecture of a look‐up table. The VLSI architecture of this work contains 3.55 K gate counts and its core area is 45987 µm2 synthesised by a 0.18 µm CMOS process. It can operate at 100 MHz processing rate with only 36.4 µW. The data compression rate reaches an average value 2.43 for the MIT‐BIH Arrhythmia Database. Compared with the previous low‐complexity and high performance techniques, this work achieves lower hardware cost, lower power consumption, and a better compression rate than other lossless ECG encoder designs.
Survival of Apache Trout Eggs and Alevins under Static and Fluctuating Temperature Regimes
Authors: Recsetar Matthew S. , Bonar Scott A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIncreased stream temperatures due to global climate change, livestock grazing, removal of riparian cover, reduction of stream flow, and urbanization will have important implications for fishes worldwide. Information exists that describes the effects of elevated water temperatures on fish eggs, but less information is available on the effects of fluctuating water temperatures on egg survival, especially those of threatened and endangered species. We tested the posthatch survival of eyed eggs and alevins of Apache Trout Oncorhynchus gilae apache, a threatened salmonid, in static temperatures of 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27°C, and also in treatments with diel fluctuations of ±3°C around those temperatures. The LT50 for posthatch survival of Apache Trout eyed eggs and alevins was 17.1°C for static temperatures treatments and 17.9°C for the midpoints of ±3°C fluctuating temperature treatments. There was no significant difference in survival between static temperatures and fluctuating temperatures that shared the same mean temperature, yet there was a slight difference in LT50s. Upper thermal tolerance of Apache Trout eyed eggs and alevins is much lower than that of fry to adult life stages (22–23°C). Information on thermal tolerance of early life stages (eyed egg and alevin) will be valuable to those restoring streams or investigating thermal tolerances of imperiled fishes.
Pumping Performance of a Slow-Rotating Paddlewheel for Split-Pond Aquaculture Systems
Authors: Brown Travis W , Tucker Craig S 
Published: January 2013

Abstract
Commercial catfish farmers are intensifying production by retrofitting ponds with variations of the partitioned aquaculture system. The split-pond system is the most common variation used commercially. The split-pond consists of a small fish-holding basin connected to a waste treatment lagoon by two conduits. Water is circulated between the two basins to remove fish waste and provide oxygenated water to the fish-holding basin. Although much research has been devoted to algal and fish production dynamics in variations of the partitioned aquaculture system, little information is available on basic engineering considerations for devices to circulate water in these systems. This study evaluated performance characteristics for a slow-rotating paddlewheel pump that looked at the relationships among power input, rotational speed (circular tip velocity), water velocity, and water flow rate. Rotational speeds of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 rpm were evaluated in open channels and in channels with fish barriers. Measured power input was greater than the calculated power input for all four rotational speeds and ranged from 0.11 to 1.80 hp. Water flow rate ranged from 4,548–19,330 gal/min and water discharge per unit power input decreased dramatically as rotational speed increased. Installation of fish barriers decreased channel open area and the resulting frictional losses reduced water flow rates. Results from this study provide initial pump performance data for designing split-pond aquaculture systems.
Trends in Resistance to Carbapenems and Third-Generation Cephalosporins among Clinical Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae in the United States, 1999–2010
Authors: Braykov Nikolay P. , Eber Michael R. , Klein Eili Y. , Morgan Daniel J. , Laxminarayan Ramanan 
Published: January 2013

Objective.Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae pose a serious infection control challenge and have emerged as a public health threat. We examined national trends in the proportion of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates resistant to carbapenems (CRKP) and third-generation cephalosporins (G3CRKP).Design and Setting.Retrospective analysis of approximately 500,000 K. pneumoniae isolates cultured between January 1999 and July 2010 at 287 clinical laboratories throughout the United States.Methods.Isolates were defined as CRKP if they were nonsusceptible to 1 or more carbapenems and were defined as G3CRKP if they were nonsusceptible to ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, or related antibiotics. A multivariable analysis examined trends in the proportion of resistant isolates, adjusting for age, sex, isolate source, patient location, and geographic region.Results.The crude proportion of CRKP increased from less than 0.1% to 4.5% between 2002 and 2010; the frequency of G3CRKP increased from 5.3% to 11.5% between 1999 and 2010. G3CRKP and CRKP were more common among elderly patients (those greater than 65 years of age); the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) relative to pediatric patients (those less than 18 years of age) was 1.2 for G3CRKP (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–1.3) and 3.3 for CRKP (95% CI, 2.6–4.2). G3CRKP and CRKP were also more common among patients from the northeastern United States (aOR, 2.9 [95% CI, 2.8–3.0] and 9.0 [95% CI, 7.9–10.4]) than among those from the western United States. The prevalence of outpatient CRKP isolates increased after 2006, reaching 1.9% of isolates in our sample in 2010 (95% CI, 1.6%–2.1%).Conclusions.The frequency of G3CRKP and CRKP is increasing in all regions of the United States, and resistance is emerging among isolates recovered in the outpatient setting. This underscores the need for enhanced laboratory capacity and coordinated surveillance strategies to contain the further spread of these emerging pathogens.
On approximately convex Takagi type functions
Authors: Makó Judit , Páles Zsolt 
Published: January 2013

Given a nonnegative functionϕ:[0,12]→R+\phi :[0,\frac 12]\to \mathbb {R}_+, we define the Takagi type functionSϕ:R→RS_\phi :\mathbb {R}\to \mathbb {R}bySϕ(x):=∑n=0∞2ϕ(12n+1)dZ(2nx),\begin{equation*} S_\phi (x):=\sum _{n=0}^{\infty }2\phi \big (\tfrac {1}{2^{n+1}}\big )d_Z(2^nx), \end{equation*}wheredZ(x):=dist⁡(x,Z):=inf{|x−k|:k∈Z}.d_{\mathbb {Z}}(x):=\operatorname {dist}(x,\mathbb Z) :=\inf \{|x-k|: k\in \mathbb Z\}.The main result of the paper states that ifϕ(0)=0\phi (0)=0and the mappingx↦ϕ(x)/xx\mapsto \phi (x)/xis concave, then the Takagi type functionSϕS_\phiis approximately Jensen convex in the following sense:Sϕ(x+y2)≤Sϕ(x)+Sϕ(y)2+ϕ∘dZ(x−y2)(x,y∈R).\begin{equation*} S_\phi \Big (\frac {x+y}{2}\Big ) \leq \frac {S_\phi (x)+S_\phi (y)}{2}+\phi \circ d_\mathbb Z\Big (\frac {x-y}{2}\Big ) \qquad (x,y\in \mathbb {R}). \end{equation*}Applications to the theory of approximately convex functions are also given.
Genome Fusion Detection: a novel method to detect fusion genes from SNP-array data
Authors: Thieme Sebastian , Groth Philip 
Published: January 2013

AbstractMotivation: Fusion genes result from genomic rearrangements, such as deletions, amplifications and translocations. Such rearrangements can also frequently be observed in cancer and have been postulated as driving event in cancer development. to detect them, one needs to analyze the transition region of two segments with different copy number, the location where fusions are known to occur. Finding fusion genes is essential to understanding cancer development and may lead to new therapeutic approaches.Results: Here we present a novel method, the Genomic Fusion Detection algorithm, to predict fusion genes on a genomic level based on SNP-array data. This algorithm detects genes at the transition region of segments with copy number variation. With the application of defined constraints, certain properties of the detected genes are evaluated to predict whether they may be fused. We evaluated our prediction by calculating the observed frequency of known fusions in both primary cancers and cell lines. We tested a set of cell lines positive for the BCR-ABL1 fusion and prostate cancers positive for the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion. We could detect the fusions in all positive cell lines, but not in the negative controls.Availability: The algorithm is available from the supplement.Contact: philip.groth@bayer.comSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Insights into Sorghum Starch Biosynthesis from Structure Changes Induced by Different Growth Temperatures
Authors: Li Enpeng , Hasjim Jovin , Singh Vijaya , Tizzotti Morgan , Godwin Ian D. , Gilbert Robert G. 
Published: January 2013

ABSTRACTThe effects of high growth temperature on sorghum starch structures were examined from the grains of three inbred lines (BTx623, IS8525, and Karper669), and the possible mechanism by which the growth of amylopectin molecules is terminated was discussed. Sorghum plants were grown at high temperature (38/21°C day/night) and control temperature (32/22°C day/night) from sowing to maturity. The grains sampled from plants grown at high temperature had significantly lower starch weights per grain (except BTx623) and smaller starch granule sizes than those grown at control temperature. Nevertheless, the amylose contents were similar. BTx623 and IS8525 samples grown at high temperature also had higher ratios of long to short amylopectin branches and lower degree of branching than their control counterparts. These results suggested that the activities of starch biosynthetic enzymes were evidently affected by elevated growth temperature. However, the weight‐average molecular weight and the z‐average radius of gyration of sorghum starch molecules were not significantly affected by the growth temperatures, suggesting that the effects of growth temperature on starch yield, starch granule size, and the branching structure of amylopectin molecules did not influence the events that stopped the overall growth of amylopectin molecules. This observation was consistent with the cessation of whole‐molecule growth being through increasing hindrance to enzyme access as the size of the starch molecule increases, controlled largely by the molecular density of the outermost part of an amylopectin molecule.
Nerve Injury-related Autoimmunity Activation Leads to Chronic Inflammation and Chronic Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Li Jing , Wei Gui-Hua , Huang He , Lan Yun-Ping , Liu Bin , Liu Hui , Zhang Wei , Zuo Yun-Xia 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background:
Peripheral nerve injuries that provoke neuropathic pain are associated with chronic inflammation and nervous lesions. The authors hypothesized that chronic neuropathic pain might be caused by chronic inflammation resulting from a nervous autoimmune reaction triggered by nerve injury.

Methods:
The authors observed chronic inflammation and neuropathic behaviors for up to 12 weeks after nerve injury in T lymphocyte-deficient nude mice and their heterozygous littermates. Lymphocyte proliferation and Schwann cell apoptosis were examined after coculture of each population with various neural tissues from normal rats and those with nerve injury.

Result:
Nude mice recovered faster and exhibited less thermal hyperalgesia after nerve injury compared to their heterozygous littermates. A large number of IL-17+ cells indicative of lymphocyte activation were found in the injured sciatic nerve and spinal cord (L4-6) of heterozygous littermates, but far fewer of these populations were found in nude mice. In vitro lymphocyte proliferation was enhanced after coculture with nerve tissues from normal rats compared to nerve tissue-free phosphate-buffered saline controls. In particular, coculture with sciatic nerve tissue enhanced proliferation by 80%, dorsal root ganglion by 46%, and spinal cord by 14%. Moreover, neural tissues from rats with nerve injury markedly increased the lymphocyte proliferation compared to coculture with tissues from corresponding normal rats. Schwann cell apoptosis was triggered in vitro when cocultured with lymphocytes from neuropathic rats.

Conclusion:
Our study suggests that chronic neuropathic pain might be caused by chronic inflammation resulting from a nervous autoimmune reaction triggered by nerve injury.
A Double-blind Randomized Trial of Wound and Intercostal Space Infiltration with Ropivacaine during Breast Cancer Surgery
Authors: Albi-Feldzer Aline , Mouret-Fourme E Emmanuelle , Hamouda Smail , Motamed Cyrus , Dubois Pierre-Yves , Jouanneau Ludivine , Jayr Christian 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background:
The efficacy of local anesthetic wound infiltration for the treatment of acute and chronic postoperative pain is controversial and there are no detailed studies. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of ropivacaine wound infiltration on chronic pain after breast surgery.

Methods:
In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study, 236 patients scheduled for breast cancer surgery were randomized (1:1) to receive ropivacaine or placebo infiltration of the wound, the second and third intercostal spaces and the humeral insertion of major pectoralis. Acute pain, analgesic consumption, nausea and vomiting were assessed every 30 min for 2 h in the postanesthesia care unit and every 6 h for 48 h. Chronic pain was evaluated 3 months, 6 months, and 1 yr after surgery by the brief pain inventory, hospital anxiety and depression, and neuropathic pain questionnaires.

Results:
Ropivacaine wound infiltration significantly decreased immediate postoperative pain for the first 90 min, but did not decrease chronic pain at 3 months (primary endpoint), or at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. At 3 months, the incidence of chronic pain was 33% and 27% (P = 0.37) in the ropivacaine and placebo groups, respectively. During follow-up, brief pain inventory, neuropathic pain, and anxiety increased over time in both groups (P < 0.001) while depression remained stable. No complications occurred.

Conclusion:
This multicenter, prospective study shows that ropivacaine wound infiltration after breast cancer surgery decreased immediate postoperative pain but did not decrease chronic pain at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.
Effect of Waxy Maize-derived Hydroxyethyl Starch 130/0.4 on Renal Function in Surgical Patients
Authors: Martin Claude , Jacob Matthias , Vicaut Eric , Guidet Bertrand , Van Aken Hugo , Kurz Andrea 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background:
The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate renal safety with the active substance of the latest generation of waxy maize-derived hydroxyethyl starch in surgical patients. The authors focused on prospective, randomized, controlled studies that documented clinically relevant variables with regard to renal effects of waxy maize-derived hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.40.

Materials and methods:
The authors carefully searched for all available prospective, randomized studies and evaluated the greatest delta from baseline values in renal safety variables (serum creatinine values, calculated creatinine clearance, incidence of renal replacement therapy, and acute renal failure). The authors included 17 studies that analyzed patients (n = 1,230) undergoing a variety of surgical procedures.

Results:
For maximum serum creatinine values, the effect size estimate was 0.068 (95% CI = −0.227 to 0.362), P = 0.65. For calculated creatinine clearance values, pooled risk difference was 0.302 (95% CI = −0.098 to 0.703), P = 0.14. For incidence of acute renal failure, pooled risk difference was 0.0003 (95% CI = −0.018 to 0.019), P = 0.98. For incidence of renal replacement therapy, pooled risk difference was −0.003 (95% CI = −0.028 to 0.022), P = 0.85.

Conclusions:
The authors found no evidence for renal dysfunction caused by modern waxy maize-derived hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.40 in surgical patients.
Role of Capsaicin in a Murine Model of Labor and Delivery
Authors: Mirza Fadi G. , Fakhoury Ayed A. , Rowley Thomas J. , Flood Pamela D. 
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Background:
The objectives of this study were to develop a murine model of labor and delivery and to use this model to examine whether capsaicin diminishes labor pain and expedites delivery.

Methods:
To develop a murine model of labor pain, the authors identified and compared the incidence of four proposed pain behaviors in 46 mice: (1) No analgesia in labor and the postpartum period, and (2) increasing doses of an analgesic, morphine. The model was then used to examine the impact of topical cervical capsaicin on: (1) labor pain behaviors and (2) labor progress by examining its impact on the time from treatment to delivery of the first pup and on the duration of delivery per pup. The treatment was randomly allocated and the behavioral observation was blinded.

Results:
In the absence of analgesia, there was a statistically significant decrease in all four proposed pain behaviors in the postpartum period compared with labor (cumulative 55.0 ± 16.1/h vs. 16.1 ± 8.7/h; P < 0.0001). Additionally, morphine reduced their incidence during labor in a dose-dependent manner (cumulative 55.0 ± 16.1.7/h control, 46.4 ± 15.8 morphine 0.1 mg/kg/h, 34.6 ± 5.6/h, morphine 0.5 mg/kg/h; P = 0.1988, 0.0014). In addition, the incidence of identified pain behaviors was reduced by pericervical capsaicin (cumulative 55.0 ± 16.1.7/h control, 38.9 ± 15.4 capsaicin, P = 0.02).

Conclusions:
In this pilot study, the authors developed a novel mouse model of labor and delivery. Pericervical capsaicin applied days before delivery reduces labor pain behaviors.
Low pH, Aluminum, and Phosphorus Coordinately Regulate Malate Exudation through GmALMT1 to Improve Soybean Adaptation to Acid Soils
Authors: Liang Cuiyue , Piñeros Miguel A. , Tian Jiang , Yao Zhufang , Sun Lili , Liu Jiping , Shaff Jon , Coluccio Alison , Kochian Leon V. , Liao Hong 
Published: January 2013

Abstract
Low pH, aluminum (Al) toxicity, and low phosphorus (P) often coexist and are heterogeneously distributed in acid soils. To date, the underlying mechanisms of crop adaptation to these multiple factors on acid soils remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that P addition to acid soils could stimulate Al tolerance, especially for the P-efficient genotype HN89. Subsequent hydroponic studies demonstrated that solution pH, Al, and P levels coordinately altered soybean (Glycine max) root growth and malate exudation. Interestingly, HN89 released more malate under conditions mimicking acid soils (low pH, +P, and +Al), suggesting that root malate exudation might be critical for soybean adaptation to both Al toxicity and P deficiency on acid soils. GmALMT1, a soybean malate transporter gene, was cloned from the Al-treated root tips of HN89. Like root malate exudation, GmALMT1 expression was also pH dependent, being suppressed by low pH but enhanced by Al plus P addition in roots of HN89. Quantitative real-time PCR, transient expression of a GmALMT1-yellow fluorescent protein chimera in Arabidopsis protoplasts, and electrophysiological analysis of Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing GmALMT1 demonstrated that GmALMT1 encodes a root cell plasma membrane transporter that mediates malate efflux in an extracellular pH-dependent and Al-independent manner. Overexpression of GmALMT1 in transgenic Arabidopsis, as well as overexpression and knockdown of GmALMT1 in transgenic soybean hairy roots, indicated that GmALMT1-mediated root malate efflux does underlie soybean Al tolerance. Taken together, our results suggest that malate exudation is an important component of soybean adaptation to acid soils and is coordinately regulated by three factors, pH, Al, and P, through the regulation of GmALMT1 expression and GmALMT1 function.