bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In vivo collection of follicular fluid and granulosa cells from individual follicles of different diameters in cattle by an adapted ovum pick-up system
Authors: Arashiro Eduardo KN , Palhao Miller P , Wohlres-Viana Sabine , Siqueira Luiz GB , Camargo Luiz SA , Henry Marc , Viana Joao HM 
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Background
Most studies on granulosa cell (GC) function in cattle have been performed using GC and follicular fluid (FF) samples collected from slaughterhouse ovaries. Using this approach, the follicular developmental stage and functional status are unknown and indirectly inferred, limiting data interpretation. Ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration has previously been used to recover GC or FF samples, but this was mostly carried out in large follicles or pools of small follicles, without recording the efficiency of recovery. The present study was aimed at adapting and evaluating an ovum pick-up (OPU) system for the in vivo recovery of FF and GC from individual follicles of different diameters.

Methods
In the first trial, the losses of fluid inside the tubing system were calculated using a conventional or an adapted-OPU system. Blood plasma volumes equivalent to the amount of FF in follicles of different diameters were aspirated using a conventional OPU Teflon circuit. The OPU system was then adapted by connecting 0.25 mL straws to the circuit. A second trial evaluated the efficiency of FF recovery in vivo. Follicles ranging from 4.0 to 16.8 mm in diameter were aspirated individually using the conventional or adapted-OPU systems. A third trial assessed the in vivo recovery of GC and the subsequent amount of RNA obtained from the follicles of different diameters from Holstein and Gir cattle.

Results
In Trial I, the plasma recovery efficiency was similar (P > 0.05) for the volumes expected for 12 and 10 mm follicles, but decreased (P < 0.05) for smaller follicles (45.7+/−4.0%, 12.4+/−4.3% and 0.0+/−0.0% for 8, 6, and 4 mm follicles, respectively). Using the adaptation, the losses intrinsic to the aspiration system were similar for all follicle diameters. In Trial II, the expected and recovered volumes of FF were correlated (r = 0.89) and the efficiency of recovery was similar among follicles <12 mm, while larger follicles had a progressive increase in FF losses that was not related to the tubing system. In Trial III, the number of GC and amount of RNA obtained were not affected (P > 0.05) by follicle size, but differed according to breed (615,054+/−58,122 vs 458,095+/−36,407 for Holstein and Gir, respectively; P < 0.05).

Conclusions
The adapted-OPU system can be successfully used for the in vivo collection of FF and GC from follicles of different diameters. This will enable further endocrine, cellular, and gene expression analyses.
Two regularization methods for a class of inverse boundary value problems of elliptic type
Authors: Bouzitouna Abdallah , Boussetila Nadjib , Rebbani Faouzia 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
This paper deals with the problem of determining an unknown boundary condition

u
(
0
)

in the boundary value problem

u

y
y

(
y
)
−
A
u
(
y
)
=
0

,

u
(
0
)
=
f

,

u
(
+
∞
)
=
0

, with the aid of an extra measurement at an internal point. It is well known that such a problem is severely ill-posed, i.e., the solution does not depend continuously on the data. In order to overcome the instability of the ill-posed problem, we propose two regularization procedures: the first method is based on the spectral truncation, and the second is a version of the Kozlov-Maz’ya iteration method. Finally, some other convergence results including some explicit convergence rates are also established under a priori bound assumptions on the exact solution.

MSC: 35R25, 65J20, 35J25.
A reconfigurable real-time morphological system for augmented vision
Authors: Gibson Ryan M , Ahmadinia Ali , McMeekin Scott G , Strang Niall C , Morison Gordon 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
There is a significant number of visually impaired individuals who suffer sensitivity loss to high spatial frequencies, for whom current optical devices are limited in degree of visual aid and practical application. Digital image and video processing offers a variety of effective visual enhancement methods that can be utilised to obtain a practical augmented vision head-mounted display device. The high spatial frequencies of an image can be extracted by edge detection techniques and overlaid on top of the original image to improve visual perception among the visually impaired. Augmented visual aid devices require highly user-customisable algorithm designs for subjective configuration per task, where current digital image processing visual aids offer very little user-configurable options. This paper presents a highly user-reconfigurable morphological edge enhancement system on field-programmable gate array, where the morphological, internal and external edge gradients can be selected from the presented architecture with specified edge thickness and magnitude. In addition, the morphology architecture supports reconfigurable shape structuring elements and configurable morphological operations. The proposed morphology-based visual enhancement system introduces a high degree of user flexibility in addition to meeting real-time constraints capable of obtaining 93 fps for high-definition image resolution.
Rapid genotyping by low-coverage resequencing to construct genetic linkage maps of fungi: a case study in Lentinula edodes
Authors: Au Chun Hang , Cheung Man Kit , Wong Man Chun , Chu Astley Kin Kan , Law Patrick Tik Wan , Kwan Hoi Shan 
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Background
Genetic linkage maps are important tools in breeding programmes and quantitative trait analyses. Traditional molecular markers used for genotyping are limited in throughput and efficiency. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has facilitated progeny genotyping and genetic linkage map construction in the major grains. However, the applicability of the approach remains untested in the fungal system.

Findings
Shiitake mushroom, Lentinula edodes, is a basidiomycetous fungus that represents one of the most popular cultivated edible mushrooms. Here, we developed a rapid genotyping method based on low-coverage (~0.5 to 1.5-fold) whole-genome resequencing. We used the approach to genotype 20 single-spore isolates derived from L. edodes strain L54 and constructed the first high-density sequence-based genetic linkage map of L. edodes. The accuracy of the proposed genotyping method was verified experimentally with results from mating compatibility tests and PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism on a few known genes. The linkage map spanned a total genetic distance of 637.1 cM and contained 13 linkage groups. Two hundred sequence-based markers were placed on the map, with an average marker spacing of 3.4 cM. The accuracy of the map was confirmed by comparing with previous maps the locations of known genes such as matA and matB.

Conclusions
We used the shiitake mushroom as an example to provide a proof-of-principle that low-coverage resequencing could allow rapid genotyping of basidiospore-derived progenies, which could in turn facilitate the construction of high-density genetic linkage maps of basidiomycetous fungi for quantitative trait analyses and improvement of genome assembly.
Immunoglobulin E induces VEGF production in mast cells and potentiates their pro-tumorigenic actions through a Fyn kinase-dependent mechanism
Authors: Jiménez-Andrade Guillermina Yanek , Ibarra-Sánchez Alfredo , González Diana , Lamas Mónica , González-Espinosa Claudia 
Published: August 2013

AbstractBackgroundHigh concentrations of plasmatic IgE have been related to distinct systemic inflammatory conditions that frequently predispose individuals to hypersensitivity reactions. Although effects of IgE have been suggested to relay on the low-intensity activation of distinct effector elements of the immune system, such as mast cells (MC), experimental evidence on the role of IgE-induced production of inflammatory mediators on specific pathologies is scarce. MC are an important component in tumor microenvironment where they seem to secrete a number of immunomodulatory and angiogenic mediators, such as the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) by not well-described mechanisms. In this work, we investigated the effect of monomeric IgE (in the absence of antigen) on the production of VEGF in MC, analyzed if monomeric IgE could exacerbate the pro-tumorigenic properties of that cell type and characterized some of the molecular mechanisms behind the effects of IgE on VEGF production and tumor growth.MethodsForin vitrostudies, murine bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) were used. Pharmacological inhibitors and phosphorylation of key elements controlling VEGF secretion and protein translation were used to characterize the mechanism of VEGF production triggered by IgE.In vivo, the effect of a single i.v. administration of monomeric IgE on B16 melanoma tumor weight, intratumoral blood vessel formation and tumor-associated MC was assessed in four groups of mice: MC-proficient (WT), MC-deficient (Wsh), Wsh reconstituted with MC derived from WT mice (Wsh Rec WT) and Wsh reconstituted with MC derived from Fyn −/− mice (Wsh Rec Fyn −/−).ResultsMonomeric IgE induced VEGF secretion through a Fyn kinase-dependent mechanism and modulatedde novoprotein synthesis modifying the activity of the translational regulator 4E-BP1 in BMMCs.In vivo, monomeric IgE increased melanoma tumor growth, peritumoral MC and blood vessel numbers in WT but not in Wsh mice. The positive effects of IgE on melanoma tumor growth were reproduced after reconstitution of Wsh mice with WT but not with Fyn −/− BMMCs.ConclusionOur data suggest that monomeric IgE, in the absence of antigen, induces VEGF production in MC andin vivocontributes to melanoma tumor growth through a Fyn kinase-dependent mechanism.
The freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dating
Authors: Philippsen Bente 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
The freshwater reservoir effect can result in anomalously old radiocarbon ages of samples from lakes and rivers. This includes the bones of people whose subsistence was based on freshwater fish, and pottery in which fish was cooked. Water rich in dissolved ancient calcium carbonates, commonly known as hard water, is the most common reason for the freshwater reservoir effect. It is therefore also called hardwater effect. Although it has been known for more than 60 years, it is still less well-recognized by archaeologists than the marine reservoir effect. The aim of this study is to examine the order of magnitude and degree of variability of the freshwater reservoir effect over short and long timescales. Radiocarbon dating of recent water samples, aquatic plants, and animals, shows that age differences of up to 2000 14C years can occur within one river. The freshwater reservoir effect has also implications for radiocarbon dating of Mesolithic pottery from inland sites of the Ertebølle culture in Northern Germany. The surprisingly old ages of the earliest pottery most probably are caused by a freshwater reservoir effect. In a sediment core from the Limfjord, northern Denmark, the impact of the freshwater reservoir effect on radiocarbon dating in an estuarine environment is examined. Here, freshwater influence causes reservoir ages to vary between 250 and 700 14C years during the period 5400 BC - AD 700. The examples in this study show clearly that the freshwater reservoir effect can seriously corrupt radiocarbon dating at inland sites. Reservoir effects should therefore be considered whenever food remains on pottery or the bones of omnivores are radiocarbon dated - irrespective of the site’s distance to the coast.
Performance of photocatalytic oxidation of tetracycline in aqueous solution by TiO2 nanofibers
Authors: Javid Allahbakhsh , Nasseri Simin , Mesdaghinia Alireza , Mahvi Amir hossein , Alimohammadi Mahmood , Aghdam Rouhollah Mehdinavaz , Rastkari Noshin 
Published: August 2013

Abstract
The presence of pharmaceutical compounds in water and soil has become an environmental concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of TiO2 nanofiber in the oxidation of the antibiotic tetracycline. TiO2 nanofiber was fabricated by electro-spinning method, and then was calcined at 560°C for 2 h. Central composite design (CCD) statistic model was used to optimize tetracycline concentration, time and pH for TiO2 catalyst. A tubular Pyrex glass reactor with diameter of 15 cm and height of 30 cm was designed and a 125W Philips HPLN lamp (UV, λ > 254 nm) was used as light source. Samples were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Equation of model suggests a direct relationship between pH and time with efficiency of tetracycline removal. The observations indicated that time is the most significant (scaled estimate = + 28.04) parameter in efficiency of tetracycline removal. The application of response surface methodology yielded the equation of Y = 65.82 + 5.74 pH + 28.04 time + (−3.07)(pH)2 + (−6.6)(time)2, with R2 = 0.986 which represents good reliability of model. Based on the response surface plots optimum conditions for degradation of tetracycline with maximum efficiency of around 95% was attained. These conditions are as follow; concentration: 50 mg/l, pH= 8.3, time= 15 min.
CXCL13 is elevated in Sjögren's syndrome in mice and humans and is implicated in disease pathogenesis
Authors: Kramer Jill M , Klimatcheva Ekaterina , Rothstein Thomas L 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTSS is an autoimmune disease. pSS affects exocrine glands predominantly, whereas sSS occurs with other autoimmune connective tissue disorders. Currently, care for patients with SS is palliative, as no established therapeutics target the disease directly, and its pathogenetic mechanisms remain uncertain. B-cell abnormalities have been identified in SS. CXCL13 directs B-cell chemotaxis and is elevated in several autoimmune diseases. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that CXCL13 is elevated in SS in mice and humans and that neutralization of the chemokine ameliorates disease in a murine model. We assayed CXCL13 in mouse models and human subjects with SS to determine whether CXCL13 is elevated both locally and systemically during SS progression and whether CXCL13 may play a role in and be a biomarker for the disease. Cxcl13 expression in salivary tissue increases with disease progression, and its blockade resulted in a modest reduction in glandular inflammation in an SS model. We demonstrate that in humans CXCL13 is elevated in serum and saliva, and an elevated salivary CXCL13 level distinguishes patients with xerostomia. These data suggest a role for CXCL13 as a valuable biomarker in SS, as 74% of patients with SS displayed elevated CXCL13 in sera, saliva, or both. Thus, CXCL13 may be pathogenically involved in SS and may serve as a new marker and a potential therapeutic target.
Modulation of inflammation by interleukin-27
Authors: Bosmann Markus , Ward Peter A 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTA growing body of evidence suggests an essential role of the heterodimeric cytokine, IL-27, for regulating immunity. IL-27 is composed of two subunits (p28 and EBI3) and is classified as a member of the IL-12 family of cytokines. APCs have been recognized as a major cellular source of IL-27 following activation with microbial products or IFNs (types I and II). In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the implications of IL-27 during the pathogenesis of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Experimental studies have used genetically targeted IL-27RA−/− mice, EBI3−/− mice, and p28−/− mice or involved study designs with administration of bioengineered IL-27/IL-27RA homologs. Whereas many reports have described that IL-27 suppresses inflammation, we also review the current literature, suggesting promotion of inflammation by IL-27 in some settings. Recent advances have also been made in understanding the cross-talk of cleavage products of the complement system with IL-27-mediated immune responses. Additional data on IL-27 have been obtained recently by observational studies in human patients with acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Collectively, the findings from the past decade identify IL-27 as a critical immunoregulatory cytokine, especially for T cells, whereas some controversy is fueled by results challenging the view of IL-27 as a classical silencer of inflammation.
Moderne Ulkus-Chirurgie – Chirurgische Behandlungsoptionen
Authors: Dissemond J. , Klode J. , Stoffels I. 
Published: August 2013

ZusammenfassungEinleitung: Die sozioökonomische Bedeutung des chronischen Ulcus cruris venosum ist bedingt durch die hohe Anzahl der Erkrankten, die Kosten der Diagnostik und Therapien, die Verschlechterung der Lebensqualität und des Verlustes der Arbeitsfähigkeit während der Erkrankung beträchtlich. Diese Problematik wird durch einen oft langjährigen Verlauf sowie eine hohe Rezidivneigung zusätzlich gesteigert.Diskussion: Unter Berücksichtigung dieser Fakten, kommt den chirurgischen Therapieoptionen insbesondere bei ansonsten therapieresistenten Verläufen eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Heute steht hierfür ein umfangreiches Spektrum an interventionellen Methoden zur Verfügung. Venenchirurgie und endovenöse Verschlusstechniken sind für die Ausschaltung einer primären oder sekundären Varikosis als kausale Therapie des Ulcus cruris venosum geeignet. Die sogenannte Shave-Therapie ist bei dem Vorliegen einer Dermatolipo(faszio)sklerose die Behandlungsmethode der Wahl. Aktuelle Langzeitergebnisse zeigen gute Resultate mit Heilungsraten von 70-80 %. In Einzelfällen kann auch auf Opera-tionstechniken mit Einbeziehung der Fascia cruris zurückgegriffen werden.Schlussfolgerung: Somit kommt sowohl der chirurgischen Lokaltherapie als auch der erweiterten, teils sehr komplexen chirurgischen Intervention insbesondere des Venensystems zunehmend eine Schlüsselrolle in modernen Gesamttherapiekonzepten der Patienten mit chronischem Ulcus cruris venosum zu.
Versorgungswege von Patienten mit chronischen Wunden in Deutschland
Authors: Stoffels-Weindorf M. , von der Stück H. , Klode J. , Dissemond J. 
Published: August 2013

ZusammenfassungEinleitung: In die Behandlungsabläufe von Patienten mit chronischen Wunden sind zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten verschiedene Berufs- und Facharztgruppen involviert. Zu den Versorgungswegen der Patienten mit einem chronischen Ulcus cruris in Deutschland finden sich in der aktuellen Literatur kaum Untersuchungen.Patienten und Methoden: Prospektiv sollten die Behandlungswege von 100 Patienten, die aufgrund eines chronischen Ulcus cruris in unserem Wundzentrum vorstellig wurden, erhoben werden. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte anamnestisch mit Hilfe eines neu entwickelten Fragebogens und – falls vorhanden – nach Durchsicht von Unterlagen.Ergebnisse: Patienten mit chronischem Ulcus cruris stellen sich durchschnittlich nach 17,5 Monaten nach Erstmanifestation in unserem Wundzentrum vor. Patienten mit Rezidiv kommen nach durchschnittlich 10,6 Monaten Behandlungszeitraum signifikant früher als Patienten mit Erstmanifestation (22,6 Mona-ten); Patienten mit entzündlichen Erkrankungen werden nach durchschnittlich 9,1 Mona-ten angebunden. Patienten mit stärkeren Schmerzen kommen nach 16,5 Monaten in unserem Wundzentrum, Patienten mit weniger starken Schmerzen nach 19,4 Monaten. Insgesamt 47 % der Patienten suchen als ersten Arztkontakt ihren Hausarzt, 28 % einen Dermatologen, 10 % einen Chirurgen, 3 % einen Internisten und 2 % einen Gefäßchirurgen auf. Insgesamt 10 % der Patienten stellen sich ohne vorherigen Arztkontakt direkt in unserer Ambulanz vor.Diskussion: Unsere Daten zeigen, dass Patienten mit chronischem Ulcus cruris erst nach einem Zeitraum von durchschnittlich 1,5 Jahren, meist frustraner Therapie in einem Wundzentrum der Maximalversorgung vorstellig werden. Die wesentlichen Faktoren für eine frühzeitigere Vorstellung sind die entzündliche Genese, individuelle Vorerfahrungen sowie stärkere Schmerzen. Um Chronifizierungen zu vermeiden und die Gefahr therapierefraktärer Verläufe zu vermindern, wäre eine frühzeitigere Vorstellung von Patienten mit stagnierender Wundheilung nach spätestens 8 Wochen bei einem Spezialisten bzw. in einem Wundzentrum wünschenswert.
Correlation Decay in Random Decision Networks
Authors: Gamarnik David , Goldberg David A. , Weber Theophane 
Published: August 2013

We consider a decision network on an undirected graph in which each node corresponds to a decision variable, and each node and edge of the graph is associated with a reward function whose value depends only on the variables of the corresponding nodes. The goal is to construct a decision vector that maximizes the total reward. This decision problem encompasses a variety of models, including maximum-likelihood inference in graphical models (Markov Random Fields), combinatorial optimization on graphs, economic team theory, and statistical physics. The network is endowed with a probabilistic structure in which rewards are sampled from a distribution. Our aim is to identify sufficient conditions on the network structure and rewards distributions to guarantee average-case polynomiality of the underlying optimization problem. Additionally, we wish to characterize the efficiency of a decentralized solution generated on the basis of local information.We construct a new decentralized algorithm called Cavity Expansion and establish its theoretical performance for a variety of graph models and reward function distributions. Specifically, for certain classes of models we prove that our algorithm is able to find a near-optimal solution with high probability in a decentralized way. The success of the algorithm is based on the network exhibiting a certain correlation decay (long-range independence) property, and we prove that this property is indeed exhibited by the models of interest. Our results have the following surprising implications in the area of average-case complexity of algorithms. Finding the largest independent (stable) set of a graph is a well known NP-hard optimization problem for which no polynomial time approximation scheme is possible even for graphs with largest connectivity equal to three unless P = NP. Yet we show that the closely related Maximum Weight Independent Set problem for the same class of graphs admits a PTAS when the weights are independently and identically distributed with the exponential distribution. Namely, randomization of the reward function turns an NP-hard problem into a tractable one.
Effect of shockwave therapy on plantar fasciopathy
Authors: Hsu W-H. , Lai L-J. , Chang H-Y. , Hsu R. W-W. 
Published: August 2013

It has been suggested that extracorporeal shockwave therapy is a safe and effective treatment for pain relief from recalcitrant plantar fasciopathy (PF). However, the changes in gait and associated biomechanical parameters have not been well characterised. We recruited 12 female patients with recalcitrant PF who had a mean age of 59 years (50 to 70) and mean body mass index of 25 kg/m2 (22 to 30). The patients reported a mean duration of symptoms of 9.3 months (6 to 15). Shockwave therapy consisting of 1500 impulses (energy flux density 0.26 mJ/mm2) was applied for three sessions, each three weeks apart. A pain visual analogue scale (VAS) rating, plantar pressure assessment and motion analysis were carried out before and nine weeks after first shock wave therapy. It was demonstrated that patients increased their walking velocity and cadence as well indicating a decrease in pain after shockwave therapy. In the symptomatic foot, the peak contact pressure over the forefoot increased and the contact area over the digits decreased. The total foot impulse also decreased as did stance duration. The duration the centre of pressure remained in the hindfoot increased in the symptomatic foot after shockwave therapy. The differences in centre of pressure trajectory at baseline decreased at final follow-up. In conclusion, shockwave therapy not only decreased the pain VAS rating but also improved the gait parameters of the symptomatic foot in PF patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1088–93.