bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endothelium-Derived Neuregulin Protects the Heart Against Ischemic Injury
Authors: Hedhli Nadia , Huang Qunhua , Kalinowski April , Palmeri Monica , Hu Xiaoyue , Russell Raymond R. , Russell Kerry S. 
Published: May 2011

Background—
Removal of cardiac endothelial cells (EC) has been shown to produce significant detrimental effects on the function of adjacent cardiac myocytes, suggesting that EC play a critical role in autocrine/paracrine regulation of the heart. Despite this important observation, the mediators of the protective function of EC remain obscure. Neuregulin (NRG, a member of the epidermal growth factor family) is produced by EC and cardiac myocytes contain receptors (erbB) for this ligand. We hypothesized that NRG is an essential factor produced by EC, which promotes cardioprotection against ischemic injury.

Methods and Results—
We demonstrate that human cardiac EC express and release NRG in response to hypoxia–reoxygenation. Under conditions where hypoxia–reoxygenation causes significant cardiac myocyte cell death, NRG can significantly decrease apoptosis of isolated adult ventricular myocytes. Coculturing adult murine myocytes with human umbilical vein, murine lung microvascular, or human coronary artery EC can also protect myocytes against hypoxia–reoxygenation–induced apoptosis. These protective effects are abolished by NRG gene deletion or silencing of NRG expression in EC. Finally, endothelium-selective deletion of NRG in vivo leads to significantly decreased tolerance to ischemic insult, as demonstrated by impaired postischemic contractile recovery in a perfused whole-organ preparation and larger infarct sizes after coronary artery ligation.

Conclusion—
Together, these data demonstrate that EC-derived NRG plays an important role in cardiac myocyte protection against ischemic injury in the heart and supports the idea that manipulation of this signaling pathway may be an important clinical target in this setting.
Continuous Low-Level Vagus Nerve Stimulation Reduces Stellate Ganglion Nerve Activity and Paroxysmal Atrial Tachyarrhythmias in Ambulatory Canines
Authors: Shen Mark J. , Shinohara Tetsuji , Park Hyung-Wook , Frick Kyle , Ice Daniel S. , Choi Eue-Keun , Han Seongwook , Maruyama Mitsunori , Sharma Rahul , Shen Changyu , Fishbein Michael C. , Chen Lan S. , Lopshire John C. , Zipes Douglas P. , Lin Shien-Fong , Chen Peng-Sheng 
Published: May 2011

Background—
We hypothesize that left-sided low-level vagus nerve stimulation (LL-VNS) can suppress sympathetic outflow and reduce atrial tachyarrhythmias in ambulatory dogs.

Methods and Results—

We implanted a neurostimulator in 12 dogs to stimulate the left cervical vagus nerve and a radiotransmitter for continuous recording of left stellate ganglion nerve activity, vagal nerve activities, and ECGs. Group 1 dogs (N=6) underwent 1 week of continuous LL-VNS. Group 2 dogs (N=6) underwent intermittent rapid atrial pacing followed by active or sham LL-VNS on alternate weeks. Integrated stellate ganglion nerve activity was significantly reduced during LL-VNS (7.8 mV/s; 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.94 to 8.66 versus 9.4 mV/s [95% CI, 8.5 to 10.3] at baseline;
P
=0.033) in group 1. The reduction was most apparent at 8
am
, along with a significantly reduced heart rate (
P
=0.008). Left-sided low-level vagus nerve stimulation did not change vagal nerve activity. The density of tyrosine hydroxylase–positive nerves in the left stellate ganglion 1 week after cessation of LL-VNS were 99 684 μm
2
/mm
2
(95% CI, 28 850 to 170 517) in LL-VNS dogs and 186 561 μm
2
/mm
2
(95% CI, 154 956 to 218 166;
P
=0.008) in normal dogs. In group 2, the frequencies of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and tachycardia during active LL-VNS were 1.4/d (95% CI, 0.5 to 5.1) and 8.0/d (95% CI, 5.3 to 12.0), respectively, significantly lower than during sham stimulation (9.2/d [95% CI, 5.3 to 13.1];
P
=0.001 and 22.0/d [95% CI, 19.1 to 25.5],
P
<0.001, respectively).

Conclusions—
Left-sided low-level vagus nerve stimulation suppresses stellate ganglion nerve activities and reduces the incidences of paroxysmal atrial tachyarrhythmias in ambulatory dogs. Significant neural remodeling of the left stellate ganglion is evident 1 week after cessation of continuous LL-VNS.
Brain Regions Engaged by Part- and Whole-task Performance in a Video Game: A Model-based Test of the Decomposition Hypothesis
Authors: Anderson John R. , Bothell Daniel , Fincham Jon M. , Anderson Abraham R. , Poole Ben , Qin Yulin 
Published: May 2011

AbstractPart- and whole-task conditions were created by manipulating the presence of certain components of the Space Fortress video game. A cognitive model was created for two-part games that could be combined into a model that performed the whole game. The model generated predictions both for behavioral patterns and activation patterns in various brain regions. The activation predictions concerned both tonic activation that was constant in these regions during performance of the game and phasic activation that occurred when there was resource competition. The model's predictions were confirmed about how tonic and phasic activation in different regions would vary with condition. These results support the Decomposition Hypothesis that the execution of a complex task can be decomposed into a set of information-processing components and that these components combine unchanged in different task conditions. In addition, individual differences in learning gains were predicted by individual differences in phasic activation in those regions that displayed highest tonic activity. This individual difference pattern suggests that the rate of learning of a complex skill is determined by capacity limits.
Evidence for Early Morphological Decomposition: Combining Masked Priming with Magnetoencephalography
Authors: Lehtonen Minna , Monahan Philip J. , Poeppel David 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
Are words stored as morphologically structured representations? If so, when during word recognition are morphological pieces accessed? Recent masked priming studies support models that assume early decomposition of (potentially) morphologically complex words. The electrophysiological evidence, however, is inconsistent. We combined masked morphological priming with magneto-encephalography (MEG), a technique particularly adept at indexing processes involved in lexical access. The latency of an MEG component peaking, on average, 220 msec post-onset of the target in left occipito-temporal brain regions was found to be sensitive to the morphological prime–target relationship under masked priming conditions in a visual lexical decision task. Shorter latencies for related than unrelated conditions were observed both for semantically transparent (cleaner–CLEAN) and opaque (corner–CORN) prime–target pairs, but not for prime–target pairs with only an orthographic relationship (brothel–BROTH). These effects are likely to reflect a prelexical level of processing where form-based representations of stems and affixes are represented and are in contrast to models positing no morphological structure in lexical representations. Moreover, we present data regarding the transitional probability from stem to affix in a post hoc comparison, which suggests that this factor may modulate early morphological decomposition, particularly for opaque words. The timing of a robust MEG component sensitive to the morphological relatedness of prime–target pairs can be used to further understand the neural substrates and the time course of lexical processing.
Is It a Baby? Perceived Age Affects Brain Processing of Faces Differently in Women and Men
Authors: Proverbio Alice Mado , Riva Federica , Zani Alberto , Martin Eleonora 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
It is known that infant faces stimulate visual and anterior brain regions belonging to the mesocortical limbic system (orbito-frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens) as well as the fusiform gyrus during face coding, suggesting a preferential response to baby schema. In the present investigation, faces of infants, children, and adults were presented to 40 male and female right-handed university students with technological objects (and inanimate scenarios to serve as targets) in a randomly mixed fashion. EEG was recorded from 128 scalp sites. In both sexes, the N1 response to infant faces was larger than the response to adult faces; however, the baby-specific N1 response was much larger in women than in men across the left hemisphere. The anterior N2 response to infants was greater than the response to children only in women, whereas the response to children of any age was larger than the response to adults in men. LORETA identified the intracranial sources of N2 response to infants in the left fusiform gyrus (FG), as well as the uncus, cingulate, and orbito-frontal cortices. The FG, the limbic, and especially the orbito-frontal sources were much larger in women than in men. The data suggest a sex difference in the brain response to faces of different ages and in the preferential response to infants, especially with regard to activation of the mesocorticolimbic system.
Self-Stratification of Tropical Cyclone Outflow. Part I: Implications for Storm Structure
Authors: Emanuel Kerry , Rotunno Richard 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
Extant theoretical work on the steady-state structure and intensity of idealized axisymmetric tropical cyclones relies on the assumption that isentropic surfaces in the storm outflow match those of the unperturbed environment at large distances from the storm’s core. These isentropic surfaces generally lie just above the tropopause, where the vertical temperature structure is approximately isothermal, so it has been assumed that the absolute temperature of the outflow is nearly constant. Here it is shown that this assumption is not justified, at least when applied to storms simulated by a convection-resolving axisymmetric numerical model in which much of the outflow occurs below the ambient tropopause and develops its own stratification, unrelated to that of the unperturbed environment. The authors propose that this stratification is set in the storm’s core by the requirement that the Richardson number remain near its critical value for the onset of small-scale turbulence. This ansatz is tested by calculating the Richardson number in numerically simulated storms, and then showing that the assumption of constant Richardson number determines the variation of the outflow temperature with angular momentum or entropy and thereby sets the low-level radial structure of the storm outside its radius of maximum surface winds. Part II will show that allowing the outflow temperature to vary also allows one to discard an empirical factor that was introduced in previous work on the intensification of tropical cyclones.
Airborne Measurement of Liquid and Total Water Content
Authors: Vidaurre German , Hallett John , Rogers David C. 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
Two identical liquid water content (LWC) King probes—one total water content/liquid water content (TWC/LWC) Nevzorov probe and two constant-temperature T probes that are different in size to distinguish particles of different densities and diameters (section 2c)—were flown during the Alliance Icing Research Study (AIRS) II field campaign in the fall of 2003. This paper assesses measurements performed during several flights in mostly stratiform clouds. The two LWC King probes tracked well; however, discrepancies of up to 0.1 g m−3 for 1-s LWC measurements of 0.3 g m−3 were observed. Agreement between probes of different geometry and size was generally favorable, while levels of disagreement between the probes changed during numerous cloud penetrations from less than 20% up to a factor of 2, varying with flight conditions and microphysical structure of the cloud. Disagreement between probes was even larger when detecting ice water content (IWC). Measurement differences were attributed to different collection efficiencies resulting from preferred particle size, shape, and density and local aerodynamic effects around the aircraft. Measurements from a single probe are subject to uncertainty at a single point in time beyond the noise and drift level of the instrument. This uncertainty is evaluated considering particle habit, diameter, and density, and probe geometry and size, in addition to particle impact, breakup/splash, and bounce. From a working point of view, the intercomparison of several probes is subject to real but unknown spatial differences because of different locations between air samples. Comparison of identical probes is not appropriate because each measurement in itself is unique by definition. Thus, instead of duplication of instruments, subject to these levels of agreement, the use of a single probe is a practical approach while remaining aware of its limitations and capabilities.
Precipitation Forecasting Using Doppler Radar Data, a Cloud Model with Adjoint, and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model: Real Case Studies during SoWMEX in Taiwan
Authors: Tai Sheng-Lun , Liou Yu-Chieng , Sun Juanzhen , Chang Shao-Fan , Kuo Min-Chao 
Published: May 2011

Abstract
The quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) capability of the Variational Doppler Radar Analysis System (VDRAS) is investigated in the Taiwan area, where the complex topography and surrounding oceans pose great challenges to accurate rainfall prediction. Two real cases observed during intensive operation periods (IOPs) 4 and 8 of the 2008 Southwest Monsoon Experiment (SoWMEX) are selected for this study. Experiments are first carried out to explore the sensitivity of the retrieved fields and model forecasts with respect to different background fields. All results after assimilation of the Doppler radar data indicate that the principal kinematic and thermodynamic features recovered by the VDRAS four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) technique are rather reasonable. Starting from a background field generated by blending ground-based in situ measurements (radiosonde and surface mesonet station) and reanalysis data over the oceans, VDRAS is capable of capturing the evolution of the major precipitation systems after 2 h of simulation. The model QPF capability is generally comparable to or better than that obtained using only in situ observations or reanalysis data to prepare the background fields. In a second set of experiments, it is proposed to merge the VDRAS analysis field with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF), and let the latter continue with the following model integration. The results indicate that through this combination, the performance of the model QPF can be further improved. The accuracy of the predicted 2-h accumulated rainfall turns out to be significantly higher than that generated by using VDRAS or WRF alone. This can be attributed to the assimilation of meso- and convective-scale information, embedded in the radar data, into VDRAS, and to better treatment of the topographic effects by the WRF simulation. The results illustrated in this study demonstrate a feasible extension for the application of VDRAS in other regions with similar geographic conditions and observational limitations.
Hemodynamic evaluation of arterial and venous cannulae performance in a simulated neonatal extracorporeal life support circuit
Authors: Qiu F. , Clark J.B. , Kunselman A.R. , Ündar A. , Myers J.L. 
Published: May 2011

Objective: To construct an ideal extracorporeal life support (ECLS) circuit in terms of hemodynamic performance, each component of the circuit should be evaluated. Most cannulae manufacturers evaluate their products using water as the priming solution. We conducted this study to evaluate the different sizes of arterial and venous cannulae in a simulated neonatal ECLS circuit primed with human blood. Methods: The simulated neonatal ECLS circuit was composed of a Capiox Baby RX05 oxygenator, a Rotaflow centrifugal pump and a heater & cooler unit. Three Medtronic Bio-Medicus arterial cannulae (8Fr, 10Fr, 12Fr) and three venous cannulae (10Fr, 12Fr, 14Fr) were tested in seven combinations (8A-10V, 8A-12V, 10A-10V, 10A-12V, 10A-14V, 12A-12V, 12A-14V). All the experiments were conducted using human blood at a hematocrit of 40% and at a constant temperature of 37°C. The “tip to tip” priming volume of the entire circuit was 135ml. The blood volume of the pseudo patient was 500ml. Results: Flow rates increased linearly with increasing size in both venous and arterial cannulae at the same pump speeds. The increase in flow rate was greater when changing the arterial cannulae (next size larger) compared to changing the venous cannulae (next size larger). The pressure drops of the arterial cannula were correlated with the flow rates, regardless of the pseudo patient pressure and the venous cannula used simultaneously. Conclusions: The results show the difference in flow ranges and pressure drops of seven combinations of arterial and venous cannulae. It also suggests that the arterial cannula, not the venous cannula, has greater impact on the flow rate when a centrifugal pump is used in a neonatal ECLS circuit. The results of this study have been translated to further advancing the clinical practice in our institution.
Quantitative Analysis of the Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Ulnar Footprint and Its Relationship to the Ulnar Sublime Tubercle
Authors: Farrow Lutul D. , Mahoney Andrew J. , Stefancin John J. , Taljanovic Mihra S. , Sheppard Joseph E. , Schickendantz Mark S. 
Published: May 2011

Background: The medial ulnar collateral ligament is the major soft tissue restraint to valgus displacement of the elbow. Currently, little has been published regarding the medial ulnar collateral ligament’s ulnar footprint. Hypothesis: The medial ulnar collateral ligament has a long attachment onto the ulna and the anatomy of the footprint is consistent. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: The authors studied the morphologic characteristics of the ulnar footprint of the medial ulnar collateral ligament in 10 fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens, 100 osseous specimens, and with 3-dimensional computed tomography in an additional 10 osseous specimens. They measured the length of the anterior band’s ulnar attachment and the entire ligament length. They also measured the length of the osseous ridge, which extends distally from the sublime tubercle in both osseous specimens and on computed tomography. Results: The mean length of the medial ulnar collateral ligament was 53.9 mm and the mean length of the ulnar soft tissue footprint was 29.2 mm. The authors identified an osseous ridge that extended distally from the sublime tubercle to just medial to the ulnar insertion of the brachialis muscle tendon. This osseous ridge was present in all osseous and fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens. The mean length of this osseous ridge was 24.5 mm. Conclusion: The medial ulnar collateral ligament has a long attachment along the proximal ulna. The ligament attaches to a previously undescribed ridge of bone located on the medial aspect of the proximal ulna, the medial ulnar collateral ligament ridge. This ridge is present in all skeletal specimens. Clinical Relevance: Injuries to the medial ulnar collateral ligament are common. Published success rates after reconstruction of the medial ulnar collateral ligament are highly variable. The present study illustrates how current reconstruction techniques fail to fully restore the true anatomy of the native ligament. Further studies are needed to investigate this issue.
Adiponectin and cardiovascular risk profile in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: parameters associated with adiponectin complex distribution
Authors: Hamilton Mark P , Gore M. Odette , Ayers Colby R , Xinyu Wu  , McGuire Darren K , Scherer Philipp E 
Published: May 2011

Aims: Plasma levels of the adipokine adiponectin are accepted as excellent correlates to metabolic health. Here, we aim to characterise associations between circulating plasma adiponectin complexes and baseline parameters in a population of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Methods: We measured levels of high molecular weight (HMW), low molecular weight (LMW) and trimeric adiponectin. Results: The study population comprised 53 subjects, mean age 57 years, 36% non-white and 44% women, with an average body mass index (BMI) of 34 and duration of DM of 8.5 years. There was an established history of cardiovascular disease in 36% of the patients. BMI was inversely associated with the proportion of HMW adiponectin compared with LMW and trimeric adiponectin. Longer duration of DM correlated with an increased proportion of trimeric adiponectin. Conclusions: Patients with elevated BMI, longer history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease have lower levels of the higher order adiponectin complex. In addition, we have measured for the first time levels of trimeric adiponectin in a diabetic population using high resolution fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) analysis and identified trimeric adiponectin as a promising new biomarker for cardiovascular disease with a stronger correlative relationship to cardiovascular disease than HMW adiponectin.
Beneficial effects of angiotensin (1–7) in diabetic rats with cardiomyopathy
Authors: Singh Kulwinder , Singh Tajinder , Sharma P. L. 
Published: May 2011

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the effect of angiotensin (1–7), a Mas receptor agonist, and A-779, a Mas receptor antagonist, in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). Methods: Rats treated with a single injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), developed DC after 8 weeks. The extent of DC was assessed by measuring the left ventricular weight/body weight (LVW/BW) ratio, absolute LVW, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), maximum change in left ventricular pressure over time (dp/dtmax), minimum change in left ventricular pressure over time (dp/dtmin), left ventricular (LV) protein content, LV collagen content, lipid profile, and serum nitrite/nitrate concentration. Test drug treatment was given from week 4 to week 8. Results: Angiotensin (1–7) treatment attenuated DC by significantly increasing LVDP, dp/dtmax, dp/dtmin, serum nitrite/nitrate concentration and significantly decreasing the LVW/BW ratio and LV collagen content. For the first time, this study has documented that endogenous angiotensin (1–7) regulates lipid profile in rats, and that treatment with angiotensin (1–7) significantly attenuates diabetes-induced changes in lipid profile. However, LV protein content and absolute LVW remain unaffected after treatment. Conclusion: Angiotensin (1–7) significantly attenuates DC in rats because of vasodilatory, antiproliferative and anifibrotic properties but also because of a significant decrease in dyslipidemia, the major culprit for cardiac dysfunctions in diabetes.