bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ferrites and Different Winding Types in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Authors: Sekerák Peter , Hrabovcová Valéria , Pyrhönen Juha , Kalamen Lukáš , Rafajdus Pavol , Onufer Matúš 
Published: July 2012

Ferrites and Different Winding Types in Permanent Magnet Synchronous MotorThis paper deals with design of permanent magnet synchronous machines with ferrites. The ferrites became popular due to their low cost and cost increasing of NdFeB. The progress in ferrite properties in the last decade allows the use of ferrites in high power applications. Three models of ferrite motors are presented. It is shown that also the type of stator winding and the shape of the slot opening have an important effect on the PMSM properties. The first motor has a distributed winding, the second motor has concentrated, non-overlapping winding and open stator slots. The third motor has a concentrated non-overlapping winding and semi - open slots. All models are designed for the same output power and they do not have the same dimensions. The paper shows how important the design of an electric machine is for excellent motor properties or better to say how the motor properties can be improved by an appropriate design.
Distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in floral organs of Araceae in relation to pollination strategy
Authors: Coté Gary G. , Gibernau Marc 
Published: July 2012

• Premise of the study: Many flowers are pollinated by potentially hungry insects, yet flowers also contain gametes and embryos which must be protected from predation. Microscopic calcium oxalate crystals in plant tissues have been proposed to protect against herbivory. Aroids, which have an unusual diversity of such crystals, also exhibit diverse pollination strategies. Many species have pollinators that do not feed while visiting the flowers, while other species, especially those pollinated by beetles, offer sterile staminodia as food rewards. We examined flowers of 21 aroid species with various pollination strategies to test the hypothesis that crystals protect vital gametes and embryos while allowing consumption of food bribes.• Methods: Aroid inflorescences collected from the field or from greenhouse material were sectioned, cleared, and examined by bright field and polarization microscopy.• Key results: All species examined, regardless of pollination strategy, arrayed crystals around unshed pollen and ovules. Less vital tissues, such as odoriferous appendages, had few crystals. Staminodia offered as food to beetle pollinators, however, differed greatly between species in their crystal contents. Some had minimal crystals; some had crystals in patterns suggesting they limit beetle feeding; still others had abundant crystals in no obvious pattern.• Conclusions: The results are consistent with crystals protecting against insect predation of gametes and embryos. However, the role of crystals in food‐bribe staminodia is unclear. They may limit and direct feeding by beetles in some species, while in others they might have no protective role.
Plasticity in bundle sheath extensions of heterobaric leaves
Authors: Lynch Douglas J. , McInerney Francesca A. , Kouwenberg Lenny L.R. , Gonzalez‐Meler Miquel A. 
Published: July 2012

• Premise of the study: Leaf venation is linked to physiological performance, playing a critical role in ecosystem function. Despite the importance of leaf venation, associated bundle sheath extensions (BSEs) remain largely unstudied. Here, we quantify plasticity in the spacing of BSEs over irradiance and precipitation gradients. Because physiological function(s) of BSEs remain uncertain, we additionally explored a link between BSEs and water use efficiency (WUE).• Methods: We sampled leaves of heterobaric trees along intracrown irradiance gradients in natural environments and growth chambers and correlated BSE spacing to incident irradiance. Additionally, we sampled leaves along a precipitation gradient and correlated BSE spacing to precipitation and bulk δ13C, a proxy for intrinsic WUE. BSE spacing was quantified using a novel semiautomatic method on fresh leaf tissue.• Key results: With increased irradiance or decreased precipitation, Liquidambar styraciflua decreased BSE spacing, while Acer saccharum showed little variation in BSE spacing. Two additional species, Quercus robur and Platanus occidentalis, decreased BSE spacing with increased irradiance in growth chambers. BSE spacing correlated with bulk δ13C, a proxy for WUE in L. styraciflua, Q. robur, and P. occidentalis leaves but not in leaves of A. saccharum.• Conclusions: We demonstrated that BSE spacing is plastic with respect to irradiance or precipitation and independent from veins, indicating BSE involvement in leaf adaptation to a microenvironment. Plasticity in BSE spacing was correlated with WUE only in some species, not supporting a function in water relations. We discuss a possible link between BSE plasticity and life history, particularly canopy position.
Risks, Subtypes, and Hospitalization Costs of Stroke Among Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan
Authors: WANG I-KUAN , MUO CHIH-HSIN , CHANG YI-CHIH , LIANG CHIH-CHIA , LIN SHIH-YI , CHANG CHIZ-TZUNG , YEN TZUNG-HAI , CHUANG FENG-RONG , CHEN PEI-CHUN , HUANG CHIU-CHING , SUNG FUNG-CHANG 
Published: July 2012

Objective.To compare risks, subtypes, and hospitalization costs of stroke between cohorts with and without systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods.From the catastrophic illnesses registry of Taiwan’s universal health insurance claims data, we identified 13,689 patients with SLE diagnosed in 1997–2008 and selected 54,756 non-SLE controls, frequency-matched with age (every 5 years), sex, and index year. Age-specific and type-specific stroke incidence, hazard, and cost of stroke were compared between the 2 cohorts to the end of 2008.Results.Compared with the non-SLE cohort, the risk of stroke was 3.2-fold higher in the SLE cohort (5.53 vs 1.74 per 1000 person-years) with an overall adjusted HR of 2.90 (95% CI 2.52–3.33). The age-specific risk was the highest in patients 1–17 years old (HR 163, 95% CI 22.2–1197) and decreased as age increased (p = 0.004). Hypertension and renal disease were the most important comorbidities in the SLE cohort predicting stroke risk (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.28–2.39 and HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.32–2.10, respectively). There were more hemorrhagic strokes in the SLE cohort than in the non-SLE cohort, but not significantly (28.0% vs 23.4%; p = 0.10). The hospitalization cost for stroke patients was more than twice the cost for those with SLE than for those without (p < 0.0001).Conclusion.Stroke risk and hospital care costs are considerably greater for patients with SLE than without. The relative risk of stroke is the highest in young patients with SLE.
Detection of Inflammatory Lesions by F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis
Authors: OWADA TAKAYOSHI , MAEZAWA REIKA , KURASAWA KAZUHIRO , OKADA HARUTSUGU , ARAI SATOKO , FUKUDA TAKESHI 
Published: July 2012

Objective.To evaluate the usefulness of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging in the management of patients with inflammatory myopathy. We examined whether FDG-PET scanning detects myositis or extramuscular lesions in patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM).Methods.FDG-PET imaging was performed in 24 patients with active inflammatory myopathy (PM, 11; DM, 13). The images were read by radiologists in a blinded manner. FDG uptake into muscles was judged positive when the intensity of muscles was higher than or equal to that of the liver. As controls, FDG imaging findings of patients with a lung mass and without muscle diseases were used. To investigate associations between FDG-PET findings and clinical/laboratory findings, the patients’ medical records were reviewed retrospectively.Results.Increased FDG uptake in muscles was found in 8 of 24 (33%) patients. In 67 of 69 (97%) controls without muscle diseases, no muscle FDG uptake was detected. The sensitivity of FDG-PET to detect myositis was lower than that of electromyogram (EMG), magnetic resonance imaging, and muscle biopsy. There were no significant differences in clinical manifestations between patients with and without increased FDG uptake in muscles, although patients with FDG muscle uptake had a tendency to have extended myositis with endomysial cell infiltration. FDG-PET detected neoplasms in patients with associated malignancy. FDG uptake in lungs was found in 7 of 18 patients with interstitial lung disease.Conclusion.FDG-PET imaging has limited usefulness for the evaluation of myositis in patients with PM/DM because of its low sensitivity, although it might be useful for detection of malignancy in these patients.
Procalcitonin Is a Specific Marker for Detecting Bacterial Infection in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: SATO HIROE , TANABE NAOHITO , MURASAWA AKIRA , OTAKI YASUHIRO , SAKAI TAKEHITO , SUGAYA TOSHIAKI , ITO SATOSHI , OTANI HIROSHI , ABE ASAMI , ISHIKAWA HAJIME , NAKAZONO KIYOSHI , KURODA TAKESHI , NAKANO MASAAKI , NARITA ICHIEI 
Published: July 2012

Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease accompanied by many complications, and serious infections are associated with many of the advanced therapeutics used to treat it. We assessed serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels to distinguish bacterial infection from other complications in patients with RA.Methods.One hundred eighteen patients experiencing an RA flare, noninfectious complication of RA or its treatment, nonbacterial infection, or bacterial infection were studied. Serum PCT concentrations were determined with a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.Results.All patients experiencing an RA flare showed negative PCT levels (≤ 0.1 ng/ml; n = 18). The PCT level was higher in the bacterial infection group (25.8% had levels ≥ 0.5 ng/ml) than in the other 3 groups (0.0–4.3% had levels ≥ 0.5 ng/ml) and the difference was significant among groups (p = 0.003). Conversely, no statistically significant difference was observed among the groups with C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration ≥ 0.3 mg/dl (p = 0.513), white blood cell (WBC) count > 8500/mm3 (p = 0.053), or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) > 15 mm/h (p = 0.328). The OR of high PCT level (≥ 0.5 ng/ml) for detection of bacterial infection was 19.13 (95% CI 2.44–149.78, p = 0.005). Specificity and positive likelihood ratio of PCT ≥ 0.5 ng/ml were highest (98.2% and 14.33, respectively) for detection of bacterial infection, although the sensitivity was low (25.8%).Conclusion.Serum PCT level is a more specific marker for detection of bacterial infection than either CRP, ESR, or WBC count in patients with RA. High PCT levels (≥ 0.5 ng/ml) strongly suggest bacterial infection. However, PCT < 0.5 ng/ml, even if < 0.2 ng/ml, does not rule out bacterial infection and physicians should treat appropriately.
Ultrasound in the Assessment of Pulmonary Fibrosis in Connective Tissue Disorders: Correlation with High-Resolution Computed Tomography
Authors: TARDELLA MARIKA , GUTIERREZ MARWIN , SALAFFI FAUSTO , CAROTTI MARINA , ARIANI ALARICO , BERTOLAZZI CHIARA , FILIPPUCCI EMILIO , GRASSI WALTER 
Published: July 2012

Objective.To investigate the correlation between ultrasound (US) B-lines and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in the assessment of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in patients with connective tissue disorders (CTD).Methods.Thirty-four patients with a diagnosis of CTD were included. Each patient underwent clinical examination, pulmonary function test (PFT), chest HRCT, and lung US by an experienced radiologist or rheumatologist. A second rheumatologist carried out US examinations to assess interobserver agreement. In each patient, US B-line lung assessment including 50 intercostal spaces (IS) was performed. For the anterior and lateral chest, the IS were the second to the fifth along the parasternal, mid-clavicular, anterior axillary, and medial axillary lines (the left fifth IS of the anterior and lateral chest was not performed because of the presence of the heart, which limits lung visualization). For the posterior chest, the IS assessed were the seventh to the eighth along the posterior-axillary and subscapular lines. The second to eighth IS were assessed in the paravertebral line. In each IS, the number of US B-lines under the transducer was recorded, summed, and graded according to the following semiquantitative scoring: grade 0 = normal (< 10 B-lines); grade 1 = mild (11 to 20 B-lines); grade 2 = moderate (21 to 50 B-lines); and grade 3 = marked (> 50 B-lines).Results.A total of 1700 IS in 34 patients were assessed. A significant linear correlation was found between the US score and the HRCT score (p < 0.001; correlation coefficient ρ = 0.875). A positive correlation was found between US B-line assessments and values of DLCO (p = 0.014). Both κ values and overall percentages of interobserver agreement showed excellent agreement.Conclusion.Our study demonstrates that US B-line assessment may be a useful and reliable additional imaging method in the evaluation of PF in patients with CTD.
Defining the Minimally Important Change for the SpondyloArthritis Research Consortium of Canada Spine and Sacroiliac Joint Magnetic Resonance Imaging Indices for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: MAKSYMOWYCH WALTER P. , LAMBERT ROBERT G. , BROWN L. STEVEN , PANGAN AILEEN L. 
Published: July 2012

Objective.To define the minimally important change (MIC) in the SpondyloArthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) spine and sacroiliac (SI) joint magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Methods.MRI scans were performed during a placebo-controlled trial of adalimumab (no. NCT00195819). Two independent readers, blinded to treatment and sequence, determined SPARCC scores for the spine and SI joints and a global evaluation of change (GEC; “much worse,” “worse,” “no change,” “better,” or “much better”; categories other than “no change” were pooled together as “change”) between baseline–Week 12, baseline–Week 52, and Weeks 12–52. Mean absolute changes in SPARCC scores (95% CI) were calculated for each interval, treatment group, and GEC. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify the MIC. Relationships of MIC to clinical responses were examined.Results.Reader agreement on GEC evaluations was > 70%. Changes in SPARCC scores were generally comparable between time intervals and treatment groups for “change” and “no change” categories and were combined for each category; change in score was significantly associated with GEC of “change” (area under ROC curves: spine 0.839; SI joints 0.960). ROC curves peaked at values of 5.0 for the spine and 2.5 for SI joints. Placebo-treated patients achieving > 2.5 unit improvement in SI joint score had significantly better clinical responses than placebo-treated patients who did not achieve such improvement. MRI and clinical responses were uncoupled in adalimumab-treated patients.Conclusion.We propose that changes of 5.0 for the spine and 2.5 for SI joints define the MIC for the SPARCC MRI indices.
Performance, apprentissage et santé des étudiants
Authors: Marra Donata 
Published: July 2012

Résumé Dans une société où les indices de performance se multiplient et où le culte de la réussite individuelle ne laisse pas de place à l’échec, devenir ou rester performant dans ses études peut être à l’origine de consommation de psychostimulants. Bien que le phénomène reste limité chez les étudiants, la « cosméto-neurologie » avec recours à des molécules dopantes sur le plan cognitif est source de débats : pour certains évolution normale et attendue de la médecine et de ses bénéfices, pour d’autres évolution dont les répercussions sur le fonctionnement cérébral sont d’autant plus inquiétantes qu’elles sont difficiles à évaluer. Devenir de l’équité, pressions pour rester performant... les questions éthiques sont nombreuses. Il est urgent de proposer des interventions permettant aux étudiants de développer des méthodes d’apprentissage efficaces et de leur enseigner les bienfaits et l’utilité des interactions entre réussite et mode de vie : apprendre à apprendre avec plaisir et efficacité...
Le dopage et ses conséquences en termes de santé individuelle et de santé publique
Authors: Duclos Martine 
Published: July 2012

Résumé Les données scientifiques montrent que le dopage hormonal peut augmenter les performances sportives, sachant que les doses utilisées dans les études sont bien inférieures à celles qui peuvent être utilisées par les sportifs. Toutes les analyses s’accordent aussi pour montrer que ce dopage se fait aux dépens de la santé du sportif. De plus, l’accès à des produits via Internet peut conduire à l’usage « tout public » de produits dopants. Ainsi, le dopage dépasse le cadre du seul sport de haut niveau et devient aujourd’hui un problème de santé publique.
Chronic Activation of the Kinase IKKβ Impairs T Cell Function and Survival
Authors: Krishna Sruti , Xie Danli , Gorentla Balachandra , Shin Jinwook , Gao Jimin , Zhong Xiao-Ping 
Published: July 2012

Abstract
Activation of the transcription factor NF-κB is critical for cytokine production and T cell survival after TCR engagement. The effects of persistent NF-κB activity on T cell function and survival are poorly understood. In this study, using a murine model that expresses a constitutively active form of inhibitor of NF-κB kinase β (caIKKβ) in a T cell-specific manner, we demonstrate that chronic inhibitor of NF-κB kinase β signaling promotes T cell apoptosis, attenuates responsiveness to TCR-mediated stimulation in vitro, and impairs T cell responses to bacterial infection in vivo. caIKKβ T cells showed increased Fas ligand expression and caspase-8 activation, and blocking Fas/Fas ligand interactions enhanced cell survival. T cell unresponsiveness was associated with defects in TCR proximal signaling and elevated levels of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1, a transcriptional repressor that promotes T cell exhaustion. caIKKβ T cells also showed a defect in IL-2 production, and addition of exogenous IL-2 enhanced their survival and proliferation. Conditional deletion of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 partially rescued the sensitivity of caIKKβ T cells to TCR triggering. Furthermore, adoptively transferred caIKKβ T cells showed diminished expansion and increased contraction in response to infection with Listeria monocytogenes expressing a cognate Ag. Despite their functional defects, caIKKβ T cells readily produced proinflammatory cytokines, and mice developed autoimmunity. In contrast to NF-κB’s critical role in T cell activation and survival, our study demonstrates that persistent IKK–NF-κB signaling is sufficient to impair both T cell function and survival.
Targeting Stat3 Induces Senescence in Tumor Cells and Elicits Prophylactic and Therapeutic Immune Responses against Breast Cancer Growth Mediated by NK Cells and CD4+ T Cells
Authors: Tkach Mercedes , Coria Lorena , Rosemblit Cinthia , Rivas Martín A. , Proietti Cecilia J. , Díaz Flaqué María Celeste , Beguelin Wendy , Frahm Isabel , Charreau Eduardo H. , Cassataro Juliana , Elizalde Patricia V. , Schillaci Roxana 
Published: July 2012

Abstract
Aberrant Stat3 activation and signaling contribute to malignant transformation by promoting cell cycle progression, inhibiting apoptosis, and mediating tumor immune evasion. Stat3 inhibition in tumor cells induces the expression of chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines, so we proposed to apply Stat3-inhibited breast cancer cells as a source of immunogens to induce an antitumor immune response. Studies were performed in two murine breast cancer models in which Stat3 is activated: progestin-dependent C4HD cells and 4T1 cells. We immunized BALB/c mice with irradiated cancer cells previously transfected with a dominant-negative Stat3 vector (Stat3Y705F) in either a prophylactic or a therapeutic manner. Prophylactic administration of breast cancer cells transfected with Stat3Y705F (Stat3Y705F-breast cancer cells) inhibited primary tumor growth compared with administration of empty vector-transfected cells in both models. In the 4T1 model, 50% of the challenged mice were tumor free, and the incidence of metastasis decreased by 90%. In vivo assays of C4HD tumors showed that the antitumor immune response involves the participation of CD4+ T cells and cytotoxic NK cells. Therapeutic immunization with Stat3Y705F-breast cancer cells inhibited tumor growth, promoted tumor cell differentiation, and decreased metastasis. Furthermore, inhibition of Stat3 activation in breast cancer cells induced cellular senescence, contributing to their immunogenic phenotype. In this work, we provide preclinical proof of concept that ablating Stat3 signaling in breast cancer cells results in an effective immunotherapy against breast cancer growth and metastasis. Moreover, our findings showing that Stat3 inactivation results in induction of a cellular senescence program disclose a potential mechanism for immunotherapy research.
Transgenic Overexpression of G5PR That Is Normally Augmented in Centrocytes Impairs the Enrichment of High-Affinity Antigen-Specific B Cells, Increases Peritoneal B-1a Cells, and Induces Autoimmunity in Aged Female Mice
Authors: Kitabatake Masahiro , Toda Teppei , Kuwahara Kazuhiko , Igarashi Hideya , Ohtsuji Mareki , Tsurui Hiromichi , Hirose Sachiko , Sakaguchi Nobuo 
Published: July 2012

Abstract
To investigate signals that control B cell selection, we examined expression of G5PR, a regulatory subunit of the serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A, which suppresses JNK phosphorylation. G5PR is upregulated in activated B cells, in Ki67-negative centrocytes at germinal centers (GCs), and in purified B220+Fas+GL7+ mature GC B cells following Ag immunization. G5PR rescues transformed B cells from BCR-mediated activation-induced cell death by suppression of late-phase JNK activation. In G5PR-transgenic (G5PRTg) mice, G5PR overexpression leads to an augmented generation of GC B cells via an increase in non-Ag–specific B cells and a consequent reduction in the proportion of Ag-specific B cells and high-affinity Ab production after immunization with nitrophenyl-conjugated chicken γ-globulin. G5PR overexpression impaired the affinity–maturation of Ag-specific B cells, presumably by diluting the numbers of high-affinity B cells. However, aged nonimmunized female G5PRTg mice showed an increase in the numbers of peritoneal B-1a cells and the generation of autoantibodies. G5PR overexpression did not affect the proliferation of B-1a and B-2 cells but rescued B-1a cells from activation-induced cell death in vitro. G5PR might play a pivotal role in B cell selection not only for B-2 cells but also for B-1 cells in peripheral lymphoid organs.