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Rotating electric machines are subject to forced vibration by magnetic force excitation with wide-band frequency spectrum that are dependent on the operating conditions. Therefore, when designing the electric machines, it is inevitable to compute the vibration response of the machines at various operating conditions efficiently and accurately. This paper presents an efficient frequency-domain vibration analysis method for the electric machines. The method enables the efficient re-analysis of the vibration response of electric machines at various operating conditions without the necessity to re-compute the harmonic response by finite element analyses. Theoretical background of the proposed method is provided, which is based on the modal reduction of the magnetic force excitation by a set of amplitude-modulated standing-waves. The method is applied to the forced response vibration of the interior permanent magnet motor at a fixed operating condition. The results computed by the proposed method agree very well with those computed by the conventional harmonic response analysis by the FEA. The proposed method is then applied to the spin-up test condition to demonstrate its applicability to various operating conditions. It is observed that the proposed method can successfully be applied to the spin-up test conditions, and the measured dominant frequency peaks in the frequency response can be well captured by the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact guidance is a cellular phenomenon observed during wound healing and developmental patterning, in which adherent cells align in the same direction due to physical cues. Despite numerous studies, the molecular mechanism underlying the consistent cell orientation is poorly understood. Here we fabricated microgrooves with a pitch of submicrons to study contact guidance of smooth muscle cells. We show that both integrin-based cell–substrate adhesions and cellular tension are necessary to achieve contact guidance along microgrooves. We further show through analyses on paxillin that cell–substrate adhesions are more prone to become mature when they run along microgrooves than align at an angle to the direction of microgrooves. Because cellular tension promotes the maturation of cell–substrate adhesions, we propose that the adhesions aligning across microgrooves are not physically efficient for bearing cellular tension compared to those aligning along microgrooves. Thus, the proposed model describes a mechanism of contact guidance that cells would finally align preferentially along microgrooves because cellular tensions are more easily borne within the direction, and the direction of resulting mature adhesions determines the direction of the whole cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a method for introducing large objects of up to a micrometer in diameter into cultured mammalian cells by electrofusion of giant unilamellar vesicles. We prepared GUVs containing various artificial objects using a water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion centrifugation method. GUVs and dispersed HeLa cells were exposed to an alternating current (AC) field to induce a linear cell–GUV alignment, and then a direct current (DC) pulse was applied to facilitate transient electrofusion. With uniformly sized fluorescent beads as size indexes, we successfully and efficiently introduced beads of 1 µm in diameter into living cells along with a plasmid mammalian expression vector. Our electrofusion did not affect cell viability. After the electrofusion, cells proliferated normally until confluence was reached, and the introduced fluorescent beads were inherited during cell division. Analysis by both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry supported these findings. As an alternative approach, we also introduced a designed nanostructure (DNA origami) into live cells. The results we report here represent a milestone for designing artificial symbiosis of functionally active objects (such as micro-machines) in living cells. Moreover, our technique can be used for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cell manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is a rare clinical phenomenon defined as the paradoxical growth of mature teratoma components during or after chemotherapy. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not well understood. We present two cases of pineal mixed germ cell tumors that exhibited the similar course to GTS and speculate its pathogenesis. Case report: The first case was accompanied by slightly elevated alpha-fetoprotein (8.8 ng/ml; normal <6.6 ng/ml). The tumor rapidly grew from 1.5 to 2.7 cm in diameter within 4 weeks. Despite this rapid preoperative growth, thorough pathological investigation found only mature teratoma components along with multiple micro- and macro-cysts. The other case was diagnosed as a pure germinoma based on biopsy and serological examinations. During three courses of chemotherapy, this tumor presented a honeycomb-like appearance on magnetic resonance (MR) images and an exceptionally rapid enlargement. Second-look surgery confirmed the histological diagnosis of a mature teratoma. In both cases, meticulous pathological examination of all whole tumor sections revealed no malignant histological features, and the MIB-1 labeling indices were too low to account for the extremely rapid tumor growth. Instead, both MR images and histological findings demonstrated a predominant formation of multiple cysts. Conclusion: We speculate that this paradoxical growth might not be tumorous proliferation but instead the formation and expansion of multiple cysts inside mature teratoma components and that the presence or absence of growth might be a subsidiary phenomenon. Our hypothesis appears consistent with the characteristic radiological findings of GTS reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The tensor fascia lata (TFL) flap is used to reconstruct various anatomical structures in different regions of the body. We herein describe the use of TFL flaps for a variety of indications, and discuss the results of such procedures with respect to postoperative complications in oncology patients. Methods: We reviewed 15 oncology patients who were treated with TFL flaps. Results: The lesions were located in the groin in five patients, the lower abdomen in five, and the buttocks, ischium, shoulder, thigh and upper abdomen in one patient each. Abdominal wall reconstruction was performed in nine patients. Three patients underwent resection of femoral vessels and the tumor in the groin, followed by a vascular graft implant. In these patients, the combined flaps were transferred to reconstruct the defects. Nine patients developed complications. No total flap loss occurred in any patient. Conclusions: Postoperative complications, such as necrosis in the distal part of the flap (33 %) and ventral hernias (11 %) were seen, but these percentages were comparable to those seen in previous reports. Our review shows that the TFL flap is useful to reconstruct the defects in various anatomical sites in oncology patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Electromyostimulation (EMS) induces a short-term change in muscle metabolism, and EMS training induces long-term improvements of muscle atrophy and function. However, the effects of EMS training on intramuscular fat in older adults are still poorly known. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the intramuscular fat index and biochemical parameters change with EMS training of the quadriceps femoris muscles in older adults. Methods: Nineteen non-obese older men and women performed EMS training of the quadriceps femoris for 12 weeks (3 times/week; single session for 30 min). The intramuscular fat content index was estimated by echo intensity of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris muscles on ultrasonography, and muscle thickness was also measured. Muscle strength was assessed as the maximal voluntary contraction during isometric knee extension. Echo intensity, muscle thickness, and muscle strength were measured before and after EMS training. A rested/fasting blood samples were collected before and after EMS training for measuring plasma glucose, insulin, free fatty acid, triglyceride, and interleukin-6 concentrations. To examine the acute effect of a single-EMS session on biochemical parameters, blood samples were taken before and after the EMS session. Results: EMS training did not significantly change echo intensity in muscles, muscle thickness, muscle strength, or biochemical parameters. Regarding the acute effect on blood lipid concentrations, a single-EMS session increased free fatty acid and glucose concentrations. Conclusion: EMS sessions had an acute effect of increasing free fatty acid and glucose concentrations, but EMS training intervention did not improve intramuscular fat content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Let denote the independence number of graph , i.e., the size of any maximum independent set of vertices. A graph is contraction-critical (with respect to ) if , for every edge , where denotes the graph obtained from by shrinking the edge to a single vertex and deleting the loop thus formed. Let us denote the class of all such contraction-critical graphs by . First it is shown that all graphs in must be bipartite. Let be a bipartite graph with bipartition . It is then shown that (a) if , then if and only if is the unique maximum independent set in if and only if is 1-expanding, while (b) if , then if and only if and are the only two maximum independent sets in if and only if is 1-extendable. It follows that graphs can be recognized in polynomial time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Airway remodeling is implicated in irreversible airflow limitation of refractory asthma, which includes increased smooth muscle mass and subepithelial fibrosis. Activated fibroblasts acquire contractile phenotype to participate in tissue contraction and structural alteration of extracellular matrices. Histamine is a potent mediator of allergic inflammation, substantially involved in asthmatic pathophysiology. Objective: We hypothesized that histamine might play a role in airway remodeling, and investigated its effect on fibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction. Methods: Fibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction was studied. Histamine's regulation of collagen gel contraction was characterized by using specific histamine-receptor antagonists, an IP3 receptor antagonist and a PKC inhibitor. Results: Histamine induced contraction of collagen gels embedded with human lung fibroblasts, in a time-dependent manner, and at the concentration more than 10−6 M, both in four primary cultured adult lung fibroblasts and three fetal lung fibroblast cell lines. This effect was attenuated by H1 receptor antagonist, whereas those for H2 to H4 receptors failed to show an inhibitory effect. Furthermore, IP3 receptor-mediated Ca2+ mobilization was implicated in histamine's action on collagen gel contraction. Conclusions: Our results suggest that histamine is involved in airway remodeling through its action on lung fibroblasts, and antihistamine drugs, especially H1 receptor antagonists, might be potentially beneficial for a subset of asthmatic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The posterior thigh flap is a reliable flap owing to the dependability of the inferior gluteal artery. Its utility for the reconstruction of sacral, perineal, ischial, pelvic, trochanteric and vulvar defects is well established. We herein describe the use of the flap for a variety of indications, and discuss the results with respect to postoperative complications in oncology patients. Methods: We reviewed nine oncology patients who were treated with pedicled posterior thigh flaps. We assessed the use of this treatment by recording the site of the defect, the type of flap used, and the presence or absence of previous surgical procedures, radiation therapy and postoperative complications. Results: Defects after resection of soft tissue sarcomas were the most common condition ( n = 4), followed by skin cancers ( n = 2), gastrointestinal cancers ( n = 2) and radiation osteomyelitis ( n = 1). Six patients (66 %) developed complications; three (33 %) were major and three (33 %) were minor. There was one case of total necrosis of the flap and two cases of partial necrosis. Conclusions: In oncology patients, the posterior thigh flap is an excellent choice for the reconstruction of sacral, ischial, pelvic or buttock defects, since it does not cause any donor site morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Efficient access to enantioenriched δ,δ-disubstituted δ-valerolactones is described. A soft Lewis acid/hard Brønsted base cooperative catalyst allowed for direct catalytic asymmetric γ-addition of allyl cyanide to ketones, producing tertiary homoallylic alcohols with a Z-configured α,β-unsaturated nitrile. Electrophilic activation of the nitrile functionality triggered 6-exo-dig cyclization, and subsequent N-acylation gave rise to the δ-valerolactone skeleton via C N bond cleavage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Coagulation disorders can be classified into two types: excessive bleeding and excessive clotting. Furthermore, the severity of the coagulation disorders can vary significantly among patients. We evaluated two relatively rare cases involving factor XIII subunit deficiency and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) with concomitant systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in two patients undergoing flap reconstructions after tumor excision. In the patient with excessive bleeding as a result of a factor XIII subunit deficiency, flap necrosis occurred from a large subcutaneous hematoma that pressed on the perforator pedicle. Normal clotting function was restored during the surgery by administering a factor XIII preparation (Fibrogammin® P). The patient with excessive clotting as a result of APS and SLE suffered necrosis of the flaps after undergoing radial forearm free flap (RFFF) and pedicled pectoralis major musculocutaneous (PMMC) flap operations. With clotting factor deficiencies, there are patients in whom no evidence of a coagulation disorder exists preoperatively. It is important for surgeons to pay close attention to the potential for coagulation disorders patients and to consult with specialists promptly when indicated. Level of Evidence: Level V, risk/prognostic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we consider coloring of graphs under the assumption that some vertices are already colored. Let be an -colorable graph and let . Albertson (1998) has proved that if every pair of vertices in has distance at least four, then every -coloring of can be extended to an -coloring of , where is the subgraph of induced by . In this paper, we allow to have pairs of vertices of distance at most three, and investigate how the number of such pairs affects the number of colors we need to extend the coloring of . We also study the effect of pairs of vertices of distance at most two, and extend the result by Albertson and Moore (1999). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is not understood how the knee joint angle affects the relationship between electromyography (EMG) and force of four individual quadriceps femoris (QF) muscles. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the knee joint angle on the EMG–force relationship of the four individual QF muscles, particularly the vastus intermedius (VI), during isometric knee extensions. Eleven healthy men performed 20–100% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) at knee joint angles of 90°, 120° and 150°. Surface EMG of the four QF synergists was recorded and normalized by the root mean square during MVC. The normalized EMG of the four QF synergists at a knee joint angle of 150° was significantly lower than that at 90° and 120° (P <0.05). Comparing the normalized EMG among the four QF synergists, a significantly lower normalized EMG was observed in the VI at 150° as compared with the other three QF muscles (P <0.05). These results suggest that the EMG–force relationship of the four QF synergists shifted downward at an extended knee joint angle of 150°. Furthermore, the neuromuscular activation of the VI was the most sensitive to change in muscle length among the four QF synergistic muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved synthesis of hydroxymethyl tricyclic ketone, (±)-(4aS,8aS)-8a-(hydroxymethyl)-1,1,4a-trimethyl-3,4,4a,6,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-decahydrophenanthren-2(1H)-one, in five steps (34% yield) from cyclohexanone has been successfully established. Accordingly, 10 grams of a highly potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agent, (±)-(4bS,8aR,10aS)-10a-ethynyl-4b,8,8-trimethyl-3,7-dioxo-3,4b,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthrene-2,6-dicarbonitrile (TBE-31), was obtained in 15 steps (9.2% overall yield) via the hydroxymethyl tricyclic ketone from 32 grams of cyclohexanone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fatigue-related muscle activity in the superficial quadriceps femoris (QF) muscles has been widely examined; however, there is no information on the activity of the deep vastus intermedius (VI) muscle during fatiguing dynamic knee extensions. The purpose of this study was to investigate neuromuscular activation patterns of the QF synergists, including the VI, during fatiguing dynamic knee extensions at two submaximal loads. Methods: Nine healthy men performed dynamic knee extensions with loads of 50 and 70 % of one-repetition maximum (1RM) until failure. Muscle activation of the VI, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis (VM) and rectus femoris was recorded using surface electrodes. Root mean square (RMS) amplitude was calculated during the concentric (CON) and eccentric (ECC) phases of each repetition, and normalized to the RMS amplitude during the CON and ECC phases of the 1RM. Each CON and ECC phase was further divided into three subphases according to knee joint angle. Results: The normalized RMS amplitude of the four individual QF muscles during the CON phase linearly increased with fatigue with contractions at both 50 and 70 % 1RM. The highest RMS amplitude was found in VI at flexed knee joint angles until fatigue. This activation pattern was more prominent at 70 % 1RM than 50 % 1RM. The RMS amplitude of VM at extended knee joint angles was selectively higher at 70 % 1RM than 50 % 1RM. Conclusions: These results suggest that the contribution of the four individual QF muscles to fatiguing dynamic knee extensions differs according to knee joint angle and intensity of load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tricycle 1 ((±)-(4bS,8aR,10aS))-10a-ethynyl-4b,8,8-trimethyl-3,7-dioxo-3,4b,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthrene-2,6-dicarbonitrile), a potent activator of the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway, has the potential to be a first in class drug for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. To identify the protein targets for the development of 1, the (1:1)-diasteromeric mixture of biotinylated tricycles 3a and 3b were designed and synthesized. For the synthesis of 3a and 3b, a new important precursor, hydroxylated tricycle (±)-16 was synthesized from 4 by a C1 α-methyl group oxidation protocol, which involves cyclopalladation of the C1 α-methyl group from a C2-oxime. For the induction of the phase 2 cytoprotective enzyme NQO1 in Hepa1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells, the diasteromeric mixture 3a and 3b shows high potency (CD, 75nM) although this potency is lower than that of 1 and 16. Thus, biotinylated tricycles 3a and 3b may be promising tools for the isolation of the protein targets of 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although the possibility that the vastus intermedius (VI) muscle contributes to flexion of the knee joint has been suggested previously, the detail of its functional role in knee flexion is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the antagonist coactivation of VI during isometric knee flexion. Thirteen men performed 25–100% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) at 90°, 120°, and 150° knee joint angles. Surface electromyography (EMG) of the four individual muscles in the quadriceps femoris (QF) was recorded and normalized by the EMG signals during isometric knee extension at MVC. Cross-talk on VI EMG signal was assessed based on the median frequency response to selective cooling of hamstring muscles. Normalized EMG of the VI was significantly higher than that of the other synergistic QF muscles at each knee joint angle (all P <0.05) with minimum cross-talk from the hamstrings to VI. There were significant correlations between the EMG signal of the hamstrings and VI (r =0.55–0.85, P <0.001). These results suggest that VI acts as a primary antagonistic muscle of QF during knee flexion, and that VI is presumably a main contributor to knee joint stabilization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We sought to determine the neuromuscular activation patterns of 4 synergistic muscles of the quadriceps femoris (QF), including the vastus intermedius (VI) muscle, during dynamic knee extensions. Methods: Nine healthy men performed dynamic knee extensions in the range of 20-100% of the one-repetition maximum (1RM) load. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from the 4 muscles of the QF. Results: The normalized EMG amplitude of the VI was significantly higher at knee joint angles between 90° and 115° during both the concentric and eccentric phases, and it was significantly lower between 140° and 165° during concentric and eccentric phases, compared with those of vastus lateralis at 60-100% of 1RM load ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that the VI plays a key role during dynamic knee extension with flexed joint angles and specifically contributes to the initial concentric and final eccentric phases of knee joint movements. Muscle Nerve 47: 682-690, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) is crucial for cancer cells to acquire invasive phenotypes. In A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells, TGF-β elicited EMT in Smad-dependent manner and TNF-α accelerated this process, as confirmed by cell morphology, expression of EMT markers, capacity of gelatin lysis and cell invasion. TNF-α stimulated the phosphorylation of Smad2 linker region, and this effect was attenuated by inhibiting MEK or JNK pathway. Comprehensive expression analysis unraveled genes differentially regulated by TGF-β and TNF-α, such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and ECM (extracellular matrices), suggesting the drastic change in autocrine/paracrine signals as well as cell-to-ECM interactions. Integrated analysis of microRNA signature enabled us to identify a subset of genes, potentially regulated by microRNAs. Among them, we confirmed TGF-β-mediated induction of miR-23a in lung epithelial cell lines, target genes of which were further identified by gene expression profiling. Combined with in silico approaches, we determined HMGN2 as a downstream target of miR-23a. These findings provide a line of evidence that the effects of TGF-β and TNF-α were partially mediated by microRNAs, and shed light on the complexity of molecular events elicited by TGF-β and TNF-α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI), accompanied by the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, is associated with a high risk of death. Bioartificial renal tubule device (BTD) is a cell therapy that improves the conditions common to artificial kidney recipients treated for kidney diseases. In this paper, we describe the establishment of BTD with lifespan-extended human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells. Methods AKI goats were established by performing bilateral nephrectomy followed by lipopolysaccharide administration. The AKI goats were treated with BTD or sham-BTD, and the two groups of animals were compared by measuring the respective life spans and the levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and serum electrolytes. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines were detected by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and plasma interleukin (IL)-6 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The life span of AKI goats was extended: the lifetime with the BTD treatment compared with sham-BTD. BTD and sham-BTD showed a similar degree of small solute clearance. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and plasma IL-6 levels were decreased by the BTD treatment. Conclusions BTD treatment results in less damage from endotoxin shock and increased life span in AKI goats. These results suggest that BTD may be a useful component of bioartificial kidneys and should be considered in the next generation of renal replacement therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To present reference values, clinically significant changes (CSC), and prediction equations of lower-limb muscle strength (LMS) and physical performance (PP) in community-dwelling older adults in a rural area. Quadriceps muscle and toe grip strength were measured as LMS. Maximal gait speed, Timed-Up and Go test, one-legged stand test, and four-square step test were measured as PP. Overall and age-specific reference values for both sexes were presented. CSC was calculated using a distribution-based approach. We conducted multivariate regression analyses to make prediction equations for each variable. The prediction error was checked using 10-fold cross-validation. Three-hundred ninety-two participants (male, n = 116; female, n = 276) were included. LMS was maintained with age, while PS declined linearly. The prediction equations were significant, but the prediction error was high. Reference values and CSC help evaluate the deterioration of LMS and PP and the effectiveness of an intervention on these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For a set of connected graphs, a spanning subgraph of a graph is an -factor if every component of is isomorphic to some member of . Amahashi and Kano [A. Amahashi, M. Kano, On factors with given components, Discrete Math. 42 (1982) 1–6] proved that a graph satisfying for every has a -factor, where is the number of isolated vertices in and denotes the star with edges. Here we exclude small stars from the set and prove that a graph satisfying for every has a -factor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: We quantified the alternate muscle activity among four synergists of the quadriceps femoris (QF), including the vastus intermedius (VI), during low-level sustained contraction. Methods: Surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from the VI, vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris (RF) in 11 healthy men during isometric knee extension at 2.5% maximum voluntary contraction for 60 min to determine alternate muscle activity among the four synergists of the QF. Results: Alternate activity was primarily found between the RF and VI, VL, or VM, and rarely found among the vasti muscles. Multiple muscle comparison revealed the duration of alternate activity in the RF/VI+VL+VM combination remained high throughout the experiment, although the frequency of that combination did not. Conclusions: These results suggested that there is a fixed muscle combination, i.e., RF and the 3 vasti muscles, to perform low-intensity sustained contraction in the human QF. Muscle Nerve 46: 86-95, 2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Stromal cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play crucial roles in carcinogenesis, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of non-small cell lung carcinoma, and targeting of CAFs could be a novel strategy for cancer treatment. However, the characteristics of human CAFs still remain to be better defined. In this study, we established patient-matched CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs), from tumoral and non-tumoral portions of resected lung tissue from lung cancer patients. CAFs showed higher α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression than NFs, and CAFs clearly enhanced collagen gel contraction. Furthermore, we employed three-dimensional co-culture assay with A549 lung cancer cells, where CAFs were more potent in inducing collagen gel contraction. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of co-cultured collagen gel revealed that CAFs had the potential to increase invasion of A549 cells compared to NFs. These observations provide evidence that lung CAFs have the tumor-promoting capacity distinct from NFs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a novel modeling methodology for the nonlinear vibration analysis of multistage bladed-disk systems with small blade-to-blade mistuning and a cracked blade is proposed. The modeling strategy is based on an efficient stagewise reduced-order modeling method based on cyclic symmetry analysis and component mode synthesis. Reduced-order models are constructed for individual stages and assembled by projecting the motion of the interface of the neighboring stages onto a set of harmonic shape functions. The analysis procedure allows the stages to have different numbers of blades and mismatched computational grids on the interfaces of the neighboring stages. Furthermore, the modeling framework is independent of the modeling method for each stage, which enables the use of various existing modeling methods of single stages. Moreover, nonlinearity can also be included in the multistage computations, as long as the nonlinearity can be modeled for a single stage. To demonstrate the capability of the modeling procedure, the nonlinear effect of crack opening and closing is considered, in conjunction with the effects of small mistuning. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed methods are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Given a claw-free graph and two non-adjacent vertices x and y without common neighbours we prove that there exists a hole through x and y unless the graph contains the obvious obstruction, namely a clique separating x and y. We derive two applications: We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an induced x–z path through y, where are prescribed vertices in a claw-free graph; and we prove an induced version of Mengerʼs theorem between four terminal vertices. Finally, we improve the running time for detecting a hole through x and y and for the Three-in-a-Tree problem, if the input graph is claw-free. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In animal cells the nuclear lamina, which consists of lamins and lamin-associated proteins, serves several functions: it provides a structural scaffold for the nuclear envelope and tethers proteins and heterochromatin to the nuclear periphery. In yeast, proteins and large heterochromatic domains including telomeres are also peripherally localized, but there is no evidence that yeast have lamins or a fibrous nuclear envelope scaffold. Nonetheless, we found that the Lem2 and Man1 proteins of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, evolutionarily distant relatives of the Lap2/Emerin/ Man1 (LEM) sub-family of animal cell lamin-associated proteins, perform fundamental functions of the animal cell lamina. These integral inner nuclear membrane localized proteins, with nuclear localized DNA binding Helix-Extension-Helix (HEH) domains, impact nuclear envelope structure and integrity, are essential for the enrichment of telomeres at the nuclear periphery and by means of their HEH domains anchor chromatin, most likely transcriptionally repressed heterochromatin, to the nuclear periphery. These data indicate that the core functions of the nuclear lamina are conserved between fungi and animal cells and can be performed in fission yeast, without lamins or other intermediate filament proteins [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A signal peptide (SP) is cleaved off from presecretory proteins by signal peptidase during or immediately after insertion into the membrane. In metazoan cells, the cleaved SP then receives proteolysis by signal peptide peptidase, an intramembrane-cleaving protease (I-CLiP). However, bacteria lack any signal peptide peptidase member I-CLiP, and little is known about the metabolic fate of bacterial SP5. Here we show that Escherichia co/i RseP, an site-2 protease (S2P) family I-CLiP, introduces a cleavage into SP5 after their signal peptidase-mediated liberation from preproteins. A Bacillus subtilis S2P protease, RasP, is also shown to be involved in SP cleavage. These results uncover a physiological role of bacterial S2P proteases and update the basic knowledge about the fate of signal peptides in bacterial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel reduced-order modeling method for vibration problems of elastic structures with localized piecewise-linearity is proposed. The focus is placed upon solving nonlinear forced response problems of elastic media with contact nonlinearity, such as cracked structures and delaminated plates. The modeling framework is based on observations of the proper orthogonal modes computed from nonlinear forced responses and their approximation by a truncated set of linear normal modes with special boundary conditions. First, it is shown that a set of proper orthogonal modes can form a good basis for constructing a reduced-order model that can well capture the nonlinear normal modes. Next, it is shown that the subspace spanned by the set of dominant proper orthogonal modes can be well approximated by a slightly larger set of linear normal modes with special boundary conditions. These linear modes are referred to as bi-linear modes, and are selected by an elaborate methodology which utilizes certain similarities between the bi-linear modes and approximations for the dominant proper orthogonal modes. These approximations are obtained using interpolated proper orthogonal modes of smaller dimensional models. The proposed method is compared with traditional reduced-order modeling methods such as component mode synthesis, and its advantages are discussed. Forced response analyses of cracked structures and delaminated plates are provided for demonstrating the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed methodology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A bioartificial renal tubule device (BTD) consisting of a hollow-fiber module and human proximal tubular epithelial cells has been completed technically by Humes and colleagues and a few other groups. Humes and colleagues developed BTD, treated acute kidney injury patients with multiorgan failure by continuous hemofiltration (CHF) in conjunction with BTD, and reported a significantly higher survival rate than that by CHF with BTD without cells in the Food and Drug Administration phase IIa trial. However, BTD has never been approved by the US Government, as the CHF+BTD treatment did not show a significant difference from the control group in the phase IIb trial. Human proximal tubular epithelial cells were confirmed to be overgrown on artificial membrane, which resulted in the inhibition of active transports and the metabolism of essential substances. Function of the BTD could be maintained in a U0126-contained medium, even if the BTD had to have been waited by a new acute kidney injury patient for several weeks. For wearable kidneys, heparin-covalently bound membrane or methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer-coated membranes are candidates for antithrombogenic hemofilters, while endothelial progenitor cells from a cord blood, CD133 cells-attached hemofilter in which the permeability of the cells was enhanced by the enlarged diameter of fenestrae by treating with cytochalasin B are another candidate. The MPC blend membrane containing 1% of the MPC polymer in polysulfone was developed as a BTD module. MPC was 7 times larger at the sponge layer than at the skin layer of the membrane, resulting in hemocompatibility at the sponge layer and cytocompatibility at the skin layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slit diaphragm connecting the adjacent foot processes of glomerular epithelial cells (podocytes) is the final barrier of the glomerular capillary wall and serves to prevent proteinuria. Podocytes are understood to be terminally differentiated cells and share some common features with neurons. Neurexin is a presynaptic adhesion molecule that plays a role in synaptic differentiation. Although neurexin has been understood to be specifically expressed in neuronal tissues, we found that neurexin was expressed in several organs. Several forms of splice variants of neurexin-1a were detected in the cerebrum, but only one form of neurexin-1α was detected in glomeruli. Immunohistochemical study showed that neurexin restrictedly expressed in the podocytes in kidneys. Dual-labeling analyses showed that neurexin was colocalized with CD2AP, an intracellular component of the slit diaphragm. Immunoprecipitation assay using glomerular lysate showed that neurexin interacted with CD2AP and CASK. These observations indicated that neurexin localized at the slit diaphragm area. The staining intensity of neurexin in podocytes was clearly lowered, and their staining pattern shifted to a more discontinuous patchy pattern in the disease models showing severe proteinuria. The expression and localization of neurexin in these models altered more clearly and rapidly than that of other slit diaphragm components. We propose that neurexin is available as an early diagnostic marker to detect podocyte injury. Neurexin coincided with nephrin, a key molecule of the slit diaphragm detected in a presumptive podocyte of the developing glomeruli and in the glomeruli for which the slit diaphragm is repairing injury. These observations suggest that neurexin is involved in the formation of the slit diaphragm and the maintenance of its function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a node sampling methodology for nonlinear vibration problems of elastic structures involving intermittent contact is proposed. Of particular interest is a vibration problem of platelike elastic structures with a crack, with a large number of degrees of freedom involved on the crack surfaces. Because of the localized nature of such nonlinearity, the number of degrees of freedom on the surfaces greatly affects the computational time of the analysis. Therefore, reducing the number of degrees of freedom on the crack surfaces without significantly sacrificing the accuracy of the results is a critical issue for conducting vibration analysis of such structures in a reasonable amount of time. The focus is placed on the development of an efficient algorithm to select a set of nodes on the crack surfaces, where nonlinear boundary conditions are imposed. The method is developed, based on a procedure for selecting master degrees of freedom for Guyan reduction. The accuracy, efficiency, and optimality of the method are discussed in detail and compared with those aspects of previous methods. The advantages of the new method are demonstrated in terms of the accuracy of the frequency response and the resonant frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We consider 2-factors with a bounded number of components in the -times iterated line graph . We first give a characterization of graph such that has a 2-factor containing at most components, based on the existence of a certain type of subgraph in . This generalizes the main result of [L. Xiong, Z. Liu, Hamiltonian iterated line graphs, Discrete Math. 256 (2002) 407–422]. We use this result to show that the minimum number of components of 2-factors in the iterated line graphs is stable under the closure operation on a claw-free graph . This extends results in [Z. Ryjáček, On a closure concept in claw-free graphs, J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 70 (1997) 217–224; Z. Ryjáček, A. Saito, R.H. Schelp, Closure, 2-factors and cycle coverings in claw-free graphs, J. Graph Theory 32 (1999) 109–117; L. Xiong, Z. Ryjáček, H.J. Broersma, On stability of the hamiltonian index under contractions and closures, J. Graph Theory 49 (2005) 104–115]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With dense single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) maps for 199 drug-related genes, we examined associations between 4190 SNPs and 38 commonly measured quantitative traits using data from 752 healthy Japanese subjects. On analysis, we observed a strong association between five SNPs within the uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene and serum total bilirubin levels (minimum P-value in Mann–Whitney test=1.82 × 1010). UGT1A1 catalyzes the conjugation of bilirubin with glucuronic acid, thus enhancing bilirubin elimination. This enzyme is known to play an important role in the variation of serum bilirubin levels. The five SNPs, including a nonsynonymous SNP—rs4148323 (211G>A or G71R variant allele known as UGT1A1*6)—showed strong linkage disequilibrium with each other. No other genes were clearly associated with serum total bilirubin levels. Results of linear multiple regression analysis on serum total bilirubin levels followed by analysis of variance showed that at least 13% of the variance in serum total bilirubin levels could be explained by three haplotype-tagging SNPs in the UGT1A1 gene.Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 54, 317–323; doi:10.1038/jhg.2009.31; published online 3 April 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblasts constitute a ubiquitous mesenchymal cell type and produce the extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissue, thereby providing the structural basis of various organs. Fibroblasts display differential transcriptional patterns unique to the organ of their origin and they can be activated by common stimuli such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) reside in the cancer tissue and contribute to cancer progression by influencing cancer cell growth, invasion, angiogenesis and tumor immunity. CAFs impact on the tumor microenvironment by remodeling the ECM and secreting soluble factors such as chemokines and growth factors. Differential expression patterns of molecular markers suggest heterogeneous features of CAFs in terms of their function, pathogenic role and cellular origin. Recent studies elucidated the bimodal action of CAFs on cancer progression and suggest a subgroup of CAFs with tumor-suppressive effects. This review attempts to describe cellular features of colorectal CAFs with an emphasis on their heterogeneity and functional diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scan of 4,190 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 199 different genes using 38 different quantitative traits to search for associations between genotypes and phenotypes detected an association between the genotypes at rs671 of ALDH2 and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GTP) levels. We examined the associations between five factors such as gender, age, rs671 genotype, alcohol-drinking habit, and serum gamma-GTP level and found that all pairs were associated except for the pair of rs671 genotype and gender and rs671 genotype and age. We further analyzed the data by both multiple regression and subgroup analyses and found that the associations between rs671 genotype and alcohol-drinking habit, alcohol-drinking habit and gamma-GTP level, gender and gamma-GTP, and age and gamma-GTP were independent of other factors. Conversely, the association between rs671 genotype and gamma-GTP level was dependent on alcohol-drinking habit. Associations between genetic and environmental factors will become a focus of medical and biological studies. Our study has shown that (1) a large sample size combined with a replication study is necessary to overcome the multiple-comparison problem, and (2) subgroup analysis along with logistic and linear multiple regression analysis may be useful to dissect a complicated relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nonlinear dynamic response of a traveling wave-type ulltrasonic motor was investigated. In particular, understanding the transient dynamics of a bar-type ultrasonic motor, such as starting up and stopping, is of primary interest. First, the transient response of the bar-type ultrasonic motor at starting up and stopping was measured using a laser Doppler velocimeter, and its driving characteristics are discussed in detail. The motor is shown to possess amplitude-dependent nonlinearity that greatly influences the transient dynamics of the motor. Second, a dynamical model of the motor was constructed as a second-order nonlinear oscillator, which represents the dynamics of the piezoelectric ceramic, stator, and rotor. The model features nonlinearities caused by the frictional interface between the stator and the rotor, and cubic nonlinearity in the dynamics of the stator. Coulomb's friction model was employed for the interface model, and a stick-slip phenomenon is considered. Lastly, it was shown that the model is capable of representing the transient dynamics of the motor accurately. The critical parameters in the model were identified from measured results, and numerical simulations were conducted using the model with the identified parameters. Good agreement between the results of measurements and numerical simulations is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A set S of vertices in a graph G is said to be an edge-dominating set if every edge in G is incident with a vertex in S. A cycle in G is said to be a dominating cycle if its vertex set is an edge-dominating set. Nash-Williams [Edge-disjoint hamiltonian circuits in graphs with vertices of large valency, Studies in Pure Mathematics, Academic Press, London, 1971, pp. 157–183] has proved that every longest cycle in a 2-connected graph of order n and minimum degree at least is a dominating cycle. In this paper, we prove that for a prescribed positive integer k, under the same minimum degree condition, if n is sufficiently large and if we take k disjoint cycles so that they contain as many vertices as possible, then these cycles form an edge-dominating set. Nash-Williams’ Theorem corresponds to the case of of this result. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For a pair of vertices x and y in a graph G, we denote by the distance between x and y in G. We call x a boundary vertex of y if x and y belong to the same component and for each neighbor of x in G. A boundary vertex of some vertex is simply called a boundary vertex, and the set of boundary vertices in G is called the boundary of G, and is denoted by . In this paper, we investigate graphs with a small boundary. Since a pair of farthest vertices are boundary vertices, for every connected graph G of order at least two. We characterize the graphs with boundary of order at most three. We cannot give a characterization of graphs with exactly four boundary vertices, but we prove that such graphs have minimum degree at most six. Finally, we give an upper bound to the minimum degree of a connected graph G in terms of . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We give a reduction theorem for 3-connected graphs of minimum degree at least four. Let $${\mathcal{P}}_{3,4}$$ be the class of 3-connected graphs of minimum degree at least four. For a vertex x of degree four in G, splitting at x is an operation of adding at most two independent edges connecting some of the neighbors of x and deleting x. A set of five vertices C = { a, b, x, y, z} in G is said to be a crown if N G ( a) = { b, x, y, z} and N G ( b) = { a, x, y, z}. Given a crown C in G, reduction of C is the operation of deleting { a, b} and adding all the missing edges among { x, y, z}. In this paper, we prove that for every vertex x in a graph $$G\in{\mathcal{P}}_{3,4}$$ , there exists either (1) an edge e such that its contraction yields a graph in $${\mathcal{P}}_{3,4}$$ and at least one of its endvertices is of distance at most two from x, (2) a vertex v of degree four such that v is of distance at most two from x and some splitting at v yields a graph in $${\mathcal{P}}_{3,4}$$ , or (3) a crown C containing x whose reduction yields a graph in $${\mathcal{P}}_{3,4}$$ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Growth inhibition caused by acid soils, especially due to P deficiency and Al stress, is a serious problem for crop production. To comprehend the adaptation mechanisms of rice plants to P deficiency and Al stress conditions, a proteomic analysis of rice roots in hydroponic cultivation was demonstrated. Four hundred and sixty-four detectable proteins spots were separated by 2D-PAGE. Fifty-six of 94 spots selected at random were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. In general, the proteomic alterations under P deficiency and Al stress conditions were similar trend, indicating that a common metabolic system is responsive to both P deficiency and Al stress. An increase in nucleotide monomer synthesis was indicated from the related proteomic alterations, which mediate the reversible reactions of the triose phosphate/pentose phosphate pool, and the oxidative reactions of the pentose phosphate pathway under both stress conditions. Carbon flow to the TCA cycle and N assimilation were altered in proteomic level. The changes could be contributed to the complementation of TCA components from suppression of photosynthates partitioning from leaves, and partly contribute to organic acid secretion. Induction of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) synthetase is a significant and unique response to Al stress, suggesting that SAM is related to ethylene-mediated inhibition of root growth and/or the alteration of cell wall structures and polymers in roots. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A scanning tunneling microscope dedicated to in situ experiments under the irradiation of highly brilliant hard-X-rays of synchrotron radiation has been developed. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observation was enabled by developing an accurate alignment system in ultrahigh vacuum. Despite the noisy conditions of the synchrotron radiation facility and the radiation load around the probe tip, STM images were successfully obtained at atomic resolution. Tip-current spectra were obtained for Ge nano-islands on a clean Si(111) surface by changing the incident photon energy across the Ge absorption edge. A current modification was detected at the absorption edge with a spatial resolution of the order of 10 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: When aqueous solutions which contain Ln3+, K+ and lacunary heteropolytungstate ions, SiW11O39 8− or P2W17O61 10−, at high concentrations are cooled to nearly 0°C, the solutions separate into two layers with a clear boundary. The lower layers are very viscous, of high densities, around 3gcm−3. The separation takes place for all the trivalent lanthanides when K+ exists as the univalent cation. When Na+ or Li+ is used instead of K+, the solutions just become very thick. When Na+ is mixed with K+ in certain ratios, two layer formation is observed. The oil-like materials are considered as liquid hydrate salts with average chemical compositions Na x K y Ln[SiW11O39]2·nH2O, where x was varied from 0 to 5.5 and n is the molar number of water, ∼100. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let G be a balanced bipartite graph with partite sets X and Y, which has a perfect matching, and let and . Let k be a positive integer. Then we prove that if G has k internally disjoint alternating paths between x and y with respect to some perfect matching, then G has k internally disjoint alternating paths between x and y with respect to every perfect matching. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the white and Indian concepts of state justice in Moxos, Lowland Bolivia in relation to the public execution of white murderer Virtuchi. The nature of the relationship of the indigenous people Trinitarios with the spirit of the murderer is explained. It explores the impact of the murder case on the Trinitarios. It asserts that the state's power in public execution is considered by Trinitarios as a sacrilege.

Let G be a graph and let f be a non-negative integer-valued function defined on V(G). Then a cycle C is called an f-dominating cycle if dG(v,C)⩽f(v) holds for each v∈V(G), where dG(v,C) denotes the distance between v and C. A set S is called an f-stable set if dG(u,v)⩾f(u)+f(v) holds for each pair of distinct vertices u, v in S, and denote by αf(G) the order of a largest f-stable set in G. In this paper, we prove that if a k-connected graph G (k⩾2) satisfies αf+1(G)⩽k, then G has an f-dominating cycle, where f+1 is the function defined by (f+1)(v)=f(v)+1. By taking an appropriate function as f, we can deduce a number of known results from this theorem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]