The present study assessed the applicability of Alu insertion elements and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in forensic identification and estimated the extent of genetic variation in five major ethnic groups of Punjab, North-West India. A total of 1012 unrelated samples belonging to Banias, Brahmins, Jat Sikhs, Khatris and Scheduled Castes were genotyped for four Alu elements (ACE, APO, PLAT, D1) and six Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms [ESR (PvuII), LPL (PvuII), HTR2A (MspI), DRD2 Taq1A, Taq1B, Taq1D]. Allele frequencies observed heterozygosity and forensic efficacy parameters were determined. The data on the genetic affinity of the studied populations among themselves and with other populations of India was also analysed using a Neighbor-Joining tree and multidimensional scaling plot respectively. All the 10 loci were polymorphic and their average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.3872 (Banias) to 0.4311 (Scheduled Castes). Allele frequency variation at the 9 out of 10 loci led to statistically significant pairwise differences among the five study population groups. The result from AMOVA, Structure analysis, and Phylogenetic tree suggests that these populations are homogenous. In the multidimensional scaling plot, the present study populations formed a compact cluster clearly separated from other populations, suggesting a unique genetic identity of the Punjab populations as a whole. All these observations suggest that either a recent common origin of these populations or extensive gene flow across the populations that dissolve the original genetic differences. The data generated in this study will be useful for forensic genetics, molecular anthropological and demographic studies.

Generation of multiple cell types from embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem cells is crucial to provide materials for regenerative medicine. EGAM1N has been found in preimplantation mouse embryos and mouse ES cells as a functionally unclassified homeoprotein. Recently, we reported that expression of EGAM1N suppressed the in vitro differentiation of ES cells into progenitor cells that arise in early embryogenesis. To clarify the effect of EGAM1N on terminal differentiation, embryoid bodies (EBs) were prepared from ES cells expressing exogenous Egam1n. In EBs expressing Egam1n, cardiomyogenesis was inhibited by impairing the expression of crucial transcription factors Brachyury T and Nkx2.5 in the generation of mesoderm and cardiomyocytes, respectively. Expression levels of Mef2c, another crucial gene for cardiomyogenesis, were unaffected. Conversely, the expression levels of Gata6 and Plat, markers for the primitive endoderm lineage, and Cdx2, a marker for the trophectoderm lineage, were increased. These results suggested that certain cell populations in EBs expressing Egam1n preferentially differentiated to such cell lineages. Our results suggest that EGAM1N not only affects the generation of progenitor cells during early embryogenesis, but also the progression of terminal differentiation, such as cardiomyogenesis, in mouse ES cells.

Objective:To discuss similarities and differences in clinical features and laboratory indexes between patients with flat descending type sudden hearing loss and those with total hearing loss. Method:The clinical data of 123 patients with full frequencies hearing loss were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in clinical features and laboratory tests(platelet, coagulation series, D-dimer, blood lipids, hemorheology) between patients with flat descending hearing loss and those with total hearing loss were analyzed by gender, age and ear side, treatment time, concomitant symptom (tinnitus, dizziness), original underlying diseases (hypertension, diabetes), etc. Result:In the clinical features,among 51 flat descending cases, the ratio of male and female was 2.401:1; among 72 total hearing loss cases, the ratio of men and women ratio was 1.058:1 (P<0.05). Among two groups of patients,the majority received treatment within 7 days, among whom 66.7% were flat descending population, and 83.3% were total hearing loss population (P<0.05). Flat descending population with dizziness only accounted for 35.3% while this figure was up to 70.8% when it came to total hearing loss patients (P<0.01). Two groups showed no differences in age, ear side, tinnitus, the original underlying diseases (hypertension, diabetes). In the laboratory tests, the total hearing loss population overtopped the plat descending population in PLT and PCT (P<0.05), while falling below the plat descending population in APTT (P<0.01). Two groups showed no differences in other indicators of platelet and coagulation series and laboratory data of D-dimer, blood lipids, hemorheology. Conclusion:Compared with flat descending sudden hearing loss, sudden total hearing loss more frequently happened to females who also were accompanied by dizziness. The treatment rate within 7 days was high and the patients with hypercoagulable state accounted for a higher proportion.

BACKGROUND

In patients with bronchial obstruction estimating the location of the maximal obstruction is crucial for guiding interventional bronchoscopy. However, flow-volume curves cannot discriminate between the right and left lungs.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to physiologically evaluate bronchial obstruction during interventional bronchoscopy.

METHODS

We prospectively measured lateral airway pressure (Plat) at either side of the obstruction using a double-lumen catheter (pressure-pressure [P-P] curve) simultaneously to assess the degree of bronchial obstruction in 22 patients. The shape of the P-P curve was assessed to confirm the site of maximal obstruction.

RESULTS

In the experimental study, Plat was uniform between both bronchi in the normal model. For the unilateral and bilateral obstruction models, a phase shift was only seen for the more obstructed side. In healthy subjects, the angle of the P-P curve was close to 45° and linear in shape. In patients with bronchial obstruction, the angle was much smaller but approached 45° after the bronchoscopic procedure. The degree of bronchial obstruction was significantly correlated with the angle of the P-P curve (r = -0.51, p < 0.01). Dyspnea significantly increased when the airway lumen was obstructed by more than 60% (p < 0.0001), and when the P-P curve appeared loop-shaped (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The shape of the P-P curve could be used to detect the site of maximal obstruction for the optimal positioning of the stent and assess the need for additional procedures in real time in patients with bronchial obstruction.

With crowdsourcing systems, it is easy to collect multiple noisy labels for the same object for supervised learning. This dynamic annotation procedure fits the active learning perspective and accompanies the imbalanced multiple noisy labeling problem. This paper proposes a novel active learning framework with multiple imperfect annotators involved in crowdsourcing systems. The framework contains two core procedures: label integration and instance selection. In the label integration procedure, a positive label threshold (PLAT) algorithm is introduced to induce the class membership from the multiple noisy label set of each instance in a training set. PLAT solves the imbalanced labeling problem by dynamically adjusting the threshold for determining the class membership of an example. Furthermore, three novel instance selection strategies are proposed to adapt PLAT for improving the learning performance. These strategies are respectively based on the uncertainty derived from the multiple labels, the uncertainty derived from the learned model, and the combination method (CFI). Experimental results on 12 datasets with different underlying class distributions demonstrate that the three novel instance selection strategies significantly improve the learning performance, and CFI has the best performance when labeling behaviors exhibit different levels of imbalance in crowdsourcing systems. We also apply our methods to a real-world scenario, obtaining noisy labels from Amazon Mechanical Turk, and show that our proposed strategies achieve very high performance.

Culinary consciousness raisers, cooking texts often serve as vehicles of national identification. From Pampille (Marthe Allard Daudet) and her cookbook, Les Bons Plats de France, in 1913 to the international culinary competitions of today such as the Bocuse d'or, culinary distinction promotes national interests. In contrast to the strident nationalism of the early twentieth century, culinary nationalism today operates in an increasingly globalized world. National culinary distinction defines the nation and sells its products in a highly competitive international arena. A recent culinary text, the South Korean film Le Grand Chef [Sik Gaek ] (2007), illustrates the phenomenon, subsuming national culinary promotion in a mega culinary competition, all in the service of Korean culinary achievement.

Plat castable ceramics (PCC) restorations depend primarily on their biostrength. In our experiment the human oral physiological environment was simulated and we studied the effects of restoration-tooth interfacial state and bonding on the biostrength of PCC crowns. The bond strength affects the biostrength of PCC crowns obviously. The interfacial treatment affects not only the bond strength between PCC crown and tooth structure but also the biostrength of the crown cemented.

Page 103, Table 1: The cell entry in the 'Terms used' column which previously read: "Centre of pressure OR center of pressure OR COP OR postural sway OR postural stability OR postural control OR balance OR force plat*".

Circularly polarized luminescent (CPL) materials have received great interest due to their potential applications in next-generation displays. However, the development of easily accessible red circularly polarized phosphorescent emitters for practical organic light-emitting diodes fabrication remains a grand challenge. In this paper, we report a new family of CPL-active platinum complexes based on the binaphthalene chiral plat-form. These axially chiral platinabinaphthalenes were facile synthesized by directly incorporating platinum(II) into the π-conjugated backbone of commercially available enantiopure binaphthalene derivate. These complexes exhibit bright red circularly polarized phosphorescence with high quantum yields up to 66% and luminescence dissymmetry factors around 2.6×10-3. Moreover, solution-processable circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CPOLEDs) using these complexes as emitters show good performance with the maximum luminance up to 3500 cd m2 and dissymmetry factor values around 1.0×10-3. These findings by rational design of axially chiral platinabinaphthalenes are important for the development of high-performance CPL complexes for CPOLEDs.

The role of plasminogen in preventing thrombosis requires activation by tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) encoded by PLAT. While case-control associations have been pursued for common variants in PLAT, no disease-causing mutations have been reported. We describe a consanguineous family with two children who died shortly after birth due to complications related to severe hydranencephaly and diaphragmatic hernia. A combined exome/autozygome analysis was carried out with informed consent. We identified a homozygous null mutation in PLAT that abrogated t-PA level in patient cells. This is the first reported human knockout mutation of PLAT. The apparent association with hydranencephaly, diaphragmatic hernia and postnatal lethality requires further validation.

To determine whether stability/accuracy of post-occlusive LDF following shortened, one-minute blood flow occlusion, increases in the post-exercise state or by averaging multiple measurements.

Six healthy adults (3F) underwent LDF eight times at rest and following exercise, assessing post-occlusive (one-minute occlusion) reactive hyperemia in the cutaneous microcirculation of the forefinger. Measured variables included: pre- and post-occlusion steady-state perfusion (<em>Plat</em>1, <em>Plat</em>2), maximum post-occlusive perfusion (Max), PkT, and the ratio Max/<em>Plat</em>1.

Stability/accuracy of all variables improved performing measurements after exercise (p < 0.05 Plat 1, Plat 2, Max and Max/PlatPlat 1 displayed the greatest accuracy at rest (26.6 ± 5.1% and 26.6 ± 4.4% average difference, %Diff, of single measurements from individual "true" means, respectively); for these variables, %Diff improved to 19.5 ± 5.3 and 17.6 ± 2.1, respectively, following exercise. Overall, averaging multiple measurements performed at rest also improved stability/accuracy in all variables. This improvement was comparable to that obtained with a single measurement following exercise.

A standardized exercise stimulus prior to testing significantly improves stability/accuracy of LDF following shortened, one-minute blood flow occlusion. Our results suggest the possibilities of broader applications of exercise to optimize measurements from a variety of skin perfusion methodologies.

The gene pool of five ethnic groups of the Central Asian population was characterized using nine human-specific polymorphic insertion/deletion loci (ACE, PLAT, APOA1, PV92, F13B, A25, B65, CD4, Mt-Nuc). It has been shown for the first time that at the CD4 locus, the frequency of Alu(-) is inversely related to the Mongoloid component of the population. For the Central Asian populations, the lowest and highest frequencies of the Alu deletion at locus CD4 were recorded respectively in Dungans (0.04), immigrants from China, and Tajiks (0.15). The coefficient of gene differentiation in the Central Asian populations for all the genes was 2.8%, which indicates a relatively low level of population genetic subdivision in this region. The unity of the gene pool of the Central Asian Caucasoids was shown.

Operational faults and behavioural anomalies associated with PLC control processes take place often in a manufacturing system. Real time identification of these operational faults and behavioural anomalies is necessary in the manufacturing industry. In this paper, we present an automated tool, called PLC Log-Data Analysis Tool (PLAT) that can detect them by using log-data records of the PLC signals. PLAT automatically creates a nominal model of the PLC control process and employs a novel hash table based indexing and searching scheme to satisfy those purposes. Our experiments show that PLAT is significantly fast, provides real time identification of operational faults and behavioural anomalies, and can execute within a small memory footprint. In addition, PLAT can easily handle a large manufacturing system with a reasonable computing configuration and can be installed in parallel to the data logging system to identify operational faults and behavioural anomalies effectively.

The surface staining of castable ceramic restorations is a technique-dependent process. So it is inevitable that the color of restorations mismatch the color of natural teeth. This study was conducted to explore the possibility of modifying the color by selected use of special colored stains. Eighty PLAT castable ceramic samples were machined, 16 mm in diameter, 1.2 mm in thickness. Thirty-two samples were stained with yellow stain and 32 samples orange. Sixteen samples were stained with red, green, blue and violet stains, respectively. To the yellow and orange stained samples, we applied correspondingly the same stain, red, green, blue and violet stains. The color of each sample was evaluated with a colorimeter and translated to Munsell notations. The results indicated that chroma was intensified by each application of the same stain. Red and green stains made the hue reddish and greenish. Blue and violet stains could effectively decrease the chroma of yellow or orange. Meanwhile, the hue was also slightly changed to greenish and reddish.

Polymorphism of three rural populations of the Tuva Republic was examined using a set of five autosomal Alu insertions at the ACE, PLAT, PV92, APOA1, and F13B loci. The allele frequency distribution patterns revealed in Tuvinians were typical to Mongoloid populations of Asia and were characterized by relatively high frequency of the Alu-repeat insertion at the PV92 and F13B loci along with relatively low insertion frequency at the APOA1 locus. With respect to the test systems used, Tuvinian populations examined displayed high levels of genetic diversity. The mean expected heterozygosity values in the populations of Kugurtug, Toora-Khem, and Teeli were 0.433, 0.407, and 0.437, respectively. The level of genetic diversity in the pooled Tuvinian sample was 0.432. The coefficient of genetic differentiation in the three populations studied was 1.45 pointing to relatively low level of genetic subdivision of the indigenous Tuvinian populations. However, estimates of genetic differentiation of the Tuvinian gene pool made by use of the Alu-repeat system were higher compared to those performed using classical protein systems, mtDNA, or Y-chromosomal haplotypes. Even though Tuvinian populations were characterized by common gene pool, some features specific to Western Tuvinian population could be distinguished. These features could be associated with higher contribution of the Caucasian component to the gene pool of this population. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close genetic relationships between the Tuvinian and Altaic ethnic populations.

Allele frequencies and genetic diversity in the population of Teleuts were assessed by the Alu repeat polymorphism at eight autosomal loci (ACE, APOA1, PLAT, F13, PV92, A25, CD4, Dl). For comparison, the study included previously obtained data on the Alu polymorphism in 19 indigenous populations of Siberia. On the dendrogram of genetic distances, the Teleut population is located in the cluster of Siberian ethnic groups, which are similar in origin, geography, and cultural traditions.

BACKGROUND

Recently a novel, time-saving respiratory muscle sprint-interval training (RMSIT) was developed. To test the extent to which RMSIT improves respiratory muscle performance compared to a conventional respiratory muscle endurance training (RMET), a novel incremental respiratory muscle test (IncRMT), loading inspiratory and expiratory muscles, was designed to assess performance changes associated with respiratory muscle training (RMT).

METHODS

Healthy, moderately trained males and females (age: 26 ± 5years, V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak: 47 ± 12 ml·min·kg) were randomized and balanced to 3 groups (RMSIT 5m/5f; RMET 6m/6f; PLAT 5m/6f). Lung function, respiratory muscle strength and IncRMT performance were tested before and after one month of RMT. During the IncRMT, muscle activity and muscle deoxygenation were assessed via surface electromyography and near-infrared spectroscopy of sternocleidomastoid (STERNO), intercostal (INTER) and abdominal (ABDO) muscles.

RESULTS

Two-way ANOVA revealed a main effect of training for increased maximal voluntary ventilation (P = 0.001) and maximal inspiratory pressure (P = 0.017). Both RMT groups increased work of breathing during training sessions to the same extent (RMSIT: +17.4 ± 8.9kJ, RMET: +26.2 ± 16.1kJ; P = 0.143) with a larger increase in average mouth pressure in RMSIT (RMSIT: +20.0 ± 15.0cmH2O, RMET: +3.3 ± 1.5cmH2O; P = 0.001). After training, IncRMT duration increased in both RMT groups compared to PLAT (RMSIT: +5.6 ± 2.1min; P = 0.0006 vs. PLAT; RMET: +3.8 ± 4.2min; P = 0.020 vs. PLAT). At similar work, only INTER activity during inspiration increased following RMET. Higher performance following RMSIT was associated with higher activity in STERNO and ABDO, while following RMET, STERNO, INTER and ABDO showed higher activity.

CONCLUSIONS

One month of RMSIT and RMET show similar improvements in respiratory muscle performance despite different duration of training sessions. Also, muscular adaptations might differ.

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effects of combining positive pressure ventilation with diaphragm pacing on respiratory mechanics in patients with respiratory failure.

METHODS

Twenty patients with central respiratory failure were studied with cohorts. The effects on respiratory mechanics were respectively observed in patients in control group, in whom ventilation by positive pressure only, and patients in experimental group in whom ventilation was instituted by combining positive pressure ventilation with diaphragm pacing.

RESULTS

Compared with control group, mean airway pressure (Paw, cm H(2)O, 1 cm H(2)O= 0.098 kPa) and plateau pressure (Pplat, cm H(2)O) were significantly decreased in experimental group (Paw: 6.1±1.3 vs. 7.3±1.8; Pplat: 10.4±2.5 vs. 12.1±2.6, both P<0.05), while the negative value of peak esophageal pressure (P(PEAK ES) , cm H(2)O), the negative value of the difference between peak and basic esophageal pressure (dP(ES), cm H(2)O), transpulmonary pressure at end of inspiration hold (Ptp plat, cm H(2)O ), static compliance (Cst, ml/cm H(2)O) were significantly increased in experimental group (P(PEAK ES): -8.3± 1.9 vs. -3.2±1.4; dP(ES) : -11.2±2.6 vs. -8.2±2.2; Ptp plat: 23.6±3.8 vs. 15.6±3.1; Cst: 52.7±8.2 vs. 48.3±7.2, all P<0.05). No differences were found in airway resistance (Raw, cm H(2)O×L(-1) ×s(-1) ) and lung resistance (R(L), cm H(2)O×L(-1) ×s(-1) ) between experimental group and control group (Raw: 2.1±0.5 vs. 2.3±0.4; R(L): 2.9±0.6 vs. 3.1±0.5, both P>0.05). Work of breath by patient (WOBp, J/L) was significantly increased and work of breath by ventilator (WOBv, J/L) was significantly decreased in experimental group compared with control group (WOBp: 0.18±0.03 vs. 0; WOBv: 0.31±0.07 vs. 0.53±0.11, both P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with positive pressure ventilation , positive pressure ventilation combined with diaphragm pacing can decrease the Paw, increase intrathoracic negative pressure, transpulmonary pressure, and Cst, and decrease WOBv, while there is no effect on Raw and R(L).

BACKGROUND

To determine whether plateau pressure (Pplat) measurement is lowered and peak airway pressure (Pawpeak)-to-Plat gradient is increased by measurement on a decelerating compared with square gas delivery wave form.

METHODS

Prospective before and after study of mechanically ventilated injured and critically ill patients in an adult surgical intensive care unit. Pplat, Pawpeak, and Pawpeak-to-Pplat gradient were measured on decelerating and square gas delivery wave forms.

RESULTS

Pplat and other routine ventilator parameters were measured in 82 (47 trauma, 35 emergency general surgery) consecutive convenience sampled adult intensive care unit patients on decelerating and then square gas delivery wave forms. Peak gas flow was fixed at 40 L/min; all other parameters (rate, tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure) were held constant. All patients were managed on assist control volume cycled ventilation using fentanyl and midazolam or propofol; no neuromuscular blockade was used. Patients with Pawpeak more than 35 cm H2O were excluded. Comparing decelerating with square gas delivery, mean Pawpeak was lower (25.1 ± 2.3 cm H2O vs. 33.1 ± 2.1 cm H2O; p < 0.0001) and mean Pplat was lower (21.3 ± 1.9 cm H2O vs. 24.8 ± 2.5 cm H2O; p < 0.0001), resulting in a decreased Pawpeak-to-Pplat gradient (3.8 ± 2.1 vs. 8.3 ± 2.3; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Changing from a decelerating to a square gas delivery wave form significantly increases Pplat and Pawpeak, thereby increasing the Pawpeak-to-Pplat gradient. This increase may prompt unwarranted therapy aimed at reducing the gradient to its normal value of 4 cm H2O pressure or less. Conversely, patients with a high Pawpeak on a square wave form may benefit from transitioning to a decelerating wave form before changing ventilation parameters.

METHODS

Diagnostic study, level III.

An improved assay for genotyping the common Alu insertion in the tissue-type plasminogen activator (PLAT) locus is described in this report. The assay is a valuable asset to clinical researchers interested in exploring disease associations with this allele. The automation and improved accuracy will facilitate future population-based studies, as well as clinical screening.

The adaption of ceramic crown is a critical factor. This study compared the adaption of Plat castable ceramic crowns made by three methods. These are the first, routine method, the second, die spacer technique and the third, model investing method. The average adhesive thickness at different parts of crown of these three crown groups are 157 microns, 65 microns, 41 microns and at the margins are 261 microns, 46 microns, 33.4 microns respectively. The result indicates that the crowns making from the second and third methods could improve the adaption significantly.