bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Protective Effect of Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Risk Allele rs7903146 against Elevated Fasting Plasma Triglyceride in Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Shuxia , Song Kangxing , Srivastava Roshni , Fathzadeh Mohsen , Li Na , Mani Arya
Published: October 2015

Background. The results from published studies regarding association of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) variant rs7903146 with dyslipidemia have been conflicting and inconclusive.Methods. We carried out a meta-analysis that aimed to investigate the association of the rs7903146 variant with plasma lipid levels using electronic database and published studies. Data was extracted by a standard algorithm. Dominant, recessive, homozygote, and heterozygote comparison models were utilized.Results. 24 studies incorporating 52,785 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, the minor allele (T) was associated with lower risk for hypertriglyceridemia in subjects with type 2 diabetes (dominant model: SMD = −0.04, 95% CI (−0.08, 0.00),P= 0.048,Pheterogeneity= 0.47; recessive model: SMD = −0.10, 95% CI (−0.18, −0.02),P= 0.01,Pheterogeneity= 0.56). No association was found between minor (T) allele and plasma TC, LDL-c, or HDL-c levels in subjects with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome (MetS) and no association was found between minor (T) allele and plasma TG levels in nondiabetic subjects.Conclusions. Our meta-analysis indicated the association between TCF7L2 rs7903146 polymorphism and low plasma triglyceride (TG) level in subjects with type 2 diabetes. No association was found between rs7903146 variant and plasma lipids in nondiabetic subjects.
The Mismatch Negativity: An Indicator of Perception of Regularities in Music
Authors: Yu Xide , Liu Tao , Gao Dingguo
Published: October 2015

This paper reviews music research using Mismatch Negativity (MMN). MMN is a deviation-specific component of auditory event-related potential (EPR), which detects a deviation between a sound and an internal representation (e.g.,memory trace). Recent studies have expanded the notion and the paradigms of MMN to higher-order music processing such as those involving short melodies, harmony chord, and music syntax. In this vein, we firstly reviewed the evolution of MMN from sound to music and then mainly compared the differences of MMN features between musicians and nonmusicians, followed by the discussion of the potential roles of the training effect and the natural exposure in MMN. Since MMN can serve as an index of neural plasticity, it thus can be widely used in clinical and other applied areas, such as detecting music preference in newborns or assessing wholeness of central auditory system of hearing illness. Finally, we pointed out some open questions and further directions. Current music perception research using MMN has mainly focused on relatively low hierarchical structure of music perception. To fully understand the neural substrates underlying processing of regularities in music, it is important and beneficial to combine MMN with other experimental paradigms such as early right-anterior negativity (ERAN).
Cell Pluripotency Levels Associated with Imprinted Genes in Human
Authors: Yuan Liyun , Tang Xiaoyan , Zhang Binyan , Ding Guohui
Published: October 2015

Pluripotent stem cells are exhibited similarly in the morphology, gene expression, growth properties, and epigenetic modification with embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, it is still controversial that the pluripotency of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) is much inferior to ESC, and the differentiation capacity of iPSC and ESC can also be separated by transcriptome and epigenetics. miRNAs, which act in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression and are involved in many basic cellular processes, may reveal the answer. In this paper, we focused on identifying the hidden relationship between miRNAs and imprinted genes in cell pluripotency. Total miRNA expression patterns in iPSC and ES cells were comprehensively analysed and linked with human imprinted genes, which show a global picture of their potential function in pluripotent level. A new CPA4-KLF14 region which locates in chromosomal homologous segments (CHSs) within mammals and include both imprinted genes and significantly expressed miRNAs was first identified. Molecular network analysis showed genes interacted with imprinted genes closely and enriched in modules such as cancer, cell death and survival, and tumor morphology. This imprinted region may provide a new look for those who are interested in cell pluripotency of hiPSCs and hESCs.
Optimization of Train Trip Package Operation Scheme
Authors: Tong Lu , Nie Lei , He Zhenhuan , Fu Huiling
Published: October 2015

Train trip package transportation is an advanced form of railway freight transportation, realized by a specialized train which has fixed stations, fixed time, and fixed path. Train trip package transportation has lots of advantages, such as large volume, long distance, high speed, simple forms of organization, and high margin, so it has become the main way of railway freight transportation. This paper firstly analyzes the related factors of train trip package transportation from its organizational forms and characteristics. Then an optimization model for train trip package transportation is established to provide optimum operation schemes. The proposed model is solved by the genetic algorithm. At last, the paper tests the model on the basis of the data of 8 regions. The results show that the proposed method is feasible for solving operation scheme issues of train trip package.
Analysis of the Interference Modulation Depth in the Fourier Transform Spectrometer
Authors: Liu Rilong
Published: October 2015

Based on the principle of the Michelson interferometer, the paper briefly describes the theoretical significance and calculates and deduces three expressions of the interference modulation depth. The influence of the surface shape error of plane mirror on modulation depth is analyzed, and the tolerance of error is also pointed out. Moreover, the dependence of modulation depth on the reflectance change of beam splitter interface is also analyzed, and the curve is given. It is concluded that this paper is of general significance for the Fourier transform spectrometer based on the principle of the Michelson two-beam interference.
Characterization and Development of EST-SSRs by Deep Transcriptome Sequencing in Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapaL. ssp.pekinensis)
Authors: Ding Qian , Li Jingjuan , Wang Fengde , Zhang Yihui , Li Huayin , Zhang Jiannong , Gao Jianwei
Published: October 2015

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are among the most important markers for population analysis and have been widely used in plant genetic mapping and molecular breeding. Expressed sequence tag-SSR (EST-SSR) markers, located in the coding regions, are potentially more efficient for QTL mapping, gene targeting, and marker-assisted breeding. In this study, we investigated 51,694 nonredundant unigenes, assembled from clean reads from deep transcriptome sequencing with a Solexa/Illumina platform, for identification and development of EST-SSRs in Chinese cabbage. In total, 10,420 EST-SSRs with over 12 bp were identified and characterized, among which 2744 EST-SSRs are new and 2317 are known ones showing polymorphism with previously reported SSRs. A total of 7877 PCR primer pairs for 1561 EST-SSR loci were designed, and primer pairs for twenty-four EST-SSRs were selected for primer evaluation. In nineteen EST-SSR loci (79.2%), amplicons were successfully generated with high quality. Seventeen (89.5%) showed polymorphism in twenty-four cultivars of Chinese cabbage. The polymorphic alleles of each polymorphic locus were sequenced, and the results showed that most polymorphisms were due to variations of SSR repeat motifs. The EST-SSRs identified and characterized in this study have important implications for developing new tools for genetics and molecular breeding in Chinese cabbage.
Energy Efficient and Safe Weighted Clustering Algorithm for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Dahane Amine , Loukil Abdelhamid , Kechar Bouabdellah , Berrached Nasr-Eddine
Published: October 2015

The main concern of clustering approaches for mobile wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is to prolong the battery life of the individual sensors and the network lifetime. For a successful clustering approach the need of a powerful mechanism to safely elect a cluster head remains a challenging task in many research works that take into account the mobility of the network. The approach based on the computing of the weight of each node in the network is one of the proposed techniques to deal with this problem. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient and safe weighted clustering algorithm (ES-WCA) for mobile WSNs using a combination of five metrics. Among these metrics lies the behavioral level metric which promotes a safe choice of a cluster head in the sense where this last one will never be a malicious node. Moreover, the highlight of our work is summarized in a comprehensive strategy for monitoring the network, in order to detect and remove the malicious nodes. We use simulation study to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.
Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetries in Proton-Proton Collisions at the AFTER@LHC Experiment in a TMD Factorisation Scheme
Authors: Anselmino M. , D’Alesio U. , Melis S.
Published: October 2015

The inclusive large-pTproduction of a single pion, jet or direct photon, and Drell-Yan processes, are considered for proton-proton collisions in the kinematical range expected for the fixed-target experiment AFTER, proposed at LHC. For all these processes, predictions are given for the transverse single-spin asymmetry,AN, computed according to a Generalised Parton Model previously discussed in the literature and based on TMD factorisation. Comparisons with the results of a collinear twist-3 approach, recently presented, are made and discussed.
An Evaluation of River Health for the Weihe River in Shaanxi Province, China
Authors: Song Jinxi , Cheng Dandong , Li Qi , He Xingjun , Long Yongqing , Zhang Bo
Published: October 2015

Excessive socioeconomic activities in the Weihe River region have caused severe ecosystem degradation, and the call for the recovery and maintenance of the river health has drawn great attention. Based on the connotation of river health, previous research findings, and status quo of the Weihe River ecosystem, in this study, we developed a novel health evaluation index system to quantitatively determine the health of the Weihe River in Shaanxi Province. The river in the study area was divided into five reaches based on the five hydrological gauging stations, and appropriate evaluation indices for each river section were selected according to the ecological environmental functions of that section. A hybrid approach integrating analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a fuzzy synthetic evaluation method was applied to measure the river health. The results show that Linjiancun-Weijiabao reach and Weijiabao-Xianyang reach are in the “moderate” level of health and Lintong-Huaxian reach and downstream of Huaxian reach are in the “poor” health rating, whereas Xianyang-Lintong reach is in the “sick” rating. Moreover, the most sensitive factors were determined, respectively, for each reach from upper stream to lower stream in the study area.
A Three-Dimensional Cooperative Guidance Law of Multimissile System
Authors: Wei Xing , Wang Yongji , Dong Shuai , Liu Lei
Published: October 2015

In order to conduct saturation attacks on a static target, the cooperative guidance problem of multimissile system is researched. A three-dimensional guidance model is built using vector calculation and the classic proportional navigation guidance (PNG) law is extended to three dimensions. Based on this guidance law, a distributed cooperative guidance strategy is proposed and a consensus protocol is designed to coordinate the time-to-go commands of all missiles. Then an expert system, which contains two extreme learning machines (ELM), is developed to regulate the local proportional coefficient of each missile according to the command. All missiles can arrive at the target simultaneously under the assumption that the multimissile network is connected. A simulation scenario is given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.
Finite Element Modeling of Multiscale Diffusion in Intercalated Nanocomposites
Authors: Greco Antonio , Maffezzoli Alfonso
Published: October 2015

This work is aimed to study the diffusion in 3D nanocomposites obtained with stacks of lamellar nanofillers characterized by the presence of permeable galleries, by finite element (FE) analysis. To this purpose, a geometric model, based on a random distribution of noninterpenetrating stacks, with each one being made of regularly spaced lamellae, was developed. The developed model is able to account for diffusion between stacks (interstack diffusion) as well as diffusion inside stacks (intrastack diffusion). Simulation results showed that intrastack diffusion, related to flow inside galleries, can be quite relevant, particularly at high values of gallery thickness. Comparison of the simulation results with literature models shows that when intrastack diffusion is not taken into account, the diffusion behavior in intercalated nanocomposites is not well predicted. Therefore, intrastack permeability of nanofillers such as organic modified clays cannot be neglected. Such intrastack diffusivity is shown to depend on the morphological features of the nanofiller requiring the development of a proper mathematical model.
Restless Legs Syndrome and Leg Motor Restlessness in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Suzuki Keisuke , Miyamoto Masayuki , Miyamoto Tomoyuki , Hirata Koichi
Published: October 2015

Sleep disturbances are important nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) that are associated with a negative impact on quality of life. Restless legs syndrome (RLS), which is characterized by an urge to move the legs accompanied by abnormal leg sensations, can coexist with PD, although the pathophysiology of these disorders appears to be different. RLS and PD both respond favorably to dopaminergic treatment, and several investigators have reported a significant relationship between RLS and PD. Sensory symptoms, pain, motor restlessness, akathisia, and the wearing-off phenomenon observed in PD should be differentiated from RLS. RLS in PD may be confounded by chronic dopaminergic treatment; thus, more studies are needed to investigate RLS in drug-naïve patients with PD. Recently, leg motor restlessness (LMR), which is characterized by an urge to move the legs that does not fulfill the diagnostic criteria for RLS, has been reported to be observed more frequently in de novo patients with PD than in age-matched healthy controls, suggesting that LMR may be a part of sensorimotor symptoms intrinsic to PD. In this paper, we provide an overview of RLS, LMR, and PD and of the relationships among these disorders.
Protective Effects of Intralipid and Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester on Nephrotoxicity Caused by Dichlorvos in Rats
Authors: Celik Muhammet Murat , Alp Ayse , Dokuyucu Recep , Zemheri Ebru , Ozkanli Seyma , Ertekin Filiz , Yaldiz Mehmet , Akdag Abdurrahman , Ipci Ozlem , Toprak Serhat
Published: October 2015

The protective effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) and intralipid (IL) on nephrotoxicity caused by acute Dichlorvos (D) toxicity were investigated in this study. Forty-eight Wistar Albino rats were divided into 7 groups as follows: Control, D, CAPE, intralipid, D + CAPE, D + IL, and D + CAPE + IL. When compared to D group, the oxidative stress index (OSI) values were significantly lower in Control, CAPE, and D + IL + CAPE groups. When compared to D + IL + CAPE group, the TOS and OSI values were significantly higher in D group (P<0.05). When mitotic cell counts were assessed in the renal tissues, it was found that mitotic cell count was significantly higher in the D group while it was lower in the D + CAPE, D + IL, and D + IL + CAPE groups when compared to the control group (P<0.05). Also, immune reactivity showed increased apoptosis in D group and low profile of apoptosis in the D + CAPE group when compared to the Control group. The apoptosis level was significantly lower in D + IL + CAPE compared to D group (P<0.05) in the kidneys. As a result, we concluded that Dichlorvos can be used either alone or in combination with CAPE and IL as supportive therapy or as facilitator for the therapeutic effect of the routine treatment in the patients presenting with pesticide poisoning.
Gluon Shadowing Effects onJ/ψandΥProduction inp+PbCollisions atsNN=115 GeV andPb+pCollisions atsNN=72 GeV at AFTER@LHC
Authors: Vogt R.
Published: October 2015

We explore the effects of shadowing on inclusiveJ/ψandΥ(1S)production at AFTER@LHC. We also present the rates as a function ofpTand rapidity forp+PbandPb+pcollisions in the proposed AFTER@LHC rapidity acceptance.
Decentralized Control for Large-Scale Interconnected Nonlinear Systems Based on Barrier Lyapunov Function
Authors: Guo Tao
Published: October 2015

We present a novel decentralized tracking control scheme for a class of large-scale nonlinear systems with partial state constraints. For the first time, backstepping design with the newly proposed BLF is incorporated to effectively deal with the control problem of nonlinear systems with interconnected constraints. To prevent the states of each subsystem from violating the constraints, we employ a special barrier Lyapunov function (BLF), which grows to infinity whenever its argument approaches some finite limits. By ensuring boundedness of the barrier Lyapunov function in the closed loop, we ensure that those limits are not transgressed. Asymptotic tracking is achieved without violation of the constraints, and all closed-loop signals remain bounded. In the end, an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control.
Erchen Decoction Prevents High-Fat Diet Induced Metabolic Disorders in C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Gao Bi-Zhen , Chen Ji-Cheng , Liao Ling-Hong , Xu Jia-Qi , Lin Xiao-Feng , Ding Shan-Shan
Published: October 2015

Erchen decoction (ECD) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, which is used in the treatment of obesity, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases caused by retention of phlegm dampness. In this study we investigated the potential mechanism of ECD, using metabolism-disabled mice induced by high-fat diet. Body weight and abdominal circumference were detected. OGTT was measured by means of collecting blood samples from the tail vein. Blood lipid levels and insulin were measured using biochemical assay kit. Real-time PCR was used to measure the CDKAL1 gene expression and western blot was used to measure the protein expression. Through the research, it was found that ECD showed markedly lower body weight and abdominal circumference than those in the HFD group. Consistently, we observed that ECD significantly improved glucose tolerance, promoted the secretion of insulin and decreased the level of TG, TC level. Meanwhile, we observed significantly increased CDKAL1 mRNA and protein level in the ECD group. Therefore, we speculate that the potential molecular mechanism of ECD is to promote the CDKAL1 expression, ameliorate islet cell function, and raise insulin levels to regulate the metabolic disorder.
Oxidative Stress State Is Associated with Left Ventricular Mechanics Changes, Measured by Speckle Tracking in Essential Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Moreno-Ruíz Luis Antonio , Ibarra-Quevedo David , Rodríguez-Martínez Erika , Maldonado Perla D. , Sarabia-Ortega Benito , Hernández-Martínez José Gustavo , Espinosa-Caleti Beda , Mendoza-Pérez Beatriz , Rivas-Arancibia Selva
Published: October 2015

The oxidative stress state is characterized by an increase in oxygen reactive species that overwhelms the antioxidant defense; we do not know if these pathological changes are correlated with alterations in left ventricular mechanics. The aim was correlating the oxidative stress state with the left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and the left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Twenty-five patients with essential hypertension and 25 controls paired by age and gender were studied. All of the participants were subjected to echocardiography and biochemical determination of oxidative stress markers. The hypertensive patients, compared with control subjects, had significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of oxidized proteins (5.03±1.05versus4.06±0.63 nmol/mg), lower levels of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) activity (0.045±0.02versus0.082±0.02 U/mg), higher LVEDP (16.2±4.5versus11.3±1.6 mm Hg), and lower GLS (−12% versus −16%). Both groups had preserved ejection fraction and the results showed a positive correlation of oxidized proteins with GLS (r=0.386,p=0.006) and LVEDP (r=0.389,p=0.005); we also found a negative correlation of EC-SOD activity with GLS (r=-0.404,p=0.004) and LVEDP (r=-0.347,p=0.014).
Highly Sensitive CO Gas Sensor from Defective Graphene: Role of van der Waals Interactions
Authors: Jiang Yingda , Yang Sha , Li Shuang , Liu Wei , Zhao Yonghao
Published: October 2015

Layered materials, such as graphene, have attracted increasing interests
since they can be extensively used in gas sensors, spintronic devices, and
transparent electrodes. Although larger size of graphene sheets has been
fabricated, in reality, the existence of the defects in layered materials is
almost inevitable during the manufacturing process. Here, we performed the
state‐of‐the‐art density‐functional theory calculations to study the
interactions between CO molecule and the pristine and defective graphene
layers, with the aim of designing a CO gas sensor with higher
sensitivity. The van der Waals
interactions predominate the binding between the CO gas and the sensor, and also significantly enhance the stability of the system. The
defective graphene strongly interacts with CO, and thus enhances the sensitivity
of the graphene and further tunes the electronic and magnetic properties of
the entire system. Our computed results clearly demonstrate that the
defective graphene could be a good sensor for gas molecules.
Durability Indicators in High Absorption Recycled Aggregate Concrete
Authors: Jiménez Luis F. , Moreno Eric I.
Published: October 2015

The use of recycled aggregates in structural concrete production has the inconvenience of increasing the fluid transport properties, such as porosity, sorptivity, and permeability, which reduces the resistance against penetration of environmental loads such as carbon dioxide and chloride ion. In this paper, behavior of ten concrete mixtures with different percentages of coarse aggregate replacement was studied. The recycled material was recovered by crushing of concrete rubble and had high absorption values. The results showed that it is possible to achieve good resistance to carbonation and chloride penetration with up to 50% replacement of recycled coarse aggregate for 0.5 water/cement ratio. Finally, new indexes for porosity and sorptivity were proposed to assess the quality of concrete.
A Study on the Evaluation of Field Application of High-Fluidity Concrete Containing High Volume Fly Ash
Authors: Choi Yun-Wang , Park Man-Seok , Choi Byung-Keol , Oh Sung-Rok
Published: October 2015

In the recent concrete industry, high-fluidity concrete is being widely used for the pouring of dense reinforced concrete. Normally, in the case of high-fluidity concrete, it includes high binder contents, so it is necessary to replace part of the cement through admixtures such as fly ash to procure economic feasibility and durability. This study shows the mechanical properties and field applicability of high-fluidity concrete using mass of fly ash as alternative materials of cement. The high-fluidity concrete mixed with 50% fly ash was measured to manufacture concrete that applies low water/binder ratio to measure the mechanical characteristics as compressive strength and elastic modulus. Also, in order to evaluate the field applicability, high-fluidity concrete containing high volume fly ash was evaluated for fluidity, compressive strength, heat of hydration, and drying shrinkage of concrete.
Landslide Occurrence Prediction Using Trainable Cascade Forward Network and Multilayer Perceptron
Authors: Al-batah Mohammad Subhi , Alkhasawneh Mutasem Sh. , Tay Lea Tien , Ngah Umi Kalthum , Hj Lateh Habibah , Mat Isa Nor Ashidi
Published: October 2015

Landslides are one of the dangerous natural phenomena that hinder the development in Penang Island, Malaysia. Therefore, finding the reliable method to predict the occurrence of landslides is still the research of interest. In this paper, two models of artificial neural network, namely, Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Cascade Forward Neural Network (CFNN), are introduced to predict the landslide hazard map of Penang Island. These two models were tested and compared using eleven machine learning algorithms, that is, Levenberg Marquardt, Broyden Fletcher Goldfarb, Resilient Back Propagation, Scaled Conjugate Gradient, Conjugate Gradient with Beale, Conjugate Gradient with Fletcher Reeves updates, Conjugate Gradient with Polakribiere updates, One Step Secant, Gradient Descent, Gradient Descent with Momentum and Adaptive Learning Rate, and Gradient Descent with Momentum algorithm. Often, the performance of the landslide prediction depends on the input factors beside the prediction method. In this research work, 14 input factors were used. The prediction accuracies of networks were verified using the Area under the Curve method for the Receiver Operating Characteristics. The results indicated that the best prediction accuracy of 82.89% was achieved using the CFNN network with the Levenberg Marquardt learning algorithm for the training data set and 81.62% for the testing data set.
Wavefront-Guided Photorefractive Keratectomy with the Use of a New Hartmann-Shack Aberrometer in Patients with Myopia and Compound Myopic Astigmatism
Authors: Schallhorn Steven C. , Venter Jan A. , Hannan Stephen J. , Hettinger Keith A.
Published: October 2015

Purpose. To assess refractive and visual outcomes and patient satisfaction of wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in eyes with myopia and compound myopic astigmatism, with the ablation profile derived from a new Hartmann-Shack aberrometer.Methods. In this retrospective study, 662 eyes that underwent wavefront-guided PRK with a treatment profile derived from a new generation Hartmann-Shack aberrometer (iDesign aberrometer, Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Santa Ana, CA) were analyzed. The preoperative manifest sphere ranged from −0.25 to −10.75 D, and preoperative manifest cylinder was between 0.00 and −5.25 D. Refractive and visual outcomes, vector analysis of the change in refractive cylinder, and patient satisfaction were evaluated.Results. At 3 months, 91.1% of eyes had manifest spherical equivalent within 0.50 D. The percentage of eyes achieving uncorrected distance visual acuity 20/20 or better was 89.4% monocularly and 96.5% binocularly. The mean correction ratio of refractive cylinder was 1.02 ± 0.43, and the mean error of angle was 0.00 ± 14.86° at 3 months postoperatively. Self-reported scores for optical side effects, such as starburst, glare, halo, ghosting, and double vision, were low.Conclusion. The use of a new Hartmann-Shack aberrometer for wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy resulted in high predictability, efficacy, and patient satisfaction.
Hardy Variation Framework for Restoration of Weather Degraded Images
Authors: He Lin-Yuan , Zhao Ji-Zhong , Zheng Nan-Ning , Bi Du-Yan
Published: October 2015

Images captured in fog conditions often suffer from weather of poor visibility which fades the colors and reduces the contrast in the scene. This paper proposes a novel regularization method which utilizes space transformation in order to restore the hidden scene with high dynamic range and enhanced edge information. In order to efficiently improve the visualization, the proposed method is built upon contrast stretching which can obtain better estimation map as well as solve the problem. Using minimum energy constraints, the algorithm recovers scene albedo on a number of haze images. Experimental results show that the method effectively achieves accurate and true representation.
Balance Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease: The Role of Posturography in Developing a Rehabilitation Program
Authors: Ferrazzoli Davide , Fasano Alfonso , Maestri Roberto , Bera Rossana , Palamara Grazia , Ghilardi Maria Felice , Pezzoli Gianni , Frazzitta Giuseppe
Published: October 2015

Balance dysfunction (BD) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a disabling symptom, difficult to treat and predisposing to falls. The dopaminergic drugs or deep brain stimulation does not always provide significant improvements of BD and rehabilitative approaches have also failed to restore this condition. In this study, we investigated the suitability of quantitative posturographic indicators to early identify patients that could develop disabling BD. Parkinsonian patients not complaining of a subjective BD and controls were tested using a posturographic platform (PP) with open eyes (OE) and performing a simple cognitive task [counting (OEC)]. We found that patients show higher values of total standard deviation (SD) of body sway and along the medio-lateral (ML) axis during OE condition. Furthermore, total and ML SD of body sway during OE condition and total SD of body sway with OEC were higher than controls also in a subgroup of patients with normal Berg Balance Scale. We conclude that BD in Parkinsonian patients can be discovered before its appearance using a PP and that these data may allow developing specific rehabilitative treatment to prevent or delay their onset.
Norm Estimates for Solutions of Polynomial Operator Equations
Authors: Gil’ Michael
Published: October 2015

We consider the equations∑k=0mcm-kAkXBk=Cand∑k=0mcm-kAkXBm-k=C, whereck∈C  (k=1,…,m),c0=1,A,B,Care given linear bounded operators in a Banach space andXis to be found. Representations of solutions are derived. In the cases of Euclidean and Hilbert spaces, norm estimates for the solutions are suggested.
Heterogeneous Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks for Smart Grid: Markov Analysis and Applications
Authors: Luo Ling , Zhou Jian , Ling Ping , Roy Sumit , Chen Zhiyong , Li Xiaofan
Published: October 2015

Cognitive radio sensor networks (CRSN) have the potential to vastly improve spectrum utilization among heterogeneous applications for smart grid. To date, there has been little queueing theoretic modeling conducted of such systems that provide a quantitative estimate of the benefits from CRSN. We propose a novel queuing model which incorporates service rate and functional heterogeneity on the servers and implement preemptive priority among the varying service classes. Initially, we present a continuous-time Markov chain for performance analysis of CRSN for two colocated cognitive systems with various priority classes and bandwidth requirements. Closed form results for spectrum utilization, blocking probability, and optimal traffic intensities are then derived for the scenario of two heterogeneous secondary systems. A channel packing scheme is then proposed to pack smaller bandwidth users into clusters of adjacent channels to alleviate blockage of users requiring larger bandwidth requirements. Based on the numerical results of benefits of our scheme, we propose a feasible application for smart grid.
Inferior Frontal Gyrus Activation Underlies the Perception of Emotions, While Precuneus Activation Underlies the Feeling of Emotions during Music Listening
Authors: Tabei Ken-ichi
Published: October 2015

While music triggers many physiological and psychological reactions, the underlying neural basis of perceived and experienced emotions during music listening remains poorly understood. Therefore, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), I conducted a comparative study of the different brain areas involved in perceiving and feeling emotions during music listening. I measured fMRI signals while participants assessed the emotional expression of music (perceived emotion) and their emotional responses to music (felt emotion). I found that cortical areas including the prefrontal, auditory, cingulate, and posterior parietal cortices were consistently activated by the perceived and felt emotional tasks. Moreover, activity in the inferior frontal gyrus increased more during the perceived emotion task than during a passive listening task. In addition, the precuneus showed greater activity during the felt emotion task than during a passive listening task. The findings reveal that the bilateral inferior frontal gyri and the precuneus are important areas for the perception of the emotional content of music as well as for the emotional response evoked in the listener. Furthermore, I propose that the precuneus, a brain region associated with self-representation, might be involved in assessing emotional responses.
Coincidence Detection Using Spiking Neurons with Application to Face Recognition
Authors: Kamaruzaman Fadhlan , Shafie Amir Akramin , Mustafah Yasir M.
Published: October 2015

We elucidate the practical implementation of Spiking Neural Network (SNN) as local ensembles of classifiers. Synaptic time constantτsis used as learning parameter in representing the variations learned from a set of training data at classifier level. This classifier uses coincidence detection (CD) strategy trained in supervised manner using a novel supervised learning method calledτsPrediction which adjusts the precise timing of output spikes towards the desired spike timing through iterative adaptation ofτs. This paper also discusses the approximation of spike timing in Spike Response Model (SRM) for the purpose of coincidence detection. This process significantly speeds up the whole process of learning and classification. Performance evaluations with face datasets such as AR, FERET, JAFFE, and CK+ datasets show that the proposed method delivers better face classification performance than the network trained with Supervised Synaptic-Time Dependent Plasticity (STDP). We also found that the proposed method delivers better classification accuracy thanknearest neighbor, ensembles ofkNN, and Support Vector Machines. Evaluation on several types of spike codings also reveals that latency coding delivers the best result for face classification as well as for classification of other multivariate datasets.
A Virtual Instrument System for Determining Sugar Degree of Honey
Authors: Wu Qijun , Gong Xun
Published: October 2015

This study established a LabVIEW-based virtual instrument system to measure optical activity through the communication of conventional optical instrument with computer via RS232 port. This system realized the functions for automatic acquisition, real-time display, data processing, results playback, and so forth. Therefore, it improved accuracy of the measurement results by avoiding the artificial operation, cumbersome data processing, and the artificial error in optical activity measurement. The system was applied to the analysis of the batch inspection on the sugar degree of honey. The results obtained were satisfying. Moreover, it showed advantages such as friendly man-machine dialogue, simple operation, and easily expanded functions.
Analysis of Reaction betweenα-Lipoic Acid and 2-Chloro-1-methylquinolinium Tetrafluoroborate Used as a Precolumn Derivatization Technique in Chromatographic Determination ofα-Lipoic Acid
Authors: Godlewska Magdalena , Odachowska Angelika , Turkowicz Monika , Karpinska Joanna
Published: October 2015

The present study offers results of analysis concerning the course of reaction between reducedα-lipoic acid (LA) and 2-chloro-1-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate (CMQT). In water environments, the reaction between CMQT and hydrophilic thiols proceeds very rapidly and the resultant products are stable. For the described analysis, optimum reaction conditions, such as concentration of the reducing agent, environment pH, and concentration of the reagent were carefully selected. The spectrophotometric assay was carried out measuring absorbance atλ=348 nm (i.e., the spectral band of the obtained reaction product). Furthermore, the calibration curve of lipoic acid was registered. It was concluded that the Lambert-Beer law was observed within the range 1–10 μmol L−1. Later, the reaction between LA and CMQT was used as precolumn derivatization in a chromatographic determination of the lipoic acid in the range 2.5–50 μmol L−1. Practical applicability of the designed methods was evaluated by determining lipoic acid inRevitanervpharmaceutical preparation which contains 300 mg LA in a single capsule. The error of the determination did not exceed 0.5% in relation to the declared value.
Damage Control Surgery for Hepatocellular Cancer Rupture in an Elderly Patient: Survival and Quality of Life
Authors: Bouliaris Konstantinos , Christodoulidis Grigorios , Symeonidis Dimitrios , Diamantis Alexandros , Tepetes Konstantinos
Published: October 2015

Spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare emergency condition with high mortality rate. Successful management depends on patients’ hemodynamic condition upon presentation and comorbidities, correct diagnosis, HCC status, liver function, and future liver remnant, as well as available sources. There is still a debate in the literature concerning the best approach in this devastating complication. Nevertheless, the primary goal should be a definitive bleeding arrest. In most cases, patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC present with hemodynamic instability, due to hemoperitoneum, necessitating an emergency treatment modality. In such cases, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) should be the treatment of choice. Emergency liver resection is an option when TAE fails or in cases with preserved liver function and limited tumors. Otherwise, damage control strategies, as in liver trauma, are a reasonable alternative. We report a case of an elderly patient with hemoperitoneum and hypovolemic shock from spontaneous rupture of undiagnosed HCC, who was treated successfully by emergency surgery and damage control approach.
A Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging Method Based on a Realistic Model
Authors: Jin Tian , Yarovoy Alexander
Published: October 2015

An image focusing method based on a realistic model for a wall is proposed for through-the-wall radar imaging using a multiple-input multiple-output array. A technique to estimate the wall parameters (i.e., position, thickness, and permittivity) from the radar returns is developed and tested. The estimated wall properties are used in the developed penetrating image formation to form images. The penetrating image formation developed is computationally efficient to realize real-time imaging, which does not depend on refraction points. The through-the-wall imaging method is validated on simulated and real data. It is shown that the proposed method provides high localization accuracy of targets concealed behind walls.
Neonatal Death and Heart Failure in Mouse with Transgenic HSP60 Expression
Authors: Chen Tsung-Hsien , Liu Shan-Wen , Chen Mei-Ru , Cho Kuan-Hung , Chen Tzu-Yin , Chu Pao-Hsien , Kao Yu-Ying , Hsu Ching-Han , Lin Kurt Ming-Chao
Published: October 2015

Mitochondrial heat shock proteins, such as HSP60, are chaperones responsible for the folding, transport, and quality control of mitochondrial matrix proteins and are essential for maintaining life. Both prosurvival and proapoptotic roles have been proposed for HSP60, and HSP60 is reportedly involved in the initiation of autoimmune, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases. The role of HSP60 in pathogenesis of these diseases remains unclear, partly because of the lack of mouse models expressing HSP60. In this study we generated HSP60 conditional transgenic mice suitable for investigatingin vivooutcomes by expressing HSP60 at the targeted organ in disease models. Ubiquitous HSP60 induction in the embryonic stage caused neonatal death in mice at postnatal day 1. A high incidence of atrial septal defects was observed in HSP60-expressing mice, with increased apoptosis and myocyte degeneration that possibly contributed to massive hemorrhage and sponge-like cardiac muscles. Our results showed that neonatal heart failure through HSP60 induction likely involves developmental defects and excessive apoptosis. The conditional HSP60 mouse model is useful for studying crucial biological questions concerning HSP60.
Interaction of Musicianship and Aging: A Comparison of Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials
Authors: O’Brien Jennifer L. , Nikjeh Dee A. , Lister Jennifer J.
Published: October 2015

Objective. The goal of this study was to begin to explore whether the beneficial auditory neural effects of early music training persist throughout life and influence age-related changes in neurophysiological processing of sound.Design. Cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) elicited by harmonic tone complexes were examined, including P1-N1-P2, mismatch negativity (MMN), and P3a.Study Sample. Data from older adult musicians (n=8) and nonmusicians (n=8) (ages 55–70 years) were compared to previous data from young adult musicians (n=40) and nonmusicians (n=20) (ages 18–33 years).Results. P1-N1-P2 amplitudes and latencies did not differ between older adult musicians and nonmusicians; however, MMN and P3a latencies for harmonic tone deviances were earlier for older musicians than older nonmusicians. Comparisons of P1-N1-P2, MMN, and P3a components between older and young adult musicians and nonmusicians suggest that P1 and P2 latencies are significantly affected by age, but not musicianship, while MMN and P3a appear to be more sensitive to effects of musicianship than aging.Conclusions. Findings support beneficial influences of musicianship on central auditory function and suggest a positive interaction between aging and musicianship on the auditory neural system.
Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Genetic Traits in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Individuals
Authors: Berezina A. , Belyaeva O. , Berkovich O. , Baranova E. , Karonova T. , Bazhenova E. , Brovin D. , Grineva E. , Shlyakhto E.
Published: October 2015

Objective. To assess prevalence of metabolically healthy individuals among patients with abdominal obesity (AO) and to determine phenotype and potential genetic traits associated with a benign metabolic status.Methods. 503 AO patients without cardiovascular diseases were examined. Waist circumference (WC), BMI, blood pressure, plasma glucose and serum insulin levels, HOMA-IR, lipid profile, and adiponectin (AN) and leptin (LEP) concentrations in serum were measured. Polymorphisms A19G and Q223R of the LEP and LEP receptor gene, and G276T and T45G of the AN gene were investigated.Results. 91.3% of patients were metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO), and 8.7% metabolically healthy obese (MHO). MHO patients were younger, and had lesser BMI and WC, while duration of obesity, frequency, and duration of physical training were greater than MUO patientsp<0.05. In MHO and MUO patients distribution of the G19G, G19A, and A19A genotypes of the LEP gene and G276G, G276T, and T276T genotypes of AN gene did not differ. The Т45Т genotype was associated with increase of metabolic disorders’ risk for patients with АО (OR = 2.331; 95%  CI=1.121÷5.132).Conclusions. Prevalence of MHO individuals among patients with AO is low. Benign metabolic status was associated with younger age, lower waist circumference, and higher physical activity, shorter duration of obesity, and G45G adiponectin genotype carriage.
G2LC: Resources Autoscaling for Real Time Bioinformatics Applications in IaaS
Authors: Hu Rongdong , Liu Guangming , Jiang Jingfei , Wang Lixin
Published: October 2015

Cloud computing has started to change the way how bioinformatics research is being carried out. Researchers who have taken advantage of this technology can process larger amounts of data and speed up scientific discovery. The variability in data volume results in variable computing requirements. Therefore, bioinformatics researchers are pursuing more reliable and efficient methods for conducting sequencing analyses. This paper proposes an automated resource provisioning method, G2LC, for bioinformatics applications in IaaS. It enables application to output the results in a real time manner. Its main purpose is to guarantee applications performance, while improving resource utilization. Real sequence searching data of BLAST is used to evaluate the effectiveness of G2LC. Experimental results show that G2LC guarantees the application performance, while resource is saved up to 20.14%.
Spinal Cord Hemisection Facilitates Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase Cells to Produce Serotonin in the Subchronic but Not the Chronic Phase
Authors: Azam Bushra , Wienecke Jacob , Jensen Dennis Bo , Azam Aleena , Zhang Mengliang
Published: October 2015

Neuromodulators, such as serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and noradrenalin, play an essential role in regulating the motor and sensory functions in the spinal cord. We have previously shown that in the rat spinal cord the activity of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) cells to produce 5-HT from its precursor (5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-HTP) is dramatically increased following complete spinal cord transection. In this study, we investigated whether a partial loss of 5-HT innervation could similarly increase AADC activity. Adult rats with spinal cord hemisected at thoracic level (T11/T12) were used with a postoperation interval at 5 days or 60 days. Using immunohistochemistry, first, we observed a significant reduction in the density of 5-HT-immunoreactive fibers in the spinal cord below the lesion on the injured side for both groups. Second, we found that the AADC cells were similarly expressed on both injured and uninjured sides in both groups. Third, increased production of 5-HT in AADC cells following 5-HTP was seen in 5-day but not in 60-day postinjury group. These results suggest that plastic changes of the 5-HT system might happen primarily in the subchronic phase and for longer period its function could be compensated by plastic changes of other intrinsic and/or supraspinal modulation systems.
Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Explain Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine among Hong Kong Chinese in Britain
Authors: Rochelle Tina L. , Shardlow Steven M. , Ng Sik Hung
Published: October 2015

The UK Chinese are known for their underutilisation of western healthcare services. Reasons for this underutilisation are complex. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is a widely used model of social cognition, which in the present study is being applied to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) utilisation and satisfaction with TCM services. Two hundred and seventy-two UK Chinese aged between 15 and 91 years (M=46.55; SD = 18.53) enrolled in the study. TCM utilisation was associated with gender, age, cultural attachment, and subjective norms. TCM users were more likely to be female and older and have a strong attachment to Chinese culture, and be influenced by the views of important others. Findings highlight the potential of the TPB in exploring TCM utilisation, whilst also throwing light on other factors influential in the use of TCM and satisfaction with TCM service provision among Chinese in the UK.