bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structured postoperative physiotherapy in patients with cervical radiculopathy: 6-month outcomes of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Wibault Johanna , Öberg Birgitta , Dedering Åsa , Löfgren Håkan , Zsigmond Peter , Peolsson Anneli
Published: October 2017

OBJECTIVE

Structured physiotherapy has been suggested as treatment before as well as after surgery to improve clinical outcomes in patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR), but randomized clinical trials to inform evidence-based clinical guidelines for the treatment of patients with CR after surgery are lacking. The aim of this study was to compare the results of structured postoperative physiotherapy combining neck-specific exercises with a behavioral approach to a standard postoperative approach in patients who had undergone surgery for cervical disc disease with CR at 6 months after surgery.

METHODS

Patients with cervical disc disease and persistent CR who were scheduled for surgery were randomized preoperatively to structured postoperative physiotherapy (n = 101) or a standard postoperative approach (n = 100). The latter included pragmatic physiotherapy in accordance with the usual Swedish postoperative care. Outcome measures included patient-reported neck disability as measured with the Neck Disability Index (NDI), intensity and frequency of neck and arm pain, global outcome of treatment, and expectation fulfillment, as well as enablement.

RESULTS

Patients who received structured postoperative physiotherapy reported greater expectation fulfillment (p = 0.01), and those who attended at least 50% of the treatment sessions reported less neck pain frequency (p = 0.05), greater expectation fulfillment (p = 0.001), and greater enablement (p = 0.04) compared with patients who received the standard postoperative approach. No other difference between treatment groups was found (p > 0.15). The NDI and neck and arm pain intensity were improved in both groups at 6 months after surgery (p < 0.001). Additional use of postoperative physiotherapy was reported by 61% of the patients who received the standard postoperative approach.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this first randomized clinical trial of postoperative physiotherapy showed only minor additional benefit of structured postoperative physiotherapy compared with standard postoperative approach 6 months postoperatively in patients who underwent surgery for cervical disc disease with CR. Patients who received structured postoperative physiotherapy reported higher expectation fulfillment, and many patients in the standard postoperative approach group perceived a need for additional treatments after surgery, suggesting that patients with CR are in need of further postoperative support. The results confirm that neck-specific exercises are tolerated postoperatively by patients with CR, but more studies of postoperative physiotherapy are needed to inform clinical guidelines for this patient group.

Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01547611 (clinicaltrials.gov)
Spinal endoscopy combined with selective CT myelography for dural closure of the spinal dural defect with superficial siderosis: technical note
Authors: Arishima Hidetaka , Higashino Yoshifumi , Yamada Shinsuke , Akazawa Ayumi , Arai Hiroshi , Tsunetoshi Kenzo , Matsuda Ken , Kodera Toshiaki , Kitai Ryuhei , Awara Kousuke , Kikuta Ken-ichiro
Published: October 2017

The authors describe a new procedure to detect the tiny dural hole in patients with superficial siderosis (SS) and CSF leakage using a coronary angioscope system for spinal endoscopy and selective CT myelography using a spinal drainage tube. Under fluoroscopy, surgeons inserted the coronary angioscope into the spinal subarachnoid space, similar to the procedure of spinal drainage, and slowly advanced it to the cervical spine. The angioscope clearly showed the small dural hole and injured arachnoid membrane. One week later, the spinal drainage tube was inserted, and the tip of the drainage tube was located just below the level of the dural defect found by the spinal endoscopic examination. This selective CT myelography clarifies the location of the dural defect. During surgery, the small dural hole could be easily located, and it was securely sutured. It is sometimes difficult to detect the actual location of the small dural hole even with thin-slice MRI or dynamic CT myelography in patients with SS. The use of a coronary angioscope for the spinal endoscopy combined with selective CT myelography may provide an effective examination to assess dural closure of the spinal dural defect with SS in cases without obvious dural defects on conventional imaging.
On Seeking Consensus Between Document Similarity Measures
Authors: Kłopotek Mieczysław
Published: October 2017

This paper investigates the application of consensus clustering and meta-clustering to the set of all possible partitions of a data set. We show that when using a “complement” of Rand Index as a measure of cluster similarity, the total-separation partition, putting each element in a separate set, is chosen.
Spiking Neural P Systems with Rules on Synapses Working in Sum Spikes Consumption Strategy
Authors: Su Yansen , Wu Tingfang , Xu Fei , Păun Andrei
Published: October 2017

Spiking neural P systems with rules on synapses (RSSN P systems, for short) are a class of distributed and parallel computation models inspired by the way in which neurons process and communicate information with each other by means of spikes, where neurons only contain spikes and the evolution rules are on synapses. RSSN P systems have been proved to be Turing universal, using the strategy that restricts all the applied rules to consume the same number of spikes from the given neuron, termed as equal spikes consumption strategy. In this work, in order to avoid imposing the equal spikes consumption restriction on the application of rules, a new strategy for rule application, termed as sum spikes consumption strategy, is considered in RSSN P systems, where a maximal set of enabled rules from synapses starting from the same neuron is nondeterministically chosen to be applied, in the sense that no further synapse can use any of its rules, and the sum of these numbers of spikes that all the applied rules consume is removed from the neuron. In this way, the proposed strategy avoids checking whether all the applied rules consume the same number of spikes from the given neuron. The computation power of RSSN P systems working in the proposed strategy is investigated, and it is proved that such systems characterize the semilinear sets of natural numbers, i.e., such systems are not universal. Furthermore, RSSN P systems with weighted synapses working in the proposed strategy are proved to be Turing universal. These results show that the weight on synapses is a powerful ingredient of RSSN P systems in terms of the computation power, which makes RSSN P systems working in sum spikes consumption strategy become universal from non-universality.
A Novel Similarity Measure for Content Based Image Retrieval in Discrete Cosine Transform Domain
Authors: Varish Naushad , Kumar Sumit , Pal Arup Kumar
Published: October 2017

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) scheme has gained popularity in the field of information retrieval for retrieving some relevant images from the image database based on the visual descriptors such as color, texture and/or shape of a given query image. In this paper, color features have been exploited from each color component of an RGB color image by using multi-resolution approach since most of the information of an image is undetected at one resolution level while some other undetectable information is visualized in other multi-resolution levels. Initially, Gaussian image pyramid is employed on each color component of the color image and subsequent DCT is computed directly on the obtained multi-resolution image planes. Then some significant DCT coefficients are selected according to the zigzag scanning order. For formation of the feature vector, we have derived some statistical values from AC coefficients and all other DC coefficients are included entirely. Finally, a similarity measure is suggested during image retrieval process and it is found that the overall computation overhead is reduced due to consideration of the proposed similarity measure. The proposed CBIR scheme is validated on a two standard Corel-1K and GHIM-10K image databases and satisfactory results are achieved in terms of precision, recall and F-score. The retrieved results show that the proposed scheme outperforms significantly over other related CBIR schemes.
Applications of Bipartite Graphs and their Adjacency Matrices to Covering-based Rough Sets
Authors: Wang Jingqian , Zhu William
Published: October 2017

In this paper, bipartite graphs and their adjacency matrices are applied to equivalently represent covering-based rough sets through three sides, which are approximation operators, properties and reducible elements. Firstly, a bipartite graph is constructed through a covering. According to the constructed bipartite graph, two equivalent representations of a pair of covering upper and lower approximation operators are presented. And an algorithm is designed for computing the pair of covering approximation operators from the viewpoint of these equivalent representations. Some properties and reducible elements of covering-based rough sets are also investigated through the constructed bipartite graph. Finally, an adjacency matrix of the constructed bipartite graph is proposed, and reducible elements in the covering are obtained through the proposed adjacency matrix. Moreover, an equivalent representation of the covering upper approximation operator is presented through the proposed adjacency matrix. In a word, these results show two interesting views, which are graphs and matrices, to investigate covering-based rough sets.
Examining the Relationship between Trace Lithium in Drinking Water and the Rising Rates of Age-Adjusted Alzheimer’s Disease Mortality in Texas
Authors: Fajardo Val Andrew , Fajardo Val Andrei , LeBlanc Paul J. , MacPherson Rebecca E.K.
Published: October 2017

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mortality rates have steadily increased over time. Lithium, the current gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder, can exert neuroprotective effects against AD. Objective: We examined the relationship between trace levels of lithium in drinking water and changes in AD mortality across several Texas counties. Methods: 6,180 water samples from public wells since 2007 were obtained and averaged for 234 of 254 Texas counties. Changes in AD mortality rates were calculated by subtracting aggregated age-adjusted mortality rates obtained between 2000–2006 from those obtained between 2009–2015. Using aggregated rates maximized the number of counties with reliable mortality data. Correlational analyses between average lithium concentrations and changes in AD mortality were performed while also adjusting for gender, race, education, rural living, air pollution, physical inactivity, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Results: Age-adjusted AD mortality rate was significantly increased over time (+27%, p < 0.001). Changes in AD mortality were negatively correlated with trace lithium levels (p = 0.01, r = –0.20), and statistical significance was maintained after controlling for most risk factors except for physical inactivity, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes positively correlated with changes in AD mortality (p = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively), but also negatively correlated with trace lithium in drinking water (p = 0.05 and <0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: Trace lithium in water is negatively linked with changes in AD mortality, as well as obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are important risk factors for AD.
Where Are the History Books for Palestinian Children?
Authors: Sayigh Rosemary
Published: October 2017

Colonialism deprives colonised peoples of the self-determined histories needed for continued struggle. Scattered since 1948 across diverse educational systems, Palestinians have been unable to control their education or construct an authentic curriculum. This paper covers varied schooling in the Palestinian diaspora. I set this state of ‘splitting through education’ as contradictory to international declarations of the right of colonised peoples to culturally relevant education. Such education would include histories that explain their situation, and depict past resistances. I argue for the production of histories of Palestine for Palestinian children, especially those in refugee camps as well as in Israel and Jerusalem, where curricula are controlled by the settler-coloniser. Black and Native Americans have dealt with exclusion from history in ways that offer models for Palestinians.
Memories for the Return? Remembering the Nakba by the First Generation of Palestinian Refugees in Syria
Authors: Al-Hardan Anaheed
Published: October 2017

The 1948 Nakba has, in light of the 1993 Oslo Accords and Palestinian refugee activists' mobilisation around the right of return, taken on a new-found centrality and importance in Palestinian refugee communities. Closely-related to this, members of the ‘Generation of Palestine’, the only individuals who can recollect Nakba memories, have come to be seen as the guardians of memories that are eventually to reclaim the homeland. These historical, social and political realities are deeply rooted in the ways in which the few remaining members of the generation of Palestine recollect 1948. Moreover, as members of communities that were destroyed in Palestine, and whose common and temporal and spatial frameworks were non-linearly constituted anew in Syria, one of the multiples meanings of the Nakba today can be found in the way the refugee communities perceive and define this generation.
After the June War: Peace or Justice, Conflict Management or Democracy in Palestine-Israel?
Authors: Beitzel Terry
Published: October 2017

The post-June War period becomes predominantly, though not exclusively, an ‘Israeli-Palestinian’ conflict rather than an ‘Arab-Israeli’ conflict. What sort of state is the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) wishing to establish? Since at least 1968, The Palestinian leadership has made explicit statements concerning governance, especially in favour of democracy and justice. Why was this ignored? The first aim of this study is not to draw out the situated nuances and contours for a complete description of the Palestinian perception of governance and international law, rather the aim is thematically to examine the Palestinian support for a more democratic form of governance. Secondly, this study attempts to examine the official Israeli record and reaction (or lack thereof) to these statements made by the Palestinians. Finally, these findings will be compared to conflict management and democratisation. The study ends with a question to the reader: what if more energy were placed into supporting democracy rather than managing conflict? Or, said another way, justice rather than peace?
Tracking Gendered Streams
Authors: Eriksson Maria C. , Johansson Anna
Published: October 2017

One of the most prominent features of digital music services is the provision of personalized music recommendations that come about through the profiling of users and audiences. Based on a range of “bot experiments,” this article investigates if, and how, gendered patterns in music recommendations are provided by the streaming service Spotify. While our experiments did not give any strong indications that Spotify assigns different taste profiles to male and female users, the study showed that male artists were highly overrepresented in Spotify’s music recommendations; an issue which we argue prompts users to cite hegemonic masculine norms within the music industries. Although the results should be approached as historically and contextually contingent, we argue that they point to how gender and gendered tastes may be constituted through the interplay between users and algorithmic knowledge-making processes, and how digital content delivery may maintain and challenge gender relations and gendered power differentials within the music industries. Seen through the lens of critical research on software, music and gender performativity, the experiments thus provide insights into how gender is shaped and attributed meaning as it materializes in contemporary music streams.
RETRACTED: Overweight and Cognitive Performance: High Body Mass Index Is Associated with Impairment in Reactive Control during Task Switching
Authors: Steenbergen Laura , Colzato Lorenza S.
Published: October 2017

The prevalence of weight problems is increasing worldwide. There is growing evidence that high body mass index (BMI) is associated with frontal lobe dysfunction and deficits in cognitive control. The present study aims to clarify the association between weight status and the degree of impairment in cognitive flexibility, i.e., the ability to efficiently switch from one task to another, by disentangling the preparatory and residual domains of task switching. Twenty-six normal weight (BMI < 25, five males) and twenty-six overweight (BMI ≥ 25, seven males) university students performed a task-switching paradigm that provides a relatively well-established diagnostic measure of proactive vs. reactive control with regard to cognitive flexibility. Compared to individuals with a BMI lower than 25, overweight (i.e., ≥25) was associated with increased switching costs in the reactive switching condition (i.e., when preparation time is short), representing reduced cognitive flexibility in the preparatory domain. In addition, the overweight group reported significantly more depression and binge eating symptoms, although still indicating minimal depression. No between-group differences were found with regard to self-reported autism spectrum symptoms, impulsiveness, state- and trait anxiety, and cognitive reactivity to depression. The present findings are consistent with and extend previous literature showing that elevated BMI in young, otherwise healthy individuals is associated with significantly more switching costs due to inefficiency in the retrieval, implementation, and maintenance of task sets, indicating less efficient cognitive control functioning.
Exploring Patient Awareness and Perceptions of the Appropriate Use of Antibiotics: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Davis Marion , Liu Tsai-Ling , Taylor Yhenneko , Davidson Lisa , Schmid Monica , Yates Traci , Scotton Janice , Spencer Melanie
Published: October 2017

In the outpatient setting, estimates suggest that 30% of the antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary. This study explores patient knowledge and awareness of appropriate use of antibiotics and expectations regarding how antibiotics are used for their treatment in outpatient settings. A survey was administered to a convenience sample of patients, parents, and caregivers (n = 190) at seven primary care clinics and two urgent care locations. Fisher’s exact tests compared results by patient characteristics. Although 89% of patients correctly believed that antibiotics work well for treating infections from bacteria, 53% incorrectly believed that antibiotics work well for treating viral infections. Patients who incorrectly believed that antibiotics work well for treating viral infections were more than twice as likely to expect a provider to give them an antibiotic when they have a cough or common cold. Patients who completed the survey also participated in semi-structured interviews (n = 4), which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Patients reported experiencing confusion about which illnesses may be treated by antibiotics and unclear communication from clinicians about the appropriate use of antibiotics. Development of easy to understand patient educational materials can help address patients’ incorrect perceptions of appropriate antibiotic use and facilitate patient-provider communication.
Effects of Cocoa Antioxidants in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Ramos Sonia , Martín María , Goya Luis
Published: October 2017

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2D) is the most common form of diabetes and one of the most common chronic diseases. Control of hyperglycaemia by hypoglycaemic drugs is insufficient in for patients and nutritional approaches are currently being explored. Natural dietary compounds such as flavonoids, abundant in fruits and vegetables, have received broad attention because of their potential capacity to act as anti-diabetic agents. Especially cocoa flavonoids have been proved to ameliorate important hallmarks of T2D. In this review, an update of the most relevant reports published during the last decade in cell culture, animal models and human studies is presented. Most results support an anti-diabetic effect of cocoa flavonoids by enhancing insulin secretion, improving insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues, exerting a lipid-lowering effect and preventing the oxidative and inflammatory damages associated to the disease. While it could be suggested that daily consumption of flavanols from cocoa or dark chocolate would constitute a potential preventive tool useful for the nutritional management of T2D, this recommendation should be cautious since most of commercially available soluble cocoa products or chocolates contain low amount of flavanols and are rich in sugar and calories that may aggravate glycaemic control in T2D patients.
Comparison among Constituent Phases in Superlattice Metal Hydride Alloys for Battery Applications
Authors: Young Kwo-Hsiung , Ouchi Taihei , Nei Jean , Koch John , Lien Yu-Ling
Published: October 2017

The effects of seven constituent phases—CeNi3, NdNi3, Nd2Ni7, Pr2Ni7, Sm5Ni19, Nd5Co19, and CaCu5—on the gaseous phase and electrochemical characteristics of a superlattice metal hydride alloy made by induction melting with a composition of Sm14La5.7Mg4.0Ni73Al3.3 were studied through a series of annealing experiments. With an increase in annealing temperature, the abundance of non-superlattice CaCu5 phase first decreases and then increases, which is opposite to the phase abundance evolution of Nd2Ni7—the phase with the best electrochemical performance. The optimal annealing condition for the composition in this study is 920 °C for 5 h. Extensive correlation studies reveal that the A2B7 phase demonstrates higher gaseous phase hydrogen storage and electrochemical discharge capacities and better battery performance in high-rate dischargeability, charge retention, and cycle life. Moreover, the hexagonal stacking structure is found to be more favorable than the rhombohedral structure.
Non-Technical Barriers to Energy Efficient Renovation of Residential Buildings and Potential Policy Instruments to overcome Them—Evidence from Young Russian Adults
Authors: Paiho Satu , Ahvenniemi Hannele
Published: October 2017

Several scientific articles discuss non-technical barriers and policy instruments related to energy efficient building renovation. However, they are seldom systematically categorized and hardly ever related to Russian context even if Russian housing provides remarkable potential for energy-efficiency improvements. This paper identifies non-technical barriers to building energy renovations and potential policy instruments to overcome these barriers. The study was carried out by using the following methods: first, we mapped the barriers and policy instruments addressed in renovation-related studies. Following this step, we studied the importance of barriers and the feasibility of various policy instruments in and with a few selected Russian experts. The outcome of the interviews indicates that standards, information dissemination and awareness raising are the most efficient instruments to promote energy renovations of buildings in Russia. Both students and the interviewed Russian experts shared the view that the role of the Government is highly important regarding introduction of these instruments.
CAR-T Cell Therapy: From the Bench to the Bedside
Authors: Golubovskaya Vita
Published: October 2017

CAR (Chimeric Antigen receptor)-T cell therapy is a novel type of therapy that uses engineered T cells with an antibody single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) extracellular domain that binds tumor-associated antigens[...]
Consideration of the Role of Plasma in a Plasma-Coupled Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides with a Hydrocarbon Reducing Agent
Authors: Lee Byeong , Kang Ho-Chul , Jo Jin , Mok Young
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this study is to explain how plasma improves the performance of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with a hydrocarbon reducing agent. In the plasma-coupled SCR process, NOx reduction was performed with n-heptane as a reducing agent over Ag/γ-Al2O3 as a catalyst. We found that the plasma decomposes n-heptane into several oxygen-containing products such as acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and butyraldehyde, which are more reactive than the parent molecule n-heptane in the SCR process. Separate sets of experiments using acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and butyraldehyde, one by one, as a reductant in the absence of plasma, have clearly shown that the presence of these partially oxidized compounds greatly enhanced the NOx conversion. The higher the discharge voltage, the more the amounts of such partially oxidized products. The oxidative species produced by the plasma easily converted NO into NO2, but the increase of the NO2 fraction was found to decrease the NOx conversion. Consequently, it can be concluded that the main role of plasma in the SCR process is to produce partially oxidized compounds (aldehydes), having better reducing power. The catalyst-alone NOx removal efficiency with n-heptane at 250 °C was measured to be less than 8%, but it increased to 99% in the presence of acetaldehyde at the same temperature. The NOx removal efficiency with the aldehyde reducing agent was higher as the number of carbons in the aldehyde was more; for example, the NOx removal efficiencies at 200 °C with butyraldehyde, propionaldehyde and acetaldehyde were measured to be 83.5%, 58.0% and 61.5%, respectively, which were far above the value (3%) obtained with n-heptane.
Synchronization in Quantum Key Distribution Systems
Authors: Pljonkin Anton , Rumyantsev Konstantin , Singh Pradeep
Published: October 2017

In the description of quantum key distribution systems, much attention is paid to the operation of quantum cryptography protocols. The main problem is the insufficient study of the synchronization process of quantum key distribution systems. This paper contains a general description of quantum cryptography principles. A two-line fiber-optic quantum key distribution system with phase coding of photon states in transceiver and coding station synchronization mode was examined. A quantum key distribution system was built on the basis of the scheme with automatic compensation of polarization mode distortions. Single-photon avalanche diodes were used as optical radiation detecting devices. It was estimated how the parameters used in quantum key distribution systems of optical detectors affect the detection of the time frame with attenuated optical pulse in synchronization mode with respect to its probabilistic and time-domain characteristics. A design method was given for the process that detects the time frame that includes an optical pulse during synchronization. This paper describes the main quantum communication channel attack methods by removing a portion of optical emission. This paper describes the developed synchronization algorithm that takes into account the time required to restore the photodetector’s operation state after the photon has been registered during synchronization. The computer simulation results of the developed synchronization algorithm were analyzed. The efficiency of the developed algorithm with respect to synchronization process protection from unauthorized gathering of optical emission is demonstrated herein.
Alternative Diesel from Waste Plastics
Authors: Bezergianni Stella , Dimitriadis Athanasios , Faussone Gian-Claudio , Karonis Dimitrios
Published: October 2017

The long term ambition of energy security and solidarity, coupled with the environmental concerns of problematic waste accumulation, is addressed via the proposed waste-to-fuel technology. Plastic waste is converted into automotive diesel fuel via a two-step thermochemical process based on pyrolysis and hydrotreatment. Plastic waste was pyrolyzed in a South East Asia plant rendering pyrolysis oil, which mostly consisted of middle-distillate (naphtha and diesel) hydrocarbons. The diesel fraction (170–370 °C) was fractionated, and its further upgrade was assessed in a hydroprocessing pilot plant at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) in Greece. The final fuel was evaluated with respect to the diesel fuel quality specifications EN 590, which characterized it as a promising alternative diesel pool component with excellent ignition quality characteristics and low back end volatility.
Functional Analysis of Two Flavanone-3-Hydroxylase Genes from Camellia sinensis: A Critical Role in Flavonoid Accumulation
Authors: Han Yahui , Huang Keyi , Liu Yajun , Jiao Tianming , Ma Guoliang , Qian Yumei , Wang Peiqiang , Dai Xinlong , Gao Liping , Xia Tao
Published: October 2017

Flavonoids are major secondary metabolites in Camellia sinensis. Flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H) is a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. However, its role in the flavonoid metabolism in C. sinensis has not been well studied. In this study, we cloned two F3Hs from C. sinensis, named CsF3Ha and CsF3Hb, where CsF3Ha containing 1107 bases encoded 368 amino acids, and CsF3Hb containing 1071 bases encoded 357 amino acids. Enzymatic activity analysis showed both recombinant CsF3H enzymes in Escherichia coli could convert naringenin and eriodictyol into dihydrokaempferol (DHK) and dihydroquercetin (DHQ), respectively. The expression profiles showed that CsF3Ha and CsF3Hb were highly expressed in the tender leaves of tea plants. Under different abiotic stresses, the two CsF3Hs were induced remarkably by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, sucrose, and abscisic acid (ABA). In the seeds of CsF3Hs transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, the concentration of most flavonol glycosides and oligomeric proanthocyanidins increased significantly, while the content of monocatechin derivatives decreased. The present study revealed that CsF3Hs played critical roles in flavonoid biosynthesis in tea plants.
Zinc in Cellular Regulation: The Nature and Significance of “Zinc Signals”
Authors: Maret Wolfgang
Published: October 2017

In the last decade, we witnessed discoveries that established Zn2+ as a second major signalling metal ion in the transmission of information within cells and in communication between cells. Together with Ca2+ and Mg2+, Zn2+ covers biological regulation with redox-inert metal ions over many orders of magnitude in concentrations. The regulatory functions of zinc ions, together with their functions as a cofactor in about three thousand zinc metalloproteins, impact virtually all aspects of cell biology. This article attempts to define the regulatory functions of zinc ions, and focuses on the nature of zinc signals and zinc signalling in pathways where zinc ions are either extracellular stimuli or intracellular messengers. These pathways interact with Ca2+, redox, and phosphorylation signalling. The regulatory functions of zinc require a complex system of precise homeostatic control for transients, subcellular distribution and traffic, organellar homeostasis, and vesicular storage and exocytosis of zinc ions.
Tetrahydroborates: Development and Potential as Hydrogen Storage Medium
Authors: Puszkiel Julián , Garroni Sebastiano , Milanese Chiara , Gennari Fabiana , Klassen Thomas , Dornheim Martin , Pistidda Claudio
Published: October 2017

The use of fossil fuels as an energy supply becomes increasingly problematic from the point of view of both environmental emissions and energy sustainability. As an alternative, hydrogen is widely regarded as a key element for a potential energy solution. However, different from fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal, the production of hydrogen requires energy. Alternative and intermittent renewable sources such as solar power, wind power, etc., present multiple advantages for the production of hydrogen. On one hand, the renewable sources contribute to a remarkable reduction of pollutants released to the air. On the other hand, they significantly enhance the sustainability of energy supply. In addition, the storage of energy in form of hydrogen has a huge potential to balance an effective and synergetic utilization of the renewable energy sources. In this regard, hydrogen storage technology presents a key roadblock towards the practical application of hydrogen as “energy carrier”. Among the methods available to store hydrogen, solid-state storage is the most attractive alternative both from the safety and the volumetric energy density points of view. Because of their appealing hydrogen content, complex hydrides and complex hydride-based systems have attracted considerable attention as potential energy vectors for mobile and stationary applications. In this review, the progresses made over the last century on the development in the synthesis and research on the decomposition reactions of homoleptic tetrahydroborates is summarized. Furthermore, theoretical and experimental investigations on the thermodynamic and kinetic tuning of tetrahydroborates for hydrogen storage purposes are herein reviewed.
Is Exaggerated Release of Arginine Vasopressin an Endocrine Disorder? Pathophysiology and Treatment
Authors: Ishikawa San-e
Published: October 2017

Exaggerated release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) is profoundly involved in impaired water excretion and related hyponatremia. Such disorders underlie syndromes of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) and edematous diseases, such as congestive heart failure and decompensated liver cirrhosis. All the causes are fundamentally from non-endocrine diseases. AVP-induced water retention could produce hyponatremia, and further accelerate poor long-term outcome of edematous diseases. Administration of AVP V2 receptor antagonists verifies how much AVP is involved in the pathogenesis of the impaired water excretion. The present paper demonstrated that exaggerated release of AVP plays a crucial role as an accessory endocrine disorder in pathological states of water retention and dilutional hyponatremia in non-endocrine disorders.
Innate Immunity to Mucosal Candida Infections
Authors: Verma Akash , Gaffen Sarah , Swidergall Marc
Published: October 2017

Mucosal epithelial tissues are exposed to high numbers of microbes, including commensal fungi, and are able to distinguish between those that are avirulent and those that cause disease. Epithelial cells have evolved multiple mechanisms to defend against colonization and invasion by Candida species. The interplay between mucosal epithelial tissues and immune cells is key for control and clearance of fungal infections. Our understanding of the mucosal innate host defense system has expanded recently with new studies bringing to light the importance of epithelial cell responses, innate T cells, neutrophils, and other phagocytes during Candida infections. Epithelial tissues release cytokines, host defense peptides, and alarmins during Candida invasion that act in concert to limit fungal proliferation and recruit immune effector cells. The innate T cell/IL-17 axis and recruitment of neutrophils are of central importance in controlling mucosal fungal infections. Here, we review current knowledge of the innate immunity at sites of mucosal Candida infection, with a focus on infections caused by C. albicans.
SMORE: Synteny Modulator of Repetitive Elements
Authors: Berkemer Sarah , Hoffmann Anne , Murray Cameron , Stadler Peter
Published: October 2017

Several families of multicopy genes, such as transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) and ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), are subject to concerted evolution, an effect that keeps sequences of paralogous genes effectively identical. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to distinguish orthologs from paralogs on the basis of sequence similarity alone. Synteny, the preservation of relative genomic locations, however, also remains informative for the disambiguation of evolutionary relationships in this situation. In this contribution, we describe an automatic pipeline for the evolutionary analysis of such cases that use genome-wide alignments as a starting point to assign orthology relationships determined by synteny. The evolution of tRNAs in primates as well as the history of the Y RNA family in vertebrates and nematodes are used to showcase the method. The pipeline is freely available.
A Study of Lubricant Inertia Effects for Squeeze Film Dampers Incorporated into High-Speed Turbomachinery
Authors: Hamzehlouia Sina , Behdinan Kamran
Published: October 2017

This work proposes a numerical model that incorporates the effect of lubricant inertia on the hydrodynamic pressure distribution, fluid film reaction forces, and the fluid velocity component profiles for finite-length open-ended squeeze film dampers (SFDs). Firstly, the thin film flow equations for the SFD in presence of fluid inertia effects are introduced. Furthermore, a small first-order perturbation by means of the expressions for the fluid film velocity components and the lubricant pressure distribution that are expanded in power series of the squeeze film Reynolds number is applied to the flow equations. Subsequently the developed lubricant flow equations are solved to develop expressions for the velocity component profiles and the hydrodynamic pressure distribution in SFDs. The pressure expression is numerically solved by using Gauss–Seidel method with finite difference discretization. Moreover, the fluid film reaction forces are determined by numerically integrating the hydrodynamic pressure expressions over the journal surface. Additionally, the proposed pressure distribution expression and the numerical SFD forces are incorporated into a simulation model and the simulation results are compared with the existing models in the literature under different operating conditions, including eccentricity ratios and inertia effects (i.e., Reynolds numbers). The simulation results demonstrate the significant influence of both convective and temporal (i.e., unsteady) lubricant inertia terms on the SFD hydrodynamic pressure distribution and the fluid film reaction forces. Furthermore, the proposed SFD model is incorporated into a multi-mass flexible rotordynamic model to evaluate the effect of SFD fluid inertia on the mass unbalance induced steady-state vibrations of the rotor and the nodal transient orbits by implementing finite element method and transient modal integration with predictor–corrector solver. The results of the analysis demonstrate the significant effect of fluid inertia on the resonance frequencies of the rotor and the steady-state vibration amplitudes and the transient orbits at the resonance zone.
Characterization of Powder Metallurgy Processed Pure Magnesium Materials for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Březina Matěj , Minda Jozef , Doležal Pavel , Krystýnová Michaela , Fintová Stanislava , Zapletal Josef , Wasserbauer Jaromír , Ptáček Petr
Published: October 2017

Magnesium with its mechanical properties and nontoxicity is predetermined as a material for biomedical applications; however, its high reactivity is a limiting factor for its usage. Powder metallurgy is one of the promising methods for the enhancement of material mechanical properties and, due to the introduced plastic deformation, can also have a positive influence on corrosion resistance. Pure magnesium samples were prepared via powder metallurgy. Compacting pressures from 100 MPa to 500 MPa were used for samples’ preparation at room temperature and elevated temperatures. The microstructure of the obtained compacts was analyzed in terms of microscopy. The three-point bendisng test and microhardness testing were adopted to define the compacts’ mechanical properties, discussing the results with respect to fractographic analysis. Electrochemical corrosion properties analyzed with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy carried out in HBSS (Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution) and enriched HBSS were correlated with the metallographic analysis of the corrosion process. Cold compacted materials were very brittle with low strength (up to 50 MPa) and microhardness (up to 50 HV (load: 0.025 kg)) and degraded rapidly in both solutions. Hot pressed materials yielded much higher strength (up to 250 MPa) and microhardness (up to 65 HV (load: 0.025 kg)), and the electrochemical characteristics were significantly better when compared to the cold compacted samples. Temperatures of 300 °C and 400 °C and high compacting pressures from 300 MPa to 500 MPa had a positive influence on material bonding, mechanical and electrochemical properties. A compacting temperature of 500 °C had a detrimental effect on material compaction when using pressure above 200 MPa.
Cell Migration Research Based on Organ-on-Chip-Related Approaches
Authors: Ren Xiaoou , Levin David , Lin Francis
Published: October 2017

Microfluidic devices have been widely used for cell migration research over the last two decades, owing to their attractive features in cellular microenvironment control and quantitative single-cell migration analysis. However, the majority of the microfluidic cell migration studies have focused on single cell types and have configured microenvironments that are greatly simplified compared with the in-vivo conditions they aspire to model. In addition, although cell migration is considered an important target for disease diagnosis and therapeutics, very few microfluidic cell migration studies involved clinical samples from patients. Therefore, more sophisticated microfluidic systems are required to model the complex in-vivo microenvironment at the tissue or organ level for cell migration studies and to explore cell migration-related clinical applications. Research in this direction that employs organ-on-chip-related approaches for cell migration analysis has been increasingly reported in recent years. In this paper, we briefly introduce the general background of cell migration and organ-on-chip research, followed by a detailed review of specific cell migration studies using organ-on-chip-related approaches, and conclude by discussing our perspectives of the challenges, opportunities and future directions.
A Numerical Research of Herringbone Passive Mixer at Low Reynold Number Regime
Authors: Wang Dongyang , Ba Dechun , Liu Kun , Hao Ming , Gao Yang , Wu Zhiyong , Mei Qi
Published: October 2017

Passive mixing based on microfluidics has won its popularity for its unique advantage, including easier operation, more efficient mixing performance and higher access to high integrity. The time-scale and performance of mixing process are usually characterized by mixing quality, which has been remarkably improved due to the introduction of chaos theory into passive micro mixers. In this paper, we focus on the research of mixing phenomenon at extremely low Reynold number (Re) regime in a chaotic herringbone mixer. Three-dimensional (3D) modeling has been carried out using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, to simulate the chaos-enhanced advection diffusion process. Static mixing processes using pressure driven and electric field driven modes are investigated. Based on the simulation results, the effects of flow field and herringbone pattern are theoretically studied and compared. Both in pressure driven flow and electro-osmotic flow (EOF), the mixing performance is improved with a lower flow rate. Moreover, it is noted that with a same total flow rate, mixing performance is better in EOF than pressure driven flow, which is mainly due to the difference in flow field distribution of pressure driven flow and EOF.
Purification, Characterization, and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides Isolated from Cortex Periplocae
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Zhang Yifei , Liu Zhikai , Zhao Mingqin , Liu Pengfei
Published: October 2017

In this study, crude Cortex Periplocae polysaccharides (CCPPs) were extracted with water. CCPPs were decolored with AB-8 resin and deproteinated using papain-Sevage methods. Then, they were further purified and separated through DEAE-52 anion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography, respectively. Three main fractions—CPP1, CPP2, and CPP3, (CPPs)—were obtained. The average molecular weights, monosaccharide analysis, surface morphology, and chemical compositions of the CPPs were investigated by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In addition, the antioxidant activities of these three polysaccharides were investigated. The results indicated that all of the CPPs were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, and galactose. These three polysaccharides exhibited antioxidant activities in four assays including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical, reducing power, and total antioxidant activity in vitro. The data indicated that these three polysaccharides could be utilized as potential natural sources of alternative additives in the functional food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
Synthesis and Structure–Activity Relationships of 4-Morpholino-7,8-Dihydro-5H-Thiopyrano[4,3-d]pyrimidine Derivatives Bearing Pyrazoline Scaffold
Authors: Wang Qinqin , Li Xiaojing , Sun Chengyu , Zhang Binliang , Zheng Pengwu , Zhu Wufu , Xu Shan
Published: October 2017

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Protein kinase B/Mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway is abnormally active in the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. The inhibition of PI3K kinase can effectively block the conduction of signaling pathways and is an ideal target for drug design. In this paper; two series of 4-morpholino-7,8-dihydro-5H-thiopyrano[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives bearing pyrazoline moiety (7a–l; 8a–l) were synthesized; and their cytotoxicity in vitro were evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method against four human cancer cell lines including A549; PC-3; MCF-7; and HepG2 cell lines. The activity of the most promising compound 8d against PI3Kα kinase was further evaluated. The results indicated that most of the target compounds showed moderate to excellent cytotoxicity and the most promising compound 8d showed excellent cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 6.02–10.27 μM. In addition; the compound 8d was found to have a moderate inhibitory activity in the PI3Kα enzyme assay. What’s more; the compounds of which the substituents of benzene ring at the C-4 position are electron-withdrawing groups such as substituents (Cl; F; Br) have better activity than the compounds containing the electron donating groups (OCH3; H). However; the exact action mechanism is not quite clear right now. Further study will be carried out to identify the exact target in near future.
Influence of Synthesis Temperature on the Growth and Surface Morphology of Co3O4 Nanocubes for Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Samal Rashmirekha , Dash Barsha , Sarangi Chinmaya , Sanjay Kali , Subbaiah Tondepu , Senanayake Gamini , Minakshi Manickam
Published: October 2017

A facile hydrothermal route to control the crystal growth on the synthesis of Co3O4 nanostructures with cube-like morphologies has been reported and tested its suitability for supercapacitor applications. The chemical composition and morphologies of the as-prepared Co3O4 nanoparticles were extensively characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Varying the temperature caused considerable changes in the morphology, the electrochemical performance increased with rising temperature, and the redox reactions become more reversible. The results showed that the Co3O4 synthesized at a higher temperature (180 °C) demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 833 F/g. This is attributed to the optimal temperature and the controlled growth of nanocubes.