bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of Salinity Tolerance in Plants: Physiological, Biochemical, and Molecular Characterization
Authors: Gupta Bhaskar , Huang Bingru
Published: April 2014

Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting growth and productivity of plants in many areas of the world due to increasing use of poor quality of water for irrigation and soil salinization. Plant adaptation or tolerance to salinity stress involves complex physiological traits, metabolic pathways, and molecular or gene networks. A comprehensive understanding on how plants respond to salinity stress at different levels and an integrated approach of combining molecular tools with physiological and biochemical techniques are imperative for the development of salt-tolerant varieties of plants in salt-affected areas. Recent research has identified various adaptive responses to salinity stress at molecular, cellular, metabolic, and physiological levels, although mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance are far from being completely understood. This paper provides a comprehensive review of major research advances on biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms regulating plant adaptation and tolerance to salinity stress.
Involvement of Endocytosis and Alternative Splicing in the Formation of the Pathological Process in the Early Stages of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Alieva Anelya Kh. , Shadrina Maria I. , Filatova Elena V. , Karabanov Aleksey V. , Illarioshkin Sergey N. , Limborska Svetlana A. , Slominsky Petr A.
Published: April 2014

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the one of most widespread neurodegenerative pathologies. Because of the impossibility of studying the endogenous processes that occur in the brain of patients with PD in the presymptomatic stage, the mechanisms that trigger the disease remain unknown. Thus, the identification of the processes that play an important role in the early stages of the disease in these patients is extremely difficult. In this context, we performed a whole-transcriptome analysis of the peripheral blood of untreated patients with stage 1 PD (Hoehn-Yahr scale). We demonstrated a significant change in the levels of transcripts included in the large groups of processes associated with the functioning of the immune system and cellular transport. Moreover, a significant change in the splicing of genes involved in cellular-transport processes was shown in our study.
Persistence and Nonpersistence of a Predator Prey System with Stochastic Perturbation
Authors: Li Haihong , Jiang Daqing , Cong Fuzhong , Li Haixia
Published: April 2014

We analyze a predator prey model with stochastic perturbation. First, we show that this system has a unique positive solution. Then, we deduce conditions that the system is persistent in time average. Furthermore, we show the conditions that there is a stationary distribution of the system which implies that the system is permanent. After that, conditions for the system going extinct in probability are established. At last, numerical simulations are carried out to support our results.
Labor and Related Injuries among Schoolchildren in Palestine: Findings from the National Study of Palestinian Schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2006)
Authors: Jildeh Christine , Abdeen Ziad , Al Sabbah Haleama , Papandreou Christopher , Ghannam Ibrahim , Weller Nancy , Philalithis Anastas
Published: April 2014

Background. Labor related injuries among Palestinian schoolchildren are a significant undocumented public health concern. This study aimed at documenting the prevalence and nature of work related injuries among schoolchildren as well as identifying sociodemographic factors that predict these injuries. Methods. A cross-sectional survey included 15,963 children of whom 6458 (40.8%) completed an optional package related to labor. Students aged 12–18 years self-completed the international WHO collaborative HBSC valid questionnaires between April and May of 2006. Results. Approximately 73.8% of the students who filled the optional package reported working during the last 12 months, of whom 79.1% sustained a work related injury. Work injuries were significantly higher among boys, younger children, and children enrolled in UNRWA schools and living in Gaza Strip P<0.05. Children working ≥3 hours/day were more likely to experience injuries, 1.73 (95% CI, 1.53–1.95), than those working ≤3/day. About half of the children worked in retail trade (51.5%), agriculture (20.0%), and cleaning (11.4%). Injury type was related to the type of work performed. Conclusions. The high prevalence of injuries among working Palestinian schoolchildren confirms its severity as a public health problem. To reduce occupational injuries, policymakers and professionals should develop intervention programs that target the public and health providers.
On the Fiber Preserving Transformations for the Fifth-Order Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: Suksern S. , Pinyo W.
Published: April 2014

This paper is devoted to the study of the linearization problem of fifth-order ordinary differential equations by means of fiber preserving transformations. The necessary and sufficient conditions for linearization are obtained. The procedure for obtaining the linearizing transformations is provided in explicit form. Examples demonstrating the procedure of using the linearization theorems are presented.
Hydrogen Production Technologies Evaluation Based on Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multiattribute Decision Making Method
Authors: Yu Dejian
Published: April 2014

We establish a decision making model for evaluating hydrogen production technologies in China, based on interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set theory. First of all, we propose a series of interaction interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators comparing them with some widely used and cited aggregation operators. In particular, we focus on the key issue of the relationships between the proposed operators and existing operators for clear understanding of the motivation for proposing these interaction operators. This research then studies a group decision making method for determining the best hydrogen production technologies using interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy approach. The research results of this paper are more scientific for two reasons. First, the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy approach applied in this paper is more suitable than other approaches regarding the expression of the decision maker’s preference information. Second, the results are obtained by the interaction between the membership degree interval and the nonmembership degree interval. Additionally, we apply this approach to evaluate the hydrogen production technologies in China and compare it with other methods.
A Novel Bioinformatics Method for Efficient Knowledge Discovery by BLSOM from Big Genomic Sequence Data
Authors: Bai Yu , Iwasaki Yuki , Kanaya Shigehiko , Zhao Yue , Ikemura Toshimichi
Published: April 2014

With remarkable increase of genomic sequence data of a wide range of species, novel tools are needed for comprehensive analyses of the big sequence data. Self-Organizing Map (SOM) is an effective tool for clustering and visualizing high-dimensional data such as oligonucleotide composition on one map. By modifying the conventional SOM, we have previously developed Batch-Learning SOM (BLSOM), which allows classification of sequence fragments according to species, solely depending on the oligonucleotide composition. In the present study, we introduce the oligonucleotide BLSOM used for characterization of vertebrate genome sequences. We first analyzed pentanucleotide compositions in 100 kb sequences derived from a wide range of vertebrate genomes and then the compositions in the human and mouse genomes in order to investigate an efficient method for detecting differences between the closely related genomes. BLSOM can recognize the species-specific key combination of oligonucleotide frequencies in each genome, which is called a “genome signature,” and the specific regions specifically enriched in transcription-factor-binding sequences. Because the classification and visualization power is very high, BLSOM is an efficient powerful tool for extracting a wide range of information from massive amounts of genomic sequences (i.e., big sequence data).
Two Different Methods for Numerical Solution of the Modified Burgers’ Equation
Authors: Karakoç Seydi Battal Gazi , Başhan Ali , Geyikli Turabi
Published: April 2014

A numerical solution of the modified Burgers’ equation (MBE) is obtained by using quartic B-spline subdomain finite element method (SFEM) over which the nonlinear term is locally linearized and using quartic B-spline differential quadrature (QBDQM) method. The accuracy and efficiency of the methods are discussed by computingL2andL∞error norms. Comparisons are made with those of some earlier papers. The obtained numerical results show that the methods are effective numerical schemes to solve the MBE. A linear stability analysis, based on the von Neumann scheme, shows the SFEM is unconditionally stable. A rate of convergence analysis is also given for the DQM.
Impact of HbA1c Measurement on Hospital Readmission Rates: Analysis of 70,000 Clinical Database Patient Records
Authors: Strack Beata , DeShazo Jonathan P. , Gennings Chris , Olmo Juan L. , Ventura Sebastian , Cios Krzysztof J. , Clore John N.
Published: April 2014

Management of hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients has a significant bearing on outcome, in terms of both morbidity and mortality. However, there are few national assessments of diabetes care during hospitalization which could serve as a baseline for change. This analysis of a large clinical database (74 million unique encounters corresponding to 17 million unique patients) was undertaken to provide such an assessment and to find future directions which might lead to improvements in patient safety. Almost 70,000 inpatient diabetes encounters were identified with sufficient detail for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to fit the relationship between the measurement of HbA1c and early readmission while controlling for covariates such as demographics, severity and type of the disease, and type of admission. Results show that the measurement of HbA1c was performed infrequently (18.4%) in the inpatient setting. The statistical model suggests that the relationship between the probability of readmission and the HbA1c measurement depends on the primary diagnosis. The data suggest further that the greater attention to diabetes reflected in HbA1c determination may improve patient outcomes and lower cost of inpatient care.
Global Positive Periodic Solutions for Periodic Two-Species Competitive Systems with Multiple Delays and Impulses
Authors: Luo Zhenguo , Luo Liping , Yang Liu , Zeng Yunhui
Published: April 2014

A set of easily verifiable sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the existence and the global stability of positive periodic solutions for two-species competitive systems with multiple delays and impulses, by applying some new analysis techniques. This improves and extends a series of the well-known sufficiency theorems in the literature about the problems mentioned previously.
Information Exchange rather than Topology Awareness: Cooperation between P2P Overlay and Traffic Engineering
Authors: Zhao Jia , Guan Jianfeng , Xu Changqiao , Su Wei , Zhang Hongke
Published: April 2014

Solutions to the routing strategic conflict between noncooperative P2P overlay and ISP underlay go separate ways: hyperselfishness and cooperation. Unpredictable (possibly adverse) impact of the hyperselfish topology awareness, which is adopted in both overlay routing and traffic engineering, has not been sufficiently studied in the literature. Topology‐related information exchange in a cooperatively efficient way should be highlighted to alleviate the cross‐layer conflict. In this paper, we first illustrate the hyperselfish weakness with two dynamic noncooperative game models in which hyperselfish overlay or underlay has to accept a suboptimal profit. Then we build a synergistic cost‐saving (SC) game model to reduce the negative effects of noncooperation. In the SC model, through information exchange, that is, the classified path‐delay metrics for P2P overlay and peer locations for underlay, P2P overlay selects proximity as well as saving traffic transit cost for underlay, and ISP underlay adjusts routing to optimize network cost as well as indicating short delay paths for P2P. Simulations based on the real and generated topologies validate cost improvement by SC model and find a proper remote threshold value to limit P2P traffic from remote area, cross‐AS, or cross‐ISP.
An Overview of Networked Control of Complex Dynamic Systems
Authors: Yan Huaicheng , Yan Sheng , Zhang Hao , Zhao Xudong
Published: April 2014

Networked control systems (NCSs) are spatially distributed systems for which communication between sensors, actuators, and controllers is supported by a shared communication network. In recent years, NCSs have brought many innovative impacts to control systems. However, grate challenges are also met due to the network‐induced imperfection. In this paper, we particularly discuss various typical networked induced issues; namely, time delays, packet losses, disorder, time‐varying transmission intervals, competition of multiple nodes accessing networks, and data quantization as well as event‐triggered data transmission strategy are surveyed; at the same time, some research topics are also discussed. The common goal of discussion on these topics is to reveal the effect of the communication network on the operation of the networked systems.
Recognition of Emotion from Facial Expressions with Direct or Averted Eye Gaze and Varying Expression Intensities in Children with Autism Disorder and Typically Developing Children
Authors: Tell Dina , Davidson Denise , Camras Linda A.
Published: April 2014

Eye gaze direction and expression intensity effects on emotion recognition in children with autism disorder and typically developing children were investigated. Children with autism disorder and typically developing children identified happy and angry expressions equally well. Children with autism disorder, however, were less accurate in identifying fear expressions across intensities and eye gaze directions. Children with autism disorder rated expressions with direct eyes, and 50% expressions, as more intense than typically developing children. A trend was also found for sad expressions, as children with autism disorder were less accurate in recognizing sadness at 100% intensity with direct eyes than typically developing children. Although the present research showed that children with autism disorder are sensitive to eye gaze direction, impairments in the recognition of fear, and possibly sadness, exist. Furthermore, children with autism disorder and typically developing children perceive the intensity of emotional expressions differently.
Simulation of the Relaxation Potential Profile of an ac-dc-ac Test
Authors: Allahar Kerry N. , Hurley Michael F. , Sapper Erik D. , Butt Darryl P.
Published: April 2014

The relaxation period of the accelerated ac-dc-ac test for coatings is associated with the transient electrochemistry that occurs when the immersed coated system is allowed to return to a stable open-circuit condition after being subjected to a cathodic potential. A mathematical model of the transient electrochemistry that occurs during this relaxation period is presented for coated aluminum. Expressions for the corrosion potential and corrosion current as functions of the local pH at the metal-coating interface were developed using reported experimental results. These expressions enabled the simulation of the transient electrochemistry under the constraint of balanced anodic and cathodic current densities. Regression of the transient relaxation potential profiles to exponential decay functions provided time-constant characterization of the profiles. Simulated results are presented that demonstrate the influences of the coating's porosity and thickness, the applied dc potential and the metal-coating interface condition on the time-constants associated with the relaxation profile. Interpretation of experimentally reported relaxation potential profiles supported the analysis of the simulated results.
Multimodal Spatial Calibration for Accurately Registering EEG Sensor Positions
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Chen Jian , Chen Shengyong , Xiao Gang , Li Xiaoli
Published: April 2014

This paper proposes a fast and accurate calibration method to calibrate multiple multimodal sensors using a novel photogrammetry system for fast localization of EEG sensors. The EEG sensors are placed on human head and multimodal sensors are installed around the head to simultaneously obtain all EEG sensor positions. A multiple views’ calibration process is implemented to obtain the transformations of multiple views. We first develop an efficient local repair algorithm to improve the depth map, and then a special calibration body is designed. Based on them, accurate and robust calibration results can be achieved. We evaluate the proposed method by corners of a chessboard calibration plate. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve good performance, which can be further applied to EEG source localization applications on human brain.
Biology of Ageing and Role of Dietary Antioxidants
Authors: Peng Cheng , Wang Xiaobo , Chen Jingnan , Jiao Rui , Wang Lijun , Li Yuk Man , Zuo Yuanyuan , Liu Yuwei , Lei Lin , Ma Ka Ying , Huang Yu , Chen Zhen-Yu
Published: April 2014

Interest in relationship between diet and ageing is growing. Research has shown that dietary calorie restriction and some antioxidants extend lifespan in various ageing models. On the one hand, oxygen is essential to aerobic organisms because it is a final electron acceptor in mitochondria. On the other hand, oxygen is harmful because it can continuously generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are believed to be the factors causing ageing of an organism. To remove these ROS in cells, aerobic organisms possess an antioxidant defense system which consists of a series of enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR). In addition, dietary antioxidants including ascorbic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C,α-tocopherol, and plant flavonoids are also able to scavenge ROS in cells and therefore theoretically can extend the lifespan of organisms. In this connection, various antioxidants including tea catechins, theaflavins, apple polyphenols, black rice anthocyanins, and blueberry polyphenols have been shown to be capable of extending the lifespan of fruit flies. The purpose of this review is to brief the literature on modern biological theories of ageing and role of dietary antioxidants in ageing as well as underlying mechanisms by which antioxidants can prolong the lifespan with focus on fruit flies as an model.
Bone and Mineral Metabolism in Patients with Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Petramala Luigi , Zinnamosca Laura , Settevendemmie Amina , Marinelli Cristiano , Nardi Matteo , Concistrè Antonio , Corpaci Francesco , Tonnarini Gianfranco , De Toma Giorgio , Letizia Claudio
Published: April 2014

Primary aldosteronism represents major cause of secondary hypertension, strongly associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Aldosterone excess may influence mineral homeostasis, through higher urinary calcium excretion inducing secondary increase of parathyroid hormone. Recently, in a cohort of PA patients a significant increase of primary hyperparathyroidism was found, suggesting a bidirectional functional link between the adrenal and parathyroid glands. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of aldosterone excess on mineral metabolism and bone mass density. In 73 PA patients we evaluated anthropometric and biochemical parameters, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, calcium-phosphorus metabolism, and bone mineral density; control groups were 73 essential hypertension (EH) subjects and 40 healthy subjects. Compared to HS and EH, PA subjects had significantly lower serum calcium levels and higher urinary calcium excretion. Moreover, PA patients showed higher plasma PTH, lower serum 25(OH)-vitamin D levels, higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (65% versus 25% and 25%;P<0.001), and higher prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis (38.5 and 10.5%) than EH (28% and 4%) and NS (25% and 5%), respectively. This study supports the hypothesis that bone loss and fracture risk in PA patients are potentially the result of aldosterone mediated hypercalciuria and the consecutive secondary hyperparathyroidism.
On ther-Shifted Central Coefficients of Riordan Matrices
Authors: Zheng Sai-nan , Yang Sheng-liang
Published: April 2014

By presenting Riordan matrix as a triangle, the central coefficients are entries in the central column. Starting at the central column, ther-shifted central coefficients are entries in columnrof the right part of the triangle. This paper aims to characterize ther-shifted central coefficients of Riordan matrices. Here we will concentrate on four elements of the subgroups of the Riordan group, that is, the Bell subgroup, the associated subgroup, the derivative subgroup, and the hitting time subgroup. Some examples are presented to show how we deduce the generating functions for interesting sequences by using different means of calculating theser-shifted central coefficients. Besides, we make some extensions in the Bell subgroup.
Cooperative Transmission in Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks with Multiple Carrier Frequency Offsets: A Double‐Differential Approach
Authors: Zhao Kun , Pan Kegang , Zhang Bangning
Published: April 2014

As a result of the rapidly increasing mobility of sensor nodes, mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSNs) would be subject to multiple carrier frequency offsets (MCFOs), which result in time‐varying channels and drastically degrade the network performance. To enhance the performance of such MWSNs, we propose a relay selection (RS) based double‐differential (DD) cooperative transmission scheme, termed RSDDCT, in which the best relay sensor node is selected to forward the source sensor node’s signals to the destination sensor node with the detect‐and‐forward (DetF) protocol. Assuming a Rayleigh fading environment, first, exact closed‐form expressions for the outage probability and average bit error rate (BER) of the RSDDCT scheme are derived. Then, simple and informative asymptotic outage probability and average BER expressions at the large signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) regime are presented, which reveal that the RSDDCT scheme can achieve full diversity. Furthermore, the optimum power allocation strategy in terms of minimizing the average BER is investigated, and simple analytical solutions are obtained. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed RSDDCT scheme can achieve excellent performance over fading channels in the presence of unknown random MCFOs. It is also shown that the proposed optimum power allocation strategy offers substantial average BER performance improvement over the equal power allocation strategy.
Proteomes of Animal Oocytes: What Can We Learn for Human Oocytes in theIn VitroFertilization Programme?
Authors: Virant-Klun Irma , Krijgsveld Jeroen
Published: April 2014

Oocytes are crucial cells for mammalian reproduction, yet the molecular principles underlying oocyte development are only partially understood. Therefore, contemporary proteomic approaches have been used increasingly to provide new insights into oocyte quality and maturation in various species such as mouse, pig, and cow. Especially, animal studies have helped in elucidating the molecular status of oocytes duringin vitromaturation and other procedures of assisted reproduction. The aim of this review is to summarize the literature on mammalian oocyte proteome and secretome research in the light of natural and assisted reproduction and on lessons to be learned for human oocytes, which have so far remained inaccessible for proteome analysis.
The Genetic Architecture of Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Prideaux Steven M. , Conway O'Brien Emma , Chevassut Timothy J.
Published: April 2014

Multiple myeloma is a malignant proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells leading to clinical features that include hypercalcaemia, renal dysfunction, anaemia, and bone disease (frequently referred to by the acronym CRAB) which represent evidence of end organ failure. Recent evidence has revealed myeloma to be a highly heterogeneous disease composed of multiple molecularly-defined subtypes each with varying clinicopathological features and disease outcomes. The major division within myeloma is between hyperdiploid and nonhyperdiploid subtypes. In this division, hyperdiploid myeloma is characterised by trisomies of certain odd numbered chromosomes, namely, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, and 21 whereas nonhyperdiploid myeloma is characterised by translocations of the immunoglobulin heavy chain alleles at chromosome 14q32 with various partner chromosomes, the most important of which being 4, 6, 11, 16, and 20. Hyperdiploid and nonhyperdiploid changes appear to represent early or even initiating mutagenic events that are subsequently followed by secondary aberrations including copy number abnormalities, additional translocations, mutations, and epigenetic modifications which lead to plasma cell immortalisation and disease progression. The following review provides a comprehensive coverage of the genetic and epigenetic events contributing to the initiation and progression of multiple myeloma and where possible these abnormalities have been linked to disease prognosis.
Optimal Overcurrent Relay Coordination Using Optimized Objective Function
Authors: Mousavi Motlagh Seyed Hadi , Mazlumi Kazem
Published: April 2014

A novel strategy for directional overcurrent relays (DOCRs) coordination is proposed. In the proposed method, the objective function is improved during the optimization process and objective function coefficients are changed in optimization problem. The proposed objective function is more flexible than the old objective functions because various coefficients of objective function are set by optimization algorithm. The optimization problem is solved using hybrid genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization algorithm (HGAPSOA). This method is applied to 6-bus and 30-bus sample networks.
Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Regulates Production of Amyloid-βPeptides and Tau Phosphorylation in Diabetic Rat Brain
Authors: Qu Zhong-Sen , Li Liang , Sun Xiao-Jiang , Zhao Yu-Wu , Zhang Jin , Geng Zhi , Fu Jian-Liang , Ren Qing-Guo
Published: April 2014

The pathogenesis of diabetic neurological complications is not fully understood. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are characterized by amyloid deposits. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD and DM. Here we tried to investigate the production of amyloid-βpeptides (Aβ) and phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau in DM rats and elucidate the role of GSK-3 and Akt (protein kinase B, PKB) in these processes. Streptozotocin injection-induced DM rats displayed an increased GSK-3 activity, decreased activity and expression of Akt. And Aβ40 and Aβ42 were found overproduced and the microtubule-associated protein tau was hyperphosphorylated in the hippocampus. Furthermore, selective inhibition of GSK-3 by lithium could attenuate the conditions of Aβoverproduction and tau hyperphosphorylation. Taken together, our studies suggest that GSK-3 regulates both the production of Aβand the phosphorylation of tau in rat brain and may therefore contribute to DM caused AD-like neurological defects.
Generalized Composition Operators fromℬμSpaces toQK,ω(p,q)Spaces
Authors: Li Haiying , Ma Tianshui
Published: April 2014

Let0<p<∞, let-2<q<∞, and letφbe an analytic self-map of𝔻andg∈H(𝔻). The boundedness and compactness of generalized composition operators(Cφgf)(z)=∫0z‍f'(φ(ξ))g(ξ)dξ, z∈𝔻, f∈H(𝔻), fromℬμ(ℬμ,0) spaces toQK,ω(p,q)spaces are investigated.
Putative Bronchopulmonary Flagellated Protozoa in Immunosuppressed Patients
Authors: Kilimcioglu Ali Ahmet , Havlucu Yavuz , Girginkardesler Nogay , Çelik Pınar , Yereli Kor , Özbilgin Ahmet
Published: April 2014

Flagellated protozoa that cause bronchopulmonary symptoms in humans are commonly neglected. These protozoal forms which were presumed to be “flagellated protozoa” have been previously identified in immunosuppressed patients in a number of studies, but have not been certainly classified so far. Since no human cases of bronchopulmonary flagellated protozoa were reported from Turkey, we aimed to investigate these putative protozoa in immunosuppressed patients who are particularly at risk of infectious diseases. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of 110 immunosuppressed adult patients who were admitted to the Department of Chest Diseases, Hafsa Sultan Hospital of Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey, were examined in terms of parasites by light microscopy. Flagellated protozoal forms were detected in nine (8.2%) of 110 cases. Metronidazole (500 mgb.i.d.for 30 days) was given to all positive cases and a second bronchoscopy was performed at the end of the treatment, which revealed no parasites. In conclusion, immunosuppressed patients with bronchopulmonary symptoms should attentively be examined with regard to flagellated protozoa which can easily be misidentified as epithelial cells.
Combination Therapy of Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel and Carboplatin as First Line Therapy in a Patient with Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Srinivasan K. N , Rauthan Amit , Gopal R.
Published: April 2014

Background. Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer among women and causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer. Albumin-bound paclitaxel is known to increase intratumoral concentration of the paclitaxel by a receptor-mediated transport process across the endothelial cell wall, thereby breaching the blood/tumor interface. We present below three cases in which nab-paclitaxel based chemotherapy has been used in different settings for patients with ovarian cancer.Case Presentation. In the first case nab-paclitaxel was used along with carboplatin in adjuvant setting, in the second case, nab-paclitaxel was used along with carboplatin and bevacizumab as second line chemotherapy in a relapsed ovarian cancer case, and the third case delineates the use of nab-paclitaxel along with cisplatin as third line chemotherapy.Conclusion. In all the three scenarios, patients tolerated the chemotherapy well, as well as responding well to nab-paclitaxel based chemotherapy. The patients are currently on long-term follow-up and have been having an uneventful postchemotherapy.
A Plant-Produced Antigen Elicits Potent Immune Responses against West Nile Virus in Mice
Authors: He Junyun , Peng Li , Lai Huafang , Hurtado Jonathan , Stahnke Jake , Chen Qiang
Published: April 2014

We described the rapid production of the domain III (DIII) of the envelope (E) protein in plants as a vaccine candidate for West Nile Virus (WNV). Using various combinations of vector modules of a deconstructed viral vector expression system, DIII was produced in three subcellular compartments in leaves ofNicotiana benthamianaby transient expression. DIII expressed at much higher levels when targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) than that targeted to the chloroplast or the cytosol, with accumulation level up to 73 μg DIII per gram of leaf fresh weight within 4 days after infiltration. Plant ER-derived DIII was soluble and readily purified to > 95% homogeneity without the time-consuming process of denaturing and refolding. Further analysis revealed that plant-produced DIII was processed properly and demonstrated specific binding to an anti-DIII monoclonal antibody that recognizes a conformational epitope. Furthermore, subcutaneous immunization of mice with 5 and 25 μg of purified DIII elicited a potent systemic response. This study provided the proof of principle for rapidly producing immunogenic vaccine candidates against WNV in plants with low cost and scalability.
The Application of FastICA Combined with Related Function in Blind Signal Separation
Authors: Li Dengao , Zhao Junmin , Liu Hongyan , Hao Defeng
Published: April 2014

Blind source separation (BSS) has applications in the fields of data compression, feature recognition, speech, audio, and biosignal processing. Identification of ECG signal is one of the challenges in the biosignal processing. Proposed in this paper is a new method, which is the combination of related function relevance to estimated signal and negative entropy in fast independent component analysis (FastICA) as objective function, and the iterative formula is derived without any assumptions; then the independent components are found by maximizing the objective function. The improved algorithm shorthand for R‐FastICA is applied to extract random mixed signals and ventricular late potential (VLP) signal from normal ECG signal; simultaneously the performance of R‐FastICA algorithm is compared with traditional FastICA through simulation. Experimental results show that R‐FastICA algorithm outperforms traditional FastICA with higher similarity coefficient and separation precision.
Emergency‐Dependent Supply Decisions with Risk Perception and Price Control
Authors: Du Shaofu , Jiao Huifang , Huang Rongji , Zhu Jiaang
Published: April 2014

This paper studies the impact of emergencies on the supplier’s decision‐making behaviors including production and information sharing in consideration of consumer risk perception, consumer loss aversion phenomenon, and government price control. The intensity of emergencies is sequential and emergencies can be divided into two types (positive or negative) according to their effect on demand. When emergencies have negative effect on demand, the supplier’s sales will reduce and he would share information to the market. When emergencies have positive effect on demand, we find that when the price is under price cap the supplier will not share information to the market; when the price reaches price cap, the supplier will share a certain amount of information to the market. We were surprised to find that increasing demand is not always good for the supplier when there exist government price control and lost sales penalty, and information helps the supplier to effectively manipulate demand.
Effect of Material Thickness on Attenuation (dB) of PTFE Using Finite Element Method at X-Band Frequency
Authors: Yakubu Abubakar , Abbas Zulkifly , Hashim Mansor
Published: April 2014

PTFE samples were prepared with different thicknesses. Their electric field intensity and distribution of the PTFE samples placed inside a rectangular waveguide were simulated using finite element method. The calculation of transmission/reflection coefficients for all samples thickness was achieved via FEM. Amongst other observable features, result from calculation using FEM showed that the attenuation for the 15 mm PTFE sample is −3.32 dB; the 30 mm thick PTFE sample has an attenuation of 0.64 dB, while the 50 mm thick PTFE sample has an attenuation of 1.97 dB. It then suffices to say that, as the thickness of the PTFE sample increases, the attenuation of the samples at the corresponding thicknesses increases.
Leapfrog/Finite Element Method for Fractional Diffusion Equation
Authors: Zhao Zhengang , Zheng Yunying
Published: April 2014

We analyze a fully discrete leapfrog/Galerkin finite element method for the numerical solution of the space fractional order (fractional for simplicity) diffusion equation. The generalized fractional derivative spaces are defined in a bounded interval. And some related properties are further discussed for the following finite element analysis. Then the fractional diffusion equation is discretized in space by the finite element method and in time by the explicit leapfrog scheme. For the resulting fully discrete, conditionally stable scheme, we prove anL2-error bound of finite element accuracy and of second order in time. Numerical examples are included to confirm our theoretical analysis.
State Observer Synchronization Used in the Three‐Dimensional Duffing System
Authors: Han Jian-Qun , Ma Yue-Chao , Sun Hong
Published: April 2014

Synchronization of chaotic systems has attracted extensive concern in the past few years. In this study, we investigate a new structure of Duffing system by the variable decomposition method. Then, we analyze the state observer synchronization based on the new Duffing system. It is proved theoretically that the designed observer can keep synchronization with Duffing chaotic system in transmitter. The design is presented reasonably with the conditional Lyapunov exponents, and its effectiveness is clearly shown in simulation results.
Long-term Relationship of Ovulation-Stimulating Drugs to Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Brinton Louise A. , Scoccia Bert , Moghissi Kamran S. , Westhoff Carolyn L. , Niwa Shelley , Ruggieri David , Trabert Britton , Lamb Emmet J.
Published: April 2014

Background: Although fertility drugs stimulate ovulation and raise estradiol levels, their effect on breast cancer risk remains unresolved.

Methods: An extended follow-up was conducted among a cohort of 12,193 women evaluated for infertility between 1965 and 1988 at five U.S. sites. Follow-up through 2010 was achieved for 9,892 women (81.1% of the eligible population) via passive as well as active (questionnaires) means. Cox regression determined HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for fertility treatments adjusted for breast cancer risk factors and causes of infertility.

Results: During 30.0 median years of follow-up (285,332 person-years), 749 breast cancers were observed. Ever use of clomiphene citrate among 38.1% of patients was not associated with risk (HR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.90–1.22 vs. never use). However, somewhat higher risks were seen for patients who received multiple cycles, with the risk for invasive cancers confirmed by medical records being significantly elevated (HR = 1.69; 95% CI, 1.17–2.46). This risk remained relatively unchanged after adjustment for causes of infertility and multiple breast cancer predictors. Gonadotropins, used by 9.6% of patients, mainly in conjunction with clomiphene, showed inconsistent associations with risk, although a significant relationship of use with invasive cancers was seen among women who remained nulligravid (HR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.04–3.60).

Conclusions: Although the increased breast cancer risk among nulligravid women associated with gonadotropins most likely reflects an effect of underlying causes of infertility, reasons for the elevated risk associated with multiple clomiphene cycles are less clear.

Impact: Given our focus on a relatively young population, additional evaluation of long-term fertility drug effects on breast cancer is warranted. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(4); 584–93. ©2014 AACR.
RAS/PI3K Crosstalk and Cetuximab Resistance in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Rampias T. , Giagini A. , Siolos S. , Matsuzaki H. , Sasaki C. , Scorilas A. , Psyrri A.
Published: April 2014

Purpose: Cetuximab, an antibody directed against the EGF receptor, is an effective clinical therapy for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Despite great clinical promise, intrinsic or acquired cetuximab resistance hinders successful treatment outcomes but little is known about the underlying mechanism.

Experimental Design: To study the role of oncogenic HRAS in cetuximab resistance in HNSCC, the frequency of oncogenic HRAS mutations was determined in a cohort of 180 genomic DNAs from head and neck cancer specimens. We also used a combination of cetuximab-resistant cell lines and a transgenic mouse model of RAS-driven oral cancer to identify an oncogenic RAS-specific gene expression signature that promotes cetuximab resistance.

Results: Here, we show that activation of RAS signaling leads to persistent extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 signaling and consequently to cetuximab resistance. HRAS depletion in cells containing oncogenic HRAS or PIK3CA restored cetuximab sensitivity. In our study, the gene expression signature of c-MYC, BCL-2, BCL-XL, and cyclin D1 upon activation of MAPK signaling was not altered by cetuximab treatment, suggesting that this signature may have a pivotal role in cetuximab resistance of RAS-activated HNSCC. Finally, a subset of patients with head and neck cancer with oncogenic HRAS mutations was found to exhibit de novo resistance to cetuximab-based therapy.

Conclusions: Collectively, these findings identify a distinct cetuximab resistance mechanism. Oncogenic HRAS in HNSCC promotes activation of ERK signaling, which in turn mediates cetuximab resistance through a specific gene expression signature. Clin Cancer Res; 20(11); 2933–46. ©2014 AACR.
Evaluation of Diffusion-Weighted MRI for Pretherapeutic Assessment and Staging of Lymphoma: Results of a Prospective Study in 140 Patients
Authors: Mayerhoefer Marius E. , Karanikas Georgios , Kletter Kurt , Prosch Helmut , Kiesewetter Barbara , Skrabs Cathrin , Porpaczy Edit , Weber Michael , Pinker-Domenig Katja , Berzaczy Dominik , Hoffmann Martha , Sillaber Christian , Jaeger Ulrich , Müllauer Leonhard , Simonitsch-Klupp Ingrid , Dolak Werner , Gaiger Alexander , Ubl Philipp , Lukas Julius , Raderer Markus
Published: April 2014

Purpose: To determine the value of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI-MRI) for pretherapeutic imaging of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid lymphoma and lymphoma with variable FDG avidity.

Experimental Design: Treatment-naïve patients with lymphoma who were referred for whole-body staging were included in this prospective study. Group A included patients with FDG-avid lymphoma (e.g., Hodgkin, diffuse large B-cell, and follicular lymphoma), whereas Group B included patients with lymphoma of variable FDG avidity [e.g., extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)]. All patients underwent DWI-MRI and 18F-FDG- positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Region-based sensitivity and agreement with Ann Arbor staging, relative to the reference standard, were calculated for DWI-MRI, and, in Group B, also 18F-FDG-PET/CT and contrast-enhanced (CE-) CT.

Results: In Group A (100 patients), DWI-MRI had a region-based sensitivity of 97%, and with regard to staging, agreed with the reference standard in 94 of 100 patients (κ, 0.92). In Group B (40 patients; 38 MALT lymphomas and 2 small lymphocytic lymphomas/chronic lymphocytic leukemias), DWI-MRI, 18F-FDG-PET/CT, and CE-CT had region-based sensitivities of 94.4%, 60.9%, and 70.7%, respectively. With regard to staging in Group B, DWI-MRI, 18F-FDG-PET/CT, and CE-CT agreed with the reference standard in 37 of 40, 26 of 40, and 24 of 40 patients, with κ values of 0.89, 0.52, and 0.43, respectively.

Conclusions: In patients with FDG-avid lymphoma, DWI-MRI seems to be only slightly inferior to 18F-FDG-PET/CT with regard to pretherapeutic regional assessment and staging. In patients with lymphoma subtypes that show a variable FDG avidity (e.g., MALT lymphoma), DWI-MRI seems to be superior to both 18F-FDG-PET/CT and CE-CT. Clin Cancer Res; 20(11); 2984–93. ©2014 AACR.
Identification, Mechanism of Action, and Antitumor Activity of a Small Molecule Inhibitor of Hippo, TGF-β, and Wnt Signaling Pathways
Authors: Basu Dipanjan , Lettan Robert , Damodaran Krishnan , Strellec Susan , Reyes-Mugica Miguel , Rebbaa Abdelhadi
Published: April 2014

Embryonic signaling pathways, in particular those mediated by Wnt and TGF-β, are known to play key roles in tumor progression through the induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Their simultaneous targeting could therefore represent a desirable anticancer strategy. On the basis of recent findings that both Wnt and TGF-β–associated pathways are regulated by Hippo signaling in mammalian cells, we reasoned that targeting the latter would be more effective in inhibiting EMT. In a search for such inhibitors, we identified a small molecule (C19) with remarkable inhibitory activity not only against Hippo, but also against Wnt and TGF-β pathways. C19 inhibited cancer cell migration, proliferation, and resistance to doxorubicin in vitro, and exerted strong antitumor activity in a mouse tumor model. Mechanistically, C19 induced GSK3-β–mediated degradation of the Hippo transducer TAZ, through activation of the Hippo kinases Mst/Lats and the tumor suppressor kinase AMPK upstream of the degradation complex. Overall, this study identified C19 as a multi-EMT pathway inhibitor with a unique mechanism of action. The findings that both AMPK and Mst/Lats mediate the antitumor activity of C19 shed light on a potential cross-talk between metabolic and organ size control pathways in regulating cancer progression. By simultaneously targeting these two pathways, C19 may represent a new type of agents to suppress cancer progression and/or its recurrence. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(6); 1457–67. ©2014 AACR.
Adherence to Growth Hormone Therapy: A Practical Approach
Authors: Bozzola M. , Pagani S. , Iughetti L. , Maffeis C. , Bozzola E. , Meazza C.
Published: April 2014

Background: Early detection of suspected poor adherence to growth hormone (GH) therapy is crucial to achieve normal final height in GH-deficient (GHD) patients. Patients: 106 children (73 M, 33 F) with a median age of 10.47 ± 3.48 years (mean ± standard deviation score (SDS)) exhibited short stature (-1.76 ± 0.64 SDS) and a delayed bone age (8.68 ± 3.42 years). Severe GHD was found in 28, while partial GHD was seen in 78 cases, with low IGF-I values. Recombinant human GH was administered by daily subcutaneous injection at a dosage of 21 µg/kg in prepubertal and 25 µg/kg in pubertal patients. Results: Poor adherence was suspected in a number of patients, but clearly demonstrated in only 4 cases with persistent reduced height velocity in spite of a corrected therapeutic regimen. These patients admitted incomplete adherence to GH injections and clinical and anthropometric measurements revealed their poor response to therapy. Conclusions: To efficaciously improve adherence in GHD patients, it is mandatory to regularly interview patients; a non-aggressive approach might be utilized to ensure effective communication with patients and their parents.
Estimating the Harms of Nicotine-Containing Products Using the MCDA Approach
Authors: Nutt David J. , Phillips Lawrence D. , Balfour David , Curran H. Valerie , Dockrell Martin , Foulds Jonathan , Fagerstrom Karl , Letlape Kgosi , Milton Anders , Polosa Riccardo , Ramsey John , Sweanor David
Published: April 2014

Background: An international expert panel convened by the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs developed a multi-criteria decision analysis model of the relative importance of different types of harm related to the use of nicotine-containing products. Method: The group defined 12 products and 14 harm criteria. Seven criteria represented harms to the user, and the other seven indicated harms to others. The group scored all the products on each criterion for their average harm worldwide using a scale with 100 defined as the most harmful product on a given criterion, and a score of zero defined as no harm. The group also assessed relative weights for all the criteria to indicate their relative importance. Findings: Weighted averages of the scores provided a single, overall score for each product. Cigarettes (overall weighted score of 100) emerged as the most harmful product, with small cigars in second place (overall weighted score of 64). After a substantial gap to the third-place product, pipes (scoring 21), all remaining products scored 15 points or less. Interpretation: Cigarettes are the nicotine product causing by far the most harm to users and others in the world today. Attempts to switch to non-combusted sources of nicotine should be encouraged as the harms from these products are much lower.