bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Glycosylated Haemoglobin Level with the Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in NSTEMI Diabetic Patients
Authors: Salim Mahmod Mohammad , Nesa Malik Fazila Tun , Arif Rahman Mohammad , Delwar Hossain Mohammad , Masum Mandal Md Raihan
Published: November 2015

Background: Relation between diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease is well established. But the effect of HbA1C on severity of coronary artery disease remains uncertain in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and diabetic patient. Objective of our study was to know the relationship of HbA1C with the severity of coronary artery disease.Methods: In this cross sectional analytical study a total of 104 NSTEMI diabetic patients were enrolled by purposive sampling. They were divided into two groups according to the level of HbA1C, Group-I patients having HbA1C<7% and Group-II patients having HbA1C >7%. Vessel score and Gensini score was calculated from coronary angiogram and compared between groups.Results: Single vessel disease were significantly higher in group-I compared to Group-II( 38.5% vs 7.7% in Group-I vs Group-II,p<0.05). Double vessel disease were higher in group-II compared to Group-I but the difference was statistically not significant (42.3% vs 48.1% in Group-I vs Group-II respectively (p>0.05). Triple vessel disease were significantly higher in group-II compared to Group- I (19.2% vs 44.4% in Group-I vs Group-II,p<0.05). Mean Vessel score was higher in Group-II compared to Group-I(1.73 ± 0.86 vs 2.50 ±0.70 in Group-I vs Group-II, p<0.05). Mean Gensini score was higher in Group-II compared to Group-I (44.6 ± 38.4 vs 76.9 ± 44.6 in Group-I vs Group-II, p<0.05). There were significant positive linear correlation between HbA1C and Vessels score and Gensini score (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study may be concluded that the presence of HbA1C >7% are associated with of severe coronary artery disease in NSTEMI with diabetes mellitus.Cardiovasc. j. 2015; 8(1): 43-48
Ventricular Fibrillation with Brugada Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Nabi Shaila , Tushar Asif Zaman , Ferdaushi Umme Habiba , Islam Mainul , Uddin Farhad , Ali M Atahar
Published: November 2015

Brugada syndrome is a potentially lethal and eminently treatable entity that may present with palpitations or syncope. This article presents the case of a young patient with Brugada syndrome and reviews key features in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this condition.Cardiovasc. j. 2015; 8(1): 69-72
A Tale of Two Surgeons
Authors: Hosain Suman Nazmul
Published: November 2015

Cardiac transplantation is one of the greatest medical marvels of the twentieth century. Performing this miraculous operation on 3rd December 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard, an unknown surgeon from the then apartheid state of South Africa suddenly became an international celebrity. Probably no single procedure in the history of medicine had attracted so much media and public attention. But there were many who thought that he didnt deserve much of this glory. A lion share of this should have gone to somebody else. Although Barnard completed the final step in the road to transplant, it was the end product of serious research work carried out in many centers around the World. Most important was Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California USA, where Dr. Norman Edward Shumway was engaged in transplantation related research work along with his junior colleague Dr. Richard Lower. The most of the techniques used in cardiac transplantation today were actually developed by Dr. Shumway and his team. Barnard worked in the same unit with Shumway at University of Minnesota when he came to USA. He visited USA again in 1966 when he observed the works of Shumways research partner Dr. Richard Lower. During both of his visits he had adopted many techniques from the research work of his American counterparts and later used in his unique accomplishment. Barnard succeeded utilizing techniques developed through Shumways painstaking work over the years depriving Shumway much of the glory he deserved. Both later on continued in the development of transplantation when most others left because of poor outcome. Shumway excelled the technical details and Barnard drew media and public attention to the importance of this procedure. After almost five decades the name of Barnard is still well known by the common people around the World; whereas Shumway remains unknown even to most of the cardiac surgeons as well. This was the destiny of the two main heroes credited behind this exciting medical accomplishment. Here lies a very interesting story, the tale of two surgeons.Cardiovasc. j. 2015; 8(1): 82-86
An Anomalous Left Anterior Descending Artery
Authors: Haq M Maksumul , Mansur M Mahboob , Taimur Syed Dawood Md
Published: November 2015

Coronary artery fistulas can go undetected as they tend to remain clinically silent. Larger fistulas can end up with sudden death, ischemia, endocarditis or CCF. However, these are detected incidentally during non-invasive or invasive diagnostic testing for unrelated symptoms. This report describes such a case in a 56 year old male while undergoing a coronary angiogram following an anteroseptal infarction three weeks prior to the procedure. The fistula arose from the proximal left LAD and was seen in all views. It is important for cardiologists to remember about the possibility of such uncommon possibilities.Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2010; 4(1): 34-36Indexing words: Cardiac anomalies; angiogram; fistula.
Prophylactic Use of Ketamine Hydrochloride For Prevention of Post Operative Shivering
Authors: Begum Rabeya , Islam Rezaul , Sarker Parash Chandra , Karmakar Kamal Krishna , Alam ABM Muksudul
Published: November 2015

Postoperative shivering is one of the recognized complications following general, regional anaesthesia and also effect of some surgical procedure specially in the recovery room. Shivering increases the muscular activity, O2 consumption, CO2 production and may result in hypoxaemia, hypercarbia and lactic acidosis. It is not only uncomfortable but also cold sensation which is even worse feeling than pain sensation. As a result preventing the symptoms is clearly desirable and beneficial for the patient. Different methods are suggested for prevention of postoperative shivering including biogenic monoamines, cholinomimetcis, cations, endogenous peptides, opioids, GA agents, NMDA antagonists. The present study was designed to compare the efficacy of ketamine on the patients undergoing elective surgery for prevention of postoperative shivering. The study was also done to deffect incidence of shivering, haemodynamic status, untoward effects of drug used (hallucination, unpurposeful movement, restlessness). A total number of 60 patients of ASA I and II grade of both sex, age range 30-60 yrs, weight 50-70 kg, undergoing elective gynaecological surgery was randomly selected into two groups Gr K and Gr P and received ketamine 5mg. kg-1 and placebo (normal saline) respectively at 20 minutes before the end of the operation. In the postoperative period, incidences of shivering were 80% & 50% in group "K" and "P" which are highly significant between the groups P<.001. Cardiovascular parameters SAP, DAP, MAP and SpO2 between the groups were not significant P> .05. The study showed that patients of group ‘K' were less shivering with good recovery. Key words: Postoperative shivering, ketamine.   Journal of BSA, Vol. 21, No. 1, January 2008 29-35
Gaseous Emission Control of a Basic Chrome Sulfate Plant by an Innovative Method to meet Environmental Standard
Authors: Chowdhury BA , Quader AKMA , Islam MS , Ahmed N , Paul MK
Published: November 2015

Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 23 1995-2005
Study of Power Consumption and Current Efficiency for the Production of Sodium Hypochlorite in an Electrolytic Cell
Authors: Aziz MA , Rahman MS , Ali MS , Islam MM
Published: November 2015

Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 23 1995-2005
Design and Performance Analysis of a Cooling Tower in Sulfuric Acid Plant
Authors: Chowdhury BA , Islam MS , Begum F , Parvez AM
Published: November 2015

Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 23 1995-2005
Design and Implementation of Digital Computer Based Data Acquisition and Control System
Authors: Khan SH , Yasser T , Mondal HN
Published: November 2015

Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 23 1995-2005
Steady Flow into a Circular Well at the Center of a Confined Eliptical Drainage System
Authors: Sarker MRH , Tamim M
Published: November 2015

Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 23 1995-2005
Study of an Evaporation System for Sodium Hydroxide Solution
Authors: Rahman Md Atikur , Khan Nymul Ehsan
Published: November 2015

The textile industry in Bangladesh uses a substantial quantity of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to clean and prepare fabrics for dyeing. In all textile mills dealing with finishing, particularly with the mercerizing of cotton and mixed cotton fabrics, dilute caustic soda solutions come out as effluent from mercerizing unit. Caustic soda is expensive and its disposal without neutralization is unacceptable. A considerable amount of caustic soda can be saved if the dilute solution leaving the mercerizing step can be collected, concentrated and recycled. The concentration of the dilute caustic soda solution can be carried out by means of evaporation. A single effect evaporation system to concentrate the dilute sodium hydroxide solution was constructed and operated. The operating results confirm the economic viability of such recovery scheme.Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 24 2006 35-36
Corrosion Control of Electrolyzer, Anolyte Tank and Dechlorination Tower Tank of a Chlor-Alkali Plant by an Innovative Method
Authors: Kundu Sazal Kumar
Published: November 2015

Brine purification process of GHCL did not meet the specification of electrolyzer in the context of excesshydroxide ion (OH-). The electrolyzer, anolyte tank and dechlorination tower tank faced serious corrosion.This paper describes an innovative method adopted to meet the electrolyzer's specification of excess OH-.This method consists of an innovative HCl dosing system added to purified brine tank. After adopting thismethod corrosion of electrolyzer, anolyte tank and dechlorination tower tank has been decreased in anoticeable rate. Also some chemical dosings have been reduced.Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 24 2006 37-41
Troubleshooting Plantwide Oscillations using Nonlinearity Information
Authors: Choudhury MAA Shoukat
Published: November 2015

Plant-wide oscillations are common in many processes. Their effects propagate to many units and mayimpact the overall process performance. It is important to detect and diagnose the cause of suchoscillations in order to rectify the situation and maintain the proper profitability of the plant. This paperproposes a new procedure to detect and diagnose plant-wide oscillations using routine operating data. Themethod has been developed based on the nonlinearity information in the process data. A new TotalNonlinearity Index (TNLI) has been defined to quantify nonlinearities. The method is based on theassumption that the nonlinearity is highest near the source and decreases as one moves away from thesource. This assumption is true because chemical processes have the nature of low-pass filters and theyfilter out gradually higher order harmonics of the signals. Signals with higher order harmonics aregenerally more nonlinear. The proposed diagnostic method has already been successfully applied fortroubleshooting many industrial plant-wide oscillation problems. Two of such case studies have beenpresented in this paper.Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.ChE 24 2006 50-60
Establishment of National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital: Bangladesh Perspective
Authors: Mohammad Quazi Deen
Published: November 2015

Abstract not availableJ. Natl Inst. Neurosci Bangladesh 2015;1(1):1
Comparison of short-term efficacy of valproate sustained-release between adult and children as first-line monotherapy in management of partial epilepsy: A multicenter observational open-label study
Authors: Momin Afzal , Habib Ahsanul , Tarik AKM Akramul Haque , Sikder Mohiuddin A , Akter Shaheen
Published: November 2015

Background: Management of partial epilepsy is an important issue in the field of neurology.Objective: The purpose of the present study was to collect additional clinical data on efficacy and safety of sustained release sodium valproate chrono formulation as first-line monotherapy in patients newly or recently diagnosed with partial epilepsy in Bangladesh under daily practice condition.Methodology: This open-label, multicenter, non-controlled, prospective, observational study enrolled adults and children ? 6 years newly diagnosed with partial epilepsy with or without secondary generalization between March 2010 and February 2011. Patients were treated with sustained release sodium valproate. Primary evaluation criterion was the remission rate i.e. proportion of seizure-free patients at 6 months. Secondary evaluation criteria included retention rate at 6 months, remission rate at 1 and 3 months, investigator's global clinical impression rating, safety profile assessment.Results: A total of 185 adults and 115 children with mean 4.4 months duration of epilepsy were included. At inclusion the mean daily valproate dose in children was 329 mg and 568 mg in adults. The mean treatment duration in both children and adults was 5.5 months. At the end of 6 months 74.7% of the patients were seizure-free (children and adults; 79.1% vs 71.9%). The number of seizure free patients at 1 month was 109 (36.3%) and 175 (58.3%) at month 3. The treatment retention rate at 6 months was 87.3% with small higher trend in adults than children (88.6% vs. 85.2%). Among the patients 9.3% experienced side effects like drowsiness and weight gain. No severe adverse event was reported.Conclusion: Sodium valproate sustained release formulation is effective for the first-line treatment of partial epilepsy in both adults and children with acceptable tolerabilityJ. Natl Inst. Neurosci Bangladesh 2015;1(1):2-4
Frequency of Transfusion Transmitted Infection Among Blood Donors at Specialized Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Ara Ferdous , Nasreen Zubaida , Islam Md Aminul , Yusuf Md Abdullah , Hassan Mohammad Syaeed , Sonia Sheikh Farjana
Published: November 2015

Background: Blood transfusion is associated with a number of complications. Transfusion transmitted infections (TTI) are one of the major health problem in Bangladesh.Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the status of transfusion transmitted infections among the apparently healthy donors.Methods: This study we carried out among 585 blood donors in the transfusion medicine department from April 2013 to March 2014 at National Institute of Neurosciences (NINS) and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. All the samples were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 1 and 2, venereal disease research laboratory test (VDRL) and malaria to see the prevalence of TTI.Results: Prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), HCV, and syphilis were 1.20, 0.68 and 0.34% respectively. No blood donor tested showed positivity for malarial parasite and HIV.Conclusion: Mandatory screening of donated blood and use of sensitive screening test should be done to reduce TTI in Bangladesh.J. Natl Inst. Neurosci Bangladesh 2015;1(1):12-14
Changes in Glomerular Filtration Rate and Its Relation to Serum Calcium Level in Advanced Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Saha Gobinda Chandra , Akhtaruzzaman M , Mustafa Ekramul , Mahmud Asif , Sikder Sunil Kumar
Published: November 2015

Background: The progression of CKD occurs in five different stages in which there are gradual changes of GFR, serum creatinine and serum calcium.Objective: The study was undertaken to determine GFR in advanced stages of CKD and its relation with s. creatinine and s. calcium and also to find out the correlation between s. creatinine and s. calcium.Methodology: This study was carried out in the departments of Physiology and Nephrology, Rajshahi Medical College. All the advanced stage chronic kidney disease patients were taken as comparison. Apparently healthy persons were taken as control. Serum Creatinine was measured by alkaline picrate method; estimation of GFR was done by using Cockcroft- Gault formula and serum calcium was performed by analyzer.Result: In this study a total number of 120 subjects were included, out of which 30 were healthy control and 90 were diagnosed cases of advanced stages of CKD. Among the patients, 55 (61.12%) were male and 35 (38.88%) were female. Mean age (±SD) of the patients were 45 ± 11.16 (Range 20-65 years). While comparing between groups of CKD patients, it was found that s. creatinine of control group was significantly lower than that of group 1. Again s. creatinine of Group 1 was significantly lower than that of group 2 and similarly, s. creatinine of group 2 was significantly lower than that of group 3. On the other hand, s. calcium of control group was significantly higher than group 1, likewise s. calcium of group 1 was significantly higher than that of group 2 and s. calcium of group 2 was significantly higher than that of group 3.Conclusion: From this study the inference could be drawn that serum calcium had a positive correlation with GFR and a negative correlation with s. creatinine.J. Natl Inst. Neurosci Bangladesh 2015;1(1):15-17
Role of Baclofen in Combination with Intensive Rehabilitation in Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Amin Md Ruhul , Rahman Sohely , Saha Narayan , Hossain Md Shahadat , Islam Md Jahidul , Ahmed Monzur , Chakraborty Prasanta Kumar , Islam Ferdous Ara
Published: November 2015

Background: The treatment of cerebral palsy is multifactorial.Objective: In this study we find out the combined efficacy of baclofen and intensive rehabilitation in the treatment of spastic cerebral palsy.Methodology: This observational study was conducted over 30 patients in Dhaka Medical College Hospital from January 2011 to December 2011.The patient satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria was randomly enrolled in this study. They received Baclofen orally two times daily according to the body weight regularly in combination with intensive rehabilitation 1 hour daily five times a week for 24 weeks. All patients were followed up at 4 weeks interval and were evaluated for a total of 24 weeks.Result: Combination of Baclofen and intensive rehabilitation is effective in reducing tone in spastic cerebral palsy by using Modified Ashworth scale (p<0.05). Combination of Baclofen and intensive rehabilitation is also effective in joint angle improvement in spastic cerebral palsy measured by physician rating scale crouch (p<0.05) and foot contact, (p<0.05) and also improvement in gross motor function (p <0.05).Conclusion: For reduction of generalized spasticity regarding muscle tone, range of motion of the joint and improvement of gait in cerebral palsy patients, combination of Baclofen and intensive rehabilitation may be used.J. Natl Inst. Neurosci Bangladesh 2015;1(1):18-21
Modifiable and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors of Stroke: A Review Update
Authors: Choudhury MS Jahirul Hoque , Chowdhury Md Tauhidul Islam , Nayeem Abu , Jahan Waseka Akter
Published: November 2015

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in industrialized countries. Stroke is the most important cause of morbidity and longterm disability in Europe as well as in other industrialized nations. Prevalence rate was higher among men compared with women 3.44 and 2.41 per 1000 respectively. Data from the Northern Manhattan study showed the age adjusted incidence of first ischemic stroke per 100,000 was 88 in Whites 191 in Blacks and 149 in Hispanics. Black has almost thrice the risk of first ever stroke compared with Whites. The age adjustment stroke incidence rates for first ever stroke are 167 for White males, 138 for White females, 323 for Black males and 260 for Black females. Among American-Indian age 65-74, the annual rates per 1,000 population of new and recurrent stoke are 6.1 for men and 6.6 for women. Stroke accounted for about one of every 15 deaths in the United State in 2003. About 50 percent of these deaths occurred out of hospital. On average, about every three minutes someone dies of a stroke. In this review the modifiable and non-modifiable risks factors are discussed.J. Natl Inst. Neurosci Bangladesh 2015;1(1):22-26
If you study a word do you use it more often? Lexical repetition priming in a corpus of Natural Semantic Metalanguage publications
Authors: Sullivan Karen
Published: November 2015

Psycholinguistic and corpus studies have shown that syntactic repetition priming can influence linguistic analyses. The impact of lexical repetition priming on linguistic work, on the other hand, has not been assessed. The current study finds evidence of lexical priming in a corpus of linguistics publications on the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM), in which semantic analyses are written using several dozen ‘semantic primitives’ such as something, know and place. NSM theorists are repeatedly exposed to a small set of words, much like subjects in lexical repetition priming experiments. When all analyses written in NSM are removed from NSM publications, these texts are found to nevertheless include significantly more ‘primitives’ than control publications, suggesting that the study of particular words can affect linguists’ lexical choices. This is potentially problematic for semantic analyses in NSM, which consist of strings of primitives selected by the analysts. These primitives are not considered to be English words, but have the same forms as English words. If priming occurs between the NSM analyses and their English environment, theorists’ exposure to English may impact their choice of primitives and the content of their analyses.
Optimising transparency, reliability and replicability: annotation principles and inter-coder agreement in the quantification of evaluative expressions
Authors: Fuoli Matteo , Hommerberg Charlotte
Published: November 2015

Manual corpus annotation facilitates exhaustive and detailed corpus-based analyses of evaluation that would not be possible with purely automatic techniques. However, manual annotation is a complex and subjective process. Most studies adopting this approach have paid insufficient attention to the methodological challenges involved in manually annotating evaluation – especially concerning transparency, reliability and replicability. This article illustrates a procedure for annotating evaluative expressions in text that facilitates more transparent, reliable and replicable analyses. The method is demonstrated through a case study analysis of appraisal ( Martin and White, 2005 ) in a small-size specialised corpus of CEO letters published by the British energy company, BP, and four competitors before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. Drawing on Fuoli and Paradis's (2014) model of trust–repair discourse, we examine how attitude and engagement resources are strategically deployed by BP's CEO in the attempt to repair stakeholders’ trust after the accident.
Prediction of State-of-Health for Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries by a Curve Model Based on Charge-Discharge Tests
Authors: Yang Huan , Qiu Yubing , Guo Xingpeng
Published: November 2015

Based on charge-discharge cycle tests for commercial nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, a nonlinear relationship is found between the discharging capacity (Cdischarge, Ah) and the voltage changes in 1 s occurring at the start of the charging process (ΔVcharge, mV). This nonlinear relationship between Cdischarge and ΔVcharge is described with a curve equation, which can be determined using a nonlinear least-squares method. Based on the curve equation, a curve model for the state-of-health (SOH) prediction is constructed without battery models and cycle numbers. The validity of the curve model is verified using (Cdischarge, ΔVcharge) data groups obtained from the charge-discharge cycle tests at different rates. The results indicate that the curve model can be effectively applied to predict the SOH of the Ni-MH batteries and the best prediction root-mean-square error (RMSE) can reach upto 1.2%. Further research is needed to confirm the application of this empirical curve model in practical fields.
Effect of Heterogeneity in Coal Ash Chemical Composition on the Onset of Conditions Favorable for Agglomeration in Fluid Beds
Authors: Khadilkar Aditi , Rozelle Peter , Pisupati Sarma
Published: November 2015

Ash agglomeration issues that arise due to the sticking of slag-wetted, colliding particles have been creating operational difficulties and monetary losses for the fluidized bed combustion (FBC) industry. Difficulties have been experienced in the detection of slag-liquid at the low operating temperatures in fluidized bed combustors (FBCs) and predicting the agglomeration behavior of fuel. This study aims to study the effect of heterogeneity in ash composition on the detection of slag-liquid in FBCs. It quantifies the slag-liquid amounts at the particle-level, under oxidizing environments, by dividing the bulk fuel into density classes. FactSage™ thermodynamic simulations of each of the particle classes, along with experimental validation of the trends with thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) and high temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) were performed. The results obtained can be used to estimate the stickiness of particles in the development of ash agglomeration models based on particle collisions. The study of these particle classes shows that particle classes with specific minerals can form low temperature eutectics and lead to onset of slag-liquid formation at temperatures below those predicted by bulk analysis alone. Comparison of the differences in slag-liquid formation tendencies under reducing and oxidizing environments is also presented.
Forest Biomass Energy Resources in China: Quantity and Distribution
Authors: Zhang Caixia , Zhang Leiming , Xie Gaodi
Published: November 2015

As one of the most important renewable and sustainable energy sources, the forest biomass energy resource has always been the focus of attention of scholars and policy makers. However, its potential is still uncertain in China, especially with respect to its spatial distribution. In this paper, the quantity and distribution of Chinese forest biomass energy resources are explored based mainly on forestry statistics data rather than forest resource inventory data used by most previous studies. The results show that the forest biomass energy resource in China was 169 million tons in 2010, of which wood felling and bucking residue (WFBR),wood processing residue (WPR), bamboo processing residue, fuel wood and firewood used by farmers accounted for 38%, 37%, 6%, 4% and 15%, respectively. The highest resource was located in East China, accounting for nearly 39.0% of the national amount, followed by the Southwest and South China regions, which accounted for 17.4% and 16.3%, respectively. At the provincial scale, Shandong has the highest distribution, accounting for 11.9% of total resources, followed by Guangxi and Fujian accounting for 10.3% and 10.2%, respectively. The actual wood-processing residue (AWPR) estimated from the actual production of different wood products (considering the wood transferred between regions) showed apparent differences from the local wood processing residue (LWPR), which assumes that no wood has been transferredbetween regions. Due to the large contribution of WPR to total forestry bioenergy resources, the estimation of AWPR will provide a more accurate evaluation of the total amount and the spatial distribution of forest biomass energy resources in China.
RETRACTED: Zheng et al. An Epidemiological Study of Risk Factors of Thyroid Nodule and Goiter in Chinese Women. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 11608–11620
Authors:   International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Editorial Office
Published: November 2015

At the request of the authors, the published article [...]
Roles of Sestrin2 and Ribosomal Protein S6 in Transient Global Ischemia-Induced Hippocampal Neuronal Injury
Authors: Chuang Yao-Chung , Yang Jenq-Lin , Yang Ding-I , Lin Tsu-Kung , Liou Chia-Wei , Chen Shang-Der
Published: November 2015

Recent studies suggested that sestrin2 is a crucial modulator for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, sestrin2 may also regulate ribosomal protein S6 (RpS6), a molecule important for protein synthesis, through the effect of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex that is pivotal for longevity. However, the roles of sestrin2 in cerebral ischemia, in which oxidative stress is one of the major pathogenic mechanisms, are still less understood. In this study, we hypothesized that sestrin2 may protect hippocampal CA1 neurons against transient global ischemia (TGI)-induced apoptosis by regulating RpS6 phosphorylation in rats. We found that sestrin2 expression was progressively increased in the hippocampal CA1 subfield 1–48 h after TGI, reaching the maximal level at 24 h, and declined thereafter. Further, an increased extent of RpS6 phosphorylation, but not total RpS6 protein level, was observed in the hippocampal CA1 subfield after TGI. The sestrin2 siRNA, which substantially blocked the expression of TGI-induced sestrin2, also abolished RpS6 phosphorylation. TGI with reperfusion may induce oxidative stress with the resultant formation of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). We found that sestrin2 siRNA further augmented the formation of 8-OHdG induced by TGI with reperfusion for 4 h. Consistently, sestrin2 siRNA also enhanced apoptosis induced by TGI with reperfusion for 48 h based on the analysis of DNA fragmentation by agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA fragmentation sandwich ELISA, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Together these findings indicated that TGI-induced sestrin2 expression contributed to RpS6 phosphorylation and neuroprotection against ischemic injury in the hippocampal CA1 subfield.
Fabrication of Poly-l-lactic Acid/Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate Composite Scaffolds with High Mechanical Strength—Implications for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Tanataweethum Nida , Liu Wai , Goebel W. , Li Ding , Chu Tien
Published: November 2015

Scaffolds were fabricated from poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA)/dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) composite by indirect casting. Sodium citrate and PLLA were used to improve the mechanical properties of the DCPD scaffolds. The resulting PLLA/DCPD composite scaffold had increased diametral tensile strength and fracture energy when compared to DCPD only scaffolds (1.05 vs. 2.70 MPa and 2.53 vs. 12.67 N-mm, respectively). Sodium citrate alone accelerated the degradation rate by 1.5 times independent of PLLA. Cytocompatibility of all samples were evaluated using proliferation and differentiation parameters of dog-bone marrow stromal cells (dog-BMSCs). The results showed that viable dog-BMSCs attached well on both DCPD and PLLA/DCPD composite surfaces. In both DCPD and PLLA/DCPD conditioned medium, dog-BMSCs proliferated well and expressed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity indicating cell differentiation. These findings indicate that incorporating both sodium citrate and PLLA could effectively improve mechanical strength and biocompatibility without increasing the degradation time of calcium phosphate cement scaffolds for bone tissue engineering purposes.
A Click Chemistry Approach towards Flavin-Cyclodextrin Conjugates—Bioinspired Sulfoxidation Catalysts
Authors: Tomanová Petra , Šturala Jiří , Buděšínský Miloš , Cibulka Radek
Published: November 2015

A click chemistry approach based on the reaction between alkynylflavins and mono(6-azido-6-deoxy)-β-cyclodextrin has proven to be a useful tool for the synthesis of flavin-cyclodextrin conjugates studied as monooxygenase mimics in enantioselective sulfoxidations.
Radical Scavenging by Acetone: A New Perspective to Understand Laccase/ABTS Inactivation and to Recover Redox Mediator
Authors: Liu Hao , Zhou Pandeng , Wu Xing , Sun Jianliang , Chen Shicheng
Published: November 2015

The biosynthetic utilization of laccase/mediator system is problematic because the use of organic cosolvent causes significant inhibition of laccase activity. This work explored how the organic cosolvent impacts on the laccase catalytic capacity towards 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) in aqueous solution. Effects of acetone on the kinetic constants of laccase were determined and the results showed Km and Vmax varied exponentially with increasing acetone content. Acetone as well as some other cosolvents could transform ABTS radicals into its reductive form. The content of acetone in media significantly affected the radical scavenging rates. Up to 95% of the oxidized ABTS was successfully recovered in 80% (v/v) acetone in 60 min. This allows ABTS recycles at least six times with 70%–75% of active radicals recovered after each cycle. This solvent-based recovery strategy may help improve the economic feasibility of laccase/ABTS system in biosynthesis.
T1-MRI Fluorescent Iron Oxide Nanoparticles by Microwave Assisted Synthesis
Authors: Bhavesh Riju , Lechuga-Vieco Ana , Ruiz-Cabello Jesús , Herranz Fernando
Published: November 2015

Iron oxide nanoparticles have long been studied as a T2 contrast agent in MRI due to their superparamagnetic behavior. T1-based positive contrast, being much more favorable for clinical application due to brighter and more accurate signaling is, however, still limited to gadolinium- or manganese-based imaging tools. Though being the only available commercial positive-contrast agents, they lack an efficient argument when it comes to biological toxicity and their circulatory half-life in blood. The need arises to design a biocompatible contrast agent with a scope for easy surface functionalization for long circulation in blood and/or targeted imaging. We hereby propose an extremely fast microwave synthesis for fluorescein-labeled extremely-small iron oxide nanoparticles (fdIONP), in a single step, as a viable tool for cell labeling and T1-MRI. We demonstrate the capabilities of such an approach through high-quality magnetic resonance angiographic images of mice.
The Nutraceutical Properties of Ovotransferrin and Its Potential Utilization as a Functional Food
Authors: Giansanti Francesco , Leboffe Loris , Angelucci Francesco , Antonini Giovanni
Published: November 2015

Ovotransferrin or conalbumin belong to the transferrin protein family and is endowed with both iron-transfer and protective activities. In addition to its well-known antibacterial properties, ovotransferrin displays other protective roles similar to those already ascertained for the homologous mammalian lactoferrin. These additional functions, in many cases not directly related to iron binding, are also displayed by the peptides derived from partial hydrolysis of ovotransferrin, suggesting a direct relationship between egg consumption and human health.
The Effect of β-Glycerophosphate Crosslinking on Chitosan Cytotoxicity and Properties of Hydrogels for Vaginal Application
Authors: Szymaǹska Emilia , Sosnowska Katarzyna , Miltyk Wojciech , Rusak Małgorzata , Basa Anna , Winnicka Katarzyna
Published: November 2015

Mucoadhesive gelling systems based on chitosan and chitosan/β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) were developed in order to increase clotrimazole residence time in the vaginal cavity. Ex vivo mucoadhesiveness using porcine vaginal mucosa followed with mechanical, viscoelastic, and swelling properties of prepared hydrogels were evaluated. Drug-free, sterile, unmodified, and β-GP crosslinked chitosan were investigated for the in vitro cytotoxicity in CRL 2616 human vaginal mucosa cells using MTT assay, fluorescent microscopy, and flow cytometry analysis. Chitosan/β-GP hydrogels exhibited pseudoplastic and thixotropic properties. Ionic interaction between β-GP and chitosan improved mechanical properties of hydrogels in terms of hardness, cohesiveness, and compressibility. The hydrogels’ ability to interact with porcine vaginal mucosa (measured as force of detachment and work of adhesion) was comparable to those obtained with reference mucoadhesive gel Replens™. Surprisingly, greater mucoadhesive properties were noticed for chitosan/β-GP hydrogels. The cytotoxic effect of unmodified and β-GP crosslinked chitosan was hardly affected by chitosan molecular weight, exhibited mainly through inducing apoptosis, and was found to be significantly lower in the presence of chitosan/β-GP. Furthermore, the higher amount of β-GP was used to crosslink chitosan, the lower cytotoxic effect was observed.
Fluorescent Reporters and Biosensors for Probing the Dynamic Behavior of Protein Kinases
Authors: González-Vera Juan , Morris May
Published: November 2015

Probing the dynamic activities of protein kinases in real-time in living cells constitutes a major challenge that requires specific and sensitive tools tailored to meet the particular demands associated with cellular imaging. The development of genetically-encoded and synthetic fluorescent biosensors has provided means of monitoring protein kinase activities in a non-invasive fashion in their native cellular environment with high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we review existing technologies to probe different dynamic features of protein kinases and discuss limitations where new developments are required to implement more performant tools, in particular with respect to infrared and near-infrared fluorescent probes and strategies which enable improved signal-to-noise ratio and controlled activation of probes.
Combining Alphas via Bounded Regression
Authors: Kakushadze Zura
Published: November 2015

We give an explicit algorithm and source code for combining alpha streams via bounded regression. In practical applications, typically, there is insufficient history to compute a sample covariance matrix (SCM) for a large number of alphas. To compute alpha allocation weights, one then resorts to (weighted) regression over SCM principal components. Regression often produces alpha weights with insufficient diversification and/or skewed distribution against, e.g., turnover. This can be rectified by imposing bounds on alpha weights within the regression procedure. Bounded regression can also be applied to stock and other asset portfolio construction. We discuss illustrative examples.
A New Analytic Alignment Method for a SINS
Authors: Tan Caiming , Zhu Xinhua , Su Yan , Wang Yu , Wu Zhiqiang , Gu Dongbing
Published: November 2015

Analytic alignment is a type of self-alignment for a Strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) that is based solely on two non-collinear vectors, which are the gravity and rotational velocity vectors of the Earth at a stationary base on the ground. The attitude of the SINS with respect to the Earth can be obtained directly using the TRIAD algorithm given two vector measurements. For a traditional analytic coarse alignment, all six outputs from the inertial measurement unit (IMU) are used to compute the attitude. In this study, a novel analytic alignment method called selective alignment is presented. This method uses only three outputs of the IMU and a few properties from the remaining outputs such as the sign and the approximate value to calculate the attitude. Simulations and experimental results demonstrate the validity of this method, and the precision of yaw is improved using the selective alignment method compared to the traditional analytic coarse alignment method in the vehicle experiment. The selective alignment principle provides an accurate relationship between the outputs and the attitude of the SINS relative to the Earth for a stationary base, and it is an extension of the TRIAD algorithm. The selective alignment approach has potential uses in applications such as self-alignment, fault detection, and self-calibration.
The Response of Grain Potential Productivity to Land Use Change: A Case Study in Western Jilin, China
Authors: Li Fei , Zhang Shuwen , Xu Xinliang , Yang Jiuchun , Wang Qing , Bu Kun , Chang Liping
Published: November 2015

The impact of land use change on grain potential productivity is one of the most important topics in the research of land use/cover change and its effects. Western Jilin, located on the edge of an ecotone in northern China, and its land use have changed dramatically in recent decades, with significant impact on grain potential productivity. This study evaluated the grain potential productivity in different conditions and analyzed the response to land use change based on land use data, meteorological data and statistical data by using the Global Agro-ecological Zone model. Results showed that (1) grain potential productivity of Western Jilin in 2010 was 19.12 million tons, an increase of 34.8% over 1975 because of changes in land use and in climate; (2) due to land use change, grain potential productivity in the study area increased between 1975 and 2000, however, it decreased between 2000 and 2010; (3) conversion in type of land use and an increase in irrigation percentage caused grain potential productivity to increase by 0.70 million tons and 3.13 million tons respectively between 1975 and 2000; between 2000 and 2010, grain potential productivity had an increase of 0.17 million tons due to the increase in farmland area, but it decreased by 1.88 million tons because the irrigation percentage declined from 36.6% to 24.7%. Therefore, increasing investment in agriculture, improving land quality and increasing the conversion rate of grain potential productivity to actual production would be a better choice for ensuring national food security and achieving sustainable land use.
3D Analysis of HCMV Induced-Nuclear Membrane Structures by FIB/SEM Tomography: Insight into an Unprecedented Membrane Morphology
Authors: Villinger Clarissa , Neusser Gregor , Kranz Christine , Walther Paul , Mertens Thomas
Published: November 2015

We show that focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) tomography is an excellent method to analyze the three-dimensional structure of a fibroblast nucleus infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). We found that the previously described infoldings of the inner nuclear membrane, which are unique among its kind, form an extremely complex network of membrane structures not predictable by previous two-dimensional studies. In all cases they contained further invaginations (2nd and 3rd order infoldings). Quantification revealed 5498HCMV capsids within two nuclear segments, allowing an estimate of 15,000 to 30,000 capsids in the entire nucleus five days post infection. Only 0.8% proved to be enveloped capsids which were exclusively detected in 1st order infoldings (perinuclear space). Distribution of the capsids between 1st, 2nd and 3rd order infoldings is in complete agreement with the envelopment/de-envelopment model for egress of HCMV capsids from the nucleus and we confirm that capsid budding does occur at the large infoldings. Based on our results we propose the pushing membrane model: HCMV infection induces local disruption of the nuclear lamina and synthesis of new membrane material which is pushed into the nucleoplasm, forming complex membrane infoldings in a highly abundant manner, which then may be also used by nucleocapsids for budding.
Composite Sequence–Structure Stability Models as Screening Tools for Identifying Vulnerable Targets for HIV Drug and Vaccine Development
Authors: Manocheewa Siriphan , Mittler John , Samudrala Ram , Mullins James
Published: November 2015

Rapid evolution and high sequence diversity enable Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) populations to acquire mutations to escape antiretroviral drugs and host immune responses, and thus are major obstacles for the control of the pandemic. One strategy to overcome this problem is to focus drugs and vaccines on regions of the viral genome in which mutations are likely to cripple function through destabilization of viral proteins. Studies relying on sequence conservation alone have had only limited success in determining critically important regions. We tested the ability of two structure-based computational models to assign sites in the HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) that would be refractory to mutational change. The destabilizing mutations predicted by these models were rarely found in a database of 5811 HIV-1 CA coding sequences, with none being present at a frequency greater than 2%. Furthermore, 90% of variants with the low predicted stability (from a set of 184 CA variants whose replication fitness or infectivity has been studied in vitro) had aberrant capsid structures and reduced viral infectivity. Based on the predicted stability, we identified 45 CA sites prone to destabilizing mutations. More than half of these sites are targets of one or more known CA inhibitors. The CA regions enriched with these sites also overlap with peptides shown to induce cellular immune responses associated with lower viral loads in infected individuals. Lastly, a joint scoring metric that takes into account both sequence conservation and protein structure stability performed better at identifying deleterious mutations than sequence conservation or structure stability information alone. The computational sequence–structure stability approach proposed here might therefore be useful for identifying immutable sites in a protein for experimental validation as potential targets for drug and vaccine development.
The Impact of Wolbachia on Virus Infection in Mosquitoes
Authors: Johnson Karyn
Published: November 2015

Mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue, West Nile and chikungunya viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in human populations. Since current methods are not sufficient to control disease occurrence, novel methods to control transmission of arboviruses would be beneficial. Recent studies have shown that virus infection and transmission in insects can be impeded by co-infection with the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Wolbachia is a maternally inherited endosymbiont that is commonly found in insects, including a number of mosquito vector species. In Drosophila, Wolbachia mediates antiviral protection against a broad range of RNA viruses. This discovery pointed to a potential strategy to interfere with mosquito transmission of arboviruses by artificially infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia. This review outlines research on the prevalence of Wolbachia in mosquito vector species and the impact of antiviral effects in both naturally and artificially Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.