bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accumulation of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in the Lungs during Pneumocystis Pneumonia
Authors: Zhang Chen , Lei Guang-Sheng , Shao Shoujin , Jung Hsin-Wei , Durant Pamela J. , Lee Chao-Hung
Published: August 2012

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of hematopoietic precursors with the ability to adversely affect host immunity. They have been shown to accumulate in pathological conditions, such as cancer and some microbial diseases. In the mouse and rat models ofPneumocystispneumonia (PcP), we found a distinct population of cells with MDSC-like morphology in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, constituting up to 50% of the total cells in BAL fluid. These cells were not seen in the BAL fluid from normal animals or fromPneumocystis-infected animals that had been successfully treated for PcP with a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole. With flow cytometry, these cells were found to express the characteristic MDSC surface markers Gr-1 and CD11b in mice or CD11bc and His48 in rats. Using reverse transcription-PCR, we demonstrated that these cells produced high levels of arginase-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA. These cells were shown to suppress CD4+T-cell proliferation in response to stimulation by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies. Adoptive transfer of these cells to normal mice caused lung damage, as indicated by elevated levels of albumin and lactate dehydrogenase in the BAL fluid. These experiments provide evidence of the presence of MDSCs in the lungs during PcP. Further studies on the roles of MDSCs in PcP are warranted in order to develop treatment strategies which can reduce the number of MDSCs and the damage caused by these cells.
Effectiveness of an injury prevention programme for adult male amateur soccer players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Authors: van Beijsterveldt Anna M C , van de Port Ingrid G L , Krist Mark R , Schmikli Sandor L , Stubbe Janine H , Frederiks Janet E , Backx Frank J G
Published: August 2012

Background

The incidence rate of soccer injuries is among the highest in sports, particularly for adult male soccer players.

Purpose

To investigate the effect of the ‘The11’ injury prevention programme on injury incidence and injury severity in adult male amateur soccer players.

Study design

Cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Methods

Teams from two high-level amateur soccer competitions were randomly assigned to an intervention (n=11 teams, 223 players) or control group (n=12 teams, 233 players). The intervention group was instructed to perform The11 in each practice session during one soccer season. The11 focuses on core stability, eccentric training of thigh muscles, proprioceptive training, dynamic stabilisation and plyometrics with straight leg alignment. All participants of the control group continued their practice sessions as usual.

Results

In total, 427 injuries were recorded, affecting 274 of 456 players (60.1%). Compliance with the intervention programme was good (team compliance=73%, player compliance=71%). Contrary to the hypothesis, injury incidences were almost equal between the two study groups: 9.6 per 1000 sports hours (8.4–11.0) for the intervention group and 9.7 (8.5–11.1) for the control group. No significant differences were found in injury severity, but a significant difference was observed in the location of the injuries: players in the intervention group sustained significantly less knee injuries.

Conclusions

This study did not find significant differences in the overall injury incidence or injury severity between the intervention and control group of adult male soccer players. More research is recommended, focusing on injury aetiology and risk factors in adult male amateur soccer players.
Candida parapsilosiscandidaemia in a neonatal unit over 7 years: a case series study
Authors: Miranda Lourdes das Neves , Rodrigues Eliete C A , Costa Silvia F , van der Heijden Inneke Marie , Dantas Kátia C , Lobo Renata D , Basso Mariusa , Varkulja Gláucia F , Krebs Vera Lúcia Jornada , Gibelli Maria Augusta Bento Cicaroni , Criado Paulo R , Levin Anna Sara
Published: August 2012

Objective

To evaluateCandida parapsilosiscandidaemia in a neonatal unit over 7 years.

Design

Case series study.

Setting

A 2000-bed tertiary-care university hospital at São Paulo, Brazil.

Participants

Neonates hospitalised in a 63-bed neonatal unit.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We evaluated the incidence ofC parapsilosisfungemia in a neonatal unit from 2002 through 2008 and the main microbiological, clinical and epidemiological aspects of this disease in neonates. During the study period an outbreak occurred, an infection control programme was implemented, and isolates from blood and hand healthcare workers (HCWs) were submitted to molecular typing.

Results

During 7 years, there were 36 cases ofC parapsilosisfungaemia and annual incidence varied from 0 to 19.7 per 1000 admissions. Evaluating 31 neonates with fungemia, the mean age at diagnosis was 19 days. All children except for one were premature; all had received total parenteral nutrition and all but one had used central venous catheter. Three neonates had received antifungal treatment previously to the diagnosis. Thirty-day mortality was 45%. Only lower birthweight was associated with mortality.C parapsilosisspecies complex was isolated from hand cultures in eight (11%) of the HCWs (one isolate was identified asC orthopsilosis). By molecular typing no HCW isolate was similar to any of the blood isolates.

Conclusions

The incidence ofC parapsilosisfungemia in a neonatal unit varied widely over 7 years. We observed in our series a higher death rate than that reported in European countries and the USA.
Alcohol: signs of improvement. The 2nd national Emergency Department survey of alcohol identification and intervention activity
Authors: Patton Robert , O'Hara Pat
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To conduct a survey of current alcohol identification and brief advice activity in English Emergency Departments, and to compare the results with the previous survey conducted in 2007.

Methodology

Cross-sectional survey of all 187 Emergency Departments in England.

Results

Significant increases (p<0.001) in the proportion of departments routinely asking about alcohol, using a screening questionnaire, offering help/advice for alcohol problems, and having access to Alcohol Health Workers or Clinical Nurse Specialists. More than half of all departments indicated that they had an ‘alcohol champion’, and this was significantly associated with access to training on both identification and provision of brief advice (p<0.001). Departments that routinely asked questions were the most likely to use a formal screening tool (p<0.05), and the Paddington Alcohol Test was the most frequently used measure (40.5%).

Conclusions

There have been significant improvements in ED alcohol identification and brief advice activity since 2007 in line with the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians, Department of Health and NICE guidelines. English EDs are beginning to maximise the likelihood of identifying patients who may benefit from further help or advice about their alcohol consumption, and are able to offer access to specialist staff who can provide appropriate interventions.
The role of poverty in explaining health variations in 7-year-old children from different family structures: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study
Authors: Pearce Anna , Lewis Hannah , Law Catherine
Published: August 2012

Background

Despite rises in reconstituted and lone-parent families, relatively little is known about how the health of children in different family types varies, and the extent to which any differences might be explained by poverty. The authors examined this using cross-sectional data on 13 681 seven-year-olds from the Millennium Cohort Study.

Methods

The authors estimated RRs and 95% CIs for having poor physical (general health, long-standing illness, injury, overweight, asthma, fits) and mental health (using strengths and difficulties scores) according to family structure using Poisson regression. The authors adjusted for confounders (aRR) and then investigated the role of poverty as a mediator by entering a poverty score (based on income, receipt of benefits, subjective poverty and material deprivation) into the main model.

Results

Children living in reconstituted and lone-parent families were at a slight increased risk of poor health compared with those living with two natural parents. Adjusting for poverty tended to remove the elevated risk of poor physical health in children living in lone-parent and reconstituted families. However, for the mental health outcomes, poverty tended to remove the elevated risk for lone parents but not for reconstituted families. For example, the aRR for borderline–abnormal total difficulties fell from 1.45 (1.22 to 1.72) to 1.34 (1.13 to 1.59) in children living in reconstituted families and from 1.29 (1.14 to 1.45) to 1.05 (0.92 to 1.19) in those living with lone parents.

Conclusions

Poor physical and mental health was slightly more prevalent in children living in lone-parent or reconstituted families. Poverty reduction may help to reduce these differences, especially for children living with lone parents; however, alternative mechanisms should be also explored, particularly for children living in reconstituted families.
Developing a working partnership for animal health and welfare
Authors: Tufnell Mark
Published: August 2012

The Animal Health and Welfare Board for England was established last year to act as the main source of advice to Defra ministers on animal health and welfare policy. Its recommendations will affect the health and welfare of all kept animals, including farm animals, horses and pets. Board member Mark Tufnell, whose responsibilities include liaising with the veterinary profession, describes its objectives and way of working
A scientifically based profession?
Authors: Lanyon L. E.
Published: August 2012

For the veterinary profession to be truly science based all of its members need to be engaged, says Lance Lanyon
REVERSIBLE CELLULAR AUTOMATA WITH PENTA-CYCLIC RULE AND ECCs
Authors: SIAP IRFAN , AKIN HASAN , KOROGLU MEHMET E.
Published: August 2012

The reversibility problem for linear cellular automata with null boundary defined by a rule matrix in the form of a pentadiagonal matrix was studied over the binary field ℤ2 by Martín del Rey et al. [Appl. Math. Comput.217, 8360 (2011)]. Recently, the reversibility problem of 1D Cellular automata with periodic boundary has been extended to ternary fields and further to finite primitive fields ℤp by Cinkir et al. [J. Stat. Phys.143, 807 (2011)]. In this work, we restudy some of the work done in Cinkir et al. [J. Stat. Phys.143, 807 (2011)] by using a different approach which is based on the theory of error correcting codes. While we reestablish some of the theorems already presented in Cinkir et al. [J. Stat. Phys.143, 807 (2011)], we further extend the results to more general cases. Also, a conjecture that is left open in Cinkir et al. [J. Stat. Phys.143, 807 (2011)] is also solved here. We conclude by presenting an application to Error Correcting Codes (ECCs) where reversibility of cellular automata is crucial.
COUPLED FREE VIBRATION ANALYSIS OF SHEAR-FLEXIBLE LAMINATED COMPOSITE I-BEAMS
Authors: KIM NAM-IL
Published: August 2012

The coupled free vibration analysis of the thin-walled laminated composite I-beams with bisymmetric and monosymmetric cross sections considering shear effects is developed. The laminated composite beam takes into account the transverse shear and the restrained warping induced shear deformation based on the first-order shear deformation beam theory. The analytical technique is used to derive the constitutive equations and the equations of motion of the beam in a systematic manner considering all deformations and their mutual couplings. The explicit expressions for displacement parameters are presented by applying the power series expansions of displacement components to simultaneous ordinary differential equations. Finally, the dynamic stiffness matrix is determined using the force–displacement relationships. In addition, for comparison, a finite beam element with two-nodes and fourteen-degrees-of-freedom is presented to solve the equations of motion. The performance of the dynamic stiffness matrix developed by study is tested through the solutions of numerical examples and the obtained results are compared with results available in literature and the detailed three-dimensional analysis results using the shell elements of ABAQUS. The vibrational behavior and the effect of shear deformation are investigated with respect to the modulus ratios and the fiber angle change.
A MULTISCALE TIGHT FRAME-INSPIRED SCHEME FOR NONLINEAR DIFFUSION
Authors: WANG HAIHUI , KONG XIAO
Published: August 2012

Nonlinear diffusion and wavelet shrinkage are two successfully applied methods for discontinuity preserving denoising of signals and images. Recently, relations between both methods have been established taking into account wavelet shrinkage at one or multiscale. In this paper we show that one step of (stabilized) explicit discretization of nonlinear diffusion can be expressed in terms of tight frame shrinkage on a single spatial level or multiscale. We prove that our scheme permits larger steps while having more choices of shrinkage functions. Numerical examples demonstrate the behavior of our scheme for one or two scales.
REGULARIZED LEAST SQUARE ALGORITHM WITH TWO KERNELS
Authors: SUN HONGWEI , LIU PING
Published: August 2012

A new multi-kernel regression learning algorithm is studied in this paper. In our setting, the hypothesis space is generated by two Mercer kernels, thus it has stronger approximation ability than the single kernel case. We provide the mathematical foundation for this regularized learning algorithm. We obtain satisfying capacity-dependent error bounds and learning rates by the covering number method.
AN ENTROPY BASED IN WAVELET LEADERS TO QUANTIFY THE LOCAL REGULARITY OF A SIGNAL AND ITS APPLICATION TO ANALIZE THE DOW JONES INDEX
Authors: ROSENBLATT MARIEL , SERRANO EDUARDO , FIGLIOLA ALEJANDRA
Published: August 2012

Local regularity analysis is useful in many fields, such as financial analysis, fluid mechanics, PDE theory, signal and image processing. Different quantifiers have been proposed to measure the local regularity of a function.

In this paper we present a new quantifier of local regularity of a signal: the pointwise wavelet leaders entropy. We define this new measure of regularity by combining the concept of entropy, coming from the information theory and statistical mechanics, with the wavelet leaders coefficients. Also we establish its inverse relation with one of the well-known regularity exponents, the pointwise Hölder exponent.

Finally, we apply this methodology to the financial data series of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index, registered in the period 1928–2011, in order to compare the temporal evolution of the pointwise Hölder exponent and the pointwise wavelet leaders entropy. The analysis reveals that temporal variation of these quantifiers reflects the evolution of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index and identifies historical crisis events.

We propose a new approach to analyze the local regularity variation of a signal and we apply this procedure to a financial data series, attempting to make a contribution to understand the dynamics of financial markets.
IMAGE FUSION METHOD BASED ON MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SUPPORT VALUE TRANSFORM
Authors: SHANG ZHAOWEI , ZHANG LINGFENG , ZHAO HENGJUN , ZHANG LAN
Published: August 2012

Image fusion is a technique of combining information from multiple images of the same scene into an image, so that the fused image contains a more accurate description of the scene than any of the individual source images. SVT (Support Value Transform) method is one of leading multiscale methods for studying image fusion, which achieves better fusion results both in visual inspection and quantitative analysis. One important assumption of SVT method is representing salient feature of image by support value. However, related studies did not give any mathematical explanation of it. Another drawback of this fusion method is ignoring the rich directional information of original image. In this paper, we provide a rational evidence of the physical meaning of support value by introducing Gaussian curvature of image. Also, by combining with DFB (Directional Filter Bank), a multi-directional SVT image fusion method is proposed. Our method can capture different and flexible directional information, which may help obtain the intrinsic geometrical structure of original image. Experimental results on several pairs of multi-focus images show that the proposed method achieves better results than SVT and other traditional common used methods.
SPIN FLUIDS IN BIANCHI-I f(R)-COSMOLOGY WITH TORSION
Authors: VIGNOLO STEFANO , FABBRI LUCA
Published: August 2012

We study Weyssenhoff spin fluids in Bianchi type-I cosmological models, within the framework of torsional f(R)-gravity; the resulting field equations are derived and discussed in both Jordan and Einstein frames, clarifying the role played by the spin and the non-linearity of the gravitational Lagrangian f(R) in generating the torsional dynamical contributions. The general conservation laws holding for f(R)-gravity with torsion are employed to provide the conditions needed to ensure the preservation of the Hamiltonian constraint and the consequent correct formulation of the associated initial value problem. Examples are eventually given.
CRITICAL HERMITIAN STRUCTURES ON THE PRODUCT OF SASAKIAN MANIFOLDS
Authors: LEE JUNG CHAN , PARK JEONG HYEONG , SEKIGAWA KOUEI
Published: August 2012

Let [Formula: see text] be a compact orientable smooth manifold admitting an almost complex structure and [Formula: see text] for (λ, μ) ∈ ℝ2 - (0, 0) be the functional defined on the space of the almost Hermitian structure [Formula: see text]. We discuss the first variational problem of the functional [Formula: see text] on the space [Formula: see text] and its subspace [Formula: see text] in the case where [Formula: see text] is a product manifold of Sasakian manifolds. Further this paper provides examples of critical Hermitian structures of the functional [Formula: see text] for various (λ, μ).
"Click chemistry" in the synthesis of the first glycoconjugates of bacteriochlorin series
Authors: Grin Mikhail A. , Lonin Ivan S. , Likhosherstov Leonid M. , Novikova Olga S. , Plyutinskaya Anna D. , Plotnikova Ekaterina A. , Kachala Vadim V. , Yakubovskaya Raisa I. , Mironov Andrey F.
Published: August 2012

A regioselective synthesis of glycoconjugates based on bacteriochlorophyll a and lactose derivatives has been carried out. The conjugation was achieved via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of bacteriochlorins containing a terminal triple bond and a lactose azide derivative. The conjugates obtained in this way had one or two disaccharide fragments attached to pyrrol A, the exocyclic imide ring of the tetrapyrrolyc macrocycle, or to both positions. Exhaustive NMR analysis by 1D and 2D NMR experiments ( 1H-1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, 1H-13C HSQC, HMBC, and 1H-15N HMBC) allowed us to determine the structures and configurations of the glycoconjugates obtained. A bioassay of the glycoconjugates using the Hep2 cell line showed that the highest efficiency was observed for the glycosylated bacteriopurpurinimide containing a lactose residue at pyrrole ring A.
Controlled microwave-assisted synthesis of metallophthalocyanines
Authors: Seyyedhamzeh Mozhdeh , Ganji Nasim , Shaabani Ahmad
Published: August 2012

A controlled microwave-assisted strategy has been elaborated for the fast and efficient synthesis of metallophthalocyanines scaffold. Compared to the conventional protocol, reproducibility of products was achieved, accompanied by significantly high purity and excellent yields
The inorganic DMSO/POCl3 reaction with BODIPY: wide product formation and implications for biological ROS sensing and neurodegenerative disease research
Authors: Jun Taehong , Kim Kibong , Lee Kang Mun , Murale Dhiraj P. , Singh Atul P. , Natsagdorj Amgalan , Liew Hyunjeong , Suh Yoo-Hun , Churchill David G.
Published: August 2012

We report a refined and expanded synthetic study of 4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-(aryl)-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene under treatment with POCl3/DMSO. The 2-chloro-6-methylsulfide derivative (Kim TI, Park S, Choi Y and Kim Y. Chem. Asian J. 2011; 6: 1358-61.) was one of five co-eluants, including 2,6-disulfido and -dichloro species, and mono-substituted counterparts. The 8-meso tail group modifies product distribution. The different sulfur-containing products undergo different "off-on" responses with NaOCl (10 equiv.). Compounds 4b and 2b exhibit low toxicity and were found to enter juxtanuclear regions in neuroblastoma.
CALIBRATION OF NONLOCAL SCALE EFFECT PARAMETER FOR BENDING SINGLE-LAYERED GRAPHENE SHEET UNDER MOLECULAR DYNAMICS
Authors: HUANG L. Y. , HAN Q. , LIANG Y. J.
Published: August 2012

In this article, the small scale effect parameter e0 of single-layered graphene sheets (SLGSs) is calibrated for the bending problem. Taking the SLGSs as a rectangular plate, the normal displacement of the simply supported plate under concentrated force was analyzed by both nonlocal elasticity theory and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, then the small scale effect parameter e0 of SLGSs with different size was obtained by matching the displacement of the nonlocal elasticity theory and that obtained from MD simulations. The results show that the value of e0 is not a constant but has a relationship with the size of SLGSs, and the relationship of armchair-graphene sheets and zigzag-graphene sheets is different.
X-ray Topography Used to Observe Dislocations in Epitaxially Grown Diamond Film
Authors: Kato Yukako , Umezawa Hitoshi , Yamaguchi Hirotaka , Shikata Shinichi
Published: August 2012

Semiconductor epitaxial chemical vapor deposited single-crystal diamond is considered as a potential material for power devices because of its unique characteristics. Its atomic purity and defect concentration have been considered in discussions on the relationship between crystal quality and device performance. In this paper, we propose a method that uses X-ray topography to experimentally analyze dislocations. The advantages of the proposed method make it suitable as a standard method for dislocation analysis. To demonstrate the method, we observe and analyze an edge dislocation and a mixed dislocation.
Using Triple Isotopes of Dissolved Oxygen to Evaluate Global Marine Productivity
Authors: Juranek L.W. , Quay P.D.
Published: August 2012

Since the triple isotopic composition of dissolved O2 (17Δ) was introduced as a natural tracer of photosynthetic gross O2 production (GOP) over 10 years ago, observations of 17Δ have been used to constrain marine productivity throughout the global ocean. This incubation-independent approach has several advantages: It allows the determination of production free from containment artifacts and reduces logistical hurdles that can make obtaining productivity with traditional incubation-dependent methods difficult. As such, GOP estimates derived from 17Δ have been used to give insight into potential biases in incubation-based approaches and to evaluate satellite-based estimates of production at the regional scale. With increased use, we have also learned more about the potential biases and uncertainties of this approach, some of which have been addressed by recent method improvements. We recap the major advances the 17Δ method has brought to improved understanding of biological carbon cycling, from incubation bottles to ocean basins.
Hypernephroma Presenting with Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis and Lupus Anticoagulant: Resolution after Nephrectomy
Authors: Murray Nigel P. , Ruíz Amparo , Reyes Eduardo
Published: August 2012

Hypernephroma can present as a variety of paraneoplastic, nonmetastatic conditions, including vasculitis, and rarely a lupus-type anticoagulant. Nephrectomy leads to the resolution of the systemic complaints. Malignancy, in this case hypernephroma, can present as an immune-mediated paraneoplastic syndrome which resolves after removal of the underlying tumor.
Collocation for High‐Order Differential Equations with Lidstone Boundary Conditions
Authors: Costabile Francesco , Napoli Anna
Published: August 2012

A class of methods for the numerical solution of high‐order differential equations with Lidstone and complementary Lidstone boundary conditions are presented. It is a collocation method which provides globally continuous differentiable solutions. Computation of the integrals which appear in the coefficients is generated by a recurrence formula. Numerical experiments support theoretical results.
Syntheses and Biological Activity of Some Derivatives of C-9154 Antibiotic
Authors: Bello Isaac Asusheyi , Ndukwe George Iloegbulam , Amupitan Joseph Olorunju , Ayo Rachael Gbekele , Shode Francis Oluwole
Published: August 2012

This research was undertaken to design several new antibiotics, by structurally modifying the C-9154 antibiotic, simultaneously improving its activity and lowering toxicity. This was achieved by synthesizing an analogue to the C-9154 antibiotic and seven derivatives of this analogue. The approach was to significantly reduce the polarity of the synthesized analogue in the derivatives to achieve increased permeability across cell membranes by conversion of the highly polar carboxylic group to an ester functional group. The compounds were fully characterized using infrared, GC-MS, and 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The in vitro biological activity of the compounds showed that the derivatives were more active than the analogue as was anticipated and both were more active than the standard drugs used for comparison. Work is ongoing to establish applications for the compounds as antiplasmodials, antivirals, anticancers/tumours, antitrypanosomiasis, anthelminthic, and as general antibiotics for human, veterinary, and even agricultural use as they had marked effect on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and some fungi.
Nonlinear Klein‐Gordon and Schrödinger Equations by the Projected Differential Transform Method
Authors: Do Younghae , Jang Bongsoo
Published: August 2012

The differential transform method (DTM) is based on the Taylor series for all variables, but it differs from the traditional Taylor series in calculating coefficients. Even if the DTM is an effective numerical method for solving many nonlinear partial differential equations, there are also some difficulties due to the complex nonlinearity. To overcome difficulties arising in DTM, we present the new modified version of DTM, namely, the projected differential transform method (PDTM), for solving nonlinear partial differential equations. The proposed method is applied to solve the various nonlinear Klein‐Gordon and Schrödinger equations. Numerical approximations performed by the PDTM are presented and compared with the results obtained by other numerical methods. The results reveal that PDTM is a simple and effective numerical algorithm.
Closed-Aperture Z-Scan Analysis for Nonlinear Media with Saturable Absorption and Simultaneous Third- and Fifth-Order Nonlinear Refraction
Authors: Liu Xiangming , Tomita Yasuo
Published: August 2012

We present a theory of open- and closed-aperture Gaussian beam Z-scan for nonlinear optical materials with saturable absorption and high-order nonlinear refraction. We show that an approximate expression for a transmitted intensity through the nonlinear optical material is possible by means of the Adomian’s decomposition method and the thin film approximation. The theory is applied to semiconductor CdSe quantum dot-polymer nanocomposite films. It is shown that the theory well explains measured results of open- and closed-aperture transmittances in the Z-scan setup. It is also shown that the nanocomposite film possesses simultaneous third- and fifth-order nonlinear refraction as well as saturable absorption of a homogeneously broadened type.
Laser Surface Alloying of 316L Stainless Steel with Ru and Ni Mixtures
Authors: Lekala M. B. , van der Merwe J. W. , Pityana S. L.
Published: August 2012

The surfaces of AISI 316L stainless steel were laser alloyed with ruthenium powder and a mixture of ruthenium and nickel powders using a cw Nd:YAG laser set at fixed operating parameters. The microstructure, elemental composition, and corrosion characteristics of the alloyed zone were analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and corrosion potential measurements. The depth of alloyed zone was measured using the AxioVision program and found to be approximately 1.8 mm for all the alloyed specimens. Hardness profile measurements through the surface-substrate interface showed a significant increase from 160 HV for the substrate to a maximum of 247 HV for the alloyed layer. The sample laser alloyed with 80 wt% Ni-20 wt% presented the most noble corrosion potential(Ecorr)of−0.18 V and the lowest corrosion current density(icorr).
Correlation Kernels for Support Vector Machines Classification with Applications in Cancer Data
Authors: Jiang Hao , Ching Wai-Ki
Published: August 2012

High dimensional bioinformatics data sets provide an excellent and challenging research problem in machine learning area. In particular, DNA microarrays generated gene expression data are of high dimension with significant level of noise. Supervised kernel learning with an SVM classifier was successfully applied in biomedical diagnosis such as discriminating different kinds of tumor tissues. Correlation Kernel has been recently applied to classification problems with Support Vector Machines (SVMs). In this paper, we develop a novel and parsimonious positive semidefinite kernel. The proposed kernel is shown experimentally to have better performance when compared to the usual correlation kernel. In addition, we propose a new kernel based on the correlation matrix incorporating techniques dealing with indefinite kernel. The resulting kernel is shown to be positive semidefinite and it exhibits superior performance to the two kernels mentioned above. We then apply the proposed method to some cancer data in discriminating different tumor tissues, providing information for diagnosis of diseases. Numerical experiments indicate that our method outperforms the existing methods such as the decision tree method and KNN method.
Numerical Modeling of Unsteady Cavitating Flows around a Stationary Hydrofoil
Authors: Ducoin Antoine , Huang Biao , Young Yin Lu
Published: August 2012

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the predictive capability of three popular transport equation-based cavitation models for the simulations of partial sheet cavitation and unsteady sheet/cloud cavitating flows around a stationary NACA66 hydrofoil. The 2D calculations are performed by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation using the CFD solver CFX with thek-ωSST turbulence model. The local compressibility effect is considered using a local density correction for the turbulent eddy viscosity. The calculations are validated with experiments conducted in a cavitation tunnel at the French Naval Academy. The hydrofoil has a fixed angle of attack ofα=6° with a Reynolds number of Re = 750,000 at different cavitation numbersσ. Without the density modification, over-prediction of the turbulent viscosity near the cavity closure reduces the cavity length and modifies the cavity shedding characteristics. The results show that it is important to capture both the mean and fluctuating values of the hydrodynamic coefficients because (1) the high amplitude of the fluctuations is critical to capturing the extremes of the loads to ensure structural safety and (2) the need to capture the frequency of the fluctuations, to avoid unwanted noise, vibrations, and accelerated fatigue issues.
Predictive Biomarkers of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Immunotherapy Response in Bladder Cancer: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Lima Luís , Dinis-Ribeiro Mário , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , Santos Lúcio
Published: August 2012

The most effective therapeutic option for managing nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), over the last 30 years, consists of intravesical instillations with the attenuated strain Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (the BCG vaccine). This has been performed as an adjuvant therapeutic to transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) and mostly directed towards patients with high-grade tumours, T1 tumours, andin situcarcinomas. However, from 20% to 40% of the patients do not respond and frequently present tumour progression. Since BCG effectiveness is unpredictable, it is important to find consistent biomarkers that can aid either in the prediction of the outcome and/or side effects development. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic critical review to identify the most preeminent predictive molecular markers associated with BCG response. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review exclusively focusing on predictive biomarkers for BCG treatment outcome. Using a specific query, 1324 abstracts were gathered, then inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, and finally 87 manuscripts were included. Several molecules, including CD68 and genetic polymorphisms, have been identified as promising surrogate biomarkers. Combinatory analysis of the candidate predictive markers is a crucial step to create a predictive profile of treatment response.
Cathepsin D Expression in Colorectal Cancer: From Proteomic Discovery through Validation Using Western Blotting, Immunohistochemistry, and Tissue Microarrays
Authors: Kirana Chandra , Shi Hongjun , Laing Emma , Hood Kylie , Miller Rose , Bethwaite Peter , Keating John , Jordan T. William , Hayes Mark , Stubbs Richard
Published: August 2012

Despite recent advances in surgical techniques and therapeutic treatments, survival from colorectal cancer (CRC) remains disappointing with some 40–50% of newly diagnosed patients ultimately dying of metastatic disease. Current staging by light microscopy alone is not sufficiently predictive of prognosis and would benefit from additional support from biomarkers in order to stratify patients appropriately for adjuvant therapy. We have identified that cathepsin D expression was significantly greater in cells from invasive front (IF) area and liver metastasis (LM) than those from main tumour body (MTB). Cathepsin D expression was subsequently examined by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays from 119 patients with CRC. Strong expression in tumour cells at the IF did not correlate significantly with any clinico-pathological parameters examined or patient survival. However, cathepsin D expression in cells from the MTB was highly elevated in late stage CRC and showed significant correlation with subsequent distant metastasis and shorter cancer-specific survival. We also found that macrophages surrounding tumour cells stained strongly for cathepsin D but there was no significant correlation found between cathepsin D in macrophages at IF and MTB of CRC patient with the clinic-pathological parameters examined.
The Global Existence of Nonlinear Evolutionary Equation with Small Delay
Authors: Yin Xunwu
Published: August 2012

We investigate the global existence of the delayed nonlinear evolutionary equation ∂tu + Au = f(u(t), u(t − τ)). Our work space is the fractional powers space Xα. Under the fundamental theorem on sectorial operators, we make use of the fixed‐point principle to prove the local existence and uniqueness theorem. Then, the global existence is obtained by Gronwall’s inequality.
Numerical Modeling of a Marine Propeller Undergoing Surge and Heave Motion
Authors: Kinnas Spyros A. , Tian Ye , Sharma Abhinav
Published: August 2012

A boundary element method (BEM) and a vortex-lattice method (VLM) are extended in order to predict the unsteady performance of propellers subject to rigid body motions. The methods are applied in the case of prescribed surge and heave motions, and the results are compared with those from other methods.
Line Source Scattering by Buried Perfectly Conducting Circular Cylinders
Authors: Frezza F. , Pajewski L. , Ponti C. , Schettini G.
Published: August 2012

A two-dimensional scattering problem of a line source by a set of perfectly conducting circular cylinders buried in a semi-infinite medium is solved, in both TE and TM polarization. A cylindrical-wave approach is used and applied to both the field emitted by the source and the field scattered by the buried objects. Reflection and transmission of such fields through the planar interface are evaluated making use of the plane-wave spectrum of a cylindrical wave. Numerical results are presented, with checks confirming the validity of the method.
Diverse Role of Silicon Carbide in the Domain of Nanomaterials
Authors: Sahu T. , Ghosh B. , Pradhan S. K. , Ganguly T.
Published: August 2012

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising material due to its unique property to adopt different crystalline polytypes which monitor the band gap and the electronic and optical properties. Despite being an indirect band gap semiconductor, SiC is used in several high-performance electronic and optical devices. SiC has been long recognized as one of the best biocompatible materials, especially in cardiovascular and blood-contacting implants and biomedical devices. In this paper, diverse role of SiC in its nanostructured form has been discussed. It is felt that further experimental and theoretical work would help to better understanding of the various properties of these nanostructures in order to realize their full potentials.
Evolution of the FGF Gene Family
Authors: Oulion Silvan , Bertrand Stephanie , Escriva Hector
Published: August 2012

Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) are small proteins generally secreted, acting through binding to transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors (FGFRs). Activation of FGFRs triggers several cytoplasmic cascades leading to the modification of cell behavior. FGFs play critical roles in a variety of developmental and physiological processes. Since their discovery in mammals, FGFs have been found in many metazoans and some arthropod viruses. Efforts have been previously made to decipher the evolutionary history of this family but conclusions were limited due to a poor taxonomic coverage. We took advantage of the availability of many new sequences from diverse metazoan lineages to further explore the possible evolutionary scenarios explaining the diversity of the FGF gene family. Our analyses, based on phylogenetics and synteny conservation approaches, allow us to propose a new classification of FGF genes into eight subfamilies, and to draw hypotheses for the evolutionary events leading to the present diversity of this gene family.
Cardiovascular Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease: Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Authors: Park Jeanie
Published: August 2012

Patients with chronic kidney disease are at significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death. One mechanism underlying increased cardiovascular risk in patients with renal failure includes overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Multiple human and animal studies have shown that central sympathetic outflow is chronically elevated in patients with both end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). SNS overactivation, in turn, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and sudden death by increasing arterial blood pressure, arrythmogenicity, left ventricular hypertrophy, and coronary vasoconstriction and contributes to the progression renal disease. This paper will examine the evidence for SNS overactivation in renal failure from both human and experimental studies and discuss mechanisms of SNS overactivity in CKD and therapeutic implications.
Internal Migration and Fertility in Turkey: Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis
Authors: Eryurt Mehmet Ali , KOÇ İsmet
Published: August 2012

Starting from the mid-twentieth century, Turkey has experienced a remarkable fertility decline. Total period fertility declined from the level of 6 or 7 to the almost replacement level by 2003. Similarly, in the 1950s onwards internal migration gathered speed and transformed Turkey from a predominantly rural country to a mainly urban one in less than half a century. Fertility and migration were mutually reinforcing processes in Turkey. Considering this relationship, the study aims to compare fertility behaviours of migrants with those of nonmigrants at both origin and destination areas. The data source is the 2003 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey. A nonparametric descriptive survival analysis technique, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, was employed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves of transition to first, second and subsequent births were compared by migration status. Survival curves of second and subsequent births for rural-to-urban and urban-to-rural migrant women are similar to the curves at the place of destination rather than place of origin. This result reveals that adaptation theory, rather than socialization theory, is more explanatory in the case of Turkey. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates showed that rural native and rural-to-rural migrant women experience all the events related with family formation earlier in their life cycle.
Serum Levels of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Apelin as Potential Markers of Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Di Franco Manuela , Spinelli Francesca Romana , Metere Alessio , Gerardi Maria Chiara , Conti Virginia , Boccalini Francesca , Iannuccelli Cristina , Ciciarello Francesco , Agati Luciano , Valesini Guido
Published: August 2012

Objectives. Impaired endothelial function represents the early stage of atherosclerosis, which is typically associated with systemic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As modulators of endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, asymmetric-dimethylarginine (ADMA) and apelin might be measured in the blood of RA patients to detect early atherosclerotic changes. We conducted a prospective, case-control study to investigate serum ADMA and apelin profiles of patients with early-stage RA (ERA) before and after disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.Methods. We enrolled 20 consecutively diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with ERA and 20 matched healthy controls. Serum ADMA and apelin levels and the 28-joint disease activity scores (DAS28) were assessed before and after 12 months of DMARDs treatment. All patients underwent ultrasonographic assessment for intima-media tickness (IMT) evaluation.Results. In the ERA group, ADMA serum levels were significantly higher than controls at baseline(P=0.007)and significantly decreased after treatment (P=0.012versus controls). Baseline serum apelin levels were significantly decreased in this group (P=0.0001versus controls), but they were not significantly altered by treatment. IMT did not show significant changes.Conclusions. ERA is associated with alterations of serum ADMA and apelin levels, which might be used as biomarkers to detect early endothelial dysfunction in these patients.
Oral Cancer Awareness and Knowledge in the City of Valongo, Portugal
Authors: Monteiro Luís Silva , Salazar Filomena , Pacheco Júlio , Warnakulasuriya Saman
Published: August 2012

We conducted a questionnaire survey among 602 subjects in order to analyze the awareness and knowledge on oral cancer among residents of the city of Valongo in Portugal. The cancer that most subjects were aware of was breast cancer (99%). Oral cancer was the least mentioned cancer (68.6%). There was awareness of the relationship between oral cancer and smoking among 89.5% subjects, but less of the association with alcohol misuse (63.3%). Nonhealing mouth ulcers were identified as a sign or symptom of oral cancer by 90.0% and red or white patch by only 52.8% subjects. Whereas 94.5% agreed that early detection could improve the treatment outcome, a disheartening 28.1% believed that whether a person developed an oral cancer or not is a matter of luck and therefore is unavoidable. Surprisingly only 1.7% were ever submitted to or had knowledge of receiving a consultation regarding oral cancer. In conclusion, this survey demonstrates a general lack of awareness and knowledge on oral cancer in a population of Valongo. An oral health promotion strategy should involve elements of basic education on oral cancer for this population, and regular oral cancer screenings should be implemented in Valongo.
Neuromuscular Junction Protection for the Potential Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Krakora Dan , Macrander Corey , Suzuki Masatoshi
Published: August 2012

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs), leading to muscular atrophy and eventual respiratory failure. ALS research has primarily focused on mechanisms regarding MN cell death; however, degenerative processes in the skeletal muscle, particularly involving neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), are observed in the early stages of and throughout disease progression. According to the “dying-back” hypothesis, NMJ degeneration may not only precede, but actively cause upper and lower MN loss. The importance of NMJ pathology has relatively received little attention in ALS, possibly because compensatory mechanisms mask NMJ loss for prolonged periods. Many mechanisms explaining NMJ degeneration have been proposed such as the disruption of anterograde/retrograde axonal transport, irregular cellular metabolism, and changes in muscle gene and protein expression. Neurotrophic factors, which are known to have neuroprotective and regenerative properties, have been intensely investigated for their therapeutic potential in both the preclinical and clinical setting. Additional research should focus on the potential of preserving NMJs in order to delay or prevent disease progression
Coffee Polyphenols Change the Expression of STAT5B and ATF-2 Modifying Cyclin D1 Levels in Cancer Cells
Authors: Oleaga Carlota , Ciudad Carlos J. , Noé Véronique , Izquierdo-Pulido Maria
Published: August 2012

Background. Epidemiological studies suggest that coffee consumption reduces the risk of cancer, but the molecular mechanisms of its chemopreventive effects remain unknown.Objective. To identify differentially expressed genes upon incubation of HT29 colon cancer cells with instant caffeinated coffee (ICC) or caffeic acid (CA) using whole-genome microarrays.Results. ICC incubation of HT29 cells caused the overexpression of 57 genes and the underexpression of 161, while CA incubation induced the overexpression of 12 genes and the underexpression of 32. Using Venn-Diagrams, we built a list of five overexpressed genes and twelve underexpressed genes in common between the two experimental conditions. This list was used to generate a biological association network in which STAT5B and ATF-2 appeared as highly interconnected nodes. STAT5B overexpression was confirmed at the mRNA and protein levels. For ATF-2, the changes in mRNA levels were confirmed for both ICC and CA, whereas the decrease in protein levels was only observed in CA-treated cells. The levels of cyclin D1, a target gene for both STAT5B and ATF-2, were downregulated by CA in colon cancer cells and by ICC and CA in breast cancer cells.Conclusions. Coffee polyphenols are able to affect cyclin D1 expression in cancer cells through the modulation of STAT5B and ATF-2.