bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DYNAMICS OF NONHOLOMORPHIC SINGULAR CONTINUATIONS: A CASE IN RADIAL SYMMETRY
Authors: BOZYK BRETT , PECKHAM BRUCE B.
Published: December 2013

This paper is primarily a study of special families of rational maps of the real plane of the form: [Formula: see text] where the dynamic variable z ∈ ℂ, and ℂ is identified with ℝ2. The parameter β is complex; n is a positive integer. For β small, this family can be considered a nonholomorphic singular perturbation of the holomorphic family z ↦ zn, although we consider large values of β as well. Compared to the more general family [Formula: see text], the special case where n = d and c = 0 is easier to analyze because the radial component in polar coordinates decouples from the angular component. This reduces a significant part of the analysis to the study of a family of one-real-dimensional unimodal maps. For each fixed n, the β parameter plane separates into three major regions, corresponding to maps which have one of the following behaviors: (i) all orbits go off to infinity, (ii) only an annulus of points stays bounded, and (iii) only a Cantor set of circles stays bounded. In cases (ii) and (iii), there is a transitive invariant set; this set is an attractor in case (ii). Some comparisons are made between [Formula: see text] and the holomorphic singularly perturbed maps: z ↦ zn + λ/zn, studied by Devaney and coauthors over the last decade. Additional results and observations are made about the more general family where c ≠ 0 and n ≠ d.
HOPF BIFURCATION INDUCED BY NEUTRAL DELAY IN A PREDATOR–PREY SYSTEM
Authors: NIU BEN , JIANG WEIHUA
Published: December 2013

A predator–prey system with neutral delay is investigated from the viewpoint of bifurcation analysis on neutral delay differential equations. Stability and Hopf bifurcation of the inner equilibrium are given, by which we show how the neutral terms affect the dynamical behavior of the prey and the predator. To give more detailed information on the periodic oscillations, the direction and stability of Hopf bifurcation are studied by using the normal form theory of neutral equation. We find neutral delay makes the predator–prey system more complicated and usually induces stability switches or double Hopf bifurcations. Near the double Hopf bifurcation we give the detailed bifurcation set by calculating the universal unfoldings. It is shown that the population of prey or predator may exhibit transient quasiperiodic oscillations driven by the neutral delay. Finally, we carry out several groups of illustrations.
THE STUDY OF HIV INFECTION IN CHINESE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY PATIENTS
Authors: LOU JIE , ZHANG HONGMEI , ZHAO QUANBI , LIAO LINGJIE , HAN LITAO
Published: December 2013

Analysis of changes in viral load after initiation of treatment with potent antiretroviral agents has provided substantial insights into the dynamics of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. We built a simple mathematics model to study the effect of latent-infected resting memory CD4+ T cells during the HIV infection and highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Through analysis of eight patients who received HAART in China, we have an insight into the mechanisms of resting memory CD4+ T cells in HIV infection. Simulations show that new infections still exist in the eight patients even under the HAART. Also, because of the long half-life of resting infected memory CD4+ T cells, removal of HIV from patient could take considerably longer time or be unattainable.
EFFECT OF ENDURANCE EXERCISE ON SKELETAL MUSCLE WITH CHRONIC ALCOHOL INGESTION IN RAT
Authors: IYER SHAMA , SACKELI MARC , GAO YINGXIN
Published: December 2013

The effect of endurance exercise training on mechanical properties of skeletal muscle with chronic ethanol ingestion was determined in this study. Three to four-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control (CON), control with exercise (CON/EXE), ethanol (ETH), and ethanol with exercise (ETH/EXE). The CON/EXE and ETH/EXE groups were trained to run for 12 weeks on a motor driven treadmill. ETH and ETH/EXE groups were adapted to a liquid alcohol diet (Lieber–DeCarli). Tetanic, twitch force generation, specific force, fatigue time, and shortening velocity of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles were tested by using an in vitro muscle testing system. Our study shows that exercise does not improve the contractile properties of skeletal muscle with chronic ethanol ingestion indicated by similar twitch force and fatigue time between ETH/EXE and ETH groups in Types I and II fibers, and by lowered tetanic and specific forces in Type I fibers in ETH/EXE group compared to ETH group, possibly due to damage induced by oxidative stress. Future studies on interaction of the biochemical changes and contractile properties of the skeletal muscle with chronic ethanol ingestion will be conducted to better understand mechanisms behind alterations in contractile properties.
DRIVER MODERATOR METHOD FOR RETAIL SALES PREDICTION
Authors: GÜR ALI ÖZDEN
Published: December 2013

We introduce a new method for stock keeping unit (SKU)-store level sales prediction in the presence of promotions to support order quantity and promotion planning decisions for retail managers. The method leverages the marketing literature to generate features, and data mining techniques to train a model that provides accurate sales predictions for existing and new SKUs, as well as consistent, actionable insights into category, store and promotion dynamics. The proposed "Driver Moderator" method uses basic SKU-store information and historical sales and promotion data to generate many features. It simultaneously selects few relevant features and estimates their parameters by using an L1-norm regularized epsilon insensitive regression that is formulated to pool information across SKUs and stores. Evaluations on two grocery store databases from Turkey and the USA show that out-of-sample predictions for existing and new SKUs are as good as, or more accurate than benchmark methods. Using the method's predictions for inventory decisions doubles the inventory turn ratio versus using individual regressions by lowering lost sales and inventory levels at the same time.
SCOPAS — SEMANTIC COMPUTATION OF PAGE SCORE
Authors: KUPPUSAMY K. S. , AGHILA G.
Published: December 2013

This paper presents a novel model for scoring web pages, entitled SCOPAS (Semantic COmputation of PAge Score). With the prolific growth in the number of users of World Wide Web and the heterogeneity of their information needs, it becomes mandatory to evaluate the relevance of a web page in terms of user specific requirements. SCOPAS is aimed at modeling the web pages to facilitate efficient evaluation by harnessing the inherent features of the page in terms of its content and structure. The proposed model further enriches the scoring procedure by fine-graining the evaluation to a micro level through segmentation of the page. A variable magnitude, multi-dimensional approach is proposed for evaluating each of the segments by incorporating the relevance of intra-segment level components. The user-interest is captured with the help of FOAF (Friend Of A Friend) Ontology to achieve personalized page scoring. The generic SCOPAS model is extended to SCOPAS-Rank, which explores utilization of the model in improving the web search engine's result ordering. A prototype implementation of the proposed SCOPAS-Rank model is developed and experiments were conducted on it. The results of the experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed model.
A CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF IC DESIGN INDUSTRY
Authors: CHU MEI-TAI , KHOSLA RAJIV , CHAI KAH-HIN
Published: December 2013

IC design is upstream and innovation-oriented in semiconductor industry. This industry is emerging rapidly due to severe competition and shorter product life cycle. In this context, maintaining the leading edge among global competitors as well as overcoming operational challenges is critical to pursue sustainability. In order to enhance the achievements and improve service quality, IC design firms often endeavor to comprehend, if the inputs/investments have led to effective outputs/achievements. A holistic discussion on how successful IC design companies prevail can facilitate how different IC design firms utilize their particular attributes associated with organizational goals. The purpose of this research is to conduct a cluster analysis for global top 30 IC design firms through 15 selected variables to understand their characteristics. These 15 variables include inputs/investments and outputs/achievements collected from financial indicators primarily to examine their characteristics in each cluster. The factor analysis, cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis are adopted to identify the attributes of these companies. The findings first show that the preliminary 15 variables can be refined into four significant factors by their factor loadings using factor analysis. Second, five groups among 30 companies have been categorized in terms of cluster analysis. Third, the accuracy is 94.7% by the validation of discrimination analysis. The strengths and weaknesses of each single cluster are also discussed. The results can help IC design companies to pursue a more suitable business model and tackle unique improvements, respectively.
Early Ordovician to Silurian evolution of exotic terranes in the Scandinavian Caledonides of the Ofoten–Troms area – terrane characterization and correlation based on new U–Pb zircon ages and Lu–Hf isotopic data
Authors: Augland Lars E. , Andresen Arild , Gasser Deta , Steltenpohl Mark G.
Published: December 2013

Isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry U–Pb dating and coupled Lu–Hf solution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses of zircon were acquired from magmatic rocks along two transects across the Scandinavian Caledonides in the Troms–Ofoten region of Norway to explore possible correlations and gain insight into the evolution of far-travelled nappes within the Upper and Uppermost Allochthons. One pulse of magmatic activity was recorded at
c.
489 Ma in the Tromsø Nappe. In the underlying Nakkedal Nappe, a magmatic pulse was recorded at
c.
450 Ma, being contemporaneous with eclogite facies metamorphism in the area. Tonalites in the structurally underlying Lyngen and Gratangseidet ophiolitic complexes, both forming the substratum to carbonate–schist–quartzite sequences (Balsfjord and Evenes groups, respectively), yielded ages of 481 and 474 Ma. Obtained ε
Hf(t)
values are, however, distinctly different and indicate a juvenile origin for the Gratangseidet tonalite (ε
Hf(474)
=+9.57) and the presence of Palaeoproterozoic source material for the Lyngen tonalite (ε
Hf(481)
=−16.8 to −2.3). The 474 Ma age of the Snaufjellet granite intruding the Bogen Group structurally above the Evenes Group requires a thrust between the two units. An age of 435 Ma on the Heia gabbro of the Nordmannvik Nappe is comparable to that of the Råna norite (437 Ma) in the Narvik area, supporting a correlation with the Narvik Nappe Complex. The youngest intrusion dated to 425 Ma is a leucogranite that intruded the Balsfjord Group. The Lu–Hf data indicate a common source for several of the magmatic rocks in the Uppermost Allochthon, as well as Laurentian arc granitoids from East Greenland and possibly from Newfoundland and related areas.
Elastic models of magma reservoir mechanics: a key tool for investigating planetary volcanism
Authors: Grosfils Eric B. , McGovern Patrick J. , Gregg Patricia M. , Galgana Gerald A. , Hurwitz Debra M. , Long Sylvan M. , Chestler Shelley R.
Published: December 2013

Understanding how shallow reservoirs store and redirect magma is critical for deciphering the relationship between surface and subsurface volcanic activity on the terrestrial planets. Complementing field, laboratory and remote sensing analyses, elastic models provide key insights into the mechanics of magma reservoir inflation and rupture, and hence into commonly observed volcanic phenomena including edifice growth, circumferential intrusion, radial dyke swarm emplacement and caldera formation. Based on finite element model results, the interplay between volcanic elements – such as magma reservoir geometry, host rock environment (with an emphasis on understanding how host rock pore pressure assumptions affect model predictions), mechanical layering, and edifice loading with and without flexure – dictates the overpressure required for rupture, the location and orientation of initial fracturing and intrusion, and the associated surface uplift. Model results are either insensitive to, or can readily incorporate, material and parameter variations characterizing different planetary environments, and they also compare favourably with predictions derived from rheologically complex, time-dependent formulations for a surprisingly diverse array of volcanic scenarios. These characteristics indicate that elastic models are a powerful and useful tool for exploring many fundamental questions in planetary volcanology.
Effects of chronic exposure to cigarette smoke on canonical transient receptor potential expression in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle
Authors: Wang Jian , Chen Yuqin , Lin Chunyi , Jia Jing , Tian Lichun , Yang Kai , Zhao Lei , Lai Ning , Jiang Qian , Sun Yueqian , Zhong Nanshan , Ran Pixin , Lu Wenju
Published: December 2013

To clarify the possible mechanism of cigarette smoke (CS)-induced pulmonary hypertension and furthermore provide effective targets for prevention and treatment, the effects of chronic CS on rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle in vivo and nicotine treatment on rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in vitro were investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that chronic CS exposure led to rat weight loss, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary arterial remodeling. A fluorescence microscope was used to measure intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in rat distal PASMCs. Results showed that basal [Ca2+]i and store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) levels in PASMCs from 3- and 6-mo CS-exposed rats were markedly higher than those in cells from the unexposed control animals (the increases in 6-mo CS group were more significant than that in 3-mo group), accompanied with increased canonical transient receptor potential 1 (TRPC1) and TRPC6 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in isolated distal PA. Simultaneously, in vitro study showed that nicotine treatment (10 nM) significantly increased basal [Ca2+]i and SOCE and upregulated TRPC1 and TRPC6 expression in cultured rat distal PASMCs. TRPC siRNA knockdown strategies revealed that the elevations of basal [Ca2+]i and SOCE induced by nicotine in PASMCs were TRPC1 and TRPC6 dependent. These results suggested that chronic CS-induced changes in vascular tone and structure in PA and the development of pulmonary hypertension might be largely due to upregulation of TRPC1 and TRPC6 expression in PASMCs, in which nicotine played an important role.
CDK4/6 inhibition induces epithelial cell cycle arrest and ameliorates acute kidney injury
Authors: DiRocco Derek P. , Bisi John , Roberts Patrick , Strum Jay , Wong Kwok-Kin , Sharpless Norman , Humphreys Benjamin D.
Published: December 2013

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and urgently requires new preventative therapies. Expression of a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor transgene protects against AKI, suggesting that manipulating the tubular epithelial cell cycle may be a viable therapeutic strategy. Broad spectrum small molecule CDK inhibitors are protective in some kidney injury models, but these have toxicities and epithelial proliferation is eventually required for renal repair. Here, we tested a well-tolerated, novel and specific small molecule inhibitor of CDK4 and CDK6, PD 0332991, to investigate the effects of transient cell cycle inhibition on epithelial survival in vitro and kidney injury in vivo. We report that CDK4/6 inhibition induced G0/G1cycle arrest in cultured human renal proximal tubule cells (hRPTC) at baseline and after injury. Induction of transient G0/G1cycle arrest through CDK4/6 inhibition protected hRPTC from DNA damage and caspase 3/7 activation following exposure to the nephrotoxins cisplatin, etoposide, and antimycin A. In vivo, mice treated with PD 0332991 before ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) exhibited dramatically reduced epithelial progression through S phase 24 h after IRI. Despite reduced epithelial proliferation, PD 0332991 ameliorated kidney injury as reflected by improved serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels 24 h after injury. Inflammatory markers and macrophage infiltration were significantly decreased in injured kidneys 3 days following IRI. These results indicate that induction of proximal tubule cell cycle arrest with specific CDK4/6 inhibitors, or “pharmacological quiescence,” represents a novel strategy to prevent AKI.
People are better at maximizing expected gain in a manual aiming task with rapidly changing probabilities than with rapidly changing payoffs
Authors: Neyedli Heather F. , Welsh Timothy N.
Published: December 2013

Previous research has shown that humans can select movements that achieve their goals, while avoiding negative outcomes, by selecting an “optimal movement endpoint.” This optimal endpoint is modeled based on the participants' endpoint variability and the payoffs associated with the target and penalty regions within the environment. Although the values associated with our goals vary on a moment-to-moment basis in our daily interactions, the adaptation of endpoint selection to changing payoffs in laboratory-based tasks has been examined by varying contexts between blocks of trials. The present study was designed to determine whether participants adjust endpoints and aim to optimal endpoints and whether performance differs when probability or payoff parameters change from trial to trial. Participants aimed to a target circle that was partially overlapped by a penalty circle. They received 100 points for hitting the target and lost points for hitting the penalty area. The magnitude of the penalty value or the distance between the centers of the circles (related to the probability of target and penalty contact) was changed randomly from trial to trial in separate blocks. Results revealed that participants shifted their endpoint and generally aimed optimally when the distance between the circles was varied but did not optimally shift their endpoints when the penalty value was varied. The results suggest that participants rapidly adapted endpoints when the probabilities associated with the task change, because the spatial parameters are an intrinsic property of the visual stimuli that are tightly linked with the motor system, whereas consistent feedback may be necessary to adjust to value parameters effectively.
A novel optic flow pattern speeds split-belt locomotor adaptation
Authors: Finley James M. , Statton Matthew A. , Bastian Amy J.
Published: December 2013

Visual input provides vital information for helping us modify our walking pattern. For example, artificial optic flow can drive changes in step length during locomotion and may also be useful for augmenting locomotor training for individuals with gait asymmetries. Here we asked whether optic flow could modify the acquisition of a symmetric walking pattern during split-belt treadmill adaptation. Participants walked on a split-belt treadmill while watching a virtual scene that produced artificial optic flow. For the Stance Congruent group, the scene moved at the slow belt speed at foot strike on the slow belt and then moved at the fast belt speed at foot strike on the fast belt. This approximates what participants would see if they moved over ground with the same walking pattern. For the Stance Incongruent group, the scene moved fast during slow stance and vice versa. In this case, flow speed does not match what the foot is experiencing, but predicts the belt speed for the next foot strike. Results showed that the Stance Incongruent group learned more quickly than the Stance Congruent group even though each group learned the same amount during adaptation. The increase in learning rate was primarily driven by changes in spatial control of each limb, rather than temporal control. Interestingly, when this alternating optic flow pattern was presented alone, no adaptation occurred. Our results demonstrate that an unnatural pattern of optic flow, one that predicts the belt speed on the next foot strike, can be used to enhance learning rate during split-belt locomotor adaptation.
Reorganization of hippocampal functional connectivity with transition to chronic back pain
Authors: Mutso Amelia A. , Petre Bogdan , Huang Lejian , Baliki Marwan N. , Torbey Souraya , Herrmann Kristina M. , Schnitzer Thomas J. , Apkarian A. Vania
Published: December 2013

The hippocampus has been shown to undergo significant changes in rodent models of neuropathic pain; however, the role of the hippocampus in human chronic pain and its contribution to pain chronification have remained unexplored. Here we examine hippocampal processing during a simple visual attention task. We used functional MRI to identify intrinsic and extrinsic hippocampal functional connectivity (synchronous neural activity), comparing subacute back pain (SBP, back pain 1–4 mo) and chronic back pain (CBP, back pain >10 yr) patients to control (CON) subjects. Both groups showed more extensive hippocampal connectivity than CON subjects. We then examined the evolution of hippocampal connectivity longitudinally in SBP patients who recovered (SBPr, back pain decreased >20% in 1 yr) and those with persistent pain (SBPp). We found that SBPp and SBPr subjects have distinct changes in hippocampal-cortical connectivity over 1 yr; specifically, SBPp subjects showed large decreases in hippocampal connectivity with medial prefrontal cortex (HG-mPFC). Furthermore, in SBP patients the strength of HG-mPFC reflected variations in back pain over the year. These relationships were replicated when examined in a different task performed by SBP patients (rating fluctuations of back pain), indicating that functional connectivity of the hippocampus changes robustly in subacute pain and the nature of these changes depends on whether or not patients recover from SBP. The observed reorganization of processing within the hippocampus and between the hippocampus and the cortex seems to contribute to the transition from subacute to chronic pain and may also underlie learning and emotional abnormalities associated with chronic pain.
Neuronal interaural level difference response shifts are level-dependent in the rat auditory cortex
Authors: Kyweriga Michael , Stewart Whitney , Wehr Michael
Published: December 2013

How does the brain accomplish sound localization with invariance to total sound level? Sensitivity to interaural level differences (ILDs) is first computed at the lateral superior olive (LSO) and is observed at multiple levels of the auditory pathway, including the central nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICC) and auditory cortex. In LSO, this ILD sensitivity is level-dependent, such that ILD response functions shift toward the ipsilateral (excitatory) ear with increasing sound level. Thus early in the processing pathway changes in firing rate could indicate changes in sound location, sound level, or both. In ICC, while ILD responses can shift toward either ear in individual neurons, there is no net ILD response shift at the population level. In behavioral studies of human sound localization acuity, ILD sensitivity is invariant to increasing sound levels. Level-invariant sound localization would suggest transformation in level sensitivity between LSO and perception of sound sources. Whether this transformation is completed at the level of the ICC or continued at higher levels remains unclear. It also remains unknown whether perceptual sound localization is level-invariant in rats, as it is in humans. We asked whether ILD sensitivity is level-invariant in rat auditory cortex. We performed single-unit and whole cell recordings in rat auditory cortex under ketamine anesthesia and measured responses to white noise bursts presented through sealed earphones at a range of ILDs. Surprisingly, we found that with increasing sound levels ILD responses shifted toward the ipsilateral ear (which is typically inhibitory), regardless of whether cells preferred ipsilateral, contralateral, or binaural stimuli. Voltage-clamp recordings suggest that synaptic inhibition does not contribute substantially to this transformation in level sensitivity. We conclude that the level invariance of ILD sensitivity seen in behavioral studies is not present in rat auditory cortex.
Optical Characteristics of Polystyrene Based Solid Polymer Composites: Effect of Metallic Copper Powder
Authors: Aziz Shujahadeen B. , Hussein Sarkawt , Hussein Ahang M. , Saeed Salah R.
Published: December 2013

Solid polymer composites (SPCs) were prepared by solution cast technique. The optical properties of polystyrene doped with copper powder were performed by means of UV-Vis technique. The optical constants were calculated by using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The dispersion regions were observed in both absorption and refractive index spectra at lower wavelength. However, a plateau can be observed at high wavelengths. The small extinction coefficient compared to the refractive index reveals the transparency of the composite samples. The refractive index and optical band gap were determined from the reflectance and optical absorption coefficient data, respectively. The nature of electronic transition from valence band to conduction band was determined and the energy band gaps of the solid composite samples were estimated. It was observed that, upon the addition of Cu concentration, the refractive index increased while the energy gaps are decreased. The calculated refractive indexes (low index of refraction) of the samples reveal their availability in waveguide technology.
Effect of Women’s Decision-Making Autonomy on Infant’s Birth Weight in Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Sharma Arpana , Kader Manzur
Published: December 2013

Background. Low birth weight (LBW), an outcome of maternal undernutrition, is a major public health concern in Bangladesh where the problem is most prominent. Women’s decision-making autonomy is likely an important factor influencing maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of women’s decision-making autonomy on infant’s birth weight (BW). Methods. The study included data of 2175 enrolled women (14–45 years of age) from the Maternal and Infant Nutritional Intervention in Matlab (MINIMat-study) in Bangladesh. Pearson’s chi-square test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and logistic regression analysis were applied at the collected data. Results. Women with lowest decision-making autonomy were significantly more likely to have a low birth weight (LBW) child, after controlling for maternal age, education (woman’s and her husband’s), socioeconomic status (SES) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0, 1.8). BW was decreased significantly among women with lowest decision making autonomy after adjusting for all confounders. Conclusion. Women’s decision-making autonomy has an independent effect on BW and LBW outcome. In addition, there is a need for further exploration to identify sociocultural attributes and gender related determinants of women decision-making autonomy in this study setting.
Performance Comparison of α- and β-Amylases on Chitosan Hydrolysis
Authors: Rokhati Nur , Widjajanti Prita , Pramudono Bambang , Susanto Heru
Published: December 2013

The low solubility in common solvent and high viscosity resulting from its high molecular weight (MW) with fiber-like structure prevents a more widespread use of chitosan. This paper presents a performance comparison of nonspecific, commercially available enzymes, α- and β-amylases, for the hydrolysis of chitosan to lower its MW. The results showed that both enzymes demonstrate the ability to be used as catalysts in chitosan hydrolysis with β-amylase having better performance than α-amylase. The chitosan hydrolysis was influenced by not only the enzyme and the chitosan characteristics but also the hydrolysis condition. The optimum pH solution was 4 for α-amylase and 5 for β-amylase. The hydrolysis temperature was found to be optimal at 90 and 50°C for α- and β-amylases, respectively.
Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth Index and Periodontal Health in Osteoporotic Patients Affected by BRONJ: An Observational Study
Authors: Oteri Giacomo , Bramanti Ennio , Nigrone Valentina , Cicciù Marco
Published: December 2013

The aim of this paper is to describe the incidence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) and periodontal disease in 32 osteoporotic patients affected by bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). Moreover, an investigation between the obtained data and 20 patients treated with bisphosphonate drugs and with no evidence of ONJ has been performed. Osteonecrosis of the jaws is a rare complication in a subset of patients receiving bisphosphonate drugs. Based on a growing number of case reports and institutional reviews, this kind of therapy can cause exposed and necrotic bone specifically in the jawbones. From April 2009 to June 2012, 32 osteoporotic patients treated with oral or intravenous (I.V.) bisphosphonates have been recorded. The patients’ oral health has been compared with 20 bisphosphonates patients with no ONJ. The incidence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) and periodontal disease was recorded in all patients and student’st-test was applied for comparing the two investigated groups data. Data demonstrated how the poor dental hygiene and periodontal disease of the BRONJ patients’ are connected with the occurrence of jawbone necrosis.
Resection-Intersection Bundle Adjustment Revisited
Authors: Lakemond Ruan , Fookes Clinton , Sridharan Sridha
Published: December 2013

Bundle adjustment is one of the essential components of the computer vision toolbox. This paper revisits the resection-intersection approach, which has previously been shown to have inferior convergence properties. Modifications are proposed that greatly improve the performance of this method, resulting in a fast and accurate approach. Firstly, a linear triangulation step is added to the intersection stage, yielding higher accuracy and improved convergence rate. Secondly, the effect of parameter updates is tracked in order to reduce wasteful computation; only variables coupled to significantly changing variables are updated. This leads to significant improvements in computation time, at the cost of a small, controllable increase in error. Loop closures are handled effectively without the need for additional network modelling. The proposed approach is shown experimentally to yield comparable accuracy to a full sparse bundle adjustment (20% error increase) while computation time scales much better with the number of variables. Experiments on a progressive reconstruction system show the proposed method to be more efficient by a factor of 65 to 177, and 4.5 times more accurate (increasing over time) than a localised sparse bundle adjustment approach.
Ladder Arrangement Method for Stealth Design of Vivaldi Antenna Array
Authors: He XiaoXiang , Huang SaiSai , Chen Teng , Yang Yang
Published: December 2013

A novel stealth design method for X-band Vivaldi antenna arrays is proposed in this paper by ladder arrangement along radiation direction. Two-element array, eight-element array, and 3 × 7-element array are investigated in this paper. S parameters, RCSs, and radiation patterns are studied, respectively. According to the ladder arrangement of Vivaldi antennas presented, 16.3 dBsm maximal RCS reduction is achieved with satisfied radiation performance. As simulated and measured, results demonstrate that the effectiveness of the presented low RCS design method is validated.
Bone Substitutes for Peri-Implant Defects of Postextraction Implants
Authors: Santos Pâmela Letícia , Gulinelli Jéssica Lemos , Telles Cristino da Silva , Betoni Júnior Walter , Okamoto Roberta , Chiacchio Buchignani Vivian , Queiroz Thallita Pereira
Published: December 2013

Placement of implants in fresh sockets is an alternative to try to reduce physiological resorption of alveolar ridge after tooth extraction. This surgery can be used to preserve the bone architecture and also accelerate the restorative procedure. However, the diastasis observed between bone and implant may influence osseointegration. So, autogenous bone graft and/or biomaterials have been used to fill this gap. Considering the importance of bone repair for treatment with implants placed immediately after tooth extraction, this study aimed to present a literature review about biomaterials surrounding immediate dental implants. The search included 56 articles published from 1969 to 2012. The results were based on data analysis and discussion. It was observed that implant fixation immediately after extraction is a reliable alternative to reduce the treatment length of prosthetic restoration. In general, the biomaterial should be used to increase bone/implant contact and enhance osseointegration.
Effect of the African Traditional Medicine,Sutherlandia frutescens, on the Bioavailability of the Antiretroviral Protease Inhibitor, Atazanavir
Authors: Müller Adrienne C. , Skinner Michael F. , Kanfer Isadore
Published: December 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect ofSutherlandia frutescens(SF) on the bioavailability of atazanavir (ATV) in twelve healthy male subjects. During Phase I (Day 1), subjects ingested a single dose of ATV and blood samples were drawn before dose and at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12, 18, and 24 hours after dose. From Day 3 to Day 14, a single dose of milled SF was administered twice daily to each subject. During Phase II, Day 15, subjects ingested single doses of ATV and SF. Blood samples were drawn as previously described. Plasma was harvested from blood samples and the concentration of ATV therein was determined. For each phase, the mean ATV plasma concentration-time profile was plotted and the means ofAUC0–24andCmaxfor ATV were computed. The geometric mean ratios and confidence intervals (CIs) forCmaxandAUC0–24 hrwere 0.783 (0.609–1.00) and 0.801 (0.634–1.01), respectively. The CIs for both PK parameters fell below the limits of the “no-effect” boundary, set at 0.8–1.25, indicating that SF significantly reduced the bioavailability of ATV. This may potentially result in subtherapeutic plasma concentrations and thus reduced anti-HIV efficacy of ATV.
Bioagents and Commercial Algae Products as Integrated Biocide Treatments for Controlling Root Rot Diseases of Some Vegetables under Protected Cultivation System
Authors: Abdel-Kader Mokhtar M. , El-Mougy Nehal S.
Published: December 2013

Integrated commercial blue-green algae extracts and bioagents treatments against vegetables root rot incidence when used as soil drench under greenhouse and plastic house conditions were evaluated. All applied treatments reduced significantly root rot incidence at both pre- and postemergence growth stages of cucumber, cantaloupe, tomato, and pepper plants compared with untreated check control. In pot experiment, the obtained results showed that treatments ofTrichoderma harzianumorBacillus subtiliseither alone or combined with commercial algae extracts were significantly superior for reducing root rot disease for two tested vegetable plants compared with the other tested treatments as well as control. It is also observed that rising concentrations of either algae products, Oligo-X or Weed-Max, were reflected in more disease reduction. Promising treatments for controlling root rot disease incidence were applied under plastic houses conditions. As for field trails carried out under plastic houses conditions at different locations, the obtained results revealed that the applied combined treatments significantly reduced root rot incidence compared with fungicide and check control treatments. At all locations it was observed that Weed-Max (2 g/L) +Bacillus subtilissignificantly reduced disease incidence of grown vegetables compared with Oligo-X (2 mL/L) +Trichoderma harzianumtreatments. An obvious yield increase in all treatments was significantly higher than in the control. Also, the harvested yield in applied combined treatments at all locations was significantly higher than that in the fungicide and control treatments.
Detection of Rabies Antigen in the Saliva and Brains of Apparently Healthy Dogs Slaughtered for Human Consumption and Its Public Health Implications in Abia State, Nigeria
Authors: Mshelbwala P. P. , Ogunkoya A. B. , Maikai B. V.
Published: December 2013

The study was carried out in eight dogs slaughtering outlets within four Local Government Areas of the State for the determination of rabies antigen in the saliva and brain of apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption. A total of one hundred (100) samples each of saliva and brain were collected before and after slaughter, respectively, between April to June, 2013, in the selected areas. The saliva was subjected to rapid immune-chromatographic test (RICT) while direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) was carried out on the brain samples. Structured questionnaire was administered to nineteen (19) dog meat processors comprising 18 males and 1 female in the selected areas. Sixty four percent of the samples tested were from female dogs while 36% were from males, 5% tested positive for rabies antigen with the use of both tests; there was no statistical association between sex and rabies status of the dogs sampled (P>0.05). Butchers bitten during the course of slaughtering were 94.7% out of which 72.8% utilized traditional method of treatment and only 27.8% reported to the hospital for proper medical attention. This study has established the presence of rabies antigen in apparently healthy dogs in the study area.
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders and Comorbid Alcohol Abuse with Buspirone in a Patient with Antidepressant-Induced Platelet Dysfunction: A Case Report
Authors: Mazhar Mir , Hassan Tariq , Munshi Tariq
Published: December 2013

The risk of abnormal bleeding with serotonin reuptake inhibitors has been known, but there is insufficient evidence base to guide pharmacological treatment of anxiety in patients with underlying haematological conditions. The following case report is about a 50-year-old female with generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and alcohol abuse where pharmacological treatment of anxiety symptoms has been difficult as it would lead to bruising due to the patient’s underlying qualitative platelet dysfunction. Treatment with venlafaxine, citalopram, escitalopram, and clomipramine resulted in improvement and anxiety symptoms, as well as reduction in alcohol use, but pharmacological treatment has to be discontinued because of bruising and hematomas. In view of an active substance use disorder, benzodiazepines were avoided as a treatment option. The patient’s anxiety symptoms and comorbid alcohol abuse responded well to pharmacological treatment with buspirone which gradually titrated up to a dose of 30 mg BID. Patient was followed for around a six-month period while she was on buspirone before being discharged to family doctor’s care. Buspirone is unlikely to have a significant effect on platelet serotonin transponder and could be an effective alternative for pharmacological treatment of anxiety in patients with a bleeding diathesis.
Boldine Prevents Renal Alterations in Diabetic Rats
Authors: Hernández-Salinas Romina , Vielma Alejandra Z. , Arismendi Marlene N. , Boric Mauricio P. , Sáez Juan C. , Velarde Victoria
Published: December 2013

Diabetic nephropathy alters both structure and function of the kidney. These alterations are associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species, matrix proteins, and proinflammatory molecules. Inflammation decreases gap junctional communication and increases hemichannel activity leading to increased membrane permeability and altering tissue homeostasis. Since current treatments for diabetic nephropathy do not prevent renal damage, we postulated an alternative treatment with boldine, an alkaloid obtained from boldo with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic and control rats were treated or not treated with boldine (50 mg/Kg/day) for ten weeks. In addition, mesangial cells were cultured under control conditions or in high glucose concentration plus proinflammatory cytokines, with or without boldine (100 µmol/L). Boldine treatment in diabetic animals prevented the increase in glycemia, blood pressure, renal thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and the urinary protein/creatinine ratio. Boldine also reduced alterations in matrix proteins and markers of renal damage. In mesangial cells, boldine prevented the increase in oxidative stress, the decrease in gap junctional communication, and the increase in cell permeability due to connexin hemichannel activity induced by high glucose and proinflammatory cytokines but did not block gap junction channels. Thus boldine prevented both renal and cellular alterations and could be useful for preventing tissue damage in diabetic subjects.
Subband Adaptive Filtering withl1-Norm Constraint for Sparse System Identification
Authors: Choi Young-Seok
Published: December 2013

This paper presents a new approach of the normalized subband adaptive filter (NSAF) which directly exploits the sparsity condition of an underlying system for sparse system identification. The proposed NSAF integrates a weightedl1-norm constraint into the cost function of the NSAF algorithm. To get the optimum solution of the weightedl1-norm regularized cost function, a subgradient calculus is employed, resulting in a stochastic gradient based update recursion of the weightedl1-norm regularized NSAF. The choice of distinct weightedl1-norm regularization leads to two versions of thel1-norm regularized NSAF. Numerical results clearly indicate the superior convergence of thel1-norm regularized NSAFs over the classical NSAF especially when identifying a sparse system.
Exoskeleton Technology in Rehabilitation: Towards an EMG-Based Orthosis System for Upper Limb Neuromotor Rehabilitation
Authors: Vaca Benitez Luis Manuel , Tabie Marc , Will Niels , Schmidt Steffen , Jordan Mathias , Kirchner Elsa Andrea
Published: December 2013

The rehabilitation of patients should not only be limited to the first phases during intense hospital care but also support and therapy should be guaranteed in later stages, especially during daily life activities if the patient’s state requires this. However, aid should only be given to the patient if needed and as much as it is required. To allow this, automatic self-initiated movement support and patient-cooperative control strategies have to be developed and integrated into assistive systems. In this work, we first give an overview of different kinds of neuromuscular diseases, review different forms of therapy, and explain possible fields of rehabilitation and benefits of robotic aided rehabilitation. Next, the mechanical design and control scheme of an upper limb orthosis for rehabilitation are presented. Two control models for the orthosis are explained which compute the triggering function and the level of assistance provided by the device. As input to the model fused sensor data from the orthosis and physiology data in terms of electromyography (EMG) signals are used.
Energy Method to Obtain Approximate Solutions of Strongly Nonlinear Oscillators
Authors: Elías-Zúñiga Alex , Martínez-Romero Oscar
Published: December 2013

We introduce a nonlinearization procedure that replaces the system potential energy by an equivalent representation form that is used to derive analytical solutions of strongly nonlinear conservative oscillators. We illustrate the applicability of this method by finding the approximate solutions of two strongly nonlinear oscillators and show that this procedure provides solutions that follow well the numerical integration solutions of the corresponding equations of motion.
A Single-Center, Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Effects of Poly-Gamma-Glutamate on Human NK Cell Activity after an 8-Week Oral Administration in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Kim Kyung-Soo , Lee Tae-Young , Hong Jang-Hee , Kim Ahrom , Kim Sung-Jin , Choi Jai-Chul , Sung Moon-Hee , Poo Haryoung
Published: December 2013

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled immunity study involving 99 healthy volunteers was performed to investigate the effect of poly-γ-glutamate (γ-PGA) on human natural killer (NK) cell activity in peripheral blood. The volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three groups and orally treated with solutions (25 mL) containing 0 mg (placebo), 250 mg (low dosage), or 500 mg (high dosage) ofγ-PGA. Each volunteer took one dose every 12 hours for 8 weeks. Blood samples were drawn before the initial treatment and at the 4th and the 8th weeks of treatment. NK cell activity was assessed by measuring its degranulation, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity against the K562 cell line. Our results revealed that the cytotoxic activities of NK cells from the high-dosageγ-PGA group were significantly higher (P<0.05for all comparisons) compared to the low dosage and placebo groups at weeks 4 and 8 after the initial treatment. This increase in the NK cell activity among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy individuals was also confirmedin vitro(as assessed by the degranulation and cytokine production). These results suggest that the oral administration ofγ-PGA induces a cell-mediated immunity by increasing the NK cell activity in humans.
Crystal Growth and Characterization of a New NLO Material: p-Toluidine p-Toluenesulfonate
Authors: Suresh M. , Bahadur S. Asath , Athimoolam S.
Published: December 2013

Single crystals of p-Toluidine p-Toluenesulfonate (PTPT), an organic nonlinear optical (NLO) material, have been grown by slow evaporation method at room temperature using ethanol as solvent. The crystal system was confirmed from the single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The functional groups were identified using FTIR spectroscopy. UV-Vis-NIR spectrum showed that the UV cut-off wavelength of PTPT occurs at 295 nm and it has insignificant absorption in the wavelength region of 532–800 nm. The SHG efficiency of PTPT was measured by employing Kurtz and Perry powder technique using a Q-switched mode locked Nd: YAG laser emitting 1064 nm for the first time and it was found to be 52% of standard KDP. Thermal and mechanical properties of PTPT were examined by TG/DTA and Vickers microhardness test, respectively.
Review of Signaling Pathways Governing MSC Osteogenic and Adipogenic Differentiation
Authors: James Aaron W.
Published: December 2013

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells, functioning as precursors to a variety of cell types including adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. Between osteogenic and adipogenic lineage commitment and differentiation, a theoretical inverse relationship exists, such that differentiation towards an osteoblast phenotype occurs at the expense of an adipocytic phenotype. This balance is regulated by numerous, intersecting signaling pathways that converge on the regulation of two main transcription factors: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPARγ) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). These two transcription factors, PPARγand Runx2, are generally regarded as the master regulators of adipogenesis and osteogenesis. This review will summarize signaling pathways that govern MSC fate towards osteogenic or adipocytic differentiation. A number of signaling pathways follow the inverse balance between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation and are generally proosteogenic/antiadipogenic stimuli. These includeβ-catenin dependent Wnt signaling, Hedgehog signaling, and NELL-1 signaling. However, other signaling pathways exhibit more context-dependent effects on adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. These include bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling and insulin growth factor (IGF) signaling, which display both proosteogenic and proadipogenic effects. In summary, understanding those factors that govern osteogenic versus adipogenic MSC differentiation has significant implications in diverse areas of human health, from obesity to osteoporosis to regenerative medicine.