bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D Can Ameliorate Chlorhexidine Gluconate-Induced Peritoneal Fibrosis and Functional Deterioration through the Inhibition of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition of Mesothelial Cells
Authors: Lee Yi-Che , Hung Shih-Yuan , Liou Hung-Hsiang , Lin Tsun-Mei , Tsai Chu-Hung , Lin Sheng-Hsiang , Tsai Yau-Sheng , Chang Min-Yu , Wang Hsi-Hao , Ho Li-Chun , Chen Yi-Ting , Wu Ching-Fang , Chen Ho-Ching , Chen Hsin-Pao , Liu Kuang-Wen , Chen Chih-I. , She Kuan Min , Wang Hao-Kuang , Lin Chi-Wei , Chiou Yuan-Yow
Published: October 2015

Background. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) can induce fibrosis and functional alterations in PD patients’ peritoneal membranes, due to long-term unphysiological dialysate exposure, partially occurring via triggering of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in peritoneal mesothelial cells (MCs). Vitamin D can ameliorate these negative effects; however, the mechanism remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated its possible links to MCs EMT inhibition.Methods. Peritoneal fibrosis was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) intraperitoneal injection for 21 days, with and without 1α,25(OH)2D3treatment. Morphological and functional evaluation and western blot analysis of EMT marker were performed upon peritoneum tissue.In vitrostudy was also performed in a primary human peritoneal MC culture system; MCs were incubated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the absence or presence of 1α,25(OH)2D3. EMT marker expression, migration activities, and cytoskeleton redistribution of MCs were determined.Results. 1α,25(OH)2D3ameliorated CG-induced morphological and functional deterioration in animal model, along with CG-induced upregulation ofα-SMA and downregulation of E-cadherin expression. Meanwhile, 1α,25(OH)2D3also ameliorated TGF-β1-induced decrease in E-cadherin expression, increase in Snai1 andα-SMA expression, intracellular F-actin redistribution, and migration activityin vitro.Conclusion. 1α,25(OH)2D3can ameliorate CG-induced peritoneal fibrosis and attenuate functional deterioration through inhibiting MC EMT.
An Update on Renal Artery Denervation and Its Clinical Impact on Hypertensive Disease
Authors: Bhat Aditya , Kuang Ye Min , Gan Gary C. H. , Burgess David , Denniss Alan Robert
Published: October 2015

Hypertension is a globally prevalent condition, with a heavy clinical and economic burden. It is the predominant risk factor for premature cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and is associated with a variety of clinical disorders including stroke, congestive cardiac failure, ischaemic heart disease, chronic renal failure, and peripheral arterial disease. A significant subset of hypertensive patients have resistant hypertensive disease. In this group of patients, catheter-based renal artery denervation has emerged as a potential therapy, with favourable clinical efficacy and safety in early trials. Additional benefits of this therapy are also being identified and include effects on left ventricular remodeling, cardiac performance, and symptom status in congestive cardiac failure. Utility of renal denervation for the management of resistant hypertension, however, has become controversial since the release of the Symplicity HTN-3 trial, the first large-scale blinded randomised study investigating the efficacy and safety of renal artery denervation. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the history, utility, and clinical efficacy of renal artery denervation technology, including an in-depth appraisal of the current literature and principal trials.
Evaluation of Optimal Pore Size of (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane Grafted MCM-41 for Improved CO2Adsorption
Authors: Liu Zhilin , Teng Yang , Zhang Kai
Published: October 2015

An array of new MCM-41 with substantially larger average pore diameters was synthesized through adding 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB) as the swelling agent to explore the effect of pore size on final adsorbent properties. The pore expanded MCM-41 was also grafted with (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) to determine the optimal pore size for CO2adsorption. The pore-expanded mesoporous MCM-41s showed relatively less structural regularity but significant increments of pore diameter (4.64 to 7.50 nm); the fraction of mesopore volume also illustrated an increase. The adsorption heat values were correlated with the order of the adsorption capacities for pore expanded MCM-41s. After amine functionalization, the adsorption capacities and heat values showed a significant increase. APTES-grafted pore-expanded MCM-41s depicted a high potential for CO2capture regardless of the major drawback of the high energy required for regeneration.
Multi-GPU Support on Single Node Using Directive-Based Programming Model
Authors: Xu Rengan , Tian Xiaonan , Chandrasekaran Sunita , Chapman Barbara
Published: October 2015

Existing studies show that using single GPU can lead to obtaining significant performance gains. We should be able to achieve further performance speedup if we use more than one GPU. Heterogeneous processors consisting of multiple CPUs and GPUs offer immense potential and are often considered as a leading candidate for porting complex scientific applications. Unfortunately programming heterogeneous systems requires more effort than what is required for traditional multicore systems. Directive-based programming approaches are being widely adopted since they make it easy to use/port/maintain application code. OpenMP and OpenACC are two popular models used to port applications to accelerators. However, neither of the models provides support for multiple GPUs. A plausible solution is to use combination of OpenMP and OpenACC that forms a hybrid model; however, building this model has its own limitations due to lack of necessary compilers’ support. Moreover, the model also lacks support for direct device-to-device communication. To overcome these limitations, an alternate strategy is to extend OpenACC by proposing and developing extensions that follow a task-based implementation for supporting multiple GPUs. We critically analyze the applicability of the hybrid model approach and evaluate the proposed strategy using several case studies and demonstrate their effectiveness.
Complexity and Controversies over the Cytokine Profiles of T Helper Cell Subpopulations in Tuberculosis
Authors: da Silva Marcos Vinicius , Tiburcio Monique Gomes Salles , Machado Juliana Reis , Silva Djalma Alexandre Alves , Rodrigues Denise Bertulucci Rocha , Rodrigues Virmondes , Oliveira Carlo Jose Freire
Published: October 2015

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious infectious disease caused by the TB-causing bacillusMycobacterium tuberculosisand is considered a public health problem with enormous social impact. Disease progression is determined mainly by the balance between the microorganism and the host defense systems. Although the immune system controls the infection, this control does not necessarily lead to sterilization. Over recent decades, the patterns of CD4+ T cell responses have been studied with a goal of complete understanding of the immunological mechanisms involved in the maintenance of latent or active tuberculosis infection and of the clinical cure after treatment. Conflicting results have been suggested over the years, particularly in studies comparing experimental models and human disease. In recent years, in addition to Th1, Th2, and Th17 profiles, new standards of cellular immune responses, such as Th9, Th22, and IFN-γ-IL-10 double-producing Th cells, discussed here, have also been described. Additionally, many new roles and cellular sources have been described for IL-10, demonstrating a critical role for this cytokine as regulatory, rather than merely pathogenic cytokine, involved in the establishment of chronic latent infection, in the clinical cure after treatment and in keeping antibacillary effector mechanisms active to prevent immune-mediated damage.
Respiratory Strategies and Airway Management in Patients with Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis: A Review
Authors: Vymazal Tomas , Krecmerova Martina
Published: October 2015

Background. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare disorder characterized by a large accumulation of lipoproteinaceous material within the alveoli. This causes respiratory failure due to a restriction of gas exchange and changes in the ventilation/perfusion ratio. Treatment methods include noninvasive pharmacological approaches and invasive procedures, such as whole-lung lavage under general anesthesia.Methods. Based on the literature search using free-term key words, we have analyzed published articles concerning the perioperative management of adult and pediatric patients with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.Results and Discussion. In total, 184 publications were analyzed. Only a few manuscripts were related to anesthetic, respiratory, and airway management in patients suffering from pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Airway should be strictly separated using a double-lumen tube. Respiratory strategies involve the use of manual clapping, continuous positive airway pressure, high-frequency jet ventilation of the affected lung, and employment of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the most serious of cases.Conclusion. The goal of this review is to summarize the current published information about an anesthetic management strategy with a focus on airway management, ventilation, and oxygenation techniques in PAP patients.
Adsorptive Removal of Trichloroethylene in Water by Crop Residue Biochars Pyrolyzed at Contrasting Temperatures: Continuous Fixed-Bed Experiments
Authors: Zhang Ming , Ahmad Mahtab , Al-Wabel Mohammad I. , Vithanage Meththika , Rajapaksha Anushka Upamali , Kim Hyuck Soo , Lee Sang Soo , Ok Yong Sik
Published: October 2015

Biochar (BC) has attracted great attention as an alternative sorbent to activated carbon (AC). Objective of this study was to determine trichloroethylene (TCE) removal by soybean stover BC pyrolyzed at 300 (BC300) and 700°C (BC700) in continuous fixed-bed column. Columns packed with BC300, BC700, and AC reached breakthrough time in 1.1, 27.0, and 50.7 h, respectively. BC700 had higher TCE adsorption capacity than BC300 due to its higher surface area, nonpolarity, and aromaticity. The sorption capacities of AC (774.0 mg g−1) and BC700 (515.1 mg g−1) were 21.6 and 14.4 times higher than that of BC300 (35.9 mg g−1). The lower desorption rate of TCE from BC300 than BC700 and AC may be attributed to the strong binding/partition of TCE to the noncarbonized part of BC. Thomas model also adequately described the adsorption data indicating interphase mass transfer. Overall, AC showed best efficiency for removing TCE from water in column experiments. However, although sorption and desorption capabilities of BC700 were a little lower than AC, it is still a good alternative for AC to remove organic contaminants such as TCE from water due to its cost-effectiveness.
Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers to Treat Oral Health Problems in Cameroon
Authors: Ashu Agbor Michael , Naidoo Sudeshni
Published: October 2015

Objectives.The objective of the study was to determine the therapeutic methods used by traditional healers to treat oral diseases in Cameroon.Methods.A total of 200 traditional healers with a mean age of50.4±14.2years from all the provinces of Cameroon were studied using questionnaires. Information elicited was the local names of the medicinal plants used for the management of oral problems, their routes of administration, and methods of usage. Identification of live or dried plants or photographs of sample of the plants was done by a taxonomist.Results.The majority of the participants were males urban dwellers aged 41–50 years, 112 (56.0%) practice as herbalists and 56 (28.0%) were trained on medications preservation, 77(56.6%) treat diseases inside or outside the mouth, and 9.0% reported being specialist in oral diseases treatment. Of the 52 plants identified, 48 are used in the management of toothache, sore throat, mouth sores, abscess, broken tooth and jaw, tooth sensitivity, mouth thrush, dental caries, gingivitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, xerostomia, oral syphilis, oral cancer, TMJ pain, halitosis, and tooth bleaching and 4 plants are used for dental extraction. Roots, leaves, and bark were the parts of plants used and some minerals as adjuncts.Conclusion.The study provides comprehensive information on therapeutic methods employed by traditional healers for the treatment of oral diseases.
Systematic Analysis of the Associations between Adverse Drug Reactions and Pathways
Authors: Chen Xiaowen , Wang Yanqiu , Wang Pingping , Lian Baofeng , Li Chunquan , Wang Jing , Li Xia , Jiang Wei
Published: October 2015

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are responsible for drug candidate failure during clinical trials. It is crucial to investigate biological pathways contributing to ADRs. Here, we applied a large-scale analysis to identify overrepresented ADR-pathway combinations through merging clinical phenotypic data, biological pathway data, and drug-target relations. Evaluation was performed by scientific literature review and defining a pathway-based ADR-ADR similarity measure. The results showed that our method is efficient for finding the associations between ADRs and pathways. To more systematically understand the mechanisms of ADRs, we constructed an ADR-pathway network and an ADR-ADR network. Through network analysis on biology and pharmacology, it was found that frequent ADRs were associated with more pathways than infrequent and rare ADRs. Moreover, environmental information processing pathways contributed most to the observed ADRs. Integrating the system organ class of ADRs, we found that most classes tended to interact with other classes instead of themselves. ADR classes were distributed promiscuously in all the ADR cliques. These results reflected that drug perturbation to a certain pathway can cause changes in multiple organs, rather than in one specific organ. Our work not only provides a global view of the associations between ADRs and pathways, but also is helpful to understand the mechanisms of ADRs.
Associations of Short Sleep and Shift Work Status with Hypertension among Black and White Americans
Authors: Ceïde Mirnova E. , Pandey Abhishek , Ravenell Joe , Donat Margaret , Ogedegbe Gbenga , Jean-Louis Girardin
Published: October 2015

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether short sleepers (<6 hrs) who worked the non-day-shift were at greater likelihood of reporting hypertension and if these associations varied by individuals’ ethnicity.Methods. Analysis was based on the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). A total of 59,199 American adults provided valid data for the present analyses (mean age =46.2±17.7years; 51.5% were female). Respondents provided work schedule and estimated habitual sleep durations as well as self-report of chronic conditions.Results. Of the sample, 30.8% reported a diagnosis of hypertension, 79.1% reported daytime shift work, 11.0% reported rotating shift work, and 4.0% reported night shift work. Logistic regression analysis showed that shift work was significantly associated with hypertension among Blacks [OR = 1.35, CI: 1.06–1.72.P<0.05], but not among Whites [OR = 1.01, CI: 0.85–1.20, NS]. Black shift workers sleeping less than 6 hours had significantly increased odds of reporting hypertension [OR = 1.81, CI: 1.29–2.54,P<0.01], while their White counterparts did not [OR = 1.17, CI: 0.90–1.52, NS].Conclusions. Findings suggest that Black Americans working the non-day-shift especially with short sleep duration have increased odds of reporting hypertension.
Power Series Solution for Solving Nonlinear Burgers-Type Equations
Authors: López-Sandoval E. , Mello A. , Godina-Nava J. J. , Samana A. R.
Published: October 2015

Power series solution method has been traditionally used to solve ordinary and partial linear differential equations. However, despite their usefulness the application of this method has been limited to this particular kind of equations. In this work we use the method of power series to solve nonlinear partial differential equations. The method is applied to solve three versions of nonlinear time-dependent Burgers-type differential equations in order to demonstrate its scope and applicability.
Relationship between Cadmium Fractions Obtained by Sequential Extraction of Soil and the Soil Properties in Contaminated and Uncontaminated Paddy Soils
Authors: Honma Toshimitsu , Ohba Hirotomo , Makino Tomoyuki , Ohyama Takuji
Published: October 2015

The method for the sequential extraction of cadmium from soil was adapted to investigate the relationship between different chemical forms of cadmium in soils and the soil properties of Cd-contaminated and uncontaminated paddy soils. Air-dried soil samples from each field site were sequentially fractionated into five forms: exchangeable Cd, inorganically bound Cd, organically bound Cd, oxide-occluded fraction, and residual Cd. The average and range of soil properties such as pH, total C, total N, CEC, exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, base saturation, available phosphate, particle size distribution, free iron oxide, oxalate extractable Al, and Fe were somewhat similar between uncontaminated and contaminated soils. The average total Cd in uncontaminated and contaminated soils was 0.26 and 0.65 mg kg−1, respectively. The proportions of soil Cd fractions did not differ between the uncontaminated and contaminated soils, although the Cd concentration of several fractions in contaminated soils was statistically higher than those in uncontaminated soils except for residual fraction. The proportion of exchangeable Cd was correlated with the CEC and phosphate absorption coefficient in contaminated soil but not in uncontaminated soil. Thus, soil properties appear to affect the proportions of soil Cd fractions in contaminated soil and should be considered when evaluating soil Cd mobility.
[Retracted] Differential Evolution Algorithm with Diversified Vicinity Operator for Optimal Routing and Clustering of Energy Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Sumithra Subramaniam , Victoire T. Aruldoss Albert
Published: October 2015

Due to large dimension of clusters and increasing size of sensor nodes, finding the optimal route and cluster for large wireless sensor networks (WSN) seems to be highly complex and cumbersome. This paper proposes a new method to determine a reasonably better solution of the clustering and routing problem with the highest concern of efficient energy consumption of the sensor nodes for extending network life time. The proposed method is based on the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm with an improvised search operator called Diversified Vicinity Procedure (DVP), which models a trade‐off between energy consumption of the cluster heads and delay in forwarding the data packets. The obtained route using the proposed method from all the gateways to the base station is comparatively lesser in overall distance with less number of data forwards. Extensive numerical experiments demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method in managing energy consumption of the WSN and the results are compared with the other algorithms reported in the literature.
Fourier Expansions with Polynomial Terms for Random Processes
Authors: Zhang Zhihua
Published: October 2015

Based on calculus of random processes, we present a kind of Fourier expansions with simple polynomial terms via our decomposition method of random processes. Using our method, the expectations and variances of the corresponding coefficients decay fast and partial sum approximations attain the best approximation order. Moreover, since we remove boundary effect in our decomposition of random process, these coefficients can discover the instinct frequency information of this random process. Therefore, our method has an obvious advantage over traditional Fourier expansion. These results are also new for deterministic functions.
Migrating Birds Optimization for the Seaside Problems at Maritime Container Terminals
Authors: Lalla-Ruiz Eduardo , Expósito-Izquierdo Christopher , de Armas Jesica , Melián-Batista Belén , Moreno-Vega J. Marcos
Published: October 2015

Sea freight transportation involves moving huge amounts of freights among maritime locations widely spaced by means of container vessels. The time required to serve container vessels is the most relevant indicator when assessing the competitiveness of a maritime container terminal. In this paper, two main logistic problems stemming from the transshipment of containers in the seaside of a maritime container terminal are addressed, namely, the Berth Allocation Problem aimed at allocating and scheduling incoming vessels into berthing positions along the quay and the Quay Crane Scheduling Problem, whose objective is to schedule the loading and unloading tasks associated with a container vessel. For solving them, two Migrating Birds Optimization (MBO) approaches are proposed. The MBO is a recently proposed nature-inspired algorithm based on theV-formation flight of migrating birds. In this algorithm, a set of solutions of the problem at hand, called birds, cooperate among themselves during the search process by sharing information within aV-line formation. The computational experiments performed over well-known problem instances reported in the literature show that the performance of our proposed MBO approaches is highly competitive and presents a better performance in terms of running time than the best approximate approach proposed in the literature.
Recent Developments in Environmental Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants: The Case of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles—A Review
Authors: Mahlambi Mphilisi M. , Ngila Catherine J. , Mamba Bhekie B.
Published: October 2015

The presence of both organic and inorganic pollutants in water due to industrial, agricultural, and domestic activities has led to the global need for the development of new, improved, and advanced but effective technologies to effectively address the challenges of water quality. It is therefore necessary to develop a technology which would completely remove contaminants from contaminated waters. TiO2 (titania) nanocatalysts have a proven potential to treat “difficult‐to‐remove” contaminants and thus are expected to play an important role in the remediation of environmental and pollution challenges. Titania nanoparticles are intended to be both supplementary and complementary to the present water‐treatment technologies through the destruction or transformation of hazardous chemical wastes to innocuous end‐products, that is, CO2 and H2O. This paper therefore explores and summarizes recent efforts in the area of titania nanoparticle synthesis, modifications, and application of titania nanoparticles for water treatment purposes.
On the Local Minima of the Order of Appearance Function
Authors: Luca Florian , Mosima Thato
Published: October 2015

The order of appearancez(n)of the positive integernis the smallest positive integerksuch thatndividesFk, thekth member of the Fibonacci sequence. In this paper, we improve upon some results from (Marques, 2011) concerning local minima ofz(n).
Stability of Pexiderized Quadratic Functional Equation in Random 2-Normed Spaces
Authors: Alghamdi Mohammed A.
Published: October 2015

The aim of this paper is to investigate the stability of Hyers-Ulam-Rassias type theorems by considering the pexiderized quadratic functional equation in the setting of random 2-normed spaces (RTNS), while the concept of random 2-normed space has been recently studied by Goleţ (2005).
Effect of Chitosan Coating with Cinnamon Oil on the Quality and Physiological Attributes of China Jujube Fruits
Authors: Xing Yage , Lin Hongbin , Cao Dong , Xu Qinglian , Han Wenfeng , Wang Ranran , Che Zhenming , Li Xihong
Published: October 2015

Effects of chitosan coating with cinnamon oil on the physiological attributes and preservation quality of China jujube fruits during storage at 4°C for 60 days were investigated. Results indicated that weight loss and decay of jujube fruits were significantly reduced by chitosan-oil coating during the period of 60-day storage, which also exhibited a quite beneficial effect on maintaining the sensory quality for jujube fruits. Meanwhile, the contents of vitamin C and titratable acid decreased to 3.08 mg·g−1and 0.342% for the fruits treated by chitosan-oil coating (1.0% + 0.10%), respectively. Polyphenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities were 13.40 U·g−1, 14.53 U·g−1, and 63.6 U·g−1at the end of storage, respectively. The contents of total soluble phenolics and MDA were 34.51 mg·g−1and 19.43μmol·g−1for the combined coating treated samples and control fruits, respectively. These results suggested that the chitosan-oil coating might be recognized as one efficiency technology on the preservation quality of jujube fruits during the storage time.
An Insight into Sweet Potato Weevils Management: A Review
Authors: Hue Seow-Mun , Low Min-Yang
Published: October 2015

Sweet potato is an important food crop that is grown widely in tropical and subtropical regions. Sweet potato weevil is the most disastrous pest affecting sweet potato plantations, causing millions of dollars losses annually. An effective integrated pest management (IPM) method will help to prevent economic losses, and it is crucial to understand the factors that contribute to weevil infestation and strategies that are available to overcome them. This review summarizes the (1) mechanisms of action of weevil on sweet potato and (2) contributing factors in weevil infestation, followed by (3) discussion on current IPM practices used in the different regions, including intercropping, entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria, sex pheromones, and pesticides. Lastly, it also focuses on (4) applications of advanced biotechnology and genomics strategies towards reducing weevil’s infestation in sweet potato plantation.
Role of Green Tea in Reducing Epidermal Thickness upon Ultraviolet Light-B Injury in BALB/c Mice
Authors: Hassan Snur M. A. , Hussein Adel J. , Saeed Azad K.
Published: October 2015

The main environmental source for skin damage is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Many adverse effects have been recognized as the result of prolonged cutaneous exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation, such as erythema, edema, apoptosis, hyperplastic responses, photo-aging, and skin cancer development. Green tea provides photo-protection against UV radiation through many mechanisms including anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of green tea in reducing epidermal thickness on mouse’s skin exposed to UVB irradiation. Thirty mice (Mus musculusspecies, BALB/c strain) underwent this study and were divided into 3 groups: control group (n=10mice), without UVB exposure and green tea administration; exposure group (n=10mice), which were exposed to UVB light only; and treatment group (n=10mice), which were exposed to UVB light and treated with 1 mL of green tea through oral gavage. Mice from both groups (exposure and treatment) were subjected to UVB irradiation 4 days/week (20 minutes/day, 4 weeks). It concluded that oral administration of green tea was provided photo-protection against UVB induced hyperplasia; therefore, it can be regarded as a natural alternative for photo-protection.
Gravitational Search Algorithm and Selection Approach for Optimal Distribution Network Configuration Based on Daily Photovoltaic and Loading Variation
Authors: Ing Koong Gia , Mokhlis H. , Illias H. A. , Aman M. M. , Jamian J. J.
Published: October 2015

Network reconfiguration is an effective approach to reduce the power losses in distribution system. Recent studies have shown that the reconfiguration problem considering load profiles can give a significant improvement on the distribution network performance. This work proposes a novel method to determine the optimal daily configuration based on variable photovoltaic (PV) generation output and the load profile data. A good combination and coordination between these two varying data may give the lowest power loss in the system. Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) is applied to determine the optimum tie switches positions for 33-Bus distribution system. GSA based proposed method is also compared with Evolutionary Programming (EP) to examine the effectiveness of GSA algorithm. Obtained results show that the proposed optimal daily configuration method is able to improve the distribution network performance in term of its power loss reduction, number of switching minimization and voltage profile improvement.
Propofol Requirement for Induction of Unconsciousness Is Reduced in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Control Study
Authors: Xu Xiao-ping , Yu Xi-ya , Wu Xi , Hu Xiao-wu , Chen Jian-chun , Li Jin-bao , Wang Jia-feng , Deng Xiao-ming
Published: October 2015

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, but whether the neurodegenerative process influences the pharmacodynamics of propofol remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effect of PD on pharmacodynamics of propofol. A total of 31 PD patients undergoing surgical treatment (PD group) and 31 pair-controlled non-PD patients undergoing intracranial surgery (NPD group) were recruited to investigate the propofol requirement for unconsciousness induction. Unconsciousness was induced in all patients with target-controlled infusion of propofol. The propofol concentration at which unconsciousness was induced was compared between the two groups. EC50and EC95were calculated as well. Demographic data, bispectral index, and hemodynamic values were comparable between PD and NPD groups. The mean target concentration of propofol when unconsciousness was achieved was 2.32 ± 0.38 μg/mL in PD group, which was significantly lower than that in NPD group (2.90 ± 0.35 μg/mL). The EC50was 2.05 μg/mL (95% CI: 1.85–2.19 μg/mL) in PD group, much lower than the 2.72 μg/mL (95% CI: 2.53–2.88 μg/mL) in NPD group. In conclusion, the effective propofol concentration needed for induction of unconsciousness in 50% of patients is reduced in PD patients. (This trial is registered withNCT01998204.)
The Effect of Alumina and Magnesia Supported Germanium Nanoparticles on the Growth of Carbon Nanotubes in the Chemical Vapor Deposition Method
Authors: Allaedini Ghazaleh , Aminayi Payam , Tasirin Siti Masrinda
Published: October 2015

The effect of alumina and magnesia supported germanium (Ge) nanoparticles on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in atmospheric pressure was investigated. The TEM micrographs confirmed the formation of carbon nanotubes, and the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis suggested a tip‐growth mechanism for the grown carbon nanotubes. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern indicated a graphitic nature of the carbon nanotubes. The obtained CNTs using Ge nanoparticles supported by MgO resulted in a higher degree of graphitization than the CNTs obtained using Ge nanoparticles supported by Al2O3. Raman spectroscopy analysis of the CNTs confirmed the presence of radial breathing modes (RBM), which verified the formation of CNTs. High frequency Raman analysis demonstrated that the degree of graphitization of the synthesized CNTs using magnesia supported Ge nanoparticles is higher than that of the alumina supported Ge nanoparticles with the values of (ID/IG) ratios equal to 0.45 and 0.73, respectively.
Gain Enhancement of a Microstrip Patch Antenna Using a Reflecting Layer
Authors: Mekki Anwer Sabah , Hamidon Mohd Nizar , Ismail Alyani , Alhawari Adam R. H.
Published: October 2015

A low profile, unidirectional, dual layer, and narrow bandwidth microstrip patch antenna is designed to resonate at 2.45 GHz. The proposed antenna is suitable for specific applications, such as security and military systems, which require a narrow bandwidth and a small antenna size. This work is mainly focused on increasing the gain as well as reducing the size of the unidirectional patch antenna. The proposed antenna is simulated and measured. According to the simulated and measured results, it is shown that the unidirectional antenna has a higher gain and a higher front to back ratio (F/B) than the bidirectional one. This is achieved by using a second flame retardant layer (FR-4), coated with an annealed copper of 0.035 mm at both sides, with an air gap of 0.04λ0as a reflector. A gain of 5.2 dB with directivity of 7.6 dBi, F/B of 9.5 dB, and −18 dB return losses (S11) are achieved through the use of a dual substrate layer of FR-4 with a relative permittivity of 4.3 and a thickness of 1.6 mm. The proposed dual layer microstrip patch antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 2% and the designed antenna shows very low complexity during fabrication.
The Higgs Sector of the Minimal SUSYB-LModel
Authors: Basso Lorenzo
Published: October 2015

I review the Higgs sector of theU(1)B-Lextension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). I will show that the gauge kinetic mixing plays a crucial role in the Higgs phenomenology. Two light bosons are present, a MSSM-like one and aB-L-like one, which mix at one loop solely due to the gauge mixing. After briefly looking at constraints from flavour observables, new decay channels involving right-handed (s)neutrinos are presented. Finally, how model features pertaining to the gauge extension affect the model phenomenology, concerning the existence ofR-Parity-conserving minima at loop level and the Higgs-to-diphoton coupling, will be reviewed.
Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency of P3HT : PC71BM Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells by Doping a High-Mobility Small Organic Molecule
Authors: Wang Hanyu , Wang Xiao , Fan Pu , Yang Xin , Yu Junsheng
Published: October 2015

The effect of molecular doping with TIPS-pentacene on the photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a structure of ITO/ZnO/poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) : [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) : TIPS-pentacene/MoOx/Ag was systematically investigated by adjusting TIPS-pentacene doping ratios ranged from 0.3 to 1.2 wt%. The device with 0.6 wt% TIPS-pentacene exhibited the enhanced short-circuit current and fill factor by 1.23 mA/cm2and 7.8%, respectively, resulting in a maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.13%, which is one-third higher than that of the undoped one. The photovoltaic performance improvement was mainly due to the balanced charge carrier mobility, enhanced crystallinity, and matched cascade energy level alignment in TIPS-pentacene doped active layer, resulting in the efficient charge separation, transport, and collection.
Numerical Investigation of Laminar Natural Convection in Inclined Square Enclosure with the Influence of Discrete Heat Source
Authors: Devaraj Chithra , Muthuswamy Eswaramurthi , Kandasamy Sundararaj
Published: October 2015

Natural convection heat transfer in a two-dimensional square enclosure at various angles of inclination is investigated numerically using a finite volume based computational procedure. The heat transfer is from a constant temperature heat source of finite length centred at one of the walls to the cold wall on the opposite side while the remaining walls are insulated. The effect of area ratio of the heat sourceAfrom 0.2 to 1.0, Rayleigh number Ra from 103to 107, and angle of inclination of the enclosureθvarying from 0° to 360° on the flow field and heat transfer characteristics are investigated. Streamline and isothermal line patterns are found to be similar at low Rayleigh numbers whereas at high Rayleigh numbers the differences are significant due to the influence of the parameters considered. Average Nusselt number decreases drastically as the position of the heat source is moved above the horizontal centre line of the enclosure. Correlation of the average Nusselt number which depends on the parameters of interest is obtained in the general formCRamAn. The correlation coefficients are determined by multiple regression analysis for the entire range of Rayleigh numbers analysed and the values found by correlation equations are in good agreement with the numerical results.
CCR 20th Anniversary Commentary: Bevacizumab in the Treatment of Glioblastoma—The Progress and the Limitations
Authors: Mar Nataliya , Desjardins Annick , Vredenburgh James J.
Published: October 2015

Vredenburgh and colleagues conducted the first phase II study of bevacizumab plus irinotecan in recurrent malignant glioma, confirming the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab. This study, which was published in the February 15, 2007, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, was a stepping stone for subsequent research, leading to regulatory approval of bevacizumab for recurrent glioblastoma. Clin Cancer Res; 21(19); 4248–50. ©2015 AACR.

See related article by Vredenburgh et al., Clin Cancer Res 2007;13(4) February 15, 2007;1253–9
The IL-15-Based ALT-803 Complex Enhances FcγRIIIa-Triggered NK Cell Responses and In Vivo Clearance of B Cell Lymphomas
Authors: Rosario Maximillian , Liu Bai , Kong Lin , Collins Lynne I. , Schneider Stephanie E. , Chen Xiaoyue , Han Kaiping , Jeng Emily K. , Rhode Peter R. , Leong Jeffrey W. , Schappe Timothy , Jewell Brea A. , Keppel Catherine R. , Shah Keval , Hess Brian , Romee Rizwan , Piwnica-Worms David R. , Cashen Amanda F. , Bartlett Nancy L. , Wong Hing C. , Fehniger Todd A.
Published: October 2015

Purpose: Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are an important immunotherapy for B-cell lymphoma, and provide evidence that the immune system may be harnessed as an effective lymphoma treatment approach. ALT-803 is a superagonist IL-15 mutant and IL-15Rα–Fc fusion complex that activates the IL-15 receptor constitutively expressed on natural killer (NK) cells. We hypothesized that ALT-803 would enhance anti–CD20 mAb-directed NK-cell responses and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

Experimental Design: We tested this hypothesis by adding ALT-803 immunostimulation to anti-CD20 mAb triggering of NK cells in vitro and in vivo. Cell lines and primary human lymphoma cells were utilized as targets for primary human NK cells. Two complementary in vivo mouse models were used, which included human NK-cell xenografts in NOD/SCID-γc−/− mice.

Results: We demonstrate that short-term ALT-803 stimulation significantly increased degranulation, IFNγ production, and ADCC by human NK cells against B-cell lymphoma cell lines or primary follicular lymphoma cells. ALT-803 augmented cytotoxicity and the expression of granzyme B and perforin, providing one potential mechanism for this enhanced functionality. Moreover, in two distinct in vivo B-cell lymphoma models, the addition of ALT-803 to anti-CD20 mAb therapy resulted in significantly reduced tumor cell burden and increased survival. Long-term ALT-803 stimulation of human NK cells induced proliferation and NK-cell subset changes with preserved ADCC.

Conclusions: ALT-803 represents a novel immunostimulatory drug that enhances NK-cell antilymphoma responses in vitro and in vivo, thereby supporting the clinical investigation of ALT-803 plus anti-CD20 mAbs in patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res; 22(3); 596–608. ©2015 AACR.
Biosimilar Epoetin Zeta in Oncology and Haematology: Development and Experience following 6 Years of Use
Authors: Michallet Mauricette , Losem Christoph
Published: October 2015

Chemotherapy-induced anaemia is frequent in cancer patients, with severity depending on the extent of the disease and intensity of treatment. Clinical guidelines recommend erythropoietin therapy to treat or prevent anaemia in some oncology/haematology patients being treated with chemotherapy. The patent expiry of the first-generation erythropoietins has led to the development of biosimilar products, i.e. therapeutic proteins exhibiting comparable quality, safety and efficacy to an existing reference biological medicine, the patent of which has expired. This review summarises the available data set supporting the use of one such biosimilar product, epoetin zeta (Retacrit™) in oncology/haematology. The body of evidence supporting the use of epoetin zeta continues to grow, with post-marketing clinical studies underway to evaluate its longer-term clinical efficacy and safety. Biosimilar medicines have the potential to offer cost savings to health care providers, with the assurance of ongoing risk management programmes to ensure patient safety.
Patterns of Sensitization to Inhalant Allergens in Japanese Lower-Grade Schoolchildren and Related Factors
Authors: Yamazaki Shin , Shima Masayuki , Nakadate Toshio , Ohara Toshimasa , Omori Takashi , Ono Masaji , Sato Tosiya , Nitta Hiroshi
Published: October 2015

Objective: This study clarified sensitization patterns to house dust mite (HDM) and Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) in Japanese lower-grade schoolchildren. We also explored factors associated with allergic sensitization. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a database from the Study on Respiratory Disease and Automobile Exhaust (SORA), a Japanese health study project. The subjects comprised 8,815 pupils aged 6-9 years. We obtained the distribution of HDM- and JCP-specific IgE, respectively, as a marker of sensitization. To determine factors associated with sensitization, we used logistic regression and calculated adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for the relative prevalence of sensitization. The cut-off point for specific IgE levels was 0.35 kU/l. Results: Sensitization to HDM and JCP was detected in 51 and 39% of subjects, respectively, occurring more often in boys and at older ages. In addition, AORs of sensitization to HDM/JCP were higher in subjects with a history of bronchitis, parental asthma, parental atopic eczema and parental pollinosis. In contrast, AORs for sensitization were lower in those subjected to maternal passive smoking as well as among boys with pets. AORs of sensitization to JCP alone were lower in those with a history of otitis media, those who had been bottle milk fed, and those who were not the firstborn and who lived near a busy road. Conclusion: Sensitization to HDM and JCP was detected in 51 and 39% of lower-grade schoolchildren, respectively.
Cutaneous Metastasis of Neuroendocrine Carcinoma with Unknown Primary Site: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Amorim Gustavo Moreira , Quintella Danielle , Cuzzi Tullia , Rodrigues Rosangela , Ramos-e-Silva Marcia
Published: October 2015

We report a new case of neuroendocrine carcinoma for which it was not possible to find the primary site until now. The recent medical literature about skin metastasis of neuroendocrine carcinoma (neuroendocrine tumor) is discussed.
Avaliação eletrocardiográfica de cães clinicamente hígidos sob tratamento com solução oftálmica de maleato de timolol 0,5%: estudo preliminar
Authors: Santos Riane Moreira , Leite Ceci Ribeiro , Monteiro Fábio De Oliveira , Abreu Mariana Boechat de , Lessa Daniel Augusto Barroso , Santos Orlei Justen dos
Published: October 2015

O maleato de timolol 0,5% é um fármaco recomendado para tratamento de glaucoma em cães. Após instilação, e absorvido para a circulação sistêmica e por ser um antagonista beta-adrenérgico pode promover efeitos colaterais sistêmicos importantes sobre a condução elétrica cardíaca. No presente estudo, foi avaliada a alteração causada pelo timolol 0,5% oftálmico no eletrocardiograma. Foram selecionados seis cães hígidos para participar de dois tratamentos oftálmicos diferentes: no primeiro foi instilado placebo (hipromelose 0,5%) e no segundo utilizou-se timolol 0,5%. O colírio foi instilado a cada 12 horas por 14 dias. Os parâmetros eletrocardiográficos foram mensurados nos tempos: zero, 10, 60, 120, 240, 360 e 720 minutos após instilação da solução ocular nos dias primeiro, sétimo e décimo quarto de cada tratamento. As alterações eletrocardiográficas foram mais evidentes entre 120 e 240 minutos pós-instilação de timolol 0,5% quando comparado com o tratamento placebo. O ritmo foi irregular, com momentos de arritmia sinusal e bradicardia sinusal. Os intervalos RR e PR prolongaram significativamente (p < 0,05) desde o primeiro dia de instilação de timolol, sendo o prolongamento mais expressivo no décimo quarto dia de tratamento. O intervalo QT demonstrou pouca variação, apenas prolongando significativamente (p < 0,05) no décimo quarto dia de aplicação de timolol. O intervalo QTc não demonstrou alteração significativa (p > 0,05). Apesar das alterações encontradas, não foram observadas manifestações clínicas relacionadas ao timolol nos animais estudados. Deve-se considerar, porém, que os animais em questão eram hígidos e, portanto, as alterações decorrentes do uso do timolol em animais com cardiopatias preexistentes poderiam promover sinais clínicos, sendo recomendada a avaliação cardíaca de pacientes previamente à prescrição do timolol oftálmico.
Perfil oxidativo e funcional de sêmen bovino criopreservado em diferentes estações do ano
Authors: Rodrigues Mariana De Paula , Tarragó Octávio Fabián Bao , Arruda Rubens Paes de , Oliveira Leticia Zoccolaro , Bertolla Ricardo Pimenta , Nichi Marcilio , Barnabe Valquiria Hyppolito
Published: October 2015

Bovinos taurinos, em clima tropical, mostram menores índices de fertilidade devido ao estresse térmico e oxidativo testicular. Essa alta incidência de alterações espermáticas é potencializada pela grande quantidade de ácidos graxos poli-insaturados (PUFA) presentes nos espermatozoides taurinos. Embora os PUFA aumentem a sensibilidade celular à peroxidação lipídica, são essenciais para a maleabilidade de membrana e promovem maior proteção celular durante a criopreservação. Devido aos relatos de que animais e vegetais de clima frio possuem maior concentração de PUFA nas células, o presente estudo teve como objetivo comparar o efeito da estação do ano sobre a qualidade espermática de taurinos e zebuínos. Foram avaliadas amostras criopreservadas de 10 touros da raça Nelore (Bos taurus indicus) e 10 da raça Simental (Bos taurus taurus), coletadas durante inverno e verão. Após a descongelação, foram realizados testes espermáticos de motilidade e vigor, testes de integridade de membrana plasmática (MPI–Eosina/Nigrosina), integridade acrossomal (MAI-POPE), grau de fragmentação de DNA (DNAf-Ensaio Cometa) e atividade citoquímica mitocondrial (ACM-DAB). Adicionalmente, avaliou-se a suscetibilidade das células espermáticas à peroxidação lipídica induzida, pela mensuração das substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) e malondialdeído (MDA). No grupo Nelore, foi observada maior motilidade espermática pós-descongelação (26,50% inverno; 13,30% verão) e maior ACM (22,34% inverno; 13,30% verão) durante o inverno. No grupo Simental, não houve diferença de época do ano nas variáveis. Concluiu-se que, apesar de sofrerem maior estresse térmico, nos animais taurinos não foi observado efeito da estação do ano sobre a qualidade espermática, o que pode estar relacionado a uma maior concentração de PUFA em sua composição seminal.
Editorial
Authors: Vasconcellos Silvio Arruda , Gennari Solange Maria
Published: October 2015

Procurando atender ao objetivo de manter a regularidade da periodicidade do Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science (BJVRAS), estamos lançando o segundo fascículo de 2015. Neste número, houve o predomínio de artigos da área de Reprodução Animal, que conta com uma revisão sobre a eficiência placentária na espécie equina, dois trabalhos analisando aspectos do sêmen: perfil oxidativo de sêmen bovino criopreservado em diferentes estações do ano e criopreservação do sêmen de quatis; além de uma investigação sobre a influência da temperatura de transporte de ovários na viabilidade de oócitos caninos coletados em diferentes estágios do ciclo estral. Na área de Cirurgia Veterinária, é investigada a contração de feridas. Na área de Clínica Veterinária, foi analisado o eletrocardiograma de cães tratados com solução oftálmica de maleato de timolol 0,5%. Na área de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, é apresentado um trabalho que investigou a ocorrência de toxoplasmose e neosporose em cães da cidade de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. A área de Patologia Veterinária conta com um trabalho efetuado em modelo experimental que investiga a carcinogênese química em camundongos BALB-C. Finalmente, na área de Nutrição e Produção Animal é apresentada uma investigação da reatividade de equinos à presença de estímulos sonoros. Desejamos uma boa leitura a todos.

Prof. Dr. Silvio Arruda Vasconcellos

Editor-Chefe

Profª Drª Solange Maria Gennari

Editor Científico