bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning Discriminative Transferable Sparse Coding for Cross-View Action Recognition in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhang Zhong , Liu Shuang
Published: October 2015

Human action recognition in wireless sensor networks (WSN) is an attractive direction due to its wide applications. However, human actions captured from different sensor nodes in WSN show different views, and the performance of classifier tends to degrade sharply. In this paper, we focus on the issue of cross-view action recognition in WSN and propose a novel algorithm named discriminative transferable sparse coding (DTSC) to overcome the drawback. We learn the sparse representation with an explicit discriminative goal, making the proposed method suitable for recognition. Furthermore, we simultaneously learn the dictionaries from different sensor nodes such that the same actions from different sensor nodes have similar sparse representations. Our method is verified on the IXMAS datasets, and the experimental results demonstrate that our method achieves better results than that of previous methods on cross-view action recognition in WSN.
Inhibition of P-Selectin and PSGL-1 Using Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies Increases the Sensitivity of Multiple Myeloma Cells to Bortezomib
Authors: Muz Barbara , Azab Feda , de la Puente Pilar , Rollins Scott , Alvarez Richard , Kawar Ziad , Azab Abdel Kareem
Published: October 2015

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy localized in the bone marrow. Despite the introduction of novel therapies majority of MM patients relapse. We have previously shown that inhibition of P-selectin and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) play a key role in proliferation of MM and using small-molecule inhibitors of P-selectin/PSGL-1 sensitized MM cells to therapy. However, these small-molecule inhibitors had low specificity to P-selectin and showed poor pharmacokinetics. Therefore, we tested blocking of P-selectin and PSGL-1 using functional monoclonal antibodies in order to sensitize MM cells to therapy. We have demonstrated that inhibiting the interaction between MM cells and endothelial and stromal cells decreased proliferation in MM cells and in parallel induced loose-adhesion to the primary tumor site to facilitate egress. At the same time, blocking this interactionin vivoled to MM cells retention in the circulation and delayed homing to the bone marrow, thus exposing MM cells to bortezomib which contributed to reduced tumor growth and better mice survival. This study provides a better understanding of the biology of P-selectin and PSGL-1 and their roles in dissemination and resensitization of MM to treatment.
Identification of pLG72-Induced Oxidative Stress Using Systemic Approaches
Authors: Wang Maofeng , Chen Hsi-Ju , Zhang Jun , Li Weimin , Xie Xinyou , Chang Hao-Teng
Published: October 2015

G72is a schizophrenia-susceptible gene encoding a polypeptide with 153 amino acids. In 2002, it was originally proposed as an activator of D-amino acid oxidase (DAOA) that could enhance the activity of DAAO and subsequently reduce the neurotransmission ofN-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. However, several controversial findings have been reported recently. Due to a number of inconsistent descriptions of pLG72’s biofunctions, this study aims to identify the cellular effects induced by pLG72 in U87 cells using systems biology approaches. The analyses of transcriptomics and biological networks showed that pLG72 might be involved in the induction of oxidative stress. To confirm thein silicoprediction, we tested and discovered that overexpression of pLG72 effectively enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in U87 cells and, furthermore, this induction can be quenched by Tempol, a general ROS scavenger. Therefore,G72-transgenic mice presenting some psychiatric symptoms, along with the pLG72 level being significantly increased in the serum of patients with schizophrenia, have led us to propose that the ROS enhancement in mental diseases may be from the overexpression of pLG72 in brain cells.
Robust Regulation and Tracking Control of a Class of Uncertain 2DOF Underactuated Mechanical Systems
Authors: Almeida David I. Rosas , Gamez Carlos , Rascón Raul
Published: October 2015

A strategy to design and implement a robust controller for a class of underactuated mechanical systems, with two degrees of freedom, which solves the problems of regulation and trajectory tracking, is proposed. This control strategy considers the partial measurement of the state vector and the presence of parametric uncertainties in the plant; these conditions are common in the implementation of a control system. The strategy is based on the use of robust finite time convergence observers to estimate the unmeasured state variables, unknown disturbances, and other signals needed for the control system implementation. The performance of the control strategy is illustrated numerically and experimentally.
A Multicontroller Load Balancing Approach in Software-Defined Wireless Networks
Authors: Yao Haipeng , Qiu Chao , Zhao Chenglin , Shi Lei
Published: October 2015

Software-defined networking (SDN) is currently seen as one of the most promising future network technologies, which can realize the separation between control and data planes. Furthermore, the increasing complexity in future wireless networks (i.e., 5G, wireless sensor networks) renders the control and coordination of networks a challenging task. Future wireless networks need good separation of control and data planes and call for SDN method to handle the explosive increase of mobile data traffic. Relying on a single controller in future wireless networks imposes a potential scalability problem. To tackle this problem, the thought of using multiple controllers to manage the large wide-area wireless network has been proposed, where the load balance problem of multicontroller needs to be resolved. In this paper, we propose a multicontroller load balancing approach called HybridFlow in software-defined wireless networks, which adopts the method of distribution and centralization and designs a double threshold approach to evenly allocate the load. Simulation results reveal that the proposed approach can significantly relieve the working load on the super controller and reduces the load jitter of multicontroller load in a single cluster compared with the BalanceFlow method.
Cancer Characteristics and Current Treatments of Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma in Sweden
Authors: Thorstenson Andreas , Harmenberg Ulrika , Lindblad Per , Holmström Benny , Lundstam Sven , Ljungberg Börje
Published: October 2015

Methodology. Since the start in 2005 virtually all patients with newly diagnosed renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Sweden are reported to the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register (NSKCR). The register contains information on histopathology, nuclear grade, clinical stage, preoperative work-up, treatment, recurrence, and survival.Results. A total of 8556 patients with newly diagnosed RCC were registered in the NSKCR from 2005 to 2013 resulting in a coverage of 99% as compared to the Swedish Cancer Registry. The mean tumor size at detection decreased from 70 mm in 2005 to 64 mm in 2010. The proportion of patients who were incidentally detected increased. The proportion of patients with tumor stage T1a who underwent partial nephrectomy increased from 22% in 2005 to 56% in 2012. Similarly, the proportion of laparoscopically performed radical nephrectomies increased from 6% in 2005 to 17% in 2010. During the five years of follow-up 20% of the patients had a recurrence.Conclusion. Over the last decade there has been a trend of earlier detection and less advanced tumors at detection in patients with RCC. An increasing proportion of the patients undergo laparoscopic and nephron-sparing procedures.
Activation of Endocannabinoid System Is Associated with Persistent Inflammation in Human Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Gestrich Christopher , Duerr Georg D. , Heinemann Jan C. , Meertz Anne , Probst Chris , Roell Wilhelm , Schiller Wolfgang , Zimmer Andreas , Bindila Laura , Lutz Beat , Welz Armin , Dewald Oliver
Published: October 2015

Human aortic aneurysms have been associated with inflammation and vascular remodeling. Since the endocannabinoid system modulates inflammation and tissue remodeling, we investigated its components in human aortic aneurysms. We obtained anterior aortic wall samples from patients undergoing elective surgery for aortic aneurysm or coronary artery disease as controls. Histological and molecular analysis (RT-qPCR) was performed, and endocannabinoid concentration was determined using LC-MRM. Patient characteristics were comparable between the groups except for a higher incidence of arterial hypertension and diabetes in the control group. mRNA level of cannabinoid receptors was significantly higher in aneurysms than in controls. Concentration of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol was significantly higher, while the second endocannabinoid anandamide and its metabolite arachidonic acid and palmitoylethanolamide were significantly lower in aneurysms. Histology revealed persistent infiltration of newly recruited leukocytes and significantly higher mononuclear cell density in adventitia of the aneurysms. Proinflammatory environment in aneurysms was shown by significant upregulation of M-CSF and PPARγbut associated with downregulation of chemokines. We found comparable collagen-stained area between the groups, significantly decreased mRNA level of CTGF, osteopontin-1, and MMP-2, and increased TIMP-4 expression in aneurysms. Our data provides evidence for endocannabinoid system activation in human aortic aneurysms, associated with persistent low-level inflammation and vascular remodeling.
BER Analysis Using Beat Probability Method of 3D Optical CDMA Networks with Double Balanced Detection
Authors: Yen Chih-Ta , Chen Chih-Ming
Published: October 2015

This study proposes novel three-dimensional (3D) matrices of wavelength/time/spatial code for code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) networks, with a double balanced detection mechanism. We construct 3D carrier-hopping prime/modified prime (CHP/MP) codes by extending a two-dimensional (2D) CHP code integrated with a one-dimensional (1D) MP code. The corresponding coder/decoder pairs were based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and tunable optical delay lines integrated with splitters/combiners. System performance was enhanced by the low cross correlation properties of the 3D code designed to avoid the beat noise phenomenon. The CHP/MP code cardinality increased significantly compared to the CHP code under the same bit error rate (BER). The results indicate that the 3D code method can enhance system performance because both the beating terms and multiple-access interference (MAI) were reduced by the double balanced detection mechanism. Additionally, the optical component can also be relaxed for high transmission scenery.
Spatial Patterns of the Indications of Acupoints Using Data Mining in Classic Medical Text: A Possible Visualization of the Meridian System
Authors: Jung Won-Mo , Lee Taehyung , Lee In-Seon , Kim Sanghyun , Jang Hyunchul , Kim Song-Yi , Park Hi-Joon , Chae Younbyoung
Published: October 2015

The indications of acupoints are thought to be highly associated with the lines of the meridian systems. The present study used data mining methods to analyze the characteristics of the indications of each acupoint and to visualize the relationships between the acupoints and disease sites in the classic Korean medical textChimgoogyeongheombang. Using a term frequency-inverse document frequency (tf-idf) scheme, the present study extracted valuable data regarding the indications of each acupoint according to the frequency of the cooccurrences of eight Source points and eighteen disease sites. Furthermore, the spatial patterns of the indications of each acupoint on a body map were visualized according to the tf-idf values. Each acupoint along the different meridians exhibited different constellation patterns at various disease sites. Additionally, the spatial patterns of the indications of each acupoint were highly associated with the route of the corresponding meridian. The present findings demonstrate that the indications of each acupoint were primarily associated with the corresponding meridian system. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the routes of the meridians may have clinical implications in terms of identifying the constellations of the indications of acupoints.
The Comparative Utility of Viromer RED and Lipofectamine for Transient Gene Introduction into Glial Cells
Authors: Rao Sudheendra , Morales Alejo A. , Pearse Damien D.
Published: October 2015

The introduction of genes into glial cells for mechanistic studies of cell function and as a therapeutic for gene delivery is an expanding field. Though viral vector based systems do exhibit good delivery efficiency and long-term production of the transgene, the need for transient gene expression, broad and rapid gene setup methodologies, and safety concerns regardingin vivoapplication still incentivize research into the use of nonviral gene delivery methods. In the current study, aviral gene delivery vectors based upon cationic lipid (Lipofectamine 3000) lipoplex or polyethylenimine (Viromer RED) polyplex technologies were examined in cell lines and primary glial cells for their transfection efficiencies, gene expression levels, and toxicity. The transfection efficiencies of polyplex and lipoplex agents were found to be comparable in a limited, yet similar, transfection setting, with or without serum across a number of cell types. However, differential effects on cell-specific transgene expression and reduced viability with cargo loaded polyplex were observed. Overall, our data suggests that polyplex technology could perform comparably to the market dominant lipoplex technology in transfecting various cells lines including glial cells but also stress a need for further refinement of polyplex reagents to minimize their effects on cell viability.
In‐Channel‐Grown Polypyrrole Nanowire for the Detection of DNA Hybridization in an Electrochemical Microfluidic Biosensor
Authors: Tran Thi Luyen , Chu Thi Xuan , Do Phuc Quan , Pham Duc Thanh , Trieu Van Vu Quan , Huynh Dang Chinh , Mai Anh Tuan
Published: October 2015

A triple electrode setup with a Pt pseudo‐reference electrode integrated in a polydimethylsiloxane‐ (PDMS‐) based microchamber was designed and fabricated. The integrated electrodes were deposited onto SiO2/Si substrate by sputtering. The PDMS microchamber was patterned using an SU‐8 mold and sealed with electrodes in oxygen plasma. Polypyrrole nanowires (PPy NWs) were electrochemically grown in situ at an accurate position of the working electrode in the sealed microchamber instead of in an open system. The DNA probe sequences were simply introduced into the channel to form bonds with the nanowires. A detection limit of 20 pM was achieved using a lock‐in amplifier. The electrochemical characteristics produced by the hybridization of DNA strands in the microchamber showed a good signal/noise ratio and high sensitivity. Measurement of the DNA sensor in narrow space also required much less volume of the analytical sample compared with that in an open measuring cell. Results showed that this simple system can potentially fabricate nanostructures and detect bio/chemical molecules in a sealed system.
Method of Doppler Frequency Spread Estimation for High-Mobility OFDM Systems
Authors: Zhao Feng , Sun Xihong
Published: October 2015

A method of Doppler frequency spread (DFS) estimation algorithm is discussed which is suitable for high-mobility Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems. DFS is a main factor which may mitigate the performance of system. The proposed method is based on autocorrelation function algorithm of received signal which utilizes cyclic prefix (CP) to estimate Doppler spread. The estimation algorithm uses least square (LS) method between the autocorrelation function of received signal and the zero-order Bessel function which is approximated by the expansion of power series. Then the estimation bias is analyzed and using polynomial fitting method can effectively correct estimation error at different DFS, respectively. Compared with the previously proposed method, the estimation performance of DFS in the proposed method has better performance. Simulation results show that when sufficient elements are used, the proposed scheme can effectively estimate DFS and can be applied into high-mobility OFDM systems.
Effects of Chung-Pae Inhalation Therapy on a Mouse Model of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Hwang Joon-Ho , Lee Beom-Joon , Jung Hee Jae , Kim Kwan-Il , Choi Jun-Yong , Joo Myungsoo , Jung Sung-Ki
Published: October 2015

Chung-pae (CP) inhalation therapy is a method frequently used in Korea to treat lung disease, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study investigated the effects of CP inhalation on a COPD animal model. C57BL/6 mice received porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alternately three times for 3 weeks to induce COPD. Then, CP (5 or 20 mg/kg) was administered every 2 h after the final LPS administration. The effect of CP was evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analysis, histological analysis of lung tissue, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of mRNA of interleukin- (IL-) 1β, tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-)α, IL-6, and tumor growth factor- (TGF-)β. Intratracheal CP administration reduced the number of leukocytes and neutrophils in BAL fluid, inhibited the histological appearance of lung damage, and decreased the mRNA levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β. Intratracheal CP administration effectively decreased the chronic inflammation and pathological changes in a PPE- and LPS-induced COPD mouse model. Therefore, we suggest that CP is a promising strategy for COPD.
Statistical Analysis for Hull Stress Monitoring Network Signal with Nested Array
Authors: Wang Wei , Qin Shan
Published: October 2015

The hull stress monitoring system is to measure and display the ship motions and real-time stresses by strain gauge and accelerometer sensor networks. The statistical parameters such as standard deviation of measurements through hull stress sensor network are important for analysis of hull structure status. Due to the large amount of measurement data, it is difficult to acquire the standard deviation directly. Nested array is a sparse sampling algorithm which can keep the statistical property of the original data. This paper presents an algorithm for standard deviation computed of hull stress data based on nested array. From the experimental results, it can be seen that the provided algorithm can achieve higher accurate distribution of standard deviation with much less samples. This proves that the nested array sampling could be used in statistical computing for hull stress data.
Management of Food-Related Diarrhea Outbreak in the Emergency Department: Lessons Learned from the German STEC O104:H4 Epidemic
Authors: Sayk Friedhelm , Asselborn Niels Henrik , Eisemann Nora , Katalinic Alexander , Metzner Jörg , Wolfrum Sebastian , Fellermann Klaus , Knobloch Johannes , Nitschke Martin
Published: October 2015

Emergency department (ED) management of the German STEC O104:H4 outbreak in 2011 was not limited to patients being truly infected with STEC. In parallel to spread of alarming news in public media, patients suffering from diarrhea due to other reasons fearfully presented, equally. We retrospectively characterized these two cohorts for anamnestic, clinical, and laboratory findings at their first ED contact. From 15th of May to July 2011, 302 adult patients with diarrheal complaint presented at the EDs of two tertiary hospitals in Lubeck, northern Germany. Fecal testing for STEC was obtained in 245 (81%) patients: 105 were STEC-positive and 140 were STEC-negative. Anamnestic characteristics (defecation rate, visible bloody diarrhea, and lower abdominal pain), abdominal tenderness, and some laboratory findings were significantly different between both cohorts but not reliable to exclude STEC. In >90% of STEC-positive patients diarrheal symptoms had started in May, reflecting the retrospective nationwide peak of infections, whereas the majority of STEC-negative patients became symptomatic in June 2011. During the German STEC O104:H4 outbreak a definite distinction at initial ED contact between STEC-positive versus STEC-negative patients by clinical judgment alone was not reliable. Fecal testing in the ED, however, might survey the outbreak of foodborne infections with the utmost precision.
Normative Data for an Instrumental Assessment of the Upper-Limb Functionality
Authors: Caimmi Marco , Guanziroli Eleonora , Malosio Matteo , Pedrocchi Nicola , Vicentini Federico , Molinari Tosatti Lorenzo , Molteni Franco
Published: October 2015

Upper-limb movement analysis is important to monitor objectively rehabilitation interventions, contributing to improving the overall treatments outcomes. Simple, fast, easy-to-use, and applicable methods are required to allow routinely functional evaluation of patients with different pathologies and clinical conditions. This paper describes the Reaching and Hand-to-Mouth Evaluation Method, a fast procedure to assess the upper-limb motor control and functional ability, providing a set of normative data from 42 healthy subjects of different ages, evaluated for both the dominant and the nondominant limb motor performance. Sixteen of them were reevaluated after two weeks to perform test-retest reliability analysis. Data were clustered into three subgroups of different ages to test the method sensitivity to motor control differences. Experimental data show notable test-retest reliability in all tasks. Data from older and younger subjects show significant differences in the measures related to the ability for coordination thus showing the high sensitivity of the method to motor control differences. The presented method, provided with control data from healthy subjects, appears to be a suitable and reliable tool for the upper-limb functional assessment in the clinical environment.
Arctigenin, a Potent Ingredient ofArctium lappaL., Induces Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Attenuates Subarachnoid Hemorrhage-Induced Vasospasm through PI3K/Akt Pathway in a Rat Model
Authors: Chang Chih-Zen , Wu Shu-Chuan , Chang Chia-Mao , Lin Chih-Lung , Kwan Aij-Lie
Published: October 2015

Upregulation of protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt) is observed within the cerebral arteries of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) animals. This study is of interest to examine Arctigenin, a potent antioxidant, on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and Akt pathways in a SAH in vitro study. Basilar arteries (BAs) were obtained to examine phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), phospho-PI3K, Akt, phospho-Akt (Western blot) and morphological examination. Endothelins (ETs) and eNOS evaluation (Western blot and immunostaining) were also determined. Arctigenin treatment significantly alleviates disrupted endothelial cells and tortured internal elastic layer observed in the SAH groups (p<0.01). The reduced eNOS protein and phospho-Akt expression in the SAH groups were relieved by the treatment of Arctigenin (p<0.01). This result confirmed that Arctigenin might exert dural effects in preventing SAH-induced vasospasm through upregulating eNOS expression via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and attenuate endothelins after SAH. Arctigenin shows therapeutic promise in the treatment of cerebral vasospasm following SAH.
Classification of Cancer Primary Sites Using Machine Learning and Somatic Mutations
Authors: Chen Yukun , Sun Jingchun , Huang Liang-Chin , Xu Hua , Zhao Zhongming
Published: October 2015

An accurate classification of human cancer, including its primary site, is important for better understanding of cancer and effective therapeutic strategies development. The available big data of somatic mutations provides us a great opportunity to investigate cancer classification using machine learning. Here, we explored the patterns of 1,760,846 somatic mutations identified from 230,255 cancer patients along with gene function information using support vector machine. Specifically, we performed a multiclass classification experiment over the 17 tumor sites using the gene symbol, somatic mutation, chromosome, and gene functional pathway as predictors for 6,751 subjects. The performance of the baseline using only gene features is 0.57 in accuracy. It was improved to 0.62 when adding the information of mutation and chromosome. Among the predictable primary tumor sites, the prediction of five primary sites (large intestine, liver, skin, pancreas, and lung) could achieve the performance with more than 0.70 inF-measure. The model of the large intestine ranked the first with 0.87 inF-measure. The results demonstrate that the somatic mutation information is useful for prediction of primary tumor sites with machine learning modeling. To our knowledge, this study is the first investigation of the primary sites classification using machine learning and somatic mutation data.
Second Surgery in Insular Low-Grade Gliomas
Authors: Ius Tamara , Pauletto Giada , Cesselli Daniela , Isola Miriam , Turella Luca , Budai Riccardo , DeMaglio Giovanna , Eleopra Roberto , Fadiga Luciano , Lettieri Christian , Pizzolitto Stefano , Beltrami Carlo Alberto , Skrap Miran
Published: October 2015

Background. Given the technical difficulties, a limited number of works have been published on insular gliomas surgery and risk factors for tumor recurrence (TR) are poorly documented.Objective. The aim of the study was to determine TR in adult patients with initial diagnosis of insular Low-Grade Gliomas (LGGs) that subsequently underwent second surgery.Methods. A consecutive series of 53 patients with insular LGGs was retrospectively reviewed; 23 patients had two operations for TR.Results. At the time of second surgery, almost half of the patients had experienced progression into high-grade gliomas (HGGs). Univariate analysis showed that TR is influenced by the following: extent of resection (EOR) (P<0.002), ΔVT2T1value (P<0.001), histological diagnosis of oligodendroglioma (P=0.017), and mutation of IDH1 (P=0.022). The multivariate analysis showed that EOR at first surgery was the independent predictor for TR (P<0.001).Conclusions. In patients with insular LGG the EOR at first surgery represents the major predictive factor for TR. At time of TR, more than 50% of cases had progressed in HGG, raising the question of the oncological management after the first surgery.
Stability Analysis for Autonomous Dynamical Switched Systems through Nonconventional Lyapunov Functions
Authors: Nosov V. , Meda-Campaña J. A. , Gomez-Mancilla J. C. , Escobedo-Alva J. O. , Hernández-García R. G.
Published: October 2015

The stability of autonomous dynamical switched systems is analyzed by means of multiple Lyapunov functions. The stability theorems given in this paper have finite number of conditions to check. It is shown that linear functions can be used as Lyapunov functions. An example of an exponentially asymptotically stable switched system formed by four unstable systems is also given.
Carbohydrate Microarrays Identify Blood Group Precursor Cryptic Epitopes as Potential Immunological Targets of Breast Cancer
Authors: Wang Denong , Tang Jin , Liu Shaoyi , Huang Jiaoti
Published: October 2015

Using carbohydrate microarrays, we explored potential natural ligands of antitumor monoclonal antibody HAE3. This antibody was raised against a murine mammary tumor antigen but was found to cross-react with a number of human epithelial tumors in tissues. Our carbohydrate microarray analysis reveals that HAE3 is specific for anO-glycan cryptic epitope that is normally hidden in the cores of blood group substances. Using HAE3 to screen tumor cell surface markers by flow cytometry, we found that the HAE3 glycoepitope,gpHAE3, was highly expressed by a number of human breast cancer cell lines, including some triple-negative cancers that lack the estrogen, progesterone, and Her2/neu receptors. Taken together, we demonstrate that HAE3 recognizes a conserved cryptic glycoepitope of blood group precursors, which is nevertheless selectively expressed and surface-exposed in certain breast tumor cells. The potential of this class ofO-glycan cryptic antigens in breast cancer subtyping and targeted immunotherapy warrants further investigation.
A Review on the Synthesis Methods of CdSeS‐Based Nanostructures
Authors: Li Hong , Wang Chengbiao , Peng Zhijian , Fu Xiuli
Published: October 2015

As typical II–VI ternary alloyed chalcogenides, CdSeS nanostructures have attracted intensive worldwide attention due to their excellent tunable optical properties based on quantum confinement effect and optical nonlinear phenomenon. Because CdSeS‐based nanostructures have presented a great potential for applications in biomedicine and optoelectronic devices, different synthesis methods have been proposed to prepare CdSeS‐based nanostructures with divergent optical properties to meet the needs of those applications, such as fluorescent labeling, in vivo imaging, waveguides, and solar cell. In this review, the tricks, advantages, and disadvantages of all these synthesis methods were discussed, including hot‐injection synthesis, one‐pot noninjection synthesis, microwave irradiation, solvothermal synthesis, template‐assisted electrodeposition, thermal evaporation, and pulsed laser deposition. Special emphasis was put on those methods that are safe, economic, environment‐friendly, and suitable for large‐scale production of alloyed CdSeS nanostructures with high photoluminescence, high stability, and low/no cytotoxicity.
Power Aware Mobility Management of M2M for IoT Communications
Authors: Ahmad Awais , Paul Anand , Rathore M. Mazhar , Rho Seungmin
Published: October 2015

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications framework is evolving to sustain faster networks with the potential to connect millions of devices in the following years. M2M is one of the essential competences for implementing Internet of Things (IoT). Therefore, various organizations are now focusing on enhancing improvements into their standards to support M2M communications. Thus, Heterogeneous Mobile Ad Hoc Network (HetMANET) can normally be considered appropriate for M2M challenges. These challenges incorporated when a mobile node (MN) selects a target network in an energy efficient scanning for efficient handover. Therefore, to cope with these constraints, we proposed a vertical handover scheme for handover triggering and selection of an appropriate network. The proposed scheme is composed of two phases. Firstly, the MNs perform handover triggering based on the optimization of the Receive Signal Strength (RSS) from an access point/base station (AP/BS). Secondly, the network selection process is performed by considering the cost and energy consumption of a particular application during handover. Moreover, if there are more networks available, then the MN selects the one provided with the highest quality of service (QoS). The decision regarding the selection of available networks is made on three metrics, that is, cost, energy, and data rate. Furthermore, the selection of an AP/BS of the selected network is made on five parameters: delay, jitter, Bit Error Rate (BER), communication cost, and response time. The numerical and experimental results are compared in the context of energy consumption by an MN, traffic management on an AP/BS, and QoS of the available networks. The proposed scheme efficiently optimizes the handoff related parameters, and it shows significant improvement in the existing models used for similar purpose.
Resistance to Antibiotics and Antifungal Medicinal Products: Can Complementary and Alternative Medicine Help Solve the Problem in Common Infection Diseases? The Introduction of a Dutch Research Consortium
Authors: Kok Esther T. , Jong Miek C. , Gravendeel Barbara , Van Leeuwen Willem B. , Baars Erik W.
Published: October 2015

The increase of antibiotic resistance worldwide, rising numbers of deaths and costs associated with this, and the fact that hardly any new antimicrobial drugs have been developed during the last decade have increased the interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapeutic interventions, if proven safe and effective. Observational studies on clinical CAM practices demonstrate positive effects of treatment of infections with CAM therapies (clinical effects, patient satisfaction) in combination with small percentages of antibiotics prescription. However, Cochrane reviews and other studies demonstrate that in most instances the quality of clinical trials on CAM treatment of infections is currently too low to provide sufficient evidence. Therefore a Dutch consortium on (in vitro and clinical) scientific research on CAM and antibiotic resistance has been formed. The aim and objective of the consortium is to establish an enduring partnership and to develop expertise to further develop and investigate safe and effective CAM treatments for infectious diseases of humans (and animals). A first ongoing project on the development of safe and effective biobased CAM antimycotics in women with (recurrent) vaginal candidiasis infection is introduced.
Urinary Malondialdehyde Is Associated with Visceral Abdominal Obesity in Middle‐Aged Men
Authors: Lee Sun Min , Cho Young Hye , Lee Sang Yeoup , Jeong Dong Wook , Cho A Ra , Jeon Jeong Suk , Park Eun-Ju , Kim Yun Jin , Lee Jeong Gyu , Yi Yu Hyeon , Tak Young Jin , Hwang Hye Rim , Lee Seung-Hun , Han Junehee
Published: October 2015

The purpose of the present study was to investigate multiple anthropometric parameters used to evaluate obesity, particularly visceral abdominal fat area, and various metabolic parameters including malondialdehyde (MDA) as an oxidative stress marker. We evaluated various measures of obesity, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), sagittal abdominal diameter, fat percentages using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area, multiple biomarkers related to metabolic disease, and urinary MDA, in 73 asymptomatic middle‐aged men who were not severely obese. We examined relationships between multiple measures of obesity, metabolic markers, and urinary MDA levels and evaluated associations between VFA and urinary MDA. In the visceral obesity group, γ‐glutamyl transferase (GGT), uric acid, and urinary MDA levels were significantly higher than in the nonvisceral obesity group (P = 0.008, P = 0.002, and P = 0.018). Urinary MDA (r = 0.357, P = 0.002) and uric acid (r = 0.263, P = 0.027) levels were only significantly positively correlated with VFA among measures of obesity. Urinary MDA, serum GGT, and serum CRP were significantly positively associated with VFA (P = 0.001, P = 0.046, and P = 0.023, resp.), even after adjusting for BMI and WC.
Detection of Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs in Rheumatic Heart Disease: miR-1183 and miR-1299 as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers
Authors: Li Ni , Lian Jiangfang , Zhao Sheng , Zheng Dawei , Yang Xi , Huang Xiaoyan , Shi Xinbao , Sun Lebo , Zhou Qingyun , Shi Huoshun , Xu Guodong , Incoom Enchill KoJo , Zhou Jianqing , Shao Guofeng
Published: October 2015

This study compared microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles between rheumatic heart disease (RHD) patients and healthy controls to investigate their differential expression and help elucidate their mechanisms of action. Microarray analysis was used to measure miRNA expression, and a total of 133 miRNAs were shown to be significantly upregulated in RHD patients compared with controls, including miR-1183 and miR-1299. A total of 137 miRNAs, including miR-4423-3p and miR-218-1-3p, were significantly downregulated in RHD patients. Quantitative real-time-PCR confirmed microarray findings for miR-1183 and miR-1299 in both tissue and plasma. Bioinformatic predictions were also made of differentially expressed miRNAs as biomarkers in RHD by databases and GO/pathway analysis. Furthermore, we investigated miR-1183 and miR-1299 expression in RHD patients with secondary pulmonary hypertension (PAH). Our findings identified an important role for miR-1299 as a direct regulator of RHD, while the observed difference in expression of miR-1183 between RHD-PAH patients with high or low pulmonary artery pressure suggests that miR-1183 overexpression may reflect pulmonary artery remodeling. miR-1183 and miR-1299 appear to play distinct roles in RHD pathogenesis accompanied by secondary PAH and could be used as potential biological markers for disease development.
The Application of Carbon Nanotubes in Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia
Authors: Raniszewski Grzegorz , Miaskowski Arkadiusz , Wiak Slawomir
Published: October 2015

The aim of this paper is to present the results of the investigation into the applications of carbon nanotubes with ferromagnetic nanoparticles as nanoheaters for targeted thermal ablation of cancer cells. Relevant nanoparticles’ characteristics were exploited in terms of their functionality for biomedical applications and their magnetic properties were examined to determine heat generation efficiency induced by the exposure of the particles to an alternating magnetic field. The influence of the electromagnetic field on the human body tissues was assessed, providing quantitative measures of the interaction. The behavior of a liquid containing magnetic particles, during the exposure to the alternating magnetic field, was verified. As for the application for the ferromagnetic carbon nanotubes, the authors investigated temperature distribution in human liver tumor together with Arrhenius tissue damage model and the thermal dose concept.
Complexity Study of the Credit Risk of a Business Group
Authors: Yang Yang , Gu Jing , Zhou Zongfang
Published: October 2015

A business group is a complex system; thus it is much more difficult to predict its credit risk than that of an individual company. This study proposes an iterative model, which describes the internal interactions and dynamic credit risk of a business group. The proposed model was analyzed from a complex dynamics perspective. The simulation results based on this model show that chaos will emerge in the credit risk of a business group due to the dynamic decision-making processes of its subsidiaries, even if the interactions in the business group are fairly simple. The results of this study might explain some economic phenomena, and they also provide insights into the credit risk of a business group.
Manic Symptoms during a Switch from Paliperidone ER to Paliperidone Palmitate in a Patient with Schizophrenia
Authors: Demirci Kadir , Keleş Süleyman , Demirdaş Arif , Korucu Cafer Çağrı
Published: October 2015

Some antipsychotic drugs have treatment efficacy for mania and bipolar disorder. However, these drugs may rarely cause manic symptoms in some schizophrenic patients. We hereby report a 22-year-old female patient with schizophrenia who experienced a manic episode during a switch from paliperidone ER to paliperidone palmitate. This case is an important reminder that an abrupt switch from oral paliperidone to paliperidone palmitate may predispose certain patients to hypomanic or manic symptoms.
Spatial Information Entropy and Its Application in the Degradation State Identification of Hydraulic Pump
Authors: Wang Yu-kui , Li Hong-ru , Wang Bing , Xu Bao-hua
Published: October 2015

The degradation state identification is a key step of the condition based maintenance of hydraulic pump. In this paper, spatial information entropy (SIE) as a novel degradation feature of pump is proposed based on the study of permutation entropy (PE) algorithm. The fundamental principle of SIE is introduced and contrasted with PE. Different parameters used in the calculation of SIE are discussed and meaningful conclusion is gained. The results of simulation analysis not only checked the rationality of SIE but also demonstrated the availability and superiority of adopting SIE as the degradation feature. Based on simulation analysis, SIE and PE are united and used as degradation feature vector of pump. FCM algorithm is employed to diagnose the degradation state of pump. The analysis results of practical signal testified the rationality and availability of the proposed method.
Twenty Years ofListeriain Brazil: Occurrence ofListeriaSpecies andListeria monocytogenesSerovars in Food Samples in Brazil between 1990 and 2012
Authors: Vallim Deyse Christina , Barroso Hofer Cristina , Lisbôa Rodrigo de Castro , Victor Barbosa André , Alves Rusak Leonardo , Reis Cristhiane Moura Falavina dos , Hofer Ernesto
Published: October 2015

Listeriaspp. isolated from different food products and collected from 12 Brazilian states were sent to the Laboratory of Bacterial Zoonoses (Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Brazil) for identification. The aims of this study were to characterize these isolates, from 1990 to 2012, by using biochemical, morphological, and serotyping tests, and to analyze the distribution ofL. monocytogenesserotypes on different food products and geographical locations. Serotyping was performed using polyclonal somatic and flagellar antisera. Of 5953 isolates, 5770 were identified asListeriaspp., from which 3429 (59.4%) wereL. innocua, 2248 (38.9%) wereL. monocytogenes, and 93 (1.6%) were otherListeriaspp.L. innocuawas predominantly isolated from 1990 to 2000, whileL. monocytogeneswas from 2001 to 2012. Regarding the serotype distribution in the foods, serotypes 1/2a and 4b were most common in processed meat and ready-to-eat products, respectively; serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b were the most common in nonprocessed meat. The results above confirm the presence of the main serotypes ofL. monocytogenesin different parts of the food chain from three regions of the country and emphasize the importance of improving the control measures, as tolerance zero policy and microbiological surveillance in Brazil.
Long-Time Behavior of Solution for a Reactor Model
Authors: Guo Yantao , Shen Jianwei , Zheng Qianqian
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we would consider the dynamical behaviors of the chemical model represented by Satnoianu et al. (2001). Using the Kuratowski measure of noncompactness method, we prove the existence of global attractor for the weak solution semiflow of system. Finally, several numerical experiments confirm the theoretical results.
Numerical Approximation of Nonlinear Klein-Gordon Equation Using an Element-Free Approach
Authors: Huang Dong-mei , Zou Guo-liang , Zhang L. W.
Published: October 2015

Numerical approximation of nonlinear Klein-Gordon (KG) equation with quadratic and cubic nonlinearity is performed using the element-free improved moving least squares Ritz (IMLS-Ritz) method. A regular arrangement of nodes is employed in this study for the numerical integration to compute the system equation. A functional formulation for the KG equation is established and discretized by the Ritz minimization procedure. Newmark’s integration scheme combined with an iterative technique is applied to the resulting nonlinear system equations. The effectiveness and efficiency of the IMLS-Ritz method for the KG equation have been testified through convergence analyses and comparison study between the present results and the exact solutions.
The Multiscale Conformation Evolution of the Financial Time Series
Authors: Huang Shupei , An Haizhong , Gao Xiangyun , Hao Xiaoqing , Huang Xuan
Published: October 2015

Fluctuations of the nonlinear time series are driven by the traverses of multiscale conformations from one state to another. Aiming to characterize the evolution of multiscale conformations with changes in time and frequency domains, we present an algorithm that combines the wavelet transform and the complex network. Based on defining the multiscale conformation using a set of fluctuation states from different frequency components at each time point rather than the single observable value, we construct the conformational evolution complex network. To illustrate, using data of Shanghai’s composition index with daily frequency from 1991 to 2014 as an example, we find that a few major conformations are the main contributors of evolution progress, the whole conformational evolution network has a clustering effect, and there is a turning point when the size of the chain of multiscale conformations is 14. This work presents a refined perspective into underlying fluctuation features of financial markets.
Relative Contribution of Arms and Legs in 30 s Fully Tethered Front Crawl Swimming
Authors: Morouço Pedro G. , Marinho Daniel A. , Izquierdo Mikel , Neiva Henrique , Marques Mário C.
Published: October 2015

The relative contribution of arm stroke and leg kicking to maximal fully tethered front crawl swimming performance remains to be solved. Twenty-three national level young swimmers (12 male and 11 female) randomly performed 3 bouts of 30 s fully tethered swimming (using the whole body, only the arm stroke, and only the leg kicking). A load-cell system permitted the continuous measurement of the exerted forces, and swimming velocity was calculated from the time taken to complete a 50 m front crawl swim. As expected, with no restrictions swimmers were able to exert higher forces than that using only their arm stroke or leg kicking. Estimated relative contributions of arm stroke and leg kicking were 70.3% versus 29.7% for males and 66.6% versus 33.4% for females, with 15.6% and 13.1% force deficits, respectively. To obtain higher velocities, male swimmers are highly dependent on the maximum forces they can exert with the arm stroke (r=0.77,P<0.01), whereas female swimmers swimming velocity is more related to whole-body mean forces (r=0.81,P<0.01). The obtained results point that leg kicking plays an important role over short duration high intensity bouts and that the used methodology may be useful to identify strength and/or coordination flaws.
A Yeast/DrosophilaScreen to Identify New Compounds Overcoming Frataxin Deficiency
Authors: Seguin Alexandra , Monnier Véronique , Palandri Amandine , Bihel Frédéric , Rera Michael , Schmitt Martine , Camadro Jean-Michel , Tricoire Hervé , Lesuisse Emmanuel
Published: October 2015

Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease which is very debilitating for the patients who progressively lose their autonomy. The lack of efficient therapeutic treatment of the disease strongly argues for urgent need to search for new active compounds that may stop the progression of the disease or prevent the appearance of the symptoms when the genetic defect is diagnosed early enough. In the present study, we used a yeast strain with a deletion of the frataxin homologue gene as a model of FA cells in a primary screen of two chemical libraries, a fraction of the French National Chemical Library (5500 compounds) and the Prestwick collection (880 compounds). We ran a secondary screen onDrosophila melanogasterflies expressing reduced levels of frataxin during larval development. Half of the compounds selected in yeast appeared to be active in flies in this developmental paradigm, and one of the two compounds with highest activities in this assay partially rescued the heart dilatation phenotype resulting from heart specific depletion of frataxin. The unique complementarity of these two frataxin-deficient models, unicellular and multicellular, appears to be very efficient to select new compounds with improved selectivity, bringing significant perspectives towards improvements in FA therapy.