bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LED Lumen Degradation and Remaining Life Under Exposure to Temperature and Humidity
Authors: Lall Pradeep , Zhang Hao
Published: April 2014

The development of light-emitting diode (LED) technology has resulted in widespread solid state lighting use in consumer and industrial applications. Previous researchers have shown that LEDs from the same manufacturer and operating under same use-condition may have significantly different degradation behavior. Applications of LEDs to safety critical and harsh environment applications necessitate the characterization of failure mechanisms and modes. This paper focuses on a prognostic health management (PHM) method based on the measurement of forward voltage and forward current of bare LED under harsh environment. In this paper experiments have been done on single LEDs subjected to combined temperature-humidity environment of 85°C, 85% relative humidity. Pulse width modulation (PWM) control method has been employed to drive the bare LED in order to reduce the heat effect caused by forward current and high frequency (300Hz). A data acquisition system has been used to measure the peak forward voltage and forward current. Test to failure (luminous flux drops to 70 percent) data has been measured to study the effects of high temperature and humid environment loadings on the bare LEDs. A solid state cooling method with a peltier cooler has been used to control the temperature of the LED in the integrating sphere when taking the measurement of luminous flux. The shift of forward voltage forward current curve and lumen degradation has been recorded to help build the failure model and predict the remaining useful life. Particle filter has been employed to assess the remaining useful life (RUL) of the bare LED. Model predictions of RUL have been correlated with experimental data. Results show that prediction of remaining useful life of LEDs, made by the particle filter model works with acceptable error-bounds. The presented method can be employed to predict the failure of LED caused by thermal and humid stresses.
Modifying Electrode Geometry for Unequal Droplet Splitting in Digital Microfluidics
Authors: Samiei Ehsan , Hoorfar Mina
Published: April 2014

In the present study, unequal droplet splitting is performed simply by modifying the electrode geometry: an electrode is divided into four small squares or four narrow sub-electrodes which are surrounded by regular spatial electrodes. Two possible configurations are studied for the narrower modified electrodes in which the narrow sub-electrodes are i) parallel, and ii) perpendicular to the flow direction. By actuating one (or more) sub-electrodes on one side and a spatial electrode on the other side of the droplet reproducible unequal splitting was achieved without a need for a complicated control system. In addition to reproducibility, the proposed approach offers a great deal of flexibility by splitting the droplet (or dispense a droplet) to different volumes based on the number of the actuated sub-electrodes.
Creative Narratives in Boy
Authors: Daniell Bianca
Published: April 2014

Creative Narratives in Boy
Alamein's Encore: Entertainment, Information, Intimacy and Reflection in the Boy DVD Director's Commentary
Authors: Mercier O. Ripeka
Published: April 2014

Alamein's Encore: Entertainment, Information, Intimacy and Reflection in the Boy DVD Director's Commentary
A Commentary on Boy and the Indigenous Self
Authors: Huarcaya Sergio Miguel
Published: April 2014

A Commentary on Boy and the Indigenous Self
CD4+T Cells: Guardians of the Phagosome
Authors: Tubo Noah J. , Jenkins Marc K.
Published: April 2014

CD4+T cells are key cells of the adaptive immune system that use T cell antigen receptors to recognize peptides that are generated in endosomes or phagosomes and displayed on the host cell surface bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules. These T cells participate in immune responses that protect hosts from microbes such asMycobacterium tuberculosis,Cryptococcus neoformans,Leishmania major, andSalmonella enterica, which have evolved to live in the phagosomes of macrophages and dendritic cells. Here, we review studies indicating that CD4+T cells control phagosomal infections asymptomatically in most individuals by secreting cytokines that activate the microbicidal activities of infected phagocytes but in a way that inhibits the pathogen but does not eliminate it. Indeed, we make the case that localized, controlled, persistent infection is necessary to maintain large numbers of CD4+effector T cells in a state of activation needed to eradicate systemic and more pathogenic forms of the infection. Finally, we posit that current vaccines for phagosomal infections fail because they do not produce this “periodic reminder” form of CD4+T cell-mediated immune control.
Disease Manifestations and Pathogenic Mechanisms of Group A Streptococcus
Authors: Walker Mark J. , Barnett Timothy C. , McArthur Jason D. , Cole Jason N. , Gillen Christine M. , Henningham Anna , Sriprakash K. S. , Sanderson-Smith Martina L. , Nizet Victor
Published: April 2014

Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group AStreptococcus(GAS), causes mild human infections such as pharyngitis and impetigo and serious infections such as necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Furthermore, repeated GAS infections may trigger autoimmune diseases, including acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, acute rheumatic fever, and rheumatic heart disease. Combined, these diseases account for over half a million deaths per year globally. Genomic and molecular analyses have now characterized a large number of GAS virulence determinants, many of which exhibit overlap and redundancy in the processes of adhesion and colonization, innate immune resistance, and the capacity to facilitate tissue barrier degradation and spread within the human host. This improved understanding of the contribution of individual virulence determinants to the disease process has led to the formulation of models of GAS disease progression, which may lead to better treatment and intervention strategies. While GAS remains sensitive to all penicillins and cephalosporins, rising resistance to other antibiotics used in disease treatment is an increasing worldwide concern. Several GAS vaccine formulations that elicit protective immunity in animal models have shown promise in nonhuman primate and early-stage human trials. The development of a safe and efficacious commercial human vaccine for the prophylaxis of GAS disease remains a high priority.
Chronic herpes simplex virus type 2 encephalitis associated with posterior uveitis
Authors: Nakajima Hideto , Tani Hiroki , Kobayashi Takatoshi , Kimura Fumiharu
Published: April 2014

We report on a patient with chronic herpes simplex virus-2 encephalitis who was characteristic for concomitantly having chronic or recurrent posterior uveitis. A 66-year-old immunocompetent man suffering from a 6-month refractory posterior uveitis developed a 1-month history of impaired short-term memory and orientation. Brain MRI demonstrated hyperintense lesions in the right parietal lobe in diffusion and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed mild pleocytosis and increased protein concentration. Quantitative PCR for HSV-2 DNA was positive in CSF. Treated with acyclovir, his cognitive functions gradually improved and the posterior uveitis was cured. Clinicians must be aware that HSV-2 should be considered in the aetiological investigation of chronic encephalitis in an immunocompetent patient. HSV-2 is well known for its ability to cause unilateral chronic or recurrent posterior uveitis. Therefore, posterior uveitis should be considered as an associated feature of HSV-2 encephalitis.
Undrained capacity of a hybrid subsea skirted mat with caissons under combined loading
Authors: Fu Dengfeng , Bienen Britta , Gaudin Christophe , Cassidy Mark
Published: April 2014

Skirted mudmats are commonly used to support offshore infrastructure. However, these may not be able to provide sufficient capacity to notably withstand the lateral loads applied by jumpers and connectors. The concept of hybrid foundation system was therefore proposed to enhance the capacity in a targeted fashion, through addition of internal suction caisson compartments. This paper presents a numerical investigation into the undrained bearing capacity of a rectangular-shaped hybrid foundation with two caisson units. Uniaxial capacities under vertical, horizontal, and moment loading are reported, but the focus lies on the horizontal–moment planes due to the anticipated low vertical load on the foundation. Detailed discussion highlights the contribution of the internal caisson compartments to the significant increases in horizontal capacity compared to a simple rectangular skirted mat through changes in the failure mechanism. This results not only in changes in size, but also in shape, of the capacity envelope. The study was extended to more general horizontal–moment loading conditions, where the shape of the capacity envelope was found to remain approximately constant. This applies to the hybrid foundation and the rectangular skirted mat in the homogeneous soil considered here. An expression is proposed that provides a slightly conservative approximation of the capacity envelope under combined horizontal and moment loading from any direction.
Role of prokaryotic type I and III pantothenate kinases in the coenzyme A biosynthetic pathway ofBacillus subtilis
Authors: Ogata Yuta , Katoh Hiroki , Asayama Munehiko , Chohnan Shigeru
Published: April 2014

Pantothenate kinases (CoaAs) catalyze the phosphorylation of pantothenate in the first step of the coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthetic pathway. These bacterial enzymes have been categorized into 3 types, the prokaryotic type I, II, and III CoaAs. Bacteria typically carry a single CoaA gene on their genome, but Bacillus subtilis possesses 2 proteins homologous to type I and III CoaAs, known as BsCoaA and BsCoaX, respectively. Both recombinant proteins exhibited the expected kinase activity and the characteristic properties of type I and III CoaAs, i.e., regulation by CoASH and acyl-CoAs in BsCoaA and the requirement of a monovalent cation in BsCoaX. Both gene disruptants appeared to grow in a manner similar to the wild-type strain. With the BsCoaX disruptant, the BsCoaA had the ability to completely fill the intracellular CoA pool, whereas the BsCoaA disruptant did not. These findings clearly indicate that these 2 CoaAs are employed together in the CoA biosynthetic pathway in B. subtilis and that the contribution of the type I CoaA (BsCoaA) to the formation of the intracellular CoA pool is larger than that of the type III CoaA (BsCoaX).
TIGHT BOUNDS FOR THE SPACE COMPLEXITY OF NONREGULAR LANGUAGE RECOGNITION BY REAL-TIME MACHINES
Authors: YAKARYILMAZ ABUZER , CEM SAY A. C.
Published: April 2014

We examine the minimum amount of memory for real-time, as opposed to one-way, computation accepting nonregular languages. We consider deterministic, nondeterministic and alternating machines working within strong, middle and weak space, and processing general or unary inputs. In most cases, we are able to show that the lower bounds for one-way machines remain tight in the real-time case. Memory lower bounds for nonregular acceptance on other devices are also addressed. It is shown that increasing the number of stacks of real-time pushdown automata can result in exponential improvement in the total amount of space usage for nonregular language recognition.
Groups of virtual and welded links
Authors: Bardakov Valeriy G. , Bellingeri Paolo
Published: April 2014

We define a new notion of group of virtual and welded links. We use two approaches for defining it: via representations of (generalized) braids by automorphisms of free groups and via Wirtinger-like labeling on virtual and welded diagrams. In the case of virtual links our invariant is stronger than the notion of fundamental group of a virtual link introduced by Kauffman. In the case of welded links our invariant coincides with Kauffman invariant, but using a generalization of Wada representations we provide new families of invariants of welded links.
China's Politics: Determined Leadership and Hardline Policies
Authors: ZHENG Yongnian , CHEN Gang
Published: April 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping has shown himself to be a tough and charismatic leader whose vision is to fulfill the “Chinese dream”. He has adopted a hardline policy on official extravagance, corruption and online criticism, and is a steadfast reformist in his first year of office. Xi's austerity policy on official extravagance is to placate civil anger over official profligacy in an economic slowdown and consolidate Xi's populist image.
Hong Kong's Governance Challenges in a Divided Society
Authors: YEW Chiew Ping , KWONG Kin Ming
Published: April 2014

Hong Kong's longstanding governance problems are compounded by an increasingly polarised society and widening social fissures. Close to one-fifth of the city's population lived below the poverty line; more young Hong Kongers are identifying themselves with Hong Kong rather than China, and competition for resources has stoked tensions between locals and Mainlanders. Amid these trends and record low public ratings for the chief executive, what is in store for Hong Kong in 2014?
Taiwan's Economy: Slower than Expected
Authors: CHIANG Min-hua
Published: April 2014

Taiwan's economy continued to struggle in 2013 with 1.7% growth rate. Besides the soft external demand, Taiwan's stagnant economy today is a reflection of its persistent inability to upgrade its industry aggravated by the government's fiscal deficits which restrain its capability in providing an immediate solution to the ailing economy. A free market economy is so far the only way to sustain economic growth in an era of globalisation.
Abenomics and the Japanese Economy
Authors: GODO Yoshihisa
Published: April 2014

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regained power in end 2012. Almost simultaneously, Japan's economy started flourishing. Abe proclaims that his new economic policy called Abenomics is responsible for the growth. Since many factors account for the current economic boom, it is uncertain how much comes from Abenomics. It is, however, quite certain that Abenomics has worsened the financial condition of the government, which is already struggling with dangerous budgetary problems.
A Journey Through Chemical Dynamics
Authors: Miller William H.
Published: April 2014

The charge with the invitation to write this autobiographical article was to describe what led me to a career in science and to choose the specific topics and scientific directions I have pursued. This is thus a very personal story and by no means a scientific review of the work that is mentioned. As will be clear, this journey was not an orderly, well-thought-out plan, but just “happened,” one step after the other.
C/EBPα regulates macrophage activation and systemic metabolism
Authors: Lee Bonggi , Qiao Liping , Lu Min , Yoo Hyung Sun , Cheung Wai , Mak Robert , Schaack Jerome , Feng Gen-Sheng , Chi Nai-Wen , Olefsky Jerrold M. , Shao Jianhua
Published: April 2014

Macrophage infiltration plays an important role in obesity-induced insulin resistance. CCAAT enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα) is a transcription factor that is highly expressed in macrophages. To examine the roles of C/EBPα in regulating macrophage functions and energy homeostasis, macrophage-specific C/EBPα knockout (MαKO) mice were created. Chow-fed MαKO mice exhibited higher body fat mass and decreased energy expenditure despite no change in food intake. However, the obese phenotype disappeared after high-fat (HF) diet feeding. Although there was a transient decrease in insulin sensitivity of chow-fed young MαKO mice, systemic insulin sensitivity was protected during HF-feeding due to preserved insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. We also found that C/EBPα-deficient macrophages exhibited a blunted response of cytokine-induced expression of M1 and M2 macrophage markers, suggesting that C/EBPα controls both M1 and M2 polarization. Consistent with decreased exercise capacity, mitochondrial respiration rates and signal pathways for fatty acid oxidation were remarkably reduced in the skeletal muscle of chow-fed MαKO mice. Furthermore, expression levels of inflammatory cytokines were reduced in skeletal muscle of HF-fed MαKO mice. Together, these results imply that C/EBPα is required for macrophage activation, which plays an important role in maintaining skeletal muscle energy metabolism.
The order of concurrent endurance and resistance exercise modifies mTOR signaling and protein synthesis in rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Ogasawara Riki , Sato Koji , Matsutani Kenji , Nakazato Koichi , Fujita Satoshi
Published: April 2014

Concurrent training, a combination of endurance (EE) and resistance exercise (RE) performed in succession, may compromise the muscle hypertrophic adaptations induced by RE alone. However, little is known about the molecular signaling interactions underlying the changes in skeletal muscle adaptation during concurrent training. Here, we used an animal model to investigate whether EE before or after RE affects the molecular signaling associated with muscle protein synthesis, specifically the interaction between RE-induced mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling and EE-induced AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: an EE group (treadmill, 25 m/min, 60 min), an RE group (maximum isometric contraction via percutaneous electrical stimulation for 3 × 10 s, 5 sets), an EE before RE group, an EE after RE group, and a nonexercise control group. Phosphorylation of p70S6K, a marker of mTORC1 activity, was significantly increased 3 h after RE in both the EE before RE and EE after RE groups, but the increase was smaller in latter. Furthermore, protein synthesis was greatly increased 6 h after RE in the EE before RE group. Increases in the phosphorylation of AMPK and Raptor were observed only in the EE after RE group. Akt and mTOR phosphorylation were increased in both groups, with no between-group differences. Our results suggest that the last bout of exercise dictates the molecular responses and that mTORC1 signaling induced by any prior bout of RE may be downregulated by a subsequent bout of EE.
msiDBN: A Method of Identifying Critical Proteins in Dynamic PPI Networks
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Du Nan , Li Kang , Feng Jinchao , Jia Kebin , Zhang Aidong
Published: April 2014

Dynamics of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) reveals the recondite principles of biological processes inside a cell. Shown in a wealth of study, just a small group of proteins, rather than the majority, play more essential roles at crucial points of biological processes. This present work focuses on identifying these critical proteins exhibiting dramatic structural changes in dynamic PPI networks. First, a comprehensive way of modeling the dynamic PPIs is presented which simultaneously analyzes the activity of proteins and assembles the dynamic coregulation correlation between proteins at each time point. Second, a novel method is proposed, named msiDBN, which models a common representation of multiple PPI networks using a deep belief network framework and analyzes the reconstruction errors and the variabilities across the time courses in the biological process. Experiments were implemented on data of yeast cell cycles. We evaluated our network construction method by comparing the functional representations of the derived networks with two other traditional construction methods. The ranking results of critical proteins in msiDBN were compared with the results from the baseline methods. The results of comparison showed that msiDBN had better reconstruction rate and identified more proteins of critical value to yeast cell cycle process.
Diagnostic Value of Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification for Breast Lesions with Different Size
Authors: Yao Minghua , Wu Jian , Zou Liling , Xu Guang , Xie Juan , Wu Rong , Xu Huixiong
Published: April 2014

Purpose. To evaluate diagnostic value of the virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ) for breast lesions with different sizes.Materials and Methods. Patients with 206 breast lesions were categorized into three groups according to lesion size (<10 mm, 10–20 mm, and >20 mm). Breast lesions were examined by conventional ultrasound and VTTQ, and shear wave velocity (SWV) of each lesion and adjacent normal breast tissue were measured. Diagnoses were confirmed by pathological examination after surgery. The receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of SWV, and the area under curves (AUC) was compared among groups.Results. SWV of malignant lesions was much higher than that of benign lesions, whereas the difference was not obvious for lesions <10 mm (P=0.15). There was statistical significant difference of AUC between lesions <10 mm and 10–20 mm (P<0.05), as well as lesions <10 mm and >20 mm (P<0.05). The sensitivity of lesions <10 mm was 33.33%, which was relatively low compared to other groups.Conclusion. According to our results, VTTQ is a promising method for breast lesions >10 mm, and further studies were warranted to improve sensitivity of VTTQ for breast lesions <10 mm.
Malignancy Associated MicroRNA Expression Changes in Canine Mammary Cancer of Different Malignancies
Authors: von Deetzen Marie-Charlotte , Schmeck Bernd T. , Gruber Achim D. , Klopfleisch Robert
Published: April 2014

MicroRNA has been suspected to be generally involved in carcinogenesis since their first description. A first study supported this assumption for canine mammary tumors when miRNA expression was compared to normal gland. The present study extends these results by comparing the expression of 16 microRNA (miRNA) and 4 small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) in tumors of different malignancy, for example, adenomas, nonmetastasizing and metastasizing carcinomas as well as lymph node metastases, with each other and with normal mammary gland. All neoplastic tissues differed in their miR-210 expression levels from normal gland. While metastatic cells differed in their expression of mir-29b, miR-101, mir-125a, miR-143, and miR-145 from primary tumors, the comparison of miRNA expression in primary tumors of different malignancy failed to reveal significant differences except for a significant downregulation of mir-125a in metastasizing carcinomas when compared to adenomas.
Anti-Transglutaminase 6 Antibodies in Children and Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Stenberg Reidun , Hadjivassiliou Marios , Aeschlimann Pascale , Hoggard Nigel , Aeschlimann Daniel
Published: April 2014

Objectives. We have previously reported a high prevalence of gluten-related serological markers (GRSM) in children and young adults with cerebral palsy (CP). The majority had no enteropathy to suggest coeliac disease (CD). Antibodies against transglutaminase 6 (anti-TG6) represent a new marker associated with gluten-related neurological dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anti-TG6 antibodies in this group of individuals with an early neurological injury resulting in CP.Materials and Methods. Sera from 96 patients with CP and 36 controls were analysed for IgA/IgG class anti-TG6 by ELISA.Results. Anti-TG6 antibodies were found in 12/96 (13%) of patients with CP compared to 2/36 (6%) in controls. The tetraplegic subgroup of CP had a significantly higher prevalence of anti-TG6 antibodies 6/17 (35%) compared to the other subgroups and controls. There was no correlation of anti-TG6 autoantibodies with seropositivity to food proteins including gliadin.Conclusions. An early brain insult and associated inflammation may predispose to future development of TG6 autoimmunity.
An ANOCEF Genomic and Transcriptomic Microarray Study of the Response to Irinotecan and Bevacizumab in Recurrent Glioblastomas
Authors: Laffaire Julien , Stefano Anna Luisa Di , Chinot Olivier , Idbaih Ahmed , Gallego Perez-Larraya Jaime , Marie Yannick , Vintonenko Nadia , Boisselier Blandine , Farina Patrizia , Delattre Jean-Yves , Figarella-Branger Dominique , Honnorat Jérôme , Sanson Marc , Ducray François
Published: April 2014

Background. We performed a retrospective study to assess whether the initial molecular characteristics of glioblastomas (GBMs) were associated with the response to the bevacizumab/irinotecan chemotherapy regimen given at recurrence.Results. Comparison of the genomic and gene expression profiles of the responders (n=12) and nonresponders (n=13) demonstrated only slight differences and could not identify any robust biomarkers associated with the response. In contrast, a significant association was observed between GBMs molecular subtypes and response rates. GBMs assigned to molecular subtype IGS-18 and to classical subtype had a lower response rate than those assigned to other subtypes. In an independent series of 33 patients, neither EGFR amplification nor CDKN2A deletion (which are frequent in IGS-18 and classical GBMs) was significantly associated with the response rate, suggesting that these two alterations are unlikely to explain the lower response rate of these GBMs molecular subtypes.Conclusion. Despite its limited sample size, the present study suggests that comparing the initial molecular profiles of responders and nonresponders might not be an effective strategy to identify biomarkers of the response to bevacizumab given at recurrence. Yet it suggests that the response rate might differ among GBMs molecular subtypes.
Design and Stability Analysis of Uncertain Networked Predictive Control Systems with Multiple Forward Channels
Authors: Song Hongbo
Published: April 2014

This paper is concerned with the design and stability of networked
predictive control for uncertain systems with multiple forward
channels. The delays and packet dropouts are distributed such that
the classic networked predictive control (NPC) needs modifications
to be implemented. An improved control signal selection scheme with
distributed prediction length is proposed to increase the prediction
accuracy and hence achieve better control performance. Moreover,
stability analysis results are obtained for both constant and random
cases. Interestingly, it is shown that the stability of the
closed‐loop NPC system is not related to the distributed delays when
they are constant and the system model is accurate. Finally, a
two‐axis milling machine example is given to illustrate the
effectiveness of the proposed method.
Preservers for thep-Norm of Linear Combinations of Positive Operators
Authors: Nagy Gergő
Published: April 2014

We describe the structure of those transformations on certain sets of positive operators which preserve thep-norm of linear combinations with given nonzero real coefficients. These sets are the collection of all positivepth Schatten-class operators and the set of its normalized elements. The results of the work generalize, extend, and unify several former theorems.
MicroRNA Roles in the NF-κB Signaling Pathway during Viral Infections
Authors: Gao Zeqian , Dou Yongxi , Chen Yixia , Zheng Yadong
Published: April 2014

NF-κB signaling network is a crucial component of innate immunity. miRNAs are a subtype of small noncoding RNAs, involved in regulation of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Increasing evidence has emerged that miRNAs play an important role in regulation of NF-κB signaling pathway during viral infections. Both host and viral miRNAs are attributed to modulation of NF-κB activity, thus affecting viral infection and clearance. Understandings of the mechanisms of these miRNAs will open a direction for development of novel antivirus drugs.
Applied Graph-Mining Algorithms to Study Biomolecular Interaction Networks
Authors: Shen Ru , Guda Chittibabu
Published: April 2014

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks carry vital information on the organization of molecular interactions in cellular systems. The identification of functionally relevant modules in PPI networks is one of the most important applications of biological network analysis. Computational analysis is becoming an indispensable tool to understand large-scale biomolecular interaction networks. Several types of computational methods have been developed and employed for the analysis of PPI networks. Of these computational methods, graph comparison and module detection are the two most commonly used strategies. This review summarizes current literature on graph kernel and graph alignment methods for graph comparison strategies, as well as module detection approaches including seed-and-extend, hierarchical clustering, optimization-based, probabilistic, and frequent subgraph methods. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the major algorithms employed under each theme, including our recently published frequent subgraph method, for detecting functional modules commonly shared across multiple cancer PPI networks.
A Coverage and Slicing Dependencies Analysis for Seeking Software Security Defects
Authors: He Hui , Zhang Dongyan , Liu Min , Zhang Weizhe , Gao Dongmin
Published: April 2014

Software security defects have a serious impact on the software quality and reliability. It is a major hidden danger for the operation of a system that a software system has some security flaws. When the scale of the software increases, its vulnerability has becoming much more difficult to find out. Once these vulnerabilities are exploited, it may lead to great loss. In this situation, the concept of Software Assurance is carried out by some experts. And the automated fault localization technique is a part of the research of Software Assurance. Currently, automated fault localization method includes coverage based fault localization (CBFL) and program slicing. Both of the methods have their own location advantages and defects. In this paper, we have put forward a new method, named Reverse Data Dependence Analysis Model, which integrates the two methods by analyzing the program structure. On this basis, we finally proposed a new automated fault localization method. This method not only is automation lossless but also changes the basic location unit into single sentence, which makes the location effect more accurate. Through several experiments, we proved that our method is more effective. Furthermore, we analyzed the effectiveness among these existing methods and different faults.
MicroRNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Carcinogenesis, Progression, and Therapeutic Target
Authors: Hung Chao-Hung , Chiu Yi-Chun , Chen Chien-Hung , Hu Tsung-Hui
Published: April 2014

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of death from cancer, with dismal outcomes and an increasing incidence worldwide. Hepatocarcinogenesis is a multistep process that progresses from chronic hepatitis through cirrhosis and/or dysplastic nodule to HCC. However, the detailed molecular pathogenesis remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs that regulate the translation of many genes, have emerged as key factors involved in several biological processes, including development, differentiation, and cell proliferation. Recent studies have uncovered the contribution of miRNAs to the cancer pathogenesis, as they can behave as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. In addition, other studies have demonstrated their potential values in the clinical management of HCC patients as some miRNAs may be used as prognostic or diagnostic markers. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the roles of miRNAs in carcinogenesis and progression of HCC. We also discuss the potential application of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and their potential roles in the intervention of HCC.
Assessment of Lipocalin 2, Clusterin, Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1, Interleukin-6, Homocysteine, and Uric Acid Levels in Patients with Psoriasis
Authors: Ataseven Arzu , Kesli Recep , Kurtipek Gulcan Saylam , Ozturk Perihan
Published: April 2014

Background. Chronic inflammation may play a role in psoriasis pathogenesis. Lipocalin 2, clusterin, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR-1), interleukin-6, homocysteine, and uric acid are inflammatory and/or biochemical markers. However, both the roles of these markers and the pathogenesis of psoriasis are unknown.Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of lipocalin 2, clusterin, sTNFR-1, interleukin-6, homocysteine, and uric acid in patients and controls groups.Methods. Fifty-six patients with psoriasis and 33 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum concentrations of the markers were evaluated by ELISA. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was evaluated in all psoriasis patients. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing weight (kg) by height (m) squared.Results. The serum value of lipocalin and sTNFR-1 were significantly higher in psoriasis patients than in controls (resp.,P<0.001,P<0.05). The others showed no significant differences between psoriasis and the control groups (all of themP>0.05). The mean PASI score in the patient group was8.3±6.5.Conclusions. These findings suggest that lipocalin 2 and sTNFR-1 might play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and can be used as markers of the disease.
High Sequence Variations in Mitochondrial DNA Control Region among Worldwide Populations of Flathead MulletMugil cephalus
Authors: Jamandre Brian Wade , Durand Jean-Dominique , Tzeng Wann-Nian
Published: April 2014

The sequence and structure of the complete mtDNA control region (CR) ofM. cephalusfrom African, Pacific, and Atlantic populations are presented in this study to assess its usefulness in phylogeographic studies of this species. The mtDNA CR sequence variations amongM. cephaluspopulations largely exceeded intraspecific polymorphisms that are generally observed in other vertebrates. The length of CR sequence varied amongM. cephaluspopulations due to the presence of indels and variable number of tandem repeats at the3′hypervariable domain. The high evolutionary rate of the CR in this species probably originated from these mutations. However, no excessive homoplasic mutations were noticed. Finally, the star shaped tree inferred from the CR polymorphism stresses a rapid radiation worldwide, in this species. The CR still appears as a good marker for phylogeographic investigations and additional worldwide samples are warranted to further investigate the genetic structure and evolution inM. cephalus.
On the Weak Solution to a Fractional Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation
Authors: Zhang Zujin , Wang Xiaofeng , Yao Zheng-an
Published: April 2014

We obtain the existence of a global weak solution to a fractional nonlinear Schrödinger equation by the Galerkin method. Its uniqueness is also discussed. In our proof, we use harmonic analysis techniques and compactness arguments.
Some New Saigo Type Fractional Integral Inequalities and Theirq-Analogues
Authors: Choi Junesang , Agarwal Praveen
Published: April 2014

The main objective of this paper is to establish some, presumably, new Saigo type fractional integral inequalities whose special cases are shown to yield corresponding inequalities associated with Riemann-Liouville and Erdélyi-Kober type fractional integral operators, respectively. We also investigate and presentq-extensions of the above results and some other presumably new ones. Relevant connections of the results presented here with those earlier ones are also indicated.
Peroxisome Proliferator Activator Receptor (PPAR)-γLigand, but Not PPAR-α, Ameliorates Cyclophosphamide-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Rat Liver
Authors: El-Sheikh Azza A. K. , Rifaai Rehab A.
Published: April 2014

Hepatoprotective potential of peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPAR)-αand -γagonists, fenofibrate (FEN), and pioglitazone (PIO), respectively, against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced toxicity has been investigated in rat. FEN and PIO (150 and 10 mg/kg/day, resp.) were given orally for 4 weeks. In separate groups, CP (150 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected as a single dose 5 days before the end of experiment, with or without either PPAR agonist. CP induced hepatotoxicity, as it caused histopathological alterations, with increased serum alanine and aspartate transaminases, total bilirubin, albumin, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase. CP caused hepatic oxidative stress, indicated by decrease in tissue reduced glutathione, with increase in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels. CP also caused decrease in hepatic antioxidant enzyme levels, including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase. Furthermore, CP increased serum and hepatic levels of the inflammatory marker tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, evaluated using ELISA. Preadministration of PIO, but not FEN, prior to CP challenge improved hepatic function and histology, and significantly reversed oxidative and inflammatory parameters. In conclusion, activation of PPAR-γ, but not PPAR-α, conferred protection against CP-induced hepatotoxicity, via activation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, and may serve as supplement during CP chemotherapy.
Effect of Physical and Chemical Activation on the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium Ions Using Palm Tree Branches
Authors: Khedr Soheir , Shouman Mona , Fathy Nady , Attia Amina
Published: April 2014

Nowadays the removal of heavy metals from wastewater is essential due to their high toxicity and impact on human health. In the present study, branches of palm trees were converted into activated carbon by chemical and physical activation. The prepared samples were used for the removal of Cr(VI) from their aqueous solution. Chemical activation was carried out using (20 and 50%) H3PO4and K2CO3, and physical activation was performed using steam. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to examine the removal process under factors such as pH andpHpzc. The metal ion removal was pH dependent and reached maximum removal at pH 2. Experimental data were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Flory-Huggins isotherms. The adsorption studies revealed that the removal of Cr(VI) ions was well fitted with Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption kinetics well fitted using a pseudo second-order kinetic model. Column studies revealed that the highest bed volume (60 BV) was observed for the sample activated with 50% H3PO4. The adsorption efficiency was enhanced with acid treatment (50% H3PO4) and reduced by steam.
mTOR in Viral Hepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Function and Treatment
Authors: Wang Zhuo , Jin Wei , Jin Hongchuan , Wang Xian
Published: April 2014

As the fifth most common cancer in men and the eighth most common cancer in women, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with standard chemotherapy and radiation being minimally effective in prolonging survival. Virus hepatitis, particularly HBV and HCV infection is the most prominent risk factor for HCC development. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is activated in viral hepatitis and HCC. mTOR inhibitors have been tested successfully in clinical trials for their antineoplastic potency and well tolerability. Treatment with mTOR inhibitor alone or in combination with cytotoxic drugs or targeted therapy drug scan significantly reduces HCC growth and improves clinical outcome, indicating that mTOR inhibition is a promising strategy for the clinical management of HCC.
Associations between GJB2, Mitochondrial 12S rRNA, SLC26A4 Mutations, and Hearing Loss among Three Ethnicities
Authors: Du Wan , Wang Qiuju , Zhu Yiming , Wang Yanli , Guo Yufen
Published: April 2014

The epidemiological researches show that the mutations of GJB2, mitochondrial 12S rRNA, and SLC26A4 genes have played an important role in the hearing loss. This study aims to investigate the mutation spectrum of GJB2, mitochondrial 12S rRNA, and SLC26A4 genes of Han Chinese, Hui people, and Uyghur ethnicities in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) patients in northwest of China. Mutational analyses in the three genes were brought by direct sequencing and each fragment was analyzed using an ABI 3730 DNA Sequencer. The mutation frequencies for the three HL causative genes were 34.05% in Han Chinese participants, 27.47% in Hui people, and 14.44% in Uyghur participants, respectively. The prevalence of GJB2 mutations was 13.7%, 11.4%, and 11.4% in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Uyghur participants (χ2=10.2,P<0.05), respectively. The prevalence of mtDNA 12S rRNA A1555G homozygous mutations was 6.05%, 3.27%, and 1.44% in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Uyghur participants (χ2=13.9,P<0.05), respectively. The prevalence of SLC26A4 mutations was 14.3%, 12.8%, and 1.6% in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Uyghur participants, respectively. In summary, we find that Uyghur and Hui SNHL individuals vary significantly from Han Chinese patients in three causative HL genes' mutational spectrum, especially for Uyghur.
The Effect of Chloride and Sulfate Ions on the Adsorption of Cd2+on Clay and Sandy Loam Egyptian Soils
Authors: EL-Hefnawy Mohamed E. , Selim Elmetwaly M. , Assaad Faiz F. , Ismail Ali I.
Published: April 2014

Adsorption of Cd2+on two types of Egyptian soils: clay (alluvial) and sandy loam (calcareous), was studied. Effect of changing the matrix electrolyte type and concentration was used to mimic the natural soil salts. Kinetics and thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption were calculated at two different electrolyte concentrations: 0.05 N and 0.15 N. The adsorption was described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Results showed that lower concentration of the NaCl or Na2SO4electrolytes (0.05 N) had higher adsorption capacity. Also, the maximum adsorption of cadmium when using sulfate counter ion is about two to three times higher than that when using chloride (544 μg/g for alluvial soil and 170 μg/g for calcareous soil when using 0.05 N). Using NaCl as matrix electrolyte, Freundlich isotherms showed bi-linear fits that probably mean a two energy level adsorption. This might be explained by either the competition of Cd2+with Na+or its complexation with Cl−.
Numerical Study on the Commissioning Charge-Up Process of Horizontal Pipeline with Entrapped Air Pockets
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Yu Bo , Wang Yan , Xie Jianyu , Qiu Dongping , Sun Xu
Published: April 2014

Accurately predicting hydraulic characteristics in the charge-up process of horizontal pipeline with entrapped air pocket is of great significance for the process design and field operation of the oil pipeline commissioning. In this paper, this process is simulated and its hydraulic characteristics are analyzed. Finite difference method and characteristic method are combined to obtain the velocity and pressure field of the whole line. Results show that when air pockets reach the outlet of the pipeline, they blow out tempestuously and the velocity of gas may reach tens times of its normal flow velocity. At the beginning and end of the blowing out, velocity and pressure of the whole line suffer acute change. Based on this, the influence of several critical parameters is compared and analyzed by several groups of examples.
Surface Electrical Stimulation for Treating Swallowing Disorders after Stroke: A Review of the Stimulation Intensity Levels and the Electrode Placements
Authors: Poorjavad Marziyeh , Talebian Moghadam Saeed , Nakhostin Ansari Noureddin , Daemi Mostafa
Published: April 2014

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for treating dysphagia is a relatively new therapeutic method. There is a paucity of evidence about the use of NMES in patients with dysphagia caused by stroke. The present review aimed to introduce and discuss studies that have evaluated the efficacy of this method amongst dysphagic patients following stroke with emphasis on the intensity of stimulation (sensory or motor level) and the method of electrode placement on the neck. The majority of the reviewed studies describe some positive effects of the NMES on the neck musculature in the swallowing performance of poststroke dysphagic patients, especially when the intensity of the stimulus is adjusted at the sensory level or when the motor electrical stimulation is applied on the infrahyoid muscles during swallowing.
Predicting the Types of J-Proteins Using Clustered Amino Acids
Authors: Feng Pengmian , Lin Hao , Chen Wei , Zuo Yongchun
Published: April 2014

J-proteins are molecular chaperones and present in a wide variety of organisms from prokaryote to eukaryote. Based on their domain organizations, J-proteins can be classified into 4 types, that is, Type I, Type II, Type III, and Type IV. Different types of J-proteins play distinct roles in influencing cancer properties and cell death. Thus, reliably annotating the types of J-proteins is essential to better understand their molecular functions. In the present work, a support vector machine based method was developed to identify the types of J-proteins using the tripeptide composition of reduced amino acid alphabet. In the jackknife cross-validation, the maximum overall accuracy of 94% was achieved on a stringent benchmark dataset. We also analyzed the amino acid compositions by using analysis of variance and found the distinct distributions of amino acids in each family of the J-proteins. To enhance the value of the practical applications of the proposed model, an online web server was developed and can be freely accessed.
Accelerated Double Direction Method for Solving Unconstrained Optimization Problems
Authors: Petrović Milena J. , Stanimirović Predrag S.
Published: April 2014

An iterative method for solving a minimization problem of unconstrained optimization is presented. This multistep curve search method uses the specific form of iteration with two direction parameters, the approximation of Hessian by appropriately constructed diagonal matrix, and the inexact line search procedure. It is proved that constructed numerical process is well defined under some assumptions. Considering certain conditions, the method is linearly convergent for uniformly convex and strictly convex quadratic functions. Numerical results arising from defined algorithms are also presented and analyzed.
Durable Therapeutic Efficacy Utilizing Combinatorial Blockade against IDO, CTLA-4, and PD-L1 in Mice with Brain Tumors
Authors: Wainwright Derek A. , Chang Alan L. , Dey Mahua , Balyasnikova Irina V. , Kim Chung Kwon , Tobias Alex , Cheng Yu , Kim Julius W. , Qiao Jian , Zhang Lingjiao , Han Yu , Lesniak Maciej S.
Published: April 2014

Purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of malignant glioma in adults. Although protected by both the blood–brain and blood–tumor barriers, GBMs are actively infiltrated by T cells. Previous work has shown that IDO, CTLA-4, and PD-L1 are dominant molecular participants in the suppression of GBM immunity. This includes IDO-mediated regulatory T-cell (Treg; CD4+CD25+FoxP3+) accumulation, the interaction of T-cell–expressed, CTLA-4, with dendritic cell-expressed, CD80, as well as the interaction of tumor- and/or macrophage-expressed, PD-L1, with T-cell–expressed, PD-1. The individual inhibition of each pathway has been shown to increase survival in the context of experimental GBM. However, the impact of simultaneously targeting all three pathways in brain tumors has been left unanswered.

Experimental Design and Results: In this report, we demonstrate that, when dually challenged, IDO-deficient tumors provide a selectively competitive survival advantage against IDO-competent tumors. Next, we provide novel observations regarding tryptophan catabolic enzyme expression, before showing that the therapeutic inhibition of IDO, CTLA-4, and PD-L1 in a mouse model of well-established glioma maximally decreases tumor-infiltrating Tregs, coincident with a significant increase in T-cell–mediated long-term survival. In fact, 100% of mice bearing intracranial tumors were long-term survivors following triple combination therapy. The expression and/or frequency of T cell expressed CD44, CTLA-4, PD-1, and IFN-γ depended on timing after immunotherapeutic administration.

Conclusions: Collectively, these data provide strong preclinical evidence that combinatorially targeting immunosuppression in malignant glioma is a strategy that has high potential value for future clinical trials in patients with GBM. Clin Cancer Res; 20(20); 5290–301. ©2014 AACR.