bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio as a risk factor for stroke, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in Japan: the NIPPON DATA80 cohort study
Authors: Okayama Akira , Okuda Nagako , Miura Katsuyuki , Okamura Tomonori , Hayakawa Takehito , Akasaka Hiroshi , Ohnishi Hirofumi , Saitoh Shigeyuki , Arai Yusuke , Kiyohara Yutaka , Takashima Naoyuki , Yoshita Katsushi , Fujiyoshi Akira , Zaid Maryam , Ohkubo Takayoshi , Ueshima Hirotsugu
Published: July 2016

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of dietary sodium and potassium (Na–K) ratio on mortality from total and subtypes of stroke, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all causes, using 24-year follow-up data of a representative sample of the Japanese population.

Setting

Prospective cohort study.

Participants

In the 1980 National Cardiovascular Survey, participants were followed for 24 years (NIPPON DATA80, National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-communicable Disease And its Trends in the Aged). Men and women aged 30–79 years without hypertensive treatment, history of stroke or acute myocardial infarction (n=8283) were divided into quintiles according to dietary Na–K ratio assessed by a 3-day weighing dietary record at baseline. Age-adjusted and multivariable-adjusted HRs were calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method and Cox proportional hazards model.

Primary outcome measures

Mortality from total and subtypes of stroke, CVD and all causes.

Results

A total of 1938 deaths from all causes were observed over 176 926 person-years. Na–K ratio was significantly and non-linearly related to mortality from all stroke (p=0.002), CVD (p=0.005) and total mortality (p=0.001). For stroke subtypes, mortality from haemorrhagic stroke was positively related to Na–K ratio (p=0.024). Similar relationships were observed for men and women. The observed relationships remained significant after adjustment for other risk factors. Quadratic non-linear multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) in the highest quintile versus the lowest quintile of Na–K ratio were 1.42 (1.07 to 1.90) for ischaemic stroke, 1.57 (1.05 to 2.34) for haemorrhagic stroke, 1.43 (1.17 to 1.76) for all stroke, 1.39 (1.20 to 1.61) for CVD and 1.16 (1.06 to 1.27) for all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

Dietary Na–K ratio assessed by a 3-day weighing dietary record was a significant risk factor for mortality from haemorrhagic stroke, all stroke, CVD and all causes among a Japanese population.
Cohort profile: the Finnish Medication and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ) study
Authors: Tolppanen Anna-Maija , Taipale Heidi , Koponen Marjaana , Lavikainen Piia , Tanskanen Antti , Tiihonen Jari , Hartikainen Sirpa
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The aim of the Medicine use and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ) study is to investigate the changes in medication and healthcare service use among persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medications in this group. This is important, because the number of persons with AD is rapidly growing and even though they are a particularly vulnerable patient group, the number of representative, large-scale studies with adequate follow-up time is limited.

Participants

MEDALZ contains all residents of Finland who received a clinically verified diagnosis of AD between 2005 and 2011 and were community-dwelling at the time of diagnosis (N=70 719). The diagnosis is based on the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCS-ADRDA) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for Alzheimer's disease. The cohort contains socioeconomic data (education, occupational status and taxable income, 1972–2012) and causes of death (2005–2012), data from the prescription register (1995–2012), the special reimbursement register (1972–2012) and the hospital discharge register (1972–2012). Future updates are planned.

The average age was 80.1 years (range 34.5–104.6 years). The majority of cohort (65.2%) was women. Currently, the average length of follow-up after AD diagnosis is 3.1 years and altogether 26 045 (36.8%) persons have died during the follow-up.

Findings

Altogether 53% of the cohort had used psychotropic drugs within 1 year after AD diagnoses. The initiation rate of for example, benzodiazepines and related drugs and antidepressants began to increase already before AD diagnosis.

Future plans

We are currently assessing if these, and other commonly used medications are related to adverse events such as death, hip fractures, head injuries and pneumonia.
Management and control of Johne's disease in beef suckler herds
Authors: Truyers Isabelle , Jennings Amy
Published: July 2016

Johne's disease is a progressive, chronic wasting disease of cattle caused byMycobacterium aviumsubspeciesparatuberculosis(MAP) that results in significant economic losses to the livestock industry and has a notable impact on animal health and welfare. In recent years, the industry has recognised that it has a responsibility to identify and use every tool available to reduce the impact of this disease in dairy herds, and best practice measures and on‐farm strategies to do this are well documented. However, there is a lack of information available to farmers and vets on Johne's disease control in beef suckler herds. This article describes biosecurity measures, surveillance and testing strategies, and other key control measures that could be used to prevent the introduction of MAP into disease‐free beef suckler herds. It also discusses effective strategies for controlling the disease in infected suckler herds using combined management measures aimed at reducing both the prevalence of existing infections and the incidence of new infections.
Longitudinal trends in use of dietary supplements by U.S. Army personnel differ from those of civilians
Authors: Austin Krista G. , Price Lori Lyn , McGraw Susan M. , McLellan Tom M. , Lieberman Harris R.
Published: July 2016

Prevalence and patterns of dietary supplement (DS) use by U.S. Army soldiers differ from the civilian population. Longitudinal trends in use of DSs by civilians have been examined, but are unavailable in subpopulations such as military service members. The present study examined longitudinal changes in DS use by soldiers. A standardized questionnaire on DS use was administered in 2006–2007 (N = 989) and 2010–2011 (N = 1196) to convenience samples of active duty soldiers. Data were weighted for total population demographics of age, sex, and rank. Regular use of DSs by soldiers increased significantly (56% ± 1.6% vs. 64% ± 1.7%; p ≤ 0.001) over the 4 years primarily because of an increase of DS use among the youngest 18- to 24-year-old soldiers (43.0% ± 2.5% vs 62.3% ± 2.4%; p ≤ 0.01). Protein (22% ± 1.4% vs. 26% ± 1.5%; p ≤ 0.001) and combination (10.0% ± 1.0% vs. 24% ± 1.4%; p ≤ 0.001) product consumption also increased over the 4 years. Individual vitamin and mineral use — including iron, magnesium, selenium, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and D — significantly increased as well (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, expenditures on DSs by soldiers increased over time (p < 0.01). Reasons reported by soldiers for DS use suggest use increased to meet the occupational demands of military service. Educational interventions to minimize inappropriate use of DSs by soldiers are necessary to reduce adverse events resulting from unnecessary use of DSs and the financial burden associated with their use.
Synthesis of rationally designed tetrasaccharides for crystallographic and binding studies with Clostridium difficile toxins and unexpected partial N-methylations during catalytic hydrogenation of azides in methanol
Authors: Zhang Ping , Ng Kenneth K.S. , Ling Chang-Chun
Published: July 2016

A β-GlcNAc-LeX tetrasaccharides and another α-Gal-LeX analog have been synthesized for studying interaction with toxins produced by the human pathogen Clostridium difficile. LeX-based trisaccharides bearing either a 2-azidoethyl or a 6-azidohexyl aglycone have been employed in the total synthesis to afford the desired tetrasaccharides. Interestingly, during the final catalytic hydrogenation step to remove benzyl and benzylidene protecting groups and simultaneously reduce azide functionality, partial N-methylations were observed. The N-methylations appear to be a general issue with catalytic hydrogenation of azides in methanol.
A life-table model estimation of the parr capacity of a late 19th century Puget Sound steelhead population
Authors: Gayeski Nick , Pess George , Beechie Tim
Published: July 2016

An age-structured life-cycle model of steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) for the Stillaguamish River in Puget Sound, Washington, USA, was employed to estimate the number of age-1 steelhead parr that could have produced the estimated adult return of 69 000 in 1895. We then divided the estimated parr numbers by the estimated area of steelhead rearing habitat in the Stillaguamish River basin in 1895 and under current conditions to estimate density of rearing steelhead then and now. Scaled to estimates of total wetted area of tributary and mainstem shallow shoreline habitat, our historic estimates averaged 0.39–0.49 parr·m−2, and ranged from 0.24 to 0.7 parr·m−2. These values are significantly greater than current densities in the Stillaguamish (mainstem average: 0.15 parr·m−2, tributaries: 0.07 parr·m−2), but well within the range of recent estimates of steelhead parr rearing densities in high-quality habitats. Our results indicate that modest improvement in the capacity of mainstem and tributary rearing habitat in Puget Sound rivers will yield large recovery benefits if realized in a large proportion of the area of river basins currently accessible to steelhead.
Fisher Motion Descriptor for Multiview Gait Recognition
Authors: Castro F.M. , Marín-Jiménez M.J. , Mata N.Guil , Muñoz-Salinas R.
Published: July 2016

The goal of this paper is to identify individuals by analyzing their gait. Instead of using binary silhouettes as input data (as done in many previous works) we propose and evaluate the use of motion descriptors based on densely sampled short-term trajectories. We take advantage of state-of-the-art people detectors to define custom spatial configurations of the descriptors around the target person, obtaining a rich representation of the gait motion. The local motion features (described by the Divergence-Curl-Shear descriptor [M. Jain, H. Jegou and P. Bouthemy, Better exploiting motion for better action recognition, in Proc. IEEE Conf. Computer Vision Pattern Recognition (CVPR) (2013), pp. 2555–2562.]) extracted on the different spatial areas of the person are combined into a single high-level gait descriptor by using the Fisher Vector encoding [F. Perronnin, J. Sánchez and T. Mensink, Improving the Fisher kernel for large-scale image classification, in Proc. European Conf. Computer Vision (ECCV) (2010), pp. 143–156]. The proposed approach, coined Pyramidal Fisher Motion, is experimentally validated on ‘CASIA’ dataset [S. Yu, D. Tan and T. Tan, A framework for evaluating the effect of view angle, clothing and carrying condition on gait recognition, in Proc. Int. Conf. Pattern Recognition, Vol. 4 (2006), pp. 441–444]. (parts B and C), ‘TUM GAID’ dataset, [M. Hofmann, J. Geiger, S. Bachmann, B. Schuller and G. Rigoll, The TUM Gait from Audio, Image and Depth (GAID) database: Multimodal recognition of subjects and traits, J. Vis. Commun. Image Represent. 25(1) (2014) 195–206]. ‘CMU MoBo’ dataset [R. Gross and J. Shi, The CMU Motion of Body (MoBo) database, Technical Report CMU-RI-TR-01-18, Robotics Institute (2001)]. and the recent ‘AVA Multiview Gait’ dataset [D. López-Fernández, F. Madrid-Cuevas, A. Carmona-Poyato, M. Marín-Jiménez and R. Muñoz-Salinas, The AVA multi-view dataset for gait recognition, in Activity Monitoring by Multiple Distributed Sensing, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Springer, 2014), pp. 26–39]. The results show that this new approach achieves state-of-the-art results in the problem of gait recognition, allowing to recognize walking people from diverse viewpoints on single and multiple camera setups, wearing different clothes, carrying bags, walking at diverse speeds and not limited to straight walking paths.
Second-Order Voltage-Mode Universal Filters Using Two DVCCs, Two Grounded Capacitors and Four Resistors
Authors: Abaci Ahmet , Yuce Erkan
Published: July 2016

In this paper, two new second-order voltage-mode universal filters are proposed. Both of the proposed filters use only two differential voltage current conveyors (DVCCs), four resistors and two grounded capacitors which are advantageous from integrated circuit technology point of view. They can simultaneously provide second-order low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch and all-pass responses. They offer orthogonal control of angular resonance frequency and quality factor. However, they have a single matching condition for only all-pass responses. A number of simulations based on SPICE program are accomplished in order to demonstrate the performance of both filters.
Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Mint Extract and their Application in Chitosan/Gelatin Composite Packaging Film
Authors: Bhoir Shraddha A. , Chawla S. P.
Published: July 2016

The present study reports synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using mint extract (ME) in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as capping material. PVA, ME and silver nitrate at concentration of 1%, 0.01% and 0.02%, respectively were found to be optimum for the synthesis of nanoparticles. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by measuring surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak. The intensity of SPR peak remained unaltered thus suggesting stability of colloid without aggregation during storage. The nanoparticles inhibited the growth of food borne bacteria namely Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus. The incorporation of these nanoparticles in chitosan and gelatin blend resulted in homogenous films. Mechanical properties and water vapor transmission rate of chitosan-gelatin films improved due to addition of AgNPs, whereas optical (opacity and UV light transmittance) and oxygen permeability properties remained unchanged. These films had the ability to inhibit growth of 5 log CFU of the above test organisms. These findings suggest that the AgNPs obtained by reduction of silver by ME can be effectively utilized to prepare antibacterial eco-friendly food packaging material.
Global Patents on 3D Printing: Revelations Based on Vector Autoregression Analysis for Three Decades
Authors: Kannattukunnel Rohit S.
Published: July 2016

Engineers and designers from automotive and aerospace sectors have been using 3D printing (3DP) for decades to build prototypes. However, 3DP became popular only recently. This paper is divided into three sections. Section 1 is introductory in nature, which deals with current trends, the modeling process of printing and deliberation on different categories of 3DP. Section 2 deals with the research methodology. An exquisite technique to study innovation dealing with time series data, called the vector autoregression (VAR), is performed to analyze the world patent data on 3DP, based on the information provided by the Government of UK and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Section 3 attempts to forecast future trends on 3DP by using two techniques viz. impulse response function and variance decomposition. The VAR analysis performed revealed that GDP is not directly instrumental in the advancement in patenting of 3DP technology. Results captured by way of impulse response function suggest that when a shock is given to PR itself, it decreases sharply, whereas when a shock is given to investment, PR undergoes a steady decline. Thus, if there is any adverse shock imparted on investments, it directly reduces the patent ratio. Lastly, when an impulse is given to GDP, PR continuously increases, which implies that increase in GDP causes hike in investment which ultimately increases PR. The results of variance decomposition indicate that in the initial periods, PR itself explains the maximum variance, followed by the GDP and to the least by investment. The changes observed with the trend of explanatory character of variance imply that more investments in technology are instrumental in increasing patent ratio in the G7 countries as per the vector error correction (VEC) model developed here. Though during the nascent stage of emerging technologies investment in technology may not necessarily increase the patent ratio, the result obtained brings to light interesting insights.
Carbon dioxide storage in the Captain Sandstone aquifer: determination of
in situ
stresses and fault-stability analysis
Authors: Williams John D. O. , Fellgett Mark W. , Quinn Martyn F.
Published: July 2016

The Lower Cretaceous Captain Sandstone Member of the Inner Moray Firth has significant potential for the injection and storage of anthropogenic CO
2
in saline aquifer parts of the formation. Pre-existing faults constitute a potential risk to storage security owing to the elevated pore pressures likely to result from large-scale fluid injection. Determination of the regional
in situ
stresses permits mapping of the stress tensor affecting these faults. Either normal or strike-slip faulting conditions are suggested to be prevalent, with the maximum horizontal stress orientated 33°–213°. Slip-tendency analysis indicates that some fault segments are close to being critically stressed under strike-slip stress conditions, with small pore-pressure perturbations of approximately 1.5 MPa potentially causing reactivation of those faults. Greater pore-pressure increases of approximately 5 MPa would be required to reactivate optimally orientated faults under normal faulting or transitional normal/strike-slip faulting conditions at average reservoir depths. The results provide a useful indication of the fault geometries most susceptible to reactivation under current stress conditions. To account for uncertainty in principal stress magnitudes, high differential stresses have been assumed, providing conservative fault-stability estimates. Detailed geological models and data pertaining to pore pressure, rock mechanics and stress will be required to more accurately investigate fault stability.
Cigarette smoke-induced autophagy impairment accelerates lung aging, COPD-emphysema exacerbations and pathogenesis
Authors: Vij Neeraj , Chandramani-Shivalingappa Prashanth , Van Westphal Colin , Hole Rachel , Bodas Manish
Published: July 2016

Cigarette-smoke (CS) exposure and aging are the leading causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-emphysema development, although the molecular mechanism that mediates disease pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Our objective was to investigate the impact of CS exposure and aging on autophagy and the pathophysiological changes associated with lung aging (senescence) and emphysema progression. Beas2b cells, C57BL/6 mice, and human (GOLD 0–IV) lung tissues were used to determine the central mechanism involved in CS/age-related COPD-emphysema pathogenesis. Beas2b cells and murine lungs exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE)/CS showed a significant ( P < 0.05) accumulation of poly-ubiquitinated proteins and impaired autophagy marker, p62, in aggresome bodies. Moreover, treatment with the autophagy-inducing antioxidant drug cysteamine significantly ( P < 0.001) decreased CSE/CS-induced aggresome bodies. We also found a significant ( P < 0.001) increase in levels of aggresome bodies in the lungs of smokers and COPD subjects in comparison to nonsmoker controls. Furthermore, the presence and levels of aggresome bodies statistically correlated with severity of emphysema and alveolar senescence. In addition to CS exposure, lungs from old mice also showed accumulation of aggresome bodies, suggesting this as a common mechanism to initiate cellular senescence and emphysema. Additionally, Beas2b cells and murine lungs exposed to CSE/CS showed cellular apoptosis and senescence, which were both controlled by cysteamine treatment. In parallel, we evaluated the impact of CS on pulmonary exacerbation, using mice exposed to CS and/or infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( Pa), and confirmed cysteamine’s potential as an autophagy-inducing antibacterial drug, based on its ability to control CS-induced pulmonary exacerbation ( Pa-bacterial counts) and resulting inflammation. CS induced autophagy impairment accelerates lung aging and COPD-emphysema exacerbations and pathogenesis.
Biotin deficiency enhances the inflammatory response of human dendritic cells
Authors: Agrawal Sudhanshu , Agrawal Anshu , Said Hamid M.
Published: July 2016

The water-soluble biotin (vitamin B7) is indispensable for normal human health. The vitamin acts as a cofactor for five carboxylases that are critical for fatty acid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism. Biotin deficiency is associated with various diseases, and mice deficient in this vitamin display enhanced inflammation. Previous studies have shown that biotin affects the functions of adaptive immune T and NK cells, but its effect(s) on innate immune cells is not known. Because of that and because vitamins such as vitamins A and D have a profound effect on dendritic cell (DC) function, we investigated the effect of biotin levels on the functions of human monocyte-derived DCs. Culture of DCs in a biotin-deficient medium (BDM) and subsequent activation with LPS resulted in enhanced secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-12p40, IL-23, and IL-1β compared with LPS-activated DCs cultured in biotin-sufficient (control) and biotin-oversupplemented media. Furthermore, LPS-activated DCs cultured in BDM displayed a significantly higher induction of IFN-γ and IL-17 indicating Th1/Th17 bias in T cells compared with cells maintained in biotin control or biotin-oversupplemented media. Investigations into the mechanisms suggested that impaired activation of AMP kinase in DCs cultured in BDM may be responsible for the observed increase in inflammatory responses. In summary, these results demonstrate for the first time that biotin deficiency enhances the inflammatory responses of DCs. This may therefore be one of the mechanism(s) that mediates the observed inflammation that occurs in biotin deficiency.
Molecular mechanisms of the angiogenic effects of low-energy shock wave therapy: roles of mechanotransduction
Authors: Hatanaka Kazuaki , Ito Kenta , Shindo Tomohiko , Kagaya Yuta , Ogata Tsuyoshi , Eguchi Kumiko , Kurosawa Ryo , Shimokawa Hiroaki
Published: July 2016

We have previously demonstrated that low-energy extracorporeal cardiac shock wave (SW) therapy improves myocardial ischemia through enhanced myocardial angiogenesis in a porcine model of chronic myocardial ischemia and in patients with refractory angina pectoris. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms for the SW-induced angiogenesis remain unclear. In this study, we thus examined the effects of SW irradiation on intracellular signaling pathways in vitro. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with 800 shots of low-energy SW (1 Hz at an energy level of 0.03 mJ/mm2). The SW therapy significantly upregulated mRNA expression and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The SW therapy also enhanced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) and Akt. Furthermore, the SW therapy enhanced phosphorylation of caveolin-1 and the expression of HUTS-4 that represents β1-integrin activity. These results suggest that caveolin-1 and β1-integrin are involved in the SW-induced activation of angiogenic signaling pathways. To further examine the signaling pathways involved in the SW-induced angiogenesis, HUVECs were transfected with siRNA of either β1-integrin or caveolin-1. Knockdown of either caveolin-1 or β1-integrin suppressed the SW-induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and Akt and upregulation of VEGF and eNOS. Knockdown of either caveolin-1 or β1-integrin also suppressed SW-induced enhancement of HUVEC migration in scratch assay. These results suggest that activation of mechanosensors on cell membranes, such as caveolin-1 and β1-integrin, and subsequent phosphorylation of Erk and Akt may play pivotal roles in the SW-induced angiogenesis.
Bortezomib alleviates experimental pulmonary hypertension by regulating intracellular calcium homeostasis in PASMCs
Authors: Zhang Jun , Lu Wenju , Chen Yuqin , Jiang Qian , Yang Kai , Li Meichan , Wang Ziyi , Duan Xin , Xu Lei , Tang Haiyang , Sun Dejun , Wang Jian
Published: July 2016

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is considered to be the key regulator of protein degradation. Bortezomib (BTZ) is the first proteasome inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma. Recently, BTZ treatment was reported to inhibit right ventricular hypertrophy and vascular remodeling in hypoxia-exposed and monocrotaline-injected rats. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We previously confirmed that hypoxia-elevated basal intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) are involved in pulmonary vascular remodeling. In this study we aim to determine whether BTZ attenuates the hypoxia-induced elevation of [Ca2+] in PASMCs and the signaling pathway involved in this mechanism. Our results showed that 1) in hypoxia- and monocrotaline-induced rat pulmonary hypertension (PH) models, BTZ markedly attenuated the development and progression of PH, 2) BTZ inhibited the hypoxia-induced increase in cell proliferation, basal [Ca2+]i, and SOCE in PASMCs, and 3) BTZ significantly normalized the hypoxia-upregulated expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, bone morphogenetic protein 4, canonical transient receptor potential isoforms 1 and 6, and the hypoxia-downregulated expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in rat distal pulmonary arteries and PASMCs. These results indicate that BTZ exerts its protective role in the development of PH potentially by inhibiting the canonical transient receptor potential-SOCE-[Ca2+]i signaling axis in PASMCs.
Firing characteristics of deep dorsal horn neurons after acute spinal transection during administration of agonists for 5-HT1B/1D and NMDA receptors
Authors: Thaweerattanasinp Theeradej , Heckman Charles J. , Tysseling Vicki M.
Published: July 2016

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a loss of serotonin (5-HT) to the spinal cord and a loss of inhibition to deep dorsal horn (DDH) neurons, which produces an exaggerated excitatory drive to motoneurons. The mechanism of this excitatory drive could involve the DDH neurons triggering long excitatory postsynaptic potentials in motoneurons, which may ultimately drive muscle spasms. Modifying the activity of DDH neurons with drugs such as NMDA or the 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonist zolmitriptan could have a large effect on motoneuron activity and, therefore, on muscle spasms. In this study, we characterize the firing properties of DDH neurons after acute spinal transection in adult mice during administration of zolmitriptan and NMDA, using the in vitro sacral cord preparation and extracellular electrophysiology. DDH neurons can be categorized into three major types with distinct evoked and spontaneous firing characteristics: burst (bursting), simple (single spiking), and tonic (spontaneously tonic firing) neurons. The burst neurons likely contribute to muscle spasm mechanisms because of their bursting behavior. Only the burst neurons show significant changes in their firing characteristics during zolmitriptan and NMDA administration. Zolmitriptan suppresses the burst neurons by reducing their evoked spikes, burst duration, and spontaneous firing rate. Conversely, NMDA facilitates them by enhancing their burst duration and spontaneous firing rate. These results suggest that zolmitriptan may exert its antispastic effect on the burst neurons via activation of 5-HT1B/1D receptors, whereas activation of NMDA receptors may facilitate the burst neurons in contributing to muscle spasm mechanisms following SCI.
Influence of the Dermis Thickness on the Results of the Skin Treatment with Monopolar and Bipolar Radiofrequency Currents
Authors: Kruglikov Ilja L.
Published: July 2016

Electrically layered tissue structure significantly modifies distribution of radiofrequency (RF) current in the dermis and in the subcutaneous adipose tissue comparing to that in a homogeneous medium. On the basis of the simple model of RF current distribution in a two-layer skin containing dermis and subcutis, we assess the influence of the dermal thickness on the current density in different skin layers. Under other equal conditions, current density in the dermis is higher for the skin having thinner dermis. This contradicts the main paradigm of the RF theory stating that treatment results are mainly dependent on the maximal temperature reached in a target tissue, since the best short- and long-term clinical results of RF application to the skin were reported in the areas having thicker dermis. To resolve this contradiction, it is proposed that the long-term effect of RF can be realized through a structural modification of the subcutaneous fat depot adjacent to the treated skin area. Stimulation of these cells located near the interface dermis/subcutis will demand the concentration of applied RF energy in this area and will require the optimal arrangement of RF electrodes on the skin surface.
Applying Data Mining Techniques to Improve Information Security in the Cloud: A Single Cache System Approach
Authors: AlShawi Amany
Published: July 2016

Presently, the popularity of cloud computing is gradually increasing day by day. The purpose of this research was to enhance the security of the cloud using techniques such as data mining with specific reference to the single cache system. From the findings of the research, it was observed that the security in the cloud could be enhanced with the single cache system. For future purposes, an Apriori algorithm can be applied to the single cache system. This can be applied by all cloud providers, vendors, data distributors, and others. Further, data objects entered into the single cache system can be extended into 12 components. Database and SPSS modelers can be used to implement the same.
Experimental Evaluation on the Influence of RCD Snubbers in a 3-Level Thyristor Based MLCR CSC
Authors: Das Bhaba P. , Watson Neville R. , Liu Yonghe
Published: July 2016

Multilevel current reinjection (MLCR) concept provides self-commutation capability to thyristors, enabling thyristor based current source converters (CSC) to operate under negative firing angle. It also lowers the input current harmonic distortion. This is achieved by using an auxiliary reinjection bridge. Extensive experimental results are presented in this paper to analyse the performance of the 3-level MLCR CSC for different snubber components across the reinjection bridge. The trade-off in the choice of the snubber circuit is illustrated, with its influence on the AC side line current and DC side output voltage of the 3-level MLCR CSC.
Quality Improvement in Critical Care: Selection and Development of Quality Indicators
Authors: Chrusch Carla A. , Martin Claudio M. , Care Project The Quality Improvement in Critical
Published: July 2016

Background. Caring for critically ill patients is complex and resource intensive. An approach to monitor and compare the function of different intensive care units (ICUs) is needed to optimize outcomes for patients and the health system as a whole.Objective. To develop and implement quality indicators for comparing ICU characteristics and performance within and between ICUs and regions over time.Methods. Canadian jurisdictions with established ICU clinical databases were invited to participate in an iterative series of face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, and web conferences. Eighteen adult intensive care units across 14 hospitals and 5 provinces participated in the process.Results. Six domains of ICU function were identified: safe, timely, efficient, effective, patient/family satisfaction, and staff work life. Detailed operational definitions were developed for 22 quality indicators. The feasibility was demonstrated with the collection of 3.5 years of data. Statistical process control charts and graphs of composite measures were used for data display and comparisons. Medical and nursing leaders as well as administrators found the system to be an improvement over prior methods.Conclusions. Our process resulted in the selection and development of 22 indicators representing 6 domains of ICU function. We have demonstrated the feasibility of such a reporting system. This type of reporting system will demonstrate variation between units and jurisdictions to help identify and prioritize improvement efforts.
Efficacy of Immediate Switching from Bicalutamide to Flutamide as Second-Line Combined Androgen Blockade
Authors: Yokomizo Yumiko , Kawahara Takashi , Miyoshi Yasuhide , Otani Masako , Yamanaka Shoji , Teranishi Jun-ichi , Noguchi Kazumi , Yao Masahiro , Uemura Hiroji
Published: July 2016

We determined whether prostate specific antigen (PSA) would decrease with immediate antiandrogen switching from bicalutamide (BCL) to flutamide (FLT) in patients receiving combined androgen blockade for advanced prostate cancer. From 2002 to 2006, 20 patients who showed PSA failure after first-line hormonal therapy with a luteinizing hormone-release hormone (LH-RH) agonist and BCL were enrolled. All patients were immediately switched from BCL to FLT, administered with an LH-RH agonist, as second-line combined androgen blockade (CAB). We evaluated the PSA response to second-line CAB. Eight patients (40%) were responsive, showing PSA decreases of at least 50%. The median (range) duration of the PSA response was 18.4 (3–26) months. Second-line CAB using FLT was effective in 40% of patients who received first-line CAB using BCL. The lower Gleason scores at the initial prostate biopsy probably reflect the response to second-line CAB. Responders showed significantly better OS and CSS in the determination of any PSA decline and 40% PSA decline. The median OS duration in nonresponders and responders (40% PSA decline) was 1433 days versus 3617 days. It is concluded that an immediate switch from BCL to FLT is effective for some CRPC patients after first-line CAB using BCL.
Oxidative Damage to the Salivary Glands of Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes-Temporal Study: Oxidative Stress and Diabetic Salivary Glands
Authors: Knaś M. , Maciejczyk M. , Daniszewska I. , Klimiuk A. , Matczuk J. , Kołodziej U. , Waszkiel D. , Ładny J. R. , Żendzian-Piotrowska M. , Zalewska A.
Published: July 2016

Objective.This study evaluated oxidative damage caused to the salivary glands in streptozotocin-induced diabetes (DM).Materials and Methods.Rats were divided into 4 groups: groups 1 and 2, control rats, and groups 3 and 4, DM rats. 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), protein carbonyl (PC), 4-hydroxynonenal protein adduct (4-HNE), oxidized and/or MDA-modified LDL-cholesterol (oxy-LDL/MDA), 8-isoprostanes (8-isoP), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured at 7 (groups 1 and 3) and 14 (groups 2 and 4) days of experiment.Results.The unstimulated salivary flow in DM rats was reduced in the 2nd week, while the stimulated flow was decreased throughout the duration of the experiment versus control. OSI was elevated in both diabetic glands in the 1st and 2nd week, whereas 8-isoP and 8-OHdG were higher only in the parotid gland in the second week. PC and 4-HNE were increased in the 1st and 2nd week, whereas oxy-LDL/MDA was increased in the 2nd week in the diabetic parotid glands.Conclusions.Diabetes induces oxidative damage of the salivary glands, which seems to be caused by processes taking place in the salivary glands, independently of general oxidative stress. The parotid glands are more vulnerable to oxidative damage in these conditions.
A Study on the Pricing Model for 3PL of Inventory Financing
Authors: Song Zhilan , Huang Huan , Ran Wenxue , Liu Sen
Published: July 2016

Being a new research area, logistics finance solves the contradiction between banks and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) about financing; it is beneficial to financial market and logistics market development too. As a service innovation, it unites the interests of bank, 3PL (third-party logistics) providers, and SMEs and integrates material, finance, and information. Logistics finance has been developed in recent years in China, but the research is not enough on 3PL enterprises. On the background of that, the paper makes a research in the field of logistics finance with different pricing methods, based on the perspective of third-party logistics enterprises. This paper proposes a pricing model of inventory financing that can maximize the cash flow of 3PL enterprise, when the default rate of the small- and medium-sized enterprise is affected by the pledge price. And then this paper studies the model of inventory financing that can maximize the cash flow of enterprise under the condition of the existence of cash discount rate. The core factors affecting the loan-to-value ratio were established through analysis of mathematical model. We also consider the loan-to-value ratio of cash discount rate in the model. Results show that in the pledge of the known function and cash discount the price change can be calculated to meet enterprise cash flow lending rates and get biggest loan-to-value ratio.
Color Calibration for Colorized Vision System with Digital Sensor and LED Array Illuminator
Authors: Zhu Zhenmin , Song Ruichao , Luo Hui , Xu Jun , Chen Shiming
Published: July 2016

Color measurement by the colorized vision system is a superior method to achieve the evaluation of color objectively and continuously. However, the accuracy of color measurement is influenced by the spectral responses of digital sensor and the spectral mismatch of illumination. In this paper, two-color vision system illuminated by digital sensor and LED array, respectively, is presented. The Polynomial-Based Regression method is applied to solve the problem of color calibration in the sRGB andCIE  L⁎a⁎b⁎color spaces. By mapping the tristimulus values from RGB to sRGB color space, color difference between the estimated values and the reference values is less than3ΔE. Additionally, the mapping matrixΦRGB→sRGBhas proved a better performance in reducing the color difference, and it is introduced subsequently into the colorized vision system proposed for a better color measurement. Necessarily, the printed matter of clothes and the colored ceramic tile are chosen as the application experiment samples of our colorized vision system. As shown in the experimental data, the average color difference of images is less than6ΔE. It indicates that a better performance of color measurement is obtained via the colorized vision system proposed.
An Economic Analysis of Pigeonpea Seed Production Technology and Its Adoption Behavior: Indian Context
Authors: Pal Govind , Channanamchery Radhika , Singh R. K. , Kethineni Udaya Bhaskar , Ram H. , Prasad S. Rajendra
Published: July 2016

The present study was based on primary data collected from 100 farmers in Gulbarga district of Karnataka, India, during the agricultural year 2013-2014. Study shows that average land holding size of pigeonpea seed farmers was higher in comparison to grain farmers and district average. The study illustrates a ratio of 32 : 68 towards fixed and variable costs in pigeonpea certified seed production with a total cost of₹39436 and the gross and net returns were₹73300 and₹33864 per hectare, respectively. The total cost of cultivation, gross return, and net return in pigeonpea seed production were higher by around 23, 32, and 44 percent than grain production, respectively. Hence, production of certified seed has resulted in a win-win situation for the farmers with higher yield and increased returns. The decision of the farmer on adoption of seed production technology was positively influenced by his education, age, land holding, irrigated land, number of crops grown, and extension contacts while family size was influencing negatively. Higher yield and profitability associated with seed production can be effectively popularized among farmers, resulting in increased certified seed production.
Removal of Arsenite from Water by Ce-Al-Fe Trimetal Oxide Adsorbent: Kinetics, Isotherms, and Thermodynamics
Authors: Sun Cuizhen , Qiu Jinwei , Zhang Zhibin , Marhaba Taha F. , Zhang Yanhao
Published: July 2016

Ce-Al-Fe trimetal oxide adsorbent was prepared. The morphology characteristics of the new adsorbent were analysed by the transmission electron microscope (SEM) method. The SEM results implied its ability in the adsorption of As (III). To verify the analyses, bench-scale experiments were performed for the removal of As (III) from water. In the experiments of adsorption, As (III) adsorption capacity of the trimetal oxide adsorbent was presented significantly higher than activated aluminium oxide and activated carbon. As (III) adsorption kinetics resembled pseudo-second-order adsorption mode. When initial As (III) concentration was 3, 8, and 10 mg·L−1, the maximum adsorption capacity achieved was 1.48, 3.73, and 5.12 mg·g−1, respectively. In addition, the experimental adsorption data were described well by the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model at 20, 30, and 40°C. The enthalpy change(ΔS), the standard free energy(ΔG), and entropy change(ΔH)indicated that the nature of As (III) adsorption was exothermic and spontaneous with increasing randomness on the interface of solid and liquid. And the adsorption mechanism can be interpreted as chemisorption with As (III) multilayer coverage formation on the adsorbent surface.
Dandy-Walker Malformation Presenting with Psychological Manifestations
Authors: Rohanachandra Yasodha Maheshi , Dahanayake Dulangi Maneksha Amerasinghe , Wijetunge Swarna
Published: July 2016

Dandy-Walker malformation, which is a congenital malformation of the cerebellum, is documented in literature to be associated with psychotic symptoms, obsessive compulsive symptoms, mood symptoms, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. The pathogenesis of psychiatric symptoms in Dandy-Walker malformation is thought to be due to disruption of the corticocerebellar tracts, resulting in what is known as cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. We present a case of Dandy-Walker malformation presenting with psychiatric symptoms. This case highlights the necessity to be aware of psychiatric manifestations of cerebellar disease as it has an impact on the diagnosis and treatment.
Circulating Regulatory T-Cells in Monoclonal Gammopathies of Uncertain Significance and Multiple Myeloma: In Search of a Role
Authors: D’Arena Giovanni , Rossi Giovanni , Laurenti Luca , Statuto Teodora , D’Auria Fiorella , Valvano Luciana , Simeon Vittorio , Giudice Aldo , Innocenti Idanna , De Feo Vincenzo , Filosa Rosanna , Musto Pellegrino
Published: July 2016

The frequency and function of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in multiple myeloma (MM) are still matter of debate. The percentage and absolute number of circulating Tregs (CD4+CD25+high  densityCD127-/low  density) from 39 patients with untreated MM and 44 patients with monoclonal gammopathies of uncertain significance (MGUS) were tested and compared with 20 healthy subjects as controls. The mean percentage number of circulating Tregs was 2.1%  ± 1.0 (range 0.75–6.1%) in MM patients; 2.1%  ± 0.9 (range 0.3–4.4%) in MGUS; and 1.5%  ± 0.4 (range 0.9–2.1%) in controls (pns). Mean absolute number of Tregs was 36.3/μL ± 23.7 (range 6.7–149/μL) in MM; 38.8/μL ± 19.1 (range 4.3–87/μL) in MGUS; and 39.4/μL ± 12.5 (range 18–63/μL) in controls (pns). After a median follow-up of 38 months, 5 MGUS and 2 smoldering MM (SMM) transformed into overt MM; however Tregs number did not predict this evolution. With respect to MM patients and after a median follow-up of 33 months, Tregs did not show any significant correlation with main clinical and laboratory characteristics. Finally, from a functional point of view, Tregs displayed an effective suppressor function, irrespective of disease status. This study indicates that the number of circulating Tregs does not differ in different monoclonal gammopathies and normal subjects and do not correlate with clinical features of MM.
Color, Scale, and Rotation Independent Multiple License Plates Detection in Videos and Still Images
Authors: Soora Narasimha Reddy , Deshpande Parag S.
Published: July 2016

Most of the existing license plate (LP) detection systems have shown significant development in the processing of the images, with restrictions related to environmental conditions and plate variations. With increased mobility and internationalization, there is a need to develop a universal LP detection system, which can handle multiple LPs of many countries and any vehicle, in an open environment and all weather conditions, having different plate variations. This paper presents a novel LP detection method using different clustering techniques based on geometrical properties of the LP characters and proposed a new character extraction method, for noisy/missed character components of the LP due to the presence of noise between LP characters and LP border. The proposed method detects multiple LPs from an input image or video, having different plate variations, under different environmental and weather conditions because of the geometrical properties of the set of characters in the LP. The proposed method is tested using standard media-lab and Application Oriented License Plate (AOLP) benchmark LP recognition databases and achieved the success rates of 97.3% and 93.7%, respectively. Results clearly indicate that the proposed approach is comparable to the previously published papers, which evaluated their performance on publicly available benchmark LP databases.
Effect of Fluoride on Endocytosis and Surface Marker Expression Levels of Mouse B Cells In Vitro
Authors: Ma Haili , Shi Zeyu , Dong Yaoze , Liang Rui , Chen Jianshan , Wang Jinming , Wang Jundong
Published: July 2016

Background/Aims: To clarify the effect of fluoride on splenic B cells, the endocytosis and surface marker expression levels of mouse splenic B cells were detected in vitro by flow cytometry. Methods: Cells were stimulated with 10 µg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and varying concentrations of Sodium Fluoride (NaF) (0, 50 µM, 100 µM, 500 µM, 1000 µM). Results: The results demonstrated that the endocytic capacity of B cells was enhanced by NaF at 50µM. NaF significantly enhanced CD80 expression at 50 µM and decreased CD86 expression at 500 µM. CD40 and CD138 expression on B cells were down-regulated at varying high concentrations of NaF. Conclusion: our results showed that the endocytic capacity, expression levels of CD40 and CD80 of B cells changed significantly at lower concentrations, whereas expression levels of CD138 and CD86 changed significantly at higher concentrations, suggesting that fluoride could inhibit immune function in animals.