bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DYSSS: A Dynamic and Context-Aware Security System for Shared Sensor Networks
Authors: de Farias Claudio M. , Pirmez Luci , Carmo Luiz F. R. C. , Boccardo Davidson , Delicato Flávia C. , dos Santos Igor L. , Pinheiro Renato , Costa Rafael O.
Published: November 2015

In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of Shared Sensor Networks (SSNs) as a core component of cyber-physical systems for diverse applications. As Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSANs) design starts shifting from application-specific platforms to shared system infrastructures, a pressing research challenge is security. In scenarios involving unprotected hostile outdoor areas, SSNs are prone to different types of attacks that can compromise reliability, integrity, and availability of the sensor data traffic and sensor lifetime as well. In this work we propose a Dynamic Security System to be applied in the shared sensor network context. Its basic feature is the nodes neighborhood monitoring and collaboration (through the use of the Byzantine algorithm) to identify an attack and enhance security. The proposed security system is dynamic since it is able to manage the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of multiple applications according to the current execution context. It is also resilient, since it is able to support the continuous network operation even in the presence of malicious or faulty nodes. Its resilience is achieved for the capacity of gathering information from several nodes, thus inferring the countermeasures using context information.
Myocardial123I-MIBG Uptake and Cardiovascular Autonomic Function in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Katagiri Akira , Asahina Masato , Araki Nobuyuki , Poudel Anupama , Fujinuma Yoshikatsu , Yamanaka Yoshitaka , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: November 2015

Introduction. Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) showed reduced myocardial123I-MIBG uptake, which may affect autonomic regulation. We investigated correlation between MIBC accumulation and cardiovascular autonomic function in PD.Methods. We performed myocardial MIBG scintigraphy, heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, and the head-up tilt test (HUT) in 50 PD patients (66.4±7.8years; duration5.5±5.9years). Autonomic function tests were also performed in 50 healthy controls (66.5±8.9years). As HRV parameters, a high-frequency power (HF, 0.15–0.4 Hz), a low-frequency power (LF, 0.04–0.15 Hz), and LF/HF ratio were used.Results. Our PD patients had a significant reduction in LF and HF compared with the controls (P=0.005andP=0.01). In HUT, systolic and diastolic blood pressure falls in the PD group were significantly greater than those in the controls (P=0.02andP=0.02). The washout rate of MIBG was negatively correlated with blood pressure changes during HUT.Conclusion. Our PD patients showed reduced HRV, blood pressure dysregulation, and reduced MIBG accumulation, which was correlated with blood pressure dysregulation. Orthostatic hypotension in PD may be mainly caused by sympathetic postganglionic degeneration.
Nasal Sinus Tract of Odontogenic Origin: Report of a Case
Authors: Sareen Sagar , Pathak Anjani Kumar , Purwar Parth , Dixit Jaya , Singhal Divya , Sajjanhar Isha , Goel Kopal , Gupta Vaibhav Sheel
Published: November 2015

Extraoral sinus tract often poses a diagnostic challenge to the clinician owing to its rare occurrence and absence of symptoms. The accurate diagnosis and comprehensive management are inevitable as the aetiology of such lesions is often masked and requires holistic approach. The present case report encompasses the management of an extraoral discharging sinus tract at the base of the right nostril in a chronic smoker. The lesion which was earlier diagnosed to be of nonodontogenic origin persisted even after erratic treatment modalities. Our investigations showed the aetiology of sinus tract to be odontogenic. Initially, a five-step program as recommended by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality was used for smoking cessation followed by root canal therapy (RCT) and surgical management of the sinus tract. The patient has been under stringent follow-up and no reoccurrence has been noted.
Evaluation of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Ganglion Cell Complex in Patients with Optic Neuritis or Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders Using Optical Coherence Tomography in a Chinese Cohort
Authors: Tian Guohong , Li Zhenxin , Zhao Guixian , Feng Chaoyi , Li Mengwei , Huang Yongheng , Sun Xinghuai
Published: November 2015

We evaluate a cohort of optic neuritis and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) spectrum disorders patients in a territory hospital in China. The peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) were measured using spectral-domain OCT after 6 months of acute onset. The results showed that both the peripapillary RNFL and macular GCC were significantly thinner in all optic neuritis subtypes compared to controls. In addition, the recurrent optic neuritis and NMO groups showed more severe damage on the RNFL and GCC pattern.
Structural and Thermophysical Studies of Composite Na-Cobaltite Electrospun Nanofibers
Authors: Fatima-tuz-Zahra  , Anis-ur-Rehman M.
Published: November 2015

Polymeric nanofibers have been produced in the last few years by electrospinning of polymer solutions. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was the selected polymer for the preparation of nanofibers. Processing parameters like flow rate, needle gauge, needle to collector distance, and molarity of the solution have been optimized during electrospinning process. Sol-gel method has been used for the preparation of thermoelectric cobaltite nanoparticles having composition NaCoO2. Sol-gel combined electrospinning technique was used to prepare the composites of the NaCoO2 with PVA nanofibers. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have been used for the structural analysis of the prepared samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of the prepared fibers. SEM micrographs showed that, by increasing the flow rate, diameter of the fibers increased from 185 nm to 200 nm. Two-probe method and Advantageous Transient Plane Source (ATPS) were used to study the electrical and thermal transport properties, respectively. Thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity showed a direct dependence on temperature. It was observed that particles, sample has lower thermal conductivity (0.610 W/m-K) as compared to that of composite nanofibers (1.129 W/m-K). The measurements reported are novel and are useful for energy applications.
De NovoTranscriptome Sequencing of the Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato and Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes Related to Carotenoid Biosynthesis
Authors: Li Ruijie , Zhai Hong , Kang Chen , Liu Degao , He Shaozhen , Liu Qingchang
Published: November 2015

Sweet potato,Ipomoea batatas(L.) Lam., is an important food crop worldwide. The orange-fleshed sweet potato is considered to be an important source of beta-carotene. In this study, the transcriptome profiles of an orange-fleshed sweet potato cultivar “Weiduoli” and its mutant “HVB-3” with high carotenoid content were determined by using the high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 13,767,387 and 9,837,090 high-quality reads were produced from Weiduoli and HVB-3, respectively. These reads werede novoassembled into 58,277 transcripts and 35,909 unigenes with an average length of 596 bp and 533 bp, respectively. In all, 874 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained between Weiduoli and HVB-3, 401 of which were upregulated and 473 were downregulated in HVB-3 compared to Weiduoli. Of the 697 DEGs annotated, 316 DEGs had GO terms and 62 DEGs were mapped onto 50 pathways. The 22 DEGs and 31 transcription factors involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were identified between Weiduoli and HVB-3. In addition, 1,725 SSR markers were detected. This study provides the genomic resources for discovering the genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis of sweet potato and other plants.
Dispersion of Iron Nanoparticles by Polymer‐Based Hybrid Material for Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium
Authors: Ali Syed Wasim , Mirza Mumammad Latif , Bhatti Tariq M. , Naeem Kashif , Imran Din Muhammad
Published: November 2015

A gel type acrylic acid resin, based on ethyl acrylate‐co‐1,7‐octadiene, has been synthesized by suspension polymerization at 20% cross‐linking and subsequent hydrolysis by H2SO4. Capacity of the resin was observed to be 8.90 meq/g or 3.28 meq/mL. The iron nanoparticles used in this study were synthesized by ferrous sulphate method by using LiBH4 as a reductant and characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, surface area, and electrical properties. Later, the resin was applied for the dispersion of iron nanoparticles over its surface for the reduction of Cr(VI) and subsequent adsorption of Fe(III) and Cr(III) as byproducts. In the column studies the reduction of Cr(VI) and the adsorption of Cr(III) and Fe(III) have been observed up to 240 μmole/L.
Effect of Au Precursor and Support on the Catalytic Activity of the Nano‐Au‐Catalysts for Propane Complete Oxidation
Authors: Ali Arshid M. , Daous Muhammad A. , Arafat Ahmed , AlZahrani Abdulraheem A. , Alhamed Yahia , Abdullah Turdimuhammad , Petrov Lachezar A.
Published: November 2015

Catalytic activity of nano‐Au‐catalyst(s) for the complete propane oxidation was investigated. The results showed that the nature of both Au precursor and support strongly influences catalytic activity of the Au‐catalyst(s) for the propane oxidation. Oxidation state, size, and dispersion of Au nanoparticles in the Au‐catalysts, surface area, crystallinity, phase structure, and redox property of the support are the key aspects for the complete propane oxidation. Among the studied Au‐catalysts, the ‐Ce catalyst is found to be the most active catalyst.
Krypton Gas for High Quality Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis by KrF Excimer Laser Ablation
Authors: Al-Zanganawee Jasim , Katona Adrian , Moise Calin , Bojin Dionezie , Enachescu Marius
Published: November 2015

We report for the first time the production of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by KrF excimer laser ablation method under the krypton gas atmosphere. For the ablation experiment 450 mJ energy and 30 Hz repetition rate KrF excimer laser was used, and the target was prepared with the following composition: 0.6% Ni, 0.6% Co, and 98.8% C (atomic percentage). The ablation product was characterized by confocal Raman microspectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The SWCNTs obtained are a mixture of semiconducting and metallic types with narrow diameters distribution of 1.26 to 1.49 nm, are micrometers long, and contain low amount of graphite and amorphous carbon.
Climate Change Impact on the Hydrology of a Typical Watershed in the Tianshan Mountains
Authors: Fang Gonghuan , Yang Jing , Chen Yaning , Zhang Shuhua , Deng Haijun , Liu Haimeng , De Maeyer Philippe
Published: November 2015

To study the impact of future climatic changes on hydrology in the Kaidu River Basin in the Tianshan Mountains, two sets of future climatic data were used to force a well-calibrated hydrologic model: one is bias-corrected regional climate model (RCM) outputs for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 future emission scenarios, and the other is simple climate change (SCC) with absolute temperature change of −1~6°C and relative precipitation change of −20%~60%. Results show the following: (1) temperature is likely to increase by 2.2°C and 4.6°C by the end of the 21st century under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, while precipitation will increase by 2%~24%, with a significant rise in the dry season and small change in the wet season; (2) flow will change by −1%~20%, while evapotranspiration will increase by 2%~24%; (3) flow increases almost linearly with precipitation, while its response to temperature depends on the magnitude of temperature change and flow decrease is significant when temperature increase is greater than 2°C; (4) similar results were obtained for simulations with RCM outputs and with SCC for mild climate change conditions, while results were significantly different for intense climate change conditions.
The Analgesic and Antineuroinflammatory Effect of Baicalein in Cancer-Induced Bone Pain
Authors: Hu Shan , Chen Yu , Wang Zhi-Fu , Mao-Ying Qi-Liang , Mi Wen-Li , Jiang Jian-Wei , Wu Gen-Cheng , Wang Yan-Qing
Published: November 2015

Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is a severe type of chronic pain. It is imperative to explore safe and effective analgesic drugs for CIBP treatment. Baicalein (BE), isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicineScutellaria baicalensisGeorgi (or Huang Qin), has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. In this study, we examined the effect of BE on CIBP and the mechanism of this effect. Intrathecal and oral administration of BE at different doses could alleviate the mechanical allodynia in CIBP rats. Intrathecal 100 μg BE could inhibit the production of IL-6 and TNF-αin the spinal cord of CIBP rats. Moreover, intrathecal 100 μg BE could effectively inhibit the activation of p-p38 and p-JNK MAPK signals in CIBP rats. The analgesic effect of BE may be associated with the inhibition of the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-αand through the activation of p-p38 and p-JNK MAPK signals in the spinal cord. These findings suggest that BE is a promising novel analgesic agent for CIBP.
In Situ Measurement of Seeking Speed and Seeking Induced Head-Disk Interface Instability in Hard Disk Drives
Authors: Wang Yu , Wei Xiongfei , Zi Yanyang , Tsui Kwok-Leung
Published: November 2015

This paper investigated the instability of head-disk interface caused by the voice coil motor (VCM) end crashing the crash stop during the seeking of magnetic head. To make the whole process of that clear, an in situ measurement method based on maximum likelihood estimation and extended Kalman filter for seeking speed at component level was developed first and was then calibrated by a high speed camera. Given a crash between VCM end and crash stop that may be a consequence of the continuous increasing seeking speed, the seeking speed was carefully controlled by using our developed method to find a critical value that may induce vigorous head-disk interface instability. Acoustic emission sensor and laser Doppler vibrometer were used to capture the transient dynamic behaviors of magnetic head when the crash is happening. Damage analysis and mode identification were carried out to reveal the relationship between the damage patterns on disk surface and head dynamics. The results of this study are helpful to optimize the track seeking profile during the HDD operation, as well as the design of components such as head and head arm.
Feature Coverage Indexes for Dual Homography Estimation in Constructing Panorama Image
Authors: Jun Kyungkoo , Kim Sijung
Published: November 2015

Enlarged images can be obtained by various methods. Stitching is one of the efficient methods. It can produce panoramic images by stitching adjacent images which contain overlapping regions even though they are obtained through separate image sensors. Images that contain multiple different planes are hard to be stitched together because each plane has a different homography matrix for perspective warping. For this, a dual homography was proposed. However its performance varies depending on feature detectors which are used to find matching feature points between images. In this paper, we propose three feature coverage indexes which evaluate the stitching performance of feature detectors and predict the outcomes of the stitching. We evaluate four well-known feature detectors by the proposed indexes by applying them to the image stitching process and show that the prediction by the index values coincides with the stitching results.
Gliptins and Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Comparative and Critical Analysis after TECOS
Authors: Ghosal Samit , Sinha Binayak
Published: November 2015

The issue related to macrovascular outcomes and intensive glycemic control was hotly debated after the publication of landmark trials like ACCORD, ADVANCE, and VADT. The only benefits seem to come from intervening early on in the disease process as indicated by the 10-year UKPDS follow-up. To complicate matters USFDA made it mandatory for modern drugs to conduct cardiovascular safety trials in high-risk populations after the 2008 rosiglitazone scare. This led to all the modern group of drugs designing cardiovascular safety trials (gliptins, GLP-1 agonists, and SGLT-2 inhibitors) to meet USFDA regulatory requirements. We saw publication of the first 2 randomized trials with gliptins published a year and a half back. On the face value SAVOR TIMI and EXAMINE satisfied the primary composite CV end-points. However, issues related to significant increase in heart failure and all-cause 7-day on-treatment mortality created a lot of confusion. FDA reanalysis of these data (especially SAVOR) raises a lot of doubts as far as CV safety of these groups of drugs was concerned. Hence, all eyes were on TECOS, which was published this year. We take a microscopic look at these trials trying to understand where we stand as from now on this issue.
Effects on Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord‐Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Engineered to Express Neurotrophic Factors
Authors: Wang Yi , Ying Youguo , Cui Xiaoyan
Published: November 2015

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotential cells with capability to form colonies in vitro and differentiate into distinctive end‐stage cell types. Although MSCs secrete many cytokines, the efficacy can be improved through combination with neurotrophic factors (NTFs). Moreover, MSCs are excellent opportunities for local delivery of NTFs into injured tissues. The aim of this present study is to evaluate the effects of overexpressing NTFs on proliferation and differentiation of human umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs). Overexpressing NTFs had no effect on cell proliferation. Overexpressing NT‐3, BDNF, and NGF also had no significant effect on the differentiation of HUMSCs. Overexpressing NTFs all promoted the neurite outgrowth of embryonic chick E9 dorsal root ganglion (DRG). The gene expression profiles of the control and NT‐3‐ and BDNF‐modified HUMSCs were compared using RNA sequencing and biological processes and activities were revealed. This study provides novel information about the effects of overexpressing NTFs on HUMSCs and insight into the choice of optimal NTFs for combined cell and gene therapy.
Development of a Gastric Cancer Diagnostic Support System with a Pattern Recognition Method Using a Hyperspectral Camera
Authors: Ogihara Hiroyuki , Hamamoto Yoshihiko , Fujita Yusuke , Goto Atsushi , Nishikawa Jun , Sakaida Isao
Published: November 2015

Gastric cancer is a completely curable cancer when it can be detected at its early stage. Thus, because early detection of gastric cancer is important, cancer screening by gastroscopy is performed. Recently, the hyperspectral camera (HSC), which can observe gastric cancer at a variety of wavelengths, has received attention as a gastroscope. HSC permits the discerning of the slight color variations of gastric cancer, and we considered its applicability to a gastric cancer diagnostic support system. In this paper, after correcting reflectance to absorb the individual variations in the reflectance of the HSC, a gastric cancer diagnostic support system was designed using the corrected reflectance. In system design, the problems of selecting the optimum wavelength and optimizing the cutoff value of a classifier are solved as a pattern recognition problem by the use of training samples alone. Using the hold-out method with 104 cases of gastric cancer as samples, design and evaluation of the system were independently repeated 30 times. After analyzing the performance in 30 trials, the mean sensitivity was 72.2% and the mean specificity was 98.8%. The results showed that the proposed system was effective in supporting gastric cancer screening.
Inhibition of IAPP Aggregation and Toxicity by Natural Products and Derivatives
Authors: Pithadia Amit , Brender Jeffrey R. , Fierke Carol A. , Ramamoorthy Ayyalusamy
Published: November 2015

Fibrillar aggregates of human islet amyloid polypeptide, hIAPP, a pathological feature seen in some diabetes patients, are a likely causative agent for pancreatic beta-cell toxicity, leading to a transition from a state of insulin resistance to type II diabetes through the loss of insulin producing beta-cells by hIAPP induced toxicity. Because of the probable link between hIAPP and the development of type II diabetes, there has been strong interest in developing reagents to study the aggregation of hIAPP and possible therapeutics to block its toxic effects. Natural products are a class of compounds with interesting pharmacological properties against amyloids which have made them interesting targets to study hIAPP. Specifically, the ability of polyphenolic natural products, EGCG, curcumin, and resveratrol, to modulate the aggregation of hIAPP is discussed. Furthermore, we have outlined possible mechanistic discoveries of the interaction of these small molecules with the peptide and how they may mitigate toxicity associated with peptide aggregation. These abundantly found agents have been long used to combat diseases for many years and may serve as useful templates toward developing therapeutics against hIAPP aggregation and toxicity.
Islet Amyloid Polypeptide: Structure, Function, and Pathophysiology
Authors: Akter Rehana , Cao Ping , Noor Harris , Ridgway Zachary , Tu Ling-Hsien , Wang Hui , Wong Amy G. , Zhang Xiaoxue , Abedini Andisheh , Schmidt Ann Marie , Raleigh Daniel P.
Published: November 2015

The hormone islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP, or amylin) plays a role in glucose homeostasis but aggregates to form islet amyloid in type-2 diabetes. Islet amyloid formation contributes toβ-cell dysfunction and death in the disease and to the failure of islet transplants. Recent work suggests a role for IAPP aggregation in cardiovascular complications of type-2 diabetes and hints at a possible role in type-1 diabetes. The mechanisms of IAPP amyloid formationin vivoorin vitroare not understood and the mechanisms of IAPP inducedβ-cell death are not fully defined. Activation of the inflammasome, defects in autophagy, ER stress, generation of reactive oxygen species, membrane disruption, and receptor mediated mechanisms have all been proposed to play a role. Open questions in the field include the relative importance of the various mechanisms ofβ-cell death, the relevance of reductionist biophysical studies to the situationin vivo, the molecular mechanism of amyloid formationin vitroandin vivo, the factors which trigger amyloid formation in type-2 diabetes, the potential role of IAPP in type-1 diabetes, the development of clinically relevant inhibitors of islet amyloidosis toxicity, and the design of soluble, bioactive variants of IAPP for use as adjuncts to insulin therapy.
Novel SGH Recognition Algorithm Based Robot Binocular Vision System for Sorting Process
Authors: Yu Xiaoyang , Liu Shuang , Pang Ming , Zhang Jixun , Yu Shuchun
Published: November 2015

To achieve automatic sorting on commodity trademarks, a binocular vision system has been constructed in this paper. By adjusting camera pose, this system can obtain greater shooting perspective. In order to improve sorting accuracy, a now SGH recognition method is proposed. SGH consists of spatial color histogram (Sfeature), gray level cooccurrence matrix (Gfeature), and Hu moments (H) feature, which represent color feature, texture feature, and shaper feature, respectively. Similarity judgment function is built by using SGH. The experimental results show that SGH algorithm has a higher visual accuracy compared to single feature based recognition method.
Review of Herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Sun Guang-dong , Li Chao-yuan , Cui Wen-peng , Guo Qiao-yan , Dong Chang-qing , Zou Hong-bin , Liu Shu-jun , Dong Wen-peng , Miao Li-ning
Published: November 2015

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most serious chronic complications of diabetes; 20–40% of diabetic patients develop into end stage renal disease (ESRD). However, exact pathogenesis of DN is not fully clear and we have great difficulties in curing DN; poor treatment of DN led to high chances of mortality worldwide. A lot of western medicines such as ACEI and ARB have been demonstrated to protect renal function of DN but are not enough to delay or retard the progression of DN; therefore, exploring exact and feasible drug is current research hotspot in medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used to treat and control diabetes and its complications such as DN in a lot of scientific researches, which will give insights into the mechanism of DN, but they are not enough to reveal all the details. In this paper, we summarize the applications of herbal TCM preparations, single herbal TCM, and/or monomers from herbal TCM in the treatment of DN in the recent 10 years, depicting the renal protective effects and the corresponding mechanism, through which we shed light on the renal protective roles of TCM in DN with a particular focus on the molecular basis of the effect and provide a beneficial supplement to the drug therapy for DN.
Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Activation as the Main Mechanisms Underlying Graphene Toxicity against Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Jarosz Anna , Skoda Marta , Dudek Ilona , Szukiewicz Dariusz
Published: November 2015

Due to the development of nanotechnology graphene and graphene‐based nanomaterials have attracted the most attention owing to their unique physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Graphene can be applied in many fields among which biomedical applications especially diagnostics, cancer therapy, and drug delivery have been arousing a lot of interest. Therefore it is essential to understand better the graphene‐cell interactions, especially toxicity and underlying mechanisms for proper use and development. This review presents the recent knowledge concerning graphene cytotoxicity and influence on different cancer cell lines.
Redox Stimulation of Human THP‐1 Monocytes in Response to Cold Physical Plasma
Authors: Bekeschus Sander , Schmidt Anke , Bethge Lydia , Masur Kai , von Woedtke Thomas , Hasse Sybille , Wende Kristian
Published: November 2015

In plasma medicine, cold physical plasma delivers a delicate mixture of reactive components to cells and tissues. Recent studies suggested a beneficial role of cold plasma in wound healing. Yet, the biological processes related to the redox modulation via plasma are not fully understood. We here used the monocytic cell line THP‐1 as a model to test their response to cold plasma in vitro. Intriguingly, short term plasma treatment stimulated cell growth. Longer exposure only modestly compromised cell viability but apparently supported the growth of cells that were enlarged in size and that showed enhanced metabolic activity. A significantly increased mitochondrial content in plasma treated cells supported this notion. On THP‐1 cell proteome level, we identified an increase of protein translation with key regulatory proteins being involved in redox regulation (hypoxia inducible factor 2α), differentiation (retinoic acid signaling and interferon inducible factors), and cell growth (Yin Yang 1). Regulation of inflammation is a key element in many chronic diseases, and we found a significantly increased expression of the anti‐inflammatory heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and of the neutrophil attractant chemokine interleukin‐8 (IL‐8). Together, these results foster the view that cold physical plasma modulates the redox balance and inflammatory processes in wound related cells.
Modulation of RhoA GTPase Activity Sensitizes Human Cervix Carcinoma Cells to γ‐Radiation by Attenuating DNA Repair Pathways
Authors: Osaki Juliana H. , Espinha Gisele , Magalhaes Yuli T. , Forti Fabio L.
Published: November 2015

Radiotherapy with γ‐radiation is widely used in cancer treatment to induce DNA damage reducing cell proliferation and to kill tumor cells. Although RhoA GTPase overexpression/hyperactivation is observed in many malignancies, the effect of RhoA activity modulation on cancer radiosensitivity has not been previously investigated. Here, we generated stable HeLa cell clones expressing either the dominant negative RhoA‐N19 or the constitutively active RhoA‐V14 and compared the responses of these cell lines with those of parental HeLa cells, after treatment with low doses of γ‐radiation. HeLa‐RhoA‐N19 and HeLa‐RhoA‐V14 clones displayed reduced proliferation and survival compared to parental cells after radiation and became arrested at cell cycle stages correlated with increased cellular senescence and apoptosis. Also, Chk1/Chk2 and histone H2A phosphorylation data, as well as comet assays, suggest that the levels of DNA damage and DNA repair activation and efficiency in HeLa cell lines are correlated with active RhoA. In agreement with these results, RhoA inhibition by C3 toxin expression drastically affected homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). These data suggest that modulation of RhoA GTPase activity impairs DNA damage repair, increasing HeLa cell radiosensitivity.
HDAC6 Regulates the Chaperone‐Mediated Autophagy to Prevent Oxidative Damage in Injured Neurons after Experimental Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Su Min , Guan Huaqing , Zhang Fan , Gao Yarong , Teng Xiaomei , Yang Weixin
Published: November 2015

Hypoxia‐ischemia‐ (HI‐) induced oxidative stress plays a role in secondary pathocellular processes of acute spinal cord injury (SCI) due to HI from many kinds of mechanical trauma. Increasing evidence suggests that the histone deacetylase‐6 (HDAC6) plays an important role in cell homeostasis in both physiological and abnormal, stressful, pathological conditions. This paper found that inhibition of HDAC6 accelerated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cell apoptosis in response to the HI. Deficiency of HDAC6 hindered the chaperone‐mediated autophagy (CMA) activity to resistance of HI‐induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, this study provided the experimental evidence for the potential role of HDAC6 in the regulation of CMA by affecting HSP90 acetylation. Therefore, HDAC6 plays an important role in the function of CMA pathway under the HI stress induced by SCI and it may be a potential therapeutic target in acute SCI model.
Camera Space Particle Filter for the Robust and Precise Indoor Localization of a Wheelchair
Authors: Chavez-Romero Raul , Cardenas Antonio , Maya Mauro , Sanchez Alejandra , Piovesan Davide
Published: November 2015

This paper presents the theoretical development and experimental implementation of a sensing technique for the robust and precise localization of a robotic wheelchair. Estimates of the vehicle’s position and orientation are obtained, based on camera observations of visual markers located at discrete positions within the environment. A novel implementation of a particle filter on camera sensor space (Camera-Space Particle Filter) is used to combine visual observations with sensed wheel rotations mapped onto a camera space through an observation function. The camera space particle filter fuses the odometry and vision sensors information within camera space, resulting in a precise update of the wheelchair’s pose. Using this approach, an inexpensive implementation on an electric wheelchair is presented. Experimental results within three structured scenarios and comparative performance using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Camera-Space Particle Filter (CSPF) implementations are discussed. The CSPF was found to be more precise in the pose of the wheelchair than the EKF since the former does not require the assumption of a linear system affected by zero-mean Gaussian noise. Furthermore, the time for computational processing for both implementations is of the same order of magnitude.
Research on Multifeature Segmentation Method of Remote Sensing Images Based on Graph Theory
Authors: Bao Wenxing , Yao Xiuhong
Published: November 2015

According to the characteristics of high-resolution remote sensing (RS) images, a new multifeature segmentation method of high-resolution remote sensing images combining the spectrum, shape, and texture features based on graph theory is presented in the paper. Firstly, the quadtree segmentation method is used to partition the original image. Secondly, the spectrum, shape, and texture weight components are calculated all based on the constructed graph. The matching degree between pixels and the texture is computed similarity. Finally, the ratio cut standards combination of the spectrum, shape, and texture weight components is used for the final segmentation. The experimental results show that this method can obtain more ideal results and higher segmentation accuracy applied to RS image than those traditional methods.
Nrf2/ARE Pathway Involved in Oxidative Stress Induced by Paraquat in Human Neural Progenitor Cells
Authors: Dou Tingting , Yan Mengling , Wang Xinjin , Lu Wen , Zhao Lina , Lou Dan , Wu Chunhua , Chang Xiuli , Zhou Zhijun
Published: November 2015

Compelling evidences have shown that diverse environmental insults arising during early life can either directly lead to a reduction in the number of dopaminergic neurons or cause an increased susceptibility to neurons degeneration with subsequent environmental insults or with aging alone. Oxidative stress is considered the main effect of neurotoxins exposure. In this study, we investigated the oxidative stress effect of Paraquat (PQ) on immortalized human embryonic neural progenitor cells by treating them with various concentrations of PQ. We show that PQ can decrease the activity of SOD and CAT but increase MDA and LDH level. Furthermore, the activities of Cyc and caspase‐9 were found increased significantly at 10 μM of PQ treatment. The cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein expressions were upregulated at 10 μM but fell back at 100 μM. The nuclear Nrf2 protein expressions were upregulated as well as the downstream mRNA expressions of HO‐1 and NQO1 in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, the proteins expression of PKC and CKII was also increased significantly even at 1 μM. The results suggested that Nrf2/ARE pathway is involved in mild to moderate PQ‐induced oxidative stress which is evident from dampened Nrf2 activity and low expression of antioxidant genes in PQ induced oxidative damage.
Involvement of Ca2+ Activated Cl- Channel Ano6 in Platelet Activation and Apoptosis
Authors: Liu Guoxing , Liu Guilai , Chen Hong , Borst Oliver , Gawaz Meinrad , Vortkamp Andrea , Schreiber Rainer , Kunzelmann Karl , Lang Florian
Published: November 2015

Background/Aims: The ubiquitously expressed Ca2+ Activated Cl- Channel Ano6 participates in the stimulation of cell membrane scrambling. Defective Ano6 underlies the Scott syndrome, an inherited bleeding disorder with impaired scrambling of plasma membrane phospholipids. At least in theory, the bleeding disorder of Scott syndrome may result from impaired platelet function. Activators of platelets include thrombin and collagen related peptide (CRP), which trigger increase of cytosolic Ca2+-activity ([Ca2+]i), production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), degranulation, integrin activation, as well as cell shrinkage and phospholipid scrambling of the cell membrane. The present study thus explored whether Ano6 modifies activation-induced alterations of cytosolic Ca2+-activity ([Ca2+]i), degranulation (P-selectin exposure), integrin activation, phosphatidylserine exposure on the platelet surface and platelet volume. Methods: Platelets from mice lacking Ano6 (ano6-/-) were compared to platelets from corresponding wild-type mice (ano6+/+). [Ca2+]i was estimated from Fluo-3 fluorescence, ROS from DCFDA fluorescence, degranulation from P-selectin abundance, integrin activation from αIIbβ3-integrin abundance, phosphatidylserine abundance from annexin-V-binding, and cell volume from forward scatter. Results: Platelet number in blood was slightly higher in ano6-/- mice than in ano6+/+ mice. Without activation [Ca2+]i and volume were similar in ano6-/- and ano6+/+ platelets as well as ROS abundance, P-selectin abundance, αIIbβ3 integrin activation, and phosphatidylserine exposure were negligible in both genotypes. Thrombin (0.01 U/ml) and CRP (2 or 5 µg/ml) increased [Ca2+]i, ROS abundance, platelet degranulation, αIIbβ3 integrin activation, and triggered annexin-V-binding as well as cell shrinkage, all effects less pronounced in ano6-/- than in ano6+/+ platelets. Conclusions: Genetic knockout of Ano6 blunts thrombin- and CRP-induced activation and apoptosis of blood platelets.
Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation for Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kariyama Kazuya , Wakuta Akiko , Nishimura Mamoru , Kishida Masayuki , Oonishi Ayano , Ohyama Atsushi , Nouso Kazuhiro , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: November 2015

Objectives: Radiofrequency ablation plays a key role in the treatment of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. However, it is not recommended for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. The objective of this study was to clarify the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation for treating intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: We examined the outcome of 65 consecutive patients who were treated with radiofrequency ablation with or without transarterial chemoembolization for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Results: With a median follow-up of 37 months, overall survival rates of 65 cases at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were 90, 70, 51, and 36%, respectively. Multivariate analysis of clinical parameters revealed that the multicentric occurrence (MC)/intrahepatic metastasis (IM) was the only significant prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence intervals, 2.1-11.4). Tumor size and tumor number were not significant factors for survival. The overall survival rates of patients with MC (n = 33) at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were 97, 90, 80, and 59%, respectively; those for patients with IM (n = 32) were 86, 55, 14, and 8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Two cases (4.9%) had complications of hemothorax and diaphragmatic burn; however, no major complications were observed. Conclusion: Radiofrequency ablation is safe and effective for the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, especially for patients with MC.
Hyperenhanced Rim Surrounding Liver Metastatic Tumors in the Postvascular Phase of Sonazoid-Enhanced Ultrasonography: A Histological Indication of the Presence of Kupffer Cells
Authors: Tochio Hitoshi , Sugahara Masafumi , Imai Yukihiro , Tei Hiroshi , Suginoshita Yoshiyuki , Imawsaki Nobuhiro , Sasaki Ichiro , Hamada Michio , Minowa Kazushi , Inokuma Tetsuo , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: November 2015

Aim: A hyperenhanced rim (termed ‘HER') in the postvascular phase is detected in some cases of liver metastasis by Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography (US). Here, the association of the HER with histological features was investigated to clarify the cause of this characteristic imaging pattern. Subjects and Methods: A total of 13 hepatic nodules obtained from 11 patients with metastatic liver cancer who underwent Sonazoid-enhanced US followed by surgical resection were analyzed. The distribution density of CD68-positive cells in the tumor rim and the nontumor area was calculated and compared between the HER-positive and HER-negative groups. The relation between the pathological features of the tumor rim and the rate of necrosis within the tumor was also investigated. Results: In the HER-positive group (n = 8), the distribution density of CD68-positive cells was 2.9 ± 0.9, which was significantly higher than that (1.0 ± 0.3) in the HER-negative group (p < 0.05). Inflammatory cell infiltrates, including CD8-positive lymphocytes, were detected in all the HER-positive cases in the area surrounding the tumor, while fibrosis was observed in all the HER-negative cases. The necrotic area within the tumor was significantly larger in the HER-negative group. Conclusion: The HER-positive sign in liver metastases could reflect an increase in Kupffer cells in the tumor rim. The presence of the HER was associated with inflammatory cell infiltrates including CD8-positive lymphocytes surrounding the metastatic liver tumor.
Recent Advances in the Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Including Suppression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Entecavir and Interferon
Authors: Kim Soo Ki , Kim Soo Ryang , Imoto Susumu , Tohyama Madoka , Otono Yumi , Tamura Tomoko , Kim Ke Ih , Kobayashi Mana , Ohtani Aya , Sugimoto Kayo , Mizuguchi Aya , Hiramatsu Yukiko , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: November 2015

At present, for adults with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, two new analogues, entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir, are recommended as the first-line therapy by the EASL (European Association for the Study of the Liver), AASLD (American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases), and APASL (Asian Paciﬁc Association for the Study of the Liver) guidelines. The use of pegylated interferon-α (PEG IFN-α) is recommended as the first-line therapy instead of standard IFN-α according to the above 3 guidelines. In this paper, the aim was to assess: (1) the long-term efficacy and safety as well as the resistance to ETV and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF); (2) the efficacy of PEG IFN-α; (3) the role of combination therapy with IFN plus two analogues, such as lamivudine and ETV; (4) the efficacy and safety of two analogues with cirrhosis, and (5) suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by ETV and IFN treatment. The results are as follows: (1) both ETV and TDF showed long-term efficacy and safety; (2) PEG IFN-α resulted in a greater decline in HBV DNA levels and a higher rate of HBeAg seroconversion; (3) combination therapy with IFN plus two analogues did not elevate the rate of sustained responses; (4) both ETV and TDF showed efficacy and safety with cirrhosis (ETV especially displayed efficacy and safety with decompensated cirrhosis), and (5) suppression of HCC was observed by ETV and IFN.
Left Renal Cortical Thickness Measured by Ultrasound Can Predict Early Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Takata Tomoaki , Koda Masahiko , Sugihara Takaaki , Sugihara Shinobu , Okamoto Toshiaki , Miyoshi Kenichi , Hodotsuka Masanori , Fujise Yuki , Matono Tomomitsu , Okano Junichi , Hosho Keiko , Iyama Takuji , Fukui Takeaki , Fukuda Satoko , Munemura Chishio , Isomoto Hajime
Published: November 2015

Aims: The kidney becomes atrophic in advanced chronic kidney disease, and renal size and parenchymal volume correlate with renal function. However, alterations in renal parenchymal volume have not been adequately studied in terms of the renal cortex and medulla. We investigated the relationship between the changes in the renal cortex and medulla and renal function. Methods: Renal ultrasound (US) parameters including renal length, parenchymal thickness, cortical thickness and medullary thickness were assessed in 176 subjects, who were categorized into 4 groups based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73 m2): group 1, ≥90; group 2, ≥60 but <90; group 3, ≥30 but <60; and group 4, <30. Renal US parameters in both kidneys were compared among the 4 groups. Results: We found stepwise associations in renal length, cortical thickness and parenchymal thickness with decreased renal function. Medullary thickness showed no changes among groups 1-3. Multiple linear regression analysis including sex, age and renal US parameters showed that only renal length was an independent predictor of renal function. When analyzed in groups 1-3, cortical thickness was the strongest associated parameter. Lower cortical left/right ratio (left cortical thickness/right cortical thickness) showed a stepwise association with a decrease in renal function. Conclusion: Renal length and cortical thickness measured by US were correlated with renal function. In particular, left cortical thickness could help to detect early changes in renal function.
A checklist of amphibians of Kerala, India
Authors: Das Sandeep
Published: November 2015

A checklist of amphibians of Kerala State is presented in this paper.  Accepted English names, scientific binomen,  vernacular names in Malayalam, IUCN conservation status, endemism, Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act schedules, and the appendices in the CITES, pertaining to the amphibians of Kerala are also given.  The State of Kerala has 151 species of amphibians, 136 of which are endemic to Western Ghats and 50 species fall under the various threatened categories of IUCN. 

 
Trends in Modifiable Risk Factors Are Associated With Declining Incidence of Hospitalized and Nonhospitalized Acute Coronary Heart Disease in a Population
Authors: Mannsverk Jan , Wilsgaard Tom , Mathiesen Ellisiv B. , Løchen Maja-Lisa , Rasmussen Knut , Thelle Dag S. , Njølstad Inger , Hopstock Laila Arnesdatter , Bønaa Kaare Harald
Published: November 2015

Background—

Few studies have used individual person data to study whether contemporary trends in the incidence of coronary heart disease are associated with changes in modifiable coronary risk factors.

Methods and Results—

We identified 29 582 healthy men and women ≥25 years of age who participated in 3 population surveys conducted between 1994 and 2008 in Tromsø, Norway. Age- and sex-adjusted incidence rates were calculated for coronary heart disease overall, out-of-hospital sudden death, and hospitalized ST-segment–elevation and non–ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. We measured coronary risk factors at each survey and estimated the relationship between changes in risk factors and changes in incidence trends. A total of 1845 participants had an incident acute coronary heart disease event during 375 064 person-years of follow-up from 1994 to 2010. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of total coronary heart disease decreased by 3% (95% confidence interval, 2.0–4.0;
P
<0.001) each year. This decline was driven by decreases in out-of-hospital sudden death and hospitalized ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. Changes in coronary risk factors accounted for 66% (95% confidence interval, 48–97;
P
<0.001) of the decline in total coronary heart disease. Favorable changes in cholesterol contributed 32% to the decline, whereas blood pressure, smoking, and physical activity each contributed 14%, 13%, and 9%, respectively.

Conclusions—

We observed a substantial decline in the incidence of coronary heart disease that was driven by reductions in out-of-hospital sudden death and hospitalized ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. Changes in modifiable coronary risk factors accounted for 66% of the decline in coronary heart disease events.