bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiation-Induced Growth Retardation and Microstructural and Metabolite Abnormalities in the Hippocampus
Authors: Rodgers Shaefali P. , Zawaski Janice A. , Sahnoune Iman , Leasure J. Leigh , Gaber M. Waleed
Published: May 2016

Cranial radiotherapy (CRT) increases survival in pediatric brain-tumor patients but can cause deleterious effects. This study evaluates the acute and long-term impact of CRT delivered during childhood/adolescence on the brain and body using a rodent model. Rats received CRT, either 4 Gy fractions × 5 d (fractionated) or a cumulative dose of 20 Gy (single dose) at 28 d of age. Animals were euthanized 1 d, 5 d, or 3.5 mo after CRT. The 3.5 mo group was imaged prior to euthanasia. At 3.5 mo, we observed significant growth retardation in irradiated animals, versus controls, and the effects of single dose on brain and body weights were more severe than fractionated. Acutely single dose significantly reduced body weight but increased brain weight, whereas fractionation significantly reduced brain but not body weights, versus controls. CRT suppressed cell proliferation in the hippocampal subgranular zone acutely. Fractional anisotropy (FA) in the fimbria was significantly lower in the single dose versus controls. Hippocampal metabolite levels were significantly altered in the single dose animals, reflecting a heightened state of inflammation that was absent in the fractionated. Our findings indicate that despite the differences in severity between the doses they both demonstrated an effect on cell proliferation and growth retardation, important factors in pediatric CRT.
More Than Needles: The Importance of Explanations and Self‐Care Advice in Treating Primary Dysmenorrhea with Acupuncture
Authors: Armour Michael , Dahlen Hannah G. , Smith Caroline A.
Published: May 2016

Background. Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynaecological condition. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncturists commonly treat primary dysmenorrhea and dispense specific self‐care advice for this condition. The impact of self‐care advice on primary dysmenorrhea is unknown. Methods. 19 TCM acupuncture practitioners from New Zealand or Australia and 12 New Zealand women who had recently undergone acupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea as part of a randomised controlled trial participated in this qualitative, pragmatic study. Focus groups and semistructured interviews were used to collect data. These were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results. The overarching theme was that an acupuncture treatment consisted of “more than needles” for both practitioners and participants. Practitioners and participants both discussed the partnership they engaged in during treatment, based on openness and trust. Women felt that the TCM self‐care advice was related to positive outcomes for their dysmenorrhea and increased their feelings of control over their menstrual symptoms. Conclusions. Most of the women in this study found improved symptom control and reduced pain. A contributing factor for these improvements may be an increased internal health locus of control and an increase in self‐efficacy resulting from the self‐care advice given during the clinical trial.
The Status of the Quality Control in Acupuncture‐Neuroimaging Studies
Authors: Qiu Ke , Jing Miaomiao , Sun Ruirui , Yang Jie , Liu Xiaoyan , He Zhaoxuan , Yin Shuai , Lan Ying , Cheng Shirui , Gao Feifei , Liang Fanrong , Zeng Fang
Published: May 2016

Using neuroimaging techniques to explore the central mechanism of acupuncture gains increasing attention, but the quality control of acupuncture‐neuroimaging study remains to be improved. We searched the PubMed Database during 1995 to 2014. The original English articles with neuroimaging scan performed on human beings were included. The data involved quality control including the author, sample size, characteristics of the participant, neuroimaging technology, and acupuncture intervention were extracted and analyzed. The rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria are important guaranty for the participants’ homogeneity. The standard operation process of acupuncture and the stricter requirement for acupuncturist play significant role in quality control. More attention should be paid to the quality control in future studies to improve the reproducibility and reliability of the acupuncture‐neuroimaging studies.
Interval Colorectal Cancers following Guaiac Fecal Occult Blood Testing in the Ontario ColonCancerCheck Program
Authors: Paszat Lawrence , Sutradhar Rinku , Tinmouth Jill , Baxter Nancy , Rabeneck Linda
Published: May 2016

Background.This work examines the occurrence of interval colorectal cancers (CRCs) in the Ontario ColonCancerCheck (CCC) program. We define interval CRC as CRC diagnosed within 2 years following normal guaiac fecal occult blood testing (gFOBT).Methods.Persons aged 50–74 who completed a baseline CCC gFOBT kit in 2008 and 2009, without a prior history of CRC, or recent colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or gFOBT, were identified. Rates of CRC following positive and normal results at baseline and subsequent gFOBT screens were computed and overall survival was compared between those following positive and normal results.Results.Interval CRC was diagnosed within 24 months following the baseline screen among 0.16% of normals and following the subsequent screen among 0.18% of normals. Interval cancers comprised 38.70% of CRC following the baseline screen and 50.86% following the subsequent screen. Adjusting for age and sex, the hazard ratio (HR) for death following interval cancer compared to CRC following positive result was 1.65 (1.32, 2.05) following the first screen and 1.71 (1.00, 2.91) following the second screen.Conclusion.Interval CRCs following gFOBT screening comprise a significant proportion of CRC diagnosed within 2 years after gFOBT testing and are associated with a higher risk of death.
The Use of Protein-Protein Interactions for the Analysis of the Associations between PM2.5 and Some Diseases
Authors: Zhang Qing , Zhang Pei-Wei , Cai Yu-Dong
Published: May 2016

Nowadays, pollution levels are rapidly increasing all over the world. One of the most important pollutants is PM2.5. It is known that the pollution environment may cause several problems, such as greenhouse effect and acid rain. Among them, the most important problem is that pollutants can induce a number of serious diseases. Some studies have reported that PM2.5 is an important etiologic factor for lung cancer. In this study, we extensively investigate the associations between PM2.5 and 22 disease classes recommended by Goh et al., such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. The protein-protein interactions were used to measure the linkage between disease genes and genes that have been reported to be modulated by PM2.5. The results suggest that some diseases, such as diseases related to ear, nose, and throat and gastrointestinal, nutritional, renal, and cardiovascular diseases, are influenced by PM2.5 and some evidences were provided to confirm our results. For example, a total of 18 genes related to cardiovascular diseases are identified to be closely related to PM2.5, and cardiovascular disease relevant gene DSP is significantly related to PM2.5 gene JUP.
The Use of Adenovirus Dodecahedron in the Delivery of an Enzymatic Activity in the Cell
Authors: Sumarheni  , Gallet Benoit , Fender Pascal
Published: May 2016

Penton-dodecahedron (Pt-Dd) derived from adenovirus type 3 is a symmetric complex of pentameric penton base plus fiber which can be produced in the baculovirus system at a high concentration. The size of Pt-Dd is smaller than the virus, but this virus-like particle (VLP) has the major proteins recognized by specific receptors on the surface of almost all types of cell. In this study, by direct observation with fluorescence microscopy on a fixed and living cell, the intracellular trafficking and localization of Pt-Dd labeled with fluorescence dyes in the cytoplasm of HeLa Tub-GFP showed a rapid internalization characteristic. Subsequently, the linkage of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with Pt-Dd as the vector demonstrated an efficient system to deliver this enzyme into the cell without interfering its enzymatic activity as shown by biochemical and cellular experiments. These results were supported by additional studies using Bs-Dd or free form of the HRP used as the control. Overall, this study strengthens the potential role of Pt-Dd as an alternative vector for delivering therapeutic agents.
Voltammetric Determination of Flunixin on Molecularly Imprinted Polypyrrole Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Radi Abd-Elgawad , Abd El-Ghany Nadia , Wahdan Tarek
Published: May 2016

A novel electrochemical sensing approach, based on electropolymerization of a molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (MIPpy) film onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface, was developed for the detection of flunixin (FXN). The sensing conditions and the performance of the constructed sensor were assessed by cyclic, differential pulse and (DPV) square wave voltammetry (SWV). The sensor exhibited high sensitivity, with linear responses in the range of 5.0 to 50.0 µM with detection limits of 1.5 and 1.0 µM for DPV and SWV, respectively. In addition, the sensor showed high selectivity towards FXN in comparison to other interferents. The sensor was successfully utilized for the direct determination of FXN in buffalo raw milk samples.
Bilateral Chondroepitrochlearis Muscle: Case Report, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Clinical Significance
Authors: Palagama Sujeewa P. W. , Tedman Raymond A. , Barton Matthew J. , Forwood Mark R.
Published: May 2016

Anomalous muscular variants of pectoralis major have been reported on several occasions in the medical literature. Among them, chondroepitrochlearis is one of the rarest. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive description of its anatomy and subsequent clinical significance, along with its phylogenetic importance in pectoral muscle evolution with regard to primate posture. The authors suggest a more appropriate name to better reflect its proximal attachment to the costochondral junction and distal attachment to the epicondyle of humerus, as “chondroepicondylaris”; in addition, we suggest a new theory of phylogenetic significance to explain the twisting of pectoralis major tendon in primates that may have occurred with their adoption to bipedalism and arboreal lifestyle. Finally, the clinical significance of this aberrant muscle is elaborated as a cause of potential neurovascular entrapment and as a possible hurdle during axillary surgeries (i.e., mastectomy).
A Novel Method of Fault Diagnosis for Rolling Bearing Based on Dual Tree Complex Wavelet Packet Transform and Improved Multiscale Permutation Entropy
Authors: Tang Guiji , Wang Xiaolong , He Yuling
Published: May 2016

A novel method of fault diagnosis for rolling bearing, which combines the dual tree complex wavelet packet transform (DTCWPT), the improved multiscale permutation entropy (IMPE), and the linear local tangent space alignment (LLTSA) with the extreme learning machine (ELM), is put forward in this paper. In this method, in order to effectively discover the underlying feature information, DTCWPT, which has the attractive properties as nearly shift invariance and reduced aliasing, is firstly utilized to decompose the original signal into a set of subband signals. Then, IMPE, which is designed to reduce the variability of entropy measures, is applied to characterize the properties of each obtained subband signal at different scales. Furthermore, the feature vectors are constructed by combining IMPE of each subband signal. After the feature vectors construction, LLTSA is employed to compress the high dimensional vectors of the training and the testing samples into the low dimensional vectors with better distinguishability. Finally, the ELM classifier is used to automatically accomplish the condition identification with the low dimensional feature vectors. The experimental data analysis results validate the effectiveness of the presented diagnosis method and demonstrate that this method can be applied to distinguish the different fault types and fault degrees of rolling bearings.
CAM Stochastic Volatility Model for Option Pricing
Authors: Huang Wanwan , Ewald Brian , Ökten Giray
Published: May 2016

The coupled additive and multiplicative (CAM) noises model is a stochastic volatility model for derivative pricing. Unlike the other stochastic volatility models in the literature, the CAM model uses two Brownian motions, one multiplicative and one additive, to model the volatility process. We provide empirical evidence that suggests a nontrivial relationship between the kurtosis and skewness of asset prices and that the CAM model is able to capture this relationship, whereas the traditional stochastic volatility models cannot. We introduce a control variate method and Monte Carlo estimators for some of the sensitivities (Greeks) of the model. We also derive an approximation for the characteristic function of the model.
GIS Based Approach for Vulnerability Assessment of the Karnataka Coast, India
Authors: Beluru Jana Akshaya , Hegde Arkal Vittal
Published: May 2016

The coastal zones are highly resourceful and dynamic. In recent times, increased events of tropical cyclones and the devastating impact of the December 2004 tsunami have brought forth the importance of assessing the vulnerability of the coast to hazard-induced flooding and inundation in coastal areas. This study intends to develop coastal vulnerability index (CVI) for the administrative units, known astalukasof the Karnataka state. Seven physical and geologic risk variables characterizing the vulnerability of the coast, including rate of relative sea level change, historical shoreline change, coastal slope, coastal regional elevation, mean tidal range, and significant wave height derived using conventional and remotely sensed data, along with one socioeconomic parameter “population,” were used in the study. A total of 298 km of shoreline are ranked in the study. It was observed that about 68.65 km of the shoreline is under very high vulnerable category and 79.26 km of shoreline is under high vulnerable category. Of the remaining shoreline, 59.14 km and 91.04 km are of moderate and low vulnerable categories, respectively.
CT and MR Unilateral Brain Features Secondary to Nonketotic Hyperglycemia Presenting as Hemichorea-Hemiballism
Authors: Suárez-Vega Víctor Manuel , Sánchez Almaraz Carlos , Bernardo Ana Isabel , Rodríguez-Díaz Ricardo , Díez Barrio Ana , Martín Gil Leticia
Published: May 2016

Hemichorea-hemiballism is an unusual hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by continuous involuntary movements of an entire limb or both limbs on one side of the body. The acute onset of this disorder occurs with an insult in contralateral basal ganglia. Ischemic events represent the most common cause. Nonketotic hyperglycemia comes in second place. Nonketotic hyperglycemic hemichorea-hemiballism (NHH) is a rare cause of unilateral brain abnormalities on imaging studies confined to basal ganglia (mainly putaminal region as well as caudate nucleus). Subtle hyperdensity in striatal region can be found on CT studies whereas brain MR imaging typically shows T1 hyperintensity and T2 hypointensity in the basal ganglia contralateral to the movements. Diagnosis is based on both glucose levels and neuroimaging findings. Elevated blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels occur with poorly controlled diabetes. In this case report, our aim is to present neuroimaging CT and MR unilateral findings in an elderly woman secondary to nonketotic hyperglycemia presenting as hemichorea-hemiballism.
Concomitant Guillain Barre Syndrome and Transverse Myelitis as Initial Neuropsychiatric Manifestation in a Case of Lupus: A Diagnostic Quandary
Authors: Srivastava Anshuman , Kundu Bijit Kumar , Singh Diwakar Kumar
Published: May 2016

Neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus are varied. Presently nineteen in number, they are classified as whether affecting the central or the peripheral compartments of the nervous system. Its diagnosis however remains difficult, more so when two or more of the syndromes are found concomitantly in the same patient and when they occur in absence of the more classical rash, serositis, and haematological manifestations. We present a case of lupus where myelopathy as well as demyelination existed simultaneously as the initial neurologic manifestation.
Acoustic Absorption of Natural Fiber Composites
Authors: Mamtaz Hasina , Fouladi Mohammad Hosseini , Al-Atabi Mushtak , Narayana Namasivayam Satesh
Published: May 2016

The current study is a bibliographic observation on prevailing tendencies in the development of acoustic absorption by natural fiber composites. Despite having less detrimental environmental effects and thorough availability, natural fibers are still unsuitable for wide implementation in industrial purposes. Some shortcomings such as the presence of moisture contents, thicker diameter, and lower antifungus quality hold up the progress of natural fiber composites in staying competitive with synthetic composites. The review indicates the importance of the pretreatment of fresh natural fiber to overcome these shortcomings. However, the pretreatment of natural fiber causes the removal of moisture contents which results in the decrease of its acoustic absorption performance. Incorporation of granular materials in treated fiber composite is expected to play a significant role as a replacement for moisture contents. This review aims to investigate the acoustic absorption behavior of natural fiber composites due to the incorporation of granular materials. It is intended that this review will provide an overview of the analytical approaches for the modeling of acoustic wave propagation through the natural fiber composites. The possible influential factors of fibers and grains were described in this study for the enhancement of low frequency acoustic absorption of the composites.
High-Grade Glioma of the Ventrolateral Medulla in an Adult: Case Presentation and Discussion of Surgical Considerations
Authors: Spurgeon Angela , Le Viet , Konakondla Sanjay , Miller Douglas C. , Hopkins Tamera , Litofsky N. Scott
Published: May 2016

Background. High-grade gliomas of the brainstem are rare in adults and are particularly rare in the anterolateral medulla. We describe an illustrative case and discuss the diagnostic and treatment issues associated with a tumor in this location, including differential diagnosis, anatomical considerations for options for surgical management, multimodality treatment, and prognosis.Case Description. A 69-year-old woman presented with a 3-week history of progressive right lower extremity weakness. She underwent an open biopsy via a far lateral approach with partial condylectomy, which revealed a glioblastoma. Concurrent temozolomide and radiation were completed; however, she elected to stop her chemotherapy after 5.5 weeks of treatment. She succumbed to her disease 11 months after diagnosis.Conclusions. Biopsy can be performed relatively safely to provide definitive diagnosis to guide treatment, but long-term prognosis is poor.
A Slice-Based Change Impact Analysis for Regression Test Case Prioritization of Object-Oriented Programs
Authors: Panda S. , Munjal D. , Mohapatra D. P.
Published: May 2016

Test case prioritization focuses on finding a suitable order of execution of the test cases in a test suite to meet some performance goals like detecting faults early. It is likely that some test cases execute the program parts that are more prone to errors and will detect more errors if executed early during the testing process. Finding an optimal order of execution for the selected regression test cases saves time and cost of retesting. This paper presents a static approach to prioritizing the test cases by computing the affected component coupling (ACC) of the affected parts of object-oriented programs. We construct a graph named affected slice graph (ASG) to represent these affected program parts. We determine the fault-proneness of the nodes of ASG by computing their respective ACC values. We assign higher priority to those test cases that cover the nodes with higher ACC values. Our analysis with mutation faults shows that the test cases executing the fault-prone program parts have a higher chance to reveal faults earlier than other test cases in the test suite. The result obtained from seven case studies justifies that our approach is feasible and gives acceptable performance in comparison to some existing techniques.
Blastocystissp. Infection Mimicking Clostridium Difficile Colitis
Authors: Gil Gaby S. , Chaudhari Shobhana , Shady Ahmed , Caballes Ana , Hong Joe
Published: May 2016

We report an unusual case of severe diarrhea related toBlastocystissp. infection in a patient with end stage renal disease on hemodialysis. The patient was admitted due to profuse diarrhea associated with fever and leukocytosis. Pertinent stool work-up such as leukocytes in stool, stool culture, clostridium difficile toxin B PCR, and serology for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C and cytomegalovirus screening were all negative. Ova and parasite stool examination revealedBlastocystissp. The patient was given intravenous metronidazole with clinical improvement by day three and total resolution of symptoms by day ten.
Context-Aware Mobile Sensors for Sensing Discrete Events in Smart Environment
Authors: Ahmad Awais , Rathore M. Mazhar , Paul Anand , Hong Won-Hwa , Seo HyunCheol
Published: May 2016

Over the last few decades, several advancements in the field of smart environment gained importance, so the experts can analyze ideas for smart building based on embedded systems to minimize the expense and energy conservation. Therefore, propelling the concept of smart home toward smart building, several challenges of power, communication, and sensors’ connectivity can be seen. Such challenges distort the interconnectivity between different technologies, such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, making it possible to provide the continuous connectivity among different objects such as sensors, actuators, home appliances, and cell phones. Therefore, this paper presents the concept of smart building based on embedded systems that enhance low power mobile sensors for sensing discrete events in embedded systems. The proposed scheme comprises system architecture that welcomes all the mobile sensors to communicate with each other using a single platform service. The proposed system enhances the concept of smart building in three stages (i.e., visualization, data analysis, and application). For low power mobile sensors, we propose a communication model, which provides a common medium for communication. Finally, the results show that the proposed system architecture efficiently processes, analyzes, and integrates different datasets efficiently and triggers actions to provide safety measurements for the elderly, patients, and others.
Liposomal Systems as Nanocarriers for the Antiviral Agent Ivermectin
Authors: Croci Romina , Bottaro Elisabetta , Chan Kitti Wing Ki , Watanabe Satoru , Pezzullo Margherita , Mastrangelo Eloise , Nastruzzi Claudio
Published: May 2016

RNA virus infections can lead to the onset of severe diseases such as fever with haemorrhage, multiorgan failure, and mortality. The emergence and reemergence of RNA viruses continue to pose a significant public health threat worldwide with particular attention to the increasing incidence of flaviviruses, among others Dengue, West Nile Virus, and Yellow Fever viruses. Development of new and potent antivirals is thus urgently needed. Ivermectin, an already known antihelminthic drug, has shown potent effectsin vitroonFlavivirushelicase, with EC50values in the subnanomolar range for Yellow Fever and submicromolar EC50for Dengue Fever, Japanese encephalitis, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. However ivermectin is hampered in its application by pharmacokinetic problems (little solubility and high cytotoxicity). To overcome such problems we engineered different compositions of liposomes as ivermectin carriers characterizing and testing them on several cell lines for cytotoxicity. The engineered liposomes were less cytotoxic than ivermectin alone and they showed a significant increase of the antiviral activity in all the Dengue stains tested (1, 2, and S221). In the current study ivermectin is confirmed to be an effective potential antiviral and liposomes, as drug carriers, are shown to modulate the drug activity. All together the results represent a promising starting point for future improvement of ivermectin as antiviral and its delivery.
Preparation of Two-Layer Anion-Exchange Poly(ethersulfone) Based Membrane: Effect of Surface Modification
Authors: Zarybnicka Lucie , Stranska Eliska , Machotova Jana , Lencova Gabriela
Published: May 2016

The present work deals with the surface modification of a commercial microfiltration poly(ethersulfone) membrane by graft polymerization technique. Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene-co-4-vinylbenzylchloride) surface layer was covalently attached onto the poly(ethersulfone) support layer to improve the membrane electrochemical properties. Followed by amination, a two-layer anion-exchange membrane was prepared. The effect of surface layer treatment using the extraction in various solvents on membrane morphological and electrochemical characteristics was studied. The membranes were tested from the point of view of water content, ion-exchange capacity, specific resistance, permselectivity, FT-IR spectroscopy, and SEM analysis. It was found that the two-layer anion-exchange membranes after the extraction using tetrahydrofuran or toluene exhibited smooth and porous surface layer, which resulted in improved ion-exchange capacity, electrical resistance, and permselectivity of the membranes.
Survival Analysis of Fatigue and Rutting Failures in Asphalt Pavements
Authors: Rajbongshi Pabitra , Thongram Sonika
Published: May 2016

Fatigue and rutting are two primary failure mechanisms in asphalt pavements. The evaluations of fatigue and rutting performances are significantly uncertain due to large uncertainties involved with the traffic and pavement life parameters. Therefore, deterministically it is inadequate to predict when an in-service pavement would fail. Thus, the deterministic failure time which is known as design life (yr) of pavement becomes random in nature. Reliability analysis of such time (t) dependent random variable is the survival analysis of the structure. This paper presents the survival analysis of fatigue and rutting failures in asphalt pavement structures. It is observed that the survival of pavements with time can be obtained using the bathtub concept that contains a constant failure rate period and an increasing failure rate period. The survival function (S(t)), probability density function (pdf), and probability distribution function (PDF) of failure time parameter are derived using bathtub analysis. It is seen that the distribution of failure time follows three parametric Weibull distributions. This paper also works out to find the most reliable life (YrR) of pavement sections corresponding to any reliability level of survivability.
Magnetic HexadecapoleγTransitions and Neutrino-Nuclear Responses in Medium-Heavy Nuclei
Authors: Jokiniemi Lotta , Suhonen Jouni , Ejiri Hiroyasu
Published: May 2016

Neutrino-nuclear responses in the form of squares of nuclear matrix elements, NMEs, are crucial for studies of neutrino-induced processes in nuclei. In this work we investigate magnetic hexadecapole (M4) NMEs in medium-heavy nuclei. The experimentally derived NMEs,MEXP(M4), deduced from observed M4γtransition half-lives are compared with the single-quasiparticle (QP) NMEs,MQP(M4), and the microscopic quasiparticle-phonon model (MQPM) NMEsMMQPM(M4). The experimentally derived M4 NMEs are found to be reduced by a coefficientk≈0.29with respect toMQP(M4) and byk≈0.33with respect toMMQPM(M4). The M4 NMEs are reduced a little by the quasiparticle-phonon correlations of the MQPM wave functions but mainly by other nucleonic and nonnucleonic correlations which are not explicitly included in the MQPM. The found reduction rates are of the same order of magnitude as those for magnetic quadrupoleγtransitions and Gamow-Teller (GT) and spin-dipole (SD)βtransitions. The impacts of the found reduction coefficients on the magnitudes of the NMEs involved in astroneutrino interactions and neutrinoless double beta decays are discussed.
An Optimal Electric Dipole Antenna Model and Its Field Propagation
Authors: Xu Yidong , Guo Lili , Xue Wei , Vladimir Korochentsev , Qi Junwei
Published: May 2016

An optimal electric dipole antennas model is presented and analyzed, based on the hemispherical grounding equivalent model and the superposition principle. The paper also presents a full-wave electromagnetic simulation for the electromagnetic field propagation in layered conducting medium, which is excited by the horizontal electric dipole antennas. Optimum frequency for field transmission in different depth is carried out and verified by the experimental results in comparison with previously reported simulation over a digital wireless Through-The-Earth communication system. The experimental results demonstrate that the dipole antenna grounding impedance and the output power can be efficiently reduced by using the optimal electric dipole antenna model and operating at the optimum frequency in a vertical transmission depth up to 300 m beneath the surface of the earth.
Flows with Slip of Oldroyd-B Fluids over a Moving Plate
Authors: Shakeel Abdul , Ahmad Sohail , Khan Hamid , Shah Nehad Ali , Haq Sami Ul
Published: May 2016

A general investigation has been made and analytic solutions are provided corresponding to the flows of an Oldroyd-B fluid, under the consideration of slip condition at the boundary. The fluid motion is generated by the flat plate which has a translational motion in its plane with a time-dependent velocity. The adequate integral transform approach is employed to find analytic solutions for the velocity field. Solutions for the flows corresponding to Maxwell fluid, second-grade fluid, and Newtonian fluid are also determined in both cases, namely, flows with slip on the boundary and flows with no slip on the boundary, respectively. Some of our results were compared with other results from the literature. The effects of several emerging dimensionless and pertinent parameters on the fluid velocity have been studied theoretically as well as graphically in the paper.
Clinical Relevance of HLA Gene Variants in HBV Infection
Authors: Wang Li , Zou Zhi-Qiang , Wang Kai
Published: May 2016

Host gene variants may influence the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in humans, is one of the most important host factors that are correlated with the clinical course of HBV infection. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near certain HLA gene loci are strongly associated with not only persistent HBV infection but also spontaneous HBV clearance and seroconversion, disease progression, and the development of liver cirrhosis and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). These variations also influence the efficacy of interferon (IFN) and nucleot(s)ide analogue (NA) treatment and response to HBV vaccines. Meanwhile, discrepant conclusions were reached with different patient cohorts. It is therefore essential to identify the associations of specific HLA allele variants with disease progression and viral clearance in chronic HBV infection among different ethnic populations. A better understanding of HLA polymorphism relevance in HBV infection outcome would enable us to elucidate the roles of HLA SNPs in the pathogenesis and clearance of HBV in different areas and ethnic groups, to improve strategies for the prevention and treatment of chronic HBV infection.
R2Corrections to the Jet Quenching Parameter
Authors: Zhang Zi-qiang , Hou De-fu , Wu Yan , Chen Gang
Published: May 2016

A calculation ofR2corrections to the jet quenching parameter from AdS/CFT correspondence is presented. It is shown that these corrections will increase or decrease the jet quenching parameter depending on the coefficients of the high curvature terms.
The Functional SOCS3 RS115785973 Variant Regulated by MiR-4308 Promotes Gastric Cancer Development in Chinese Population
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Li Ting , Li Meng , Cao Na , Han Jun
Published: May 2016

Background/Aims: SOCS3 is tumor suppressor which has been identified as upstream of JAK/STAT3 signaling by specific kinase inhibition. However, additional regulations especially through a non-coding RNA approach were remained unknown. Methods: We performed case-control study focusing on the miRNAs associated SNPs in SOCS3 to investigate the further relationship of the SNPs with miRNAs among Chinese gastric cancer (GC) patients. Genotyping, real time PCR assay, cell transfection and the dual luciferase reporter assay were used in our study. Results: We found that patients suffering from Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection indicating as susceptible population by comparing with controls. Besides, SNP rs115785973 in SOCS3 was identified as a risk factor in the occurrence of GC highly associated with poor differentiation grade, larger tumor size and metastasis. In vitro assay found that rs115785973 could be regulated by miR-4308 which caused an up-regulation of SOCS3 in patients with GA and AA genotype. Conclusion: Our findings have shown that the SNP rs115785973 in SOCS3 disrupting the regulatory role of miR-4308 in SOCS3 expression, rs115785973 in SOCS3 might act as a risk factor in the pathogenesis of GC.
Overexpression of CCAAT Enhancer-Binding Protein α Inhibits the Growth of K562 Cells via the Foxo3a-Bim Pathway
Authors: Zhang Guili , Dong Fei , Luan Caifu , Zhang Xia , Shao Huiyuan , Liu Jie , Sun Chengming
Published: May 2016

We aimed to investigate the role of CCAAT enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the mechanism underlying its effect. Bone marrow specimens from 50 patients with CML and peripheral blood specimens from 20 healthy individuals were collected. K562 cells were treated with imatinib. Subsequently, a stable cell line, K562-C/EBPα, was constructed. Cell proliferation was assayed with cell counting kit-8, and mRNA levels of C/EBPα, forkhead transcription factor FKHRL1 (Foxo3a) and Bim were detected by semiquantitative PCR. The correlation of C/EBPα and BCR-ABL was assessed by Spearman's correlation analysis. The results showed that C/EBPα mRNA levels were significantly reduced in CML patients compared with healthy subjects (p < 0.001) and were negatively correlated with BCR-ABL1 (r = -0.5046, p < 0.01). Additionally, imatinib enhanced the expression of C/EBPα in K562 cells compared with untreated cells (p < 0.05). Overexpression of C/EBPα significantly decreased cell proliferation and upregulated the expressions of the apoptosis-related genes Foxo3a (p < 0.01) and Bim (p < 0.05) in K562 cells. In conclusion, C/EBPα expression was decreased in patients with CML. Imatinib enhances the expression of C/EBPα in K562 cells, and the overexpression of C/EBPα inhibits cell proliferation and increases apoptosis via the Foxo3a-Bim pathway.
Comunicação entre corpos e metrópoles
Authors: Canevacci Massimo
Published: May 2016

Este artigo discute as novas formas de manifestação da interação, comunicação, entre os indivíduos no contexto das metrópoles contemporâneas. São apresentadas as influências da comunicação digital neste processo. Discute-se o papel do consumo, as manifestações do corpo e percebe-se que o indivíduo dá lugar hoje ao que se pode denominar de multivíduo da metrópole comunicacional, cuja alternativa de compreensão, dá-se a partir de métodos polifônicos.
E-books: um exercício de democracia pelo consumo do saber digital
Authors: Holanda Érica De
Published: May 2016

Neste artigo, propõe-se analisar como o conhecimento torna-se uma fonte de poder na sociedade contemporânea e como o livro eletrônico (e-book) pode ser um meio de comunicação mais igualitário de distribuição do saber comparado aos livros tradicionais, podendo colaborar para a inclusão social de grande parte da população brasileira e levar a novas práticas sociais. Teóricos como Pierre Bourdieu, Milton Santos e Marshall McLuhan são utilizados para elucidar as idéias expostas.
Loja Viva: Revolução no pequeno varejo brasileiro
Authors: Pereira Luciana Balensifer
Published: May 2016

resenha do livroSAIANI, Edmour.  Loja Viva: Revolução no pequeno varejo brasileiro. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Senac Rio, 2004.
Tatuagem: cultura de massas e afirmação subjetiva incorporadas
Authors: Pavan Maria Ângela , Silva Josimey C.
Published: May 2016

Como afirmar a própria subjetividade e pertenças identitárias num mundo em constante mudança pelo excesso de informação midiática e pela alternância de papéis sociais? Para jovens urbanos, o consumo cultural possibilita utilizar a imagem do próprio corpo como instância de incorporação de valores, símbolos midiáticos e expressão de subjetividade a partir de sua escolha por produtos simbólicos veiculados pela mídia da comunicação de massa e tatuados na pele. Com suporte principal em Hall, Canclíni, Morin e Le Breton, partimos do pressuposto de que não existe realidade sem representação da linguagem; assim, a opção por certos tipos de narradores midiáticos da cultura contemporânea põe em foco o simbolismo sobreposto à pele, que reproduz imagens icônicas de bandas, filmes e desenhos animados ou de quadrinhos. Essas imagens são resíduos de memórias individuais/coletivas ostentadas socialmente e que discursam sobre as relações de consumo dos sujeitos sociais e as novas sensibilidades originadas da convivência tecnologicamente midiatizada.
A pedagogia do consumo: estratégias da marca guaraná antarctica
Authors: Silva Priscila Azeredo da , Azevedo Sandro Tôrres de , Oliveira Thaiane Moreira de , Atem Guilherme Nery , Bedran Laura Martini , Tavares Mariana Ayres
Published: May 2016

O artigo tem como objetivo analisar como a publicidade ensina ao consumidor modos de usar os objetos de consumo. Tal abordagem irá privilegiar as transformações ocorridas no aspecto estratégico da comunicação publicitária da marca, tangenciando questões relacionadas a experiência. Para isso, a pesquisa recorre, a título de objeto de análise, à periodização de três momentos da publicidade do Guaraná Antarctica: nos anos 1920, nos anos 1990 e nos anos 2000.
Publicidade – espelho da (contra)cultura?
Authors: Lange Talvani
Published: May 2016

Este artigo explora alguns aspectos culturais e semióticos relacionados ao discurso publicitário contemporâneo. Entende-se que a linguagem da publicidade é formada não somente por sua narrativa interna, mas também por seus fundamentos ideológicos, atrelados ao principal propósito capitalista de lucratividade das grandes corporações. Baseado no conceito de que todo texto é ideológico e considerando as idéias de M. BAKHTIN sobre reflexão e refração do signo na sociedade, são apresentados alguns exemplos aleatórios de publicidades no século XX que exemplificam tal dinâmica, considerando níveis de resistência e mudança (contra)cultural.
Vínculos de sentidos: publicidade, marcas e consumo alimentar na vida de famíliar paulistana
Authors: Trindade Eneus
Published: May 2016

O texto é parte dos resultados empíricos da pesquisa A produção de sentido na recepção da publicidade e nas práticas de consumo de alimentos na cidade de São Paulo (financiada pelo CNPq), tendo como objetivo compreender os vínculos de sentidos entre as marcas e as publicidades no consumo alimentar da vida doméstica de três famílias paulistanas. A metodologia dá-se por um olhar teórico que revela os tipos de vínculos entre a influência do fluxo da recepção de mensagens midiáticas das marcas e da publicidade de alimentos nas práticas culturais de consumo dos ambientes familiares investigados.
Alimentação ou diversão? A divertida expressividade das marcas no contexto contemporâneo da publicidade de alimentos infantis
Authors: Baader Cinira
Published: May 2016

O artigo proposto é parte inicial de um projeto de pesquisa mais amplo que pretende concentrar-se no estudo da comunicação publicitária de alimentos infantis, considerando as expressividades de marcas manifestadas na tendência de consumo do eatertainment, por meio da análise semiótica peirceana dos principais elementos sígnicos presentes nesta comunicação e suas possibilidades de efeitos de sentido no comportamento alimentar das crianças na sociedade contemporânea. Um estudo que pretende contribuir para a produção científica no campo da comunicação, pois na medida em que visa a contrastar a comunicação publicitária de produtos alimentícios dirigida às crianças com as questões referentes ao comportamento alimentar infantil na atualidade, busca entender se esta midiatização do consumo alimentar infantil alinha-se ou pode se alinhar às práticas desejáveis de consumo alimentar junto ao segmento em estudo. Assim talvez seja possível encontrar, no processo de regulação de sentidos dos discursos das marcas de alimentos, caminhos que se afinem com a regulação do setor alimentar e de suas comunicações para o público infantil.
Marketing 3.0: um novo conceito para interagir com um novo consumidor
Authors: Sato Silvio Koiti
Published: May 2016

ResenhaKOTLER, P.; KARTAJAYA, H.; SETIAWAN, I. Marketing 3.0: as forças que estão definindo o novo marketing centrado no ser humano. Rio de Janeiro: Elsevier, 2010.
A cena fabulística de Hermés: uma perspectiva semiótica sobre as narrativas da marca
Authors: Pompeu Bruno , Perez Clotilde
Published: May 2016

As marcas são, hoje, na vida cotidiana, um dos elementos mais repletos de significado e mais importantes socialmente. Isso porque nelas se alicerçam tanto a comunicação quanto o consumo – as marcas, por um lado, para funcionar como tal, precisam se expressar, precisam se comunicar, precisam criar vínculos; por outro, são quase sempre entidades que fomentam o consumo. Tendo esse panorama de fundo, o presente texto pretende analisar peças da campanha publicitária da marca Hermès, buscando verificar os sentidos que esta marca anunciante a si própria atribui por meio das estratégias narrativas e estéticas adotadas. Para tanto, busca-se o aporte teórico na semiótica de vertente greimasiana, para que, a partir dos três níveis do texto apresentados e desenvolvidos por seus principais autores, se possa analisar o universo semântico que a tal marca cria, sempre procurando estabelecer vínculos de afeto e instigação do desejo – como convém a uma marca. Adicionalmente integram-se à análise as contribuições das principais teorias do consumo contemporâneas, no sentido de explicitar a centralidade que as marcas assumiram exercendo sua função sígnica primordial de mediação.
A regulação na publicidade de cervejas junto ao público adolescente: problemáticas e caminhos da pesquisa comunicacional
Authors: Trindade Eneus
Published: May 2016

Este trabalho refere-se à discussão sobre as problemáticas de pesquisa do projeto integrado Cerveja, Publicidade, Regulação e Consumo: o olhar da comunicação sobre as marcas de cervejas contemporâneas e suas implicações na vida social de adolescentes, financiado pelo CNPq e realizado no âmbito do GESC3/CNPq/USP. A perspectiva de trabalho conjuga aspectos da regulação e regulamentação do consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, cerveja especificamente, com o estudo de recepção, sobre os conteúdos e os efeitos de impacto de percepção dos elementos das campanhas publicitárias, como também inclui o olhar sobre da circulação de mensagens do setor entre os sujeitos investigados nas mídias sociais. O trabalho busca ainda a análise e crítica da trajetória das marcas de cerveja em seus discursos (conceitos e temas de campanhas). Tal abordagem visa apontar outros caminhos para o debate nacional sobre o assunto.
Análise semiótica da marca mãe terra: o potencial comunicativo de suas embalagens
Authors: Lima Francine Cruz de Cerqueira , Miklasevicius Bárbara
Published: May 2016

O objetivo desse trabalho é avaliar o potencial de significado das embalagens da marca Mãe Terra. A embalagem de um produto tem função dupla: é uma forma de publicidade e fonte de informação. No caso de alimentos com apelo saudável, como é o caso dos comercializados pela marca analisada, essas duas funções muitas vezes se misturam. Pelo método semiótico, apresenta-se o potencial de significado comunicado pela Mãe Terra aos consumidores em busca de alimentos mais saudáveis.
Relações de gênero e consumo na publicidade da brahma na copa do mundo de 2010
Authors: Pereira Camila Augusta Alves , Amaro Fausto , Grotz Fábio
Published: May 2016

Este artigo articula três momentos. Inicialmente, fazemos um panorama dos estudos de gênero, introduzindo algumas questões para a compreensão deste tema. Em seguida, propomos algumas reflexões sobre o diálogo entre publicidade, gênero e esporte. Por último, temos a análise empírica propriamente dita, onde evidenciamos as construções de gênero e as marcações de uma suposta identidade nacional hegemônica presentes nos dois filmes publicitários da Brahma escolhidos (Lista de Pedidos e Poucas Palavras).
Semiótica da marca dos produtos Procter & Gamble no filme “minha mãe é uma peça”
Authors: Viana Pablo Moreno Fernandes
Published: May 2016

Este artigo analisa a estratégia de publicidade-entretenimento de integração de produtos em filmes (DONATON, 2007), que se destacam em “Minha Mãe é uma peça”, filme nacional mais assistido nos cinemas brasileiros em 2013, usando como instrumento de análise semiótica de Peirce. O cinema brasileiro passa, desde os últimos 20 anos, por um período de crescimento, chegando em 2000 Com uma presença significativa na cultura nacional. Ano após ano, os filmes brasileiros se destacam entre os mais assistidos no país. Isso tem contribuído para a organização do cinema como indústria, como no caso de filmes produzidos pela Globo Filmes, por exemplo. Com uma indústria cinematográfica em formação, tem sido cada vez mais frequente integração de produtos, marcas e publicidade no conteúdo dos filmes nacionais. O estudo analisa a estratégia de integrações de produtos da Procter & Gamble na história. Pretende-se verificar a contribuição dessa estratégia como elemento de expressividade da marca (PEREZ, 2004), na construção de valores simbólicos para os consumidores.
Uma análise de conteúdo de peças publicitárias de marcas consideradas sustentáveis em paralelo com fatores importantes na decisão de compra
Authors: Calazans Janaina , Lucian Rafael , Izidio Ana Raquel , Cavalcanti Gêsa Karla
Published: May 2016

As mudanças nos hábitos de consumo da sociedade vem fazendo com que o termo sustentabilidade esteja cada vez mais presente nas peças publicitárias, para tanto se faz necessária uma revisão de estratégias para uma incorporação efetiva desse conceito. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo realizar uma análise de marcas consideradas sustentáveis realizando um paralelo entre os resultados obtidos e os fatores importantes para a decisão de compra afim de perceber a ênfase dada aos mesmos dentro dos anúncios das marcas analisadas. Na realização desse trabalho utilizaram-se duas formas de pesquisa o grupo focal e a análise de conteúdo, o objetivo foi trabalhar os conceitos de modo a ter pontos de vistas diferenciados, o do consumidor e o do produtor de propaganda. Concluiu-se que a maioria dos anúncios das marcas analisadas tratam de conceitos mais relacionados ao posicionamento sustentável da empresa, sendo assim o que se pode perceber foi que boa parte dos consumidores do grupo focal não vê o modo como a empresa trata dos produtos em si como sustentáveis, sendo assim os mesmo acabam não sendo relevantes para a decisão de compra.