bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Switching on or off the optical bistability based on the interaction of double dark resonances
Authors: Yan Xiang-An , Wang Li-Qiang , Zhang Wei-Wei , Liu Yao-Wu , Liu Han-Chen
Published: October 2016

We investigated the optical bistability (OB), which is manipulated by double dark resonances, in a [Formula: see text]-type four-level atomic system with a unidirectional ring cavity. It is found that, with the interaction of double dark resonances, the bistable threshold intensity becomes weaker and the hysteresis loop becomes narrower by tuning properly the detuning of microwave field. Also, the influence of the intensity and frequency detuning of the microwave field on switching on or off the optical bistable behavior is studied, which is used to provide the theoretical guidance for controlling and optimizing all optical switching process. Our numerical results are explained by using a dressed-state approach.
Synchronization behaviors of coupled neurons under electromagnetic radiation
Authors: Ma Jun , Wu Fuqiang , Wang Chunni
Published: October 2016

Based on an improved neuronal model, in which the effect of magnetic flux is considered during the fluctuation and change of ion concentration in cells, the transition of synchronization is investigated by imposing external electromagnetic radiation on the coupled neurons, and networks, respectively. It is found that the synchronization degree depends on the coupling intensity and the intensity of external electromagnetic radiation. Indeed, appropriate intensity of electromagnetic radiation could be effective to realize intermittent synchronization, while stronger intensity of electromagnetic radiation can induce disorder of coupled neurons and network. Neurons show rhythm synchronization in the electrical activities by increasing the coupling intensity under electromagnetic radiation, and spatial patterns can be formed in the network under smaller factor of synchronization.
Precision measurements of cross-sections for inelastic processes in collisions of alkali metal ions with atoms of rare gases
Authors: Lomsadze R. A. , Gochitashvili M. R. , Kezerashvili R. Ya.
Published: October 2016

A multifaceted experimental study of collisions of Na[Formula: see text] and K[Formula: see text] ions in the energy range of 0.5–10 keV with He and Ar atoms is presented. Absolute cross-sections for charge-exchange, ionization, stripping and excitation processes were measured using a refined version of the transfer electric field method, angle- and energy-dependent collection of product ions, energy loss and optical spectroscopy methods. The experimental data and the schematic correlation diagrams are employed to analyze and determine the mechanisms for these processes.
Optical transmission through metallic split-ring resonator with inner cross dimer array
Authors: Zhou Xin , Ouyang Min , Wang Zhibing , Yang Diwu , He Jun
Published: October 2016

We investigate numerically the optical properties through gold split-ring resonator (SRR) with inner cross dimer array by using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The dependence of the geometrical parameters on the optical properties of SRR with inner cross dimer array is studied. The study covers the change of transmission spectra with the metallic cross arm length, width of air slits, width of SRRs and environmental dielectric constants. The spatial distributions of the electric and magnetic fields are also discussed to further understand more basic physical mechanisms behind some dip and peak.
PPHOCFS
Authors: Zhang Qingchen , Zhong Hua , Yang Laurence T. , Chen Zhikui , Bu Fanyu
Published: October 2016

Clustering is a commonly used technique for multimedia data analysis and management. In this article, we propose a high-order clustering algorithm by fast search and find of density peaks (HOCFS) by extending the traditional clustering scheme by fast search and find of density peaks (CFS) algorithm from the vector space to the tensor space for multimedia data clustering. Furthermore, we propose a privacy preserving HOCFS algorithm (PPHOCFS) which improves the efficiency of the HOCFS algorithm by using the cloud computing to perform most of the clustering operations. To protect the private data in the multimedia data sets during the clustering process on the cloud, the raw data is encrypted by the Brakerski-Gentry-Vaikun-tanathan (BGV) strategy before being uploaded to the cloud for performing the HOCFS clustering algorithm efficiently. In the proposed method, the client is required to only execute the encryption/decryption operations and the cloud servers are employed to perform all the computing operations. Finally, the performance of our scheme is evaluated on two representative multimedia data sets, namely NUS-WIDE and SNAE2, in terms of clustering accuracy, execution time, and speedup in the experiments. The results demonstrate that the proposed PPHOCFS scheme can save at least 40% running time compared with HOCFS, without disclosing the private data on the cloud, making our scheme securely suitable for multimedia big data clustering.
Impact-Driven Process Model Repair
Authors: Polyvyanyy Artem , Aalst Wil M. P. Van Der , Hofstede Arthur H. M. Ter , Wynn Moe T.
Published: October 2016

The abundance of event data in today’s information systems makes it possible to “confront” process models with the actual observed behavior. Process mining techniques use event logs to discover process models that describe the observed behavior, and to check conformance of process models by diagnosing deviations between models and reality. In many situations, it is desirable to mediate between a preexisting model and observed behavior. Hence, we would like to repair the model while improving the correspondence between model and log as much as possible. The approach presented in this article assigns predefined costs to repair actions (allowing inserting or skipping of activities). Given a maximum degree of change, we search for models that are optimal in terms of fitness—that is, the fraction of behavior in the log not possible according to the model is minimized. To compute fitness, we need to align the model and log, which can be time consuming. Hence, finding an optimal repair may be intractable. We propose different alternative approaches to speed up repair. The number of alignment computations can be reduced dramatically while still returning near-optimal repairs. The different approaches have been implemented using the process mining framework ProM and evaluated using real-life logs.
A Deployment Optimization Scheme Over Multimedia Big Data for Large-Scale Media Streaming Application
Authors: Wu Taotao , Dou Wanchun , Wu Fan , Tang Shaojie , Hu Chunhua , Chen Jinjun
Published: October 2016

With the prosperity of media streaming applications over the Internet in the past decades, multimedia data has sharply increased (categorized as multimedia big data), which exerts more pressure on the infrastructure, such as networking of the application provider. In order to move this hurdle, an increasing number of traditional media streaming applications have migrated from a private server cluster onto the cloud. With the elastic resource provisioning and centralized management of the cloud, the operational costs of media streaming application providers can decrease dramatically. However, to the best of our knowledge, existing migration solutions do not fully take viewer information such as hardware condition into consideration. In this article, we consider the deployment optimization problem named
ODP
by leveraging local memories at each viewer. Considering the NP-hardness of calculating the optimal solution, we turn to propose computationally tractable algorithms. Specifically, we unfold the original problem into two interactive subproblems: coarse-grained migration subproblem and fine-grained scheduling subproblem. Then, the corresponding offline approximation algorithms with performance guarantee and computational efficiency are given. The results of extensive evaluation show that compared with the baseline algorithm without leveraging local memories at viewers, our proposed algorithms and their online versions can decrease total bandwidth reservation and enhance the utilization of bandwidth reservation dramatically.
A Study of Security Isolation Techniques
Authors: Shu Rui , Wang Peipei , Gorski III Sigmund A , Andow Benjamin , Nadkarni Adwait , Deshotels Luke , Gionta Jason , Enck William , Gu Xiaohui
Published: October 2016

Security isolation is a foundation of computing systems that enables resilience to different forms of attacks. This article seeks to understand existing security isolation techniques by systematically classifying different approaches and analyzing their properties. We provide a hierarchical classification structure for grouping different security isolation techniques. At the top level, we consider two principal aspects: mechanism and policy. Each aspect is broken down into salient dimensions that describe key properties. We break the mechanism into two dimensions, enforcement location and isolation granularity, and break the policy aspect down into three dimensions: policy generation, policy configurability, and policy lifetime. We apply our classification to a set of representative articles that cover a breadth of security isolation techniques and discuss tradeoffs among different design choices and limitations of existing approaches.
Performance Analysis and Optimization of Full Garbage Collection in Memory-hungry Environments
Authors: Yu Yang , Lei Tianyang , Zhang Weihua , Chen Haibo , Zang Binyu
Published: October 2016

Garbage collection (GC), especially full GC, would non- trivially impact overall application performance, especially for those memory-hungry ones handling large data sets. This paper presents an in-depth performance analysis on the full GC performance of Parallel Scavenge (PS), a state-of-the-art and the default garbage collector in the HotSpot JVM, using traditional and big-data applications running atop JVM on CPU (e.g., Intel Xeon) and many-integrated cores (e.g., Intel Xeon i). The analysis uncovers that unnecessary memory accesses and calculations during reference updating in the compaction ase are the main causes of lengthy full GC. To this end, this paper describes an incremental query model for reference calculation, which is further embodied with three schemes (namely optimistic, sort-based and region-based) for different query patterns. Performance evaluation shows that the incremental query model leads to averagely 1.9X (up to 2.9X) in full GC and 19.3% (up to 57.2%) improvement in application throughput, as well as 31.2% reduction in pause time over the vanilla PS collector on CPU, and the numbers are 2.1X (up to 3.4X), 11.1% (up to 41.2%) and 34.9% for Xeon i accordingly.
Urgent Virtual Machine Eviction with Enlightened Post-Copy
Authors: Abe Yoshihisa , Geambasu Roxana , Joshi Kaustubh , Satyanarayanan Mahadev
Published: October 2016

Virtual machine (VM) migration demands distinct properties under resource oversubscription and workload surges. We present enlightened post-copy, a new mechanism for VMs under contention that evicts the target VM with fast execution transfer and short total duration. This design contrasts with common live migration, which uses the down time of the migrated VM as its primary metric; it instead focuses on recovering the aggregate performance of the VMs being affected. In enlightened post-copy, the guest OS identifies memory state that is expected to encompass the VM's working set. The hypervisor accordingly transfers its state, mitigating the performance impact on the migrated VM resulting from post-copy transfer. We show that our implementation, with modest instrumentation in guest Linux, resolves VM contention up to several times faster than live migration.
Enabling Hybrid Parallel Runtimes Through Kernel and Virtualization Support
Authors: Hale Kyle C. , Dinda Peter A.
Published: October 2016

In our hybrid runtime (HRT) model, a parallel runtime system and the application are together transformed into a specialized OS kernel that operates entirely in kernel mode and can thus implement exactly its desired abstractions on top of fully privileged hardware access. We describe the design and implementation of two new tools that support the HRT model. The first, the Nautilus Aerokernel, is a kernel framework specifically designed to enable HRTs for x64 and Xeon Phi hardware. Aerokernel primitives are specialized for HRT creation and thus can operate much faster, up to two orders of magnitude faster, than related primitives in Linux. Aerokernel primitives also exhibit much lower variance in their performance, an important consideration for some forms of parallelism. We have realized several prototype HRTs, including one based on the Legion runtime, and we provide application macrobenchmark numbers for our Legion HRT. The second tool, the hybrid virtual machine (HVM), is an extension to the Palacios virtual machine monitor that allows a single virtual machine to simultaneously support a traditional OS and software stack alongside an HRT with specialized hardware access. The HRT can be booted in a time comparable to a Linux user process startup, and functions in the HRT, which operate over the user process's memory, can be invoked by the process with latencies not much higher than those of a function call.
Abstractions for Practical Virtual Machine Replay
Authors: Burtsev Anton , Johnson David , Hibler Mike , Eide Eric , Regehr John
Published: October 2016

Efficient deterministic replay of whole operating systems is feasible and useful, so why isn't replay a default part of the software stack? While implementing deterministic replay is hard, we argue that the main reason is the lack of general abstractions for understanding and addressing the significant engineering challenges involved in the development of a replay engine for a modern VMM. We present a design blueprint---a set of abstractions, general principles, and low-level implementation details---for efficient deterministic replay in a modern hypervisor. We build and evaluate our architecture in Xen, a full-featured hypervisor. Our architecture can be readily followed and adopted, enabling replay as a ubiquitous part of a modern virtualization stack.
A Life Investigating Pathways That Repair Broken Chromosomes
Authors: Haber James E.
Published: October 2016

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) pose a severe challenge to genome integrity; consequently, cells have developed efficient mechanisms to repair DSBs through several pathways of homologous recombination and other nonhomologous end-joining processes. Much of our understanding of these pathways has come from the analysis of site-specific DSBs created by the HO endonuclease in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I was fortunate to get in on the ground floor of analyzing the fate of synchronously induced DSBs through the study of what I coined “in vivo biochemistry.” I have had the remarkable good fortune to profit from the development of new techniques that have permitted an ever more detailed dissection of these repair mechanisms, which are described here.
Adipose-Vascular Coupling and Potential Therapeutics
Authors: Gollasch Maik
Published: October 2016

Excess visceral adipose tissue is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ with multiple humoral and metabolic roles in regulating whole-body physiology. However, perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) also plays a functional role in regulating the contractile state of the underlying smooth muscle cell layer. Work during the past decade has shown that this adipose-vascular coupling is achieved by production of numerous substances released from PVAT. Animal disease models have been instrumental in identifying biological and pathophysiological functions of this regulation. These studies have produced strong evidence that alterations in the paracrine control of PVAT in the regulation of arterial tone contribute to vascular dysfunction in obesity, hypertension, and cardiometabolic disease. Perivascular relaxing factors, or perhaps their putative targets, might represent exciting new targets for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Characterization of Lithium Ion Batteries with In Situ X-Ray Tomography and Radiography
Authors: Sun Fu , Markötter Henning , Manke Ingo , Hilger André , Kardjilov Nikolay
Published: October 2016

Two kinds of prototypes of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) for in situ X-ray tomography and radiography are reported. Tomography cells (tomo-cells) and radiography cells (radio-cells) both assembled with silicon/carbon (Si/C) or tin/carbon (Sn/C) working electrodes and Li counter electrodes were investigated with synchrotron X-ray and laboratory X-ray imaging. The structural changes of individual electrode particles during charging and discharging were analyzed. Here we are providing a brief overview to our recent results on this field.
Performance Evaluation of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells at Versa Power Systems
Authors: He Hongpeng , Wood Anthony , Joia Tahir , Krivy Mark , Steedman Dale
Published: October 2016

Planar-type solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) developed at Versa Power Systems (VPS) demonstrate high performance, low degradation rates and are well-positioned to meet commercial targets. These cells also perform well when operating reversibly in electrolysis mode for hydrogen production, and remarkable current densities in excess of 6 A/cm2 have been achieved at 800°C with a cell voltage of < 1.67 V. In the present study the effect of operating conditions on degradation rate were investigated, including temperature, current density and steam utilization. The evolution of V - J performance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy after long-term testing at constant current density is presented and degradation effects analyzed.
Investigation of Galvanic Corrosion Behavior of Dual Phase Steel
Authors: Si Yongchao
Published: October 2016

Dual phase steels have been widely used in the automotive industry to produce lighter weight vehicles to meet stringent safety and fuel economy regulations. While galvanic corrosion resulting from dissimilar ferrite and martensite phases has been reported, little is known about the corrosion behavior of dual phase steel coupled to a dissimilar metal under corrosive environments. A fundamental study was undertaken to understand the corrosion behaviors of dual phase steel under coupling conditions in NaCl solution. The results show that dual phase steel has a corrosion potential between carbon steel and martensitic steel. Galvanic action between the ferrite and martensite phases leads to selective corrosion of ferrite phase in NaCl solution. When coupled to more noble Ni, dissolution takes place in both ferrite and martensite phases, and ferrite phase dissolves faster. When coupled to less noble Zn, a minor amount of hydrogen resulting from corrosion of a steel-Zn coupling is found to diffuse into the steel.
Effects of H2S and CO2 on Cement/Casing Interface Corrosion Integrity for Cold Climate Oil and Gas Well Applications
Authors: Beck Justin , Feng Ruishu , Hall Derek M. , Buyuksagis Aysel , Ziomek-Moroz Margaret , Lvov Serguei N.
Published: October 2016

Low-temperature corrosion relevant to oil and gas wells was investigated. Casing cement was exposed to brine in contact with CO2 at 4 °C and 10 MPa. Pore water was extracted from wet cement using a die press, and a cement simulated pore solution (CSPS) was developed to be used for corrosion studies. High levels of chloride similar to the original brine solution were found. The sodium content was well below that of the original brine, with the change in charge mostly balanced by an increase in dissolved calcium. The calcium content was above predictions for brine-CO2-Ca(OH)2 equilibrium, suggesting that sodium was displaced in favor of calcium. Corrosion measurements were performed on casing steel using linear polarization resistance, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and mass loss samples with H2S:CO2 ratios from 0 to 0.001. The corrosion rate was found to decrease slightly with increasing sulfide content from 0.02 to 0.01 mm y-1.
Investigation, Modeling and Design of a Cathodic Protection System for Hull Structures in Marine Environment
Authors: Aksu Rauf , Uguz Refik Onur , Erdogan Metehan , Meco Halim , Karakaya Ishak
Published: October 2016

The corrosion behaviors of metallic components from hull structures of an amphibious vehicle in seawater were investigated. Selected steel types and aluminum alloys were subjected to accelerated corrosion tests in artificial seawater to collect data for simulation of cathodic protection with sacrificial anodes. The electrochemical data obtained via potentiostatic tests were used to simulate cathodic protection of the metallic components under seawater. Potential distributions in marine environment were evaluated to design the cathodic protection system that could impress the currents. Random paint deficient areas on a steel and aluminum components were created to test the protection performance of sacrificial anodes on the damaged surfaces.
Material Removal Behavior of Nano-Sized Cerium Hydroxide Abrasive Slurry for Chemical Mechanical Polishing
Authors: Kim Hong Jin , Lee Tae Hoon , Ryan Anne
Published: October 2016

Microscratch induced by Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is a chronic problem to device yield-killing and its criticality becomes more important in sub-14nm device manufacturing. In order to mitigate scratching during CMP, minimizing abrasive particle size without sacrificing removal rate is the most important parameter. For this purpose, less than 5nm sized cerium hydroxide-based (nano-sized cerium hydroxide-based, NC) particle is utilized as oxide CMP slurry, which is much smaller than conventionally used calcined ceria slurry (100nm – 200nm in particle size). Although it shows more than 80% microscratch reduction obtained by NC slurry in poly CMP process, its polishing behavior is not well understood. In this study, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) oxide removal behavior with NC slurry is explored by a series of experiments involving tribological analysis. Based on experimental results, this study emphasizes surface reaction as a dominant parameter to determine removal rate rather than mechanical aspect of material removal.
Persistent Bacteremia fromPseudomonas aeruginosawithIn VitroResistance to the Novel Antibiotics Ceftolozane-Tazobactam and Ceftazidime-Avibactam
Authors: Gangcuangco Louie Mar , Clark Patricia , Stewart Cynthia , Miljkovic Goran , Saul Zane K.
Published: October 2016

Ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam are new antimicrobials with activity against multidrug-resistantPseudomonas aeruginosa. We present the first case of persistentP.aeruginosabacteremia within vitroresistance to these novel antimicrobials. A 68-year-old man with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma was admitted to the medical intensive care unit for sepsis and right lower extremity cellulitis. The patient was placed empirically on vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam. Blood cultures from Day 1 of hospitalization grewP.aeruginosasusceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam and cefepime identified using VITEK 2 (Biomerieux, Lenexa, KS). Repeat blood cultures from Day 5 grewP.aeruginosaresistant to all cephalosporins, as well as to meropenem by Day 10. Susceptibility testing performed by measuring minimum inhibitory concentration byE-test (Biomerieux, Lenexa, KS) revealed that blood cultures from Day 10 were resistant to ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam. The Verigene Blood Culture-Gram-Negative (BC-GN) microarray-based assay (Nanosphere, Inc., Northbrook, IL) was used to investigate underlying resistance mechanism in theP.aeruginosaisolate but CTX-M, KPC, NDM, VIM, IMP, and OXA gene were not detected. This case report highlights the well-documented phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance development inP.aeruginosaeven during the course of appropriate antibiotic therapy. In the era of increasing multidrug-resistant organisms, routine susceptibility testing ofP. aeruginosato ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam is warranted. Emerging resistance mechanisms to these novel antibiotics need to be further investigated.
Serum Magnesium and Vitamin D Levels as Indicators of Asthma Severity
Authors: Shaikh Mohammed Nadeem , Malapati Brahma Reddy , Gokani Ruchi , Patel Bhavita , Chatriwala Mitul
Published: October 2016

Background. Serum magnesium levels affect the concentration of circulating vitamin D in blood and subsequently it affects the immunity; thus it plays significant role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Asthma, in adults, is less studied and hypomagnesemia along with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is common in asthmatic individuals, which causes frequent asthma attacks, respiratory infections, severe exacerbations, and poor response to bronchodilators.Objective. To detect the magnitude of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency and serum magnesium levels among asthmatic patients and to correlate them with the severity of asthma.Materials and Methods. This is a cross-sectional case-control study which includes 60 patients of chronic stable asthma and 60 healthy controls. After taking clinical history and systemic examination, pulmonary function test was done. Serum levels of magnesium, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D], and calcium were measured in all the subjects.Results. Significant correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency, hypomagnesemia, and asthma severity. Serum calcium levels were unaffected by that.Conclusion. Vitamin D and serum magnesium deficiency are highly prevalent in patients with asthma. Increased asthma severity, frequency of attacks, and exacerbation are associated with lower levels of one or both. Serum 25(OH)D and magnesium levels may serve as important markers of asthma severity.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Prominent Intracytoplasmic Inclusions: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Chelliah Adeline R. , Radhi Jasim M.
Published: October 2016

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the commonest primary malignant neoplasm of the liver in most countries with a notoriously poor prognosis. Variation in global incidence is well-recognized and the occurrence of HCC is linked to several established environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors. HCC demonstrates morphological heterogeneity both within the same tumor and from patient to patient. Differing architectural patterns and cytological variants may be seen. Inclusion bodies are believed to represent organized structures of proteins which contribute to their pathogenesis and share several constituents like chaperones, p62, ubiquitin, and Valosin containing protein. The various hepatocyte cytoplasmic inclusions described in HCC include Mallory-Denk bodies (MDBs), hyaline bodies (HBs), glycogen, fat, fibrinogen, alpha 1 antitrypsin (AAT), and ground glass. MDBs are the most common inclusions seen in hepatocellular carcinomas. The two cases shared intracytoplasmic inclusions which are characterized by larger sizes and present in every section examined. These exhibited features of MDBs and HBs present in most tumor cells, further supporting close relationship.
Fulminant Hepatic Failure in a Patient with Crohn’s Disease on Infliximab Possibly Related to Reactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Infection
Authors: Golds Gary , Worobetz Lawrence
Published: October 2016

HSV hepatitis is a rare but often fatal cause of liver failure which tends to affect immunocompromised individuals. Early treatment with Acyclovir has been shown to reduce mortality in HSV hepatitis making recognition of the condition critically important. Here, we present a case of HSV hepatitis in a young woman with Crohn’s disease on Prednisone, Azathioprine, and Infliximab. We discuss the clinical presentation of HSV hepatitis as well as the possible causes of hepatitis in a patient on these medications. This case helps demonstrate the importance of early clinical suspicion for HSV in undifferentiated fulminate liver failure. It is also the first reported case of HSV hepatitis in a patient on Infliximab, raising the possibility of HSV reactivation in patients on Infliximab.
Relationship of the Cold‐Heat Sensation of the Limbs and Abdomen with Physiological Biomarkers
Authors: Pham Duong Duc , Lee JeongHoon , Kim GaYul , Song JiYeon , Kim JiEun , Leem Chae Hun
Published: October 2016

The present study explored the relationship between the regional Cold‐Heat sensation, the key indicator of the Cold‐Heat patterns in traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM), and various biomarkers in Korean population. 734 apparently healthy volunteers aged 20 years and older were enrolled. Three scale self‐report questions on the general thermal feel in hands, legs, and abdomen were examined. We found that 65% of women tended to perceive their body, particularly their hands and legs, to be cold, versus 25% of men. Energy expenditure and temperature load at resting state were lower in women, independently of body mass index (BMI). Those with warm hands and warm legs had a 0.74 and 0.52 kg/m2 higher BMI than those with cold hands and cold legs, respectively, regardless of age, gender, and body weight. Norepinephrine was higher, whereas the dynamic changes in glucose and insulin during an oral glucose tolerance test were lower in those with cold extremities, particularly hands. No consistent differences in biomarkers were found for the abdominal dimension. These results suggest that gender, BMI, the sympathetic nervous system, and glucose metabolism are potential determinants of the Cold‐Heat sensation in the hands and legs, but not the abdomen.
Identification of the Key Genes and Pathways in Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Su Peng , Wen Shiwang , Zhang Yuefeng , Li Yong , Xu Yanzhao , Zhu Yonggang , Lv Huilai , Zhang Fan , Wang Mingbo , Tian Ziqiang
Published: October 2016

Objective. Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is a frequently common malignancy of gastrointestinal cancer in the world. This study aims to screen key genes and pathways in EC and elucidate the mechanism of it.Methods. 5 microarray datasets of EC were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by bioinformatics analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were performed to obtain the biological roles of DEGs in EC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the expression level of DEGs in EC.Results. A total of 1955 genes were filtered as DEGs in EC. The upregulated genes were significantly enriched in cell cycle and the downregulated genes significantly enriched in Endocytosis. PPI network displayed CDK4 and CCT3 were hub proteins in the network. The expression level of 8 dysregulated DEGs including CDK4, CCT3, THSD4, SIM2, MYBL2, CENPF, CDCA3, and CDKN3 was validated in EC compared to adjacent nontumor tissues and the results were matched with the microarray analysis.Conclusion. The significantly DEGs including CDK4, CCT3, THSD4, and SIM2 may play key roles in tumorigenesis and development of EC involved in cell cycle and Endocytosis.
The Methanolic Extract fromMurraya koenigiiL. Inhibits Glutamate-Induced Pain and Involves ATP-Sensitive K+Channel as Antinociceptive Mechanism
Authors: Sharmin Ani Nushrat , Chakraborty Sudip , Moniruzzaman Md.
Published: October 2016

Murraya koenigiiL. is a perennial shrub, belonging to the family Rutaceae. Traditionally, the leaves of this plant are extensively used in treatment of a wide range of diseases and disorders including pain and inflammation. Although researchers have revealed the antinociceptive effects of this plant’s leaves during past few years, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still unknown. Therefore, the present study evaluated some antinociceptive mechanisms of the methanolic extract ofM. koenigii(MEMK) leaves along with its antinociceptive potential using several animal models. The antinociceptive effects of MEMK were evaluated using formalin-induced licking and acetic acid-induced writhing tests at the doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. In addition, we also justified the possible participations of glutamatergic system and ATP-sensitive potassium channels in the observed activities. Our results demonstrated that MEMK significantly (p<0.01) inhibited the pain thresholds induced by formalin and acetic acid in a dose-dependent manner. MEMK also significantly (p<0.01) suppressed glutamate-induced pain. Moreover, pretreatment with glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker) at 10 mg/kg significantly (p<0.05) reversed the MEMK-mediated antinociception. These revealed that MEMK might have the potential to interact with glutamatergic system and the ATP-sensitive potassium channels to exhibit its antinociceptive activities. Therefore, our results strongly support the antinociceptive effects ofM. koenigiileaves and provide scientific basis of their analgesic uses in the traditional medicine.
Long-Term Retention of an Intraorbital Metallic Foreign Body Adjacent to the Optic Nerve
Authors: Siedlecki Andrew N. , Tsui Edmund , Deng Jie , Miller Donald M.
Published: October 2016

We report the case of an asymptomatic 47 year-old male patient who suffered a penetrating wound from a metallic foreign body that became embedded adjacent to the optic nerve for over thirty years, as well as the associated examination, imaging, and fundus photography. Intraorbital metallic foreign bodies can be well tolerated and may not require surgical intervention despite proximity to important structures.
Obstructive Uropathy Secondary to Missed Acute Appendicitis
Authors: Gachabayov Mahir
Published: October 2016

Hydronephrosis is a rare complication of acute appendicitis. We present a case of missed appendicitis in a 52-year-old female which presented as a right-sided hydronephrosis. 2 days after admission to the Department of Urology CT revealed acute appendicitis for what open appendectomy was performed. Acute appendicitis can lead to obstructive uropathy by periappendiceal inflammation due to adjacency. Urologists, surgeons, and emergency physicians should be aware of this rare complication of atypical acute appendicitis.
Biotinylation of Deoxyguanosine at the Abasic Site in Double-Stranded Oligodeoxynucleotides
Authors: Wu Chun
Published: October 2016

Biotinylation of deoxyguanosine at an abasic site in double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides was studied. The biotinylation of deoxyguanosine is achieved by copper-catalyzed click reaction after the conjugation of the oligodeoxynucleotide with 2-oxohex-5-ynal. The biotinylation enables visualization of the biotinylated oligodeoxynucleotides by chemiluminescence on a nylon membrane. In order to investigate the biotinylated site, the biotinylated oligodeoxynucleotides were amplified by the DNA polymerase chain reaction. Replacement of guanine opposing the abasic site with adenine generated by the activity of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase of DNA polymerase was detected by DNA sequencing analysis and restriction endonuclease digestion. This study suggests that 2-oxohex-5-ynal may be useful for the detection of the unpaired deoxyguanosine endogenously generated at abasic sites in genomic DNA.
Balancing Therapy with Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists and Splenectomy in Refractory Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Case of Postsplenectomy Thrombocytosis Requiring Plateletpheresis
Authors: Zimmerman Jacquelyn , Norsworthy Kelly J. , Brodsky Robert
Published: October 2016

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) causes thrombocytopenia through the autoimmune destruction of platelets. Corticosteroids remain the first line of therapy, and traditionally splenectomy has been the second. While the availability of thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) has expanded treatment options, there is little data for the ideal management of these agents in preparation for splenectomy. Thrombocytosis has been reported after splenectomy in patients treated with TPO-RA preoperatively, with one prior case requiring plateletpheresis for symptomatic thrombocytosis. We present a case report and review of the literature pertaining to this complication and provide recommendations for preventing postsplenectomy thrombocytosis in ITP patients on TPO-RAs.
A Case Report of X-Linked Hyperimmunoglobulin M Syndrome with Lipoma Arborescens of Knees
Authors: Dong Qiuting , Zhao Jinxia , Yao Zhongqiang , Liu Xiangyuan , He Huiying
Published: October 2016

The X-linked hyperimmunoglobulin M syndrome (HIGM), caused by mutations in the CD40LG gene, is a kind of primary immunodeficiency disease (PID). Patients with X-linked HIGM are susceptible to infection as well as autoimmune diseases. Lipoma arborescens (LA) is a rare benign tumor, of which the pathogenesis mechanism has not been clearly understood. We report a case of HIGM combined with LA in a 22-year-old male patient. A new deletion mutation of CD40LG gene was detected in this case. The possible relationship between HIGM and LA was also discussed.
Our Experience in the Management of Traumatic Wound Myiasis: Report of 3 Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Shukla Anand Deep , Kamath Abhay T. , Kudva Adarsh , Pai Deepika , Patel Nilesh
Published: October 2016

Compromised health and hygiene can lead to many complications and one among them is traumatic wound myiasis. Myiasis is the invasion of living tissues by larvae of flies. Three cases of traumatic orofacial wound myiasis and treatment strategies followed for the management of them are reported in this paper.
PrimaryHistoplasma capsulatumEnterocolitis Mimicking Peptic and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Nakshabendi Rahman , Berry Andrew C. , Torres-Miranda Daisy , LaBarbera Francis Daniel , Kanar Ozdemir , Nakshabandi Ahmad , Nakshabendi Imad
Published: October 2016

In immunocompromised patients, histoplasmosis may present as disseminated disease. We present a 52-year-old Caucasian male with symptoms of dyspepsia, postprandial epigastric pain, nausea, and nonbloody diarrhea. Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies were suspicious for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, biopsies were consistent with histoplasmosis, specifically in the duodenum.
Nrf2 Is an Attractive Therapeutic Target for Retinal Diseases
Authors: Nakagami Yasuhiro
Published: October 2016

Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a redox‐sensitive transcription factor that binds to antioxidant response elements located in the promoter region of genes encoding many antioxidant enzymes and phase II detoxifying enzymes. Activation of Nrf2 functions is one of the critical defensive mechanisms against oxidative stress in many species. The retina is constantly exposed to reactive oxygen species, and oxidative stress is a major contributor to age‐related macular diseases. Moreover, the resulting inflammation and neuronal degeneration are also related to other retinal diseases. The well‐known Nrf2 activators, bardoxolone methyl and its derivatives, have been the subject of a number of clinical trials, including those aimed at treating chronic kidney disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and mitochondrial myopathies. Recent studies suggest that Nrf2 activation protects the retina from retinal diseases. In particular, this is supported by the finding that Nrf2 knockout mice display age‐related retinal degeneration. Moreover, the concept has been validated by the efficacy of Nrf2 activators in a number of retinal pathological models. We have also recently succeeded in generating a novel Nrf2 activator, RS9, using a biotransformation technique. This review discusses current links between retinal diseases and Nrf2 and the possibility of treating retinal diseases by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Comparison of the Datar-Mathews Method and the Fuzzy Pay-Off Method through Numerical Results
Authors: Kozlova Mariia , Collan Mikael , Luukka Pasi
Published: October 2016

The paper compares numerically the results from two real option valuation methods, the Datar-Mathews method and the fuzzy pay-off method. Datar-Mathews method is based on using Monte Carlo simulation within a probabilistic valuation framework, while the fuzzy pay-off method relies on modeling the real option valuation by using fuzzy numbers in a possibilistic space. The results show that real option valuation results from the two methods seem to be consistent with each other. The fuzzy pay-off method is more robust and is also usable when not enough information is available for a construction of a simulation model.
Leiomyoma of the Vulva: A Diagnostic Challenge Case Report
Authors: Kurdi Saad , Arafat Abdullah S. , Almegbel Maysan , Aladham Mayson
Published: October 2016

Uterine leiomyomas are common and can affect up to 30% of women older than 35 years. Despite this, leiomyomas of the vulva are rare, masquerading, and usually misdiagnosed as Bartholin cyst preoperatively. These smooth muscle tumors are typically painless, solitary, and well circumscribed and can affect female of any age group. We present a case of a 46-year-old female that presented to the clinic with 2-year history of right labial mass and was diagnosed as Bartholin cyst initially. The patient underwent elective excision under spinal anaesthesia and the mass was removed. The final diagnosis after microscopy result showed benign vulvar leiomyoma.
Predicting Planck Scale and Newtonian Constant from a Yang-Mills Gauge Theory: 1- and 2-Loop Estimates
Authors: Sobreiro Rodrigo F. , Tomaz Anderson A.
Published: October 2016

Recently, a model for an emergent gravity based onSO(5)Yang-Mills action in Euclidian 4-dimensional spacetime was proposed. In this work we provide some 1- and 2-loop computations and show that the model can accommodate suitable predicting values for the Newtonian constant. Moreover, it is shown that the typical scale of the expected transition between the quantum and the geometrodynamical theory is consistent with Planck scale. We also provide a discussion on the cosmological constant problem.
A Tissue Systems Pathology Test Detects Abnormalities Associated with Prevalent High-Grade Dysplasia and Esophageal Cancer in Barrett's Esophagus
Authors: Critchley-Thorne Rebecca J. , Davison Jon M. , Prichard Jeffrey W. , Reese Lia M. , Zhang Yi , Repa Kathleen , Li Jinhong , Diehl David L. , Jhala Nirag C. , Ginsberg Gregory G. , DeMarshall Maureen , Foxwell Tyler , Jobe Blair A. , Zaidi Ali H. , Duits Lucas C. , Bergman Jacques J.G.H.M. , Rustgi Anil , Falk Gary W.
Published: October 2016

Background: There is a need for improved tools to detect high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in patients with Barrett's esophagus. In previous work, we demonstrated that a 3-tier classifier predicted risk of incident progression in Barrett's esophagus. Our aim was to determine whether this risk classifier could detect a field effect in nondysplastic (ND), indefinite for dysplasia (IND), or low-grade dysplasia (LGD) biopsies from Barrett's esophagus patients with prevalent HGD/EAC.

Methods: We performed a multi-institutional case–control study to evaluate a previously developed risk classifier that is based upon quantitative image features derived from 9 biomarkers and morphology, and predicts risk for HGD/EAC in Barrett's esophagus patients. The risk classifier was evaluated in ND, IND, and LGD biopsies from Barrett's esophagus patients diagnosed with HGD/EAC on repeat endoscopy (prevalent cases, n = 30, median time to HGD/EAC diagnosis 140.5 days) and nonprogressors (controls, n = 145, median HGD/EAC-free surveillance time 2,015 days).

Results: The risk classifier stratified prevalent cases and non-progressor patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk classes [OR, 46.0; 95% confidence interval, 14.86-169 (high-risk vs. low-risk); P < 0.0001]. The classifier also provided independent prognostic information that outperformed the subspecialist and generalist diagnosis.

Conclusions: A tissue systems pathology test better predicts prevalent HGD/EAC in Barrett's esophagus patients than pathologic variables. The results indicate that molecular and cellular changes associated with malignant transformation in Barrett's esophagus may be detectable as a field effect using the test.

Impact: A tissue systems pathology test may provide an objective method to facilitate earlier identification of Barrett's esophagus patients requiring therapeutic intervention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(2); 240–8. ©2016 AACR.
Phase IB Study of Vemurafenib in Combination with Irinotecan and Cetuximab in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer with BRAFV600E Mutation
Authors: Hong David S. , Morris Van K. , El Osta Badi , Sorokin Alexey V. , Janku Filip , Fu Siqing , Overman Michael J. , Piha-Paul Sarina , Subbiah Vivek , Kee Bryan , Tsimberidou Apostolia M. , Fogelman David , Bellido Jorge , Shureiqi Imad , Huang Helen , Atkins Johnique , Tarcic Gabi , Sommer Nicolas , Lanman Richard , Meric-Bernstam Funda , Kopetz Scott
Published: October 2016

In vitro, EGFR inhibition, combined with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib, causes synergistic cytotoxicity for BRAFV600E metastatic colorectal cancer, further augmented by irinotecan. The safety and efficacy of vemurafenib, irinotecan, and cetuximab in BRAF-mutated malignancies are not defined. In this 3+3 phase I study, patients with BRAFV600E-advanced solid cancers received cetuximab and irinotecan with escalating doses of vemurafenib. Nineteen patients (18 with metastatic colorectal cancer and 1 with appendiceal cancer) were enrolled. Three patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities. The MTD of vemurafenib was 960 mg twice daily. Six of 17 evaluable patients (35%) achieved a radiographic response by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 criteria, consistent with in vivo models demonstrating tumor regressions with the triplet regimen. Median progression-free survival was 7.7 months. BRAFV600E circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) trends correlated with radiographic changes, and acquired mutations from cfDNA in genes reactivating MAPK signaling were observed at progression.

Significance: Vemurafenib, in combination with irinotecan and cetuximab, was well tolerated in patients with refractory, BRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, and both survival outcomes and response rates exceeded prior reports for vemurafenib and for irinotecan plus cetuximab in BRAFV600E metastatic colorectal cancer. In vivo models demonstrated regressions with the triplet, in contrast with vemurafenib and cetuximab alone. cfDNA predicted radiographic response and identified mutations reactivating the MAPK pathway upon progression. Cancer Discov; 6(12); 1352–65. ©2016 AACR.

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