bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimally Invasive Minor Salivary Gland Biopsy for the Diagnosis of Amyloidosis in a Rheumatology Clinic
Authors: Mercan Ridvan , Bıtık Berivan , Tezcan Mehmet Engin , Kaya Arif , Tufan Abdurrahman , Özturk Mehmet Akif , Haznedaroglu Seminur , Goker Berna
Published: February 2014

Background. Systemic amyloidosis is a potentially fatal condition, unless diagnosed and treated before development of irreversible organ damage.
Demonstration of amyloid deposits within tissue biopsies is only definitive diagnostic method, which makes appropriate selection of biopsy site essential. Herein,
we evaluated efficacy of minimally invasive minor salivary gland biopsy (MSGB) for the diagnosis of amyloidosis. Methods. We analyzed 37 biopsies taken from
35 patients. Suggestive findings for amyloidosis were significant proteinuria, renal impairment, refractory diarrhea, neuropathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Minor salivary gland was the initial biopsy site in all subjects. When MSGB was negative but there was a high suspicion for amyloidosis, a kidney, duodenum,
or rectal biopsy was performed for further investigation. Results. Mean age of patients was 45.4 and 21 were female. In 11 patients amyloidosis was diagnosed
with MSGB. In overall 18 patients were diagnosed with amyloidosis. Sixteen of them were identified as being of AA type and two were AL type amyloidosis.
The sensitivity of minimally invasive MSGB is 61.1% for diagnosing amyloidosis in this study. Conclusion. MSGB is a safe and simple method for the diagnosis
of amyloidosis which can be performed in an outpatient setting. We suggest extensive use of this minimally invasive method.
A Case of Nasal Glial Heterotopia in an Adult
Authors: Hagiwara Akira , Nagai Noriko , Ogawa Yasuo , Suzuki Mamoru
Published: February 2014

We report a rare case of nasal glial heterotopia in an adult. After the surgery, frontal lobe cerebral hemorrhage developed. A 58-year-old man had unilateral nasal obstruction that progressed for one year. He had been treated for hypertension, chronic heart failure, and cerebral infarction with aspirin and warfarin. A computed tomography scan showed that the tumor occupied the right nasal cavity and the sinuses with small defect in the cribriform plate. The tumor was removed totally with endoscopy. After the operation, the patient developed convulsions and frontal lobe cerebral hemorrhage. The hemorrhage site was located near a defect in the cribriform plate. Nasal glial heterotopia is a rare developmental abnormality, particularly rare in adult. Only few cases were reported. We could not find any report of adult nasal glial heterotopias that developed cerebral hemorrhage as a complication of the surgery.
Endoscopic Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): Advances in Gastrointestinal Imaging
Authors: Kirtane Tejas S. , Wagh Mihir S.
Published: February 2014

In the rapidly evolving field of endoscopic gastrointestinal imaging, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has found many diverse applications. We present the current status of OCT and its practical applications in imaging normal and abnormal mucosa in the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and biliary and pancreatic ducts. We highlight technical aspects and principles of imaging, assess published data, and suggest future directions for OCT-guided evaluation and therapy.
Taurine Alleviates the Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Rat Model
Authors: Koh Jang Hyun , Lee Eun Soo , Hyun Miri , Kim Hong Min , Choi Yoon Jung , Lee Eun Young , Yadav Dhananjay , Chung Choon Hee
Published: February 2014

The overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. In this study, the protective effects of taurine on diabetic nephropathy along with its underlying mechanism were investigated. Experimental animals were divided into three groups: LETO rats as normal group (n=10), OLETF rats as diabetic control group (n=10), and OLETF rats treated with taurine group (n=10). We treated taurine (200 mg/kg/day) for 20 weeks and treated high glucose (HG, 30 mM) with or without taurine (30 mM) in mouse cultured podocyte. After taurine treatment, blood glucose level was decreased and insulin secretion was increased. Taurine significantly reduced albuminuria and ACR. Also it decreased glomerular volume, GBM thickness and increased open slit pore density through decreased VEGF and increased nephrin mRNA expressions in renal cortex. The antioxidant effects of taurine were confirmed by the reduction of urine MDA in taurine treated diabetic group. Also reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were decreased in HG condition with taurine treated podocytes compared to without taurine. These results indicate that taurine lowers glucose level via increased insulin secretion and ameliorates the progression of diabetic nephropathy through antifibrotic and antioxidant effects in type 2 diabetes rat model.
Stone Formation from Nonabsorbable Clip Migration into the Collecting System after Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy
Authors: Lee Ziho , Reilly Christopher E. , Moore Blake W. , Mydlo Jack H. , Lee David I. , Eun Daniel D.
Published: February 2014

We describe a case in which a Weck Hem-o-lok clip (Teleflex, Research Triangle Park, USA) migrated into the collecting system and acted as a nidus for stone formation in a patient after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. The patient presented 2 years postoperatively with left-sided renal colic. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a 10 millimeter renal calculus in the left middle pole. After using laser lithotripsy to fragment the overlying renal stone, a Weck Hem-o-lok clip was found to be embedded in the collecting system. A laser fiber through a flexible ureteroscope was used to successfully dislodge the clip from the renal parenchyma, and a stone basket was used to extract the clip.
A Proposal for Six Sigma Integration for Large-Scale Production of Penicillin G and Subsequent Conversion to 6-APA
Authors: Nandi Anirban , Pan Sharadwata , Potumarthi Ravichandra , Danquah Michael K. , Sarethy Indira P.
Published: February 2014

Six Sigma methodology has been successfully applied to daily operations by several leading global private firms including GE and Motorola, to leverage their net profits. Comparatively, limited studies have been conducted to find out whether this highly successful methodology can be applied to research and development (R&D). In the current study, we have reviewed and proposed a process for a probable integration of Six Sigma methodology to large-scale production of Penicillin G and its subsequent conversion to 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA). It is anticipated that the important aspects of quality control and quality assurance will highly benefit from the integration of Six Sigma methodology in mass production of Penicillin G and/or its conversion to 6-APA.
Relative Contribution of Haptic Technology to Assessment and Training in Implantology
Authors: Joseph David , Jehl Jean-Philippe , Maureira Pablo , Perrenot Cyril , Miller Neal , Bravetti Pierre , Ambrosini Pascal , Tran Nguyen
Published: February 2014

Background. The teaching of implant surgery, as in other medical disciplines, is currently undergoing a particular evolution.Aim of the Study. To assess the usefulness of haptic device, a simulator for learning and training to accomplish basic acts in implant surgery.Materials and Methods. A total of 60 people including 40 third-year dental students without knowledge in implantology (divided into 2 groups: 20 beginners and 20 experiencing a simulator training course) and 20 experienced practitioners (experience in implantology >15 implants) participated in this study. A basic exercise drill was proposed to the three groups to assess their gestural abilities.Results. The results of the group training with the simulator tended to be significantly close to those of the experienced operators.Conclusion. Haptic simulator brings a real benefit in training for implant surgery. Long-term benefit and more complex exercises should be evaluated.
On Subscalarity of Some 2 × 2M-Hyponormal Operator Matrices
Authors: Zuo Fei , Shen Junli
Published: February 2014

We provide some conditions for2×2operator matrices whose diagonal entries areM-hyponormal operators to be subscalar. As a consequence, we obtain that Weyl type theorem holds for such operator matrices.
Shape of Aquatic Animals and Their Swimming Efficiency
Authors: Nesteruk I. , Passoni G. , Redaelli A.
Published: February 2014

The best swimmers have a streamlined shape that ensures an attached flow pattern and a laminar boundary layer at rather large values of the Reynolds number. Simple expressions may be obtained for the volumetric drag coefficient of an ideal body of revolution under laminar unseparated flow conditions together with estimations of a critical value of the Reynolds number. A measure, the capacity-efficiency factor, calculated for different organisms and underwater vehicles, shows that information about animal shapes and locomotion is of utmost biological interest and could be useful to improve robot fish and underwater vehicles as well.
Maintainability Analysis of Underground Mining Equipment Using Genetic Algorithms: Case Studies with an LHD Vehicle
Authors: Peng Sihong , Vayenas Nick
Published: February 2014

While increased mine mechanization and automation make considerable contributions to mine productivity, unexpected equipment failures and planned or routine maintenance prohibit the maximum possible utilization of sophisticated mining equipment and require a significant amount of extra capital investment. This paper deals with aspects of maintainability prediction for mining machinery. A PC software called GenRel was developed for this purpose. In GenRel, it is assumed that failures of mining equipment caused by an array of factors follow the biological evolution theory. GenRel then simulates the failure occurrences during a time period of interest using genetic algorithms (GAs) coupled with a number of statistical techniques. A group of case studies focuses on maintainability analysis of a Load Haul Dump (LHD) vehicle with two different time intervals, three months and six months. The data was collected from an underground mine in the Sudbury area in Ontario, Canada. In each prediction case study, a statistical test is carried out to examine the similarity between the predicted data set with the real-life data set in the same time period. The objectives of case studies include an assessment of the applicability of GenRel using real-life data and an investigation of the impacts of data size and chronological sequence on prediction results.
Design Multipurpose Circuits with Minimum Garbage Outputs Using CMVMIN Gate
Authors: Dehghan Bahram
Published: February 2014

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) suggest an emerging computing paradigm for nanotechnology. The QCA offers novel approach in electronics for information processing and communication. QCA have recently become the focus of interest in the field of low power nanocomputing and nanotechnology. The fundamental logic elements of this technology are the majority voter (MV) and the inverter (INV). This paper presents a novel design with less garbage output and minimum quantum cost in nanotechnology. In the paper we show how to create multipurpose reversible gates. By development of suitable gates in logic circuits as an example, we can combine MFA and HS in one design using CMVMIN gate. We offer CMVMIN gate implementations to be used in multipurpose circuit. We can produce concurrent half adder/subtractor and one bit comparator in one design using reversible logic gates and CMVMIN gates. Also, a 2×4 decoder from recent architecture has been shown independently. We investigate the result of the proposed design using truth table. A significant improvement in quality of the calculated parameters and variety of required outputs has been achieved.
Long-Term Effect of an AqueousFraxinus excelsiorL. Seed Extract in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: López-Carreras Noemi , Fernández-Vallinas Sandra , Miguel Marta , Aleixandre Amaya
Published: February 2014

The effect of long-term intake of different doses (20, 40, and 60 mg/kg/day) of aFraxinus excelsiorL. seed extract (FESE) on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was evaluated. Water was used as control and captopril (50 mg/kg/day) was used as positive control. Systolic blood pressure, body weight, and food and liquid intake were registered weekly in SHR. The antioxidant and vascular relaxing properties of FESE were also studied in these animals. The development of hypertension was attenuated in the groups treated with captopril or FESE. The antihypertensive effect was more accentuated in the captopril group than in the FESE groups, and it was paradoxically more accentuated in the groups treated with 20 mg/kg/day or 40 mg/kg/day of FESE than in the group treated with the highest dose of this extract. Body weight gain and food intake increased in the FESE groups. After removing the corresponding antihypertensive treatment, the arterial blood pressure and the body weight of the FESE treated animals returned to control values. In addition, FESE increased plasma antioxidant capacity and decreased plasma and liver malondialdehyde levels. Moreover, acetylcholine relaxation improved in the aorta rings from the FESE treated rats.
A Mini Library of Novel Triazolothiadiazepinylindole Analogues: Synthesis, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Evaluations
Authors: Biradar Jaiprakash Sharanappa , Rajesab Parveen , Biradar Naveen Jaiprakash , Somappa Sasidhar Balappa
Published: February 2014

A new series of novel triazolothiadiazepinylindole analogues were synthesized with an aim to examine possible antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The titled compounds (3a–z) were obtained in good yield by reacting 5-(5-substituted-3-phenyl-1H-indol-2-yl)-4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols1a–cwith 3-(2,5-disubstituted-1H-indol-3-yl)-1(4-substituted phenyl)prop-2-en-1-ones2a–i. All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR,1H NMR, mass spectroscopic and analytical data. The synthesized analogues were tested for antioxidant and antimicrobial potency. Among the tested compounds3a–cand3j–lhave shown very promising free radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant capacity. Compounds3d–f,3m–o, and3s–zhave shown excellent ferric reducing antioxidant activity. An outstanding antimicrobial activity is observed with compounds3a–cand3j–l.
Previously Unreported Chromosomal Aberrations of t(3;3)(q29;q23), t(4;11)(q21;q23), and t(11;18)(q10;q10) in a Patient with Accelerated Phase Ph+ CML
Authors: Aydin Cigdem , Cetin Zafer , Salim Ozan , Yucel Orhan Kemal , Undar Levent , Berker Karauzum Sibel
Published: February 2014

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a clonal hematological disorder, which is characterized by the presence of the classical or variant Philadelphia translocations. During the progression to blastic phase of the disease secondary chromosomal abnormalities may emerge. Such secondary chromosomal abnormalities are nonrandom, the more frequent ones being trisomy 8 and 19, supernumerary i(17q), and extra Philadelphia chromosomes. Furthermore, a minor percentage of the patients may acquire different secondary chromosomal abnormalities including translocations between other chromosomes. We report here a patient with Ph+ CML presenting secondary chromosomal abnormalities including t(4;11)(q21;q23), t(3;3)(q29;q23) and t(11;18)(q10;q10) during the course of CML progression.
Definition and Properties of the Libera Operator on Mixed Norm Spaces
Authors: Pavlovic Miroslav
Published: February 2014

We consider the action of the operatorℒg(z)=(1-z)-1∫z1‍f(ζ)dζon a class of “mixed norm” spaces of analytic functions on the unit disk,X=Hα,νp,q, defined by the requirementg∈X⇔r↦(1-r)αMp(r,g(ν))∈Lq([0,1],dr/(1-r)), where1≤p≤∞,00, andνis a nonnegative integer. This class contains Besov spaces, weighted Bergman spaces, Dirichlet type spaces, Hardy-Sobolev spaces, and so forth. The expressionℒgneed not be defined forganalytic in the unit disk, even forg∈X. A sufficient, but not necessary, condition is that∑n=0∞‍|g^(n)|/(n+1)<∞. We identify the indicesp,q,α, andνfor which1∘ℒis well defined onX,2∘ℒacts fromXtoX,3∘the implicationg∈X⇒∑n=0∞‍|g^(n)|/(n+1)<∞holds. Assertion2∘extends some known results, due to Siskakis and others, and contains some new ones. As an application of3∘we have a generalization of Bernstein’s theorem on absolute convergence of power series that belong to a Hölder class.
Preparation and Identification of Per a 5 as a Novel American Cockroach Allergen
Authors: Wei Ji-Fu , Yang Haiwei , Li Dongning , Gao Peisong , He Shaoheng
Published: February 2014

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) from various arthropods can elicit allergic reactions. In the present study, Per a 5, a GST, was cloned from American cockroach (CR) and expressed in both baculovirus-infected insect cell (iPer a 5) andE. coliexpression (bPer a 5) systems. The secondary structures were predicted to be 45.93 and 8.69% ofα-helixβ-sheets in iPer a 5 and 42.54 and 8.49% ofα-helix andβ-sheets in bPer a 5, respectively. It is found that 4 out of 16 (25%) sera from American CR allergy patients reacted to both bPer a 9 and iPer a 9 as assessed by ELISA and Western blotting analysis, confirming that Per a 5 is not a major allergen of American CR. Induction of upregulated expression of CD63 and CCR3 on passively sensitized human basophils (sera from American CR allergy patients) by approximately up to 4.5- and 3.2-fold indicates that iPer a 5 and bPer a 5 are functionally active. Recombinant Per a 5 (rPer a 5) should be a useful tool for studying and understanding the role of Per a 5 in CR allergy.
Induced Maps on Matrices over Fields
Authors: Yang Li , Ben Xuezhi , Zhang Ming , Cao Chongguang
Published: February 2014

Suppose that𝔽is a field andm,n≥3are integers. Denote byMmn(𝔽)the set of allm×nmatrices over𝔽and byMn(𝔽)the setMnn(𝔽). Letfij(i∈[1,m],j∈[1,n]) be functions on𝔽, where[1,n]stands for the set{1,…,n}. We say that a mapf:Mmn(𝔽)→Mmn(𝔽)is induced by{fij}iffis defined byf:[aij]↦[fij(aij)]. We say that a mapfonMn(𝔽)preserves similarity ifA~B⇒f(A)~f(B), whereA~Brepresents thatAandBare similar. A mapfonMn(𝔽)preserving inverses of matrices meansf(A)f(A-1)=Infor every invertibleA∈Mn(𝔽). In this paper, we characterize induced maps preserving similarity and inverses of matrices, respectively.
Chronic Exposure to Oral Pathogens and Autoimmune Reactivity in Acute Coronary Atherothrombosis
Authors: Burazor Ivana , Vojdani Aristo
Published: February 2014

Background. It has been hypothesized that various infective agents may activate immune reactions as part of the atherosclerotic process. We aimed to investigate the interrelationship between chronic exposure to oral pathogens and immune-inflammatory response in patients with acute coronary atherothrombosis.Patients and Methods. The study included 200 participants from Serbia: 100 patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), and 100 age- and sex-matched controls. Antibodies to oral anaerobes and aerobes were determined as well as autoantibodies to endothelial cells, beta-2 glycoprotein I, platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and anticardiolipin. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.Results. The mean serum antibodies to oral anaerobes tended to be higher among subjects with MI (0.876 ± 0.303 versus 0.685 ± 0.172 OD,P<0.001). Similarly, antibody levels against oral aerobes in patients were significantly different from controls. Antibodies against endothelial cell, beta-2 glycoprotein I, platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, anticardiolipin along with CRP and IL-6 were highly elevated in patients. The levels of antibodies to oral bacteria showed linear correlation with tissue antibodies, CRP and IL-6.Conclusion. Antibody response to chronic oral bacterial infections and host immune response against them may be responsible for the elevation of tissue antibodies and biomarkers of inflammation which are involved in acute coronary thrombosis development.
Global Conservative Solutions of a Generalized Two-Component Camassa-Holm System
Authors: Zhang Feng , Yang Han , Wu Yonghong
Published: February 2014

The Cauchy problem for a generalized two-component Camassa-Holm system is investigated. Following the idea of fixed points and using new sets of independent and dependent variables, the existence of the global conservative solutions for the system is established.
Performance of 2–3.6 GHz Five-Port/Three-Phase Demodulators with Baseband AnalogI/QRegeneration Circuit in Direct-Conversion Receivers
Authors: Abdou Kaissoine , Khy Antoine , Mabrouk Kais , Huyart Bernard
Published: February 2014

A comparison between performance of a five-port demodulator (FPD) and a three-phase demodulator (TPD) with both architectures connected to a so-called basebandI/Qregeneration circuit is carried out. In order to compare these two receivers to a classical architecture, the performance of anI/Qdemodulator (IQD) is also presented. Measured results show the superiority of TPD and IQD over FPD in terms of residual DC offsets and 2nd order intermodulation distortion (IMD2) products, noise figure (NF), and sensitivity due to the use of active balanced mixers instead of diode power detectors. Lastly, demodulation of three noncontiguous RF carriers shows the stronger potential of the three-phase demodulator (TPD) for applications in future long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) receivers through EVM and constellation diagram measurements.
Activity-Based Scene Decomposition for Topology Inference of Video Surveillance Network
Authors: Zhang Hongguang , Cui Jianzhu , Wang Peng , Zheng Shibao
Published: February 2014

The topology inference is the study of spatial and temporal relationships among cameras within a video surveillance network. We propose a novel approach to understand activities based on the visual coverage of a video surveillance network. In our approach, an optimal camera placement scheme is firstly presented by using a binary integer programming algorithm in order to maximize the surveillance coverage. Then, each camera view is decomposed into regions based on the Histograms of Color Optical Flow (HCOF), according to the spatial-temporal distribution of activity patterns observed in a training set of video sequences. We conduct experiments by using hours of video sequences captured at an office building with seven camera views, all of which are sparse scenes with complex activities. The results of real scene experiment show that the features of histograms of color optic flow offer important contextual information for spatial and temporal topology inference of a camera network.
Meteorological Data Analysis Using MapReduce
Authors: Fang Wei , Sheng V. S. , Wen XueZhi , Pan Wubin
Published: February 2014

In the atmospheric science, the scale of meteorological data is massive and growing rapidly.K-means is a fast and available cluster algorithm which has been used in many fields. However, for the large-scale meteorological data, the traditionalK-means algorithm is not capable enough to satisfy the actual application needs efficiently. This paper proposes an improvedMK-means algorithm (MK-means) based on MapReduce according to characteristics of large meteorological datasets. The experimental results show thatMK-means has more computing ability and scalability.
In VitroAntiviral Activity of Circular Triple Helix Forming Oligonucleotide RNA towards Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus Replication
Authors: Choong Oi Kuan , Mehrbod Parvaneh , Tejo Bimo Ario , Omar Abdul Rahman
Published: February 2014

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a severe fatal immune-augmented disease in cat population. It is caused by FIP virus (FIPV), a virulent mutant strain of Feline Enteric Coronavirus (FECV). Current treatments and prophylactics are not effective. Thein vitroantiviral properties of five circular Triple-Helix Forming Oligonucleotide (TFO) RNAs (TFO1 to TFO5), which target the different regions of virulent feline coronavirus (FCoV) strain FIPV WSU 79-1146 genome, were tested in FIPV-infected Crandell-Rees Feline Kidney (CRFK) cells. RT-qPCR results showed that the circular TFO RNAs, except TFO2, inhibit FIPV replication, where the viral genome copy numbers decreased significantly by 5-fold log10from 1014in the virus-inoculated cells to 109in the circular TFO RNAs-transfected cells. Furthermore, the binding of the circular TFO RNA with the targeted viral genome segment was also confirmed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The strength of binding kinetics between the TFO RNAs and their target regions was demonstrated by NanoITC assay. In conclusion, the circular TFOs have the potential to be further developed as antiviral agents against FIPV infection.
Mothers’ Perception and Healthcare Seeking Behavior of Pneumonia Children in Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Ferdous Farzana , Dil Farzana Fahmida , Ahmed Shahnawaz , Das Sumon Kumar , Malek Mohammad Abdul , Das Jui , Faruque Abu Syed Golam , Chisti Mohammod Jobayer
Published: February 2014

We describe mothers’ perception about signs and symptoms, causes of the illness, and healthcare seeking behaviors related to pneumonia and express the major modifiable barriers to seeking timely treatment when their under-5 children had pneumonia in rural Bangladesh. Using focus group discussion, we understood mothers’ perception and healthcare seeking behavior of childhood pneumonia. Although mothers described pneumonia as a serious life threatening disease in young children but most of the mothers (n=24) could not diagnose whether their child had pneumonia or not. Environmental factors such as dust particles, spread from coughing mother, and drinking cold water or playing with water were perceived as the causes for pneumonia. Three common barriers noted were as follows: illness was not perceived as serious enough or distance from healthcare facility or lack of money at household for seeking treatment outside. Most of the rural mothers did not have knowledge about severity of childhood pneumonia.
Scientific Validation of Gentiana kurroo Royle for Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Potential
Authors: Mubashir Khan , Ghazanfar Khalid , Ganai Bashir A. , Akbar Seema , Malik Akhtar H. , Masood Akbar
Published: February 2014

Gentiana kurroo Royle is a critically endangered medicinal plant species endemic to the northwestern Himalayas. This plant was studied for the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential. Carrageenan paw edema model was used to study the potential of the drug in inflammation in Wistar rats. SRBC specific haemagglutination titre and DTH assays were carried out in Balb/C mice for observing the effect of test drugs on immune system. The plant extracts were found to be active against inflammation. The methanolic fraction was observed to be the most effective in inhibition of paw edema with the inhibitory potential of 47.62%. In immunomodulation studies the plant extracts showed the immunosuppressant activity. Methanolic fraction was observed to have maximum potential for the suppression of both humoral (57.57% and 54.05%) and cell mediated immunity (65.27% and 75%). From these studies, it can be concluded that the extracts of plant are having anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant activity. Since in chronic inflammation like arthritis there is the involvement of immune system, this plant may serve as an alternative for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like arthritis.
Impact of Immunogenetic IL28B Polymorphism on Natural Outcome of HCV Infection
Authors: De Re Valli , Gragnani Laura , Fognani Elisa , Piluso Alessia , Izzo Francesco , Mangia Alessandra , Crovatto Marina , Gava Graziella , Casarin Pietro , Sansonno Domenico , Racanelli Vito , De Vita Salvatore , Pioltelli Pietro , Caggiari Laura , De Zorzi Mariangela , Berretta Massimiliano , Gini Andrea , Zucchetto Antonella , Buonaguro Franco Maria , De Paoli Paolo , Zignego Anna Linda
Published: February 2014

With the aim of investigating whether interleukin 28B gene (IL28B) rs1297860 polymorphism is associated with different hepatitis C (HCV) infection statuses, we compared IL28B allelic distribution in an Italian case series of 1050 patients with chronic infection and different outcomes, 47 individuals who spontaneously cleared HCV, and 178 blood donors. Furthermore, we compared IL28B variants among 3882 Caucasian patients with chronic infection, 397 with spontaneous clearance, and 1366 blood donors reported in PubMed. Overall data confirmed a relation between IL28B C allele and HCV spontaneous clearance. Furthermore, we found that IL28B T allele had a weak relation with chronic HCV progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. Study findings are in accordance with the hepatocellular carcinogenic model where IL28B TT genotype, by promoting a persistent chronic hepatitis which leads to both hepatocyte injury and chronic inflammation, could facilitate HCC development. Conversely, patients with lymphoproliferative disorders had not any significantly different IL28B rs1297860 allelic distribution than those with chronic HCV, but, like all chronic HCV-related diseases, they showed a lower CC frequency than patients who spontaneously cleared HCV. Study results confirmed the model of persistent HCV infection as a risk factor for the pathogenesis of both liver and lymphoproliferative disorders.
Positive Solutions for a Nonhomogeneous Kirchhoff Equation with the Asymptotical Nonlinearity inR3
Authors: Ding Ling , Li Lin , Zhang Jin-Ling
Published: February 2014

We study the following nonhomogeneous Kirchhoff equation:-(a+b∫R3‍|∇u|2dx)Δu+u=k(x)f(u)+h(x),  x∈R3,  u∈H1(R3),  u>0,  x∈R3, wherefis asymptotically linear with respect totat infinity. Under appropriate assumptions onk,f, andh, existence of two positive solutions is proved by using the Ekeland's variational principle and the Mountain Pass Theorem in critical point theory.
Criterion onLp1×Lp2→Lq-Boundedness for Oscillatory Bilinear Hilbert Transform
Authors: Shi Zuoshunhua , Yan Dunyan
Published: February 2014

We investigate the bilinear Hilbert transform with oscillatory factors and the truncated bilinear Hilbert transform. The main result is that theLp1×Lp2→Lq-boundedness of the two operators is equivalent with1≤p1,p2<∞, and1/q=1/p1+1/p2. In addition, we also discuss the boundedness of a variant operator of bilinear Hilbert transform with a nontrivial polynomial phase.
Latino Officers and Their Involvement in Police Shootings
Authors: McElvain James P. , Kposowa Augustine J.
Published: February 2014

With an emphasis to examine Latino officers who have been involved in police shootings, this study analyzed twenty-one years (1990–2010) of data from one of the largest law enforcement departments in the United States. The study compared Latino population trends in the United States, the State of California, a southern California County, and focused on the representativeness of Latinos in one southern California law enforcement department. The analysis further investigated police shootings by the race of the officer, narrowing the focus to determine whether an increasing representativeness of Latino officers had any effect on police shootings. Results revealed that while the percentage of White officers in the department decreased and Latino officers increased, so too did their involvement in police shootings. Most surprisingly, Latino officer-involved shootings outpaced their growth in the department by a factor of 3.3 and in the county by a factor of more than 4.
A Water Management Model for Toshka Depression
Authors: Fassieh K. M. , Zaki M. A.
Published: February 2014

Toshka Depression (TD), located about 250 km south west of the High Aswan Dam (HAD), consists of four deep-cut basins connected by natural sills. It is required to assess the contribution of TD as a spillway, in enhancing the effectiveness of Lake Nasser in flood control and water availability. However, most related previous works are descriptive and use qualitative methods. In order to provide the required assessment quantitatively, we developed a numerical model which computes TD mass balance and interbasin water movements. The model computes the variation of water volume, surface area, and water level in each one of the four basins (subdepressions), thus depicting their filling sequence, for the past 130 years. This TD response to realistic time series of water inflow gains and evaporation losses is analyzed to compute the TD overflow time series. This response helps assess water availability for agricultural use and effectiveness in alleviating flood risks. Furthermore, the developed model compares between three TD configurations to help the decision maker and recommends (i) building a dam—height 10 m—at the end of the fourth subdepression near Kharga Oasis and/or (ii) incorporating the third subdepression into TD by digging a canal through the hill that blocks it from the first subdepression.
Measuring Semantic Relatedness between Flickr Images: From a Social Tag Based View
Authors: Xu Zheng , Luo Xiangfeng , Liu Yunhuai , Mei Lin , Hu Chuanping
Published: February 2014

Relatedness measurement between multimedia such as images and videos plays an important role in computer vision, which is a base for many multimedia related applications including clustering, searching, recommendation, and annotation. Recently, with the explosion of social media, users can upload media data and annotate content with descriptive tags. In this paper, we aim at measuring the semantic relatedness of Flickr images. Firstly, four information theory based functions are used to measure the semantic relatedness of tags. Secondly, the integration of tags pair based on bipartite graph is proposed to remove the noise and redundancy. Thirdly, the order information of tags is added to measure the semantic relatedness, which emphasizes the tags with high positions. The data sets including 1000 images from Flickr are used to evaluate the proposed method. Two data mining tasks including clustering and searching are performed by the proposed method, which shows the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method. Moreover, some applications such as searching and faceted exploration are introduced using the proposed method, which shows that the proposed method has broad prospects on web based tasks.
Imaging Features of Periosteal Chondroma Manifesting as a Subcutaneous Mass in the Index Finger
Authors: Kosaka Hidetomo , Nishio Jun , Matsunaga Taiki , Aoki Mikiko , Iwasaki Hiroshi , Naito Masatoshi
Published: February 2014

Periosteal chondroma is a rare benign hyaline cartilage neoplasm that occurs most commonly in the metaphases of long tubular bones. We present a unique case of periosteal chondroma arising in the proximal phalanx of the left index finger in a 12-year-old boy. Physical examination revealed a slightly protuberant, subcutaneous mass. Plain radiographs and computed tomography scans showed a periosteal lesion producing saucerization of the cortex and subjacent cortical sclerosis, without internal matrix calcification. On magnetic resonance imaging, the lesion exhibited intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images demonstrated peripheral and septal enhancement. The patient underwent a marginal excision with curettage of the underlying bone cortex. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of periosteal chondroma. There has been no evidence of local recurrence eight months after surgery. Periosteal chondroma can protrude into the subcutaneous soft tissue causing a palpable mass. Recognition of the typical radiological features can lead to an accurate diagnosis of this rare condition.
Type IV Secretion System Is Not Involved in Infection Process in Citrus
Authors: Jacob Tiago Rinaldi , Laia Marcelo Luiz de , Moreira Leandro Marcio , Gonçalves Janaína Fernandes , Carvalho Flavia Maria de Souza , Ferro Maria Inês Tiraboschi , Ferro Jesus Aparecido
Published: February 2014

The type IV secretion system (T4SS) is used by Gram-negative bacteria to translocate protein and DNA substrates across the cell envelope and into target cells.Xanthomonas citrisubsp.citricontains two copies of the T4SS, one in the chromosome and the other is plasmid-encoded. To understand the conditions that induce expression of the T4SS inXcc, we analyzed,in vitroandin planta, the expression of 18 ORFs from the T4SS and 7 hypothetical flanking genes by RT-qPCR. As a positive control, we also evaluated the expression of 29 ORFs from the type III secretion system (T3SS), since these genes are known to be expressed during plant infection condition, but not necessarily in standard culture medium. From the 29 T3SS genes analyzed by qPCR, onlyhrpAwas downregulated at 72 h after inoculation. All genes associated with the T4SS were downregulated onCitrusleaves 72 h after inoculation. Our results showed that unlike the T3SS, the T4SS is not induced during the infection process.
Determination ofβ-Galactooligosaccharides by Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Austin Sean , Bénet Thierry , Michaud Julien , Cuany Denis , Rohfritsch Philippe
Published: February 2014

Beta-galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are oligosaccharides normally produced industrially by transgalactosylation of lactose. They are also present naturally in the milk of many animals including humans and cows. GOS are thought to be good for health, being potential prebiotic fibres, and are increasingly added to food products. In order to control the GOS content of products, the AOAC official method 2001.02 was developed. However, the method has some shortcomings and in particular is unsuited to the analysis of products containing high levels of lactose such as infant formula. To overcome this problem, we developed a new method for application to infant formula and tested it on various GOS ingredients as well as infant formulae. When applied to GOS ingredients the results of the new method compare well with those of the official AOAC method, typically giving results in the range 90–110% of those of the official method and having an expanded measurement uncertainty of less than 15%. For three products, the results were outside this range (recoveries of 80–120% and expended measurement uncertainties up to 20%). When applied to the analysis of infant formula, recoveries were in the range of 92–102% and the expanded measurement uncertainties were between 4.2 and 11%.
Genetic Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: Follow-Up of Findings from Genome-Wide Association Studies
Authors: Basile Kevin J. , Johnson Matthew E. , Xia Qianghua , Grant Struan F. A.
Published: February 2014

Elucidating the underlying genetic variations influencing various complex diseases is one of the major challenges currently facing clinical genetic research. Although these variations are often difficult to uncover, approaches such as genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been successful at finding statistically significant associations between specific genomic loci and disease susceptibility. GWAS has been especially successful in elucidating genetic variants that influence type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity/body mass index (BMI). Specifically, several GWASs have confirmed that a variant in transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) confers risk for T2D, while a variant in fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) confers risk for obesity/BMI; indeed both of these signals are considered the most statistically associated loci discovered for these respective traits to date. The discovery of these two key loci in this context has been invaluable for providing novel insight into mechanisms of heritability and disease pathogenesis. As follow-up studies ofTCF7L2andFTOhave typically lead the way in how to follow up a GWAS discovery, we outline what has been learned from such investigations and how they have implications for the myriad of other loci that have been subsequently reported in this disease context.
Simulation of Fluid-Structure and Fluid-Mediated Structure-Structure Interactions in Stokes Regime Using Immersed Boundary Method
Authors: Baghalnezhad Masoud , Dadvand Abdolrahman , Mirzaee Iraj
Published: February 2014

The Stokes flow induced by the motion of an elastic massless filament immersed in a two-dimensional fluid is studied. Initially, the filament is deviated from its equilibrium state and the fluid is at rest. The filament will induce fluid motion while returning to its equilibrium state. Two different test cases are examined. In both cases, the motion of a fixed-end massless filament induces the fluid motion inside a square domain. However, in the second test case, a deformable circular string is placed in the square domain and its interaction with the Stokes flow induced by the filament motion is studied. The interaction between the fluid and deformable body/bodies can become very complicated from the computational point of view. An immersed boundary method is used in the present study. In order to substantiate the accuracy of the numerical method employed, the simulated results associated with the Stokes flow induced by the motion of an extending star string are compared well with those obtained by the immersed interface method. The results show the ability and accuracy of the IBM method in solving the complicated fluid-structure and fluid-mediated structure-structure interaction problems happening in a wide variety of engineering and biological systems.
Do Handling and Transport Stress Influence Adrenocortical Response in the Tortoises (Testudo hermanni)?
Authors: Fazio Esterina , Medica Pietro , Bruschetta Giuseppe , Ferlazzo Adriana
Published: February 2014

The goal of this study was to analyze circulating cortisol levels from tortoises (Testudo hermanni) to establish reference intervals and to develop guidelines for the interpretation of the effect of handling and transport stress. Blood samples were obtained from the caudal venous from 23 healthy juvenile tortoises (9 males and 14 females), aged 8–20 years, in basal condition, four weeks prior to and four weeks following handling and short transportation. The study was carried out on the experimental group: 10 tortoises, 4 males and 6 females, and on a control group: 13 tortoises, 5 males and 8 females. Compared to basal values, circulating cortisol concentrations was higher after handling and transport (+286%;P<0.001), with an increase of +246% (P<0.001) in males, +236% (P<0.005) in females, +370% (P<0.005) in subjects aged 8–12 years, and +240% (P<0.001) in subjects aged 13–20 years. These observations support the hypotheses that cortisol may act to mediate the effects of handling and transport stress in this species and that four weeks following handling and transport were insufficient to restore their homeostasis.
Application of Electro-Fenton Technology to Remediation of Polluted Effluents by Self-Sustaining Process
Authors: Fernández de Dios Maria Ángeles , Iglesias Olaia , Pazos Marta , Sanromán Maria Ángeles
Published: February 2014

The applicability of electro-Fenton technology to remediation of wastewater contaminated by several organic pollutants such as dyes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons has been evaluated using iron-enriched zeolite as heterogeneous catalyst. The electro-Fenton technology is an advanced oxidation process that is efficient for the degradation of organic pollutants, but it suffers from the high operating costs due to the need for power investment. For this reason, in this study microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were designed in order to supply electricity to electro-Fenton processes and to achieve high treatment efficiency at low cost. Initially, the effect of key parameters on the MFC power generation was evaluated. Afterwards, the degradation of Reactive Black 5 dye and phenanthrene was evaluated in an electro-Fenton reactor, containing iron-enriched zeolite as catalyst, using the electricity supplied by the MFC. Near complete dye decolourization and 78% of phenanthrene degradation were reached after 90 min and 30 h, respectively. Furthermore, preliminary reusability tests of the developed catalyst showed high degradation levels for successive cycles. The results permit concluding that the integrated system is adequate to achieve high treatment efficiency with low electrical consumption.
Random Implantation of Asymmetric Intracorneal Rings
Authors: Peris-Martínez Cristina , Gregori Gisbert Irene
Published: February 2014

Intracorneal ring employment for treating ectasia is widespread. Although the mechanism of action of intracorneal rings in the regularization of the corneal surface after its implantation is well known in most cases, there are still many doubts. We present a case of implanted intracorneal rings, where, despite the peculiar position of the rings, the patient gains lines of visual acuity and keratoconus remains stable.
Does Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure of the Uterine Cervix Affect Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels?
Authors: Sklavos Martha M. , Spracklen Cassandra N. , Saftlas Audrey F. , Pinto Ligia A.
Published: February 2014

Background. A delayed time to pregnancy was recently reported for women who had a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) to remove cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2 or 3. The objective of the current study was to determine if treatment of CIN with LEEP is associated with decreased levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a marker of ovarian reserve.Methods. AMH levels were measured in 18 women treated with LEEP and 18 age-matched controls, who had colposcopy only and did not require LEEP. Cases and controls had their blood drawn at study entry time zero and again 6 months later.Results. The mean AMH level decreased significantly from baseline to follow-up; however, no significant differences were observed when stratifying by LEEP status, suggesting that both groups experienced a similar decrease in AMH levels during the follow-up period. Although women treated with LEEP had lower overall AMH levels than controls at both baseline and follow-up, these differences were not statistically significant.Conclusion. Overall, the delayed time to pregnancy observed in women treated with LEEP is likely not due to a LEEP-associated decrease in ovarian reserve as measured by AMH; thus, other mechanism are responsible for the delayed time to pregnancy associated with LEEP.
Conditional Lie-Bäcklund Symmetries and Reductions of the Nonlinear Diffusion Equations with Source
Authors: Song Junquan , Ye Yujian , Zhang Danda , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2014

Conditional Lie-Bäcklund symmetry approach is used to study the invariant subspace of the nonlinear diffusion equations with sourceut=e−qx(epxP(u)uxm)x+Q(x,u),m≠1. We obtain a complete list of canonical forms for such equations admit multidimensional invariant subspaces determined by higher order conditional Lie-Bäcklund symmetries. The resulting equations are either solved exactly or reduced to some finite-dimensional dynamic systems.
A Novel Mutation inLeptinGene Is Associated with Severe Obesity in Chinese Individuals
Authors: Zhao Yue , Hong Nanchao , Liu Xiao , Wu Beibei , Tang Shanshan , Yang Jianjun , Hu Cheng , Jia Weiping
Published: February 2014

Obesity is a clinical syndrome which is driven by interactions between multiple genetic and environmental factors. Monogenic obesity is a rare type of obesity which is caused by a mutation in a single gene. Patients with monogenic obesity may develop early onset of obesity and severe metabolic abnormalities. In this study, we screened mutations ofLEPin a total of 135 Chinese individuals including 35 obese patients whose BMI ≥32 kg/m2and 100 controls with BMI <25 kg/m2. Moreover, detailed information and clinical measurements of the participants were also collected. Finally, we identified a novel nonsynonymous mutation H118L in exon 3 ofLEPin one patient with BMI 46.0 kg/m2. This mutation was not identified in the controls. We speculated that the mutation H118L inLEPmight be associated with severe obesity in Chinese subjects. However, the substantial mechanism should be further investigated.