bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics Analysis of Joint Acoustic Echo and Noise Suppression in Periodic Drillstring Waveguide
Authors: Cheng Li , Jinfeng Chang , Zhao Liu , Shangchun Fan , Tianhuai Ding
Published: May 2014

A new method of wireless data telemetry used by oil industry uses compressional acoustic waves to transmit downhole information from the bottom hole to the surface. Unfortunately, acoustic echoes and drilling vibration noises in periodic drillstring are a major issue in transmission performance. A combined acoustic echo and noise suppression method based on wave motion characteristic in drillstring is adopted to enhance an upward-going transmitted acoustic signal. The presented scheme consists of a primary acoustic echo canceller using an array of two accelerometers for dealing with the downward-going noises and a secondary acoustic insulation structure for restraining the upward-going vibration noises. Furthermore, the secondary acoustic insulation structure exhibits a banded and dispersive spectral structure because of periodic groove configuration. By using a finite-differential algorithm for the one-dimensional propagation of longitudinal waves, acoustic receiving characteristics of transmitted signals are simulated with additive Gaussian noise in a periodic pipe structure of limited length to investigate the effects on transmission performance optimization. The results reveal that the proposed scheme can achieve a much lower error bit ratio over a specified acoustic isolation frequency range with a 30–40 dB reduction in the average noise level compared to traditional single-receiver scheme.
Computational Techniques for Autonomous Microgrid Load Flow Analysis
Authors: Kirthiga M. Venkata , Daniel S. Arul
Published: May 2014

This paper attempts at developing simple, efficient, and fast converging load flow analysis techniques tailored to autonomous microgrids. Two modified backward forward sweep techniques have been developed in this work where the largest generator is chosen as slack generator, in the first method and all generator buses are modeled as slack buses in the second method. The second method incorporates the concept of distributed slack bus to update the real and reactive power generations in the microgrid. This paper has details on the development of these two methodologies and the efficacy of these methods is compared with the conventional Newton Raphson load flow method. The standard 33-bus distribution system has been transformed into an autonomous microgrid and used for evaluation of the proposed load flow methodologies. Matlab coding has been developed for validating the results.
Structural Safety Analysis Based on Seismic Service Conditions for Butterfly Valves in a Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Han Sang-Uk , Ahn Dae-Gyun , Lee Myeong-Gon , Lee Kwon-Hee , Han Seung-Ho
Published: May 2014

The structural integrity of valves that are used to control cooling waters in the primary coolant loop that prevents boiling within the reactor in a nuclear power plant must be capable of withstanding earthquakes or other dangerous situations. In this study, numerical analyses using a finite element method, that is, static and dynamic analyses according to the rigid or flexible characteristics of the dynamic properties of a 200A butterfly valve, were performed according to the KEPIC MFA. An experimental vibration test was also carried out in order to verify the results from the modal analysis, in which a validated finite element model was obtained via a model-updating method that considers changes in thein situexperimental data. By using a validated finite element model, the equivalent static load under SSE conditions stipulated by the KEPIC MFA gave a stress of 135 MPa that occurred at the connections of the stem and body. A larger stress of 183 MPa was induced when we used a CQC method with a design response spectrum that uses 2% damping ratio. These values were lower than the allowable strength of the materials used for manufacturing the butterfly valve, and, therefore, its structural safety met the KEPIC MFA requirements.
Integration of Residue Attributes for Sequence Diversity Characterization of Terpenoid Enzymes
Authors: Kibinge Nelson , Ikeda Shun , Ono Naoaki , Altaf-Ul-Amin Md. , Kanaya Shigehiko
Published: May 2014

Progress in the “omics” fields such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics has engendered a need for innovative analytical techniques to derive meaningful information from the ever increasing molecular data. KNApSAcK motorcycle DB is a popular database for enzymes related to secondary metabolic pathways in plants. One of the challenges in analyses of protein sequence data in such repositories is the standard notation of sequences as strings of alphabetical characters. This has created lack of a natural underlying metric that eases amenability to computation. In view of this requirement, we applied novel integration of selected biochemical and physical attributes of amino acids derived from the amino acid index and quantified in numerical scale, to examine diversity of peptide sequences of terpenoid synthases accumulated in KNApSAcK motorcycle DB. We initially generated a reduced amino acid index table. This is a set of biochemical and physical properties obtained by random forest feature selection of important indices from the amino acid index. Principal component analysis was then applied for characterization of enzymes involved in synthesis of terpenoids. The variance explained was increased by incorporation of residue attributes for analyses.
Optimization of Amylase Production fromB. amyloliquefaciens(MTCC 1270) Using Solid State Fermentation
Authors: Saha Koel , Maity Sujan , Roy Sudeshna , Pahan Koustav , Pathak Rishija , Majumdar Susmita , Gupta Suvroma
Published: May 2014

Demand for microbial amylase production persists because of its immense importance in wide spectrum industries. The present work has been initiated with a goal of optimization of solid state fermentation condition for amylase using agroindustrial waste and microbial strain likeB. amyloliquefaciens(MTCC 1270). In an aim to improve the productivity of amylase, fermentation has been carried out in the presence of calcium (Ca+2), Nitrate (NO3−), and chloride ions (Cl−) as well as in the presence of D-inositol and mannitol. Amylase needs calcium ion for the preservation of its structure, activity and stability that proves beneficial also for amylase production using solid state fermentation. The inclusion of ions and sugars in the SSF media is promising which can be explained by the protection offered by them against thermal decay of amylase at various incubation periods at 37°C.
Comparison of Transperineal Mapping Biopsy Results with Whole-Mount Radical Prostatectomy Pathology in Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Katz Darren J. , Pinochet Rodrigo , Richards Kyle A. , Godoy Guilherme , Udo Kazuma , Nogueira Lucas , Cronin Angel M. , Fine Samson W. , Scardino Peter T. , Coleman Jonathon A.
Published: May 2014

Objective. We sought to evaluate the accuracy of transperineal mapping biopsy (TMB) by comparing it to the pathology specimen of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer.Methods. From March 2007 to September 2009, 78 men at a single center underwent TMB; 17 of 78 subsequently underwent RP. TMB cores were grouped into four quadrants and matched to data from RP whole-mount slides. Gleason score, tumor location and volume, cross-sectional area, and maximal diameter were measured; sensitivity and specificity were assessed.Results. For the 17 patients who underwent RP, TMB revealed 12 (71%) had biopsy Gleason grades ≥ 3 + 4 and 13 (76%) had bilateral disease. RP specimens showed 14 (82%) had Gleason scores ≥ 3 + 4 and 13 (76%) had bilateral disease. Sensitivity and specificity of TMB for prostate cancer detection were 86% (95% confidence interval [CI] 72%–94%) and 83% (95% CI 62%–95%), respectively. Four quadrants negative for cancer on TMB were positive on prostatectomy, and six positive on TMB were negative on prostatectomy.Conclusion. TMB is a highly invasive procedure that can accurately detect and localize prostate cancer. These findings help establish baseline performance characteristics for TMB and its utility for organ-sparing strategies.
Glucagon Effects on3H-Histamine Uptake by the Isolated Guinea-Pig Heart during Anaphylaxis
Authors: Rosic Mirko , Parodi Oberdan , Jakovljevic Vladimir , Colic Maja , Zivkovic Vladimir , Jokovic Vuk , Pantovic Suzana
Published: May 2014

We estimated the influence of acute glucagon applications on3H-histamine uptake by the isolated guinea-pig heart, during a single3H-histamine passage through the coronary circulation, before and during anaphylaxis, and the influence of glucagon on level of histamine, NO,O2-, and H2O2in the venous effluent during anaphylaxis. Before anaphylaxis, glucagon pretreatment does not change3H-histamine Umax and the level of endogenous histamine. At the same time, in the presence of glucagon,3H-histamine Unet is increased and backflux is decreased when compared to the corresponding values in the absence of glucagon. During anaphylaxis, in the presence of glucagon, the values of3H-histamine Umax and Unet are significantly higher and backflux is significantly lower in the presence of glucagon when compared to the corresponding values in the absence of glucagon. The level of endogenous histamine during anaphylaxis in the presence of glucagon (6.9–7.38 × 10−8 μM) is significantly lower than the histamine level in the absence of glucagon (10.35–10.45 × 10−8 μM). Glucagon pretreatment leads to a significant increase in NO release (5.69 nmol/mL) in comparison with the period before glucagon administration (2.49 nmol/mL). Then, in the presence of glucagon,O2-level fails to increase during anaphylaxis. Also, our results show no significant differences in H2O2levels before, during, and after anaphylaxis in the presence of glucagon, but these values are significantly lower than the corresponding values in the absence of glucagon. In conclusion, our results show that glucagon increases NO release and prevents the increased release of free radicals during anaphylaxis, and decreases histamine level in the venous effluent during cardiac anaphylaxis, which may be a consequence of decreased histamine release and/or intensified histamine capturing by the heart during anaphylaxis.
H∞Control for Network-Based 2D Systems with Missing Measurements
Authors: Xuhui Bu , Hongqi Wang , Zheng Zheng , Wei Qian
Published: May 2014

The problem ofH∞control for network-based 2D systems with missing measurements is considered. A stochastic variable satisfying the Bernoulli random binary distribution is utilized to characterize the missing measurements. Our attention is focused on the design of a state feedback controller such that the closed-loop 2D stochastic system is mean-square asymptotic stability and has an  H∞disturbance attenuation performance. A sufficient condition is established by means of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) technique, and formulas can be given for the control law design. The result is also extended to more general cases where the system matrices contain uncertain parameters. Numerical examples are also given to illustrate the effectiveness of proposed approach.
Solanine Induces Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Authors: Sun Hongwei , Lv Chongqing , Yang Longlong , Wang Yingxiu , Zhang Qingshun , Yu Suhui , Kong Hongru , Wang Meng , Xie Jianming , Zhang Chunwu , Zhou Mengtao
Published: May 2014

Steroid alkaloids have been suggested as potential anticancer compounds. However, the underlying mechanisms of how steroid alkaloids inhibit the tumor growth are largely unknown. Here, we reported that solanine, a substance of steroid alkaloids, has a positive effect on the inhibition of pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. In pancreatic cancer cells and nu/nu nude mice model, we found that solanine inhibited cancer cells growth through caspase-3 dependent mitochondrial apoptosis. Mechanically, solanine promotes the opening of mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (MPTP) by downregulating the Bcl-2/Bax ratio; thereafter, Cytochrome c and Smac are released from mitochondria into cytosol to process the caspase-3 zymogen into an activated form. Moreover, we found that the expression of tumor metastasis related proteins, MMP-2 and MMP-9, was also decreased in the cells treated with solanine. Therefore, our results suggested that solanine was an effective compound for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Boundary Value Problems for Fractional Differential Equations with Fractional Multiterm Integral Conditions
Authors: Tariboon Jessada , Ntouyas Sotiris K. , Singubol Arisa
Published: May 2014

We discuss the existence and uniqueness of solutions for boundary value problems involving multiterm fractional integral boundary conditions. Our study relies on standard fixed point theorems. Illustrative examples are also presented.
Norovirus Narita 104 Virus-Like Particles Expressed inNicotiana benthamianaInduce Serum and Mucosal Immune Responses
Authors: Mathew Lolita George , Herbst-Kralovetz Melissa M. , Mason Hugh S.
Published: May 2014

Narita 104 virus is a human pathogen belonging to the norovirus (family Caliciviridae) genogroup II. Noroviruses cause epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide. To explore the potential of developing a plant-based vaccine, a plant optimized gene encoding Narita 104 virus capsid protein (NaVCP) was expressed transiently inNicotiana benthamianausing a tobacco mosaic virus expression system. NaVCP accumulated up to approximately 0.3 mg/g fresh weight of leaf at 4 days postinfection. Initiation of hypersensitive response-like symptoms followed by tissue necrosis necessitated a brief infection time and was a significant factor limiting expression. Transmission electron microscopy of plant-derived NaVCP confirmed the presence of fully assembled virus-like particles (VLPs). In this study, an optimized method to express and partially purify NaVCP is described. Further, partially purified NaVCP was used to immunize mice by intranasal delivery and generated significant mucosal and serum antibody responses. Thus, plant-derived Narita 104 VLPs have potential for use as a candidate subunit vaccine or as a component of a multivalent subunit vaccine, along with other genotype-specific plant-derived VLPs.
ATF4- and CHOP-Dependent Induction of FGF21 through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Wan Xiao-shan , Lu Xiang-hong , Xiao Ye-cheng , Lin Yuan , Zhu Hong , Ding Ting , Yang Ying , Huang Yan , Zhang Yi , Liu Yan-Long , Xu Zhu-mei , Xiao Jian , Li Xiao-kun
Published: May 2014

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an important endogenous regulator involved in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. FGF21 expression is strongly induced in animal and human subjects with metabolic diseases, but little is known about the molecular mechanism. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays an essential role in metabolic homeostasis and is observed in numerous pathological processes, including type 2 diabetes, overweight, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we investigate the correlation between the expression of FGF21 and ER stress. We demonstrated that TG-induced ER stress directly regulated the expression and secretion of FGF21 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. FGF21 is the target gene for activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP). Suppression of CHOP impaired the transcriptional activation of FGF21 by TG-induced ER stress in CHOP−/− mouse primary hepatocytes (MPH), and overexpression of ATF4 and CHOP resulted in FGF21 promoter activation to initiate the transcriptional programme. In mRNA stability assay, we indicated that ER stress increased the half-life of mRNA of FGF21 significantly. In conclusion, FGF21 expression is regulated by ER stress via ATF- and CHOP-dependent transcriptional mechanism and posttranscriptional mechanism, respectively.
Intelligent Screening Systems for Cervical Cancer
Authors: Jusman Yessi , Ng Siew Cheok , Abu Osman Noor Azuan
Published: May 2014

Advent of medical image digitalization leads to image processing and computer-aided diagnosis systems in numerous clinical applications. These technologies could be used to automatically diagnose patient or serve as second opinion to pathologists. This paper briefly reviews cervical screening techniques, advantages, and disadvantages. The digital data of the screening techniques are used as data for the computer screening system as replaced in the expert analysis. Four stages of the computer system are enhancement, features extraction, feature selection, and classification reviewed in detail. The computer system based on cytology data and electromagnetic spectra data achieved better accuracy than other data.
Some Class of Third- and Fourth-Order Iterative Methods for Solving Nonlinear Equations
Authors: Jaiswal J. P.
Published: May 2014

The object of the present work is to give the new class of third- and fourth-order iterative methods for solving nonlinear equations. Our proposed third-order method includes methods of Weerakoon and Fernando (2000), Homeier (2005), and Chun and Kim (2010) as particular cases. The multivariate extension of some of these methods has been also deliberated. Finally, some numerical examples are given to illustrate the performances of our proposed methods by comparing them with some well existing third- and fourth-order methods. The efficiency of our proposed fourth-order method over some fourth-order methods is also confirmed by basins of attraction.
Hopf Bifurcation and Global Periodic Solutions in a Predator-Prey System with Michaelis-Menten Type Functional Response and Two Delays
Authors: Dai Yunxian , Lin Yiping , Zhao Huitao
Published: May 2014

We consider a predator-prey system with Michaelis-Menten type functional response and two delays. We focus on the case with two unequal and non-zero delays present in the model, study the local stability of the equilibria and the existence of Hopf bifurcation, and then obtain explicit formulas to determine the properties of Hopf bifurcation by using the normal form method and center manifold theorem. Special attention is paid to the global continuation of local Hopf bifurcation when the delaysτ1≠τ2.
Stochastic Machine Scheduling to Minimize Waiting Time Related Objectives with Emergency Jobs
Authors: Zhang Lianmin , Guan Lei , Zhou Ke
Published: May 2014

We consider a new scheduling model where emergency jobs appear during the processing of current jobs and must be processed immediately after the present job is completed. All jobs have random processing times and should be completed on a single machine. The most common case of the model is the surgery scheduling problem, where some elective surgeries are to be arranged in an operation room when emergency cases are coming during the operating procedure of the elective surgeries. Two objective functions are proposed to display this practice in machine scheduling problem. One is the weighted sum of the waiting times and the other is the weighted discounted cost function of the waiting times. We address some optimal policies to minimize these objectives.
Approximate Equivalence of the Hybrid Automata with Taylor Theory
Authors: He Anping , Wu Jinzhao , Yang Shihan , Tan Hongyan
Published: May 2014

Hybrid automaton is a formal model for precisely describing a hybrid system in which the computational processes interact with the physical ones. The reachability analysis of the polynomial hybrid automaton is decidable, which makes theTaylorapproximation of a hybrid automaton applicable and valuable. In this paper, we studied the simulation relation among the hybrid automaton and its Taylor approximation, as well as the approximate equivalence relation. We also proved that the Taylor approximation simulates its original hybrid automaton, and similar hybrid automata could be compared quantitatively, for example, the approximate equivalence we proposed in the paper.
Complete Moment Convergence for Arrays of Rowwiseφ-Mixing Random Variables
Authors: Zheng Lulu , Liu Yanfang , Wang Xuejun
Published: May 2014

We investigate the complete moment convergence for maximal partial sum of arrays of rowwiseφ-mixing random variables under some more general conditions. The results obtained in the paper generalize and improve some known ones.
An Extension of Darbo’s Theorem and Its Application
Authors: Samadi A. , Ghaemi M. B.
Published: May 2014

Here, some extensions of Darbo fixed point theorem associated with measures of noncompactness are proved. Then, as an application, our attention is focused on the existence of solutions of the integral equationx(t)=F(t,f(t,x(α1(t)),  x(α2(t))),((Tx)(t)/Γ(α))×∫0t‍(u(t,s,max⁡[0,r(s)]⁡|x(γ1(τ))|,  max⁡[0,r(s)]⁡|x(γ2(τ))|)/(t-s)1-α)ds,  ∫0∞v(t,s,x(t))ds),    0<α≤1,t∈[0,1]in the space of real functions defined and continuous on the interval[0,1].
Benchmarking B-Cell Epitope Prediction with Quantitative Dose-Response Data on Antipeptide Antibodies: Towards Novel Pharmaceutical Product Development
Authors: Caoili Salvador Eugenio C.
Published: May 2014

B-cell epitope prediction can enable novel pharmaceutical product development. However, a mechanistically framed consensus has yet to emerge on benchmarking such prediction, thus presenting an opportunity to establish standards of practice that circumvent epistemic inconsistencies of casting the epitope prediction task as a binary-classification problem. As an alternative to conventional dichotomous qualitative benchmark data, quantitative dose-response data on antibody-mediated biological effects are more meaningful from an information-theoretic perspective in the sense that such effects may be expressed as probabilities (e.g., of functional inhibition by antibody) for which the Shannon information entropy (SIE) can be evaluated as a measure of informativeness. Accordingly, half-maximal biological effects (e.g., at median inhibitory concentrations of antibody) correspond to maximally informative data while undetectable and maximal biological effects correspond to minimally informative data. This applies to benchmarking B-cell epitope prediction for the design of peptide-based immunogens that elicit antipeptide antibodies with functionally relevant cross-reactivity. Presently, the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) contains relatively few quantitative dose-response data on such cross-reactivity. Only a small fraction of these IEDB data is maximally informative, and many more of them are minimally informative (i.e., with zero SIE). Nevertheless, the numerous qualitative data in IEDB suggest how to overcome the paucity of informative benchmark data.
Breath Ketone Testing: A New Biomarker for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Monitoring of Diabetic Ketosis
Authors: Qiao Yue , Gao Zhaohua , Liu Yong , Cheng Yan , Yu Mengxiao , Zhao Lingling , Duan Yixiang , Liu Yu
Published: May 2014

Background. Acetone,β-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetoacetic acid are three types of ketone body that may be found in the breath, blood, and urine. Detecting altered concentrations of ketones in the breath, blood, and urine is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic ketosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages of different detection methods for ketones, and to establish whether detection of the concentration of ketones in the breath is an effective and practical technique.Methods. We measured the concentrations of acetone in the breath using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry andβ-hydroxybutyrate in fingertip blood collected from 99 patients with diabetes assigned to groups 1 (−), 2 (±), 3 (+), 4 (++), or 5 (+++) according to urinary ketone concentrations.Results. There were strong relationships between fasting blood glucose, age, and diabetic ketosis. Exhaled acetone concentration significantly correlated with concentrations of fasting blood glucose, ketones in the blood and urine, LDL-C, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen.Conclusions. Breath testing for ketones has a high sensitivity and specificity and appears to be a noninvasive, convenient, and repeatable method for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of diabetic ketosis.
Model Reduction of Fuzzy Logic Systems
Authors: Yu Zhandong , Yu Jinyong , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: May 2014

This paper deals with the problem of ℒ2‐ℒ∞ model reduction for continuous‐time nonlinear uncertain systems. The approach of the construction of a reduced‐order model is presented for high‐order nonlinear uncertain systems described by the T‐S fuzzy systems, which not only approximates the original high‐order system well with an ℒ2‐ℒ∞ error performance level γ but also translates it into a linear lower‐dimensional system. Then, the model approximation is converted into a convex optimization problem by using a linearization procedure. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Atypical EnteropathogenicEscherichia coliSecretes Plasmid Encoded Toxin
Authors: Ruiz Rita C. , Melo Keyde C. M. , Rossato Sarita S. , Barbosa Camila M. , Corrêa Lívia M. , Elias Waldir P. , Piazza Roxane M. F.
Published: May 2014

Plasmid encoded toxin (Pet) is a serine protease originally described in enteroaggregativeEscherichia coli(EAEC) prototype strain 042 whose entire characterization was essentially obtained from studies performed with the purified toxin. Here we show that Pet is not exclusive to EAEC. Atypical enteropathogenicEscherichia coli(aEPEC) strains, isolated from diarrhea cases, express Pet and its detection in supernatants of infected HEp-2 cells coincides with the appearance of cell damage, which, in turn, were similar to those described with purified Pet. Pet secretion and the cytotoxic effects are time and culture medium dependent. In presence of DMEM supplemented with tryptone cell rounding and detachment were observed after just 5 h of incubation with the bacteria. In the absence of tryptone, the cytotoxic effects were detected only after 24 h of infection. We also show that, in addition to the prototype EAEC, otherpet+ EAEC strains, also isolated from diarrhea cases, induce cellular damage in the same degree as the aEPEC. The cytotoxic effects of EAEC and aEPEC strains were significantly reduced in the presence of a serine protease inhibitor or anti-Pet IgG serum. Our results show a common aspect between the aEPEC and EAEC and provide the first evidence pointing to a role of Pet in aEPEC pathogenesis.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles-Loaded Chitosan/Bioactive Glass Scaffolds as a Localized Delivery System in the Bone Defects
Authors: Nazemi K. , Moztarzadeh F. , Jalali N. , Asgari S. , Mozafari M.
Published: May 2014

The functionality of tissue engineering scaffolds can be enhanced by localized delivery of appropriate biological macromolecules incorporated within biodegradable nanoparticles. In this research, chitosan/58S-bioactive glass (58S-BG) containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles has been prepared and then characterized. The effects of further addition of 58S-BG on the structure of scaffolds have been investigated to optimize the characteristics of the scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. The results showed that the scaffolds had high porosity with open pores. It was also shown that the porosity decreased with increasing 58S-BG content. Furthermore, the PLGA nanoparticles were homogenously distributed within the scaffolds. According to the obtained results, the nanocomposites could be considered as highly bioactive bone tissue engineering scaffolds with the potential of localized delivery of biological macromolecules.
Novel Molecular Biomarkers at the Blood-Brain Barrier in ALS
Authors: Bataveljic Danijela , Milosevic Milena , Radenovic Lidija , Andjus Pavle
Published: May 2014

Recently neuroinflammation has gained a particular focus as a key mechanism of ALS. Several studiesin vivoas well asin vitrohave nominated immunoglobulin G (IgG) isolated from ALS patients as an active contributor to disease onset and progression. We have shown that ALS IgG affects astroglial Ca2+excitability and induces downstream activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. These studies were hampered by a lack of knowledge of the pathway of entry of immune factors in the CNS. Our MRI data revealed the blood-brain barrier BBB leakage and T cell infiltration into brain parenchyma in ALS G93A rats. Since astrocyte ensheathes blood vessel wall contributing to BBB stability and plays an important role in ALS pathogenesis, we have studied astrocytic membrane proteins water channel aquaporin-4 and the inwardly rectifying potassium channel. In this review, we will summarize data related to BBB disruption with particular emphasis on impaired function of astrocytes in ALS. We will discuss implication of membrane proteins expressed on astrocytic endfeet, aquaporin-4, and inwardly rectifying potassium channel in the pathology of ALS. In addition to ALS-specific IgGs, these membrane proteins are proposed as novel biomarkers of the disease.
Formal Specification Based Automatic Test Generation for Embedded Network Systems
Authors: Choi Eun Hye , Nishihara Hideaki , Ando Takahiro , Tang Nguyen Van , Aoki Masahiro , Yoshisaka Keiichi , Mizuno Osamu , Ohsaki Hitoshi
Published: May 2014

Embedded systems have become increasingly connected and communicate with each other, forming large-scaled and complicated network systems. To make their design and testing more reliable and robust, this paper proposes a formal specification language calledSENSand aSENS-based automatic test generation tool calledTGSENS. Our approach is summarized as follows: (1) A user describes requirements of target embedded network systems by logical property-based constraints usingSENS. (2) GivenSENSspecifications, test cases are automatically generated using a SAT-based solver. Filtering mechanisms to select efficient test cases are also available in our tool. (3) In addition, given a testing goal by the user, test sequences are automatically extracted from exhaustive test cases. We’ve implemented our approach and conducted several experiments on practical case studies. Through the experiments, we confirmed the efficiency of our approach in design and test generation of real embedded air-conditioning network systems.
A Comparative Pathophysiological Study of Normal and Growth Retarded Human Placental Tissue
Authors: Afodun Adam Moyosore , Quadri Khadijat Kofoworola , Masud Mustapha Akajewole , Ogunsola Oluseyi Abimbola , Muhammad Abdurrasheed Ola , Ajiboye Rafiu Abioye , Caxton-Martins Eziekel Ademola
Published: May 2014

This study compares the pathophysiology of normal and growth retarded human placental tissues. Female patients were recruited from the Antenatal Clinic of Dolu Specialist Hospital, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, between 2008 and 2012. A total of 48 normal term placentas and 15 placentas of known IUGR cases were used for this study. IUGR cases were confirmed on the basis of ultrasound follow-up and diagnosis. Normal term placentas were collected at the point of delivery by a consultant gynaecologist, the cords were clamped, and membranes were then carefully trimmed after which each placenta was weighed. About 1 cm thickness of both normal and growth retarded placenta tissues was cut, processed for hematoxylin and eosin stain, while tissues for enzyme (ALP) assay were homogenized in cold 0.5 M sucrose solution. Comparative analysis of the data was done using ANOVA;P<0.05was taken as significant. The photomicrographs were observed/studied under light microscope, using the X150 and X600 magnifications. It was revealed therein that placental tissues are homogenous (regionally), compromised of maternal spiral arterioles and deregulated villous vasculogenesis, and that there is a significant difference in the level of alkaline phosphatase enzyme. We therefore concluded that there is a distinct difference between the normal and growth retarded human placenta tissue.
Topography Prediction of Helical Transmembrane Proteins by a New Modification of the Sliding Window Method
Authors: Simakova Maria N. , Simakov Nikolai N.
Published: May 2014

Protein functions are specified by its three-dimensional structure, which is usually obtained by X-ray crystallography. Due to difficulty of handling membrane proteins experimentally to date the structure has only been determined for a very limited part of membrane proteins (<4%). Nevertheless, investigation of structure and functions of membrane proteins is important for medicine and pharmacology and, therefore, is of significant interest. Methods of computer modeling based on the data on the primary protein structure or the symbolic amino acid sequence have become an actual alternative to the experimental method of X-ray crystallography for investigating the structure of membrane proteins. Here we presented the results of the study of 35 transmembrane proteins, mainly GPCRs, using the novel method of cascade averaging of hydrophobicity function within the limits of a sliding window. The proposed method allowed revealing 139 transmembrane domains out of 140 (or 99.3%) identified by other methods. Also 236 transmembrane domain boundary positions out of 280 (or 84%) were predicted correctly by the proposed method with deviation from the predictions made by other methods that does not exceed the detection error of this method.
In Silico Design for Adenosine Monophosphate‐Activated Protein Kinase Agonist from Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Metabolic Syndromes
Authors: Tang Hsin-Chieh , Chen Calvin Yu-Chian
Published: May 2014

Adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as a master mediator of metabolic homeostasis. It is considered as a significant millstone to treat metabolic syndromes including obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver. It can sense cellular energy or nutrient status by switching on the catabolic pathways. Investigation of AMPK has new findings recently. AMPK can inhibit cell growth by the way of autophagy. Thus AMPK has become a hot target for small molecular drug design of tumor inhibition. Activation of AMPK must undergo certain extent change of the structure. Through the methods of structure‐based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation, we attempted to find out appropriate small compounds from the world’s largest TCM Database@Taiwan that had the ability to activate the function of AMPK. Finally, we found that two TCM compounds, eugenyl_beta‐D‐glucopyranoside and 6‐O‐cinnamoyl‐D‐glucopyranose, had the qualification to be AMPK agonist.
New SPECT and PET Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Sogbein Oyebola O. , Pelletier-Galarneau Matthieu , Schindler Thomas H. , Wei Lihui , Wells R. Glenn , Ruddy Terrence D.
Published: May 2014

Nuclear cardiology has experienced exponential growth within the past four decades with converging capacity to diagnose and influence management of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with technetium-99m radiotracers or thallium-201 has dominated the field; however new hardware and software designs that optimize image quality with reduced radiation exposure are fuelling a resurgence of interest at the preclinical and clinical levels to expand beyond MPI. Other imaging modalities including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continue to emerge as powerful players with an expanded capacity to diagnose a variety of cardiac conditions. At the forefront of this resurgence is the development of novel target vectors based on an enhanced understanding of the underlying pathophysiological process in the subcellular domain. Molecular imaging with novel radiopharmaceuticals engineered to target a specific subcellular process has the capacity to improve diagnostic accuracy and deliver enhanced prognostic information to alter management. This paper, while not comprehensive, will review the recent advancements in radiotracer development for SPECT and PET MPI, autonomic dysfunction, apoptosis, atherosclerotic plaques, metabolism, and viability. The relevant radiochemistry and preclinical and clinical development in addition to molecular imaging with emerging modalities such as cardiac MRI and PET-MR will be discussed.
Proteomic Identification of Nrf2‐Mediated Phase II Enzymes Critical for Protection of Tao Hong Si Wu Decoction against Oxygen Glucose Deprivation Injury in PC12 Cells
Authors: Qi Hong-yi , Li Li , Yu Jie , Chen Lu , Huang Yong-liang , Ning Ling , Jiang Zhuyun , Yang Na , Xu Xiao-yu
Published: May 2014

Chinese herbal medicine formula Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (THSWD) is traditionally used in China for cerebrovascular diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms of THSWD associated with the cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury are largely unknown. The current study applied the two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis‐based proteomics to investigate the different protein profiles in PC12 cells with and without the treatment of THSWD. Twenty‐six proteins affected by THSWD were identified by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. Gene ontology analysis showed that those proteins participated in several important biological processes and exhibited diverse molecular functions. In particular, six of them were found to be phase II antioxidant enzymes, which were regulated by NF‐E2‐related factor‐2 (Nrf2). Quantitative PCR further confirmed a dose‐dependent induction of the six phase II enzymes by THSWD at the transcription level. Moreover, the individual ingredients of THSWD were discovered to synergistically contribute to the induction of phase II enzymes. Importantly, THSWD’s protection against oxygen‐glucose deprivation‐reperfusion (OGD‐Rep) induced cell death was significantly attenuated by antioxidant response element (ARE) decoy oligonucleotides, suggesting the protection of THSWD may be likely regulated at least in part by Nrf2‐mediated phase II enzymes. Thus, our data will help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effect of THSWD.
Solving Signal Control Problems with Second-Order Sensitivity Information of Equilibrium Network Flows
Authors: Cho Hsun-Jung , Huang You-Heng
Published: May 2014

The equilibrium network signal control problem is represented as a Stackelberg game. Due to the characteristics of a Stackelberg game, solving the upper-level problem and lower-level problem iteratively cannot be expected to converge to the solution. The reaction function of the lower-level problem is the key information to solve a Stackelberg game. Usually, the reaction function is approximated by the network sensitivity information. This paper firstly presents the general form of the second-order sensitivity formula for equilibrium network flows. The second-order sensitivity information can be applied to the second-order reaction function to solve the network signal control problem efficiently. Finally, this paper also demonstrates two numerical examples that show the computation of second-order sensitivity and the speed of convergence of the nonlinear approximation algorithm.
Wheat Landraces Are Better Qualified as Potential Gene Pools at Ultraspaced rather than Densely Grown Conditions
Authors: Ninou Elissavet G. , Mylonas Ioannis G. , Tsivelikas Athanasios , Ralli Parthenopi , Dordas Christos , Tokatlidis Ioannis S.
Published: May 2014

The negative relationship between the yield potential of a genotype and its competitive ability may constitute an obstacle to recognize outstanding genotypes within heterogeneous populations. This issue was investigated by growing six heterogeneous wheat landraces along with a pure-line commercial cultivar under both dense and widely spaced conditions. The performance of two landraces showed a perfect match to the above relationship. Although they lagged behind the cultivar by 64 and 38% at the dense stand, the reverse was true with spaced plants where they succeeded in out-yielding the cultivar by 58 and 73%, respectively. It was concluded that dense stand might undervalue a landrace as potential gene pool in order to apply single-plant selection targeting pure-line cultivars, attributable to inability of plants representing high yielding genotypes to exhibit their capacity due to competitive disadvantage. On the other side, the yield expression of individuals is optimized when density is low enough to preclude interplant competition. Therefore, the latter condition appears ideal to identify the most promising landrace for breeding and subsequently recognize the individuals representing the most outstanding genotypes.
Aspergillus fumigatusNITDGPKA3 Provides for Increased Cellulase Production
Authors: Sarkar Nibedita , Aikat Kaustav
Published: May 2014

A cellulolytic fungal strain,Aspergillus fumigatusNITDGPKA3, was isolated from straw retting ground. Cellulase and xylanase production byA. fumigatusNITDGPKA3 in submerged fermentation of rice straw was studied. The culture conditions for maximum enzyme production were found to be initial pH 4, 1% substrate concentration, temperature 30°C, incubation time 5 days, 0.2% tryptone as nitrogen source, and inoculum volumes 7% v/v (for cellulase) and 5% v/v (for xylanase). Addition of Tween 80 in fermentation broth improved xylanase production (193.58 IU/ml) much more compared to cellulase production (6.53 IU/ml). Xylanase activity found in the culture broth was approximately 50% higher compared to most of the reported data. The crude enzyme was further applied for reducing sugar production from alkali pretreated rice straw, where a dosage of 40 IU/g CMCase produced 0.522 g reducing sugar/g dry substrate after 36 hours which was higher than that in the reported literature. The high concentration of reducing sugar yield was most probably due to the extraordinarily high titer ofβ-glucosidase (80.1 IU/ml) found in the crude enzyme. The crude enzymes secreted byAspergillus fumigatusNITDGPKA3 efficiently hydrolyzed alkali pretreated rice straw suggesting thatAspergillus fumigatusNITDGPKA3 is a robust microorganism.
Association of Vitamin E with Rapid Thawing on Goat Semen
Authors: Penitente-Filho Jurandy Mauro , Oliveira Fabrício Albani , Jimenez Carolina Rodriguez , Carrascal Erly , Dias Júlio César Oliveira , Oliveira Gisele Dias , Silveira Renata Gomes , Silveira Camila Oliveira , Torres Ciro Alexandre Alves
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin E associated with rapid thawing on cryopreserved goat semen. Two bucks were used and eight ejaculates per animal were collected using artificial vagina. Semen was diluted with the following treatments: BIOXCELL (control), BIOXCELL + Equex (sodium lauryl sulphate) and BIOXCELL + vitamin E 100 μM. Semen was packaged into 0.25 mL straws and cooled at 5°C for 1 hour. Freezing was performed in liquid nitrogen vapor (−155°C) during 15 minutes. Then, the straws were immersed in liquid nitrogen (−196°C). Straws were thawed at 38°C/60 seconds or at 60°C/7 seconds with immediate sperm analysis. Hypoosmotic swelling test was performed adding a 20 μL aliquot of thawed semen to 1 mL of hypoosmotic solution (100 mOsm·Kg−1) followed by incubation during 60 minutes in water bath (38°C). Vitamin E did not affect any studied parameters (P>0.05). Nevertheless, defrosting rate of 60°C/7 seconds improved sperm membrane functional integrity (P<0.05). Current knowledge about goat semen cryopreservation is not sufficient to ensure high post-thawing recovery rates; thus, this study brings important data about using antioxidants and different thawing rates on cryopreservation process.
Cystoid Macular Edema in Bietti's Crystalline Retinopathy
Authors: Saatci Ali Osman , Doruk Hasan Can , Yaman Aylin
Published: May 2014

A 27-year-old man with progressive bilateral visual decline was diagnosed to have Bietti's crystalline dystrophy (BCD). Fluorescein angiography revealed bilateral petaloid type late hyperfluorescence implicating concurrent cystoid macular edema (CME). Optical coherence tomography exhibited cystoid foveal lacunas OU. During the follow-up of six years, intraretinal crystals reduced in amount but CME persisted angiographically and tomographically. CME is among the rare macular features of BCD including subfoveal sensorial detachment, subretinal neovascular membrane, and macular hole.
O18Quant: A Semiautomatic Strategy for Quantitative Analysis of High-Resolution16O/18O Labeled Data
Authors: Guo Yan , Miyagi Masaru , Zeng Rong , Sheng Quanhu
Published: May 2014

Proteolytic18O-labeling has been widely used in quantitative proteomics since it can uniformly label all peptides from different kinds of proteins. There have been multiple algorithms and tools developed over the last few years to analyze high-resolution proteolytic16O/18O labeled mass spectra. We have developed a software package, O18Quant, which addresses two major issues in the previously developed algorithms. First, O18Quant uses a robust linear model (RLM) for peptide-to-protein ratio estimation. RLM can minimize the effect of outliers instead of iteratively removing them which is a common practice in other approaches. Second, the existing algorithms lack applicable implementation. We address this by implementing O18Quant using C# under Microsoft.net framework and R. O18Quant automatically calculates the peptide/protein relative ratio and provides a friendly graphical user interface (GUI) which allows the user to manually validate the quantification results at scan, peptide, and protein levels. The intuitive GUI of O18Quant can greatly enhance the user’s visualization and understanding of the data analysis. O18Quant can be downloaded for free as part of the software suite ProteomicsTools.
Panaxatriol Saponins Attenuated Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation Injury in PC12 Cells via Activation of PI3K/Akt and Nrf2 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Huang Yongliang , Yu Jie , Wan Fang , Zhang Wenwu , Yang Huarong , Wang Li , Qi Hongyi , Wu Chunjie
Published: May 2014

Panaxatriol saponins (PTS), the main components extracted fromPanax notoginseng, have been shown to be efficacious in the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases in China. NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor regulating antioxidant and cytoprotective responses to oxidative stress, has received particular attention as a molecular target for pharmacological intervention of ischemic diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of PTS on the activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway and the potential role in its protective effect. We found that PTS induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in PC12 cells via activating Nrf2 signaling pathway. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt kinase was involved in the upstream of this PTS activated pathway. Moreover, combination of the main components in PTS significantly enhanced the expression of Nrf2 mediated phase II enzymes. Importantly, the protective effect of PTS against oxygen-glucose deprivation-reperfusion (OGD-Rep) induced cell death was significantly attenuated by PI3K inhibitor and antioxidant response element (ARE) decoy oligonucleotides, suggesting that both PI3K/Akt and Nrf2 signaling pathway are essential during this protective process. Taken together, our results suggest that PTS may activate endogenous cytoprotective mechanism against OGD-Rep induced oxidative injury via the activation of PI3K/Akt and Nrf2 signaling pathway.