bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A dual-loop robust controller for DC electro-mechanical servo system
Authors: He Tianpeng , Li Shu , Liu Xiaodong
Published: March 2015

In order to further improve the tracking performances of the conventional disturbance observer (DOB)-based control schemes, a dual-loop robust control scheme is proposed for DC electro-mechanical servo system. The outer-loop sliding mode controller (SMC) is designed in order to deal with the impacts from the remainder equivalent disturbances, which is due to the inadequate estimation of the inner-loop DOB. Meanwhile, the existence of DOB can reduce the switching gain of SMC law, which can suppress the high-frequency chattering of control input to a certain extent. Moreover, an approximate differential method is employed in order to reliably acquire the differential information in a noisy environment. From the experiment results on a DC motor servo system, it is presented that the proposed dual-loop control scheme can effectively improve the tracking performances with respect to higher tracking accuracy and stronger system robustness against external disturbances and parameter perturbations, compared with the traditional DOB+PD control scheme.
Stain-less staining for computed histopathology
Authors: Mayerich David , Walsh Michael J. , Kadjacsy-Balla Andre , Ray Partha S. , Hewitt Stephen M. , Bhargava Rohit
Published: March 2015

Dyes such as hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemical stains have been increasingly used to visualize tissue composition in research and clinical practice. We present an alternative approach to obtain the same information using stain-free chemical imaging. Relying on Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic imaging and computation, stainless computed histopathology can enable a rapid, digital, quantitative and non-perturbing visualization of morphology and multiple molecular epitopes simultaneously in a variety of research and clinical pathology applications.
Width of Nucleation Region of Si Nanocrystal Grains Prepared by Pulsed Laser Ablation with Different Laser Fluence
Authors: Deng Zechao , Pang Xuexia , Ding Xuecheng , Chu Lizhi , Wang Yinglong
Published: March 2015

Si nanocrystal grains were prepared by pulsed laser ablation with different laser fluence in Ar gas of 10 Pa at room temperature. The as-formed grains in the space deposited on the substrates and distributed in a certain range apart from target. According to the depositing position and radius of grains, the nucleation locations of grains in the space were roughly calculated. The results indicated that the width of nucleation region broadened with increasing of ion densities diagnosed by Langmuir probe, which increased with laser fluence from 2 J/cm2 to 6 J/cm2; that is, width of nucleation region broadened with addition of laser fluence. At the same time, the width broadened with the terminal formation position moving backward and the initial formation position of grains moving toward ablated spot. The experimental results were explained reasonably by nucleation thermokinetic theory.
Chlorhexidine Gluconate Dressings Reduce Bacterial Colonization Rates in Epidural and Peripheral Regional Catheters
Authors: Kerwat Klaus , Eberhart Leopold , Kerwat Martina , Hörth Dominik , Wulf Hinnerk , Steinfeldt Thorsten , Wiesmann Thomas
Published: March 2015

Introduction. Bacterial colonization of catheter tips is common in regional anesthesia and is a suspected risk factor for infectious complications. This is the first study evaluating the effect of CHG-impregnated dressings on bacterial colonization of regional anesthesia catheters in a routine clinical setting.Methods. In this prospective study, regional anesthesia catheter infection rates were examined in two groups of patients with epidural and peripheral regional catheters. In the first group, regional anesthesia was dressed with a conventional draping. The second group of patients underwent catheter dressing using a CHG-impregnated draping. Removed catheters and the insertion sites were both screened for bacterial colonization.Results. A total of 337 catheters from 308 patients were analysed. There was no significant reduction of local infections in either epidural or peripheral regional anesthesia catheters in both CHG and conventional groups. In the conventional group, 21% of the catheter tips and 41% of the insertion sites showed positive culture results. In the CHG-group, however, only 3% of the catheter tips and 8% of the insertion sites were colonised.Conclusion. CHG dressings significantly reduce bacterial colonization of the tip and the insertion site of epidural and peripheral regional catheters. However, no reductions in rates of local infections were seen.
Isolated Central Nervous System Relapse in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Gomez Juliana , Duenas Victor
Published: March 2015

Chronic myeloid leukemia is a myeloproliferative disorder that has three distinguished phases: chronic, accelerated, and blastic. In extremely rare cases, the blast phase can affect the central nervous system without concomitant bone marrow involvement. We report the case of a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia who, despite having achieved complete cytogenetic remission in the bone marrow for several years, experienced a blast crisis of the central nervous system following an episode of infectious meningoencephalitis.
Dissolution Behavior of Cellulose in IL + DMSO Solvent: Effect of Alkyl Length in Imidazolium Cation on Cellulose Dissolution
Authors: Xu Airong , Cao Lili , Wang Bingjun , Ma Junying
Published: March 2015

Four cellulose solvents including [C2mim][CH3COO] + DMSO, [C4mim][CH3COO] + DMSO, [C6mim][CH3COO] + DMSO, and [C8mim][CH3COO] + DMSO were prepared by adding dimethyl sulfoxide DMSO in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C2mim][CH3COO], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C4mim][CH3COO], 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C6mim][CH3COO], and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C8mim][CH3COO], respectively. The solubilities of cellulose in these solvents were determined at 25°C. The effect of the alkyl chain length in imidazolium cation on cellulose solubility was investigated. With increasing alkyl chain length in imidazolium cation, the solubility of cellulose increases, but further increase in alkyl chain length results in decreases in cellulose.
mir-21 Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Accelerate Fracture Healing in a Rat Closed Femur Fracture Model
Authors: Sun Yuxin , Xu Liangliang , Huang Shuo , Hou Yonghui , Liu Yang , Chan Kai-Ming , Pan Xiao-Hua , Li Gang
Published: March 2015

MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs involved in numerous biological processes. Emerging pieces of evidence suggest that microRNAs play important roles in osteogenesis and skeletal homeostasis. Recent studies indicated the significant regulation function of mir-21 in osteogenesisin vitro, but little information is known about its veritable functionsin vivo. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of mir-21 intervention on osteogenic differentiation of rats bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) and repair capacity in rats closed femur fracture model with internal fixation. The results showed that the upregulation of mir-21 not only increased the expression of osteopontin and alkaline phosphatase in rBMSCs but also promoted mineralization in the condition of osteogenic induction. Furthermore, the bone healing properties were also improved in fracture healing model according to the results of micro-CT, mechanical test, and histological analysis. The current study confirms that the overexpression of mir-21 could promote osteogenesis and accelerate bone fracture healing, which may contribute to a new therapeutic way for fracture repair.
GRCBox: Extending Smartphone Connectivity in Vehicular Networks
Authors: Tornell Sergio M. , Patra Subhadeep , Calafate Carlos T. , Cano Juan-Carlos , Manzoni Pietro
Published: March 2015

The low penetration of connectivity-enabled OBUs is delaying the deployment of vehicular networks (VNs) and therefore the development of vehicular delay tolerant network (VDTN) applications, among others. In this paper we present GRCBox, an architecture based on RaspberryPi that allows integrating smartphones in VNs. GRCBox is based on a low-cost device that combines several pieces of software to provide ad hoc and multi-interface connectivity to smartphones. Using GRCBox each application can choose the interface for its data flows, which increases flexibility and will allow developers to easily implement applications based on ad hoc connectivity, such as VDTN applications.
Structure and Microhardness of Titanium-Based Coatings Formed by Multichamber Detonation Sprayer
Authors: Kovaleva M. , Tyurin Yu. , Vasilik N. , Kolisnichenko O. , Prozorova M. , Arseenko M. , Sirota V. , Pavlenko I.
Published: March 2015

A series of titanium-based coatings (50–550 μm thick) on an aluminium substrate was deposited via multichamber detonation sprayer with different barrel lengths (300, 400, and 500, all in mm). The titanium-based coatings obtained in these three experiments were examined by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray phase analysis. The hardness tests were carried out by the Vickers method with a test load of 50 g. The multichamber detonation sprayer with a barrel length of 500 mm produced the dense layers of coating with hardness of 1300±250 HV0.05 and porosity of 0.24%, the best result in the experiments.
Beamforming and Interference Cancellation in D2D Random Network
Authors: Hu Langtao , Yuan Chaowei
Published: March 2015

Device-to-Device (D2D) communication is an important proximity communication technology. We model the hybrid network of cellular and D2D communication with stochastic geometry theory. In the network, cellular base stations are deployed with multiantennas. Two transmission strategies including beamforming and interference cancellation are proposed to boost system achievable rate in this paper. We derive analytical success probability and rate expression in these strategies. In interference cancellation strategy, we propose the partical BS transmission degrees of freedom (dofs) that can be used to cancel its D2D users (DUEs) interferences around the BS or to boost the desired signal power of associated cellular (CUE). In order to maximize the total area spectral efficiency (ASE), the BS transmission degrees of freedom are allocated according to proper interference cancellation radius around the BS. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to verify our analytical results, and two transmission strategies are compared.
AP-1-Targeting Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Methanolic Extract ofPersicaria chinensis
Authors: Hossen Muhammad Jahangir , Kim Seung Cheol , Son Young-Jin , Baek Kwang-Soo , Kim Eunji , Yang Woo Seok , Jeong Deok , Park Jae Gwang , Kim Han Gyung , Chung Woo-Jae , Yoon Keejung , Ryou Chongsuk , Lee Sang Yeol , Kim Jong-Hoon , Cho Jae Youl
Published: March 2015

In traditional Chinese medicine,Persicaria chinensisL. has been prescribed to cure numerous inflammatory disorders. We previously analyzed the bioactivity of the methanol extract of this plant (Pc-ME) against LPS-induced NO and PGE2in RAW264.7 macrophages and found that it prevented HCl/EtOH-induced gastric ulcers in mice. The purpose of the current study was to explore the molecular mechanism by which Pc-ME inhibits activator protein- (AP-) 1 activation pathway and mediates its hepatoprotective activity. To investigate the putative therapeutic properties of Pc-ME against AP-1-mediated inflammation and hepatotoxicity, lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated RAW264.7 and U937 cells, a monocyte-like human cell line, and an LPS/D-galactosamine- (D-GalN-) induced acute hepatitis mouse model were employed. The expression of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) was significantly diminished by Pc-ME. Moreover, Pc-ME reduced AP-1 activation and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in both LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and differentiated U937 cells. Additionally, we highlighted the hepatoprotective and curative effects of Pc-ME pretreated orally in a mouse model of LPS/D-GalN-intoxicated acute liver injury by demonstrating the significant reduction in elevated serum AST and ALT levels and histological damage. Therefore, these results strongly suggest that Pc-ME could function as an antihepatitis remedy suppressing MAPK/AP-1-mediated inflammatory events.
Combustion of Biogas Released from Palm Oil Mill Effluent and the Effects of Hydrogen Enrichment on the Characteristics of the Biogas Flame
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Ehsan , Bagheri Ghobad , Khaleghi Mostafa , Abdul Wahid Mazlan
Published: March 2015

Biogas released from palm oil mill effluent (POME) could be a source of air pollution, which has illustrated negative effects on the global warming. To protect the environment from toxic emissions and use the energy of POME biogas, POME is conducted to the closed digestion systems and released biogas is captured. Since POME biogas upgrading is a complicated process, it is not economical and thus new combustion techniques should be examined. In this paper, POME biogas (40% CO2and 60% CH4) has been utilized as a fuel in a lab-scale furnace. A computational approach by standardk-εcombustion and turbulence model is applied. Hydrogen is added to the biogas components and the impacts of hydrogen enrichment on the temperature distribution, flame stability, and pollutant formation are studied. The results confirm that adding hydrogen to the POME biogas content could improve low calorific value (LCV) of biogas and increases the stability of the POME biogas flame. Indeed, the biogas flame length rises and distribution of the temperature within the chamber is uniform when hydrogen is added to the POME biogas composition. Compared to the pure biogas combustion, thermal NOxformation increases in hydrogen-enriched POME biogas combustion due to the enhancement of the furnace temperature.
Learning Document Semantic Representation with Hybrid Deep Belief Network
Authors: Yan Yan , Yin Xu-Cheng , Li Sujian , Yang Mingyuan , Hao Hong-Wei
Published: March 2015

High-level abstraction, for example, semantic representation, is vital for document classification and retrieval. However, how to learn document semantic representation is still a topic open for discussion in information retrieval and natural language processing. In this paper, we propose a new Hybrid Deep Belief Network (HDBN) which uses Deep Boltzmann Machine (DBM) on the lower layers together with Deep Belief Network (DBN) on the upper layers. The advantage of DBM is that it employs undirected connection when training weight parameters which can be used to sample the states of nodes on each layer more successfully and it is also an effective way to remove noise from the different document representation type; the DBN can enhance extract abstract of the document in depth, making the model learn sufficient semantic representation. At the same time, we explore different input strategies for semantic distributed representation. Experimental results show that our model using the word embedding instead of single word has better performance.
A Heuristic Ranking Approach on Capacity Benefit Margin Determination Using Pareto‐Based Evolutionary Programming Technique
Authors: Othman Muhammad Murtadha , Abd Rahman Nurulazmi , Musirin Ismail , Fotuhi-Firuzabad Mahmud , Rajabi-Ghahnavieh Abbas
Published: March 2015

This paper introduces a novel multiobjective approach for capacity benefit margin (CBM) assessment taking into account tie‐line reliability of interconnected systems. CBM is the imperative information utilized as a reference by the load‐serving entities (LSE) to estimate a certain margin of transfer capability so that a reliable access to generation through interconnected system could be attained. A new Pareto‐based evolutionary programming (EP) technique is used to perform a simultaneous determination of CBM for all areas of the interconnected system. The selection of CBM at the Pareto optimal front is proposed to be performed by referring to a heuristic ranking index that takes into account system loss of load expectation (LOLE) in various conditions. Eventually, the power transfer based available transfer capability (ATC) is determined by considering the firm and nonfirm transfers of CBM. A comprehensive set of numerical studies are conducted on the modified IEEE‐RTS79 and the performance of the proposed method is numerically investigated in detail. The main advantage of the proposed technique is in terms of flexibility offered to an independent system operator in selecting an appropriate solution of CBM simultaneously for all areas.
Design, Implementation, and Performance Evaluation of Efficient PMIPv6 Based Mobile Multicast Sender Support Schemes
Authors: Wang Lili , Qin Yajuan , Zhou Huachun , Guan Jianfeng , Zhang Hongke
Published: March 2015

Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) is proposed as a promising network-based mobility management protocol, which does not need any participation of mobile nodes. PMIPv6 does not support the multicast well and most of the current research concentrates on the mobile multicast receiver. However, the mobile multicast sender is also very important and challenging, which has not been addressed well. Therefore, in this paper we propose two efficient PMIPv6 based mobile multicast sender support schemes which are PMIP bidirectional tunneling (PMIP-BT) and PMIP direct routing (PMIP-DR). In the PMIP-BT, the multicast traffic can be delivered through the PMIPv6 bidirectional tunnel, while, in the PMIP-DR, the multicast data can be transmitted via an optimized direct multicast routing. Both of them can support the multicast sender mobility transparently enabled in the PMIPv6 networks. We evaluate the performance of the proposed schemes by theoretical analysis, and the numerical results show that the proposed schemes have a better performance in terms of the signaling cost than the current schemes. Meanwhile, the proposed schemes are also implemented on the test bed, and the experimental results not only verify the validity and feasibility of our proposed schemes, but also conclude the different scenarios to which they are applicable.
Research on Fluorescence Spectroscopy Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter of Landfill Leachate in the Rear Part of Three Gorges Reservoir
Authors: Xie Zhigang , Guan Wei
Published: March 2015

Three-dimensional fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy analysis of the leachate dissolved organic matter (DOM) of the Three Gorges was reported in spring, summer, and autumn seasons, respectively. Studies show that, that organic matter of landfill leachate in Yongchuan, Dazu and Jiangjin is the class of　fulvic-like acid and protein-like fluorescence. The study also found that the longer the time of the pile of garbage, the lower the content of class of protein-like concentration, and the higher the concentration of fulvic-like acid, indicating that the protein waste material in the humification process is easy degradation. However, the same source of DOM is similar in the functional group composition and molecular structure. Characteristic frequency area analysis showed that humic acids (HA), and fulvic acids (FA) contain more than hydrophilic organic matter (HyI) aromatic ring structure, and FA aromatic ring structure is the most. Because of Chung-amide NH deformation vibration, there are strong absorption peaks in the 1562~1572 cm−1for various components; HyI contains many organic nitrogen compounds and fatty acids.
Intelligent Information Dissemination Scheme for Urban Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Yang Jinsheng , Liu Changqing , Wu Shih-Lin
Published: March 2015

In vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), a hotspot, such as a parking lot, is an information source and will receive inquiries from many vehicles for seeking any possible free parking space. According to the routing protocols in literature, each of the vehicles needs to flood its route discovery (RD) packets to discover a route to the hotspot before sending inquiring packets to the parking lot. As a result, the VANET nearby an urban area or city center may incur the problem ofbroadcast stormdue to so many flooding RD packets during rush hours. To avoid the broadcast storm problem, this paper presents ahotspot-enabledrouting-tree based data forwarding method, called the intelligent information dissemination scheme (IID). Our method can let the hotspot automatically decide when to build the routing-tree for proactive information transmissions under the condition that the number of vehicle routing discoveries during a given period exceeds a certain threshold which is calculated through our developed analytical packet delivery model. The routing information will be dynamically maintained by vehicles located at each intersection near the hotspot if the maintaining cost is less than that of allowing vehicles to discover routes themselves. Simulation results show that this method can minimize routing delays for vehicles with lower packets delivery overheads.
CFD Convective Flow Simulation of the Varying Properties of CO2‐H2O Mixtures in Geothermal Systems
Authors: Yousefi S. , Atrens A. D. , Sauret E. , Dahari M. , Hooman K.
Published: March 2015

Numerical simulation of a geothermal reservoir, modelled as a bottom‐heated square box, filled with water‐CO2 mixture is presented in this work. Furthermore, results for two limiting cases of a reservoir filled with either pure water or CO2 are presented. Effects of different parameters including CO2 concentration as well as reservoir pressure and temperature on the overall performance of the system are investigated. It has been noted that, with a fixed reservoir pressure and temperature, any increase in CO2 concentration leads to better performance, that is, stronger convection and higher heat transfer rates. With a fixed CO2 concentration, however, the reservoir pressure and temperature can significantly affect the overall heat transfer and flow rate from the reservoir. Details of such variations are documented and discussed in the present paper.
An Intelligent Broadcasting Algorithm for Early Warning Message Dissemination in VANETs
Authors: Bae Ihn-Han
Published: March 2015

Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) has gained much attention recently to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and enable efficient traffic management because of its many important applications in transportation. In this paper, an early warning intelligence broadcasting algorithm is proposed, EW-ICAST, to disseminate a safety message for VANETs. The proposed EW-ICAST uses not only the early warning system on the basis of time to collision (TTC) but also the intelligent broadcasting algorithm on the basis of fuzzy logic. Thus, the EW-ICAST resolves effectively broadcast storm problem and meets time-critical requirement. The performance of EW-ICAST is evaluated through simulation and compared with that of other alert message dissemination algorithms. From the simulation results, we know that EW-ICAST is superior toSimple,P-persistence, andEDBalgorithms.
Giant Orbitoethmoidal Osteoma: When an Open Surgical Approach Is Required
Authors: Abou Al-Shaar Hussam , El Arjani Turki , Timms Michael S. , Al-Otaibi Faisal
Published: March 2015

Giant orbitoethmoidal osteoma in children is considered to be rare. This type of pathology can be associated with significant disfiguring proptosis and limitation of eye movement. Here, we report on a child who presented with a giant orbitoethmoidal osteoma that was removed through an orbitofrontal approach. The cosmetic result was excellent and evident immediately after surgery. A review of the literature complements this report.
A Linear-RBF Multikernel SVM to Classify Big Text Corpora
Authors: Romero R. , Iglesias E. L. , Borrajo L.
Published: March 2015

Support vector machine (SVM) is a powerful technique for classification. However, SVM is not suitable for classification of large datasets or text corpora, because the training complexity of SVMs is highly dependent on the input size. Recent developments in the literature on the SVM and other kernel methods emphasize the need to consider multiple kernels or parameterizations of kernels because they provide greater flexibility. This paper shows a multikernel SVM to manage highly dimensional data, providing an automatic parameterization with low computational cost and improving results against SVMs parameterized under a brute-force search. The model consists in spreading the dataset into cohesive term slices (clusters) to construct a defined structure (multikernel). The new approach is tested on different text corpora. Experimental results show that the new classifier has good accuracy compared with the classic SVM, while the training is significantly faster than several other SVM classifiers.
Robust Finite-TimeH∞Control for Linear Time-Varying Descriptor Systems with Jumps
Authors: Su Xiaoming , Bao Adiya
Published: March 2015

The finite-timeH∞control problem is addressed for uncertain time-varying descriptor system with finite jumps and time-varying norm-bounded disturbance. Firstly, a sufficient condition of finite-time boundedness for the abovementioned class of system is obtained. Then the result is extended to finite-timeH∞for the system. Based on the condition, state feedback controller is designed such that the closed-loop system is finite-time boundedness and satisfiesL2gain. The conditions are given in terms of differential linear matrix inequalities (DLMIs) and linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), and such conditions require the solution of a feasibility problem involving DLMIs and LMIs, which can be solved by using existing linear algorithms. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.
Oxygen‐Loaded Nanodroplets Effectively Abrogate Hypoxia Dysregulating Effects on Secretion of MMP‐9 and TIMP‐1 by Human Monocytes
Authors: Gulino Giulia Rossana , Magnetto Chiara , Khadjavi Amina , Panariti Alice , Rivolta Ilaria , Soster Marco , Argenziano Monica , Cavalli Roberta , Giribaldi Giuliana , Guiot Caterina , Prato Mauro
Published: March 2015

Monocytes play a key role in the inflammatory stage of the healing process. To allow monocyte migration to injured tissues, the balances between secreted matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) must be finely modulated. However, a reduction of blood supply and local oxygen tension can modify the phenotype of immune cells. Intriguingly, hypoxia might be targeted by new effective oxygenating devices such as 2H,3H‐decafluoropentane‐ (DFP‐) based oxygen‐loaded nanodroplets (OLNs). Here, hypoxia effects on gelatinase/TIMP release from human peripheral monocytes were investigated, and the therapeutic potential of dextran‐shelled OLNs was evaluated. Normoxic monocytes constitutively released ~500 ng/mL MMP‐9, ~1.3 ng/mL TIMP‐1, and ~0.6 ng/mL TIMP‐2 proteins. MMP‐2 was not detected. After 24 hours, hypoxia significantly altered MMP‐9/TIMP‐1 balance by reducing MMP‐9 and increasing TIMP‐1, without affecting TIMP‐2 secretion. Interestingly OLNs, not displaying toxicity to human monocytes after cell internalization, effectively counteracted hypoxia, restoring a normoxia‐like MMP‐9/TIMP‐1 ratio. The action of OLNs was specifically dependent on time‐sustained oxygen diffusion up to 24 h from their DFP‐based core. Therefore, OLNs appear as innovative, nonconventional, cost‐effective, and nontoxic therapeutic tools, to be potentially employed to restore the physiological invasive phenotype of immune cells in hypoxia‐associated inflammation.
Zinc in Gut-Brain Interaction in Autism and Neurological Disorders
Authors: Vela Guillermo , Stark Peter , Socha Michael , Sauer Ann Katrin , Hagmeyer Simone , Grabrucker Andreas M.
Published: March 2015

A growing amount of research indicates that abnormalities in the gastrointestinal (GI) system during development might be a common factor in multiple neurological disorders and might be responsible for some of the shared comorbidities seen among these diseases. For example, many patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have symptoms associated with GI disorders. Maternal zinc status may be an important factor given the multifaceted effect of zinc on gut development and morphology in the offspring. Zinc status influences and is influenced by multiple factors and an interdependence of prenatal and early life stress, immune system abnormalities, impaired GI functions, and zinc deficiency can be hypothesized. In line with this, systemic inflammatory events and prenatal stress have been reported to increase the risk for ASD. Thus, here, we will review the current literature on the role of zinc in gut formation, a possible link between gut and brain development in ASD and other neurological disorders with shared comorbidities, and tie in possible effects on the immune system. Based on these data, we present a novel model outlining how alterations in the maternal zinc status might pathologically impact the offspring leading to impairments in brain functions later in life.
Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation: The Placement of the Second Electrode Is Not Necessarily Less Accurate Than That of the First One
Authors: Sadeghi Yalda , Pralong Etienne , Knebel Jean-François , Vingerhoets François , Pollo Claudio , Levivier Marc , Bloch Jocelyne
Published: March 2015

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is recognized as an effective treatment for movement disorders. We recently changed our technique, limiting the number of brain penetrations to three per side. Objectives: The first aim was to evaluate the electrode precision on both sides of surgery since we implemented this surgical technique. The second aim was to analyse whether or not the electrode placement was improved with microrecording and macrostimulation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed operation protocols and MRIs of 30 patients who underwent bilateral DBS. For microrecording and macrostimulation, we used three parallel channels of the ‘Ben Gun' centred on the MRI-planned target. Pre- and post-operative MRIs were merged. The distance between the planned target and the centre of the implanted electrode artefact was measured. Results: There was no significant difference in targeting precision on both sides of surgery. There was more intra-operative adjustment of the second electrode positioning based on microrecording and macrostimulation, which allowed to significantly approach the MRI-planned target on the medial-lateral axis. Conclusion: There was more electrode adjustment needed on the second side, possibly in relation with brain shift. We thus suggest performing a single central track with electrophysiological and clinical assessment, with multidirectional exploration on demand for suboptimal clinical responses.
Recent Advances in Stem Cell-Mediated Peripheral Nerve Repair
Authors: Grochmal Joey , Midha Rajiv
Published: March 2015

A major advance in the field of peripheral nerve repair has been the advent of stem and progenitor cell use to supplement the regenerative environment in animal models of nerve injury. As Schwann cell replacements, stem cells may be even better suited to promoting regeneration in these scenarios. We review the recent literature detailing the search for the definitive Schwann cell replacement cell, including a look at genetic modification of transplanted cells for nerve injury repair.
Synergistic Anticancer Potential of Dichloroacetate and Estradiol Analogue Exerting their Effect via ROS-JNK-Bcl-2-Mediated Signalling Pathways
Authors: Stander Xiao Xing , Stander Barend André , Joubert Annie Margaretha
Published: March 2015

Background: C9, a newly in silico-designed inhibitor of microtubule dynamics induces G2/M arrest culminating in apoptosis. Dichloroacetate (DCA) inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, an enzyme that promotes pyruvate entry into mitochondria. The use of antitumor drugs targeting different cancer features can be a more effective way to overcome drug resistance. Methods: The influence of C9 (130 nM) + DCA (7.5 mM) on MCF-7 and MCF-12 cells was assessed via microscopy spectrophotometry global gene expression and flow cytometry assays. Results: An LDH assay showed that C9+DCA treatment decreased cell viability to 83.5% in MCF-7 cells when compared to the non-tumorigenic MCF-12A cells 92.4% (P < 0.05). C9- and C9+DCA treatment induced mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization in MCF-7 cells but not in MCF-12A cells (P < 0.05). The occurrence of apoptosis was associated with increased hypo- and hyper-phosphorylation of Bcl-2 Ser70 and caspase 7 activation. Kinase inhibition revealed sustained activation of the JNK pathway caused increased Bcl-2 protein Ser70 hypo-and hyper-phosphorylation. Elevated levels of DCF fluorescence was observed in DCA-, C9- and C9+DCA-exposed MCF-7 cells, but not in MCF-12A cells, indicating cytosolic H2O2/Fe2+ formation in treated tumorigenic cells. LC3-II expression was elevated in C9+DCA-treated cells in both cell lines, indicating that autophagy was also induced. Conclusions: Synergistic effects of C9+DCA were demonstrated on breast carcinoma and non-tumorigenic cells with selectivity towards the MCF-7 cells. Antimitotic compound C9 in combination with a glycolytic inhibitor dichloroacetate eradicates breast cancer cells through ROS-JNK-Bcl-2-mediated signalling pathways in vitro and it is argued that autophagy acts as protective mechanism in the treated cells before apoptosis occurs.
Stroke Volume Adjusted to Afterload for Assessment of Cardiac Performance in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
Authors: Meledin Valery , Gandelman Gera , Derazne Estela , Kogan Yoni , George Jacob , Shimoni Sara
Published: March 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between valvular resistance and stroke volume (SV) and to assess SV adequacy to afterload in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: We assessed clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters in 44 patients with isolated severe AS and preserved LVEF. LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and LV mean diastolic pressure (LVMDP) were measured by cardiac catheterization. SV values were plotted in relation to valvular resistance. Patients were divided into 2 groups, with an SV that was higher (group 1) or lower (group 2) than the SV calculated by a regression equation using valvular resistance as the dependent variable. Results: At the same degree of valvular stenosis, the patients in group 1 exhibited better contractility as assessed by global longitudinal strain (p < 0.05), higher peak (p < 0.01) and mean gradient (p < 0.05), indexed SV (p < 0.001) and transvalvular flow (p = 0.01) than the patients in group 2, who had a higher heart rate (HR, p < 0.05), shorter ejection time (ET, p < 0.05) and more elevated LVEDP (p < 0.05) and LVMDP (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The presence of inappropriately decreased SV relative to afterload in patients with severe AS and normal LVEF was associated with lower contractility, higher HR, shorter ET and elevated LV diastolic pressure, which suggest failed hemodynamic adaptation to afterload.
Obesity and the Use of Antibiotics and Probiotics in Rats
Authors: de Sá Del Fiol Fernando , Tardelli Ferreira Alessandra Cristina Marciano , Marciano Jorge José , Marques Maria Claudia , SantʼAna Luciane Lopes
Published: March 2015

Background: Obesity has become a major public health challenge in recent years. Recent studies suggest that alterations of the gut microbiota by antibiotics could play an important role in obesity. Methods: We investigated this topic using 60 Wistar rats, which were divided into 3 experimental groups: rats treated with amoxicillin, rats treated with amoxicillin plus Saccharomyces boulardii and controls. Treatments were administered over the course of 2 weeks. Tetrapolar bioelectric impedance analysis and anthropometric evaluations were conducted. Results: The body mass index was significantly lower for the animals in the control group (p = 0.034). The same result was observed for the Lee index: the control group had a lower index than the 2 groups that received antibiotic treatment (p = 0.0019). The total body water data demonstrated that the control group had the greatest amount of body water (279.1 g, p = 0.0243). Conclusions: The groups treated with the antibiotic exhibited a greater accumulation of body fat than the control group.
Expression of Plasma microRNA-1/21/ 208a/499 in Myocardial Ischemic Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Yang Wei , Shao Jianlin , Bai Xiangfeng , Zhang Guimin
Published: March 2015

Objectives: We aimed to measure changes in the levels of several miRNAs during open-heart surgery and to investigate the relationship between these changes and cardiac biomarkers. Methods: Creatine kinase-muscle band (CK-MB), cardiac troponin (cTnI) and miRNA (miR-1/21/208a/499) levels were measured during open-heart surgery in 15 patients undergoing combined mitral and aortic valve replacement. The levels of these markers were measured presurgically, 45 min after aortic clamping, 60 min after reperfusion and 24 h after surgery. Results: Significant differences were found in miR-1/208a/499 levels but not in miR-21 levels. miR-1/208a levels were unchanged until 45 min after aortic clamping, increased 60 min after reperfusion (p < 0.001) and decreased significantly 24 h after surgery (p < 0.001). The changes in miR-1/208a levels exhibited a similar pattern to those observed for cTnI and CK-MB, although the changes in miR-208a levels reflected more rapidly than those in miR-1 levels. miR-499 levels decreased after reperfusion (p < 0.001) until 24 h after surgery; these levels were negatively correlated with cTnI and CK-MB levels at all of the time points. Conclusions: A time-dependent change in miR-1/208a/499 levels occurred during open-heart surgery, and these were associated with levels of cTnI and CK-MB. These results reveal that miRNAs may be sensitive biomarkers for I/R injury during open-heart surgery.
Effectiveness and Safety of rhIGF-1 Therapy in Children: The European Increlex® Growth Forum Database Experience
Authors: Bang Peter , Polak Michel , Woelfle Joachim , Houchard Aude ,   on behalf of the EU IGFD Registry Study Group
Published: March 2015

Background/Aims: We report data from the EU Increlex® Growth Forum Database (IGFD) Registry, an ongoing, open-label, observational study monitoring clinical practice use of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 (rhIGF-1) therapy in children. Methods: Safety and effectiveness data on rhIGF-1 treatment of 195 enrolled children with growth failure were collected from December 2008 to September 2013. Results: Mean ± SD (95% CI) height velocity during first year of rhIGF-1 treatment was 6.9 ± 2.2 cm/year (6.5; 7.2) (n = 144); in prepubertal patients naïve to treatment, this was 7.3 ± 2.0 cm/year (6.8; 7.7) (n = 81). Female sex, younger age at start of rhIGF-1 therapy, and lower baseline height SDS predicted first-year change in height SDS. The most frequent targeted treatment-emergent adverse events (% patients) were hypoglycemia (17.6%, predictors: young age, diagnosis of Laron syndrome, but not rhIGF-1 dose), lipohypertrophy (10.6%), tonsillar hypertrophy (7.4%), injection site reactions (6.4%), and headache (5.9%). Sixty-one serious adverse events (37 related to rhIGF-1 therapy) were reported in 31 patients (16.5%). Conclusion: Safety and effectiveness data on use of rhIGF-1 in a ‘real-world' setting were similar to those from controlled randomized trials. Severe growth phenotype and early start of rhIGF-1 improved height response and predicted risk of hypoglycemia.
Submandibular Gland Transfer for the Prevention of Postradiation Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Fanglong , Weng Shengxin , Li Chunjie , Sun Jun , Li Longjiang , Gao Qinghong
Published: March 2015

Background: Submandibular gland transfer has been widely used to prevent postradiation xerostomia in head-and-neck cancers. However, there are still some controversies. Methods: Six databases were searched, data extraction was performed and the risk of bias was assessed by 2 reviewers independently. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager, version 5.2. Results: A total of 7 trials (12 articles) and 369 participants were included. Conclusions: The present clinical evidence suggests that submandibular gland transfer might be highly effective to prevent postradiation xerostomia in head-and-neck cancers without serious adverse events. However, more randomized controlled trials are still needed to confirm this conclusion.
Emodin Protects Against Concanavalin A-Induced Hepatitis in Mice Through Inhibiting Activation of the p38 MAPK-NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xue Jihua , Chen Feng , Wang Jing , Wu Shanshan , Zheng Min , Zhu Haihong , Liu Yanning , He Jiliang , Chen Zhi
Published: March 2015

Background/Aims: To investigate the effects of emodin on concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis in mice and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: A fulminant hepatitis model was established successfully by the intravenous administration of Con A (20 mg/kg) to male Balb/c mice. Emodin was administered to the mice by gavage before and after Con A injection. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, numbers of CD4+ and F4/80+ cells infiltrated into the liver, and amounts of phosphorylated p38 MAPK and NF-γB in mouse livers and RAW264.7 and EL4 cells were measured. Results: Pretreatment with emodin significantly protected the animals from T cell-mediated hepatitis, as shown by the decreased elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), as well as reduced hepatic necrosis. In addition, emodin pretreatment markedly reduced the intrahepatic expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-12, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), integrin alpha M (ITGAM), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and chemokine (CXC motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2). Furthermore, emodin pretreatment dramatically suppressed the numbers of CD4+ and F4/80+ cells infiltrating into the liver as well as the activation of p38 MAPK and NF-γB in Con A-treated mouse livers and RAW264.7 and EL4 cells. Conclusion: The results indicate that emodin pretreatment protects against Con A-induced liver injury in mice; these beneficial effects may occur partially through inhibition of both the infiltration of CD4+ and F4/80+ cells and the activation of the p38 MAPK-NF-γB pathway in CD4+ T cells and macrophages.
Successful Endovascular Reconstruction of a Recurrent Giant Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm with Multiple Telescoping Flow Diverters in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Ikeda Daniel S. , Marlin Evan S. , Shaw Andrew , Powers Ciarán J.
Published: March 2015

Intracranial aneurysms of the pediatric population are rare, but giant fusiform aneurysms (GFAs) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) are common within this cohort of patients. These aneurysms are difficult to treat and often require advanced microsurgical skills, as they are usually not amenable to direct clipping. Here, we report the successful treatment of a recurrent GFA of the MCA with three telescoping Pipeline Embolization Devices 6 months after attempted clip reconstruction in a pediatric patient.
Clinical Validity of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale in Differentiating Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease and Normative Data
Authors: Bezdicek Ondrej , Michalec Jiri , Nikolai Tomas , Havránková Petra , Roth Jan , Jech Robert , Růžička Evžen
Published: March 2015

Background/Aims: The aim of the present study was to provide normative data and determine the validity of the Czech version of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale 2 (czDRS-2) in screening for mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI) based on the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) Level II criteria. Methods: For validation purposes, 41 healthy controls (HC), 46 patients with PD-NI (Parkinson's disease, no impairment) and 41 patients with PD-MCI (all groups assessed by the MDS Level II criteria for PD-MCI) were matched according to age and education. Results: With screening and diagnostic cutoff scores determined at ≤139 points, the czDRS-2 showed a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 88% in the detection of PD-MCI versus HC and a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 76% in the detection of PD-MCI versus PD-NI. The AUC (95% confidence interval) for the czDRS-2 was 84% (75-93) and 82% (73-91), respectively. We report percentile values for 286 subjects from the Czech population stratified by education level. Conclusion: Our results show that the czDRS-2 is a valid instrument at Level I for screening PD-MCI and support its construct validity and diagnostic equivalence in a cross-cultural setting.
Reactive Oxygen Species in Psoriasis and Psoriasis Arthritis: Relevance to Human Disease
Authors: Khmaladze Ia , Nandakumar Kutty Selva , Holmdahl Rikard
Published: March 2015

Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic, immune-mediated, skin inflammatory disease affecting up to 3% of the population worldwide. Different environmental triggers initiate this complex multifactorial syndrome. Many individuals affected by Ps (6-26%) develop inflammatory disease in other organs, often in the joints as in psoriasis arthritis (PsA). Animal models that reflect the typical Ps syndrome, including both skin and joint pathology as in Ps and PsA, are valuable tools for dissecting disease pathways leading to clinical manifestations. In this context, we developed a new acute Ps and PsA-like disease model that appears after exposure to Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannan in certain mouse strains. The disease was found to be triggered by mannan-activated macrophages, leading to the activation of a pathogenic interleukin-17 pathway involving innate lymphocytes. Interestingly, the production of reactive oxygen species protected the mice from the triggering of this pathway and ameliorated Ps and PsA development.
The Effect of Controlled Reperfusion in the Prevention of Infertility Caused by Ischemia Induced in the Contralateral Ovary in Rats with Unilateral Ovariectomy
Authors: Aksoy Ayse Nur , Aydın Fatma , Topdagı Yılmaz Emsal Pınar , Batmaz Gonca , Suleyman Bahadır
Published: March 2015

Background/Aims: To investigate the effectiveness of controlled reperfusion (CR) on ovarian tissue malondialdehyde, total glutathione and 8-hydroxyguanine levels and infertility rates in a rat model of induced ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury with unilateral oophorectomy. Methods: A total of 135 adult female albino Wistar rats were divided into 9 groups (n = 15 for each group): unilateral ovariectomy + ovarian I/R (OIR), unilateral ovariectomy alone (OEG), a sham operation group (SG), and unilateral ovariectomy + CR performed at different intervals (the clips were released 10 times for 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 or 1 s and closed again 10 times for 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 or 1 s; OCR-1-6, respectively). Five rats from each group were sacrificed, and their ovaries were removed. Results: Higher ovarian tissue malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxyguanine levels and lower ovarian tissue total glutathione levels were found in the OIR group compared with the SG, OEG and OCR-4-6 groups. The number of rats giving birth during the study period was found to be similar among the SG (n = 8), OEG (n = 8) and OCR-6 (n = 7) groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that sterility and ovarian oxidative stress caused by I/R injury decreases in parallel to the shortening of CR duration.