bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the treatment of isolated knee chondral lesions: design of a randomised controlled pilot study comparing arthroscopic microfracture versus arthroscopic microfracture combined with postoperative mesenchymal stem cell injections
Authors: Freitag Julien , Ford Jon , Bates Dan , Boyd Richard , Hahne Andrew , Wang Yuanyuan , Cicuttini Flavia , Huguenin Leesa , Norsworthy Cameron , Shah Kiran
Published: December 2015

Introduction

The management of intra-articular chondral defects in the knee remains a challenge. Inadequate healing in areas of weight bearing leads to impairment in load transmission and these defects predispose to later development of osteoarthritis. Surgical management of full thickness chondral defects include arthroscopic microfracture and when appropriate autologous chondrocyte implantation. This latter method however is technically challenging, and may not offer significant improvement over microfracture. Preclinical and limited clinical trials have indicated the capacity of mesenchymal stem cells to influence chondral repair. The aim of this paper is to describe the methodology of a pilot randomised controlled trial comparing arthroscopic microfracture alone for isolated knee chondral defects versus arthroscopic microfracture combined with postoperative autologous adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell injections.

Methods and analysis

A pilot single-centre randomised controlled trial is proposed. 40 participants aged 18–50 years, with isolated femoral condyle chondral defects and awaiting planned arthroscopic microfracture will be randomly allocated to a control group (receiving no additional treatment) or treatment group (receiving postoperative adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell treatment). Primary outcome measures will include MRI assessment of cartilage volume and defects and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. Secondary outcomes will include further MRI assessment of bone marrow lesions, bone area and T2 cartilage mapping, a 0–10 Numerical Pain Rating Scale, a Global Impression of Change score and a treatment satisfaction scale. Adverse events and cointerventions will be recorded. Initial outcome follow-up for publication of results will be at 12 months. Further annual follow-up to assess long-term differences between the two group will occur.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial has received prospective ethics approval through the Latrobe University Human Research Ethics Committee. Dissemination of outcome data is planned through both national and international conferences and formal publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR Trial ID: ACTRN12614000812695).
Support for infants and young people with sight loss: a qualitative study of sight impairment certification and referral to education and social care services
Authors: Boyce Tammy , Dahlmann-Noor Annegret , Bowman Richard , Keil Sue
Published: December 2015

Objectives

To examine the experience of infants, children and their parents, the role of ophthalmologists and other health, social care and education professionals in the certification and registration processes and examine the relationship between certification and referrals and pathways to support.

Design

Qualitative study.

Setting

Telephone interviews with health and, social care professionals, qualified teachers of children and young people with vision impairment (QTVIs) and parents of infants/children in England.

Participants

52 health, social care and education professionals who are part of the certification or registration process. 26 parents of infants and children with vision impairment.

Results

Referrals to education do not require a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI); however, the majority of parents received support from education and social services only after an offer of the CVI, which was often dependent on having a formal diagnosis. Parents stated they wanted support sooner, particularly parents of children with additional complex needs who experienced longer delays. Areas with multidisciplinary teams and support roles such as eye clinic liaison officers (ECLOs) appeared to have more reliable referral pathways.

Conclusions

For infants and children with vision impairment, there should be a consistent mechanism for triggering education and social care support even with uncertainty about diagnosis and/or prognosis. All professionals involved in the certification and registration processes (ophthalmologists, optometrists, ECLOs, orthoptists, social workers, QTVIs) can better communicate the value and benefits of certification and registration.
Perceived quality of HIV treatment and care services in Wolaita Zone of southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yakob Bereket , Ncama Busisiwe Purity
Published: December 2015

Objective

To investigate the levels and factors affecting the perceived quality of HIV/AIDS treatment and care services.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

The study was conducted in Wolaita Zone of southern Ethiopia in one hospital and five health centres providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-ART.

Participants

481 persons infected with HIV on outpatient care, 408 (83.8%) on ART and 73 (16.2%) on pre-ART care.

Results

324 (71.4%) of the participants perceived the quality of HIV care as ‘good’, while 130 (28.6%) stated that it was ‘not good’; 219 (46.2%) and 255 (53.8%) were satisfied and not satisfied with the services, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, a unit increase in the doctors subscale of multidimensional health locus of control-form c score resulted in a 1.27 (1.04 to 1.55) increase in the odds of perceived good quality of care (p<0.05). Similarly, a unit increase in the responsiveness, perceived financial fairness, and perceived transportation convenience scores was associated with a 1.03 (1.01 to 1.05) (p<0.05), 1.08 (1.05 to 1.15) (p<0.01), and 1.07 (1.05 to 1.18) (p<0.05) increase in the odds of perceived good quality of HIV care, respectively. In terms of client satisfaction with services, a 1 km increase in the distance from health facilities, and unemployment were associated with a 4.64 (2.61 to 8.25) (p<0.001), 1.02 (1.01 to 1.04) (p<0.05) and 2.23 (1.30 to 4.54) (p<0.01) times, respectively, increase in the perceived quality of HIV treatment and care services.

Conclusions

The majority of the participants reported perceptions of good quality HIV care and satisfaction with the services. Satisfaction with services; responsiveness; health locus of control; perceived financial fairness; perceived transportation convenience; employment status; and distance from the health facility were predictors of the perceived quality of HIV care. Thus, improving quality of HIV treatment services may require addressing the above factors.
Effect of just-in-time simulation training on provider performance and patient outcomes for clinical procedures: a systematic review
Authors: Braga Matthew S , Tyler Michelle D , Rhoads Jared M , Cacchio Michael P , Auerbach Marc , Nishisaki Akira , Larson Robin J
Published: December 2015

Background

Providing simulation training directly before an actual clinical procedure—or ‘just-in-time’ (JiT)—is resource intensive, but could improve both provider performance and patient outcomes.

Objectives

To assess the effects of JiT simulation training versus no JiT training on provider performance and patient complications following clinical procedures on patients.

Study selection

We searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC, ClinicalTrials.gov, simulation journals indexes and references of included studies during October 2014 for randomised trials, non-randomised trials and before-after studies comparing JiT simulation training versus no JiT training among providers performing clinical procedures. Findings were synthesised qualitatively.

Findings

Of 1805 records screened, 8 studies comprising 3540 procedures and 1969 providers were eligible. 5 involved surgical procedures; the other 3 included paediatric endotracheal intubations, central venous catheter dressing changes, or infant lumbar puncture. Methodological quality was high. Of the 8 studies evaluating provider performance, 5 favoured JiT simulation training with 18–48% relative improvement on validated clinical performance scales, 16–20% relative reduction in surgical time and 12% absolute reduction in corrective prompts during central venous catheter dressing changes; 3 studies were equivocal with no improvement in intubation success, lumbar puncture success or urological surgery clinical performance scores. 3 studies evaluated patient complications; 1 favoured JiT simulation training with 45% relative reduction in central line-associated blood stream infections; 2 studies found no differences following intubation or laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Conclusions

JiT simulation training improves provider performance, but currently available literature does not demonstrate a reduction in patient complications.
Abstracts from international Emergency Medicine journals
Authors: Weber Ellen J
Published: December 2015

Editor's note:EMJhas partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. Ellen J Weber.
Discriminating Multiple Emotional States from EEG Using a Data-Adaptive, Multiscale Information-Theoretic Approach
Authors: Tonoyan Yelena , Looney David , Mandic Danilo P. , Van Hulle Marc M.
Published: December 2015

A multivariate sample entropy metric of signal complexity is applied to EEG data recorded when subjects were viewing four prior-labeled emotion-inducing video clips from a publically available, validated database. Besides emotion category labels, the video clips also came with arousal scores. Our subjects were also asked to provide their own emotion labels. In total 30 subjects with age range 19–70 years participated in our study. Rather than relying on predefined frequency bands, we estimate multivariate sample entropy over multiple data-driven scales using the multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) technique and show that in this way we can discriminate between five self-reported emotions ([Formula: see text]). These results could not be obtained by analyzing the relation between arousal scores and video clips, signal complexity and arousal scores, and self-reported emotions and traditional power spectral densities and their hemispheric asymmetries in the theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands. This shows that multivariate, multiscale sample entropy is a promising technique to discriminate multiple emotional states from EEG recordings.
Loop W(a,b) Lie conformal algebra
Authors: Fan Guangzhe , Wu Henan , Yu Bo
Published: December 2015

Fix [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be the loop [Formula: see text] Lie algebra over [Formula: see text] with basis [Formula: see text] and relations [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. In this paper, a formal distribution Lie algebra of [Formula: see text] is constructed. Then the associated conformal algebra [Formula: see text] is studied, where [Formula: see text] has a [Formula: see text]-basis [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]-brackets [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In particular, we determine the conformal derivations and rank one conformal modules of this conformal algebra. Finally, we study the central extensions and extensions of conformal modules.
Fluctuation induced magneto-conductivity of Y3Ba5Cu8O18±x and YBa2Cu3O7−d
Authors: Slimani Y. , Hannachi E. , Ben Salem M. K. , Hamrita A. , Ben Salem M. , Ben Azzouz F.
Published: December 2015

A comparative study of the fluctuation magneto-conductivity in [Formula: see text] (noted [Formula: see text]) and [Formula: see text] (noted [Formula: see text]) polycrystalline samples was carried out. Samples were synthesized in oxygen atmosphere using a standard solid state reaction technique. Phases and microstructure have been systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The magneto-conductivity was measured in a magnetic field ranging from 0 T to 7 T applied perpendicular to the current path direction. The magneto-conductivity data were analyzed in terms of the temperature derivative of the resistivity and the logarithmic temperature derivative of the conductivity [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the fluctuation conductivity. Analyses of the magneto-conductivity data reveal that [Formula: see text] possesses a better quality of intrinsic Josephson junction compared to [Formula: see text] one while in the former one the depression in superconducting temperature is more pronounced. The applied magnetic field narrowed substantially the three dimensions (3D) Gaussian regime and for [Formula: see text] sample this regime is vanished for high magnetic field ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]1 T). Results are discussed in relation with the difference in the structure and microstructure [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The upper critical and the irreversibility magnetic fields were estimated and were found to be higher in the [Formula: see text] sample.
Effects of the inclined femto laser incidence at the phase mask on FBG carving
Authors: Wang Jian , Wu Shengli , Zhang Jintao , Ren Wenyi
Published: December 2015

The inclined incidence of the femto laser on the phase mask in fiber Bragg grating (FBG) carving has a significant effect on the quality of FBG fabrication. Based on that the infrared femto laser has highly spatial coherence and the order walk-off will happen behind the phase mask, the interferogram generated at the fiber core by the inclined femto laser beam has been analyzed using the multi-beam interference principle. The influence of beam inclination on the coherence of the 0th and [Formula: see text] orders diffraction with different exposure distance, the visibility of interferogram and the frequency component of the transverse interferogram intensity has also been analyzed. It is meaningful for the FBG fabricating with the femto laser.
The bandgap distribution investigated across the strain-induced bending ZnO nanowire
Authors: Tse Geoffrey , Yu Dapeng
Published: December 2015

In this work, the strain dependence of electronic and optical properties in wurtzite zinc oxide (ZnO) lattice were explored. Ab initio density functional theory (DFT) was used in evaluating the energy bandgap and the dielectric tensor, respectively. The influence on the bandgap due to the shear distortion was so small that the reducing linear trends on uniaxial compressive/tensile strain were reported, in which the evolution of the absorption curve with uniaxial strain agrees well with the experimental results across the bending section. This study provides a set of useful data in analyzing the evolution of the optical adsorption across the bending ZnO nanowire, and gives a systematic explanation to the available experiments from the electronic structure’s perspective.
Investigating Cloud Adoption Using Influence Diagrams as a Decision Support Model
Authors: Christoforou Andreas , Andreou Andreas S.
Published: December 2015

The fact that Cloud Computing is steadily becoming one of the most significant fields of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has led many organizations to consider the benefits of migrating their business operations to the Cloud. Decision makers are facing strong challenges when assessing the feasibility of the adoption of Cloud Computing for their organizations. Cloud adoption is a multi-level decision which is influenced by a number of intertwined factors and concerns thus characterizing it as a complex and difficult to model real-world problem. In this paper we propose two decision support modeling approaches based on Influence Diagrams (ID) aiming to model the answer to the question “Adopt Cloud Services or Not?” Two models are developed and tested, the first is a generic ID with nodes interacting in a probabilistic manner, while the second is a more flexible version that utilizes Fuzzy Logic. Both models combine several factors that influence the decision to be taken, which were identified through literature review and input received from field experts. The proposed approaches are validated using five experimental scenarios, two synthetic and three real-world cases, and their performance suggests that they are highly capable of supporting the right decision.
On the heuristic of approximating polynomials over finite fields by random mappings
Authors: Martins Rodrigo S. V. , Panario Daniel
Published: December 2015

The behavior of iterations of functions is frequently approximated by the Brent–Pollard heuristic, where one treats functions as random mappings. We aim at understanding this heuristic and focus on the expected rho length of a node of the functional graph of a polynomial over a finite field. Since the distribution of preimage sizes of a class of functions appears to play a central role in its average rho length, we survey the known results for polynomials over finite fields giving new proofs and improving one of the cases for quartic polynomials. We discuss the effectiveness of the heuristic for many classes of polynomials by comparing our experimental results with the known estimates for different random mapping models. We prove that the distribution of preimage sizes of general polynomials and mappings have similar asymptotic properties, including the same asymptotic average coalescence. The combination of these results and our experiments suggests that these polynomials behave like random mappings, extending a heuristic that was known only for degree [Formula: see text]. We show numerically that the behavior of Chebyshev polynomials of degree [Formula: see text] over finite fields present a sharp contrast when compared to other polynomials in their respective classes.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Exceptional Colloidal Stability and its Catalytic Activity Toward Nitrophenol Reduction
Authors: Sharma Manisha , Mishra Amit , Kumar Vinod , Basu Soumen
Published: December 2015

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized by one-step process in the presence of kollicoat as capping, reducing and stabilizing mediator. The synthesized NPs were characterized by using FTIR, TEM, DLS, XRD, EDS and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The resulting Ag NPs had an incomparable colloidal stability against the salt addition and change of pH. The effect of different synthesis parameters and the catalytic property of the NPs were examined.
Preparation, Microwave Absorption and Infrared Emissivity of Ni-doped ZnO/Al Powders by Coprecipitation Method in the GHz Range
Authors: Shu Ruiwen , Xing Honglong , Cao Xiaoli , Ji Xiaoli , Tan Dexin , Gan Ying
Published: December 2015

In this work, Ni-doped ZnO/Al composites were prepared by a facile chemical co-precipitation method. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. It was found that the flake-like Al powders were successfully coated by Ni-doped ZnO nanoparticles with slight aggregation and Ni[Formula: see text] was successfully doped into the crystal lattice of ZnO. Moreover, the effects of ZnO concentration and doped Ni concentration on the infrared emissivity of ZnO/Al composites at the waveband range of 8–14[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m were studied. The results showed that the ZnO/Al composites exhibited the lowest infrared emissivity of 0.34 with 50[Formula: see text]wt.% ZnO concentration. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic parameters and microwave absorbing properties of Ni-doped ZnO/Al composites in the frequency range of 2–18[Formula: see text]GHz were explored. Significantly, 12[Formula: see text]mol.% Ni-doped ZnO/Al composites presented the lowest infrared emissivity of 0.37 and the maximum reflection loss reached [Formula: see text]32.5[Formula: see text]dB at 13.6[Formula: see text]GHz with a thickness of 4.5[Formula: see text]mm. The excellent microwave absorbing properties could be attributed to the good impedance match, crystal lattice defects and interfacial polarization. It was believed that the Ni-doped ZnO/Al composites could be used as potential infrared-microwave compatible stealth materials.
Label-free imaging immune cells and collagen in atherosclerosis with two-photon and second harmonic generation microscopy
Authors: Li Chunqiang , Pastila Riikka K. , Lin Charles P.
Published: December 2015

Atherosclerosis has been recognized as a chronic inflammation disease, in which many types of cells participate in this process, including lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), mast cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Developments in imaging technology provide the capability to observe cellular and tissue components and their interactions. The knowledge of the functions of immune cells and their interactions with other cell and tissue components will facilitate our discovery of biomarkers in atherosclerosis and prediction of the risk factor of rupture-prone plaques. Nonlinear optical microscopy based on two-photon excited autofluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG) were developed to image mast cells, SMCs and collagen in plaque ex vivo using endogenous optical signals. Mast cells were imaged with two-photon tryptophan autofluorescence, SMCs were imaged with two-photon NADH autofluorescence, and collagen were imaged with SHG. This development paves the way for further study of mast cell degranulation, and the effects of mast cell derived mediators such as induced synthesis and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which participate in the degradation of collagen.
A wide neighborhood predictor–corrector infeasible-interior-point method for Cartesian P∗(κ)-LCP over symmetric cones
Authors: Sayadi Shahraki Marzieh , Zangiabadi Maryam , Mansouri Hossein
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we present a predictor–corrector infeasible-interior-point method based on a new wide neighborhood of the central path for linear complementarity problem over symmetric cones (SCLCP) with the Cartesian [Formula: see text]-property. The convergence of the algorithm is proved for commutative class of search directions. Moreover, using the theory of Euclidean Jordan algebras and some elegant tools, the iteration bound improves the earlier complexity of these kind of algorithms for the Cartesian [Formula: see text]-SCLCPs.
Cenozoic palaeoenvironmental and tectonic controls on the evolution of the northern Fergana Basin
Authors: Bande Alejandro , Radjabov Shukhrat , Sobel Edward R. , Sim Tatyana
Published: December 2015

The least well-documented intramountain basin within the Tien Shan is the Fergana Basin. Cenozoic deformation is localized along thrusts on the northern and southern flanks, and by transpressive deformation associated with the dextral Talas–Fergana Fault on the eastern margin. We use sedimentological and stratigraphic observations from well-exposed Cenozoic outcrops to describe depositional environments, provenance and sources. These results are combined with interpreted seismic reflection lines and geological cross-sections are extended laterally based on outcrop geology to the north and east. Following a tectonically quiet early Cenozoic period, a progressive change in palaeocurrent indicators suggests Oligo-Miocene uplift of the hinterland, coupled with an increase in higher energy facies in the Massaget Formation. A renewed pulse of deformation tilted Massaget strata and deposited a considerable volume of coarse sedimentary rocks (Baktriy Formation). The younger episode moved progressively basinwards, as imaged by growth–strata relationships in the subsurface. Published work shows that the accumulation of an impressive
c.
8 km of Cenozoic deposits cannot be accommodated only by lithospheric flexure produced by a tectonic load. We agree with the hypothesis that the thick sediments preserved in the basin are accommodated by lithospheric folding and propose that this is driven by compression associated with south-vergent Pamir subduction.
Keeping safe in the field: what, how and why?
Authors: Gill Caroline E. , Lynn Gwilym J.
Published: December 2015

Geological field trips are a fundamental part of the development of geoscientists both in academia and in industry. The principles learned in the field are often directly translated into everyday work and therefore maintenance of field time is critical. Across the world, the focus on health, safety and the environment for geological field trips is increasing and it is no longer acceptable to pile onto a bus and go out for an afternoon with no prior planning. This paper will address why field trip safety is of increasing importance, considerations that should be taken in order to keep geoscientists safe in the field and practical guidance on how to enable planning for safe field trips in the future.
Adaptive Real-Time Emotion Recognition from Body Movements
Authors: Wang Weiyi , Enescu Valentin , Sahli Hichem
Published: December 2015

We propose a real-time system that continuously recognizes emotions from body movements. The combined low-level 3D postural features and high-level kinematic and geometrical features are fed to a Random Forests classifier through summarization (statistical values) or aggregation (bag of features). In order to improve the generalization capability and the robustness of the system, a novel semisupervised adaptive algorithm is built on top of the conventional Random Forests classifier. The MoCap UCLIC affective gesture database (labeled with four emotions) was used to train the Random Forests classifier, which led to an overall recognition rate of 78% using a 10-fold cross-validation. Subsequently, the trained classifier was used in a stream-based semisupervised Adaptive Random Forests method for continuous unlabeled Kinect data classification. The very low update cost of our adaptive classifier makes it highly suitable for data stream applications. Tests performed on the publicly available emotion datasets (body gestures and facial expressions) indicate that our new classifier outperforms existing algorithms for data streams in terms of accuracy and computational costs.
Fuzzy Hindi WordNet and Word Sense Disambiguation Using Fuzzy Graph Connectivity Measures
Authors: Jain Amita , Lobiyal D. K.
Published: December 2015

In this article, we propose Fuzzy Hindi WordNet, which is an extended version of Hindi WordNet. The proposed idea of fuzzy relations and their role in modeling Fuzzy Hindi WordNet is explained. We mathematically define fuzzy relations and the composition of these fuzzy relations for this extended version. We show that the concept of composition of fuzzy relations can be used to infer a relation between two words that otherwise are not directly related in Hindi WordNet. Then we propose fuzzy graph connectivity measures that include both local and global measures. These measures are used in determining the significance of a concept (which is represented as a vertex in the fuzzy graph) in a specific context. Finally, we show how these extended measures solve the problem of word sense disambiguation (WSD) effectively, which is useful in many natural language processing applications to improve their performance. Experiments on standard sense tagged corpus for WSD show better results when Fuzzy Hindi WordNet is used in place of Hindi WordNet.
The MovieLens Datasets
Authors: Harper F. Maxwell , Konstan Joseph A.
Published: December 2015

The MovieLens datasets are widely used in education, research, and industry. They are downloaded hundreds of thousands of times each year, reflecting their use in popular press programming books, traditional and online courses, and software. These datasets are a product of member activity in the MovieLens movie recommendation system, an active research platform that has hosted many experiments since its launch in 1997. This article documents the history of MovieLens and the MovieLens datasets. We include a discussion of lessons learned from running a long-standing, live research platform from the perspective of a research organization. We document best practices and limitations of using the MovieLens datasets in new research.
Resolvin D1 protects against inflammation in experimental acute pancreatitis and associated lung injury
Authors: Liu Yong , Zhou Dan , Long Fei-Wu , Chen Ke-Ling , Yang Hong-Wei , Lv Zhao-Yin , Zhou Bin , Peng Zhi-Hai , Sun Xiao-Feng , Li Yuan , Zhou Zong-Guang
Published: December 2015

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory condition that may lead to multisystemic organ failure with considerable mortality. Recently, resolvin D1 (RvD1) as an endogenous anti-inflammatory lipid mediator has been confirmed to protect against many inflammatory diseases. This study was designed to investigate the effects of RvD1 in acute pancreatitis and associated lung injury. Acute pancreatitis varying from mild to severe was induced by cerulein or cerulein combined with LPS, respectively. Mice were pretreated with RvD1 at a dose of 300 ng/mouse 30 min before the first injection of cerulein. Severity of AP was assessed by biochemical markers and histology. Serum cytokines and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in pancreas and lung were determined for assessing the extent of inflammatory response. NF-κB activation was determined by Western blotting. The injection of cerulein or cerulein combined with LPS resulted in local injury in the pancreas and corresponding systemic inflammatory changes with pronounced severity in the cerulein and LPS group. Pretreated RvD1 significantly reduced the degree of amylase, lipase, TNF-α, and IL-6 serum levels; the MPO activities in the pancreas and the lungs; the pancreatic NF-κB activation; and the severity of pancreatic injury and associated lung injury, especially in the severe acute pancreatitis model. These results suggest that RvD1 is capable of improving injury of pancreas and lung and exerting anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of NF-κB activation in experimental acute pancreatitis, with more notable protective effect in severe acute pancreatitis. These findings indicate that RvD1 may constitute a novel therapeutic strategy in the management of severe acute pancreatitis.
Increased consumption and vasodilatory effect of nitrite during exercise
Authors: Hon Yuen Yi , Lin Elaina E. , Tian Xin , Yang Yang , Sun He , Swenson Erik R. , Taveira-Dasilva Angelo M. , Gladwin Mark T. , Machado Roberto F.
Published: December 2015

This study investigated the effects of aerobic-to-anaerobic exercise on nitrite stores in the human circulation and evaluated the effects of systemic nitrite infusion on aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity and hemodynamics. Six healthy volunteers were randomized to receive sodium nitrite or saline for 70 min in two separate occasions in an exercise study. Subjects cycled on an upright electronically braked cycle ergometer 30 min into the infusion according to a ramp protocol designed to attain exhaustion in 10 min. They were allowed to recover for 30 min thereafter. The changes of whole blood nitrite concentrations over the 70-min study period were analyzed by pharmacokinetic modeling. Longitudinal measurements of hemodynamic and clinical variables were analyzed by fitting nonparametric regression spline models. During exercise, nitrite consumption/elimination rate was increased by ∼137%. Cardiac output (CO), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) were increased, but smaller elevation of MAP and larger increases of CO and PAP were found during nitrite infusion compared with placebo control. The higher CO and lower MAP during nitrite infusion were likely attributed to vasodilation and a trend toward decrease in systemic vascular resistance. In contrast, there were no significant changes in mean pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance. These findings, together with the increased consumption of nitrite and production of iron-nitrosyl-hemoglobin during exercise, support the notion of nitrite conversion to release NO resulting in systemic vasodilatation. However, at the dosing used in this protocol achieving micromolar plasma concentrations of nitrite, exercise capacity was not enhanced, as opposed to other reports using lower dosing.
TREM-1-accentuated lung injury via miR-155 is inhibited by LP17 nanomedicine
Authors: Yuan Zhihong , Syed Mansoor , Panchal Dipti , Joo Myungsoo , Bedi Chetna , Lim Sokbee , Onyuksel Hayat , Rubinstein Israel , Colonna Marco , Sadikot Ruxana T.
Published: December 2015

Triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cell-1 (TREM-1) is a superimmunoglobulin receptor expressed on myeloid cells. Synergy between TREM-1 and Toll-like receptor amplifies the inflammatory response; however, the mechanisms by which TREM-1 accentuates inflammation are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of TREM-1 in a model of LPS-induced lung injury and neutrophilic inflammation. We show that TREM-1 is induced in lungs of mice with LPS-induced acute neutrophilic inflammation. TREM-1 knockout mice showed an improved survival after lethal doses of LPS with an attenuated inflammatory response in the lungs. Deletion of TREM-1 gene resulted in significantly reduced neutrophils and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, particularly IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Physiologically deletion of TREM-1 conferred an immunometabolic advantage with low oxygen consumption rate (OCR) sparing the respiratory capacity of macrophages challenged with LPS. Furthermore, we show that TREM-1 deletion results in significant attenuation of expression of miR-155 in macrophages and lungs of mice treated with LPS. Experiments with antagomir-155 confirmed that TREM-1-mediated changes were indeed dependent on miR-155 and are mediated by downregulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) a key miR-155 target. These data for the first time show that TREM-1 accentuates inflammatory response by inducing the expression of miR-155 in macrophages and suggest a novel mechanism by which TREM-1 signaling contributes to lung injury. Inhibition of TREM-1 using a nanomicellar approach resulted in ablation of neutrophilic inflammation suggesting that TREM-1 inhibition is a potential therapeutic target for neutrophilic lung inflammation and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Targeting Th17 Cells with Small Molecules and Small Interference RNA
Authors: Lin Hui , Song Pingfang , Zhao Yi , Xue Li-Jia , Liu Yi , Chu Cong-Qiu
Published: December 2015

T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a central role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases via the production of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin‐ (IL‐) 17, IL‐17F, and IL‐22. Anti‐IL‐17 monoclonal antibodies show potent efficacy in psoriasis but poor effect in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn’s disease. Alternative agents targeting Th17 cells may be a better way to inhibit the development and function of Th17 cells than antibodies of blocking a single effector cytokine. Retinoic acid‐related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) which acts as the master transcription factor of Th17 differentiation has been an attractive pharmacologic target for the treatment of Th17‐mediated autoimmune disease. Recent progress in technology of chemical screen and engineering nucleic acid enable two new classes of therapeutics targeting RORγt. Chemical screen technology identified several small molecule specific inhibitors of RORγt from a small molecule library. Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technology enabled target specific aptamers to be isolated from a random sequence oligonucleotide library. In this review, we highlight the development and therapeutic potential of small molecules inhibiting Th17 cells by targeting RORγt and aptamer mediated CD4+ T cell specific delivery of small interference RNA against RORγt gene expression to inhibit pathogenic effector functions of Th17 lineage.
Efficiency Enhancement of Cocktail Dye of Ixora coccinea and Tradescantia spathacea in DSSC
Authors: Zolkepli Zularif , Lim Andery , Ekanayake Piyasiri , Tennakoon Kushan
Published: December 2015

The use of anthocyanin dyes extracted from epidermal leaves of Tradescantia spathacea (Trant) and petals of Ixora coccinea (IX) was evaluated in the application of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Subsequently, cocktail anthocyanin dyes from these dyes were prepared and how they enhanced the cell’s overall performance was assessed using five different volume-to-volume ratios. Cocktail dyes absorbed a wider range of light in the visible region, thus increasing the cell efficiencies of the cocktail dyes when compared to the DSSC sensitized by individual dyes. The surface charge (zeta-potential), average size of aggregated anthocyanin molecules (zetasizer), and anthocyanin stability in different storage temperatures were analyzed and recorded. Lower size of aggregated dye molecules as revealed from the cocktail dyes ensured better adsorption onto the TiO2 film. Tradescantia/Ixora pigments mixed in 1 : 4 ratio showed the highest cell efficiency of η=0.80%, under the irradiance of 100 mW cm−2, with a short-circuit current density 4.185 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage of 0.346 V, and fill factor of 0.499. It was found that the desired storage temperature for these cocktail dyes to be stable over time was −20°C, in which the anthocyanin half-life was about approximately 1727 days.
Effects of Soybean Oil Modified Cellulose Fibril and Organosilane Modified Cellulose Fibril on Crystallization of Polypropylene
Authors: Thanomchat Sarit , Srikulkit Kawee
Published: December 2015

Soybean oil modified cellulose fibril (Oil-g-CF) and organosilane modified cellulose fibril (Silane-g-CF) were prepared using maleinized soybean oil and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, respectively. Thus obtained modified cellulose fibril was added to polypropylene by a simple melt mixing on a hotplate. PP/modified CF composites with 4.0 wt% filler content were prepared. The composites were subject to a polarized optical microscope to investigate particle dispersion, supramolecular morphology, and crystallization behavior. It was found that Silane-g-CF exhibited smaller particle sizes with better particle distribution when compared to Oil-g-CF. In addition, the etched composite samples unveiled an increase in a number of spherulite crystals as well as a decrease in the spherulite size. The nonisothermal crystallization study of composites revealed that both Oil-g-CF and Silane-g-CF were capable of nucleating PP by facilitating faster crystallization process and raising the number of spherulites. The DSC results indicated that Silane-g-CF was able to perform a more effective nucleation than Oil-g-CF, judged by a higher crystallization temperature. Moreover, PP composites containing Oil-g-CF and Silane-g-CF had higher crystallinity by 7% and 10%, for the first and the latter, respectively, when compared to neat PP.
Management of Membranous Glomerulonephritis in Pregnancy: A Multidisciplinary Challenge
Authors: Ope-Adenuga Sherifat , Moretti Michael , Lakhi Nisha
Published: December 2015

We present a case of 28-year-old female, who had a past obstetrical history complicated by uncontrolled blood pressure, early onset preeclampsia, and a fetal demise at 29 weeks. Her blood pressure normalized after each pregnancy, and no diagnosis of renal disease was ever established. In her most recent pregnancy, she remained normotensive and initially presented with normal blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. However, after the early first trimester, she developed nephrotic range proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and peripheral edema. After delivery of the baby, all clinical symptoms rapidly resolved and laboratory values normalized. We review the clinical course, diagnosis, and management of new onset nephrotic syndrome in pregnancy.
Modelling and Simulation of ERTMS for Current and Future Mobile Technologies
Authors: Pinedo Christian , Aguado Marina , Lopez Igor , Astorga Jasone
Published: December 2015

Nowadays, train control in-lab simulation tools play a crucial role in reducing extensive and expensive on-site railway testing activities. In this paper, we present our contribution in this arena by detailing the internals of our European Railway Train Management System in-lab demonstrator. This demonstrator is built over a general-purpose simulation framework, Riverbed Modeler, previously Opnet Modeler. Our framework models both ERTMS subsystems, the Automatic Train Protection application layer based on movement authority message exchange and the telecommunication subsystem based on GSM-R communication technology. We provide detailed information on our modelling strategy. We also validate our simulation framework with real trace data. To conclude, under current industry migration scenario from GSM-R legacy obsolescence to IP-based heterogeneous technologies, our simulation framework represents a singular tool to railway operators. As an example, we present the assessment of related performance indicators for a specific railway network using a candidate replacement technology, LTE, versus current legacy technology. To the best of our knowledge, there is no similar initiative able to measure the impact of the telecommunication subsystem in the railway network availability.
Gluteal Necrosis and Lumbosacral Plexopathy in a Diabetic Patient after Renal Transplantation
Authors: Asgari M. A. , Masoumi N. , Argani H.
Published: December 2015

A 34-year-old diabetic patient underwent a renal transplant which was complicated by right side lower extremity paresis and numbness with gluteal necrosis. The main reason was ligation of internal iliac artery of the same side as a result of extensive microvascular obstruction due to severe atheromatous plaque. This is a rare complication which is mostly reported in aneurysmal patients after bypass surgery. The gluteal necrosis is a serious complication which, as in our patient, resulted in patient’s death in most of the reported cases. Because of catastrophic nature of this condition, identifying preventive measures is extremely important.
Delayed Posthypoxic Leukoencephalopathy: Improvement with Antioxidant Therapy
Authors: King Franklin , Morris Nicholas A. , Schmahmann Jeremy D.
Published: December 2015

Introduction: Delayed posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL) may result from a variety of hypoxic insults, including respiratory depression from an opiate overdose. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism of DPHL remains uncertain. We describe a patient with a typical case of DPHL who responded clinically to antioxidant treatment. Methods: Clinical, serological, and radiographic investigations were undertaken in the evaluation of the patient. Results: A 63-year-old man developed altered mental status 10 days following recovery from an opiate overdose and aspiration pneumonia that required intubation. The clinical course and brain imaging were consistent with DPHL. Initiation of antioxidant therapy with vitamin E, vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, and coenzyme Q10 coincided with the prompt reversal of clinical deterioration. Conclusions: The potential therapeutic effect of antioxidants on DPHL needs to be explored in future cases. If this relationship indeed holds true, it would be consistent with the hypothesis that formation of reactive oxygen species during reperfusion plays a role in the pathophysiology of this disorder.
Outcomes of Endobronchial Valve Treatment Based on the Precise Criteria of an Endobronchial Catheter for Detection of Collateral Ventilation under Spontaneous Breathing
Authors: Herzog Dominik , Thomsen Christian , Poellinger Alexander , Doellinger Felix , Schreiter Nils , Froeling Vera , Schuermann Dirk , Temmesfeld-Wollbruck Bettina , Hippenstiel Stefan , Suttorp Norbert , Huebner Ralf-Harto
Published: December 2015

Background: Endoscopic lung volume reduction with valves is a valid therapeutic option for COPD patients with severe emphysema. The exclusion of interlobar collateral ventilation (CV) is an important predictor of clinical success. Objectives: Recently, a catheter-based endobronchial in vivo measurement system (Chartis, Pulmonx, USA) has become routine in the clinical evaluation of CV status in target lobes, but the criteria for phenotyping CV by Chartis evaluation have not yet been defined. We asked the questions, how many phenotypes can be identified using Chartis, what are the exact criteria to distinguish them, and how do the Chartis phenotypes respond to valve insertionκ Methods: In a retrospective study, 406 Chartis assessments of 166 patients with severe COPD were analyzed. Four Chartis phenotypes, CV positive (CV+), CV negative (CV-), low flow (LF) and low plateau were identified. Fifty-two patients without CV were treated with valves and followed for 3 months. Results: The Chartis phenotypes were discriminated with respect to decline in expiratory peak flow, increase in resistance index and change in total exhaled volume after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min of measurement time (p < 0.0001, ANOVA), and the cutoff criteria were defined accordingly. To examine the application of these phenotyping criteria, students applied them to 100 Chartis assessments, and they demonstrated almost perfect inter- and intraobserver agreements (κ > 0.9). Compared to baseline, CV- and LF patients with ipsilateral CV- lobe showed an improvement in FEV1 (p < 0.05), vital capacity (p < 0.05) and target lobe volume reduction (p < 0.005) after valve insertion. Conclusion: This study describes the most prevalent Chartis phenotypes.
A composição original para vozes infantis e infanto-juvenis e suas interfaces com a contemporaneidade, tradição e a literatura popular e neofolclórica
Authors: Berg Silvia Maria Pires Cabrera
Published: December 2015

O desenvolvimento do canto coral como instrumento essencial na área de Educação Musical faz com que se tornem necessárias as investigações sobre a produção de materiais didático-pedagógicos para o ensino básico, médio e avançado do canto coral como ferramenta para a educação musical de crianças e jovens. A demanda por materiais pedagógicos que sejam alinhados às crescentes pesquisas nas áreas de técnica vocal infantil, partindo da interação das áreas teórico e performáticas com as áreas da educação musical, apontam a necessidade de projetos integrados em composição, interpretação, execução, pesquisa e educação musical. Partindo das propostas de Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865–1950) e Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967), Boysen e Enevold, pretende-se neste artigo fazer um levantamento para a produção de tais materiais, assim como da adaptação de materiais existentes, e a composição de materiais originais que contemplem as atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão nas três grandes áreas da música e suas respectivas interfaces e interdisciplinaridades: composição, interpretação/execução e pesquisa.