bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Aging Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Men Aged 40−70 Years in Shanghai, China
Authors: Wang Bo , Li Zheng , Miao Maohua , Liu Xiaoqin , Wang Huiqing , Liang Guoqing , Liu Zhiyong , Sun Yinghao , Yuan Wei
Published: April 2014

Background:

Research on the relationship between physical activity and aging symptoms among men is limited in China.

Methods:

Eight hundred nineteen participants aged 40 to 70 (mean age = 58.25) were administered the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Aging Males’ Symptoms scale (AMS) in face-to-face interviews between 2009 and 2010. Ordinal logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to examine severity of aging symptoms. AMS total score and subscale scores (psychological, somatic, and sexual health) were examined according to physical activity level.

Results:

Participants who reported higher levels of physical activity were significantly less likely to develop aging symptoms compared with those who reported lower levels of physical activity, both with (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64 to 0.95) and without (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.56 to 0.87) adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, and chronic disease. In addition, physical activity was negatively correlated with AMS total score (P < .01) and scores for somatic (P < .01) and sexual (P = .04) health. After covariate adjustment, the negative correlation between physical activity and all AMS scores remained significant (P < .01).

Conclusion:

Physical activity is negatively correlated with aging symptoms among middle-aged men in Shanghai.
Who Are the Users of Urban Parks? A Study With Adults From Curitiba, Brazil
Authors: Fermino Rogerio , Reis Rodrigo , Hallal Pedro C. , Kaczynski Andrew T.
Published: April 2014

Background:

The aim of this study was to analyze how sociodemographic characteristics, health, characteristics of quality of life, and perceptions of places are associated with park use in Curitiba, Brazil.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study with face-toface interviews was conducted with 1461 adults who lived within the area of 500 m near 8 parks. The survey included questions about gender, age, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, body mass index, perceived health, number of morbidities, perception of quality of life, physical environment, leisure opportunities, self-satisfaction, and satisfaction with the park. The use of a specific park near the residence was identified as 1 of 3 outcomes: park use versus nonuse, park use ≥ 1 time/wk, and park use ≥ 3 times/wk. Poisson regression was used to examine associations between the independent variables and each level of park use.

Results:

Overall park use (60.9%) and ≥ 1 time/wk (32.2%) and ≥ 3 times/wk use (16.8%) were associated with age and leisure opportunities. Leisure opportunities and park satisfaction were related to more frequent visits to these outdoor areas.

Conclusions:

These results can be used in guiding interventions that improve the quality of parks and other outdoor areas and offer leisure opportunities to the community.
Body Mass Index is Associated With Appropriateness of Weight Gain but not Leisure-Time Physical Activity During Pregnancy
Authors: Schlaff Rebecca A. , Holzman Claudia , Mudd Lanay M. , Pfeiffer Karin A. , Pivarnik James M.
Published: April 2014

Background:

Little is known about how leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) influences gestational weight gain (GWG) among body mass index (BMI) categories. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between pregnancy LTPA and the proportion of normal, overweight, and obese women who meet GWG recommendations.

Methods:

Participants included 449 subcohort women from the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health (POUCH) study. LTPA was collapsed into 3 categories [(None, < 7.5 kcal/kg/wk (low), ≥ 7.5 kcal/kg/wk (recommended)]. GWG was categorized according to IOM recommendations (low, recommended, or excess). Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate relationships among LTPA, BMI, and GWG.

Results:

Overweight women were more likely to have high GWG vs. normal weight women (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.3–4.0). Obese women were more likely to experience low GWG (OR = 7.3, 95% CI 3.6–15.1; vs. normal and overweight women) or excess GWG (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.9–6.5; vs. normal weight women). LTPA did not vary by prepregnancy BMI category (P = .55) and was not related to GWG in any prepregnancy BMI category (P = .78).

Conclusions:

Regardless of prepregnancy BMI, LTPA did not affect a woman’s GWG according to IOM recommendations. Results may be due to LTPA not differing among BMI categories.
Happy Trails: The Effect of a Media Campaign on Urban Trail Use in Southern Nevada
Authors: Clark Sheila , Bungum Tim J. , Meacham Mindy , Coker Lisa
Published: April 2014

Background:

Many Americans do not meet recommendations for physical activity (PA). Communities are building trail networks to encourage PA, but the relationship between trails and PA is not well understood.

Methods:

We monitored usage of urban trails (N = 10) in Las Vegas, NV, before and after a promotional marketing campaign (October 2011 and April 2012). The media campaign featured print, online, and radio ads, as well as billboards and signage on gas pumps. Data were collected with infrared monitors that were placed on the trails for periods of 7 days. We compared preintervention and postintervention usage rates.

Results:

Mean usage increased (P < .001) from 3.91 to 5.95 users per hour (52.17%) after the promotional campaign. We observed significant increases at 7 individual trails, significant declines at 2 trails, and no change at 1 trail.

Conclusion:

Promotional campaigns may be an effective way to increase trail usage and encourage PA.
High open circuit voltage organic solar cells based upon fullerene free bulk heterojunction active layers
Authors: Eftaiha Ala’a F. , Sun Jon-Paul , Hendsbee Arthur D. , Macaulay Casper , Hill Ian G. , Welch Gregory C.
Published: April 2014

We have recently reported on a small organic molecule containing a bithiophene core with end-capping phthalimide units (PthTh2Pth) that exhibited a H-aggregation tendency in the solid state and high electron mobility in organic field effect transistors. In this contribution, we have studied both the physical and electrical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and PthTh2Pth thin films by measuring the optical absorption, Frontier molecular orbital energy levels, photoluminescence quenching, thermal properties, and photovoltaic response. Our results have provided a useful insight into the use of PthTh2Pth as an electron acceptor material for organic photovoltaic applications. In comparison with high-performance, fullerene-based, solution-processed bulk heterojunction solar cells reported in the literature, a relatively high open circuit voltage (∼0.94 V) was obtained for various donor–acceptor blend ratios. These results highlight the potential for PthTh2Pth to act as an alternative to fullerenes as acceptors in organic solar cell devices.
Polytope contractions within icosahedral symmetry
Authors: Bodner M. , Patera J. , Szajewska M.
Published: April 2014

Icosahedral symmetry is ubiquitous in nature, and understanding possible deformations of structures exhibiting it can be critical in determining fundamental properties. In this work we present a framework for generating and representing deformations of such structures while the icosahedral symmetry is preserved. This is done by viewing the points of an orbit of the icosahedral group as vertices of an icosahedral polytope. Contraction of the orbit is defined as a continuous variation of the coordinates of the dominant point — which specifies the orbit in an appropriate basis — toward smaller positive values. Exact icosahedral symmetry is maintained at any stage of the contraction. All icosahedral orbits or polytopes can be built by successive contractions. This definition of contraction is general and can be applied to orbits of any finite reflection group.
A temperature dependent study on charge dynamics in organic molecular device: Effect of shallow traps on space charge limited behavior
Authors: Mukherjee A. K. , Kavala A. K.
Published: April 2014

Shallow traps play a significant role in influencing charge dynamics through organic molecular thin films, such as pentacene. Sandwich cells of pentacene capped by gold electrodes are an excellent specimen to study the nature of underlying charge dynamics. In this paper, self-consistent numerical simulation of I–V characteristics is performed at various temperatures. The results have revealed negative value of Poole Frenkel coefficient. The location of trap energy level is found to be located at 0.24 eV above the highest occupied molecular orbit (HOMO) level of pentacene. Other physical parameters related to trap levels, such as density of states due to traps and effective carrier density due to traps, have also been estimated in this study.
Comparing and Weakening Possibilistic Knowledge Bases
Authors: Bouzar-Benlabiod Lydia , Benferhat Salem , Bouabana-Tebibel Thouraya
Published: April 2014

Weighted logics are important tools for reasoning under uncertain knowledge. A weighted knowledge base is a set of weighted formulas of the form (φi, αi) where φi is a propositional formula and αi is the certainty degree associated with φi. This paper addresses two issues in the possibility theory framework: i) how to compare two weighted knowledge bases with respect to their information contents? and ii) how to syntactically define the concept of forgetting variables? We show that comparing knowledge bases is the counterpart of the concept of the specificity relation defined between possibility distributions.
Fuzzy Relational Control of an Uncertain System
Authors: Kadri Muhammad Bilal , Dexter Arthur
Published: April 2014

The paper considers the usefulness of a control strategy based on a fuzzy relational model of the controller to counteract uncertainties caused by measurement noise and unmeasured disturbances. The fuzzy relational model is identified using a combination of feedback error learning and fuzzy identification. An important feature of the resulting fuzzy relational model is that it will generate a fuzzy output in the presence of uncertainties. Two causes of uncertainty are considered separately, the first cause of uncertainty is due to the noise on the sensor measuring the controlled variable and the second one is an unmeasured input disturbance. Results are presented that show that the fuzzy control signal is representative of the uncertainties and that conditional defuzzification can then be used to improve the control performance by reducing the control activity.
EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL REACTION AND THERMAL RADIATION ON MHD FLOW OVER AN INCLINED PERMEABLE STRETCHING SURFACE WITH NON-UNIFORM HEAT SOURCE/SINK: AN APPLICATION TO THE DYNAMICS OF BLOOD FLOW
Authors: SRINIVAS S. , REDDY P. B. A. , PRASAD B. S. R. V.
Published: April 2014

An analysis is performed to study the unsteady hydromagnetic heat and mass transfer of blood in a time-dependent porous narrow blood vessel over a permeable inclined stretching surface under slip conditions. The unsteadiness in the flow, temperature and concentration fields is caused by the time dependence of the stretching velocity, surface temperature and the surface concentration. Thermal radiation, chemical reaction, velocity slip, thermal slip and concentration slips are considered. Similarity transformations are used to convert the governing time-dependent non-linear boundary layer equations for momentum, heat equation and species equations into a system of ordinary differential equations. The resulting non-linear coupled differential equations are solved numerically by using fourth order Runge–Kutta scheme together with shooting method. The influence of pertinent parameters on velocity, temperature, concentration, skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number has been studied and numerical results are presented graphically and in tabular form. Comparisons with previously published work are performed and the results are found to be in excellent agreement.
Semantically Enriched Variable Length Markov Chain Model for Analysis of User Web Navigation Sessions
Authors: Shirgave Suresh , Kulkarni Prakash , Borges José
Published: April 2014

The rapid growth of the World Wide Web has resulted in intricate Web sites, demanding enhanced user skills to find the required information and more sophisticated tools that are able to generate apt recommendations. Markov Chains have been widely used to generate next-page recommendations; however, accuracy of such models is limited. Herein, we propose the novel Semantic Variable Length Markov Chain Model (SVLMC) that combines the fields of Web Usage Mining and Semantic Web by enriching the Markov transition probability matrix with rich semantic information extracted from Web pages. We show that the method is able to enhance the prediction accuracy relatively to usage-based higher order Markov models and to semantic higher order Markov models based on ontology of concepts. In addition, the proposed model is able to handle the problem of ambiguous predictions. An extensive experimental evaluation was conducted on two real-world data sets and on one partially generated data set. The results show that the proposed model is able to achieve 15–20% better accuracy than the usage-based Markov model, 8–15% better than the semantic ontology Markov model and 7–12% better than semantic-pruned Selective Markov Model. In summary, the SVLMC is the first work proposing the integration of a rich set of detailed semantic information into higher order Web usage Markov models and experimental results reveal that the inclusion of detailed semantic data enhances the prediction ability of Markov models.
ANALYSIS OF THE STEADY STATE UNBALANCE RESPONSE OF RIGID ROTORS ON MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL DAMPERS: STABILITY, FORCE TRANSMISSION AND ENERGY DISSIPATION
Authors: ZAPOMĚL JAROSLAV , FERFECKI PETR , FORTE PAOLA
Published: April 2014

The rotors working in real technological devices are always slightly imbalanced. This excites their lateral vibrations and generates forces that are transmitted to the rotor casing. These effects can be significantly reduced if damping devices are added to the support elements. The possibility of controlling the damping, in order to achieve their optimum performance, is offered by magnetorheological squeeze film dampers. In this paper, a computational modeling method is used to investigate the dynamical behavior of a rigid flexibly supported rotor loaded by its unbalance and equipped with two short magnetorheological dampers. The equations of motion of the rotor are nonlinear due to the damping forces. Computational procedures were developed to verify the applicability of such dampers by simulating their behavior and analyzing their effect on the amplitude of the rotor vibration, on the magnitude of the forces transmitted to the rotor casing and on the amount of the power dissipated in the magnetorheological films. The proposed approach to study the optimum performance of semiactive magnetorheological dampers applied in rotor systems, in terms of vibration amplitudes and transmitted forces, together with the developed efficient computational methods to calculate the system steady state response and to evaluate its stability represent the new contributions of this paper.
Distinguishing Rational and Behavioral Models of Momentum
Authors: Li Dongmei
Published: April 2014

One of the many challenges facing financial economists is to distinguish the theories explaining momentum. Brav and Heaton (2002) show that it is very difficult to distinguish the "rational" models of structural uncertainty (SU) from "behavioral" models of conservatism (C). In this paper, I reexamine the SU model and the C model proposed by Brav and Heaton (2002) in explaining short-run momentum. Based on simulated data, I find that they differ from each other in the relation between agent's earnings forecast revision and the lagged earnings change. This relation is significantly negative for the SU model and significantly positive for the C model. Empirical evidence provides support for the SU model.
Contact analysis of an anisotropic half-domain with micropatterns considering friction
Authors: Koguchi Hideo , Suzuki Shuma , Taroura Masahiro
Published: April 2014

In the present study, a contact problem between a spherical indenter and a half-anisotropic elastic region with a micropattern is solved under normal and tangential forces considering friction. The surface Green's function, and the discrete convolution and fast Fourier transform (DC–FFT) method are used to calculate the displacements on a contact area, and the conjugate gradient (CG) method is used to calculate the contact pressure, the contact area, shear tractions, and the stick-slip region. The influences of the shape and density (the pattern area per unit area) of the micropattern and the material anisotropy in the substrate on the friction property of the substrate are investigated. In the present study, substrates with circular and square micropatterns are used in the analysis. The results of the analysis revealed that the shear tractions are concentrated at the edges and corners of the circular and square patterns, respectively. The apparent friction coefficient varies with the direction of the anisotropic principal axis.
Prenatal Exposure to Lamotrigine: Effects on Postnatal Development and Behaviour in Rat Offspring
Authors: Sathiya Sekar , Ganesh Murugan , Kalaivani Periyathambi , Ranju Vijayan , Janani Srinivasan , Pramila Bakthavachalam , Saravana Babu Chidambaram
Published: April 2014

Use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in pregnancy warrants various side effects and also deleterious effects on fetal development. The present study was carried out to assess the effects of prenatal exposure to lamotrigine (LTG) on postnatal development and behavioural alterations of offspring. Adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 150–180 g b. wt. were allowed to copulate and pregnancy was confirmed by vaginal cytology. Pregnant rats were treated with LTG (11.5, 23, and 46 mg/kg, p.o) from gestational day 3 (GND 3) and this treatment continued till postnatal day 11 (PND 11). Offspring were separated from their dam on day 21 following parturition. LTG, at 46 mg/kg, p.o, produced severe clinical signs of toxicity leading to death of dam between GND 15 and 17. LTG, at 11.5 and 23 mg/kg, p.o, showed significant alterations in offspring’s incisors eruption and vaginal opening when compared to age matched controls. LTG (23 mg/kg, p.o) exposed female offspring expressed hyperactive behaviour and decreased GABA-A receptor expression when compared to control rats. These results reveal that prenatal exposure to LTG may impart differential postnatal behavioural alterations between male and female rats which paves way for further investigations.
Optical and Electrical Effects of p-typeμc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
Authors: Zhang Chao , Meier Matthias , Lambertz Andreas , Smirnov Vladimir , Holländer Bernhard , Gordijn Aad , Merdzhanova Tsvetelina
Published: April 2014

p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (µc-SiOx:H) was developed and implemented as a contact layer in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) single junction solar cells. Higher transparency, sufficient electrical conductivity, low ohmic contact to sputtered ZnO:Al, and tunable refractive index make p-type µc-SiOx:H a promising alternative to the commonly used p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) contact layers. In this work, p-type µc-SiOx:H layers were fabricated with a conductivity of up to 10−2 S/cm and a Raman crystallinity of above 60%. Furthermore, we present p-type µc-SiOx:H films with a broad range of optical properties (2.1 eV < band gapE04<2.8 eV and 1.6 < refractive indexn<2.6). These properties can be tuned by adapting deposition parameters, for example, the CO2/SiH4deposition gas ratio. A conversion efficiency improvement of a-Si:H solar cells is achieved by applying p-type µc-SiOx:H contact layer compared to the standard p-type µc-Si:H contact layer. As another aspect, the influence of the front side texture on a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells with different p-type contact layers, µc-Si:H and µc-SiOx:H, is investigated. Furthermore, we discuss the correlation between the decrease ofVocand the cell surface area derived from AFM measurements.
Leptin Level and Oxidative Stress Contribute to Obesity-Induced Low Testosterone in Murine Testicular Tissue
Authors: Zhao Jian , Zhai Lingling , Liu Zheng , Wu Shuang , Xu Liping
Published: April 2014

Objective. This study evaluated the effects of obesity on the function of reproductive organs in male mice and the possible mechanism of male secondary hypogonadism (SH) in obesity.Methods. Ninety-six mice were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group, diet-induced obesity group, and diet-induced obesity resistant group for 8 weeks and 19 weeks. The effects of short- and long-term high-fat diet on the reproductive organs were determined by measuring sperm count and motility, relative testis weight, testosterone level, pathological changes and apoptosis of Leydig cells. Oxidative stress was evaluated by determining malondialdehyde, H2O2, NO levels, and GSH in testis tissues. CAT, SOD, GSH-Px and Nrf2mRNA were measured by real-time PCR.Results. Short- and long-term high-fat diet decreased sperm count and motility, relative testis weight, testosterone level; decreased CAT, SOD, GSH-Px and Nrf2mRNA expression; increased MDA, H2O2, NO and leptin levels; inhibited the activity of CAT and GSH-Px enzymes. Pathological injury and apoptosis of Leydig cells were found in testis tissue.Conclusions. Pathological damage of Leydig cells, oxidative stress in testis tissue, and high level of leptin may provide some evidence to clarify the mechanisms of male SH in obesity.
A Cutting Plane and Level Stabilization Bundle Method with Inexact Data for Minimizing Nonsmooth Nonconvex Functions
Authors: Shen Jie , Li Dan , Pang Li-Ping
Published: April 2014

Under the condition that the values of the objective function and its subgradient are computed approximately, we introduce a cutting plane and level bundle method for minimizing nonsmooth nonconvex functions by combining cutting plane method with the ideas of proximity control and level constraint. The proposed algorithm is based on the construction of both a lower and an upper polyhedral approximation model to the objective function and calculates new iteration points by solving a subproblem in which the model is employed not only in the objective function but also in the constraints. Compared with other proximal bundle methods, the new variant updates the lower bound of the optimal value, providing an additional useful stopping test based on the optimality gap. Another merit is that our algorithm makes a distinction between affine pieces that exhibit a convex or a concave behavior relative to the current iterate. Convergence to some kind of stationarity point is proved under some looser conditions.
Characteristic Analysis on UAV-MIMO Channel Based on Normalized Correlation Matrix
Authors: Xi jun Gao , Zi li Chen , Yong Jiang Hu
Published: April 2014

Based on the three-dimensional GBSBCM (geometrically based double bounce cylinder model) channel model of MIMO for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the simple form of UAV space-time-frequency channel correlation function which includes the LOS, SPE, and DIF components is presented. By the methods of channel matrix decomposition and coefficient normalization, the analytic formula of UAV-MIMO normalized correlation matrix is deduced. This formula can be used directly to analyze the condition number of UAV-MIMO channel matrix, the channel capacity, and other characteristic parameters. The simulation results show that this channel correlation matrix can be applied to describe the changes of UAV-MIMO channel characteristics under different parameter settings comprehensively. This analysis method provides a theoretical basis for improving the transmission performance of UAV-MIMO channel. The development of MIMO technology shows practical application value in the field of UAV communication.
Aircraft Observations of Ice Particle Properties in Stratiform Precipitating Clouds
Authors: Hou Tuanjie , Lei Hengchi , Hu Zhaoxia , Zhou Jun
Published: April 2014

This study presented airborne measurements of ice particle properties in three stratiform precipitating clouds over northern China. By using horizontal observations at selected altitudes, the distributions of ice water content (IWC), particle habits, and particle size spectrum parameters were investigated. The cloud cases were characterized by high IWC values due to the existence of embedded convective cells. Liquid water contents were rather low with the maxima of less than 0.3 g m−3and the general values of less than 0.1 g m−3. The occurrence of large dendritic crystals as well as rimed capped columns and branched crystals indicated that ice seeding from the above cloud layer (6 km altitude or above) contributed significantly to both high ice crystal number concentrations and IWCs. Horizontal observations at selected levels suggested the general decreasing trend of IWC with decreasing temperature only in part of the cloud layers but not throughout the cold layer of the multilayered stratiform clouds. Both exponential and gamma functions were used to characterize the particle size spectrum parameters. The slope parameter values of exponential distributions were primarily in the range of 103–104 m−1. In comparison, slope values of the gamma distribution fits spanned more and a relationship was found between the dispersion and slope values.
Strain-Dependent Induction of Human Enterocyte Apoptosis byBlastocystisDisrupts Epithelial Barrier and ZO-1 Organization in a Caspase 3- and 9-Dependent Manner
Authors: Wu Zhaona , Mirza Haris , Teo Joshua D. W. , Tan Kevin S. W.
Published: April 2014

Blastocystisis an emerging protistan parasite colonizing the human intestine. It is frequently reported to cause general intestinal symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. We recently demonstrated thatBlastocystisrearranged cytoskeletal proteins and induced intestinal epithelial barrier compromise. The effect ofBlastocystison enterocyte apoptosis is unknown, and a possible link between microbially induced enterocyte apoptosis and increased epithelial permeability has yet to be determined. The aim of this study is to assess ifBlastocystisinduces human enterocyte apoptosis and whether this effect influences human intestinal epithelial barrier function. Monolayers of polarized human colonic epithelial cell-line Caco-2 were incubated withBlastocystissubtype 7 and subtype 4. Assays for both early and late markers of apoptosis, phosphatidylserine externalization, and nuclear fragmentation, respectively, showed thatBlastocystisST-7, but not ST-4, significantly increased apoptosis in enterocytes, suggesting thatBlastocystisexhibits host specificity and strain-to-strain variation in pathogenicity. ST-7 also activated Caco-2 caspases 3 and 9 but not 8. ST-7 induced changes in epithelial resistance, permeability, and tight junction (ZO-1) localization. Pretreatment of Caco-2 monolayers with a pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk significantly inhibited these changes. This suggests a role for enterocyte apoptosis inBlastocystis-mediated epithelial barrier compromise in the human intestine.
Multifactorial QT Interval Prolongation and Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Gysel Michael , Crystal Alexander , Hancox Jules C. , Methot Michelle , Baranchuk Adrian
Published: April 2014

A 71-year-old woman collapsed while working as a grocery store cashier. CPR was performed and an AED revealed torsades de pointes (TdP). She was subsequently defibrillated resulting in restoration of sinus rhythm with a QTc interval of 544 msec. Further evaluation revealed a diagnosis of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TCM) contributing to the development of a multifactorial acquired long QT syndrome (LQTS). The case highlights the role of TCM as a cause of LQTS in the setting of multiple risk factors including old age, female gender, hypokalemia, and treatment with QT prolonging medications. It also highlights the multifactorial nature of acquired LQTS and lends support to growing evidence of an association with TCM.
Castanea sativaMill. Flowers amongst the Most Powerful Antioxidant Matrices: A Phytochemical Approach in Decoctions and Infusions
Authors: Carocho Márcio , Barros Lillian , Bento Albino , Santos-Buelga Celestino , Morales Patricia , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R.
Published: April 2014

Infusions and decoction of chestnut tree flowers have been used for different medical purposes, but their phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity are still mostly unknown. Herein, decoctions and infusions of flowers from the two most appreciated chestnut cultivars (longalandjudia) in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, were prepared and characterized with regard to their content in free sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and hydrolyzable tannins, and their antioxidant activity. Overall, the decoction of the cultivarjudiawas the sample with both the highest quantity of flavonoids and antioxidant activity. The phenolic compound with the highest abundance in all samples was trigalloyl-HHDP-glucoside, followed by pentagalloyl glucoside. The sample with the highest quantity of total phenolic compounds wasjudiainfusion, closely followed bylongaldecoction, which also gave the highest quantities of ellagitannins. Regarding sugars and organic acids, the profiles were more similar. These results corroborate ancestral claims of the health benefits of infusions and decoctions of chestnut flowers.
Probabilistic and Nonprobabilistic Sensitivity Analyses of Uncertain Parameters
Authors: Fang Sheng-En , Zhang Qiu-Hu , Zhang Bao , Zhang Xiao-Hua
Published: April 2014

Parameter sensitivity analyses have been widely applied to industrial problems for evaluating parameter significance, effects on responses, uncertainty influence, and so forth. In the interest of simple implementation and computational efficiency, this study has developed two sensitivity analysis methods corresponding to the situations with or without sufficient probability information. The probabilistic method is established with the aid of the stochastic response surface and the mathematical derivation proves that the coefficients of first‐order items embody the parameter main effects on the response. Simultaneously, a nonprobabilistic interval analysis based method is brought forward for the circumstance when the parameter probability distributions are unknown. The two methods have been verified against a numerical beam example with their accuracy compared to that of a traditional variance‐based method. The analysis results have demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of the developed methods. And their suitability for different situations has also been discussed.
The Experimental Study on Promoting the Ilizarov Distraction Osteogenesis by the Injection of Liquid Alg/nHAC Biocomposites
Authors: Liu Xinhui , Yu Di , Xu Jieyan , Zhu Chao , Feng Qingling , Hou Chuanyong , Wang Hua , Yang Yelin , Guan Guoping
Published: April 2014

Limb lengthening is frequently utilized in treating limb length inequalities, angulation deformities, nonunions, complex fractures, and deficiencies after tumor resection in more recent year. The procedure of limb lengthening pioneered by Ilizarov is now a widely accepted method for correcting limb length inequality and short stature as well as for bridging large defects in long bones. In order to promote bone healing during distraction osteogenesis and reduce the complications caused by limb lengthening pioneered, an alginate/nanohydroxyapatite/collagen (Alg/nHAC) composite was fabricated. General observation, histologically morphological observations, X-ray examination, biomechanical test, bone density, and the percentage area of bone trabecula were used to assay the ability of Alg/nHAC composite to promote bone healing. The present study demonstrates that the injection of liquid Alg/nHAC composites can significantly promote distraction osteogenesis. Alg/nHAC composite is promising for clinical application, solving the healing problem of backbone osteotomy and the fixing problem of metaphyseal backbone.
A Novel Approach of Low-Light Image Denoising for Face Recognition
Authors: Kang Yimei , Pan Wang
Published: April 2014

Illumination variation makes automatic face recognition a challenging task, especially in low light environments. A very simple and efficient novel low-light image denoising of low frequency noise (DeLFN) is proposed. The noise frequency distribution of low-light images is presented based on massive experimental results. The low and very low frequency noise are dominant in low light conditions. DeLFN is a three-level image denoising method. The first level denoises mixed noises by histogram equalization (HE) to improve overall contrast. The second level denoises low frequency noise by logarithmic transformation (LOG) to enhance the image detail. The third level denoises residual very low frequency noise by high-pass filtering to recover more features of the true images. The PCA (Principal Component Analysis) recognition method is applied to test recognition rate of the preprocessed face images with DeLFN. DeLFN are compared with several representative illumination preprocessing methods on the Yale Face Database B, the Extended Yale face database B, and the CMU PIE face database, respectively. DeLFN not only outperformed other algorithms in improving visual quality and face recognition rate, but also is simpler and computationally efficient for real time applications.
Assessment of Self-Perception of Transsexual Persons: Pilot Study of 15 Patients
Authors: Barišić Jasmina , Milosavljević Marija , Duišin Dragana , Batinić Borjanka , Vujović Svetlana , Milovanović Srdjan
Published: April 2014

Background and Aims. There have been few studies in the area of Self-Perception in transsexual persons, except for the population of transsexual adolescents. Bearing in mind its importance not only in the assessment of personality but also in predicting adaptive capacity, the goal of our research is based on the examination of Self-Perception of adult transsexual persons.Method. The study was conducted using a Rorschach test, which provides an insight into various aspects of Self-Perception. The sample consisted of 15 transsexual persons, who passed the standard diagnostic procedure.Results. The results suggest that transsexual persons manage to maintain Adequate Self-Esteem. Hypervigilance Index and Obsessive Style Index are negative, while the values showing a negative quality of Self-Regard and the capacity for introspection tend to increase. In the process of Self-Introspection, negative and painful emotional states are often perceived.Conclusion. The estimation of Self-Perception in adult transsexual persons indicates a trend of subjective perception of a personal imperfection or inadequacy. This is probably the result of experiencing discomfort for a number of years due to gender incongruence and dysphoria, in particular in persons who enter the sex reassignment procedure later in their adulthood.
Assessment of Morphology, Activity, and Infiltration of Astrocytes on Marine EPS‐Imbedded Electrospun PCL Nanofiber
Authors: Min Seul Ki , Kim Cho Rong , Kim Sung Hoon , Shin Hwa Sung
Published: April 2014

Tissue engineering using a biomaterial including bioactive compounds has been researched as a way to restore injured neural systems. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from marine seaweeds have been known to produce positive effects on physiological activities in human tissues. In this study, an electrospun nanofiber containing brown seaweed EPS was proven to be a candidate biomaterial for neural tissue engineering. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as a specific marker protein increased in the astrocytes cultured on the polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber containing EPS (EPS‐PCL nanofiber), compared with PCL nanofiber. The upregulation of GFAP indicates that the EPS‐PCL nanofiber induced astrocyte activation, which supports physiological agents favorable to restore injured neural tissue. Astrocytes could infiltrate into the EPS‐PCL nanofiber mat without toxicity, comparable to PCL nanofiber. These results imply that EPS‐PCL nanofiber could be a useful biomaterial to regulate astrocyte activity at a molecular level and could be considered as a novel therapeutic material for neural tissue engineering.
Freeway Traffic Density and On‐Ramp Queue Control via ILC Approach
Authors: Chi Ronghu , Li Mengze , Hou Zhongsheng , Liu Xiangpeng , Yu Zhaoxu
Published: April 2014

A new queue length information fused iterative learning control approach (QLIF‐ILC) is presented for freeway traffic ramp metering to achieve a better performance by utilizing the error information of the on‐ramp queue length. The QLIF‐ILC consists of two parts, where the iterative feedforward part updates the control input signal by learning from the past control data in previous trials, and the current feedback part utilizes the tracking error of the current learning iteration to stabilize the controlled plant. These two parts are combined in a complementary manner to enhance the robustness of the proposed QLIF‐ILC. A systematic approach is developed to analyze the convergence and robustness of the proposed learning scheme. The simulation results are further given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed QLIF‐ILC.
STP‐LWE: A Variant of Learning with Error for a Flexible Encryption
Authors: Gao Bo , Shi Yanfeng , Yang Chunli , Li Lixiang , Wang Licheng , Yang Yixian
Published: April 2014

We construct a flexible lattice based scheme based on semitensor product learning with errors (STP‐LWE), which is a variant of learning with errors problem. We have proved that STP‐LWE is hard when LWE is hard. Our scheme is proved to be secure against indistinguishable chosen message attacks, and it can achieve a balance between the security and efficiency in the hierarchical encryption systems. In addition, our scheme is almost as efficient as the dual encryption in GPV08.
The Restoration of Textured Images Using Fractional‐Order Regularization
Authors: Fu Ying , Li Xiaohua , Liang Lei , Zhang Yi , Zhou Jiliu
Published: April 2014

Image restoration problem is ill‐posed, so most image restoration algorithms exploit sparse prior in gradient domain to regularize it to yield high‐quality results, reconstructing an image with piecewise smooth characteristics. While sparse gradient prior has good performance in noise removal and edge preservation, it also tends to remove midfrequency component such as texture. In this paper, we introduce the sparse prior in fractional‐order gradient domain as texture‐preserving strategy to restore textured images degraded by blur and/or noise. And we solve the unknown variables in the proposed model using method based on half‐quadratic splitting by minimizing the nonconvex energy functional. Numerical experiments show our algorithm′s robust outperformance.
T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma: Relapse 16 Years after First Remission
Authors: Elreda Lauren , Sandhu Manpreet , Sun Xinlai , Bekele Wondwessen , Cohen Alice J. , Shah Maya
Published: April 2014

Little information is available regarding late relapse in patients with T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-LBL). Because of the aggressive nature of this disease, relapse is common and often happens early. Late relapses are rare and generally occur within a few years after initial remission. The relapse rate after 3 years has been reported to steadily decrease over time yet does not parallel with cure. We report a case of a 26-year-old female with T-LBL and relapse 16 years after her first remission with successful treatment with HyperCVAD and L-asparaginase.
Hip Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis: Clinical and Histomorphometric Considerations
Authors: Tarantino Umberto , Celi Monica , Rao Cecilia , Feola Maurizio , Cerocchi Irene , Gasbarra Elena , Ferlosio Amedeo , Orlandi Augusto
Published: April 2014

Although an inverse relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) has been shown by some studies, other reports supported their coexistence. To clarify this relationship, we analyzed the interplay between clinical and histomorphometric features. Bone mineral density (BMD) and histomorphometric structure were assessed in 80 patients of four different age-matched groups undergoing hip arthroplasty for severe OA or OP-related femoral fracture. Harris Hip Score was also performed. Surgical double osteotomy of the femoral head was performed and microscopic bone slice samples analysis was performed by using a BioQuant Osteo software. Bone volume fraction (BV/TV) was lower (P<0.01) in subjects with femoral neck fracture (20.77±4.34%) than in subjects with nonosteopenic OA (36.49±7.73%) or osteopenic OA (32.93±6.83%), whereas no difference was detected between subjects with femoral neck fractures and those with combined OA and OP (20.71±5.23%). Worse Harris Hip Score was found in those patients with the lowest BMD and BV/TV values. Our data support recent evidences indicating the possibility of impaired bone volume fraction in OA patients, with a high risk of developing OP, likely for their decreased mobility. Further studies are needed in order to investigate biomolecular pathway and/or growth factors involved in bone volume impairment in OA patients.
Synthesis of MgO Nanoparticles by Solvent Mixed Spray Pyrolysis Technique for Optical Investigation
Authors: Nemade K. R. , Waghuley S. A.
Published: April 2014

Solvent mixed spray pyrolysis technique has attracted a global interest in the synthesis of nanomaterials since reactions can be run in liquid state without further heating. Magnesium oxide (MgO) is a category of the practical semiconductor metal oxides, which is extensively used as catalyst and optical material. In the present study, MgO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a solvent mixed spray pyrolysis. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of MgO phase with an excellent crystalline structure. Debye-Scherrer equation is used for the determination of particle size, which was found to be 9.2 nm. Tunneling electron microscope analysis indicated that the as-synthesized particles are nanoparticles with an average particle size of 9 nm. Meanwhile, the ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy of the resulting product was evaluated to study its optical property via measurement of the band gap energy value.
Gender-Specific DNA Methylome Analysis of a Han Chinese Longevity Population
Authors: Sun Liang , Lin Jie , Du Hongwu , Hu Caiyou , Huang Zezhi , Lv Zeping , Zheng Chenguang , Shi Xiaohong , Zhang Yan , Yang Ze
Published: April 2014

Human longevity is always a biological hotspot and so much effort has been devoted to identifying genes and genetic variations associated with longer lives. Most of the demographic studies have highlighted that females have a longer life span than males. The reasons for this are not entirely clear. In this study, we carried out a pool-based, epigenome-wide investigation of DNA methylation profiles in male and female nonagenarians/centenarians using the Illumina 450 K Methylation Beadchip assays. Although no significant difference was detected for the average methylation levels of examined CpGs (or probes) between male and female samples, a significant number of differentially methylated probes (DMPs) were identified, which appeared to be enriched in certain chromosome regions and certain parts of genes. Further analysis of DMP-containing genes (named DMGs) revealed that almost all of them are solely hypermethylated or hypomethylated. Functional enrichment analysis of these DMGs indicated that DNA hypermethylation and hypomethylation may regulate genes involved in different biological processes, such as hormone regulation, neuron projection, and disease-related pathways. This is the first effort to explore the gender-based methylome difference in nonagenarians/centenarians, which may provide new insights into the complex mechanism of longevity gender gap of human beings.
Growth Performance and Stress Responses of Larval Mississippi PaddlefishPolyodon spathulato Hypoxia under Different Diet Treatments
Authors: Zhu Ya , Ding Qiliang , Lei Wen , Wang Chunfang
Published: April 2014

A growth trial was conducted to detect the effects of different diets on the growth performance and hypoxia adaptation capacity of Mississippi Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) larvae. The larvae were fed with live food, formulated diets, and 1/2 live food with 1/2 formulated diets. After a 15-d growth trial, final body weight and total body length were measured, and five larvae from each dietary group were subjected to 1 h of hypoxia treatment. Serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Final body weight and weight gain of the fish fed live food were significantly higher than the values for the other two groups. Total body length of the fish fed live food and 1/2 live food with 1/2 formulated diets exhibited no significant difference. After hypoxia treatment, serum T-AOC and SOD activities of the fish fed formulated diets were significantly lower than those of the other two groups. Liver MDA content of the fish fed with live food was significantly higher than that of the other two groups. In conclusion, larval paddlefish fed with an appropriate proportion of live food and formulated diets exhibit improved adaptive capacity to hypoxia.
Iterative Schemes for Finite Families of Maximal Monotone Operators Based on Resolvents
Authors: Wei Li , Tan Ruilin
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this paper is to present two iterative schemes based on the relative resolvent and the generalized resolvent, respectively. And, it is shown that the iterative schemes converge weakly to common solutions for two finite families of maximal monotone operators in a real smooth and uniformly convex Banach space and one example is demonstrated to explain that some assumptions in the main results are meaningful, which extend the corresponding works by some authors.
Analysis and Design of Networked Control Systems with Random Markovian Delays and Uncertain Transition Probabilities
Authors: Qiu Li , Liu Chengxiang , Yao Fengqi , Xu Gang
Published: April 2014

This paper focuses on the stability issue of discrete-time networked control systems with random Markovian delays and uncertain transition probabilities, wherein the random time delays exist in the sensor-to-controller and controller-to-actuator. The resulting closed-loop system is modeled as a discrete-time Markovian delays system governed by two Markov chains. Using Lyapunov stability theory, a result is established on the Markovian structure and ensured that the closed-loop system is stochastically stable. A simulation example illustrates the validity and feasibility of the results.
Tensile Testing with Cyclic Strain Holding to Analyze Dynamic Recrystallization of Pure Lead
Authors: Muramatsu Mayu , Koyama Motomichi , Watanabe Ikumu
Published: April 2014

We analyzed the dynamic recrystallization of pure lead by tensile testing with cyclic strain holding at room temperature. The specimens were held at an identical strain and subsequently reloaded, providing the strength before and after the strain holding process. The difference in strength enables factors affecting dynamic recrystallization behavior to be analyzed through mechanical testing. For instance, the effects of strain rate on dynamic recrystallization were analyzed by comparing the results obtained from tensile tests with and without strain holding. This experimental technique demonstrated some parts of contribution of elastic strain, dynamic recovery, dynamic recrystallization, and necking to stress-strain responses.