bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacterial communities associated with lesions of two forms of shell disease in the American lobster (Homarus americanus, Milne Edwards) from Atlantic Canada
Authors: Quinn Robert A. , Cawthorn Richard J. , Summerfield Rachael L. , Smolowitz Roxanna , Chistoserdov Andrei Y.
Published: April 2013

Shell disease is a major threat to the American lobster (Homarus americanus, Milne Edwards) fishery. Here we describe the composition of microbial communities associated with lesions of 2 forms of shell disease in Atlantic Canada, (i) a trauma shell disease (TSD) characterized by massive lesions and (ii) an enzootic shell disease (EnSD) characterized by irregularly shaped lesions with a distinct orange to yellow color. The microbiology of the lesions was described by polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rDNA amplified from scrapings of the shell lesions and was compared with communities of unaffected carapaces and previously described forms of shell diseases. Both TSD and EnSD lesions were dominated by members of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Flavobacteria, all commonly detected in other forms of shell disease; however, unique members of Epsilonproteobacteria were also present. Two Vibrio spp. and 2 Pseudoalteromonas spp. were dominant in lesions of TSD and a Tenacibaculum sp. and Tenacibaculum ovolyticum were dominant in lesions of EnSD. The TSD and EnSD in this study contained similar taxa as other shell disease forms; however, their microbiology is mostly different and neither resembles that of epizootic shell disease.
Site-directed mutagenesis studies on the uridine monophosphate binding sites of feedback inhibition in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase and effects on cytidine production by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
Authors: Fang Haitian , Liu Huiyan , Chen Ning , Zhang Chenglin , Xie Xixian , Xu Qingyang
Published: April 2013

A major problem when pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis is used for cytidine production is the existence of many negative regulatory factors. Cytidine biosynthesis in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens proceeds via a pathway that is controlled by uridine monophosphate (UMP) through feedback inhibition of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), the enzyme that converts CO2, NH3, and glutamine to carbamoyl phosphate. In this study, the gene carB encoding the large subunit of CPS from B. amyloliquefaciens CYT1 was site directed, and the UMP binding sites of feedback inhibition in Bam-CPS are described. The residues Thr-941, Thr-970, and Lys-986 in CPS from B. amyloliquefaciens were subjected to site-directed mutagenesis to alter UMP’s feedback inhibition of CPS. To find feedback-resistant B. amyloliquefaciens, the influence of the T941F, T970A, K986I, T941F/K986I, and T941F/T970A/K986I mutations on CPS enzymatic properties was studied. The recombinant B. amyloliquefaciens with mutated T941F/K986I and T941F/T970A/K986I CPS showed a 3.7- and 5.7-fold increase, respectively, in cytidine production in comparison with the control expressing wild-type CPS, which was more suitable for further application of the cytidine synthesis. To a certain extent, the 5 mutations were found to release the enzyme from UMP inhibition and to improve B. amyloliquefaciens cytidine-producing strains.
Non-trionychid turtles from the Paleocene of Alberta, Canada
Authors: Brinkman Donald B.
Published: April 2013

Turtle fossils of Paleocene age have been recovered from four formations in Alberta, Canada: the upper (Paleocene) part of the Scollard Formation, the upper (Paleocene) portion of the Willow Creek Formation, and the exclusively Paleocene Porcupine Hills and Paskapoo formations. At least three non-trionychid turtle taxa can be recognized. Definitely present are a generically indeterminate baenid, the macrobaenid Judithemys backmani, and the chelydrid Protochelydra zangerli. The carapace of a juvenile chelydrid could be either a juvenile of P. zangerli or a fourth, distinct taxon. The macrobaenid J. backmani and the chelydrid P. zangerli are the most abundant non-trionychid turtles from the Paleocene of Alberta. The turtles from the Paleocene of Alberta differ from those of comparable age in New Mexico, USA, and other more southern localities in the North American Western Interior in (i) the presence of macrobaenids and chelydrids and (ii) the absence of kinosternoids. These differences mirror those of the Late Cretaceous, suggesting that biogeographic patterns of non-trionychid turtle distributions that were established during the Late Cretaceous in the Western Interior continued well into the Paleocene.
INFORMATION DIFFUSION IN FACEBOOK-LIKE SOCIAL NETWORKS UNDER INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Authors: LI PEI , XING KAI , WANG DAPENG , ZHANG XIN , WANG HUI
Published: April 2013

Research on social networks has received remarkable attention, since many people use social networks to broadcast information and stay connected with their friends. However, due to the information overload in social networks, it becomes increasingly difficult for users to find useful information. This paper takes Facebook-like social networks into account, and models the process of information diffusion under information overload. The term view scope is introduced to model the user information-processing capability under information overload, and the average number of times a message appears in view scopes after it is generated is proposed to characterize the information diffusion efficiency. Through theoretical analysis, we find that factors such as network structure and view scope number have no impact on the information diffusion efficiency, which is a surprising result. To verify the results, we conduct simulations and provide the simulation results, which are consistent with the theoretical analysis results perfectly.
PANSPERMIA: EVIDENCE FROM ASTRONOMY TO METEORITES
Authors: WICKRAMASINGHE N. C. , WALLIS J. , WALLIS D. H.
Published: April 2013

The theory of cometary panspermia is reviewed in relation to evidence from astronomy, biology and recent studies of meteorites. The spectroscopic signatures in interstellar material within our galaxy and in external galaxies that have been known for many years most plausibly represent evidence for the detritus of life existing on a cosmic scale. Such spectral features discovered in galaxies of high redshift points to life arising at a very early stage in the history of the Universe. Evidence of fossils of microscopic life forms in meteorites that have been discussed over several decades, and augmented recently with new data, reaffirms the case for cometary panspermia.
A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR COLOR QUANTIZATION BASED ON HISTOGRAM ANALYSIS AND CLUSTERING
Authors: RAMELLA GIULIANA , SANNITI DI BAJA GABRIELLA
Published: April 2013

A technique for color quantization is described, which consists of two processes. The first process is based on the analysis of the histograms of the three color components of the RGB input image. The second process performs clustering of the colors quantized by the first process, based on their Euclidean distance. At the end of the second process, the output image is obtained by replacing the color of each pixel of the input image with the closest representative color. The obtained results are satisfactory from both the qualitative and the quantitative point of view.
NEW PERSPECTIVE IN ROTATION–VIBRATION INTERACTION
Authors: GUPTA J. B.
Published: April 2013

A linear relation for the level energy ratios in the ground band of even–even nuclei, based on the rotation–vibration expression, is derived and its application on a universal scale, including the O(6), E(5) and X(5) symmetries, is illustrated. A microscopic view of this relation and of the collective model is given. Also, an approximate relationship with single term power index formula E = aIb is demonstrated.
COMBINING EVOLUTION STRATEGY WITH ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION
Authors: HORNG SHIH-CHENG , LIN SHIN-YEU
Published: April 2013

In this paper, we combine evolution strategy (ES) with ordinal optimization (OO), abbreviated as ES + OO, to solve real-time combinatorial stochastic simulation optimization problems with huge discrete solution space. The first step of ES + OO is to use an artificial neural network (ANN) to construct a surrogate model to roughly evaluate the objective value of a solution. In the second step, we apply ES assisted by the ANN-based surrogate model to the considered problem to obtain a subset of good enough solutions. In the last step, we use the exact model to evaluate each solution in the good enough subset, and the best one is the final good enough solution. We apply the proposed algorithm to a wafer testing problem, which is formulated as a combinatorial stochastic simulation optimization problem that consists of a huge discrete solution space formed by the vector of threshold values in the testing process. We demonstrate that (a) ES + OO outperforms the combination of genetic algorithm (GA) with OO using extensive simulations in the wafer testing problem, and its computational efficiency is suitable for real-time application, (b) the merit of using OO approach in solving the considered problem and (c) ES + OO can obtain the approximate Pareto optimal solution of the multi-objective function resided in the considered problem. Above all, we propose a systematic procedure to evaluate the performance of ES + OO by providing a quantitative result.
A DECISION RECONSTRUCTION SUPPORT MODEL
Authors: ANTUNES FRANCISCO , COSTA JOÃO PAULO
Published: April 2013

The importance of understanding the reasons for past decisions is not a new subject. However, there seems to be a gap when it comes to verifying the efficiency of tools for understanding past decisions. In this paper, we show that the ability to perform decision reconstruction using a Group Support System (GSS) can provide a flexible solution to the problem, but only if the information model underlying it is able to provide bidirectional support to the phases of a decision-making process. For this, we present a general information model to support the decision-making process, as well as the decision reconstruction process. We tested these ideas by setting up a case study where we used a GSS, based on our model, to analyze a simulated public contracting process. We present a discussion of the results.
A FEM FOR A SYSTEM OF SINGULARLY PERTURBED REACTION-DIFFUSION EQUATIONS WITH DISCONTINUOUS SOURCE TERM
Authors: BABU A. RAMESH , RAMANUJAM N.
Published: April 2013

In this paper, we consider a weakly coupled system of two reaction-diffusion equations with discontinuous source terms. When a parameter multiplying the second order derivatives in the equations is small, their solutions exhibit boundary layers as well as interior layers. A numerical method based on finite element and Shishkin and Bakhvalov–Shishkin meshes is presented. We derive an error estimate of order O(N-1ln N) in the energy norm with respect to the perturbation parameter. Numerical experiments are also presented to support our theoritical results.
REDOX IMAGING OF THE p53-DEPENDENT MITOCHONDRIAL REDOX STATE IN COLON CANCEREX VIVO
Authors: XU HE N. , FENG MIN , MOON LILY , DOLLOFF NATHAN , EL-DEIRY WAFIK , LI LIN Z.
Published: April 2013

The mitochondrial redox state and its heterogeneity of colon cancer at tissue level have not been previously reported. Nor has how p53 regulates mitochondrial respiration been measured at (deep) tissue level, presumably due to the unavailability of the technology that has sufficient spatial resolution and tissue penetration depth. Our prior work demonstrated that the mitochondrial redox state and its intratumor heterogeneity is associated with cancer aggressiveness in human melanoma and breast cancer in mouse models, with the more metastatic tumors exhibiting localized regions of more oxidized redox state. Using the Chance redox scanner with an in-plane spatial resolution of 200 μm, we imaged the mitochondrial redox state of the wild-type p53 colon tumors (HCT116 p53 wt) and the p53-deleted colon tumors (HCT116 p53-/-) by collecting the fluorescence signals of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and oxidized flavoproteins [Fp, including flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)] from the mouse xenografts snap-frozen at low temperature. Our results show that: (1) both tumor lines have significant degree of intratumor heterogeneity of the redox state, typically exhibiting a distinct bi-modal distribution that either correlates with the spatial core–rim pattern or the "hot/cold" oxidation-reduction patches; (2) the p53-/-group is significantly more heterogeneous in the mitochondrial redox state and has a more oxidized tumor core compared to the p53 wt group when the tumor sizes of the two groups are matched; (3) the tumor size dependence of the redox indices (such as Fp and Fp redox ratio) is significant in the p53-/-group with the larger ones being more oxidized and more heterogeneous in their redox state, particularly more oxidized in the tumor central regions; (4) the H&E staining images of tumor sections grossly correlate with the redox images. The present work is the first to reveal at the submillimeter scale the intratumor heterogeneity pattern of the mitochondrial redox state in colon cancer and the first to indicate that at tissue level the mitochondrial redox state is p53 dependent. The findings should assist in our understanding on colon cancer pathology and developing new imaging biomarkers for clinical applications.
The Dynamics of Geographic versus Sectoral Diversification: Is There a Link to the Real Economy?
Authors: Carrieri Francesca , Errunza Vihang , Sarkissian Sergei
Published: April 2013

We study the dynamics of gains from sectoral versus geographic diversification and relate economic sources to changes in those gains. We estimate conditional correlations between returns on the US equity market and 16 equity markets and 10 local industries from other OECD countries and find that the average correlation across countries has increased in relation to that across industries. We also show that this process is accompanied by increased alignment in the industrial structures across countries and an increase in the average conditional correlation of aggregate production growth across countries relative to that of disaggregated production growth, especially among developed economies. Thus, the increased benefits of industry-level investing across developed markets are reflected in the real side of the global economy. However, country-level investing should remain the predominant asset allocation approach in emerging markets.
Pathogenic role of mast cells in experimental eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Niranjan Rituraj , Mavi Parm , Rayapudi Madhavi , Dynda Scott , Mishra Anil
Published: April 2013

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic disease characterized by esophageal intraepithelial eosinophils, extracellular eosinophil granule deposition, induced mast cell accumulation, and epithelial cell hyperplasia. However, the processes involved in the development of a number of these characteristics are largely unknown. Herein, we tested the hypothesis whether induced mast cell accumulation in the esophagus has a role in promoting EoE pathogenesis. Accordingly, we induced experimental EoE in wild-type mice, mast cell-deficient WWv mice, and mast cell-reconstituted WWv mice. We report that esophageal mast cell numbers increase in parallel with eosinophils in a dose- and time-dependent manner following the induction of allergen-induced EoE. The induced mast cells are localized in the esophageal lamina propria and muscular mucosa but have no influence on promoting esophageal eosinophilia. The 5′-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation analysis indicated that mast cells have a significant role in muscle cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy. In addition, the wild-type and mast cell-reconstituted WWv mice showed a comparable number of BrdU+ cells in the esophageal muscular mucosa following allergen-induced EoE. In conclusion, we provide for the first time direct evidence that mast cell promotes muscle cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy and may have a significant role in promoting esophageal functional abnormalities in EoE.
Is apolipoprotein A-IV rate limiting in the intestinal transport and absorption of triglyceride?
Authors: Kohan Alison B. , Wang Fei , Li Xiaoming , Vandersall Abbey E. , Huesman Sarah , Xu Min , Yang Qing , Lou Danwen , Tso Patrick
Published: April 2013

Apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) is synthesized by the intestine and secreted when dietary fat is absorbed and transported into lymph associated with chylomicrons. We have recently demonstrated that loss of apoA-IV increases chylomicron size and delays its clearance from the blood. There is still uncertainty, however, about the precise role of apoA-IV on the transport of dietary fat from the intestine into the lymph. ApoA-IV knockout (KO) mice do not have a gross defect in dietary lipid absorption, as measured by oral fat tolerance and fecal fat measurements. Here, using the in vivo lymph fistula mouse model, we show that the cumulative secretion of triglyceride (TG) into lymph in apoA-IV KO mice is very similar to that of wild-type (WT) mice. However, the apoA-IV KO mice do have subtle changes in TG accumulation in the intestinal mucosa during a 6-h continuous, but not bolus, infusion of lipid. There are no changes in the ratio of esterified to free fatty acids in the intestinal mucosa of the apoA-IV KO, however. When we extended these findings, by giving a higher dose of lipid (6 μmol/h) and for a longer infusion period (8 h), we found no effect of apoA-IV KO on intestinal TG absorption. This higher lipid infusion most certainly stresses the intestine, as we see a drastically lower absorption of TG (in both WT and KO mice); however, the loss of A-IV does not exacerbate this effect. This supports our hypothesis that apoA-IV is not required for TG absorption in the intestine. Our data suggest that the mechanisms by which the apoA-IV KO intestine responds to intestinal lipid may not be different from their WT counterparts. We conclude that apoA-IV is not required for normal lymphatic transport of TG.
Glucose metabolism in the Belgrade rat, a model of iron-loading anemia
Authors: Jia Xuming , Kim Jonghan , Veuthey Tania , Lee Chih-Hao , Wessling-Resnick Marianne
Published: April 2013

The iron-diabetes hypothesis proposes an association between iron overload and glucose metabolism that is supported by a number of epidemiological studies. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis and iron-loading thalassemia supports this hypothesis. The Belgrade rat carries a mutation in the iron transporter divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) resulting in iron-loading anemia. In this study, we characterized the glycometabolic status of the Belgrade rat. Belgrade rats displayed normal glycemic control. Insulin signaling and secretion were not impaired, and pancreatic tissue did not incur damage despite high levels of nonheme iron. These findings suggest that loss of DMT1 protects against oxidative damage to the pancreas and helps to maintain insulin sensitivity despite iron overload. Belgrade rats had lower body weight but increased food consumption compared with heterozygous littermates. The unexpected energy balance was associated with increased urinary glucose output. Increased urinary excretion of electrolytes, including iron, was also observed. Histopathological evidence suggests that altered renal function is secondary to changes in kidney morphology, including glomerulosclerosis. Thus, loss of DMT1 appears to protect the pancreas from injury but damages the integrity of kidney structure and function.
The modulation of large airway smooth muscle phenotype and effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition in the repeatedly allergen-challenged rat
Authors: Siddiqui S. , Novali M. , Tsuchiya K. , Hirota N. , Geller B. J. , McGovern T. K. , Risse P. A. , Jo T. , Zeroual M. A. , Martin J. G.
Published: April 2013

Allergen challenges induce airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass in the sensitized rat. Whether the remodeled ASM changes its phenotype is uncertain. We examined, in sensitized Brown Norway rats, the effects of multiple ovalbumin (Ova) challenges on ASM remodeling and phenotype and the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in these processes. Rats were sensitized with Ova and challenged three times at 5-day intervals with phosphate-buffered saline or Ova and pretreated with the EGFR inhibitor AG-1478 (5 mg/kg) or its vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide. Ova challenges increased ASM mass in all-sized airways and in large airway mRNA expression of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (sm-MHC), assessed by laser capture. Myosin light chain kinase and the fast myosin isoform SM-B mRNA expressions were not affected. Ova induced AHR to methacholine, and, based on the constant-phase model, this was largely attributable to the small airways and lung derecruitment at 48 h that recovered by 1 wk. The EGFR ligands amphiregulin and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) were increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at 48 h after Ova exposure. AG-1478 inhibited AHR and prevented ASM growth. Epithelial gene expression of EGFR, HB-EGF, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, Gro-α, and transforming growth factor-β was unaffected by Ova challenges. We conclude that EGFR drives remodeling of ASM, which results from repeated Ova challenge. Furthermore, the latter results in excessive small airway and, to a lesser degree, large airway narrowing to methacholine, and large airway gene expression of contractile protein is conserved.
Tactile stimulation of the oropharynx elicits sympathoexcitation in conscious humans
Authors: Muller Matthew D. , Mast Jessica L. , Cui Jian , Heffernan Matthew J. , McQuillan Patrick M. , Sinoway Lawrence I.
Published: April 2013

Tactile stimulation of the oropharynx (TSO) elicits the gag reflex and increases heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in anesthetized patients. However, the interaction between upper-airway defense reflexes and the sympathetic nervous system has not been investigated in conscious humans. In Experiment 1, beat-by-beat measurements of HR, MAP, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), and renal vascular resistance (RVR) were measured during TSO and tactile stimulation of the hard palate (Sham) in the supine posture. In Experiment 2, TSO was performed before (pre) and after (post) inhalation of 4% lidocaine via nebulizer. Rate pressure product (RPP) was determined. Compared with Sham, TSO elicited the gag reflex and increased RPP [absolute change (Δ)36 ± 6 vs. 17 ± 5%], MSNA (Δ122 ± 39 vs. 19 ± 19%), and RVR (Δ55 ± 11 vs. 4 ± 4%). This effect occurred within one to two cardiac cycles of TSO. The ΔMAP (12 ± 3 vs. 6 ± 1 mmHg) and the ΔHR (10 ± 3 vs. 3 ± 3 beats/min) were also greater following TSO compared with Sham. Lidocaine inhalation blocked the gag reflex and attenuated increases in MAP (Δpre: 16 ± 2; Δpost: 5 ± 2 mmHg) and HR (Δpre: 12 ± 3; Δpost: 2 ± 2 beats/min) in response to TSO. When mechanically stimulated, afferents in the oropharynx not only serve to protect the airway but also cause reflex increases in MSNA, RVR, MAP, and HR. An augmented sympathoexcitatory response during intubation and laryngoscopy may contribute to perioperative cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Altitude acclimatization improves submaximal cognitive performance in mice and involves an imbalance of the cholinergic system
Authors: Guerra-Narbona R. , Delgado-García J. M. , López-Ramos J. C.
Published: April 2013

The aim of this work was to reveal a hypothetical improvement of cognitive abilities in animals acclimatized to altitude and performing under ground level conditions, when looking at submaximal performance, once seen that it was not possible when looking at maximal scores. We modified contrasted cognitive tasks (object recognition, operant conditioning, eight-arm radial maze, and classical conditioning of the eyeblink reflex), increasing their complexity in an attempt to find performance differences in acclimatized animals vs. untrained controls. In addition, we studied, through immunohistochemical quantification, the expression of choline acetyltransferase and acetyl cholinesterase, enzymes involved in the synthesis and degradation of acetylcholine, in the septal area, piriform and visual cortexes, and the hippocampal CA1 area of animals submitted to acute hypobaric hypoxia, or acclimatized to this simulated altitude, to find a relationship between the cholinergic system and a cognitive improvement due to altitude acclimatization. Results showed subtle improvements of the cognitive capabilities of acclimatized animals in all of the tasks when performed under ground-level conditions (although not before 24 h), in the three tasks used to test explicit memory (object recognition, operant conditioning in the Skinner box, and eight-arm radial maze) and (from the first conditioning session) in the classical conditioning task used to evaluate implicit memory. An imbalance of choline acetyltransferase/acetyl cholinesterase expression was found in acclimatized animals, mainly 24 h after the acclimatization period. In conclusion, altitude acclimatization improves cognitive capabilities, in a process parallel to an imbalance of the cholinergic system.
Lung membrane conductance and capillary volume derived from the NO and CO transfer in high-altitude newcomers
Authors: Martinot Jean-Benoît , Mulè Massimiliano , de Bisschop Claire , Overbeek Maria J. , Le-Dong Nhat-Nam , Naeije Robert , Guénard Hervé
Published: April 2013

Acute exposure to high altitude may induce changes in carbon monoxide (CO) membrane conductance (DmCO) and capillary lung volume (Vc). Measurements were performed in 25 lowlanders at Brussels (D0), at 4,300 m after a 2- or 3-day exposure (D2,3) without preceding climbing, and 5 days later (D7,8), before and after an exercise test, under a trial with two arterial pulmonary vasodilators or a placebo. The nitric oxide (NO)/CO transfer method was used, assuming both infinite and finite values to the NO blood conductance (θNO). Doppler echocardiography provided hemodynamic data. Compared with sea level, lung diffusing capacity for CO increased by 24% at D2,3and is returned to control at D7,8. The acute increase in lung diffusing capacity for CO resulted from increases in DmCOand Vc with finite and infinite θNOassumptions. The alveolar volume increased by 16% at D2,3and normalized at D7,8. The mean increase in systolic arterial pulmonary pressure at rest at D2,3was minimal. In conclusion, the acute increase in Vc may be related to the increase in alveolar volume and to the increase in capillary pressure. Compared with the infinite θNOvalue, the use of a finite θNOvalue led to about a twofold increase in DmCOvalue and to a persistent increase in DmCOat D7,8compared with D0. After exercise, DmCOdecreased slightly less in subjects treated by the vasodilators, suggesting a beneficial effect on interstitial edema.
Neural correlates of task-related changes in physiological tremor
Authors: Laine Christopher M. , Negro Francesco , Farina Dario
Published: April 2013

Appropriate control of muscle contraction requires integration of command signals with sensory feedback. Sensorimotor integration is often studied under conditions in which muscle force is controlled with visual feedback. While it is known that alteration of visual feedback can influence task performance, the underlying changes in neural drive to the muscles are not well understood. In this study, we characterize the frequency content of force fluctuations and neural drive when production of muscle force is target guided versus self guided. In the self-guided condition, subjects performed isometric contractions of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle while slowly and randomly varying their force level. Subjects received visual feedback of their own force in order to keep contractions between 6% and 10% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). In the target-guided condition, subjects used a display of their previously generated force as a target to track over time. During target tracking, force tremor increased significantly in the 3–5 and 7–9 Hz ranges, compared with self-guided contractions. The underlying changes in neural drive were assessed by coherence analysis of FDI motor unit activity. During target-guided force production, pairs of simultaneously recorded motor units showed less coherent activity in the 3–5 Hz frequency range but greater coherence in the 7–9 Hz range than in the self-guided contractions. These results show that the frequency content of common synaptic input to motoneurons is altered when force production is visually guided. We propose that a change in stretch-reflex gain could provide a potential mechanism for the observed changes in force tremor and motor unit coherence.
Boundary Value Problems for a Class of Sequential Integrodifferential Equations of Fractional Order
Authors: Ahmad Bashir , Nieto Juan J.
Published: April 2013

We investigate the existence of solutions for a sequential integrodifferential equation of fractional order with some boundary conditions. The existence results are established by means of some standard tools of fixed point theory. An illustrative example is also presented.
Numerical Determination of Effects of Wall Temperatures on Nusselt Number and Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient in Real-Size Rooms
Authors: Acikgoz Ozgen , Kincay Olcay
Published: April 2013

A modeled room was numerically heated from a wall and cooled from the opposite wall in order to create a real-room simulation. The cooled wall simulated heat loss of the room, and the heated wall simulated the heat source of enclosure. The effects of heated and cooled wall temperatures on convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC) and Nusselt number in the enclosure were investigated numerically for two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) modeling states. Different hot wall and cold wall temperatures were applied in order to obtain correlations that contained characteristic length in Rayleigh numbers. Results were compared with the results of previously reported correlations that have been suggested for vertical room surfaces in enclosures. In addition, new correlations for Nusselt number and average CHTC for enclosures for isothermal boundary conditions within indicated Rayleigh number ranges were derived through solutions. Average deviations of new correlations obtained for CHTC and Nusselt number from the numerical data were found 0.73% and 1.76% for 2D study, 3.01%and 0.49%for 3D study. It was observed that the difference between the 2D and 3D solutions in terms of CHTC and Nusselt number was approximately 10%.
A Dynamic Scheduling Method of Earth‐Observing Satellites by Employing Rolling Horizon Strategy
Authors: Dishan Qiu , Chuan He , Jin Liu , Manhao Ma
Published: April 2013

Focused on the dynamic scheduling problem for earth‐observing satellites (EOS), an integer programming model is constructed after analyzing the main constraints. The rolling horizon (RH) strategy is proposed according to the independent arriving time and deadline of the imaging tasks. This strategy is designed with a mixed triggering mode composed of periodical triggering and event triggering, and the scheduling horizon is decomposed into a series of static scheduling intervals. By optimizing the scheduling schemes in each interval, the dynamic scheduling of EOS is realized. We also propose three dynamic scheduling algorithms by the combination of the RH strategy and various heuristic algorithms. Finally, the scheduling results of different algorithms are compared and the presented methods in this paper are demonstrated to be efficient by extensive experiments.
Chronic Pain Treatment: The Influence of Tricyclic Antidepressants on Serotonin Release and Uptake in Mast Cells
Authors: Ferjan Ilonka , Lipnik-Štangelj Metoda
Published: April 2013

The involvement of serotonin (5-HT) in chronic pain mechanisms is established. 5-HT inhibits central painful stimuli, but recent data suggests that 5-HT could also enhance pain stimulus from the periphery, where mast cells play an important role. We aimed in our study to clarify the influence of selected tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) on mast cell function: secretion, uptake, and reuptake of 5-HT, that could interfere with 5-HT levels and in this way contribute to the generation of pain. As an experimental model, we used isolated rat peritoneal mast cells and incubated them with selected TCAs (clomipramine, amitriptyline, doxepin, and imipramine) under different experimental conditions. 5-HT release, uptake, and reuptake were determined spectrofluorometrically. We showed that TCAs were able to inhibit 5-HT secretion from mast cells, as well as uptake of exogenous 5-HT and reuptake of secreted 5-HT back into mast cells. The effects of TCAs were concentration dependent; higher concentrations of TCAs inhibited the secretion of 5-HT induced by compound 48/80, whereas lower concentrations of TCAs inhibited 5-HT uptake. The most effective TCA was halogenated clomipramine. As TCAs are well introduced in chronic pain treatment, the insight into mechanisms of action is important for an understanding of their effect in various pain conditions.
Reactor Neutrinos
Authors: Kim Soo-Bong , Lasserre Thierry , Wang Yifang
Published: April 2013

We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments. Short-baseline experiments have provided the measurement of the reactor neutrino spectrum, and their interest has been recently revived by the discovery of the reactor antineutrino anomaly, a discrepancy between the reactor neutrino flux state of the art prediction and the measurements at baselines shorter than one kilometer. Middle and long-baseline oscillation experiments at Daya Bay, Double Chooz, and RENO provided very recently the most precise determination of the neutrino mixing angleθ13. This paper provides an overview of the upcoming experiments and of the projects under development, including the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy and the possible use of neutrinos for society, for nonproliferation of nuclear materials, and geophysics.
Almost Automorphic Solutions to Nonautonomous Stochastic Functional Integrodifferential Equations
Authors: Xi-liang Li , Yu-liang Han
Published: April 2013

This paper concerns the square-mean almost automorphic solutions to a class of abstract semilinear nonautonomous functional integrodifferential stochastic evolution equations in real separable Hilbert spaces. Using the so-called “Acquistapace-Terreni” conditions and Banach contraction principle, the existence, uniqueness, and asymptotical stability results of square-mean almost automorphic mild solutions to such stochastic equations are established. As an application, square-mean almost automorphic solution to a concrete nonautonomous integro-differential stochastic evolution equation is analyzed to illustrate our abstract results.
Change of Plasma Chemistry Values in Captive Breeding Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta)
Authors: Kakizoe Yuka , Sakaoka Ken , Akune Yuichiro , Kanou Yoshihiko , Saito Tomomi , Uchida Itaru
Published: April 2013

Loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, have been laying eggs in an indoor artificial beach since 1995, at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium (PNPA). Two males and four females were mated and those four landed and laid eggs several times during the breeding period in 1996. In 1998 egg laying was observed from April to July and mating was one or two months prior to the nesting season. Blood samples from these individuals were collected monthly in the previously mentioned years in order to investigate the changes in sex steroid hormones (testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone). Moreover, blood chemistry values (total protein, albumin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, total calcium, and inorganic phosphorus) were investigated. In 1998, for the two males, changes in testosterone levels were additionally examined. Blood chemistry values of each turtle changed periodically as sex steroids did based on the breeding period and laying cycle. Data from a completely artificial environment such as the one at the PNPA provide elucidation of the reproductive physiology in these endangered species.
Endothelial Activation Microparticles and Inflammation Status Improve with Exercise Training in African Americans
Authors: Babbitt Dianne M. , Diaz Keith M. , Feairheller Deborah L. , Sturgeon Kathleen M. , Perkins Amanda M. , Veerabhadrappa Praveen , Williamson Sheara T. , Kretzschmar Jan , Ling Chenyi , Lee Hojun , Grimm Heather , Thakkar Sunny R. , Crabbe Deborah L. , Kashem Mohammed A. , Brown Michael D.
Published: April 2013

African Americans have the highest prevalence of hypertension in the world which may emanate from their predisposition to heightened endothelial inflammation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-month aerobic exercise training (AEXT) intervention on the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and endothelial microparticle (EMP) CD62E+ and endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in African Americans. A secondary purpose was to evaluate whether changes in IL-10, IL-6, or CD62E+ EMPs predicted the change in FMD following the 6-month AEXT intervention. A pre-post design was employed with baseline evaluation including office blood pressure, FMD, fasting blood sampling, and graded exercise testing. Participants engaged in 6 months of AEXT. Following the AEXT intervention, all baseline tests were repeated. FMD significantly increased, CD62E+ EMPs and IL-6 significantly decreased, and IL-10 increased but not significantly following AEXT. Changes in inflammatory biomarkers did not significantly predict the change in FMD. The change inVO2 maxsignificantly predicted the change in IL-10. Based on these results, AEXT may be a viable, nonpharmacological method to improve inflammation status and endothelial function and thereby contribute to risk reduction for cardiovascular disease in African Americans.
Message Broadcasting via a New Fault Tolerant Irregular Advance Omega Network in Faulty and Nonfaulty Network Environments
Authors: Bhardwaj Ved Prakash , Nitin
Published: April 2013

Interconnection Network (IN) is a key element for all parallel processing applications. Multistage Interconnection Network (MIN) is an efficient IN for these applications, as it has the quality of excellent performance at low cost with high reliability. MINs are effective medium for message broadcasting. Doing the same task in faulty situations is a critical challenge. In this paper, we have presented a new Fault Tolerant Interconnection Network named as Irregular Advance Omega Network (IAON); also we have presented its routing algorithm. IAON is the modified form of Advance Omega Network. The proposed MIN can endure multiple faults and provides a suitable path between every source to every destination. We have examined the fault tolerance capacity of IAON and compared its performance with other existing MINs. In order to check the performance of proposed MIN, message broadcasting was performed in three conditions as follows: (1) when network was fault free; (2) when network was Single Switch Faulty in every stage; (3) when network was Double Switch Faulty in every stage. Results showed that IAON performed better than the earlier proposed MINs.
Efficient Heuristic Based on Clustering Approach for OLSR
Authors: Choukri Ali , Habbani Ahmed , El Koutbi Mohamed
Published: April 2013

Due to the dynamic nature of mobile ad hoc network (MANET), the quality of service (QoS) requires several improvements. The present papercomeswithin the framework of research to optimize QoS in MANET. In this paper, we propose a novel version of OLSR based on the clustering approach which is inspired from Lin and Chu heuristic and adapted to beimplemented inOLSR. We studied its stability and we compared its performances to those of standard OLSR. The metrics we used in evaluating network performances were average end-to-end delay, control routing overhead, and packet delivery ratio. Experimental results show that our alternative significantly reduces the traffic reserved to monitoring the network, which positively influences other performances such as throughput, delay, and loss.
A New DG Multiobjective Optimization Method Based on an Improved Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Sheng Wanxing , Liu Ke-yan , Liu Yongmei , Meng Xiaoli , Song Xiaohui
Published: April 2013

A distribution generation (DG) multiobjective optimization method based on an improved Pareto evolutionary algorithm is investigated in this paper. The improved Pareto evolutionary algorithm, which introduces a penalty factor in the objective function constraints, uses an adaptive crossover and a mutation operator in the evolutionary process and combines a simulated annealing iterative process. The proposed algorithm is utilized to the optimize DG injection models to maximize DG utilization while minimizing system loss and environmental pollution. A revised IEEE 33-bus system with multiple DG units was used to test the multiobjective optimization algorithm in a distribution power system. The proposed algorithm was implemented and compared with the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm 2 (SPEA2), a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, and nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NGSA-II). The comparison of the results demonstrates the validity and practicality of utilizing DG units in terms of economic dispatch and optimal operation in a distribution power system.
Influence of Resident Education in Correctly Diagnosing Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Alamanda Vignesh K. , Crosby Samuel N. , Mathis Shannon L. , Archer Kristin R. , Terhune Kyla P. , Holt Ginger E.
Published: April 2013

Background. One-third of all extremity soft tissue sarcomas are misdiagnosed and inappropriately excised without proper preoperative diagnosis and planning. This study aimed at examining the clinical judgment of residents in both general and orthopaedic surgery and at determining whether resident education plays a role in appropriately managing unknown soft tissue masses.Methods. A case-based survey was used to assess clinical decisions, practice patterns, and demographics. Aggregate response for all of the clinical cases by each respondent was correlated with the selections made for practice patterns and demographic data.Results. A total of 381 responses were returned. A higher percentage of respondents from the orthopaedic group (84.2%) noted having a dedicated STS rotation as compared to the general surgery group (35.8%)P<0.001. Depth, size, and location of the mass, rate of growth, and imaging characteristics were considered to be important factors. Each additional year of training resulted in 10% increased odds of selecting the correct clinical decision for both groups.Conclusion. Our study showed that current residents in both orthopaedic surgery and general surgery are able to appropriately identify patients with suspicious masses. Continuing education in sarcoma care should be implemented beyond the years of residency training.
An Approximate Quasi-Newton Bundle-Type Method for Nonsmooth Optimization
Authors: Shen Jie , Pang Li-Ping , Li Dan
Published: April 2013

An implementable algorithm for solving a nonsmooth convex optimization problem is proposed by combining Moreau-Yosida regularization and bundle and quasi-Newton ideas. In contrast with quasi-Newton bundle methods of Mifflin et al. (1998), we only assume that the values of the objective function and its subgradients are evaluated approximately, which makes the method easier to implement. Under some reasonable assumptions, the proposed method is shown to have a Q-superlinear rate of convergence.
Hepatitis B Virus Dynamics: Modeling, Analysis, and Optimal Treatment Scheduling
Authors: Elaiw A. M. , Alghamdi M. A. , Aly Shaban
Published: April 2013

Modeling, analysis, and control of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have attracted the interests of mathematicians during the recent years. Several mathematical models exist and adequately explain the HBV dynamics as well as the effect of antiviral drug therapies. However, none of these models can completely exhibit all that is observed clinically and account the full course of infection. Besides model inaccuracies that HBV dynamics models suffer from, some disturbances/uncertainties from different sources may arise in the modeling. In this paper, the HBV dynamics is described by a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The disturbances or uncertainties are modeled in the HBV dynamics model as additive bounded disturbances. The model is incorporated with two types of drug therapies which are used to inhibit viral production and prevent new infections. The model can be considered as nonlinear control system with control input is defined to be dependent on the drug dose and drug efficiency. We developed treatment schedules for HBV infected patients by using multirate model predictive control (MPC). The MPC is applied to the stabilization of the uninfected steady state of the HBV dynamics model. The inherent robustness properties of the MPC against additive disturbances are also shown.
Energy-Efficient Soft Real-Time Scheduling for Parameter Estimation in WSNs
Authors: Zhang Senlin , Wang Zixiang , Qiu Meikang , Liu Meiqin
Published: April 2013

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), homogeneous or heterogenous sensor nodes are deployed at a certain area to monitor our curious target. The sensor nodes report their observations to the base station (BS), and the BS should implement the parameter estimation with sensors' data. Best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) is a common estimator in the parameter estimation. Due to the end-to-end packet delay, it takes some time for the BS to receive sufficient data for the estimation. In some soft real-time applications, we expect that the estimation can be completed before the deadline with a probability. The existing approaches usually guarantee the real-time constraint through reducing the number of hops during data transmission. However, this kind of approaches does not take full advantage of the soft real-time property. In this paper, we proposed an energy-efficient scheduling algorithm especially for the soft real-time estimations in WSNs. Through the proper assignment of sensors' state, we can achieve an energy-efficient estimation before the deadline with a probability. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithm.
Protective Effects of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and/or Red Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis) Supplementation ontert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Oxidative Hepatotoxicity in Wistar Rats
Authors: Ajuwon Olawale R. , Katengua-Thamahane Emma , Van Rooyen Jacques , Oguntibeju Oluwafemi O. , Marnewick Jeanine L.
Published: April 2013

The possible protective effects of an aqueous rooibos extract (Aspalathus linearis), red palm oil (RPO) (Elaeis guineensis), or their combination ontert-butyl-hydroperoxide-(t-BHP-)induced oxidative hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats were investigated.tert-butyl hydroperoxide caused a significant (P<0.05) elevation in conjugated dienes (CD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, significantly (P<0.05) decreased reduced glutathione (GSH) and GSH : GSSG ratio, and induced varying changes in activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in the blood and liver. This apparent oxidative injury was associated with histopathological changes in liver architecture and elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Supplementation with rooibos, RPO, or their combination significantly (P<0.05) decreased CD and MDA levels in the liver and reduced serum level of ALT, AST, and LDH. Likewise, changes observed in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and impairment in redox status in the erythrocytes and liver were reversed. The observed protective effects when rooibos and RPO were supplemented concomitantly were neither additive nor synergistic. Our results suggested that rooibos and RPO, either supplemented alone or combined, are capable of alleviatingt-BHP-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity, and the mechanism of this protection may involve inhibition of lipid peroxidation and modulation of antioxidants enzymes and glutathione status.