bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AMPylation Is Critical for Rab1 Localization to Vacuoles Containing Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Hardiman Camille A. , Roy Craig R.
Published: February 2014

Legionella pneumophila
is an intracellular pathogen that resides within a membrane-bound compartment that is derived from vesicles exiting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To create this compartment, these bacteria use a type IV secretion system to deliver effector proteins that subvert host cell functions. Several
Legionella
effector proteins modulate the function of the host protein Rab1, which is a GTPase that is recruited to the
Legionella
-containing vacuole (LCV). Here, we examined which of the Rab1-directed enzymatic activities displayed by
Legionella
effectors are important for localizing the Rab1 protein to the LCV membrane. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) domain in the effector protein DrrA (SidM) was essential for Rab1 recruitment to the LCV and Rab1 AMPylation by the nucleotidyltransferase domain in DrrA was important for Rab1 retention.
Legionella
organisms producing mutant DrrA proteins that were severely attenuated for GEF activity
in vitro
retained the ability to localize Rab1 to the LCV. Rab1 localization to the LCV mediated by these GEF-defective mutants required AMPylation. Importantly, we found that efficient localization of Rab1 to the LCV occurred when Rab1 GEF activity and Rab1 AMPylation activity were provided by separate proteins. Rab1 phosphocholination (PCylation) by the effector protein AnkX, however, was unable to substitute for Rab1 AMPylation. Lastly, the defect in Rab1 localization to the LCV in AMPylation-deficient strains of
Legionella
was partially suppressed if the GTPase-activating protein (GAP) LepB was eliminated. Thus, our data indicate that AMPylation of Rab1 is an effective strategy to maintain this GTPase on the LCV membrane.

IMPORTANCE
Activities that enable the intracellular pathogen
Legionella pneumophila
to subvert the function of the host protein Rab1 were investigated. Our data show that a posttranslational modification called AMPylation is critical for maintaining a pool of Rab1 on the LCV membrane. AMPylation of Rab1 led to the accumulation of GTP-bound Rab1 on the LCV membrane by protecting the protein from inactivation by GAPs. Importantly, PCylation of Rab1 by the
Legionella
effector protein AnkX was neither necessary nor sufficient to maintain Rab1 on the LCV, indicating that AMPylation and PCylation represent functionally distinct activities. We conclude that modification of Rab1 by AMPylation is an effective strategy to spatially and temporally regulate the function of this GTPase on a membrane-bound organelle.
The seasonal variation of Achilles tendon ruptures in Vancouver, Canada: a retrospective study
Authors: Scott Alex , Grewal Navdeep , Guy Pierre
Published: February 2014

Objective

To examine the seasonal distribution of tendon ruptures in a large cohort of patients from Vancouver, Canada.

Design

Retrospective chart review.

Setting

Acute Achilles tendon rupture cases that occurred from 1987 to 2010 at an academic hospital in Vancouver, Canada. Information was extracted from an orthopaedic database.

Participants

No direct contact was made with the participants. The following information was extracted from the OrthoTrauma database: age, sex, date of injury and season (winter, spring, summer and autumn), date of surgery if date of injury was unknown and type of injury (sport related or non-sport related/unspecified). Only acute Achilles tendon rupture cases were included; chronic cases were excluded along with those that were conservatively managed.

Primary and secondary outcomes

The primary outcome was to determine the seasonal pattern of Achilles tendon rupture. Secondary outcomes, such as differences in gender and mechanism of sport (non-sport vs sport related), were also assessed.

Results

There were 543 cases in total; 83% of the cases were men (average age 39.3) and 17% were women (average age 37.3). In total, 76% of cases were specified as sport related. The distribution of injuries varied significantly across seasons (χ2, p<0.05), with significantly more cases occurring in spring. The increase in the number of cases in spring was due to sport-related injuries, whereas non-sport-related cases were distributed evenly throughout the year.

Conclusions

The seasonality of sport-related Achilles tendon ruptures should be considered when developing preventive strategies and when timing their delivery.
Comprehensive analysis of clinico-pathological data reveals heterogeneous relations between atherosclerosis and cancer
Authors: Budczies Jan , von Winterfeld Moritz , Klauschen Frederick , Kimmritz Anna-Christin , Daniel Jan-Marcus , Warth Arne , Endris Volker , Denkert Carsten , Pfeiffer Heidi , Weichert Wilko , Dietel Manfred , Wittschieber Daniel , Stenzinger Albrecht
Published: February 2014

Aims

Atherosclerosis and cancer share common risk factors and involve similar molecular pathomechanisms. Most clinical and epidemiological studies show a positive correlation between atherosclerosis and smoking-related cancers and heterogeneous results for non-smoking-related cancers. However, up-to-date large-scale autopsy studies including a detailed analysis of cancer types are lacking. Therefore, we sought to investigate the relation between major cancer types and the grade of atherosclerosis in a recent well-powered autopsy cohort.

Methods

In 2101 patients, both autopsy data and clinical data including demographics, disease groups, tumour type, cause of death and grade of atherosclerosis were reviewed and statistically analysed.

Results

We found cancer in general is associated with less atherosclerosis (OR 0.60, p<0.0001). In particular, haematological neoplasm and sarcomas were associated with much less atherosclerosis (OR=0.45, p<0.0001 and OR=0.43, p=0.087), while carcinomas were associated with moderately less atherosclerosis (OR=0.72, p=0.002). Furthermore, non-smoking-related cancers were associated with much less atherosclerosis (OR=0.41, p<0.0001), while possibly smoking-related cancer and smoking-related cancer showed no significant association. In a comprehensive analysis of 21 cancer types, biliary tract cancer, lymphomas/lymphoid leukaemias and kidney cancer were associated with much less atherosclerosis (OR=0.19, p<0.0001; OR=0.41, p<0.0001; and OR=0.48, p=0.029). In an exploratory analysis of treatment strategies, we found that tumours with a recommendation of oxazaphosphorines and pyrimidine antagonist treatment were significantly associated with less atherosclerosis (OR=0.33, p=0.0068 and OR=0.58, p=0.012).

Conclusions

In conclusion, the study showed an inverse association between cancer and atherosclerosis postmortem that depends on the cancer type and suggests a possible impact of chemotherapy regimens.
New s-parametrized quasiprobability distribution for fermion system and its application on fermion-counting
Authors: Xu Ye-Jun , Yuan Hong-Chun , Wang Xian-Cai , Xu Xue-Fen
Published: February 2014

Based on the fermion operators' s-ordered rule, we introduce a new kind of s-ordered quasiprobability distributions [Formula: see text], which is defined by the supertrace different from the other definition introduced by Cahill and Glauber [Phys. Rev. A59, 1538 (1999)]. We further obtain the s-parametrized operator expansion formula of fermion density operator for multi-mode case. At last, we apply it to deriving new multi-mode fermion-counting formula, which would be convenient to calculate the probability of counting n fermions.
Model-independent identification of inelastic WIMPs from direct Dark Matter detection experiments
Authors: Miao Sen , Shan Chung-Lin , Zhou Yu-Feng
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we introduce model-independent data analysis procedures for identifying inelastic WIMP-nucleus scattering as well as for reconstructing the mass and the mass splitting of inelastic WIMPs simultaneously and separately. Our simulations show that, with 𝒪(50) observed WIMP signals from one experiment, one could already distinguish the inelastic WIMP scattering scenarios from the elastic one. By combining two or more data sets with positive signals, the WIMP mass and the mass splitting could even be reconstructed with statistical uncertainties of less than a factor of two.
A Comparison of China's Main Board and Growth Enterprise Market Board — Market Microstructure Approach
Authors: Cheung William , Liu Kejing
Published: February 2014

We compare the market quality of the newly established, second board of the China stock market, the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) with the Main Board, and examine its impact on the Main Board from the market microstructure perspective. Using the newly available transaction level data, several findings emerge. First, trading activities of the Main Board stocks increase after the introduction of GEM Board, suggesting that the establishment of GEM is not at the expense of the Main Board but instead enhance the overall trading activities in China. Pricing error variances are not different in the two Boards, while GEM stocks have larger adverse selection cost component of bid-ask spread and higher probability of information-based trading which indicate a larger information asymmetry among traders, on average in GEM stocks than those in the Main Board. Interestingly, we find that the 15 min returns of Main Board stocks strongly lead that of GEM stocks but the GEM board only weakly leads Main Board, evidencing information transmission from the Main Board to the GEM. Overall, our findings suggest that the market quality of the GEM is sufficiently good to provide an important, alternative listing venue for high potential firms in China.
A systematic survey of lipids across mouse tissues
Authors: Jain Mohit , Ngoy Soeun , Sheth Sunil A. , Swanson Raymond A. , Rhee Eugene P. , Liao Ronglih , Clish Clary B. , Mootha Vamsi K. , Nilsson Roland
Published: February 2014

Lipids are a diverse collection of macromolecules essential for normal physiology, but the tissue distribution and function for many individual lipid species remain unclear. Here, we report a mass spectrometry survey of lipid abundance across 18 mouse tissues, detecting ∼1,000 mass spectrometry features, of which we identify 179 lipids from the glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, lysophospholipids, acylcarnitines, sphingolipids, and cholesteryl ester classes. Our data reveal tissue-specific organization of lipids and can be used to generate testable hypotheses. For example, our data indicate that circulating triglycerides positively and negatively associated with future diabetes in humans are enriched in mouse adipose tissue and liver, respectively, raising hypotheses regarding the tissue origins of these diabetes-associated lipids. We also integrate our tissue lipid data with gene expression profiles to predict a number of substrates of lipid-metabolizing enzymes, highlighting choline phosphotransferases and sterol O-acyltransferases. Finally, we identify several tissue-specific lipids not present in plasma under normal conditions that may be of interest as biomarkers of tissue injury, and we show that two of these lipids are released into blood following ischemic brain injury in mice. This resource complements existing compendia of tissue gene expression and may be useful for integrative physiology and lipid biology.
Electrical stimulation induces IL-6 in skeletal muscle through extracellular ATP by activating Ca2+signals and an IL-6 autocrine loop
Authors: Bustamante Mario , Fernández-Verdejo Rodrigo , Jaimovich Enrique , Buvinic Sonja
Published: February 2014

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important myokine that is highly expressed in skeletal muscle cells upon exercise. We assessed IL-6 expression in response to electrical stimulation (ES) or extracellular ATP as a known mediator of the excitation-transcription mechanism in skeletal muscle. We examined whether the canonical signaling cascade downstream of IL-6 (IL-6/JAK2/STAT3) also responds to muscle cell excitation, concluding that IL-6 influences its own expression through a positive loop. Either ES or exogenous ATP (100 μM) increased both IL-6 expression and p-STAT3 levels in rat myotubes, a process inhibited by 100 μM suramin and 2 U/ml apyrase. ATP also evoked IL-6 expression in both isolated skeletal fibers and extracts derived from whole FDB muscles. ATP increased IL-6 release up to 10-fold. STAT3 activation evoked by ATP was abolished by the JAK2 inhibitor HBC. Blockade of secreted IL-6 with a neutralizing antibody or preincubation with the STAT3 inhibitor VIII reduced STAT3 activation evoked by extracellular ATP by 70%. Inhibitor VIII also reduced by 70% IL-6 expression evoked by ATP, suggesting a positive IL-6 loop. In addition, ATP increased up to 60% the protein levels of SOCS3, a negative regulator of the IL-6 signaling pathway. On the other hand, intracellular calcium chelation or blockade of IP3-dependent calcium signals abolished STAT3 phosphorylation evoked by either extracellular ATP or ES. These results suggest that expression of IL-6 in stimulated skeletal muscle cells is mediated by extracellular ATP and nucleotide receptors, involving IP3-dependent calcium signals as an early step that triggers a positive IL-6 autocrine loop.
A Comparative Study on Improved Arrhenius-Type and Artificial Neural Network Models to Predict High-Temperature Flow Behaviors in 20MnNiMo Alloy
Authors: Quan Guo-zheng , Yu Chun-tang , Liu Ying-ying , Xia Yu-feng
Published: February 2014

The stress-strain data of 20MnNiMo alloy were collected from a series of hot compressions on Gleeble-1500 thermal-mechanical simulator in the temperature range of 1173∼1473 K and strain rate range of 0.01∼10 s−1. Based on the experimental data, the improved Arrhenius-type constitutive model and the artificial neural network (ANN) model were established to predict the high temperature flow stress of as-cast 20MnNiMo alloy. The accuracy and reliability of the improved Arrhenius-type model and the trained ANN model were further evaluated in terms of the correlation coefficient (R), the average absolute relative error (AARE), and the relative error (η). For the former,Rand AARE were found to be 0.9954 and 5.26%, respectively, while, for the latter, 0.9997 and 1.02%, respectively. The relative errors (η) of the improved Arrhenius-type model and the ANN model were, respectively, in the range of −39.99%∼35.05% and −3.77%∼16.74%. As for the former, only 16.3% of the test data set possessesη-values within±1%, while, as for the latter, more than 79% possesses. The results indicate that the ANN model presents a higher predictable ability than the improved Arrhenius-type constitutive model.
Congenital Arthrogryposis: An Extension of the 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 Microdeletion Syndrome?
Authors: Usrey K. M. , Williams C. A. , Dasouki M. , Fairbrother L. C. , Butler M. G.
Published: February 2014

The proximal 15q11–q13 region contains 5 breakpoints (BP1–BP5). The BP1-BP2 region spans approximately 500 kb and contains four evolutionarily conserved genes. The genes in this region are known to play a role in central nervous system development and/or function. Microdeletions within the 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 region have been reported in patients with neurological dysfunction, developmental delays, behavioral problems, and dysmorphic features. We report two unrelated subjects with the 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 microdeletion and presenting with congenital arthrogryposis, a feature which has not been previously reported as part of this newly recognized microdeletion syndrome. While arthrogryposis seen in these two subjects may be coincidental, we propose that congenital arthrogryposis may result from neurological dysfunction and involvement of the microdeletion of the 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 region, further expanding the phenotype of this microdeletion syndrome. We encourage others to report patients with this chromosome microdeletion and neurological findings to further characterize the clinical phenotype.
Adaptive Duty-Cycling to Enhance Topology Control Schemes in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Cha Myungsu , Kim Mihui , Kim Dongsoo S. , Choo Hyunseung
Published: February 2014

To prolong the network lifetime, various scheduling approaches that schedule wireless devices of nodes to switch between active and sleep states have been studied. Topology control schemes are one of the scheduling approaches that can extend the network lifetime and reduce the additional communication delays at the same time. However, they do not guarantee that all nodes have the same lifetime. They reduce the network coverage and prevent seamless communications. This paper proposes an adaptive duty-cycling (ADC) scheme to solve the unbalanced energy consumption generated from the conventional topology control schemes. Our scheme can be applied as a subprocess of them and enable well-balanced energy consumption among all nodes by applying a different duty-cycle to each group based on group size. Therefore, ADC scheme reduces the coverage reduction and maintains the communication delay as a constant throughout the network lifetime. Simulation results show that our scheme extends the network lifetime by at least 25%. This paper also proposes t-ADC scheme. It can be more effectively applied to various environments by adjusting the duty-cycle determined by the ADC scheme which is based on the network traffic amount. We show that t-ADC scheme prolongs the lifetime up to 17% compared to ADC scheme in a low traffic network.
Integration of Disaster Detection and Warning System for a Smart Vehicle
Authors: Wang Chun-Chieh , Lien Shao-Fan , Hsieh Yi-Chun
Published: February 2014

For firefighters and rescuers, the disaster relief works are difficulty performed in the tunnels because of their constricted space. To reduce the losses of accident, the safety of tunnels and factories should be ordinarily kept under surveillance. Hence, a multisensor based smart tracked vehicle is designed for the application of autonomous detection and surveillance in this paper. Besides, multisensors, communication modules, wireless cameras, an electronic compass, and a GPS module are installed in the vehicle. The key feature is the integration of disaster detection and warning systems so that the vehicle can move autonomously. Furthermore, a LabVIEW graphical programming software is applied to design a human machine interface (HMI) and integrate all systems such that the vehicle can be guided by High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSHPA) based remote control. Moreover, basic stamp microcontrollers are utilized as its control kernel such that the remote monitoring and control system (RMCS) can be constructed successfully.
Experimental Investigation for Fault Diagnosis Based on a Hybrid Approach Using Wavelet Packet and Support Vector Classification
Authors: Li Pengfei , Jiang Yongying , Xiang Jiawei
Published: February 2014

To deal with the difficulty to obtain a large number of fault samples under the practical condition for mechanical fault diagnosis, a hybrid method that combined wavelet packet decomposition and support vector classification (SVC) is proposed. The wavelet packet is employed to decompose the vibration signal to obtain the energy ratio in each frequency band. Taking energy ratios as feature vectors, the pattern recognition results are obtained by the SVC. The rolling bearing and gear fault diagnostic results of the typical experimental platform show that the present approach is robust to noise and has higher classification accuracy and, thus, provides a better way to diagnose mechanical faults under the condition of small fault samples.
Early Activation of Pulmonary TGF-β1/Smad2 Signaling in Mice with Acute Pancreatitis-Associated Acute Lung Injury
Authors: Akbarshahi Hamid , Sam Asha , Chen Chaolei , Rosendahl Ann H. , Andersson Roland
Published: February 2014

Acute lung injury is caused by many factors including acute pancreatitis. There is no specific therapy directed at underlying pathophysiological mechanisms for acute lung injury. Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) is involved in the resolution of lung injury in later phases of the disease. Some evidence exists demonstrating that TGF-βnot only is involved in the late stages, but also contributes to lung injury early on in the progress of the disease. Acute pancreatitis was induced using ductal ligation in mice. TGF-β1, 2, and 3, TβRII, ALK-5, Smad2, 3, 4, and 7, and P-Smad2 expression in the lungs were analyzed at 9 and 24 h. We demonstrate that TGF-β1 levels in the lungs of mice with acute pancreatitis increase as early as 9 h after induction. We observed an increased expression of ALK-5 in acute pancreatitis at both 9 and 24 h. Inhibitory Smad7 expression was transiently increased at 9 h in acute pancreatitis, but reduced later at 24 h, with a concomitant increased nuclear translocation of phosphorylated Smad2. Our findings demonstrate activation of TGF-βsignaling in the lungs as early as 24 h after acute pancreatitis, suggesting that TGF-βmay represent a potential therapeutic candidate in acute pancreatitis-induced acute lung injury.
Material Characterization for FEM Simulation of Sheet Metal Stamping Processes
Authors: Quesada Alejandro , Gauchia Antonio , Álvarez-Caldas Carolina , Román José Luis San
Published: February 2014

Sheet metal forming is an important technology in manufacturing, especially in the automotive industry. Today, engineering simulation tools based on the finite elements method are employed regularly in the design of stamping dies for sheet metal parts. However, a bad material model choice or the use of nonaccurate enough parameters can lead to imprecise simulation results. This work uses ANSYS LS-DYNA software to analyze several material models and the influence of their parameter values in FEM simulation results. The main tool to solve these problems is an application designed to assist die stamp designers. The program allows a procedure to be defined to obtain the values of the properties of an unknown material, which combines finite element simulations with real experimental results. Results obtained for the simulation of a real automotive part are analyzed and compared with the real experimental results. Parameters involved in each material model have been identified, and their influence in final results has been quantified. This is very useful to fit material properties in other simulations. This paper fulfils an identified need in the manufacturing industry. In fact, the proposed application is currently being used by a manufacturer of automotive components.
Conservation Laws for a Variable Coefficient Variant Boussinesq System
Authors: Muatjetjeja Ben , Khalique Chaudry Masood
Published: February 2014

We construct the conservation laws for a variable coefficient variant Boussinesq system, which is a third-order system of two partial differential equations. This system does not have a Lagrangian and so we transform it to a system of fourth-order, which admits a Lagrangian. Noether’s approach is then utilized to obtain the conservation laws. Lastly, the conservation laws are presented in terms of the original variables. Infinite numbers of both local and nonlocal conserved quantities are derived for the underlying system.
Unexpected Lack of Deleterious Effects of Uranium on Physiological Systems following a Chronic Oral Intake in Adult Rat
Authors: Dublineau Isabelle , Souidi Maâmar , Gueguen Yann , Lestaevel Philippe , Bertho Jean-Marc , Manens Line , Delissen Olivia , Grison Stéphane , Paulard Anaïs , Monin Audrey , Kern Yseult , Rouas Caroline , Loyen Jeanne , Gourmelon Patrick , Aigueperse Jocelyne
Published: February 2014

Uranium level in drinking water is usually in the range of microgram-per-liter, but this value may be as much as 100 to 1000 times higher in some areas, which may raise question about the health consequences for human populations living in these areas. Our purpose was to improve knowledge of chemical effects of uranium following chronic ingestion. Experiments were performed on rats contaminated for 9 months via drinking water containing depleted uranium (0.2, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 120 mg/L). Blood biochemical and hematological indicators were measured and several different types of investigations (molecular, functional, and structural) were conducted in organs (intestine, liver, kidneys, hematopoietic cells, and brain). The specific sensitivity of the organs to uranium was deduced from nondeleterious biological effects, with the following thresholds (in mg/L): 0.2 for brain, >2 for liver, >10 for kidneys, and >20 for intestine, indicating a NOAEL (No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level) threshold for uranium superior to 120 m g/L. Based on the chemical uranium toxicity, the tolerable daily intake calculation yields a guideline value for humans of 1350 μg/L. This value was higher than the WHO value of 30 μg/L, indicating that this WHO guideline for uranium content in drinking water is very protective and might be reconsidered.
Allopurinol, Benzbromarone, or a Combination in Treating Patients with Gout: Analysis of a Series of Outpatients
Authors: Azevedo Valderilio Feijó , Buiar Pedro Grachinski , Giovanella Laura Helena , Severo Carolina Rossetti , Carvalho Mauricio
Published: February 2014

Objective. To profile a sample of gouty patients treated with allopurinol, benzbromarone, or a combination of these two drugs and to describe the impact of this therapy in reducing uric acid levels.Methods. An observational, transversal study was performed. We evaluated 48 patients diagnosed with gout who were seen at the Outpatient Rheumatology Clinic of the Federal University of Paraná between January 2009 and November 2010. Clinical data, creatinine serum levels, and basal and posttreatment levels of serum urates, transaminases, and bilirubins were recorded. Uric acid levels were measured in a 24-hour urine sample. Patients were divided into three groups: patients given only allopurinol (A), only benzbromarone (B), and both in combined therapy (A + B).Results. The average age of these patients was 56.6 ± 11.4 years, varying from 35 to 81 years. The entire patient group experienced a significant drop in serum urate levels, from 8.5 ± 1.8 mg/dL (0.472 ± 0.1 mmol/L) to 6.7 ± 2.1 mg/dL (0.372 ± 0.116 mmol/L) (P<0.001), regardless of the prescribed medication. The number of patients taking both drugs whose serum uric acid values fell within normal range (men <7 mg/dL (0.38 mmol/L) and women <6 mg/dL (0.33 mmol/L)) was 85.7% (6/7) while this value for the group taking benzbromarone alone was 75% (3/4) and for the group taking allopurinol alone this number was 51.8% (14/27).Conclusions. The therapeutic combination of benzbromarone and allopurinol significantly decreased serum urate levels in patients with gout when compared to individual use of each of these agents. This finding is especially important in treating patients who cannot control hyperuricemia with monotherapy. Benzbromarone alone or in combination with allopurinol has an important clinical role in controlling hyperuricemia in patients with gout.
Monitoring of Rotor-Stator Interaction in Pump-Turbine Using Vibrations Measured with On-Board Sensors Rotating with Shaft
Authors: Rodriguez Cristian G. , Mateos-Prieto Borja , Egusquiza Eduard
Published: February 2014

Current trends in design of pump-turbines have led into higher rotor-stator interaction (RSI) loads over impeller-runner. These dynamic loads are of special interest having produced catastrophic failures in pump-turbines. Determining RSI characteristics facilitates the proposal of actions that will prevent these failures. Pressure measurements all around the perimeter of the impeller-runner are appropriate to monitor and detect RSI characteristics. Unfortunately most installed pump-turbines are not manufactured with in-built pressure sensors in appropriate positions to monitor RSI. For this reason, vibration measurements are the preferred method to monitor RSI in industry. Usually vibrations are measured in two perpendicular radial directions in bearings where valuable information could be lost due to bearing response. In this work, in order to avoid the effect of bearing response on measurement, two vibration sensors are installed rotating with the shaft. The RSI characteristics obtained with pressure measurements were compared to those determined using vibration measurements. The RSI characteristics obtained with pressure measurements were also determined using vibrations measured rotating with shaft. These RSI characteristics were not possible to be determined using the vibrations measured in guide bearing. Finally, it is recommended to measure vibrations rotating with shaft to detect RSI characteristics in installed pump-turbines as a more practical and reliable method to monitor RSI characteristics.
An Efficient Prediction Model for Water Discharge in Schoharie Creek, NY
Authors: Tsakiri Katerina G. , Marsellos Antonios E. , Zurbenko Igor G.
Published: February 2014

Flooding normally occurs during periods of excessive precipitation or thawing in the winter period (ice jam). Flooding is typically accompanied by an increase in river discharge. This paper presents a statistical model for the prediction and explanation of the water discharge time series using an example from the Schoharie Creek, New York (one of the principal tributaries of the Mohawk River). It is developed with a view to wider application in similar water basins. In this study a statistical methodology for the decomposition of the time series is used. The Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filter is used for the decomposition of the hydrological and climatic time series into the seasonal and the long and the short term component. We analyze the time series of the water discharge by using a summer and a winter model. The explanation of the water discharge has been improved up to 81%. The results show that as water discharge increases in the long term then the water table replenishes, and in the seasonal term it depletes. In the short term, the groundwater drops during the winter period, and it rises during the summer period. This methodology can be applied for the prediction of the water discharge at multiple sites.
Numerical Analysis for a Fractional Differential Time-Delay Model of HIV Infection of CD4+T-Cell Proliferation under Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Liu Yiliang , Lu Peifen , Szanto Ivan
Published: February 2014

We study a fractional differential model of HIV infection ofCD4+T-cell, in which theCD4+T-cell proliferation plays an important role in HIV infection under antiretroviral therapy. An appropriate method is given to ensure that both the equilibria are asymptotically stable forτ≥0. We calculate the basic reproduction numberR0, the IFEE0, two IPEsE1*andE2*, and so on, and judge the stability of the equilibrium. In addition, we describe the dynamic behaviors of the fractional HIV model by using the Adams-type predictor-corrector method algorithm. At last, we extend the model to incorporate the term which we consider the loss of virion and a bilinear term during attacking the target cells.
Gluten Sensitivity Presenting as a Neuropsychiatric Disorder
Authors: Genuis Stephen J. , Lobo Rebecca A.
Published: February 2014

There has been increasing recognition in the medical community and the general public of the widespread prevalence of gluten sensitivity. Celiac disease (CD) was initially believed to be the sole source of this phenomenon. Signs and symptoms indicative of nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), in which classical serum and intestinal findings of CD may be absent, have been frequently reported of late. Clinical manifestations in patients with NCGS are characteristically triggered by gluten and are ameliorated or resolved within days to weeks of commencing a gluten-free diet. Emerging scientific literature contains several reports linking gluten sensitivity states with neuropsychiatric manifestations including autism, schizophrenia, and ataxia. A clinical review of gluten sensitivity is presented alongside a case illustrating the life-changing difference achieved by gluten elimination in a patient with a longstanding history of auditory and visual hallucinations. Physicians in clinical practice should routinely consider sensitivity issues as an etiological determinant of otherwise inexplicable symptoms. Pathophysiologic mechanisms to explain the multisystem symptomatology with gluten sensitivity are considered.
Performance Analysis of MIMO-STBC Systems with Higher Coding Rate Using Adaptive Semiblind Channel Estimation Scheme
Authors: Kumar Ravi , Saxena Rajiv
Published: February 2014

Semiblind channel estimation method provides the best trade-off in terms of bandwidth overhead, computational complexity and latency. The result after using multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems shows higher data rate and longer transmit range without any requirement for additional bandwidth or transmit power. This paper presents the detailed analysis of diversity coding techniques using MIMO antenna systems. Different space time block codes (STBCs) schemes have been explored and analyzed with the proposed higher code rate. STBCs with higher code rates have been simulated for different modulation schemes using MATLAB environment and the simulated results have been compared in the semiblind environment which shows the improvement even in highly correlated antenna arrays and is found very close to the condition when channel state information (CSI) is known to the channel.
Mechanism of Human Tooth Eruption: Review Article Including a New Theory for Future Studies on the Eruption Process
Authors: Kjær Inger
Published: February 2014

Human eruption is a unique developmental process in the organism. The aetiology or the mechanism behind eruption has never been fully understood and the scientific literature in the field is extremely sparse. Human and animal tissues provide different possibilities for eruption analyses, briefly discussed in the introduction. Human studies, mainly clinical and radiological, have focused on normal eruption and gender differences. Why a tooth begins eruption and what enables it to move eruptively and later to end these eruptive movements is not known. Pathological eruption courses contribute to insight into the aetiology behind eruption. A new theory on the eruption mechanism is presented. Accordingly, the mechanism of eruption depends on the correlation between space in the eruption course, created by the crown follicle, eruption pressure triggered by innervation in the apical root membrane, and the ability of the periodontal ligament to adapt to eruptive movements. Animal studies and studies on normal and pathological eruption in humans can support and explain different aspects in the new theory. The eruption mechanism still needs elucidation and the paper recommends that future research on eruption keeps this new theory in mind. Understanding the aetiology of the eruption process is necessary for treating deviant eruption courses.
Adult Hip Flexion Contracture due to Neurological Disease: A New Treatment Protocol—Surgical Treatment of Neurological Hip Flexion Contracture
Authors: Nicodemo Alberto , Arrigoni Chiara , Bersano Andrea , Massè Alessandro
Published: February 2014

Congenital, traumatic, or extrinsic causes can lead people to paraplegia; some of these are potentially; reversible and others are not. Paraplegia can couse hip flexion contracture and, consequently, pressure sores, scoliosis, and hyperlordosis; lumbar and groin pain are strictly correlated. Scientific literature contains many studies about children hip flexion related to neurological diseases, mainly caused by cerebral palsy; only few papers focus on this complication in adults. In this study we report our experience on surgical treatment of adult hip flexion contracture due to neurological diseases; we have tried to outline an algorithm to choose the best treatment avoiding useless or too aggressive therapies. We present 5 cases of adult hips flexion due to neurological conditions treated following our algorithm. At 1-year-follow-up all patients had a good clinical outcome in terms of hip range of motion, pain and recovery of walking if possible. In conclusion we think that this algorithm could be a good guideline to treat these complex cases even if we need to treat more patients to confirm this theory. We believe also that postoperation physiotherapy it is useful in hip motility preservation, improvement of muscular function, and walking ability recovery when possible.
Studies Based on Preparation, Physical Characteristics, and Cellular Pharmacological Activities of Thin PLGA Film Loaded with Geniposide
Authors: Zhang Haiyan , Liu Hao , Huang Nan , He Ya , Lei Tingting , Wang Xin , Yang Ming , Luo Guangming
Published: February 2014

In this primary study, thin polylactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA) film loaded with geniposide was first prepared and demonstrated on both physical and pharmacological aspects for its potential application on drug‐eluting vascular stents. Physical parameters of geniposide‐loaded thin film, such as crystal structure, molecular spectral characteristics, and release behavior in the whole process were detected. From X‐Ray diffraction, the characteristic peak of crystal geniposide disappeared on geniposide‐loaded PLGA film (GLPF) after it formed, which meant there was no agglomeration phenomenon, as geniposide was distributed in the form of single molecule. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) figure, the GLPF was more flat and uniform with better compactness. It inferred that release behavior of geniposide at the early stage (0~15 d) was in the form of free diffusion. Carrier PLGA began to degrade 15 days later, so the residual geniposide was also dissolved. Cellular pharmacological effects of geniposide on endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were also demonstrated on GLPF. 5% and 10% (w/w) geniposide‐loaded PLGA (60 : 40) membrane indicated its significant effect on ECs promotion and SMCs inhibition. All provided feasible evidences for the development of new geniposide‐coating vascular stent using PLGA as carrier.
Microbicides for the Treatment of Sexually Transmitted HIV Infections
Authors: Singh Onkar , Garg Tarun , Rath Goutam , Goyal Amit K.
Published: February 2014

Approximately 34 million people were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) at the end of 2011. From the last two decades, researchers are actively involved in the development of an effective HIV-1 treatment, but the results intended are still doubtful about the eradication of HIV. The HIV-1 virus has gone from being an “inherently untreatable” infectious agent to the one liable to be affected by a range of approved therapies. Candidate microbicides have been developed to target specific steps in the process of viral transmission. Microbicides are self-administered agents that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the aim of preventing, or reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV-1. The development of efficient, widely available, and low-cost microbicides to prevent sexually transmitted HIV infections should be given high priority. In this review, we studied the various forms of microbicides, their mechanism of action, and their abundant approaches to control the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Dynamic Pressure Gradient Model of Axial Piston Pump and Parameters Optimization
Authors: Jian Shi , Xin Li , Shaoping Wang
Published: February 2014

The unsteady pressure gradient can cause flow noise in prepressure rising of piston pump, and the fluid shock comes up due to the large pressure difference of the piston chamber and discharge port in valve plate. The flow fluctuation control is the optimization objective in previous study, which cannot ensure the steady pressure gradient. Our study is to stabilize the pressure gradient in prepressure rising and control the pressure of piston chamber approaching to the pressure in discharge port after prepressure rising. The models for nonoil shock and dynamic pressure of piston chamber in prepressure rising are established. The parameters of prepressure rising angle, cross angle, wrap angle of V‐groove, vertex angle of V‐groove, and opening angle of V‐groove were optimized, based on which the pressure of the piston chamber approached the pressure in discharge port after prepressure rising, and the pressure gradient is more steady compared to the original parameters. The max pressure gradient decreased by 70.8% and the flow fluctuation declined by 21.4%, which showed the effectivness of optimization.
Analysis of Photosynthetic Characteristics and UV-B Absorbing Compounds in Mung Bean Using UV-B and Red LED Radiation
Authors: Li Fang-Min , Lu Zhi-Guo , Yue Ming
Published: February 2014

Mung bean has been reported to have antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities. Various factors have important effects on the types and contents of plant chemical components. In order to study quality of mung bean from different light sources, mung bean seedlings were exposed to red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B). Changes in the growth parameters, photosynthetic characteristics, the concentrations of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b and the content of UV-B absorbing compounds were measured. The results showed that photosynthetic characteristics and chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b concentrations were enhanced by red LEDs. The concentrations of UV-B absorbing compounds were enhanced by UV-B on the 20th day, while photosynthetic characteristics, plant length, and the concentrations of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b were reduced by UV-B on the 40th day; at the same time the values of the stem diameter, plant fresh weight, dry weight, and the concentrations of UV-B absorbing compounds were enhanced. It is suggested that red LEDs promote the elongation of plant root growth and photosynthetic characteristics, while UV-B promotes horizontal growth of stems and the synthesis of UV-B absorbing compounds.
Optimized Liquid-Liquid Extractive Rerefining of Spent Lubricants
Authors: Kamal Muhammad Ashraf , Naqvi Syed Mumtaz Danish , Khan Fasihullah
Published: February 2014

Central composite design methodology has been employed to model the sludge yield data obtained during liquid-liquid extractive rerefining of spent lubricants using an alcohol (1-butanol) and a ketone (methyl ethyl ketone) as prospective solvents. The study has resulted in two reasonably accurate multivariate process models that relate the sludge yield (R2=0.9065and 0.9072 for alcohol and ketone, resp.) to process variables (settling timet, operating temperatureT, and oil to solvent ratior). Construction of such models has allowed the maximization of the sludge yield (more than 8% and 3% in case of alcohol and ketone, resp.) so that the extraction of useable oil components from spent lubricants can economically be performed under extremely mild conditions (t = 16.7 h,T=10°C, andr=2) and fairly moderate conditions (t = 26.6 h,T=10°C, andr=5) established for the alcohol and ketone correspondingly. Based on these performance parameters alcohol appears to be superior over ketone for this extraction process. Additionally extractive treatment results in oil stocks with lesser quantity of environmentally hazardous polyaromatic hydrocarbons that are largely left in the separated sludge.
Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Monosaccharides and Their Growth Inhibitory Activity against Gram-Negative and Positive Bacteria
Authors: Pettegrew Colin , Dong Zheng , Muhi M. Zubayed , Pease Scott , Mottaleb M. Abdul , Islam M. Rafiq
Published: February 2014

Using various monosaccharides as reductant, we synthesized Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in seconds employing the household microwave method described earlier. The Ag NPs containing colloidal solution showed distinctive colors with varying λmax. The sizes of the NPs formed varied significantly from 10 to 35 nm in good agreement with the localized plasmon resonance ranged from ~300 to ~600 nm. The antimicrobial properties of these NPs were compared in Gram-negative and positive bacteria in liquid culture. Gram-positive bacteria were highly susceptible compared to Gram-negative microbes—the additional lipopolysaccharide layer covering the peptidoglycan cell wall in the latter somewhat lessens the effect. The results indicated that larger NPs produced by glucose inhibited bacterial growth better than the smallest NPs produced by ribose. This may be attributed to the higher aggregation rate for larger NPs on cell wall. SEM analysis showed accumulation of NPs on cell surface and defect in budding, further supporting the cell wall interaction with Ag NPs. These observations suggested that the growth inhibition of Ag NPs is mediated by interfering with the bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan.
On the Physiology of Normal Swallowing as Revealed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Real Time
Authors: Olthoff Arno , Zhang Shuo , Schweizer Renate , Frahm Jens
Published: February 2014

The aim of this study was to assess the physiology of normal swallowing using recent advances in real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore ten young healthy subjects underwent real-time MRI and flexible endoscopic evaluations of swallowing (FEES) with thickened pineapple juice as oral contrast bolus. MRI movies were recorded in sagittal, coronal, and axial orientations during successive swallows at about 25 frames per second. Intermeasurement variation was analyzed and comparisons between real-time MRI and FEES were performed. Twelve distinct swallowing events could be quantified by real-time MRI (start time, end time, and duration). These included five valve functions: oro-velar opening, velo-pharyngeal closure, glottal closure, epiglottic retroflexion, and esophageal opening; three bolus transports: oro-velar transit, pharyngeal delay, pharyngeal transit; and four additional events: laryngeal ascent, laryngeal descent, vallecular, and piriform sinus filling and pharyngeal constriction. Repetitive measurements confirmed the general reliability of the MRI method with only two significant differences for the start times of the velo-pharyngeal closure (t(8)=-2.4,P≤0.046) and laryngeal ascent (t(8)=-2.6,P≤0.031). The duration of the velo-pharyngeal closure was significantly longer in real-time MRI compared to FEES (t(8)=-3.3,P≤0.011). Real-time MRI emerges as a simple, robust, and reliable tool for obtaining comprehensive functional and anatomical information about the swallowing process.
An Intimate Relationship between ROS and Insulin Signalling: Implications for Antioxidant Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Besse-Patin Aurèle , Estall Jennifer L.
Published: February 2014

Oxidative stress damages multiple cellular components including DNA, lipids, and proteins and has been linked to pathological alterations in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) emission, resulting from nutrient overload and mitochondrial dysfunction, is thought to be a principal mediator in NAFLD progression, particularly toward the development of hepatic insulin resistance. In the context of insulin signalling, ROS has a dual role, as both a facilitator and inhibitor of the insulin signalling cascade. ROS mediate these effects through redox modifications of cysteine residues affecting phosphatase enzyme activity, stress-sensitive kinases, and metabolic sensors. This review highlights the intricate relationship between redox-sensitive proteins and insulin signalling in the context of fatty liver disease, and to a larger extent, the importance of reactive oxygen species as primary signalling molecules in metabolically active cells.