bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder show abnormalities during initial and subsequent phases of precision gripping
Authors: Wang Zheng , Magnon Grant C. , White Stormi P. , Greene Rachel K. , Vaillancourt David E. , Mosconi Matthew W.
Published: January 2015

Sensorimotor impairments are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but they are not well understood. Here we examined force control during initial pulses and the subsequent rise, sustained, and relaxation phases of precision gripping in 34 individuals with ASD and 25 healthy control subjects. Participants pressed on opposing load cells with their thumb and index finger while receiving visual feedback regarding their performance. They completed 2- and 8-s trials during which they pressed at 15%, 45%, or 85% of their maximum force. Initial pulses guided by feedforward control mechanisms, sustained force output controlled by visual feedback processes, and force relaxation rates all were examined. Control subjects favored an initial pulse strategy characterized by a rapid increase in and then relaxation of force when the target force was low ( Type 1). When the target force level or duration of trials was increased, control subjects transitioned to a strategy in which they more gradually increased their force, paused, and then increased their force again. Individuals with ASD showed a more persistent bias toward the Type 1 strategy at higher force levels and during longer trials, and their initial force output was less accurate than that of control subjects. Patients showed increased force variability compared with control subjects when attempting to sustain a constant force level. During the relaxation phase, they showed reduced rates of force decrease. These findings suggest that both feedforward and feedback motor control mechanisms are compromised in ASD and these deficits may contribute to the dyspraxia and sensorimotor abnormalities often seen in this disorder.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of optogenetically induced and spontaneous seizure transitions in primary generalized epilepsy
Authors: Wagner Fabien B. , Truccolo Wilson , Wang Jing , Nurmikko Arto V.
Published: January 2015

Transitions into primary generalized epileptic seizures occur abruptly and synchronously across the brain. Their potential triggers remain unknown. We used optogenetics to causally test the hypothesis that rhythmic population bursting of excitatory neurons in a local neocortical region can rapidly trigger absence seizures. Most previous studies have been purely correlational, and it remains unclear whether epileptiform events induced by rhythmic stimulation (e.g., sensory/electrical) mimic actual spontaneous seizures, especially regarding their spatiotemporal dynamics. In this study, we used a novel combination of intracortical optogenetic stimulation and microelectrode array recordings in freely moving WAG/Rij rats, a model of absence epilepsy with a cortical focus in the somatosensory cortex (SI). We report three main findings: 1) Brief rhythmic bursting, evoked by optical stimulation of neocortical excitatory neurons at frequencies around 10 Hz, induced seizures consisting of self-sustained spike-wave discharges (SWDs) for about 10% of stimulation trials. The probability of inducing seizures was frequency-dependent, reaching a maximum at 10 Hz. 2) Local field potential power before stimulation and response amplitudes during stimulation both predicted seizure induction, demonstrating a modulatory effect of brain states and neural excitation levels. 3) Evoked responses during stimulation propagated as cortical waves, likely reaching the cortical focus, which in turn generated self-sustained SWDs after stimulation was terminated. Importantly, SWDs during induced and spontaneous seizures propagated with the same spatiotemporal dynamics. Our findings demonstrate that local rhythmic bursting of excitatory neurons in neocortex at particular frequencies, under susceptible ongoing brain states, is sufficient to trigger primary generalized seizures with stereotypical spatiotemporal dynamics.
Exploiting Semantic Annotations and Q‐Learning for Constructing an Efficient Hierarchy/Graph Texts Organization
Authors: El-Said Asmaa M. , Eldesoky Ali I. , Arafat Hesham A.
Published: January 2015

Tremendous growth in the number of textual documents has produced daily requirements for effective development to explore, analyze, and discover knowledge from these textual documents. Conventional text mining and managing systems mainly use the presence or absence of key words to discover and analyze useful information from textual documents. However, simple word counts and frequency distributions of term appearances do not capture the meaning behind the words, which results in limiting the ability to mine the texts. This paper proposes an efficient methodology for constructing hierarchy/graph‐based texts organization and representation scheme based on semantic annotation and Q‐learning. This methodology is based on semantic notions to represent the text in documents, to infer unknown dependencies and relationships among concepts in a text, to measure the relatedness between text documents, and to apply mining processes using the representation and the relatedness measure. The representation scheme reflects the existing relationships among concepts and facilitates accurate relatedness measurements that result in a better mining performance. An extensive experimental evaluation is conducted on real datasets from various domains, indicating the importance of the proposed approach.
Thermoluminescence of Novel Zinc Oxide Nanophosphors Obtained by Glycine‐Based Solution Combustion Synthesis
Authors: Orante-Barrón V. R. , Escobar-Ochoa F. M. , Cruz-Vázquez C. , Bernal R.
Published: January 2015

High‐dose thermoluminescence dosimetry properties of novel zinc oxide nanophosphors synthesized by a solution combustion method in a glycine‐nitrate process are presented for the very first time in this work. Sintered particles with sizes ranging between ~500 nm and ~2 μm were obtained by annealing the synthesized ZnO at 900°C during 2 h in air. X‐ray diffraction patterns indicate the presence of the ZnO hexagonal phase, without any remaining nitrate peaks observed. Thermoluminescence glow curves of ZnO obtained after being exposed to beta radiation consists of two maxima: one located at ~149°C and another at ~308°C, the latter being the dosimetric component of the curve. The integrated TL fading displays an asymptotic behavior for times longer than 16 h between irradiation and the corresponding TL readout, as well as a linear behaviour of the dose response without saturation in the studied dose interval (from 12.5 up to 400 Gy). Such features place synthesized ZnO as a promising material for high‐dose radiation dosimetry applications.
Research on Identification Method of Scour Depth for Bridge Based on ERA and SVM
Authors: Zhang Xiaozhong , Yao Wenjuan , Liu Yimin , Chen Bo
Published: January 2015

A new damage identification method for bridge scour was proposed, in the case that it was difficult to detect bridge scour depth applying testing equipment. Through integrative application of the eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA) and method of support vector machine (SVM), this method was used to identify the scour depths of bridge under conditions of ambient excitation. The following three steps are necessary for the application of this method to identify bridge scour. Firstly, a sample library about scour depth and upper structure vibration response was established using numerical methods and support vector machine method. Secondly, free response signal of bridge were extracted from random vibration signal of bridge upper structure using random decrement technique. Thirdly, based on above two steps, the bridge scour depth was identified using ERA and SVM. In the process of applying the method to identify bridge scour depth, the key is to find the sensitive points for scour depth of substructure using sample library and to gather the vibration response signal of accelerated velocity under conditions of ambient excitation. It was identified that the method has higher recognition accuracy and better robustness through experiments on a real bridge. The method provided a new way for identifying scour depth of bridges.
Analytical Solutions of Heat Transfer and Film Thickness with Slip Condition Effect in Thin-Film Evaporation for Two-Phase Flow in Microchannel
Authors: Shkarah Ahmed Jassim , Bin Sulaiman Mohd Yusoff , bin Hj Ayob Md. Razali
Published: January 2015

Physical and mathematical model has been developed to predict the two-phase flow and heat transfer in a microchannel with evaporative heat transfer. Sample solutions to the model were obtained for both analytical analysis and numerical analysis. It is assumed that the capillary pressure is neglected (Morris, 2003). Results are provided for liquid film thickness, total heat flux, and evaporating heat flux distribution. In addition to the sample calculations that were used to illustrate the transport characteristics, computations based on the current model were performed to generate results for comparisons with the analytical results of Wang et al. (2008) and Wayner Jr. et al. (1976). The calculated results from the current model match closely with those of analytical results of Wang et al. (2008) and Wayner Jr. et al. (1976). This work will lead to a better understanding of heat transfer and fluid flow occurring in the evaporating film region and develop an analytical equation for evaporating liquid film thickness.
Compact Wideband Antiparallel Diode Frequency Triplers Utilizing Planar Transitions
Authors: Mohyuddin Wahab , Kim Kang Wook , Choi Hyun Chul
Published: January 2015

Two designs of frequency triplers, which use planar transitions as baluns and an antiparallel diode pair to achieve wide bandwidth, are presented. The ultrawideband transitions are utilized for input and output impedance matching of the frequency triplers. The design process and operation principles are described in this paper. The implemented frequency triplers exhibit flat response over wide frequency range of 3 to 9 GHz. The proposed Type A frequency tripler shows conversion loss of ~18 dB with above 30 dB even harmonics suppression. With Type B frequency tripler, conversion loss of ~17 dB and above 25 dB even harmonic suppression are achieved.
mTOR Kinase: A Possible Pharmacological Target in the Management of Chronic Pain
Authors: Lisi Lucia , Aceto Paola , Navarra Pierluigi , Dello Russo Cinzia
Published: January 2015

Chronic pain represents a major public health problem worldwide. Current pharmacological treatments for chronic pain syndromes, including neuropathic pain, are only partially effective, with significant pain relief achieved in 40–60% of patients. Recent studies suggest that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase and downstream effectors may be implicated in the development of chronic inflammatory, neuropathic, and cancer pain. The expression and activity of mTOR have been detected in peripheral and central regions involved in pain transmission. mTOR immunoreactivity was found in primary sensory axons, in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and in dorsal horn neurons. This kinase is a master regulator of protein synthesis, and it is critically involved in the regulation of several neuronal functions, including the synaptic plasticity that is a major mechanism leading to the development of chronic pain. Enhanced activation of this pathway is present in different experimental models of chronic pain. Consistently, pharmacological inhibition of the kinase activity turned out to have significant antinociceptive effects in several experimental models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. We will review the main evidence from animal and human studies supporting the hypothesis that mTOR may be a novel pharmacological target for the management of chronic pain.
Yamada-Watanabe Results for Stochastic Differential Equations with Jumps
Authors: Barczy Mátyás , Li Zenghu , Pap Gyula
Published: January 2015

Recently, Kurtz (2007, 2014) obtained a general version of the Yamada-Watanabe and Engelbert theorems relating existence and uniqueness of weak and strong solutions of stochastic equations covering also the case of stochastic differential equations with jumps. Following the original method of Yamada and Watanabe (1971), we give alternative proofs for the following two statements: pathwise uniqueness implies uniqueness in the sense of probability law, and weak existence together with pathwise uniqueness implies strong existence for stochastic differential equations with jumps.
Dendrobium chrysotoxumLindl. Alleviates Diabetic Retinopathy by Preventing Retinal Inflammation and Tight Junction Protein Decrease
Authors: Yu Zengyang , Gong Chenyuan , Lu Bin , Yang Li , Sheng Yuchen , Ji Lili , Wang Zhengtao
Published: January 2015

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to observe the alleviation of the ethanol extract ofDendrobium chrysotoxumLindl. (DC), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on DR and its engaged mechanism. After DC (30 or 300 mg/kg) was orally administrated, the breakdown of blood retinal barrier (BRB) in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats was attenuated by DC. Decreased retinal mRNA expression of tight junction proteins (including occludin and claudin-1) in diabetic rats was also reversed by DC. Western blot analysis and retinal immunofluorescence staining results further confirmed that DC reversed the decreased expression of occludin and claudin-1 proteins in diabetic rats. DC reduced the increased retinal mRNA expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), tumor necrosis factorα(TNFα), interleukin- (IL-) 6, and IL-1βin diabetic rats. In addition, DC alleviated the increased 1 and phosphorylated p65, IκB, and IκB kinase (IKK) in diabetic rats. DC also reduced the increased serum levels of TNFα, interferon-γ(IFN-γ), IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-12, IL-2, IL-3, and IL-10 in diabetic rats. Therefore, DC can alleviate DR by inhibiting retinal inflammation and preventing the decrease of tight junction proteins, such as occludin and claudin-1.
High-Resolution Imaging of Polyethylene Glycol Coated Dendrimers via Combined Atomic Force and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
Authors: Riechers Shawn , Zhong Qian , Yin Nai-Ning , Karsai Arpad , da Rocha Sandro R. P. , Liu Gang-yu
Published: January 2015

Dendrimers have shown great promise as drug delivery vehicles in recent years because they can be synthesized with designed size and functionalities for optimal transportation, targeting, and biocompatibility. One of the most well-known termini used for biocompatibility is polyethylene glycol (PEG), whose performance is affected by its actual conformation. However, the conformation of individual PEG bound to soft materials such as dendrimers has not been directly observed. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), this work characterizes the structure adopted by PEGylated dendrimers with the highest resolution reported to date. AFM imaging enables visualization of the individual dendrimers, as well as the differentiation and characterization of the dendrimer core and PEG shell. STM provides direct imaging of the PEG extensions with high-resolution. Collectively, this investigation provides important insight into the structure of coated dendrimers, which is crucial for the design and development of better drug delivery vehicles.
Measurements of Epidural Space Depth Using Preexisting CT Scans Correlate with Loss of Resistance Depth during Thoracic Epidural Catheter Placement
Authors: Greene Nathaniel H. , Cobb Benjamin G. , Linnau Ken F. , Kent Christopher D.
Published: January 2015

Background.Thoracic epidural catheters provide the best quality postoperative pain relief for major abdominal and thoracic surgical procedures, but placement is one of the most challenging procedures in the repertoire of an anesthesiologist. Most patients presenting for a procedure that would benefit from a thoracic epidural catheter have already had high resolution imaging that may be useful to assist placement of a catheter.Methods.This retrospective study used data from 168 patients to examine the association and predictive power of epidural-skin distance (ESD) on computed tomography (CT) to determine loss of resistance depth acquired during epidural placement. Additionally, the ability of anesthesiologists to measure this distance was compared to a radiologist, who specializes in spine imaging.Results.There was a strong association between CT measurement and loss of resistance depth (P<0.0001); the presence of morbid obesity (BMI>35) changed this relationship (P=0.007). The ability of anesthesiologists to make CT measurements was similar to a gold standard radiologist (all individualICCs>0.9).Conclusions.Overall, this study supports the examination of a recent CT scan to aid in the placement of a thoracic epidural catheter. Making use of these scans may lead to faster epidural placements, fewer accidental dural punctures, and better epidural blockade.
A Common Weight Linear Optimization Approach for Multicriteria ABC Inventory Classification
Authors: Hatefi S. M. , Torabi S. A.
Published: January 2015

Organizations typically employ the ABC inventory classification technique to have an efficient control on a huge amount of inventory items. The ABC inventory classification problem is classification of a large amount of items into three groups: A, very important; B, moderately important; and C, relatively unimportant. The traditional ABC classification only accounts for one criterion, namely, the annual dollar usage of the items. But, there are other important criteria in real world which strongly affect the ABC classification. This paper proposes a novel methodology based on a common weight linear optimization model to solve the multiple criteria inventory classification problem. The proposed methodology enables the classification of inventory items via a set of common weights which is very essential in a fair classification. It has a remarkable computational saving when compared with the existing approaches and at the same time it needs no subjective information. Furthermore, it is easy enough to apply for managers. The proposed model is applied on an illustrative example and a case study taken from the literature. Both numerical results and qualitative comparisons with the existing methods reveal several merits of the proposed approach for ABC analysis.
Real National Income Average Growth Rate: A Novel Economic Growth and Social Fair Evaluation Index
Authors: Wu Chien Wei , Hung Wei Zhan
Published: January 2015

The purpose of this study is to propose a new economic index, namely, real national income average growth rate (RNIAGR), which measures the performance of economic growth with consideration for income distribution. This study also develops another new economic index, called five-scale real national income average growth rate (FSRNIAGR), which simplifies the calculation of RNIAGR. The merits of these new indexes are discussed to justify their efficacy. This paper also justifies the use of proposed index by showing that this index can actually measure the ordering of social welfare. To highlight the difference between this new index and the traditional ones, this paper compares the index with real economic growth rate using the data of Taiwan. In addition, this paper shows that when the real growth stagnates or even declines, this new index indicates that income distribution deteriorates.
Mathematical Analysis of the Effect of Iron and Silica on the Reduction Performance of Manganese Ores
Authors: Ghali S. , Mousa E. A.
Published: January 2015

In the current study, a factorial design is used to investigate the effect of total iron and silica on the metallurgical performance of different grades of manganese ores. The derived mathematical formulations are applied to estimate the reduction disintegration index (RDI+6.3, RDI+3.15, and RDI−0.5), reduction index (total reduction index (RIT), manganese reduction index (RIM), and iron reduction index (RIF)), and softening-melting property (start of softening (TS1), end of softening (TS2), start of melting (Tm1), and end of melting (Tm2)) of manganese ores. The RDI+6.3 and RDI+3.15 are increased with the individual effect of SiO2 and the interaction effect of iron with silica, while they are decreased as the total iron increased. The high-Fe high-SiO2 manganese ore showed the highest RIT and RIF. The RIM was almost identical in all manganese ores. The presence of high content of SiO2 resulted in a narrow softening range (62–83°C), while the high-Fe high-SiO2 manganese ore exhibited a wider softening range (135–140°C). The melting range was very small in high-Fe low-SiO2 (3–16°C) and high-Fe high-SiO2 (6–8°C) manganese ores, while the low-Fe low-SiO2 manganese ore showed wider melting range (72–74°C). The derived mathematical models are in a good agreement with the experimental results. The calculations are carried out using Matlab program.
Heterogeneous Resource Allocation Algorithm for Ad Hoc Networks with Utility Fairness
Authors: Han Bing-Qing , Feng Guo-Fu , Chen Yi-Fei
Published: January 2015

Resource allocation is expected to be a most important factor especially for heterogeneous applications in wireless ad hoc networks. In this paper, a novel heterogeneous resource allocation algorithm (HRA) is presented for ad hoc networks, supporting both elastic and inelastic traffic. First, by combining the first order Lagrangian method with pseudo utility, the original nonconvex problem is converted into a new convex one. Then, we successfully solve the heterogeneous problem with the dual-based decomposition approach. In addition, we integrate utility fairness into the resource allocation framework, which can adaptively manage the tradeoff between elastic and inelastic flows. Simulations show and prove that HRA converges fast and can achieve the global optimum starting from many different network conditions, such as elastic, inelastic, and hybrid scenario. With both considerations of flow rate and utility fairness, HRA improves the overall network utility and system throughput greatly.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Visualizes Median Nerve Entrapment due to Radius Fracture and Allows Immediate Surgical Release
Authors: Yanagibayashi Satoshi , Yamamoto Naoto , Yoshida Ryuichi , Sekido Mitsuru
Published: January 2015

Median nerve entrapment with forearm fracture is rare, and surgical exploration in the early stage is rarely performed. We report the case of a 19-year-old man presenting with severe pain and numbness of the thumb, index, and middle fingers and half of the ring finger along with weakness of abduction and opposition of the thumb after fracture of the radial shaft. These symptoms remained unimproved despite precise closed reduction and cast immobilization. The radius fracture was barely displaced, but complaints were increasing, particularly when the wrist and/or fingers were stretched. This suggested direct involvement of the median nerve at the fracture site, so magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the forearm was performed to identify any entrapment. Short tau inversion recovery MRI visualized significant deviation and entrapment of the median nerve at the fracture site. Surgical release of the entrapment was performed immediately, and complaints resolved shortly thereafter. A positive Tinel sign from the palm to the fingertips and recovery of abduction and opposition of the thumb were seen at 6 months postoperatively. This report highlights the utility of MRI for detecting median nerve entrapment at a fracture site, allowing immediate surgical release.
A Reappraisal of Women’s Health Initiative Estrogen-Alone Trial: Long-Term Outcomes in Women 50–59 Years of Age
Authors: Roehm Eric
Published: January 2015

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Estrogen-Alone Trial randomized postmenopausal women, 50 to 79 years of age, with prior hysterectomy, to conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) or placebo with a 5.9-year median duration of CEE use. In 2013, the WHI published outcomes for additional extended follow-up. Reported here for the first time is an analysis of the number needed to treat with CEE rather than placebo for younger women (50–59 years) to prevent an adverse long-term outcome. For every 76 women randomized to CEE at 50–59 years, one less myocardial infarction occurred during the 13-year cumulative long-term follow-up. For every 37 women randomized to CEE at 50–59 years, one less woman experienced a global index endpoint (including coronary heart disease, invasive breast cancer, stroke, pulmonary embolism, colorectal cancer, hip fracture, and death) during the 13-year follow-up. Younger women (50–59 years), compared to older women, had more favorable cumulative long-term outcomes for MI and global index. Though a subgroup analysis is not an adequate basis for making primary prevention guideline recommendations, the WHI Estrogen-Alone Trial outcomes strongly suggest that a similar course of estrogen initiated at 50–59 years in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy results in significant long-term health benefit.
On Reduced Zero-Divisor Graphs of Posets
Authors: Das Ashish Kumar , Nongsiang Deiborlang
Published: January 2015

We study some properties of a graph which is constructed from the equivalence classes of nonzero zero-divisors determined by the annihilator ideals of a poset. In particular, we demonstrate how this graph helps in identifying the annihilator prime ideals of a poset that satisfies the ascending chain condition for its proper annihilator ideals.
Oscillation Properties for Systems of Higher-Order Partial Differential Equations with Distributed Deviating Arguments
Authors: Liu Youjun , Zhang Jianwen , Yan Jurang
Published: January 2015

New sufficient conditions are obtained for oscillation for the solutions of systems of a class of higher-order quasilinear partial functional differential equations with distributed deviating arguments. The obtained results are illustrated by example.
A Differential Diagnosis of Haematuria following a Motor Vehicle Collision: Nutcracker Syndrome
Authors: Sharp Gary , Glenn Derek
Published: January 2015

A young female presented to the emergency department following a motor vehicle collision. She complained of left flank pain and was found to have haematuria. After investigation no trauma related injuries were identified. However, an incidental finding of nutcracker phenomenon/syndrome was made. Nutcracker phenomenon is a rare cause of haematuria resulting from nontraumatic compression of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery and the aorta. It affects females more than males and its presentation can range from asymptomatic to debilitating haematuria, pelvic congestion in females, varicosities in males, and pain. No validated diagnostic criteria exist and treatment is usually surgical in those with debilitating symptoms or refractory anaemia.
Comparative Evaluation of Fracture Resistance of Simulated Immature Teeth Restored with Glass Fiber Posts, Intracanal Composite Resin, and Experimental Dentine Posts
Authors: Nikhil Vineeta , Jha Padmanabh , Aggarwal Akarshak
Published: January 2015

Aim. The aim of this study was to compare the fracture resistance of simulated immature teeth restored with gutta‐percha, glass fiber posts (GFP), experimental dentine posts (DP) or Intracanal composite Resin (ICR). Materials and Methods. Fifty maxillary canines were decoronated, standardized and enlarged until, number 5 Peeso reamers were allowed to simulate immature teeth. After placement of 5 mm of MTA, the canals were divided into 5 groups and filled as follows: Group 1: AH Plus + gutta‐percha, lateral compaction; Group 2: GFP luted with PARACORE dual cure resin; Group 3: DP luted with PARACORE dual cure resin; Group 4: PARACORE dual cure resin. A standardized core was built in all groups except in Group 5. Each of the specimens was tested for fracture resistance by universal testing machine. Results. The mean fracture resistance were 817 ± 27.753, 1164.6 ± 21.624, 994.4 ± 96.8747, 873.8 ± 105.446 and 493.7 ± 6.945 newtons for Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively. Independent “t” test revealed statistically significant discrepancies, in the fracture resistance among the 4 groups except Group 1 and Group 4 (P < 0.05). Conclusions. This study suggests that GFP and DP may be preferred for additional reinforcement of immature teeth.
An Evaluation of the Correlation between Hepcidin Serum Levels and Disease Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Paköz Zehra Betül , Çekiç Cem , Arabul Mahmut , Sarıtaş Yüksel Elif , İpek Serkan , Vatansever Sezgin , Ünsal Belkıs
Published: January 2015

Aim. While there are many well-defined serological markers for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there is limited evidence that they positively affect clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between hepcidin serum levels and disease activity in IBD.Materials and Methods. Eighty-five consecutive IBD patients were enrolled in the study. Hepcidin serum levels were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and were compared with disease activity as well as the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.Results. The mean hepcidin serum levels in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients in remission and in the active phase were3837±1436and3752±1274 pg/mL, respectivelyP=0.613. The mean hepcidin serum levels in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in remission and in the active phase were4285±8623and3727±1176 pg/mL, respectivelyP=0.241. Correlation analysis between inflammatory markers and hepcidin serum levels indicated that there was no correlation between hepcidin levels and IL-6P=0.582or CRPP=0.783.Conclusion. As an acute-phase protein, hepcidin seems to have a lower efficacy than other parameters in the detection of activation in IBD.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Extract of Oak Fruit Hull (Jaft): Synthesis and In Vitro Cytotoxic Effect on MCF-7 Cells
Authors: Heydari Rouhollah , Rashidipour Marzieh
Published: January 2015

A green synthetic approach by using oak fruit hull (Jaft) extract for preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was developed and optimized. Parameters affecting the synthesis of AgNPs, such as temperature, extract pH, and concentration of extract (ratio of plant sample to extraction solvent), were investigated and optimized. Optimum conditions for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles are as follows: Ag+concentration, 1 mM; extract concentration, 40 g/L (4% w/v); pH = 9 and temperature, 45°C. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TEM and DLS analyses have shown the synthesized AgNPs were predominantly spherical in shape with an average size of 40 nm. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized AgNPs and Jaft extract containing AgNPs against human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) was investigated and the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were found to be 50 and 0.04 μg/mL at 24 h incubation, respectively. This eco-friendly and cost-effective synthesis method can be potentially used for large-scale production of silver nanoparticles.
Analysis of Flow Evolution and Thermal Instabilities in the Near-Nozzle Region of a Free Plane Laminar Jet
Authors: Barrios-Piña Hector , Ramírez-León Hermilo , Couder-Castañeda Carlos
Published: January 2015

This work focuses on the evolution of a free plane laminar jet in the near-nozzle region. The jet is buoyant because it is driven by a continuous addition of both buoyancy and momentum at the source. Buoyancy is given by a temperature difference between the jet and the environment. To study the jet evolution, numerical simulations were performed for two Richardson numbers: the one corresponding to a temperature difference slightly near the validity of the Boussinesq approximation and the other one corresponding to a higher temperature difference. For this purpose, a time dependent numerical model is used to solve the fully dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. Density variations are given by the ideal gas law and flow properties as dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity are considered nonconstant. Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the boundary conditions to ensure jet stability and flow rates control. The numerical simulations were also reproduced by using the Boussinesq approximation to find out more about its pertinence for this kind of flows. Finally, a stability diagram is also obtained to identify the onset of the unsteady state in the near-nozzle region by varying control parameters of momentum and buoyancy. It is found that, at the onset of the unsteady state, momentum effects decrease almost linearly when buoyancy effects increase.
Fabrication and Characterization of Nickel Chloride Doped PMMA Films
Authors: Al-Taa’y Wasan A. , Oboudi Saad F. , Yousif Emad , Abdul Nabi Mohammed , Yusop Rahimi M. , Derawi Darfizzi
Published: January 2015

Films of PMMA and PMMA doped with NiCl2with different contents were prepared using the casting technique. The optical properties of all films were investigated using spectrophotometric measurements of absorbance and transmittance in the wavelength range 200–800 nm. The change of the calculated values of the optical energy gaps with increasing NiCl2content has been interpreted in terms of the structural modifications of the PMMA matrix. The optical energy gap decreased from 3.6 to 3.05 eV with increasing the NiCl2concentration to 0.4%. The effect of doping on the optical constants of films such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant, optical conductivity, and skin depth has been reported. All these constants were increased with increasing NiCl2concentration with the exception of skin depth which is different result.
Effect of Bend Radius on Magnitude and Location of Erosion in S-Bend
Authors: Mazumder Quamrul H. , Zhao Siwen , Ahmed Kawshik
Published: January 2015

Solid particle erosion is a mechanical process that removes material by the impact of solid particles entrained in the flow. Erosion is a leading cause of failure of oil and gas pipelines and fittings in fluid handling industries. Different approaches have been used to control or minimize damage caused by erosion in particulated gas-solid or liquid-solid flows. S-bend geometry is widely used in different fluid handling equipment that may be susceptible to erosion damage. The results of a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of diluted gas-solid and liquid-solid flows in an S-bend are presented in this paper. In addition to particle impact velocity, the bend radius may have significant influence on the magnitude and the location of erosion. CFD analysis was performed at three different air velocities (15.24 m/s–45.72 m/s) and three different water velocities (0.1 m/s–10 m/s) with entrained solid particles. The particle sizes used in the analysis range between 50 and 300 microns. Maximum erosion was observed in water with 10 m/s, 250-micron particle size, and a ratio of 3.5. The location of maximum erosion was observed in water with 10 m/s, 300-micron particle size, and a ratio of 3.5. Comparison of CFD results with available literature data showed reasonable and good agreement.
Effects of Weather, Time, and Pollution Level on the Amount of Particulate Matter Deposited on Leaves of Ligustrum lucidum
Authors: Wang Huixia , Shi Hui , Wang Yanhui
Published: January 2015

This paper investigated the spatial and temporal variations in the amounts of PM accumulated on leaves of Ligustrum lucidum, a common evergreen tree species in North China. The effects of rainfall and wind on the amounts of PM deposited on foliage were also determined. The amounts of PM (g·m−2) retained by leaves of L. lucidum differed significantly among the sites (from 0.96 to 5.56) and over time (from 2.51 to 4.48). The largest amounts of PM on foliage of L. lucidum were observed on plants growing at the most polluted site. During the year, the highest and lowest accumulation of PM occurred in November and August, respectively. A considerable proportion of the accumulated PM on leaves was removed by rainfall events (28–48% of PM) and strong winds (27–36% of PM), and more precipitation or higher maximum wind speed could remove more PM from leaves. Rainfall removed mainly large and coarse particles, while fine particles adhered more strongly to the foliage. These results suggested that the effects of local weather conditions (e.g., rainfall, strong wind), different seasons, and pollution levels should be considered in evaluating total PM accumulation on leaves.
On the Riesz Basisness of Systems Composed of Root Functions of Periodic Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Kıraç Alp Arslan
Published: January 2015

We consider the nonself-adjoint Sturm-Liouville operator withq∈L1[0,1]and either periodic or antiperiodic boundary conditions. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for systems of root functions of these operators to be a Riesz basis inL2[0,1]in terms of the Fourier coefficients ofq.
Generalized Fractional Integral Inequalities for Continuous Random Variables
Authors: Akkurt Abdullah , Kaçar Zeynep , Yildirim Hüseyin
Published: January 2015

Some generalized integral inequalities are established for the fractional expectation and the fractional variance for continuous random variables. Special cases of integral inequalities in this paper are studied by Barnett et al. and Dahmani.
Antioxidant Activity, Antitumor Effect, and Antiaging Property of Proanthocyanidins Extracted fromKunlun ChrysanthemumFlowers
Authors: Jing Siqun , Zhang Xiaoming , Yan Liang-Jun
Published: January 2015

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity, antitumor effect, and antiaging property of proanthocyanidins fromKunlun Chrysanthemumflowers (PKCF) grown in Xinjiang. In vitro antioxidant experiments results showed that the total antioxidant activity and the scavenging capacity of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radicals increased in a concentration-dependent manner and were stronger than those of vitamin C. To investigate the antioxidant activity of PKCF in vivo, we used serum, liver, and kidney from mouse for the measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). Results indicated that PKCF had antioxidative effect in vivo which significantly improved the activity of SOD and T-AOC and decreased MDA content. To investigate the antitumor activity of PKCF, we used H22 cells, HeLa cells, and Eca-109 cells with Vero cells as control. Inhibition ratio and IC50values were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay; PKCF showed great inhibitory activity on H22 cells and HeLa cells. We also used fruit flies as a model for analyzing the anti-aging property of PKCF. Results showed that PKCF has antiaging effect onDrosophila. Results of the present study demonstrated that PKCF could be a promising agent that may find applications in health care, medicine, and cosmetics.
A Handshake Based Ordered Scheduling MAC Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Local Area Networks
Authors: Liao Zilong , Li Deshi , Chen Jian
Published: January 2015

Underwater acoustic local area networks (UA-LANs) can be used to improve the coverage of an underwater network by introducing a tier of local area communications. Media access control (MAC) is a crucial issue for UA-LANs. Existing MAC protocols for terrestrial WLANs cannot be directly applied to UA-LANs due to the acoustic channel features of limited bandwidth and high and variable propagation delay. In this paper, we propose a handshake based ordered scheduling MAC (HOSM) protocol for UA-LANs. The nodes with data packets to be transmitted first reserve the channel in a channel reservation phase. Then an order list is calculated, and the data packets of these nodes are transmitted according to this order list. We develop a control packets transmission adjustment mechanism to reduce collisions of control packets. The key idea of this mechanism is to utilize the information of propagation delay to adjust the time instant of control packets transmitting. To improve channel utilization, we present a variant Max-Min Ant System algorithm to calculate an optimal order for each data transmission round. Simulation results have confirmed that the proposed protocol can achieve high throughput with low delay and good spatial fairness.
Histone Deacetylase 6 Represents a Novel Drug Target in the Oncogenic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
Authors: Dhanyamraju Pavan Kumar , Holz Philipp Simon , Finkernagel Florian , Fendrich Volker , Lauth Matthias
Published: January 2015

Uncontrolled Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is the cause of several malignancies, including the pediatric cancer medulloblastoma, a neuroectodermal tumor affecting the cerebellum. Despite the development of potent Hh pathway antagonists, medulloblastoma drug resistance is still an unresolved issue that requires the identification of novel drug targets. Following up on our observation that histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) expression was increased in Hh-driven medulloblastoma, we found that this enzyme is essential for full Hh pathway activation. Intriguingly, these stimulatory effects of HDAC6 are partly integrated downstream of primary cilia, a known HDAC6-regulated structure. In addition, HDAC6 is also required for the complete repression of basal Hh target gene expression. These contrasting effects are mediated by HDAC6′s impact on Gli2 mRNA and GLI3 protein expression. As a result of this complex interaction with Hh signaling, global transcriptome analysis revealed that HDAC6 regulates only a subset of Smoothened- and Gli-driven genes, including all well-established Hh targets such as Ptch1 or Gli1. Importantly, medulloblastoma cell survival was severely compromised by HDAC6 inhibition in vitro and pharmacologic HDAC6 blockade strongly reduced tumor growth in an in vivo allograft model. In summary, our data describe an important role for HDAC6 in regulating the mammalian Hh pathway and encourage further studies focusing on HDAC6 as a novel drug target in medulloblastoma. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(3); 727–39. ©2014 AACR.
Improved Circulating Tumor Cell Detection by a Combined EpCAM and MCAM CellSearch Enrichment Approach in Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Onstenk Wendy , Kraan Jaco , Mostert Bianca , Timmermans Mieke M. , Charehbili Ayoub , Smit Vincent T.H.B.M. , Kroep Judith R. , Nortier Johan W.R. , van de Ven Saskia , Heijns Joan B. , Kessels Lonneke W. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W.M. , Bos Monique M.E.M. , van de Velde Cornelis J.H. , Gratama Jan W. , Sieuwerts Anieta M. , Martens John W.M. , Foekens John A. , Sleijfer Stefan
Published: January 2015

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are detected by the CellSearch System in 20% to 25% of patients with primary breast cancer (pBC). To improve CTC detection, we investigated melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) as enrichment marker next to epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and tested the clinical relevance of MCAM-positive CTCs in patients with HER2-negative stage II/III pBC starting neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in the NEOZOTAC trial. Using the CellSearch System, EpCAM-positive and MCAM-positive CTCs were separately enriched from 7.5 mL blood, at baseline and after the first NAC cycle. Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) were measured using flow cytometry. Primary objective was to improve the CTC detection rate to ≥40% combining EpCAM/MCAM. Correlations of CTC and CEC counts and pathologic complete response (pCR) were also explored. At baseline, we detected EpCAM-positive and MCAM-positive CTCs in 12 of 68 (18%) and 8 of 68 (12%) patients, respectively. After one cycle, this was 7 of 44 (16%) and 7 of 44 (16%) patients, respectively. The detection rate improved from 18% at baseline and 16% after one cycle with EpCAM to 25% (P = 0.08) and 30% (P = 0.02), respectively, with EpCAM/MCAM. No patients with MCAM-positive CTCs versus 23% of patients without MCAM-positive CTCs at baseline achieved pCR (P = 0.13). EpCAM-positive CTCs and CEC counts were not correlated to pCR. Combined EpCAM/MCAM CellSearch enrichment thus increased the CTC detection rate in stage II/III pBC. We found no associations of CTC and CEC counts with pCR to NAC. The clinical relevance of MCAM-positive CTCs deserves further study. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(3); 821–7. ©2014 AACR.
A Novel Therapeutic Strategy to Rescue the Immune Effector Function of Proteolytically Inactivated Cancer Therapeutic Antibodies
Authors: Fan Xuejun , Brezski Randall J. , Deng Hui , Dhupkar Pooja M. , Shi Yun , Gonzalez Anneliese , Zhang Songlin , Rycyzyn Michael , Strohl William R. , Jordan Robert E. , Zhang Ningyan , An Zhiqiang
Published: January 2015

Primary and acquired resistance to anticancer antibody immunotherapies presents significant clinical challenges. Here, we demonstrate that proteolytic inactivation of cancer-targeting antibodies is an unappreciated contributor to cancer immune evasion, and the finding presents novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention. A single peptide bond cleavage in the IgG1 hinge impairs cancer cell killing due to structural derangement of the Fc region. Hinge-cleaved trastuzumab gradually accumulated on the surfaces of HER2-expressing cancer cell lines in vitro, and was greatly accelerated when the cells were engineered to express the potent bacterial IgG-degrading proteinase (IdeS). Similar to cancer-related matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), IdeS exposes a hinge neoepitope that we have developed an antibody, mAb2095-2, to specifically target the epitope. In in vitro studies, mAb2095-2 restored the lost antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity functionality of cell-bound single-cleaved trastuzumab (scIgG-T). In vivo, mAb2095-2 rescued the impaired Fc-dependent tumor-suppressive activity of scIgG-T in a xenograft tumor model and restored the recruitment of immune effector cells into the tumor microenvironment. More importantly, an Fc-engineered proteinase-resistant version of mAb2095-2 rescued trastuzumab antitumor efficacy in a mouse tumor model with human cancer cells secreting IdeS, whereas trastuzumab alone showed significantly reduced antitumor activity in the same model. Consistently, an Fc-engineered proteinase-resistant version of trastuzumab also greatly improved antitumor efficacy in the xenograft tumor model. Taken together, these findings point to a novel cancer therapeutic strategy to rescue proteolytic damage of antibody effector function by an Fc-engineered mAb against the hinge neoepitope and to overcome cancer evasion of antibody immunity. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(3); 681–91. ©2014 AACR.