bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research Capacity at Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Centers in China: A Survey of Clinical Investigators
Authors: Feng Shuo , Han Mei , Lai Lily , Wang Si-cheng , Liu Jian-ping
Published: March 2017

Background. The development of an evidence‐based approach to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which depends on the generation of good quality evidence, requires an adequate workforce. However, the research capacity of TCM investigators is not known. Study Design. This cross‐sectional study was conducted to describe the research capacity of TCM clinical investigators in China. Participants. A total of 584 participants from TCM hospitals and research centers were included. They were asked about the academic and research characteristics, needs for research capacity building, and barriers to clinical research. Results. The majority (80.82%) were qualified to at least a Master’s degree, whilst a smaller proportion (40.24%) held a senior professional title. We found that academic outputs were low with the majority (62.16%) authoring less than five publications in total. The most pressing needs for building research capacity identified were training in research methodology (97.43%) and identification of research questions (86.81%), whilst the highest ranking barriers to conducting research were limited motivation, funding (40.72%), and time (37.15%). Conclusion. The methodology training, along with investment in the research workforce, needs to be urgently addressed to improve investigators’ research capacity and the development of an evidence‐based approach of TCM.
Diet-Induced Obesity Is Associated with an Impaired NK Cell Function and an Increased Colon Cancer Incidence
Authors: Bähr Ina , Goritz Vincent , Doberstein Henriette , Hiller Grit Gesine Ruth , Rosenstock Philip , Jahn Janine , Pörtner Ole , Berreis Tobias , Mueller Thomas , Spielmann Julia , Kielstein Heike
Published: March 2017

Obesity is associated with an increased colon cancer incidence, but underlying mechanisms remained unclear. Previous studies showed altered Natural killer (NK) cell functions in obese individuals. Therefore, we studied the impact of an impaired NK cell functionality on the increased colon cancer risk in obesity. In vitro investigations demonstrated a decreased IFN-γsecretion and cytotoxicity of human NK cells against colon tumor cells after NK cell preincubation with the adipokine leptin. In addition, leptin incubation decreased the expression of activating NK cell receptors. In animal studies, colon cancer growth was induced by injection of azoxymethane (AOM) in normal weight and diet-induced obese rats. Body weight and visceral fat mass were increased in obese animals compared to normal weight rats. AOM-treated obese rats showed an increased quantity, size, and weight of colon tumors compared to the normal weight tumor group. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated a decreased number of NK cells in spleen and liver in obesity. Additionally, the expression levels of activating NK cell receptors were lower in spleen and liver of obese rats. The results show for the first time that the decreased number and impaired NK cell function may be one cause for the higher colon cancer risk in obesity.
The IR Spectra, Molar Absorptivity, and Integrated Molar Absorptivity of the C76-D2and C84-D2:22 Isomers
Authors: Jovanović Tamara , Koruga Đuro , Jovančićević Branimir
Published: March 2017

The FT-IR spectra of the stable C76and C84isomers of D2symmetry, isolated by the new, advanced extraction and chromatographic methods and processes, were recorded by the KBr technique, over the relevant region from 400 to 2000 cm−1, at room temperature. All the observed infrared bands are in excellent agreement with the semiempirical QCFF/PI, DFT, and TB potential calculations for these fullerenes, which is presented in this article, as the evidence of their validity. The molar absorptivityεand the integrated molar absorptivityψof their IR absorption bands were determined and reported together with the relative intensities. Excellent agreement is found between the relative intensities of the main and characteristic absorption maxima calculated fromελand from theψλvalues in adequate integration ranges. These results are significant for the identification and quantitative determination of the C76-D2and C84-D2:22 fullerenes, either in natural resources on Earth and in space or in artificially synthesized and biomaterials, electronic, optical, and biomedical devices, sensors, polymers, optical limiters, solar cells, organic field effect transistors, special lenses, diagnostic and therapeutic agents, pharmaceutical substances in biomedical engineering, and so forth.
Intra-Abdominal Hypertension Causes Bacterial Growth in Lungs: An Animal Study
Authors: Papakrivou Eleni , Makris Demosthenes , Manoulakas Efstratios , Mitroudi Magda , Tepetes Konstantinos , Papazoglou Konstantinos , Zakynthinos Epaminondas
Published: March 2017

To study the effect of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) on the frequency of pneumonia with an experimental study, thirteen Sprague-Dawley rats were included. Eight out of thirteen animals were randomly assigned to receive 10 ml of benzalkonium chloride 0.2% (megacolon group) and five animals received 10 ml NaCl 0.9% (controls). Animals were anaesthetized by intramuscular delivery of ketamine. The incidence of positivity for bacteria lung tissue cultures and mesenteric lymph node cultures was assessed at the 21st day after animals’ sacrification, or before in case of death. All megacolon group animals presented progressive increase of the abdomen and increased IAP (≥10 mmHg) whereas the frequency of their evacuations was almost eliminated. Controls presented normal evacuations, no sign of abdominal distention, and normal IAP. In megacolon group animals, there was evidence of significant amount of bacteria in lung cultures. In contrast, no bacteria were found in control animals.
Computational Analysis of Specific MicroRNA Biomarkers for Noninvasive Early Cancer Detection
Authors: Song Tianci , Liang Yanchun , Cao Zhongbo , Du Wei , Li Ying
Published: March 2017

Cancer is a complex disease residing in various tissues of human body, accompanied with many abnormalities and mutations in genomes, transcriptome, and epigenome. Early detection plays a crucial role in extending survival time of all major cancer types. Recent advances in microarray and sequencing techniques have given more support to identifying effective biomarkers for early detection of cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are more and more frequently used as candidates for biomarkers in cancer related studies due to their regulation of target gene expression. In this paper, the comparative analysis is used to discover miRNA expression patterns in cancer versus normal samples on early stage of eight prevalent cancer types. Our work focuses on the specific miRNAs biomarkers identification and function analysis. Several identified miRNA biomarkers in this paper are matched well with those reported in existing researches, and most of them could serve as potential candidate indicators for clinical early diagnosis applications.
Use of the Smart Store for Persuasive Marketing and Immersive Customer Experiences: A Case Study of Korean Apparel Enterprise
Authors: Hwangbo Hyunwoo , Kim Yang Sok , Cha Kyung Jin
Published: March 2017

Information technology’s introduction of online retail has deeply influenced methods of doing business. However, offline retail has not changed as radically in comparison to online retailing. Recently, studies in computer science have suggested new technology that can support offline retailers, including sensors, indoor positioning, augmented reality, vision, and interactive systems. Retailers have recently shown interest in these technologies and rapidly adopted them in order to improve operational efficiency and customer experience in their retail shops. Marketing studies also address immersive marketing that employs these technologies in order to change ways of doing offline retail business. Even though there is much discussion concerning new trends, technologies, and marketing concepts, there is, as of yet, no investigation that comprehensively explains how they can be combined together seamlessly in the real world retail environment. This paper employs the term “smart store” to indicate retail stores equipped with these new technologies and modern marketing concepts. This paper aims to summarize discussions related to smart stores and their possible applications in a real business environment. Furthermore, we present a case study of a business that applies the smart store concept to its fashion retail shops in Korea.
Caprine Endometrial Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cell: Multilineage Potential, Characterization, and Growth Kinetics in Breeding and Anestrous Stages
Authors: Tamadon Amin , Mehrabani Davood , Zarezadeh Younes , Rahmanifar Farhad , Dianatpour Mehdi , Zare Shahrokh
Published: March 2017

The endometrial layer of the uterus contains a population of cells with similar characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In the present study, caprine endometrial mesenchymal stromal stem cells (En-MSCs) characters and differentiation potential to chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic cell lines as well as their growth kinetics in breeding and anestrous stages were evaluated. En-MSCs were enzymatically isolated from endometrial layer of the uterus of adult goats and were cultured and subcultured until passage 4. The growth kinetics and population doubling time (PDT) of caprine En-MSCs in breeding and anestrous stages were determined. En-MSCs in passage 4 were used for the karyotyping and differentiation into chondrocytes, osteocytes, and adipocytes. The PDT in anestrus phase was 40.6 h and in cyclic goats was 53 h. En-MSCs were fibroblast-like in all passages. The number of chromosomes was normal (2n=60) with no chromosomal instability. Chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic differentiation of En-MSCs was confirmed by staining with Alcian blue, Alizarin red, and Oil Red O, respectively. Caprine En-MSCs demonstrated to be an alternative source of MSCs for cell therapy purposes in regenerative medicine.
A Privacy Model for RFID Tag Ownership Transfer
Authors: Yang Xingchun , Xu Chunxiang , Li Chaorong
Published: March 2017

The ownership of RFID tag is often transferred from one owner to another in its life cycle. To address the privacy problem caused by tag ownership transfer, we propose a tag privacy model which captures the adversary’s abilities to get secret information inside readers, to corrupt tags, to authenticate tags, and to observe tag ownership transfer processes. This model gives formal definitions for tag forward privacy and backward privacy and can be used to measure the privacy property of tag ownership transfer scheme. We also present a tag ownership transfer scheme, which is privacy-preserving under the proposed model and satisfies the other common security requirements, in addition to achieving better performance.
Pneumoperitoneum Secondary to Spontaneously Perforated Pyometra
Authors: Raymond Benjamin A. , Esper Christopher
Published: March 2017

Pyometra, by definition, is a collection of purulent fluid within the uterine cavity. Incidence has been estimated to range from 0.1% to 0.5%. Typically, this is linked to postmenopausal women; however, it has been linked to premenopausal women with concordant use of intrauterine devices. Based on our knowledge, there have been less than 50 recorded cases reported in the English literature regarding perforation of pyometra resulting in acute abdomen and fewer than 25 resulting in pneumoperitoneum. We report a patient who was evaluated for diffuse peritonitis caused by perforated pyometra who was successfully treated with surgical intervention.
An Efficient Series Solution for Nonlinear Multiterm Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Al-Srihin Moh’d Khier , Al-Refai Mohammed
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we introduce an efficient series solution for a class of nonlinear multiterm fractional differential equations of Caputo type. The approach is a generalization to our recent work for single fractional differential equations. We extend the idea of the Taylor series expansion method to multiterm fractional differential equations, where we overcome the difficulty of computing iterated fractional derivatives, which are difficult to be computed in general. The terms of the series are obtained sequentially using a closed formula, where only integer derivatives have to be computed. Several examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the new approach and comparison with the Adomian decomposition method is performed.
Implementation of SoC Based Real‐Time Electromagnetic Transient Simulator
Authors: Herrera-Leandro I. , Moreno-Villalobos P. , Ortega-Cisneros S. , Rivera Jorge , Sandoval-Ibarra F.
Published: March 2017

Real‐time electromagnetic transient simulators are important tools in the design stage of new control and protection systems for power systems. Real‐time simulators are used to test and stress new devices under similar conditions that the device will deal with in a real network with the purpose of finding errors and bugs in the design. The computation of an electromagnetic transient is complex and computationally demanding, due to features such as the speed of the phenomenon, the size of the network, and the presence of time variant and nonlinear elements in the network. In this work, the development of a SoC based real‐time and also offline electromagnetic transient simulator is presented. In the design, the required performance is met from two sides, (a) using a technique to split the power system into smaller subsystems, which allows parallelizing the algorithm, and (b) with specialized and parallel hardware designed to boost the solution flow. The results of this work have shown that for the proposed case studies, based on a balanced distribution of the node of subsystems, the proposed approach has decreased the total simulation time by up to 99 times compared with the classical approach running on a single high performance 32‐bit embedded processor ARM‐Cortex A9.
COPAR: A ChIP-Seq Optimal Peak Analyzer
Authors: Tang Binhua , Wang Xihan , Jin Victor X.
Published: March 2017

Sequencing data quality and peak alignment efficiency of ChIP-sequencing profiles are directly related to the reliability and reproducibility of NGS experiments. Till now, there is no tool specifically designed for optimal peak alignment estimation and quality-related genomic feature extraction for ChIP-sequencing profiles. We developed open-sourced COPAR, a user-friendly package, to statistically investigate, quantify, and visualize the optimal peak alignment and inherent genomic features using ChIP-seq data from NGS experiments. It provides a versatile perspective for biologists to perform quality-check for high-throughput experiments and optimize their experiment design. The package COPAR can process mapped ChIP-seq read file in BED format and output statistically sound results for multiple high-throughput experiments. Together with three public ChIP-seq data sets verified with the developed package, we have deposited COPAR on GitHub under a GNU GPL license.
Feasibility Study of Using Mobile Laser Scanning Point Cloud Data for GNSS Line of Sight Analysis
Authors: Chen Yuwei , Zhu Lingli , Tang Jian , Pei Ling , Kukko Antero , Wang Yiwu , Hyyppä Juha , Hyyppä Hannu
Published: March 2017

The positioning accuracy with good GNSS observation can easily reach centimetre level, supported by advanced GNSS technologies. However, it is still a challenge to offer a robust GNSS based positioning solution in a GNSS degraded area. The concept of GNSS shadow matching has been proposed to enhance the GNSS based position accuracy in city canyons, where the nearby high buildings block parts of the GNSS radio frequency (RF) signals. However, the results rely on the accuracy of the utilized ready-made 3D city model. In this paper, we investigate a solution to generate a GNSS shadow mask with mobile laser scanning (MLS) cloud data. The solution includes removal of noise points, determining the object which only attenuated the RF signal and extraction of the highest obstruction point, and eventually angle calculation for the GNSS shadow mask generation. By analysing the data with the proposed methodology, it is concluded that the MLS point cloud data can be used to extract the GNSS shadow mask after several steps of processing to filter out the hanging objects and the plantings without generating the accurate 3D model, which depicts the boundary of GNSS signal coverage more precisely in city canyon environments compared to traditional 3D models.
Effect of Prior Atorvastatin Treatment on the Frequency of Hospital Acquired Pneumonia and Evolution of Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Multicenter Prospective Study
Authors: Yu Yuetian , Zhu Cheng , Liu Chunyan , Gao Yuan
Published: March 2017

Objective. To investigate whether prior treatment of atorvastatin reduces the frequency of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP).Methods. Totally, 492 patients with acute ischemic stroke and Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 8 were enrolled in this study. Subjects were assigned to prior atorvastatin treatment group (n=268, PG) and no prior treatment group (n=224, NG). All the patients were given 20 mg atorvastatin every night during their hospital stay. HAP frequency and 28-day mortality were measured. Levels of inflammatory biomarkers [white blood cell (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] were tested.Results. There was no significant difference in the incidence of HAP between PG and NG (25.74% versus. 24.55%,p>0.05) and 28-day mortality (50.72% versus 58.18%,p>0.05). However, prior statin treatment did modify the mortality of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (36.54% versus 58.14%,p=0.041) and proved to be a protective factor (HR, 0.564; 95% CI, 0.310~0.825,p=0.038). Concentrations of TNF-αand IL-6 in PG VAP cases were lower than those in NG VAP cases (p<0.01).Conclusions. Prior atorvastatin treatment in patients with ischemic stroke was associated with a lower concentration of IL-6 and TNF-αand improved the outcome of VAP. This clinical study has been registered withChiCTR-ROC-17010633in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.
Solid-State FTIR Spectroscopic Study of Two Binary Mixtures: Cefepime-Metronidazole and Cefoperazone-Sulbactam
Authors: Ali Hassan Refat H. , Ali Ramadan , Batakoushy Hany A. , Derayea Sayed M.
Published: March 2017

The structural information of the pharmaceuticals and insights on the modes of molecular interactions are very important aspects in drug development. In this work, two cephalosporins and antimicrobial combinations, cefepime-metronidazole and cefoperazone-sulbactam, were studied in the solid state using FTIR spectroscopy for the first time. Quantitation of the studied drugs and their binary mixtures was performed by integrating the peak areas of the characteristic well-resolved bands:υ(C=O) band at 1773 cm−1for cefepime and ring torsion band at 826 cm−1for metronidazole andυ(C=O) band at 1715 cm−1for cefoperazone and ring torsion band at 1124 cm−1for sulbactam. The results of this work were compared with the relevant spectrophotometric reported methods. This study provides data that can be used for the preparative process monitoring of the studied drugs in various dosage forms.
Outdoor Growth Characterization of an Unknown Microalga Screened from Contaminated Chlorella Culture
Authors: Huo Shuhao , Shang Changhua , Wang Zhongming , Zhou Weizheng , Cui Fengjie , Zhu Feifei , Yuan Zhenhong , Dong Renjie
Published: March 2017

Outdoor microalgae cultivation process is threatened by many issues, such as pest pollution and complex, changeable weather. Therefore, it is difficult to have identical growth rate for the microalgae cells and to keep their continuous growth. Outdoor cultivation requires the algae strains not only to have a strong ability to accumulate oil, but also to adapt to the complicated external environment. Using 18S rRNA technology, one wild strain Scenedesmus sp. FS was isolated and identified from the culture of Chlorella zofingiensis. Upon contamination by Scenedesmus sp., the species could quickly replace Chlorella zofingiensis G1 and occupy ecological niche in the outdoor column photobioreactors. The results indicated that Scenedesmus sp. FS showed high alkali resistance. It also showed that even under the condition of a low inoculum rate (OD680, 0.08), Scenedesmus sp. FS could still grow in the outdoor raceway pond under a high alkaline environment. Even under unoptimized conditions, the oil content of Scenedesmus sp. FS could reach more than 22% and C16–C18 content could reach up to 79.68%, showing that this species has the potential for the biodiesel production in the near future.
Ischemia-Modified Albumin as a Marker of Acute Coronary Syndrome: The Case for Revising the Concept of “N-Terminal Modification” to “Fatty Acid Occupation” of Albumin
Authors: Oran Ismail , Oran Bulent
Published: March 2017

Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is assumed “N-terminal modified” albumin which is generated immediately following myocardial ischemia. The diagnosis of IMA is based on reduced cobalt binding affinity to albumin which is attributed mainly to incapability of cobalt to bind at albumin’s modified N-terminus. Although the albumin cobalt binding test was accepted as a potentially powerful marker for discriminating acute coronary syndrome from nonischemic chest pain, its usefulness has been brought into question in recent years. Patients with acutely ischemic myocardium exhibit a rapid increase in serum levels of fatty acids (FAs). Almost all released FAs are strongly bound to albumin which create conformational changes in the protein with resultant reduced cobalt binding affinity. There is a clear metabolic and temporal relationship between IMA measured via albumin cobalt binding testing and serum levels of FAs. In line with what has been suggested recently in the literature, we conclude that a shift from the concept of “N-terminal modified” to “FA-occupied” albumin is required, as this better describes IMA in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We also offer “oxidation modified albumin, OMA,” which is conceptually different from the “FA-occupied” IMA, to describe modification of albumin in chronic disease associated with increased oxidative stress.
A Single‐Machine Scheduling Problem with Uncertainty in Processing Times and Outsourcing Costs
Authors: Park Myoung-Ju , Choi Byung-Cheon
Published: March 2017

We consider a single‐machine scheduling problem with an outsourcing option in an environment where the processing time and outsourcing cost are uncertain. The performance measure is the total cost of processing some jobs in‐house and outsourcing the rest. The cost of processing in‐house jobs is measured as the total weighted completion time, which can be considered the operating cost. The uncertainty is described through either an interval or a discrete scenario. The objective is to minimize the maximum deviation from the optimal cost of each scenario. Since the deterministic version is known to be NP‐hard, we focus on two special cases, one in which all jobs have identical weights and the other in which all jobs have identical processing times. We analyze the computational complexity of each case and present the conditions that make them polynomially solvable.
Supply Chain Network Optimization Based on Fuzzy Multiobjective Centralized Decision‐Making Model
Authors: Fu Xinyi , Chen Tinggui
Published: March 2017

Supply chain cooperation strategy believes that the integration of the operation process can produce value for customers, optimize the supply chain of the connection between the vertical nodes, and constantly strengthen the performance of the advantages, so as to achieve mutual benefit and win‐win results. Under fuzzy uncertain environment and centralized decision‐making mode, we study multiobjective decision‐making optimization, which focuses on equilibrium and compensation of multiobjective problems; that is to say, the proper adjustment of the individual goal satisfaction level will make other goals’ satisfaction levels change greatly. Through coordination among the multiobjectives, supply chain system will achieve global optimum. Finally, a simulation experiment from Shaoxing textile case is used to verify its efficiency and effectiveness.
A Tightly Coupled Positioning Solution for Land Vehicles in Urban Canyons
Authors: Li Xu , Jiang Rong , Song Xianghui , Li Bin
Published: March 2017

The integration between Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and on-board sensors is widely used for vehicle positioning. However, as the main information source in the integration, the positioning performance of single- or multiconstellation GNSSs is severely degraded in urban canyons due to the effects of Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) and multipath propagations. How to mitigate such effects is vital to achieve accurate positioning performance in urban canyons. This paper proposes a tightly coupled positioning solution for land vehicles, fusing dual-constellation GNSSs with other low-cost complementary sensors. First, the nonlinear filter model is established based on a cost-effective reduced inertial sensor system with 3D navigation solution. Then, an adaptive fuzzy unscented Kalman filter (AF-UKF) algorithm is developed to achieve the global fusion. In the implementation of AF-UKF, the fuzzy calibration logic (FCL) is designed and introduced to adaptively adjust the dependence on each received satellite measurement to effectively mitigate the NLOS and multipath interferences in urban areas. Finally, the proposed solution is evaluated through experiments. The results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Call Admission Scheme for Multidimensional Traffic Assuming Finite Handoff User
Authors: Sadi Md. Baitul Al , Nadia Afsana
Published: March 2017

Usually, the number of users within a cell in a mobile cellular network is considered infinite; hence,M/M/n/kmodel is appropriate for new originated traffic, but the number of ongoing calls around a cell is always finite. Hence, the traffic model of handoff call will beM/M/n/k/N. In this paper, aK-dimensional traffic model of a mobile cellular network is proposed using the combination of limited and unlimited users case. A new call admission scheme (CAS) is proposed based on both thinning scheme and fading condition. The fading condition of the wireless channel access to a handoff call is prioritized compared to newly originated calls.
Developers as Users: Exploring the Experiences of Using a New Theoretical Method for Usability Assessment
Authors: Bligård Lars-Ola , Strömberg Helena , Karlsson MariAnne
Published: March 2017

There is a need for appropriate evaluation methods to efficiently identify and counteract usability issues early in the development process. The aim of this study was to investigate how product developers assessed a new theoretical method for identifying usability problems and use errors. Two cases where the method had been applied were selected and the users of the method in them were asked to fill in a questionnaire and were then interviewed about their experiences of using the method. Overall, the participants (students and professionals) found the methods useful and their outcome trustworthy. At the same time, the methods were assessed as difficult to learn and as cumbersome and tedious to use. Nevertheless, both students and professionals thought that the methods would be useful in future development work. Suggestions for further improvement included provision of further instructions, for example, on how to adapt the methods and development of an IT-support tool.
Effect of Focused Bedside Ultrasonography in Hypotensive Patients on the Clinical Decision of Emergency Physicians
Authors: Sasmaz M. Ikbal , Gungor Faruk , Guven Ramazan , Akyol K. Can , Kozaci Nalan , Kesapli Mustafa
Published: March 2017

We assessed the effect of focused point of care ultrasound (POCUS) used for critical nontraumatic hypotensive patients presenting to the emergency department of our hospital on the clinical decisions of the physicians and whether it led to the modification of the treatment modality. This prospective clinical study was conducted at the Emergency Department of Antalya Training and Research Hospital. Nontraumatic patients aged 18 and older who presented to our emergency department and whose systolic blood pressure was <100 mmHg or shock index (heart rate/systolic blood pressure) was >1 were included in the study. While the most probable preliminary diagnosis established by the physician before POCUS was consistent with the definitive diagnosis in 60.6% (n=109) of 180 patients included in the study, it was consistent with the definitive diagnosis in 85.0% (n=153) of the patients after POCUS (p<0.001). POCUS performed for critical hypotensive patients presenting to the emergency department is an appropriate diagnostic tool that can be used to enable the physicians to make the accurate preliminary diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment in a short time.
Robust Nonlinear Regression in Enzyme Kinetic Parameters Estimation
Authors: Marasović Maja , Marasović Tea , Miloš Mladen
Published: March 2017

Accurate estimation of essential enzyme kinetic parameters, such asKmandVmax, is very important in modern biology. To this date, linearization of kinetic equations is still widely established practice for determining these parameters in chemical and enzyme catalysis. Although simplicity of linear optimization is alluring, these methods have certain pitfalls due to which they more often then not result in misleading estimation of enzyme parameters. In order to obtain more accurate predictions of parameter values, the use of nonlinear least-squares fitting techniques is recommended. However, when there are outliers present in the data, these techniques become unreliable. This paper proposes the use of a robust nonlinear regression estimator based on modified Tukey’s biweight function that can provide more resilient results in the presence of outliers and/or influential observations. Real and synthetic kinetic data have been used to test our approach. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to illustrate the efficacy and the robustness of the biweight estimator in comparison with the standard linearization methods and the ordinary least-squares nonlinear regression. We then apply this method to experimental data for the tyrosinase enzyme (EC 1.14.18.1) extracted fromSolanum tuberosum,Agaricus bisporus, andPleurotus ostreatus. The results on both artificial and experimental data clearly show that the proposed robust estimator can be successfully employed to determine accurate values ofKmandVmax.
Coupled Bending-Torsional Nonlinear Vibration and Bifurcation Characteristics of Spiral Bevel Gear System
Authors: Xu Jinli , Zeng Fancong , Su Xingyi
Published: March 2017

A spiral bevel gear system supported on thrust bearings considering the coupled bending-torsional nonlinear vibration is proposed and an eight degrees of freedom (8DOF) lumped parameter dynamic model of the spiral bevel gear system combined with time-varying stiffness, static transmission error, gear backlash, and bearing clearances is investigated. The spiral bevel gear system is analyzed with the equations of motion and the dynamic response is solved using the Runge-Kutta method. The effects of mesh frequency, mesh damping coefficient, load coefficient, and gear backlash are revealed, which describe the true mesh characteristics of the spiral bevel gear system. The bifurcation characteristics as jump discontinuities, periodic windows, and chaos are obtained by studying time histories, phase plane portraits, Poincaré maps, Fourier spectra, and global bifurcation diagrams of the gear system. The results presented in this study provide some useful information for engineers in designing and controlling such gear systems.
A Single Image Dehazing Method Using Average Saturation Prior
Authors: Gu Zhenfei , Ju Mingye , Zhang Dengyin
Published: March 2017

Outdoor images captured in bad weather are prone to yield poor visibility, which is a fatal problem for most computer vision applications. The majority of existing dehazing methods rely on an atmospheric scattering model and therefore share a common limitation; that is, the model is only valid when the atmosphere is homogeneous. In this paper, we propose an improved atmospheric scattering model to overcome this inherent limitation. By adopting the proposed model, a corresponding dehazing method is also presented. In this method, we first create a haze density distribution map of a hazy image, which enables us to segment the hazy image into scenes according to the haze density similarity. Then, in order to improve the atmospheric light estimation accuracy, we define an effective weight assignment function to locate a candidate scene based on the scene segmentation results and therefore avoid most potential errors. Next, we propose a simple but powerful prior named the average saturation prior (ASP), which is a statistic of extensive high‐definition outdoor images. Using this prior combined with the improved atmospheric scattering model, we can directly estimate the scene atmospheric scattering coefficient and restore the scene albedo. The experimental results verify that our model is physically valid, and the proposed method outperforms several state‐of‐the‐art single image dehazing methods in terms of both robustness and effectiveness.
Dickkopf-1 Is a Biomarker for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Active Lupus Nephritis
Authors: Xue Jing , Yang Jiali , Yang Lijuan , Zhou Shaolan , Ji Chen , Wang Xuemei , Yu Nan , Liu Xiaoming , Chi Shuhong
Published: March 2017

An early diagnosis of lupus nephritis (LN) has an important clinical implication in guiding treatments of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in clinical settings. In this study, the concentrations of Wnt-3A, Frizzled-8 (FZD-8), and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) of Wnt signaling, as well as their diagnostic values for accessing LN, were evaluated by ELISA in sera and urine of 111 SLE patients (31 with LN and 80 without LN) and 70 healthy cohorts. Significantly more abundances of DKK-1 protein were determined in both of sera and urine of SLE patients compared to healthy cohorts (p<0.0001); in particular the serum DKK-1 concentration was even higher in LN-SLE patients relative to non-LN SLE subjects (p<0.0001). Intriguingly, concentrations of above examined proteins in SLE patients showed no correlation between serum and urine. Moreover, a combination of DKK-1 with anti-dsDNA and/or levels of complement C3 and C4 could not increase the specificity and/or sensitivity for identification of patients with LN diseases, but both ROC curve and multiple-factor nonconditional logistic regression analysis showed that serum DKK-1 was considered better positive biomarker for identification of LN in SLE patients. These results imply that serum and/or urine DKK-1 may be a valuable and independent biomarker for identification of SLE patients with LN.
Influence of the Addition of Selected Spices on Sensory Quality and Biological Activity of Honey
Authors: Wilczyńska Aleksandra , Newerli-Guz Joanna , Szweda Piotr
Published: March 2017

Bee honey is nutritious and has numerous health benefits, but its taste is for many people too bland. Honey with addition of spices could be important to the food industry as a functional product with positive health image and interesting taste. Such product would definitely meet health-driven consumers’ expectations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of addition of selected spices on sensory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of honey. Results showed that the addition of spices significantly affected the taste and the smell of honey (p<0,05) and that honey with the cinnamon was the most desired and easily accepted product by the consumers. The addition of spices had no significant effect on texture and appearance. All tested samples showed the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria and, contrary to the assumptions, the addition of spices did not cause an increase of antimicrobial activity. The results also showed that the kind and amount of added spice significantly affected the antioxidant activity: ability to scavenge free radicals and total phenolics content. The highest antioxidant activity revealed the honey with cinnamon and the lowest revealed the honey with cardamom addition.
Restructuring Reward Mechanisms in Nicotine Addiction: A Pilot fMRI Study of Mindfulness‐Oriented Recovery Enhancement for Cigarette Smokers
Authors: Froeliger B. , Mathew A. R. , McConnell P. A. , Eichberg C. , Saladin M. E. , Carpenter M. J. , Garland E. L.
Published: March 2017

The primary goal of this pilot feasibility study was to examine the effects of Mindfulness‐Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a behavioral treatment grounded in dual‐process models derived from cognitive science, on frontostriatal reward processes among cigarette smokers. Healthy adult (N = 13; mean (SD) age 49 ± 12.2) smokers provided informed consent to participate in a 10‐week study testing MORE versus a comparison group (CG). All participants underwent two fMRI scans: pre‐tx and after 8‐weeks of MORE. Emotion regulation (ER), smoking cue reactivity (CR), and resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) were assessed at each fMRI visit; smoking and mood were assessed throughout. As compared to the CG, MORE significantly reduced smoking (d = 2.06) and increased positive affect (d = 2.02). MORE participants evidenced decreased CR‐BOLD response in ventral striatum (VS; d = 1.57) and ventral prefrontal cortex (vPFC; d = 1.7) and increased positive ER‐BOLD in VS (dVS = 2.13) and vPFC (dvmPFC = 2.66). Importantly, ER was correlated with smoking reduction (r’s = .68 to .91) and increased positive affect (r’s = .52 to .61). These findings provide preliminary evidence that MORE may facilitate the restructuring of reward processes and play a role in treating the pathophysiology of nicotine addiction.
Lignitic Humic Acids as Environmentally-Friendly Adsorbent for Heavy Metals
Authors: Klučáková Martina , Pavlíková Marcela
Published: March 2017

Humic acids are a part of humus material, are abundant in nature, and form a substantial pool of natural organic matter. They participate in the transport of both beneficial and harmful species. Due to their structure and properties, they can interact with metal ions and, with them, form relatively stable complexes. These substances are thus responsible for the so-called self-cleaning ability of soils. Lignite as a young coal type contains a relatively high amount of humic acids which can be used as an environmentally-friendly adsorbent for heavy metals. In this work, we compared the adsorption of single Cu2+ions with the simultaneous adsorption of several different metal ions (Cd2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+). The adsorption efficiency of humic acids was very high, almost 100% in the case of the single adsorption of Cu2+ions and more than 90% for the adsorption from the mixture of metal ions. The stability of formed complexes, considered on the basis of the leaching in different extraction agents, was higher than 80%; only 9–18% was in the mobile phase. After adsorption, metal ions are contained in humic acids after adsorption in mainly strongly bonded form (60–73%) and can be liberated from their structure only in low amounts.
Chromatic Numbers of Suborbital Graphs for the Modular Group and the Extended Modular Group
Authors: Tapanyo Wanchai , Jaipong Pradthana
Published: March 2017

This research studies the chromatic numbers of the suborbital graphs for the modular group and the extended modular group. We verify that the chromatic numbers of the graphs are2or3. The forest conditions of the graphs for the extended modular group are also described in this paper.
Varietal Evaluation of Potato Microtuber and Plantlet in Seed Tuber Production
Authors: Hossain Md. Sadek , Hossain M. Mofazzal , Haque M. Moynul , Haque Md. Mahabubul , Sarkar Md. Dulal
Published: March 2017

Diamant, Asterix, and Granola varieties differed significantly in foliage coverage, plant height, and yield. They produced lower graded minituber (67.62%, 78.16% ha−1, and 66.27% of Asterix, Granola, and Diamant varieties, resp.) as per seed rule of the National Seed Board of Bangladesh, while foliage coverage (74.38%) was the maximum in Diamant. Microtuber in field condition showed the maximum survivability, plant height, foliage coverage, number of stems plant−1, and SPAD value as well as yield of minituber compared to plantlet. On the contrary, microtuber derived plants of the three varieties gave the maximum yield (20.49 t ha−1, 19.12 t/ha−1, and 19.98 t ha−1 of Asterix, Granola, and Diamant varieties, resp.) and it was the minimum in plants of plantlets derived from all varieties (9.50 t ha−1, 7.88 t ha−1, and 9.70 t ha−1 of Asterix, Granola, and Diamant varieties, resp.). Microtuber derived plants produced a minimum percentage of <28 mm size of minituber compared to plantlet derived plants in case of all varieties.
Not All Antibodies Are Created Equal: Factors That Influence Antibody Mediated Rejection
Authors: Butler Carrie L. , Valenzuela Nicole M. , Thomas Kimberly A. , Reed Elaine F.
Published: March 2017

Consistent with Dr. Paul Terasaki’s “humoral theory of rejection” numerous studies have shown that HLA antibodies can cause acute and chronic antibody mediated rejection (AMR) and decreased graft survival. New evidence also supports a role for antibodies to non-HLA antigens in AMR and allograft injury. Despite the remarkable efforts by leaders in the field who pioneered single antigen bead technology for detection of donor specific antibodies, a considerable amount of work is still needed to better define the antibody attributes that are associated with AMR pathology. This review highlights what is currently known about the clinical context of pre and posttransplant antibodies, antibody characteristics that influence AMR, and the paths after donor specific antibody production (no rejection, subclinical rejection, and clinical dysfunction with AMR).
Growth of Infants with Intestinal Failure or Feeding Intolerance Does Not Follow Standard Growth Curves
Authors: Morton Danielle L. , Hawthorne Keli M. , Moore Carolyn E.
Published: March 2017

Objective.Infants with intestinal failure or feeding intolerance are nutritionally compromised and are at risk for extrauterine growth restriction. The aim of the study was to evaluate growth velocities of infants with intestinal failure and feeding intolerance for the first three months of age and to determine growth percentiles at birth and at 40-week postmenstrual age (PMA).Methods.A chart review of infants followed by the Texas Children’s Hospital Intestinal Rehabilitation Team was conducted from April 2012 to October 2014. Weekly weight, length, and head circumference growth velocities were calculated. Growth data were compared to Olsen growth curves to determine exact percentiles.Results.Data from infants (n=164) revealed that average growth velocities of 3-month-old infants (weight gain, 19.97 g/d; length, 0.81 cm/week; head circumference, 0.52 cm/week) fluctuated and all were below expected norms. At discharge or death, average growth velocities had further decreased (length, 0.69 cm/week; head circumference, 0.45 cm/week) except for weight, which showed a slight increase (weight, 20.56 g/d). Weight, length, and head circumference percentiles significantly decreased from birth to 40-week PMA (P<0.001).Conclusions.Growth of infants with intestinal failure or feeding intolerance did not follow standard growth curves.
Comparative Assessment of Cytokine Pattern in Early and Late Onset of Neonatal Sepsis
Authors: Khaertynov Kh. S. , Boichuk S. V. , Khaiboullina S. F. , Anokhin V. A. , Andreeva A. A. , Lombardi V. C. , Satrutdinov M. A. , Agafonova E. A. , Rizvanov A. A.
Published: March 2017

Neonatal sepsis is a significant health issue associated with high mortality. Immune responses associated with neonatal sepsis, such as proinflammatory cytokine production, are believed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study, serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL1-β, and IL-6 and the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 were evaluated for 25 subjects with neonatal sepsis. We observed that subjects with late onset of sepsis (LOS), as well as those with early onset of sepsis (EOS), had a substantial increase in serum TNF-α. In contrast to EOS, subjects with LOS demonstrated a significant increase in serum levels IL-6 and IL-10. Additionally, we observed a significant difference in cytokine profiles between acute and postacute cases of neonatal sepsis. For instance, the level of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, was elevated in the acute phase, whereas the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, became substantially upregulated during the postacute phase. Additionally, no correlation was observed between cytokine levels and CRP levels or lymphocyte counts. Thus, in contrast to CRP levels and lymphocyte counts, examination of the cytokine profile can provide valuable information when determining the most effective therapy for treating neonatal sepsis. This information may be useful to physicians when determining if anti-inflammatory or immune stimulatory therapy is warranted.
Crystallinity of Electrospun and Centrifugal Spun Polycaprolactone Fibers: A Comparative Study
Authors: Kuzelova Kostakova Eva , Meszaros Laszlo , Maskova Gabriela , Blazkova Lenka , Turcsan Tamas , Lukas David
Published: March 2017

Crystalline properties of semicrystalline polymers are very important parameters that can influence the application area. The internal structure, like the mentioned crystalline properties, of polymers can be influenced by the production technology itself and by changing technology parameters. The present work is devoted to testing of electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous and nanofibrous materials and compare them to foils and granules made from the same raw polymer. The test setup reveals the structural differences caused by the production technology. Effects of average molecular weight are also exhibited. The applied biodegradable and biocompatible polymer is polycaprolactone (PCL) as it is a widespread material for medical purposes. The crystallinity of PCL has significant effect on rate of degradation that is an important parameter for a biodegradable material and determines the applicability. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that, at the degree of crystallinity, there is a minor difference between the electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous materials. However, the significant influence of polymer molecular weight was exhibited. The morphology of the fibrous materials, represented by fiber diameter, also did not demonstrate any connection to final measured crystallinity degree of the tested materials.
A Highly Sensitive Multicommuted Flow Analysis Procedure for Photometric Determination of Molybdenum in Plant Materials without a Solvent Extraction Step
Authors: Santos Felisberto G. , Reis Boaventura F.
Published: March 2017

A highly sensitive analytical procedure for photometric determination of molybdenum in plant materials was developed and validated. This procedure is based on the reaction of Mo(V) with thiocyanate ions (SCN−) in acidic medium to form a compound that can be monitored at 474 nm and was implemented employing a multicommuted flow analysis setup. Photometric detection was performed using an LED-based photometer coupled to a flow cell with a long optical path length (200 mm) to achieve high sensitivity, allowing Mo(V) determination at a level of μg L−1 without the use of an organic solvent extraction step. After optimization of operational conditions, samples of digested plant materials were analyzed employing the proposed procedure. The accuracy was assessed by comparing the obtained results with those of a reference method, with an agreement observed at 95% confidence level. In addition, a detection limit of 9.1 μg L−1, a linear response (r=0.9969) over the concentration range of 50–500 μg L−1, generation of only 3.75 mL of waste per determination, and a sampling rate of 51 determinations per hour were achieved.