bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure-Activity Relations of Myxinidin, an Antibacterial Peptide Derived from the Epidermal Mucus of Hagfish
Authors: Cantisani Marco , Leone Marilisa , Mignogna Eleonora , Kampanaraki Katerina , Falanga Annarita , Morelli Giancarlo , Galdiero Massimiliano , Galdiero Stefania
Published: September 2013

The structure-activity relations of myxinidin, a peptide derived from epidermal mucus of hagfish,Myxine glutinosaL., were investigated. Analysis of key residues allowed us to design new peptides with increased efficiency. Antimicrobial activity of native and modified peptides demonstrated the key role of uncharged residues in the sequence; the loss of these residues reduces almost entirely myxinidin antimicrobial activity, while insertion of arginine at charged and uncharged position increases antimicrobial activity compared with that of native myxinidin. Particularly, we designed a peptide capable of achieving a high inhibitory effect on bacterial growth. Experiments were conducted using both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies showed that myxinidin is able to form an amphipathic α-helical structure at the N terminus and a random coil region at the C terminus.
Rilpivirine Inhibits Drug Transporters ABCB1, SLC22A1, and SLC22A2
In Vitro
Authors: Moss Darren M. , Liptrott Neill J. , Curley Paul , Siccardi Marco , Back David J. , Owen Andrew
Published: September 2013

Rilpivirine is a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor approved for treatment of HIV-1 infection in antiretroviral-naive adult patients. Potential interactions with drug transporters have not been fully investigated. Transport by and inhibition of drug transporters by rilpivirine were analyzed to further understand the mechanisms governing rilpivirine exposure and determine the potential for transporter-mediated drug-drug interactions. The ability of rilpivirine to inhibit or be transported by ABCB1 was determined using ABCB1-overexpressing CEM
VBL100
cells and Caco-2 cell monolayers. The
Xenopus laevis
oocyte heterologous protein expression system was used to clarify if rilpivirine was either transported by or inhibited the function of influx transporters SLCO1A2, SLCO1B1, SLCO1B3, SLC22A2, SLC22A6, and SLC22A8. The ability of rilpivirine to inhibit or be transported by SLC22A1 was determined using SLC22A1-expressing KCL22 cells. Rilpivirine showed higher accumulation in SLC22A1-overexpressing KCL22 cells than control cells (27% increase,
P
= 0.03) and inhibited the functionality of SLC22A1 and SLC22A2 transport with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC
50
s) of 28.5 μM and 5.13 μM, respectively. Inhibition of ABCB1-mediated digoxin transport was determined for rilpivirine, which inhibited digoxin transport in the B-to-A direction with an IC
50
of 4.48 μM. The maximum rilpivirine concentration in plasma in patients following a standard 25-mg dosing regimen is around 0.43 μM, lower than that necessary to substantially inhibit ABCB1, SLC22A1, or SLC22A2
in vitro
. However, these data indicate that SLC22A1 may contribute to variability in rilpivirine exposure and that interactions of rilpivirine with substrates of SLC22A1, SLC22A2, or ABCB1 may be possible.
Zebrafish as a Novel Vertebrate Model To Dissect Enterococcal Pathogenesis
Authors: Prajsnar Tomasz K. , Renshaw Stephen A. , Ogryzko Nikolay V. , Foster Simon J. , Serror Pascale , Mesnage Stéphane
Published: September 2013

Enterococcus faecalisis an opportunistic pathogen responsible for a wide range of life-threatening nosocomial infections, such as septicemia, peritonitis, and endocarditis.E. faecalisinfections are associated with a high mortality and substantial health care costs and cause therapeutic problems due to the intrinsic resistance of this bacterium to antibiotics. Several factors contributing toE. faecalisvirulence have been identified. Due to the variety of infections caused by this organism, numerous animal models have been used to mimicE. faecalisinfections, but none of them is considered ideal for monitoring pathogenesis. Here, we studied for the first timeE. faecalispathogenesis in zebrafish larvae. Using model strains, chosen isogenic mutants, and fluorescent derivatives expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), we analyzed both lethality and bacterial dissemination in infected larvae. Genetically engineered immunocompromised zebrafish allowed the identification of two critical steps for successful establishment of disease: (i) host phagocytosis evasion mediated by the Epa rhamnopolysaccharide and (ii) tissue damage mediated by the quorum-sensing Fsr regulon. Our results reveal that the zebrafish is a novel, powerful model for studyingE. faecalispathogenesis, enabling us to dissect the mechanism of enterococcal virulence.
The TetR Family of Regulators
Authors: Cuthbertson Leslie , Nodwell Justin R.
Published: September 2013

The most common prokaryotic signal transduction mechanisms are the one-component systems in which a single polypeptide contains both a sensory domain and a DNA-binding domain. Among the >20 classes of one-component systems, the TetR family of regulators (TFRs) are widely associated with antibiotic resistance and the regulation of genes encoding small-molecule exporters. However, TFRs play a much broader role, controlling genes involved in metabolism, antibiotic production, quorum sensing, and many other aspects of prokaryotic physiology. There are several well-established model systems for understanding these important proteins, and structural studies have begun to unveil the mechanisms by which they bind DNA and recognize small-molecule ligands. The sequences for more than 200,000 TFRs are available in the public databases, and genomics studies are identifying their target genes. Three-dimensional structures have been solved for close to 200 TFRs. Comparison of these structures reveals a common overall architecture of nine conserved α helices. The most important open question concerning TFR biology is the nature and diversity of their ligands and how these relate to the biochemical processes under their control.
Mononeuritis multiplex in a patient with B-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia: a diagnostic challenge
Authors: Le Clech Lenaïg , Rizcallah Marie Jeanne , Alavi Zarrin , Hutin Pascal
Published: September 2013

B-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia (BPLL) is a haematological malignancy defined as lymphocytosis and splenomegaly with >55% circulating cells being clonal prolymphocytes of B-cell origin. The evolution of this disease is more aggressive than chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. We reported a case of a 62-year-old man with BPLL who, on treatment, attained cytological, immunophenotypic and complete cytogenetic remission. He subsequently developed an asymmetric sensorimotor neurological disorder, suggestive of lymphomatous infiltration (neurolymphocytosis). Repetition of the MRI and the electromyography was essential for diagnosis. Progressive mononeuritis multiplex in B-cell leukaemias/lymphomas is rare and may be the only presenting symptom of relapsed or progressive disease. Repeat imaging studies based on judicious evaluation of the clinical scenario for exclusion of other causes of neurological symptoms is necessary. This can be challenging in patients with long-standing malignancies who have received multiple courses of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
Childhood dermatomyositis recurring in adulthood half a century later
Authors: Ismajli M , Nikiphorou E , Young A
Published: September 2013

A 62-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with malaise, lethargy and proximal muscle weakness. She had a similar presentation in childhood. A muscle biopsy was inconclusive, however, she was treated for a presumptive diagnosis of inflammatory myositis. In a second flare in childhood, she developed proximal muscle weakness and calcinosis cutis. A muscle biopsy was consistent with juvenile dermatomyositis. She was treated with corticosteroids, however, she relapsed again 1 year later, requiring a prolonged course of corticosteroids, which led to remission and treatment was subsequently stopped. She remained well for 30 years without any relapses, however, at the age of 40 she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, treated with local excision and radiotherapy. She had a further period of 22 years in good health, until her current presentation, with a relapse of dermatomyositis, 52 years after the last flare. She is currently in remission following successful immunosuppressive therapy.
A rare large symptomatic simple hepatic cyst
Authors: Banerjee Rupjani , Lakhoo Kokila
Published: September 2013

A fit and well 4-year-old girl presented with a 1-year history of abdominal distension, pain and vomiting with signs of non-shifting dullness on the right side of the abdomen. An abdominal CT revealed a 19 cm epigastric cyst that did not appear to connect to any solid organ and was therefore thought to represent a mesenteric cyst. However, laparotomy revealed that the cyst was arising from the liver. The cyst was resected and subsequent histology revealed a simple hepatic cyst. The patient has been well post-operation. The case represents the largest described simple hepatic cyst in the 0–16 years paediatric age group in Europe to date. We outline the epidemiology, embryology, key investigations and management options for these lesions.
Non-typeableHaemophilus influenzaeinfective endocarditis in a renal transplant recipient: compromised host or virulent strain?
Authors: Bertelle-Ibrahim Lauren A , Murphy Timothy F , Kirkham Charmaine , Parameswaran Ganapathi I , Berenson Charles S
Published: September 2013

Non-typeableHaemophilus influenzae(NTHI) rarely cause endocarditis. Of the limited reports ofH influenzaeendocarditis, most have been due to encapsulated organisms or have had limited bacterial characterisation. We encountered a transplant recipient with native valve NTHI endocarditis and were intrigued to find no previous descriptions of this entity. Although it was tempting to ascribe this infection to our patient's immunocompromised status, we investigated his pathogen further and found that it displayed features common to invasive NTHI strains including gene expression for two IgA proteases and serum resistance. Multilocus sequence typing grouped our NTHI strain with MLST 159, a group associated with invasive NTHI infections. Our strain shared identical outer membrane protein P2 sequences and protein patterns with MLST 159 strains. Aside from providing the first characterisation of native valve NTHI infection, our investigation reveals features of epidemiologically unrelated, clonal NTHI strains that have a predilection for invasive infections.
Patterns of moisture and temperature in canopy and terrestrial soils in a temperate rainforest, Washington
Authors: Aubrey Dennis A. , Nadkarni Nalini M. , Broderick Casey P.
Published: September 2013

The temperate rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula represents a biome that is characterized by unusually high epiphyte biomass and accompanying canopy soils. These canopy communities form thick mats that play important ecological roles: increasing ecosystem nutrient capital, fostering abundant invertebrates, and enhancing moisture retention. Little is known about the physical properties and microenvironmental conditions of these mats. We investigated seasonal patterns in temperature and moisture of canopy soils and compared them to O- and A-horizon terrestrial soils. Temperature tended to fluctuate more in canopy soils than in terrestrial soils. During the 4 months of highest precipitation, canopy soils also showed higher maximum saturation levels than terrestrial soils. Both soil types displayed sharp “dry-downs” during the summer dry season, which contrasts with results from similar research in a tropical cloud forest, where only canopy soils dried significantly during the dry season. In the late summer in the Olympic Rainforest, canopy soils remained dry until the first rainfall, whereas terrestrial soils began to rehydrate a month earlier, possibly through hydraulic redistribution. Regional climate models predict increased winter precipitation but drier summers for this area. Our results suggest that extended summer droughts may increase canopy drying, which may have negative impacts on epiphyte communities.
MODELLING OF NEUTRAL VACANCIES IN FORSTERITE MINERAL
Authors: STASHANS ARVIDS , FLORES YETZABEL
Published: September 2013

Density functional theory and generalized gradient approximation have been employed to study Mg , Si and O vacancies in the Mg2SiO4forsterite mineral. Microstructure of defect equilibrium geometries, electronic properties as well as chemical bonding in the region surrounding each one of the vacancies have been computed and discussed in detail. It is found that vacancies tend to increase covalent character of the chemical bonding for atoms situated in their vicinity independently of the type of vacancy. Nevertheless, obtained atomic distortion in the region surrounding vacancies generally obeys Coulomb electrostatic interaction law. Local energy states are found in the band-gap region due to the occurrence of vacancy-type defects. These findings are discussed in light of the available experimental data.
FLOCK FORAGING EFFICIENCY IN RELATION TO FOOD SENSING ABILITY AND DISTRIBUTION: A SIMULATION STUDY
Authors: LEE SANG-HEE
Published: September 2013

Flocking may be an advantageous strategy for acquiring food resources. The degree of advantage is related to two factors: the ability of flock members to detect food resources and patterns of food distribution in the environment. To understand foraging efficiency as a function of these factors, I constructed a two-dimensional (2D) flocking model incorporating the two factors. At the start of the simulation, food particles were heterogeneously distributed. The heterogeneity, H, was characterized as a value ranging from 0.0 to 1.0. For each flock member, food sensing ability was defined by two variables: sensing distance, R and sensing angle, θ. Foraging efficiency of a flock was defined as the time, τ, required for a flock to consume all the available food resources. Simulation results showed that flock foraging is most efficient when individuals had an intermediate sensing ability (R = 60), but decreased for low (R < 60) and high (R > 60) sensing ability. When R > 60, patterns in foraging efficiency with increasing sensing distance and food resource aggregation were less consistent. This inconsistency was due to instability of the flock and a higher rate of individuals failing to capture target food resources. In addition, I briefly discuss the benefits obtained by foraging in flocks from an evolutionary perspective.
SCANNING PHOTOCURRENT MICROSCOPY IN SEMICONDUCTOR NANOSTRUCTURES
Authors: GRAHAM RION , YU DONG
Published: September 2013

Scanning photocurrent microscopy (SPCM) is a powerful experimental tool used to investigate spatially resolved optoelectronic properties of semiconductors and their nanostructures. Raster-scanned laser excitation generates a position-dependent photocurrent map from which carrier diffusion length, electric field distribution, doping concentration and more can be explored. In this review, we will briefly discuss the history of the technique, the theory behind locally injected carrier transport in semiconductors, the SPCM experimental setup, and recent applications of SPCM in semiconductor nanostructures. Particularly, we have shown that the minority carrier diffusion length can also be obtained by SPCM in two-dimensional semiconductors and that the local excitation can result in an internal electric field because of the difference in electron and hole mobilities.
OPTIMAL SET-PARTITIONING BASED ON GROUP QUALITY LIKELIHOOD USING PARTITION-GROWING ALGORITHM
Authors: SUMETPHONG CHAIVATNA , TANGWONGSAN SUPACHAI
Published: September 2013

We consider the problem of partitioning a set of elements X into a minimum of m blocks to maximize the probability that each block constitutes a well-grouped subset of X. We employ certain characteristics of the Group Quality Likelihood to limit our search for an optimal partition within a smaller set of partitions. We develop a novel Partition-Growing algorithm based on the Branch and Bound strategy that produces the optimal partition in an efficient manner. We demonstrate how the algorithm can be applied to recognize Broken Characters in degraded document images. Experimental results conducted on Thai historical documents are very promising.
ON FRACTIONAL METRIC DIMENSION OF GRAPHS
Authors: ARUMUGAM S. , MATHEW VARUGHESE , SHEN JIAN
Published: September 2013

A vertex x in a connected graph G = (V, E) is said to resolve a pair {u, v} of vertices of G if the distance from u to x is not equal to the distance from v to x. The resolving neighborhood for the pair {u, v} is defined as R{u, v} = {x ∈ V : d(u, x) ≠ d(v, x)}. A real valued function f : V → [0, 1] is a resolving function (RF) of G if f(R{u, v}) ≥ 1 for any two distinct vertices u, v ∈ V. The weight of f is defined by |f| = f(V) = ∑u∈Vf(v). The fractional metric dimension dim f(G) is defined by dim f(G) = min {|f| : f is a resolving function of G}. In this paper, we characterize graphs G for which [Formula: see text]. We also present several results on fractional metric dimension of Cartesian product of two connected graphs.
The Genetics of Common Degenerative Skeletal Disorders: Osteoarthritis and Degenerative Disc Disease
Authors: Ikegawa Shiro
Published: September 2013

Degenerative skeletal disorders are common and serious problems worldwide, especially in aging populations. They are polygenic diseases influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, and hence the identification of susceptibility genes may provide clues to their etiology and pathogenesis, although this is still in its early stages. This review focuses on genetic studies of two representative degenerative skeletal disorders: osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. Genetic studies of these two diseases share common features and face similar problems, although their current statuses are very different. The two diseases have common susceptibility alleles—namely, the GDF5 rs143383 single-nucleotide polymorphism and the asporin D14 triplet repeat—which provides hints on how to investigate their genetic factors. The future success of genetic studies of these diseases will depend on accurate and reliable diagnostics, large-scale interpopulation association studies and replications, and consideration of environmental effects and related diseases with similar phenotypes.
The Genomics of Emerging Pathogens
Authors: Firth Cadhla , Lipkin W. Ian
Published: September 2013

Globalization and industrialization have dramatically altered the vulnerability of human and animal populations to emerging and reemerging infectious diseases while shifting both the scale and pace of disease outbreaks. Fortunately, the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing platforms has also increased the speed with which such pathogens can be detected and characterized as part of an outbreak response effort. It is now possible to sequence the genome of a pathogen rapidly, inexpensively, and with high sensitivity, transforming the fields of diagnostics, surveillance, forensic analysis, and pathogenesis. Here, we review advances in methods for microbial discovery and characterization, as well as strategies for testing the clinical and public health significance of microbe-disease associations. Finally, we discuss how genetic data can inform our understanding of the general process of pathogen emergence.
A Novel Sit4 Phosphatase Complex Is Involved in the Response to Ceramide Stress in Yeast
Authors: Woodacre Alexandra , Lone Museer A. , Jablonowski Daniel , Schneiter Roger , Giorgini Flaviano , Schaffrath Raffael
Published: September 2013

Ceramide is a building block for complex sphingolipids in the plasma membrane, but it also plays a significant role in secondary signalling pathways regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis in response to stress. Ceramide activated protein phosphatase activity has been previously observed in association with the Sit4 protein phosphatase. Here we find thatsit4Δ mutants have decreased ceramide levels and display resistance to exogenous ceramides and phytosphingosine. Mutants lackingSIT4orKTI12display a shift towards nonhydroxylated forms of long chain bases and sphingolipids, suggesting regulation of hydroxylase (SUR2) or ceramide synthase by Sit4p. We have identified novel subunits of the Sit4 complex and have also shown that known Sit4 regulatory subunits—SAP proteins—are not involved in the ceramide response. This is the first observation of separation of function between Sit4 and SAP proteins. We also find that the Sit4p target Elongator is not involved in the ceramide response but that cells deficient in Kti12p—an accessory protein with an undefined regulatory role—have similar ceramide phenotypes tosit4Δ mutants. Therefore, Kti12p may play a similar secondary role in the ceramide response. This evidence points to a novel Sit4-dependent regulatory mechanism in response to ceramide stress.
Step-Based Data Sharing and Exchange in One-of-a-Kind Product Collaborative Design for Cloud Manufacturing
Authors: Li B. M. , Xie S. Q. , Sang Z. Q.
Published: September 2013

With the trend for global collaboration, there is a need for collaborative design between geographically distributed teams and companies. In particular, this need is inevitable in the companies doing their business based on one-of-a-kind production (OKP). One important problem is the lack of interoperability and compatibility of data between different CAx systems. This problem is further highlighted in data exchange in cloud manufacturing. To the best of authors' knowledge, current studies have limitations in achieving the interoperability and compatibility of data. In this paper, a STEP-based data model is proposed to represent OKP product data/knowledge, which contains four categories of product knowledge (i.e., customer, product, manufacturing, and resource resp.). A STEP-based data modelling approach is proposed to describe each category of knowledge separately and then connect them to form the final integrated model. Compared with most current product models, this model includes the more complete product data/knowledge involved in OKP product development (OKPPD), and thus it can provide more adequate knowledge support for OKPPD activities. Based on the proposed STEP-based data model, a product data exchange and sharing (DES) framework is proposed and developed to enable DES in collaborative OKPPD in the cloud manufacturing environment. Case studies were carried out to validate the proposed data model and DES framework.
Posterior and Anterior Spinal Fusion for the Management of Deformities in Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Sato Masashi , Sainoh Takeshi , Orita Sumihisa , Yamauchi Kazuyo , Aoki Yasuchika , Ishikawa Tetsuhiro , Miyagi Masayuki , Kamoda Hiroto , Suzuki Miyako , Kubota Gou , Sakuma Yoshihiro , Inage Kazuhide , Oikawa Yasuhiro , Nakamura Junichi , Takaso Masashi , Inoue Gen , Toyone Tomoaki , Takahashi Kazuhisa , Ohtori Seiji
Published: September 2013

Introduction. Spinal scoliosis and kyphosis in elderly people sometimes cause severe low back pain. Surgical methods such as osteotomy are useful for correcting the deformity. However, complications during and after surgery are associated with the osteotomy procedure. In particular, it is difficult to manage deformity correction surgery for patients with Parkinson's disease. Here, we present two cases of combined anterior and posterior surgery for deformity in patients with adult scoliosis and kyphosis due to Parkinson's disease.Case Presentation. Two 70-year-old women had spinal scoliosis and kyphosis due to Parkinson's disease. They had severe low back pain, and conservative treatment was not effective for the pain. Surgery was planned to correct the deformity in both patients. We performed combined posterior and anterior correction surgery. At first, posterior fusions were performed from T4 to the ilium using pedicle screws. Next, cages and autograft from the iliac crest were used in anterior lumbar surgery. The patients became symptom free after surgery. Bony fusion was observed 12 months after surgery.Conclusions. Combined posterior and anterior fusion surgery is effective for patients who show scoliosis and kyphosis deformity, and symptomatic low back pain due to Parkinson's disease.
Hybrid Multiattribute Group Decision Making Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Information and GRA Method
Authors: Guo Jian
Published: September 2013

Hybrid multiple attribute group decision making involves ranking and selecting competing courses of action available using attributes to evaluate the alternatives. The decision makers assessment information can be expressed in the form of real number, interval-valued number, linguistic variable, and the intuitionistic fuzzy number. All these evaluation information can be transformed to the form of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. A combined GRA with intuitionistic fuzzy group decision-making approach is proposed. Firstly, the hybrid decision matrix is standardized and then transformed into an intuitionistic fuzzy decision matrix. Then, intuitionistic fuzzy averaging operator is utilized to aggregate opinions of decision makers. Intuitionistic fuzzy entropy is utilized to obtain the entropy weights of the criteria, respectively. After intuitionistic fuzzy positive ideal solution and intuitionistic fuzzy negative ideal solution are calculated, the grey relative relational degree of alternatives is obtained and alternatives are ranked. In the end, a numerical example illustrates the validity and applicability of the proposed method.
Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis: An Autoimmune Disease?
Authors: Altintoprak Fatih , Karakece Engin , Kivilcim Taner , Dikicier Enis , Cakmak Guner , Celebi Fehmi , Ciftci Ihsan Hakkı
Published: September 2013

Purpose. This study aimed to investigate the autoimmune basis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) by determining the anti‐nuclear antibody (ANA) and extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) levels of patients diagnosed with IGM. Material and Methods. Twenty‐six IGM patients were evaluated. Serum samples were analyzed for autoantibodies by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) using a substrate kit that induced fluorescein‐conjugated goat antibodies to human immunoglobulin G (IgG). IIF patterns were read at serum dilutions of 1 : 40 and 1 : 100 for ANA positivity. Using the immunoblot technique, the sera of patients were assayed at dilutions of 1 : 40 and 1 : 100 for human autoantibodies of the IgG class to 15 lines of highly purified ENAs. Results. In the IIF studies for ANA, positivity was identified for four different patterns in the 1 : 40 diluted preparations, for three different patients in the 1 : 100 diluted preparations and only one pattern was identified at the 1 : 320 dilution. In the ENA studies, positivity was identified for four different pattern in the 1 : 40 dilution, and only one pattern was identified at the 1 : 100 dilution. Conclusion. This study was not able to support the eventual existence of an autoimmune basis for IGM.
Existence of Positive Solution for a Third-Order BVP with Advanced Arguments and Stieltjes Integral Boundary Conditions
Authors: Sun Jian-Ping , Yan Ping , Zhao Ya-Hong , Kong Fang-Di
Published: September 2013

A class of third-order boundary value problems with advanced arguments and Stieltjes integral boundary conditions is discussed. Some existence criteria of at least one positive solution are established. The main tool used is the Guo-Krasnoselskii fixed point theorem.
Uraemic Toxins Generated in the Presence of FullereneC60, Carbon-Encapsulated Magnetic Nanoparticles, and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Popławska Magdalena , Krawczyk Hanna
Published: September 2013

Uraemic toxins—creatol and N-methylguanidine—are generated in conversion of creatinine in water in the presence of various forms of carbon such as fullerene C60, carbon-encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes and oxygen. The conversion degree for creatinine was different for fullerene C60, CEMNPs, and MWCNTs and was 9% (3.6% creatol, 5.4% N-methylguanidine), 35% (12% creatol, 23% N-methylguanidine), and 75% (16% creatol, 59% N-methylguanidine), respectively.
Efficient Secure Multiparty Computation Protocol for Sequencing Problem over Insecure Channel
Authors: Sun Yi , Wen Qiaoyan , Zhang Yudong , Zhang Hua , Jin Zhengping
Published: September 2013

As a powerful tool in solving privacy preserving cooperative problems, secure multiparty computation is more and more popular in electronic bidding, anonymous voting, and online auction. Privacy preserving sequencing problem which is an essential link is regarded as the core issue in these applications. However, due to the difficulties of solving multiparty privacy preserving sequencing problem, related secure protocol is extremely rare. In order to break this deadlock, this paper first presents an efficient secure multiparty computation protocol for the general privacy-preserving sequencing problem based on symmetric homomorphic encryption. The result is of value not only in theory, but also in practice.
Serum Interleukin-15 Levels Are Associated with Severity of Pain in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Sun Jian-Min , Sun Liang-Zhi , Liu Jun , Su Bao-hui , Shi Lin
Published: September 2013

Background.Inflammation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a well-known proinflammatory cytokine.Objective.We aimed at evaluating the relationship between serum IL-15 levels and the severity of pain as well as radiographic progression in patients with knee OA.Methods.Two hundred and twenty-six OA patients and 106 controls were enrolled in this study. The symptomatic/radiological severity of OA was assessed by the Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index- (WOMAC-)pain scores/Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading system. Serum IL-15 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results.Serum IL-15 levels were significantly higher in OA patients compared with controls. Serum IL-15 levels were independently and positively correlated with WOMAC-pain scores but not KL grades in OA patients.Conclusions.We demonstrated that increased serum IL-15 levels were independently correlated with self-reported greater pain in knee OA patients. These results suggest that IL-15 might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of OA related pain and therapeutic interventions by blocking IL-15 signaling pathways to delay the degenerative process of OA related pain which warrants further investigations.
Adhesion ofE. coliBacteria Cells to Prosthodontic Alloys Surfaces Modified by TiO2Sol-Gel Coatings
Authors: Banaszek Katarzyna , Szymanski Witold , Pietrzyk Bożena , Klimek Leszek
Published: September 2013

The evaluation of the degree of bacteriaE. coliadhesion to modified surfaces of the chosen prosthodontic alloys was presented. The study was carried out on Co-Cr (Wironit), Ni-Cr (Fantocer), and Fe-Cr-Ni (Magnum AN) alloys. Bare substrate as a control and titanium dioxide coated samples were used. The samples were placed for 24 hours in bacterial culture medium. After incubation period, a number of bacterial cells were evaluated by scanning electron microscope. The study revealed that modification of the alloy surfaces by titanium dioxide coating significantly decreases the amount of bacteria adhering to the surfaces and that additionally bare metal alloy substrates have a different degree of susceptibility to bacterial adhesion.
A Novel System Anomaly Prediction System Based on Belief Markov Model and Ensemble Classification
Authors: Zhou Xiaozhen , Li Shanping , Ye Zhen
Published: September 2013

Computer systems are becoming extremely complex, while system anomalies dramatically influence the availability and usability of systems. Online anomaly prediction is an important approach to manage imminent anomalies, and the high accuracy relies on precise system monitoring data. However, precise monitoring data is not easily achievable because of widespread noise. In this paper, we present a method which integrates an improved Evidential Markov model and ensemble classification to predict anomaly for systems with noise. Traditional Markov models use explicit state boundaries to build the Markov chain and then make prediction of different measurement metrics. A Problem arises when data comes with noise because even slight oscillation around the true value will lead to very different predictions. Evidential Markov chain method is able to deal with noisy data but is not suitable in complex data stream scenario. The Belief Markov chain that we propose has extended Evidential Markov chain and can cope with noisy data stream. This study further applies ensemble classification to identify system anomaly based on the predicted metrics. Extensive experiments on anomaly data collected from 66 metrics in PlanetLab have confirmed that our approach can achieve high prediction accuracy and time efficiency.
Dufour and Soret Effects on Melting from a Vertical Plate Embedded in Saturated Porous Media
Authors: Jha Basant K. , Mohammed Umaru , Ajibade Abiodun O.
Published: September 2013

Thermal-diffusion and diffusion-thermo effects on combined heat and mass transfer in mixed convection boundary layer flow with aiding and opposing external flows from a vertical plate embedded in a liquid saturated porous medium with melting are investigated. The resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is solved numerically using Runge Kutta-Fehlberg with shooting techniques. Numerical results are obtained for the velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions, as well as the Nusselt number and Sherwood number for several values of the parameters, namely, the buoyancy parameter, melting parameter, Dufour effect, Soret effect, and Lewis number. The obtained results are presented graphically and in tabular form and the physical aspects of the problem are discussed.
Correlation of Tinnitus Loudness and Onset Duration with Audiological Profile Indicating Variation in Prognosis
Authors: Gudwani Sunita , Munjal Sanjay K. , Panda Naresh K. , Verma Roshan K.
Published: September 2013

Purpose. Subjective tinnitus has different forms and degrees of severity. Many studies in the literature have assessed psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus but hardly any of them had focused on the association of audiological profile with onset duration and loudness perception. Theaimof this study was to evaluate existence of any association between tinnitus loudness/onset duration and audiological profile to explain differences in prognosis.Method. Study design was prospective. The sample consisted of 26 subjects having tinnitus, which was divided into tinnitus and nontinnitus ears. Audiological profile included pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex test, and auditory evoked potentials (early and middle latency). Unpairedt-test was applied to compare two subgroups. Correlation and association between tinnitus onset duration/loudness perception and audiological profile were also assessed by calculating Spearman’s coefficient and Fischer exact value.Results. The two subgroups had significant differences for pure-tone and speech audiometry hearing thresholds. A significant association was observed between the high frequency/extended high frequency and tinnitus loudness/onset duration.Conclusion. The changes in hearing thresholds and auditory pathway are associated with an increase in tinnitus loudness and its onset duration. This knowledge would be helpful to differentiate between severity and chronicity of the patients for planning therapeutic management and predicting prognosis.
Alzheimer's Disease Clinical and Research Update for Health Care Practitioners
Authors: DeFina Philip A. , Moser Rosemarie Scolaro , Glenn Megan , Lichtenstein Jonathan D. , Fellus Jonathan
Published: September 2013

Of the approximately 6.8 million Americans who have been diagnosed with dementia, over 5 million have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Due to the rise in the aging population, these figures are expected to double by 2050. The following paper provides an up-to-date review of clinical issues and relevant research. Research related to the methods of the earliest possible detection of AD is ongoing. Health care professionals should play a critical role in differentially diagnosing AD patients, as well as supporting their families. Novel interventions, including medications, natural supplements, and behavioral techniques, are constantly appearing in the literature. It is necessary for the health practitioner to remain current, regarding AD, as such information will facilitate better care for patients and their families.
A Tree-Like Model for Brain Growth and Structure
Authors: Yan Benjamin C. , Yan Johnson F.
Published: September 2013

The Flory-Stockmayer theory for the polycondensation of branched polymers, modified for finite systems beyond the gel point, is applied to the connection (synapses) of neurons, which can be considered highly branched “monomeric” units. Initially, the process is a linear growth and tree-like branching between dendrites and axons of nonself-neurons. After the gel point and at the maximum “tree” size, the tree-like model prescribes, on average, one pair of twin synapses per neuron. About 13% of neurons, “unconnected” to the maximum tree, migrate to the surface to form cortical layers. The number of synapses in each neuron may reach 10000, indicating a tremendous amount of flexible, redundant, and neuroplastic loop-forming linkages which can be preserved or pruned by experience and learning.
Helical Tomotherapy for Inoperable Breast Cancer: A New Promising Tool
Authors: Chira Ciprian , Kirova Youlia M. , Liem Xavier , Campana François , Peurien Dominique , Amessis Malika , Fournier-Bidoz Nathalie , Pierga Jean-Yves , Dendale Rémi , Bey Pierre , Fourquet Alain
Published: September 2013

Background. We investigated the feasibility of helical tomotherapy (HT) for inoperable large breast tumors, after failing to achieve adequate treatment planning with conformal radiation techniques.Material and Methods. Five consecutive patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) were treated by preoperative HT. All patients received up-front chemotherapy before HT. Irradiated volumes included breast and nodal areas (45–50 Gy) in 4 patients. One patient received a simultaneous integrated boost (55 Gy) to gross tumor volume (GTV) without lymph node irradiation. Acute toxicity was assessed with Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events v.4. Patients were evaluated for surgery at the end of treatment.Results. Patients were staged IIB to IIIC (according to the AJCC staging system 2010). HT was associated in 4 patients with concomitant chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil and vinorelbine). Two patients were scored with grade 3 skin toxicity (had not completed HT) and one with grade 3 febrile neutropenia. One patient stopped HT with grade 2 skin toxicity. All patients were able to undergo mastectomy at a median interval of 43 days (31–52) from HT. Pathological partial response was seen in all patients.Conclusions. HT is feasible with acceptable toxicity profiles, potentially increased by chemotherapy. These preliminary results prompt us to consider a phase II study.
Report on Influenza A and B Viruses: Their Coinfection in a Saudi Leukemia Patient
Authors: Almajhdi Fahad N. , Ali Ghazanfar
Published: September 2013

Purpose. Influenza A and B viruses are the leading cause of respiratory infections in children worldwide, particularly in developing countries. There is a lack of data on coinfection of influenza A and B viruses circulating in Saudi Arabia. In this study, we aimed to identify the circulation of influenza viruses that contribute to respiratory tract infections in Saudi children.Methods. We collected 80 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from hospitalized children with acute respiratory illness (ARI) at Riyadh during the period extended from October 2010 till April 2011. Samples were tested for the common respiratory viruses including influenza viruses by RT-PCR.Results. Overall, 6 samples were found positive for influenza A and/or B viruses. Among these positive clinical samples, only one collected sample from a female one-year-old immunocompromised child with leukemia showed a coinfection with influenza A and B viruses. In present study coinfection was confirmed by inoculation of the clinical specimen in specific pathogenfree embryonating chicken eggs and identification of the virus isolates by hemagglutination and one-step RT-PCR.Conclusion. This study opens the scene for studying the role of influenza virus’s coinfection in disease severity and virus evolution. Further studies are required to better understand the clinical importance of viral coinfection.
Information Content-Based Gene Ontology Semantic Similarity Approaches: Toward a Unified Framework Theory
Authors: Mazandu Gaston K. , Mulder Nicola J.
Published: September 2013

Several approaches have been proposed for computing term information content (IC) and semantic similarity scores within the gene ontology (GO) directed acyclic graph (DAG). These approaches contributed to improving protein analyses at the functional level. Considering the recent proliferation of these approaches, a unified theory in a well-defined mathematical framework is necessary in order to provide a theoretical basis for validating these approaches. We review the existing IC-based ontological similarity approaches developed in the context of biomedical and bioinformatics fields to propose a general framework and unified description of all these measures. We have conducted an experimental evaluation to assess the impact of IC approaches, different normalization models, and correction factors on the performance of a functional similarity metric. Results reveal that considering only parents or only children of terms when assessing information content or semantic similarity scores negatively impacts the approach under consideration. This study produces a unified framework for current and future GO semantic similarity measures and provides theoretical basics for comparing different approaches. The experimental evaluation of different approaches based on different term information content models paves the way towards a solution to the issue of scoring a term’s specificity in the GO DAG.
Granulocytic Sarcoma of Parotid Gland in a 4-Year-Old Child with Subleukemic AML: A Diagnostic Challenge!
Authors: Ingale Yashwant , Patil Tushar , Chaudhari Priyanka , Routray Samapika , Agrawal Manoj
Published: September 2013

A 4-year-old male child presented to our outpatient department with large swelling in the parotid region. Routine investigations were all within normal limits, and evaluation of complete blood count was normal except for anaemia. Excisional biopsy as a therapeutic diagnosis was done. Microscopic examination showed monomorphic population of discohesive, hyperchromatic small round cells having high N : C ratio, coarse chromatin, conspicuous nucleoli, and sometimes angulated nuclei lying in sheets. Immunohistochemistry was done to rule out possible differential diagnosis. Fine needle aspiration from the swelling showed predominant population of blast cells. Myeloperoxidase and PBO were strongly positive, and diagnosis of granulocytic sarcoma was confirmed.
Relationship between Hardy Spaces Associated with Different Homogeneities and One-Parameter Hardy Spaces
Authors: Wu Xinfeng
Published: September 2013

We prove that the Hardy spaces associated with different homogeneities , are continuously embedded into the intersection of the isotropic Hardy spaces and the nonisotropic Hardy spaces . As a consequence, we obtain that any operator bounded from either or into must be bounded from to .
Radial and Sigmoid Basis Function Neural Networks in Wireless Sensor Routing Topology Control in Underground Mine Rescue Operation Based on Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Ansong Mary Opokua , Yao Hong-Xing , Huang Jun Steed
Published: September 2013

The performance of a proposed compact radial basis function was compared with the sigmoid basis function and the gaussian-radial basis function neural networks in 3D wireless sensor routing topology control, in underground mine rescue operation. Optimised errors among other parameters were examined in addition to scalability and time efficiency. To make the routing path efficient in emergency situations, the sensor sequence and deployment as well as transmission range were carefully considered. In times of danger and unsafe situations, data-mule robot with Through The Earth (TTE) radio would be used to carry water, food, equipments, and so forth to miners underground and return with information. Using Matlab, the optimised vectors with high survival rate and fault tolerant, based on rock type, were generated as inputs for the neural networks. Particle swarm optimisation with adaptive mutation was used to train the neurons. Computer simulation results showed that the neural network learning algorithm minimized the error between the neural network output and the desired output such that final error values were either the same as the error goal or less than the error goal. Thus, the proposed algorithm shows high reliability and superior performance.
An Equilibrium Chance-Constrained Multiobjective Programming Model with Birandom Parameters and Its Application to Inventory Problem
Authors: Tao Zhimiao , Xu Jiuping
Published: September 2013

An equilibrium chance-constrained multiobjective programming model with birandom parameters is proposed. A type of linear model is converted into its crisp equivalent model. Then a birandom simulation technique is developed to tackle the general birandom objective functions and birandom constraints. By embedding the birandom simulation technique, a modified genetic algorithm is designed to solve the equilibrium chance-constrained multiobjective programming model. We apply the proposed model and algorithm to a real-world inventory problem and show the effectiveness of the model and the solution method.
Isomorphic Digraphs from Affine Maps of Finite Cyclic Groups
Authors: Deng Guixin
Published: September 2013

Let be a positive integer. For any pair of integers and , let be the digraph whose set of vertices is , and there exists a directed edge from vertex to vertex if . In this paper, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for which .
Clinicopathological Features of Dacryolithiasis in Japanese Patients: Frequent Association with Infection in Aged Patients
Authors: Kubo Masabumi , Sakuraba Tomoki , Wada Ryuichi
Published: September 2013

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the clinicopathological features of dacryolithiasis and prevalence of associated infection in Japanese patients. Materials and Methods. Out of 13,471 outclinic patients from 2006 to 2011, 268 patients were scheduled to be performed dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) due to dacryocystitis with nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Actually 266 patients underwent dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and two patients were cured by only ophthalmic examination. Dacryoliths were found in 17 cases (6.3%). Among 17 cases of dacryolithiasis, three patients were male, and 14 were female. The age of the patients ranged from 32 to 82 (mean 67) years, and 13 cases (76%) were more than 65 years of age. Pathological examination disclosed the infectious agents in 9 cases (53%), and all patients with infection were more than 65 years of age. Special stains revealed colonies of fungus, suspicious of Aspergillus, in 6 cases and gram-positive rods, and suspicious of Actinomyces, in 3 cases. Conclusions. The current study showed the frequent association of infection with dacryolithiasis in aged Japanese patients. This should be taken into the consideration for the treatment of dacryolithiasis.