bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ruscogenin Ameliorates Experimental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis via Suppressing Lipogenesis and Inflammatory Pathway
Authors: Lu Hung-Jen , Tzeng Thing-Fong , Liou Shorong-Shii , Chang Chia Ju , Yang Cheng , Wu Ming-Chang , Liu I-Min
Published: July 2014

The aim of the study was to investigate the protective effects of ruscogenin, a major steroid sapogenin in Ophiopogon japonicus, on experimental models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. HepG2 cells were exposed to 300 μmol/l palmitic acid (PA) for 24 h with the preincubation of ruscogenin for another 24 h. Ruscogenin (10.0 μmol/l) had inhibitory effects on PA-induced triglyceride accumulation and inflammatory markers in HepG2 cells. Male golden hamsters were randomly divided into five groups fed a normal diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or a HFD supplemented with ruscogenin (0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg/day) by gavage once daily for 8 weeks. Ruscogenin alleviated dyslipidemia, liver steatosis, and necroinflammation and reversed plasma markers of metabolic syndrome in HFD-fed hamsters. Hepatic mRNA levels involved in fatty acid oxidation were increased in ruscogenin-treated HFD-fed hamsters. Conversely, ruscogenin decreased expression of genes involved in hepatic lipogenesis. Gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemoattractive mediator, nuclear transcription factor-(NF-)κB, andα-smooth muscle actin were increased in the HFD group, which were attenuated by ruscogenin. Ruscogenin may attenuate HFD-induced steatohepatitis through downregulation of NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses, reducing hepatic lipogenic gene expression, and upregulating proteins inβ-oxidation pathway.
The Protective Role of Antioxidants in the Defence against ROS/RNS-Mediated Environmental Pollution
Authors: Poljšak Borut , Fink Rok
Published: July 2014

Overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can result from exposure to environmental pollutants, such as ionising and nonionising radiation, ultraviolet radiation, elevated concentrations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, cigarette smoke, asbestos, particulate matter, pesticides, dioxins and furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and many other compounds present in the environment. It appears that increased oxidative/nitrosative stress is often neglected mechanism by which environmental pollutants affect human health. Oxidation of and oxidative damage to cellular components and biomolecules have been suggested to be involved in the aetiology of several chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and aging. Several studies have demonstrated that the human body can alleviate oxidative stress using exogenous antioxidants. However, not all dietary antioxidant supplements display protective effects, for example,β-carotene for lung cancer prevention in smokers or tocopherols for photooxidative stress. In this review, we explore the increases in oxidative stress caused by exposure to environmental pollutants and the protective effects of antioxidants.
Emission of Protons and Charged Pions inp+ Cu andp+ Pb Collisions at 3, 8, and 15 GeV/c
Authors: Kang J. H. , Qian Y. C. , Li B. C. , Wu S. W.
Published: July 2014

We present an analysis of proton and charged pion transverse momentum spectra ofp+Cuandp+Pbreactions at 3, 8, and 15 GeV/cin the framework of a multisource thermal model. The spectra are compared closely with the experimental data of HARP-CDP at all angular intervals. The result shows that the widths of the particle distributions in bothp+Cuandp+Pbcollisions decrease with increasing the angle for the same incident momentum.
Cooperative Behaviours with Swarm Intelligence in Multirobot Systems for Safety Inspections in Underground Terrains
Authors: Yinka-Banjo Chika , Osunmakinde Isaac O. , Bagula Antoine
Published: July 2014

Underground mining operations are carried out in hazardous environments. To prevent disasters from occurring, as often as they do in underground mines, and to prevent safety routine checkers from disasters during safety inspection checks, multirobots are suggested to do the job of safety inspection rather than human beings and single robots. Multirobots are preferred because the inspection task will be done in the minimum amount of time. This paper proposes a cooperative behaviour for a multirobot system (MRS) to achieve a preentry safety inspection in underground terrains. A hybrid QLACS swarm intelligent model based on Q‐Learning (QL) and the Ant Colony System (ACS) was proposed to achieve this cooperative behaviour in MRS. The intelligent model was developed by harnessing the strengths of both QL and ACS algorithms. The ACS optimizes the routes used for each robot while the QL algorithm enhances the cooperation between the autonomous robots. A description of a communicating variation within the QLACS model for cooperative behavioural purposes is presented. The performance of the algorithms in terms of without communication, with communication, computation time, path costs, and the number of robots used was evaluated by using a simulation approach. Simulation results show achieved cooperative behaviour between robots.
The Nutritional Facts of Bamboo Shoots and Their Usage as Important Traditional Foods of Northeast India
Authors: Nongdam P. , Tikendra Leimapokpam
Published: July 2014

Bamboo shoots are considered as one of the useful health foods because of their rich contents of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibres, and minerals and very low fat. Though bamboo shoots provide lots of health benefits, their consumption is confined mostly to Southeast Asian and East Asian countries. The acceptability of bamboo shoots as popular vegetable crop is very less due to their high pungent smell and bitter acidic taste. The use of bamboo as food in India is mainly restricted to Northeastern part of the country where they form an indispensable part of several traditional speciality dishes. The different ethnic communities take fresh or fermented bamboo shoot as one of most preferred traditional food items. Some of the important bamboo based traditional foods are ushoi, soibum, rep, mesu, eup, ekhung, hirring, and so forth. Bamboo shoots should be properly processed before they are consumed as freshly harvested shoots have high content of toxic cyanogenic glycosides which may pose serious health problems. The prospect of bamboo shoot industry in Northeast India is bright due to its rich genetic resources of bamboos. However, habitat destruction and extensive use of bamboos for food, handicraft, and construction purposes have resulted in severe depletion of natural bamboo resources. This review stresses upon the high nutritive values and health benefits of bamboo shoots and their usage as important traditional foods in Northeast India. The bamboo market potential of the region and use of in vitro plant micropropagation methods as effective means of bamboo conservation are also emphasized in this paper.
Invariant Means and Reversible Semigroup of Relatively Nonexpansive Mappings in Banach Spaces
Authors: Kim Kyung Soo
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this paper is to study modified Halpern type and Ishikawa type iteration for a semigroup of relatively nonexpansive mappingsI={T(s):s∈S}on a nonempty closed convex subsetCof a Banach space with respect to a sequence of asymptotically left invariant means{μn}defined on an appropriate invariant subspace ofl∞(S), whereSis a semigroup. We prove that, given some mild conditions, we can generate iterative sequences which converge strongly to a common element of the set of fixed pointsF(I), whereF(I)=⋂{F(T(s)):s∈S}.
Characteristics of Wind Velocity and Temperature Change Near an Escarpment-Shaped Road Embankment
Authors: Kim Young-Moon , You Ki-Pyo , You Jang-Youl
Published: July 2014

Artificial structures such as embankments built during the construction of highways influence the surrounding airflow. Various types of damage can occur due to changes in the wind velocity and temperature around highway embankments. However, no study has accurately measured micrometeorological changes (wind velocity and temperature) due to embankments. This study conducted a wind tunnel test and field measurement to identify changes in wind velocity and temperature before and after the construction of embankments around roads. Changes in wind velocity around an embankment after its construction were found to be influenced by the surrounding wind velocity, wind angle, and the level difference and distance from the embankment. When the level difference from the embankment was large and the distance was up to 3H, the degree of wind velocity declines was found to be large. In changes in reference wind velocities around the embankment, wind velocity increases were not proportional to the rate at which wind velocities declined. The construction of the embankment influenced surrounding temperatures. The degree of temperature change was large in locations with large level differences from the embankment at daybreak and during evening hours when wind velocity changes were small.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Lemierre’s Syndrome
Authors: Hein Paul N. , Soghikian Maida V. , Bhangoo Munveer S.
Published: July 2014

Lemierre’s syndrome is an infectious disease defined by the presence of septic thrombophlebitis with associated embolic phenomenon, most commonly to the lungs. Here we present two cases from a single institution of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) developing as a result of Lemierre’s syndrome in previously healthy young adult men. ARDS can occur as a consequence of pulmonary septic emboli and sepsis, both of which are well-described consequences of Lemierre’s syndrome. We describe important diagnostic and management considerations in the care of patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure and Lemierre’s syndrome. Essential components of management include prompt antibiotic therapy, lung-protective ventilation strategies, and supportive care.
New Hermite-Hadamard Type Inequalities forn-Times Differentiable ands-Logarithmically Preinvex Functions
Authors: Wang Shuhong , Liu Ximin
Published: July 2014

The concept ofs-logarithmically preinvex function is introduced, and by creating an integral identity involving ann-times differentiable function, some new Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities fors-logarithmically preinvex functions are established.
Characterization and Alumina Leachability of 12CaO·7Al2O3with Different Holding Times
Authors: Sun Hui-lan , Wang Bo , Zhang Jian-xin , Zong Shu-feng
Published: July 2014

The effect of synthesis time on phase compositions, lattice constant, average grain size, preferred orientation, and surface morphology of 12CaO·7Al2O3synthesized at 1500°C was analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results indicate that the main phase of samples synthesized is 12CaO·7Al2O3when holding time is over 30 min. The lattice constant increases and the preferred orientation decreases as synthesis time prolongs. The average grain size of samples is about 59 nm calculated by Scherrer formula, and it does not change with synthesis time. The synthesis time affects the micromorphology of samples greatly. There are more and bigger holes in samples synthesized for long time. The aspects mentioned above cause the alumina leaching ratio of 12CaO·7Al2O3to increase with the prolonging of synthesis time, but the rate of increase drops.
Cloud Manufacturing Service Paradigm for Group Manufacturing Companies
Authors: Zhou Jingtao , Wang Mingwei
Published: July 2014

The continuous refinement of specialization requires that the group manufacturing company must be constantly focused on how to concentrate its core resources in special sphere to form its core competitive advantage. However, the resources in enterprise group are usually distributed in different subsidiary companies, which means they cannot be fully used, constraining the competition and development of the enterprise. Conducted as a response to a need for cloud manufacturing studies, systematic and detailed studies on cloud manufacturing schema for group companies are carried out in this paper. A new hybrid private clouds paradigm is proposed to meet the requirements of aggregation and centralized use of heterogeneous resources and business units distributed in different subsidiary companies. After the introduction of the cloud manufacturing paradigm for enterprise group and its architecture, this paper presents a derivation from the abstraction of paradigm and framework to the application of a practical evaluative working mechanism. In short, the paradigm establishes an effective working mechanism to translate collaborative business process composed by the activities into cloud manufacturing process composed by services so as to create a foundation resulting in mature traditional project monitoring and scheduling technologies being able to be used in cloud manufacturing project management.
Characterization of the Complete Nuclear Ribosomal DNA Sequences ofParamphistomum cervi
Authors: Zheng Xu , Chang Qiao-Cheng , Zhang Yan , Tian Si-Qin , Lou Yan , Duan Hong , Guo Dong-Hui , Wang Chun-Ren , Zhu Xing-Quan
Published: July 2014

Sequences of the complete nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene from five individualParamphistomum cerviwere determined for the first time. The five complete rDNA sequences, which included the 18S rDNA, the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), the 5.8S rDNA, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), the 28S rDNA, and the intergenic spacer (IGS) regions, had a length range of 8,493–10,221 bp. The lengths of the investigated 18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2, and 28S rDNA sequences, which were 1,994 bp, 1,293 bp, 157 bp, 286 bp, and 4,186 bp, respectively, did not vary. However, the IGS rDNA sequences had a length range of 577–2,305 bp. The 5.8S and ITS-2 rDNA sequences had 100% identity among the five investigated samples, while the identities among the IGS had a range of 53.7–99.8%. A comparative analysis revealed that different types and numbers of repeats were found within each ITS1 and IGS region, which may be related to the length polymorphism of IGS. The phylogenetic position ofP. cerviin Paramphistomatidae was analyzed based on the 18S rDNA sequences. These results will aid in studying the intra- and interspecific variation of the Paramphistomatidae and the systematics and phylogenetics of Digenea.
Obligatory Role for Endothelial Heparan Sulphate Proteoglycans and Caveolae Internalization in Catestatin-Dependent eNOS Activation
Authors: Fornero Sara , Bassino Eleonora , Ramella Roberta , Gallina Clara , Mahata Sushil K. , Tota Bruno , Levi Renzo , Alloatti Giuseppe , Gallo Maria Pia
Published: July 2014

The chromogranin-A peptide catestatin modulates a wide range of processes, such as cardiovascular functions, innate immunity, inflammation, and metabolism. We recently found that the cardiac antiadrenergic action of catestatin requires a PI3K-dependent NO release from endothelial cells, although the receptor involved is yet to be identified. In the present work, based on the cationic properties of catestatin, we tested the hypothesis of its interaction with membrane heparan sulphate proteoglycans, resulting in the activation of a caveolae-dependent endocytosis. Experiments were performed on bovine aortic endothelial cells. Endocytotic vesicles trafficking was quantified by confocal microscopy using a water-soluble membrane dye; catestatin colocalization with heparan sulphate proteoglycans and caveolin 1 internalization were studied by fluorimetric measurements in live cells. Modulation of the catestatin-dependent eNOS activation was assessed by immunofluorescence and immunoblot analysis. Our results demonstrate that catestatin (5 nM) colocalizes with heparan sulphate proteoglycans and induces a remarkable increase in the caveolae-dependent endocytosis and caveolin 1 internalization, which were significantly reduced by both heparinase and wortmannin. Moreover, catestatin was unable to induce Ser1179eNOS phosphorylation after pretreatments with heparinase and methyl-β-cyclodextrin. Taken together, these results highlight the obligatory role for proteoglycans and caveolae internalization in the catestatin-dependent eNOS activation in endothelial cells.
Increased Incidence of Thyroid Dysfunction and Autoimmunity in Patients with Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis
Authors: Stagi Stefano , Pucci Neri , Di Grande Laura , de Libero Cinzia , Caputo Roberto , Pantano Stefano , Mattei Ivan , Mori Francesca , de Martino Maurizio , Novembre Elio
Published: July 2014

Hormones may play a role in the pathophysiology of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). An increased incidence of thyroid autoantibodies was recently observed in VKC, although there were no data on thyroid function. Two hundred and eighty-eight patients (202 males, 86 females; range 5.5 to 16.9 years) with VKC were evaluated and compared with 188 normal age- and sex-matched subjects. In all subjects, serum concentrations of free T4, TSH, thyroperoxidase, thyroglobulin, and TSHr autoantibodies were evaluated. In VKC, the family history of thyroid diseases showed no significant differences compared to the controls (9.4 versus 8.6%), whereas the family history of autoimmune diseases was significantly higher (13.2% versus 6.3%;P<0.05). Subclinical hypothyroidism was diagnosed in 6.6% (versus 1.6% of the controls;P<0.05) and overt hypothyroidism in 0.7% (versus 0.0% of the controls;P=NS). Finally, 5.2% of patients were positive for thyroid autoantibodies, which were significantly higher with respect to the controls (0.5%,P<0.05). In the patients positive for thyroid autoantibodies, 80% showed a sonography pattern that suggested autoimmune thyroiditis. Thyroid function and autoimmunity abnormalities are frequently present in children with VKC. Children with VKC should be screened for thyroid function and evaluated for thyroid autoimmunity.
Development of Tandem Amorphous/Microcrystalline Silicon Thin‐Film Large‐Area See‐Through Color Solar Panels with Reflective Layer and 4‐Step Laser Scribing for Building‐Integrated Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Tsai Chin-Yi , Tsai Chin-Yao
Published: July 2014

In this work, tandem amorphous/microcrystalline silicon thin‐film large‐area see‐through color solar modules were successfully designed and developed for building‐integrated photovoltaic applications. Novel and key technologies of reflective layers and 4‐step laser scribing were researched, developed, and introduced into the production line to produce solar panels with various colors, such as purple, dark blue, light blue, silver, golden, orange, red wine, and coffee. The highest module power is 105 W and the highest visible light transmittance is near 20%.
Functional Stretching Exercise Submitted for Spastic Diplegic Children: A Randomized Control Study
Authors: Elshafey Mohamed Ali , Abd-Elaziem Adel , Gouda Rana Elmarzouki
Published: July 2014

Objective.Studying the effect of the functional stretching exercise in diplegic children.Design.Children were randomly assigned into two matched groups.Setting.Outpatient Clinic of the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University.Participants.Thirty ambulant spastic diplegic children, ranging in age from five to eight years, participated in this study.Interventions.The control group received physical therapy program with traditional passive stretching exercises. The study group received physical therapy program with functional stretching exercises. The treatment was performed for two hours per session, three times weekly for three successive months.Main Outcome Measure(s).H∖M ratio, popliteal angle, and gait parameters were evaluated for both groups before and after treatment.Results.There was significant improvement in all the measuring variables for both groups in favor of study group. H∖M ratio was reduced, popliteal angle was increased, and gait was improved.Conclusion(s).Functional stretching exercises were effectively used in rehabilitation of spastic diplegic children; it reduced H∖M ratio, increased popliteal angle, and improved gait.
Adaptive Heterogeneous Network Handoff of Smartphone Based on the Closed Control Loop
Authors: Liu Wei , Li Qiang , Chen Yongle , Xiong Yongping , Deng Yubo , Sun Limin
Published: July 2014

Owing to complementary characteristics of wireless networks, it is deserved to achieve automatic handoff on the modern smartphone for taking full exploitation of these accessible technologies. In this paper, we have proposed the closed loop model on smartphone switching heterogeneous wireless networks, which is full-client based without requiring additional support from the access points or gateways and modification of the network protocols. It only intuitively takes advantage of user scheme as the feedback adjustment approach to handoff policy. Furthermore, we have analyzed the closed loop handoff model to illustrate and evaluate how the user feedback of the policy acts on adapting to change context. In the experiment, we have evaluated four metrics on the closed loop handoff policy in real smartphone device: performance, energy saving, data offloading, and user experience.
Abarema cochliacarposExtract Decreases the Inflammatory Process and Skeletal Muscle Injury Induced byBothrops leucurusVenom
Authors: Saturnino-Oliveira Jeison , Santos Daiana Do Carmo , Guimarães Adriana Gibara , Santos Dias Antônio , Tomaz Marcelo Amorim , Monteiro-Machado Marcos , Estevam Charles Santos , Lucca Júnior Waldecy De , Maria Durvanei Augusto , Melo Paulo A. , Araújo Adriano Antunes de Souza , Santos Márcio Roberto Viana , Almeida Jackson Roberto Guedes da Silva , Oliveira Rita de Cássia Meneses , Pereira de Oliveira Aldeidia , Quintans Júnior Lucindo José
Published: July 2014

Snakebites are a public health problem, especially in tropical countries. However, treatment with antivenom has limited effectiveness against venoms’ local effects. Here, we investigated the ability ofAbarema cochliacarposhydroethanolic extract (EAc) to protect mice against injection ofBothrops leucurusvenom. Swiss mice received perimuscular venom injection and were subsequently treated orally with EAc in different doses. Treatment with EAc 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg reduced the edema induced byB. leucurusin 1%, 13%, and 39%, respectively. Although lower doses showed no antihypernociceptive effect in the Von Frey test, the higher dose significantly reduced hyperalgesia induced by the venom. Antimyotoxic activity of EAc was also observed by microscopy assessment, with treated muscles presenting preserved structures, decreased edema, and inflammatory infiltrate as compared to untreated ones. Finally, on the rotarod test, the treated mice showed better motor function, once muscle fibers were preserved and there were less edema and pain. Treated mice could stand four times more time on the rotating rod than untreated ones. Our results have shown that EAc presented relevant activities against injection ofB. leucurusvenom in mice, suggesting that it can be considered as an adjuvant in the treatment of envenomation.
Minimum Time Trajectory Optimization of CNC Machining with Tracking Error Constraints
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Li Shurong , Guo Jianxin
Published: July 2014

An off-line optimization approach of high precision minimum time feedrate for CNC machining is proposed. Besides the ordinary considered velocity, acceleration, and jerk constraints, dynamic performance constraint of each servo drive is also considered in this optimization problem to improve the tracking precision along the optimized feedrate trajectory. Tracking error is applied to indicate the servo dynamic performance of each axis. By using variable substitution, the tracking error constrained minimum time trajectory planning problem is formulated as a nonlinear path constrained optimal control problem. Bang-bang constraints structure of the optimal trajectory is proved in this paper; then a novel constraint handling method is proposed to realize a convex optimization based solution of the nonlinear constrained optimal control problem. A simple ellipse feedrate planning test is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. Then the practicability and robustness of the trajectory generated by the proposed approach are demonstrated by a butterfly contour machining example.
Monotonicity of the Ratio of the Power and Second Seiffert Means with Applications
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hang , Song Ying-Qing , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: July 2014

We present the necessary and sufficient condition for the monotonicity of the ratio of the power and second Seiffert means. As applications, we get the sharp upper and lower bounds for the second Seiffert mean in terms of the power mean.
Anatomic Changes in the Macroscopic Morphology and Microarchitecture of Denervated Long Bone Tissue after Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Authors: Zamarioli Ariane , Maranho Daniel A. , Butezloff Mariana M. , Moura Patrícia A. , Volpon José Batista , Shimano Antônio C.
Published: July 2014

To study the effects of mechanical loading on bones after SCI, we assessed macro- and microscopic anatomy in rats submitted to passive standing (PS) and electrical stimulation (ES). The study design was based on two main groups of juvenile male Wistar rats with SCI: one was followed for 33 days with therapies starting at day 3 and the other was followed for 63 days with therapies starting at day 33. Both groups were composed of four subgroups (n=10/group): (1) Sham, (2) SCI, (3) SCI + PS, and (4) SCI + ES. Rehabilitation protocol consisted of a 20-minute session, 3x/wk for 30 days. The animals were sequentially weighed and euthanized. The femur and tibia were assessed macroscopically and microscopically by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The SCI rats gained less weight than Sham-operated animals. Significant reduction of bone mass and periosteal radii was observed in the SCI rats, whereas PS and ES efficiently improved the macroscopic parameters. The SEM images showed less and thin trabecular bone in SCI rats. PS and ES efficiently ameliorated the bone microarchitecture deterioration by thickening and increasing the trabeculae. Based on the detrimental changes in bone tissue following SCI, the mechanical loading through weight bearing and muscle contraction may decrease the bone loss and restore the macro- and microanatomy.
Aggressive Subcutaneous Panniculitis-Like CD30+ Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma with Diffuse EBER Expression
Authors: Aneja Amandeep , LevakaVeera Raghava , Patel Viren , Bains Ashish
Published: July 2014

T-cell lineage lymphoma with an intense membranous and paranuclear CD30 expression in the absence of ALK1 raises a differential diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), NOS and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), ALK negative. However, Epstein-Barr virus is consistently negative in ALCL and is not considered an implicating factor in its pathogenesis. We describe a case of T-cell lymphoma showing anaplastic large cell morphology with scattered hallmark cells and a uniform CD30 and Epstein-Barr virus encoded early RNA (EBER) expression that primarily involved the subcutaneous tissue at presentation. On incisional biopsy, the neoplastic cells were positive for CD3, CD2, and CD30 while negative for LCA, CD20, PAX5, CD56, ALK1, and cytotoxic granules. Molecular analysis identified a positive T-cell receptor (beta and gamma) gene rearrangement by PCR. Proliferation index approached 100% and the patient had a rapidly progressive course; the subcutaneous lesions more than doubled in size within couple of weeks with new evidence for widespread systemic involvement. This case emphasizes a rare EBV association with a CD30 positive T-cell lymphoma where the morphologic and immunophenotypic findings are otherwise nondiscriminatory between PTCL, NOS and ALCL, ALK negative.
Recognizing Boundaries in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Local Connectivity Information
Authors: Huang Baoqi , Wu Wei , Gao Guanglai , Zhang Tao
Published: July 2014

This paper develops an efficient and distributed boundary detection algorithm to precisely recognize wireless sensor network (WSN) boundaries using only local connectivity information. Specifically, given any node in a WSN, the proposed algorithm constructs its 2-hop isocontour and locally makes a rough decision on whether this node is suspected to be on boundaries of the WSN by examining the associated 2-hop isocontour. Then, a heuristic operation is performed to refine this decision, with the result that the suspected boundary node set is significantly shrunk. Lastly, tight boundary cycles corresponding to both inner and outer WSN boundaries are derived by searching the suspected boundary node set. Furthermore, regarding WSNs with relatively low node densities, the proposed algorithm is adapted to improve the quality of boundary detection. Even though the proposed algorithm is initially presented under the assumption of the idealized unit disk graph (UDG) model, we further consider the more realistic quasi-UDG (QUDG) model. In addition, a message complexity analysis confirms the energy efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Finally, we carry out a thorough evaluation showing that our algorithm is applicable to both dense and sparse deployments of WSNs and is able to produce accurate results.
Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Pathologies: From an Adipocentric Point of View
Authors: Le Lay Soazig , Simard Gilles , Martinez Maria Carmen , Andriantsitohaina Ramaroson
Published: July 2014

Oxidative stress plays a pathological role in the development of various diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, or cancer. Systemic oxidative stress results from an imbalance between oxidants derivatives production and antioxidants defenses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generally considered to be detrimental for health. However, evidences have been provided that they can act as second messengers in adaptative responses to stress. Obesity represents a major risk factor for deleterious associated pathologies such as type 2 diabetes, liver, and coronary heart diseases. Many evidences regarding obesity-induced oxidative stress accumulated over the past few years based on established correlations of biomarkers or end-products of free-radical-mediated oxidative stress with body mass index. The hypothesis that oxidative stress plays a significant role in the development of metabolic disorders, especially insulin-resistance state, is supported by several studies where treatments reducing ROS production reverse metabolic alterations, notably through improvement of insulin sensitivity, hyperlipidemia, or hepatic steatosis. In this review, we will develop the mechanistic links between oxidative stress generated by adipose tissue in the context of obesity and its impact on metabolic complications development. We will also attempt to discuss potential therapeutic approaches targeting obesity-associated oxidative stress in order to prevent associated-metabolic complications.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Normal Mesostenium and Involvement of the Mesostenium in Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Chi Xiao Xiao , Zhang Xiao Ming , Chen Tian Wu , Tang Wei , Xiao Bo , Ji Yi Fan , Huang Xiao Hua
Published: July 2014

The main point of this paper is to study MRI findings of the normal mesostenium and the involvement of the mesostenium in acute pancreatitis and to discuss the relationship between the involvement of the mesostenium and the severity of acute pancreatitis. In clinical practice, the mesenterical involvement in acute pancreatitis was often observed on MRI in daily works, which was little recorded in the reported studies. We conducted the current study to assess the mesenterical involvement in acute pancreatitis with MRI. We found that the mesenterical involvement of acute pancreatitis patients is common on MRI. The mesenterical involvement has a positive correlation with the MR severity index and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Healthy Evaluation II scoring system. It has been shown that MR can be used to visualize mesenterical involvement, which is a supplementary indicator in evaluating the severity of acute pancreatitis and local and systemic complications.
The Invertibility, Explicit Determinants, and Inverses of Circulant and Left Circulant andg-Circulant Matrices Involving Any Continuous Fibonacci and Lucas Numbers
Authors: Jiang Zhaolin , Li Dan
Published: July 2014

Circulant matrices play an important role in solving delay differential equations. In this paper, circulant type matrices including the circulant and left circulant andg-circulant matrices with any continuous Fibonacci and Lucas numbers are considered. Firstly, the invertibility of the circulant matrix is discussed and the explicit determinant and the inverse matrices by constructing the transformation matrices are presented. Furthermore, the invertibility of the left circulant andg-circulant matrices is also studied. We obtain the explicit determinants and the inverse matrices of the left circulant andg-circulant matrices by utilizing the relationship between left circulant,g-circulant matrices and circulant matrix, respectively.
Improving Light Extraction of Organic Light-Emitting Devices by Attaching Nanostructures with Self-Assembled Photonic Crystal Patterns
Authors: Peng Kai-Yu , Wei Da-Hua
Published: July 2014

A single-monolayered hexagonal self-assembled photonic crystal (PC) pattern fabricated onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films by using simple nanosphere lithography (NSL) method has been demonstrated in this research work. The patterned nanostructures acted as a scattering medium to extract the trapped photons from substrate mode of optical-electronic device for improving the overall external quantum efficiency of the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). With an optimum latex concentration, the distribution of self-assembled polystyrene (PS) nanosphere patterns on PET films can be easily controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of spin-coater. After attaching the PS nanosphere array brightness enhancement film (BEF) sheet as a photonic crystal pattern onto the device, the luminous intensity of OLEDs in the normal viewing direction is 161% higher than the one without any BEF attachment. The electroluminescent (EL) spectrum of OLEDs with PS patterned BEF attachment also showed minor color offset and superior color stabilization characteristics, and thus it possessed the potential applications in all kinds of display technology and solid-state optical-electronic devices.
Hydroxyapatite‐Functionalized Graphene: A New Hybrid Nanomaterial
Authors: Rodríguez-González C. , Cid-Luna H. E. , Salas P. , Castaño V. M.
Published: July 2014

Graphene oxide sheets (GO) were functionalized with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAp) through a simple and effective hydrothermal treatment and a novel physicochemical process. Microstructure and crystallinity were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐Vis) absorption spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to characterize the morphology of the functionalized material. The resulting novel materials combine the biocompatibility of the nHAp with the strength and physical properties of the graphene.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of Microfluidic Channel for Dielectrophoretic BioMEMS Application
Authors: Low Wan Shi , Kadri Nahrizul Adib , Wan Abas Wan Abu Bakar bin
Published: July 2014

We propose a strategy for optimizing distribution of flow in a typical benchtop microfluidic chamber for dielectrophoretic application. It is aimed at encouraging uniform flow velocity along the whole analysis chamber in order to ensure DEP force is evenly applied to biological particle. Via the study, we have come up with a constructive strategy in improving the design of microfluidic channel which will greatly facilitate the use of DEP system in laboratory and primarily focus on the relationship between architecture and cell distribution, by resorting to the tubular structure of blood vessels. The design was validated by hydrodynamic flow simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics v4.2a software. Simulations show that the presence of 2-level bifurcation has developed portioning of volumetric flow which produced uniform flow across the channel. However, further bifurcation will reduce the volumetric flow rate, thus causing undesirable deposition of cell suspension around the chamber. Finally, an improvement of microfluidic design with rounded corner is proposed to encourage a uniform cell adhesion within the channel.
The First Six Chinese Bishops of Modern Times: A Study in Church Indigenization
Authors: Mariani Paul P.
Published: July 2014

This article describes the processes that culminated in Pope Pius XI’s historic 1926 consecration of the first native Chinese Catholic bishops of modern times. Since the first Chinese bishop had been named some 250 years before, the many obstacles that prevented the naming of new native bishops in the intervening centuries are explored. Spurred by progressive missionaries, the Church embarked on a reform program to indigenize the Catholic episcopacy in China. In doing so, the Holy See had to overcome opposition from powerful constituencies. A brief portrait of the six bishops provides insight into the reasons why Rome decided on this particular group of candidates.
Rev. John J. Burke, the National Catholic Welfare Conference, and the American Occupation of Haiti (1915–34)
Authors: Slawson Douglas J.
Published: July 2014

In 1915, the United States landed marines in Haiti, a Catholic nation tied by concordat with the Vatican. In 1921, Paulist priest John J. Burke, general secretary of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, began lobbying the federal government on behalf of the Church in Haiti. From 1925 through 1931, he served as official representative of the Vatican and Haitian hierarchy to that government regarding the occupation. The author recounts Burke’s efforts for the Church in Haiti that culminated in the American government’s decision to withdraw from the island nation.
Pope John Paul II, the Saints, and Communist Poland: The Papal Pilgrimages of 1979 and 1983
Authors: Felak James Ramon
Published: July 2014

In his efforts to challenge Poland’s communist regime and shape the thinking of his countrymen on a variety of spiritual, moral, and political issues, Pope John Paul II made generous use of the saints. This article examines Ss. Wojciech, Stanisław, Hedwig, and Maximilian Kolbe, who figured prominently in John Paul’s addresses to Poles during his dramatic visits to his homeland in June 1979 and June 1983, and the ways in which he employed them on behalf of his campaign to encourage, instruct, and succor his fellow Poles.
Popes and Livonia in the First Half of the Thirteenth Century: Means and Chances to Shape the Periphery
Authors: Selart Anti
Published: July 2014

Papal impact on peripheral areas in the Middle Ages depended on the means of and possibilities for communication. This case study of the Livonian crusade and mission in the first half of the thirteenth century demonstrates the difficulties of implementing a central leadership in an area that lacked established communication patterns with the papal curia. Traveling was expensive and depended completely on the seasonal rhythm of navigation. To receive a papal letter presupposed personal attendance at the curia; in addition, the papal legates in the Baltic did not establish a regular system for exchange of information. Another important reason leading to this situation was the absence of personal networks that could connect Rome and the Baltic region.
A Cinema of Revolt: Black Wave Revolution and Dušan Makavejev’s Politics of Disgust
Authors: Hamblin Sarah
Published: July 2014

Expanding discussions of negative feelings in black wave cinema beyond pessimism, disgust in Dušan Makavejev’s Sweet Movie (1974) intervenes in both the revolutionary philosophy of Yugoslavia’s second revolution and the problems of revolutionary representation in political modernist cinema. Disgust, a powerfully negative emotional response, disrupts the communication of politics to produce a profoundly ambivalent presentation of revolutionary action. Against a positive political cinema that affirms and thus reifies its revolutionary ideology, disgust operates as a means of “nonarticulation” that prevents Sweet Movie from clearly articulating a “correct” revolutionary politics. However, although disgust may work to liberate the film from orthodox revolutionary dogma, at the same time it undermines Sweet Movie ’s ability to spur political action. As such, negative feelings like disgust produce a vexed aesthetic that at once expresses the possibilities and the limits of revolutionary cinema.
Life, Love, and Programming: The Culture and Politics of WALL-E and Pixar Computer Animation
Authors: Herhuth Eric
Published: July 2014

Given Pixar’s initial standardization of computer-animated feature films, this article examines the studio’s relation to digital modernization and to animation’s legacy of subversion through an analysis of WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008). The film exemplifies themes of modernization and subversion, and it demonstrates how a playful alienation of naturalized norms can distract from the narrative’s perpetuation of specific cultural values and practices. The narrative of WALL-E gives essentialist status to liberal desire and heterosexuality through robot characters presented in juxtaposition to consumerist, infantile, human characters. The portrayal of these sociocultural norms within the fictional space of the film (both on Earth and in outer space) is compounded by the playful space of animation itself. Pixar’s computer animation, if represented by WALL-E , presents itself as free for the essence of technology and the human to emerge but simultaneously functions as a space for precise control that is a corollary to the proliferation of programmed, algorithmic media.
In the Realm of the Senses: Sensory Realism, Speed, and Hong Kong Martial Arts Cinema
Authors: Yip Man-Fung
Published: July 2014

This article focuses on the trend toward sensationalism—or what I call “sensory realism”—in late 1960s and 1970s Hong Kong martial arts films and discusses the sociohistorical meanings that are inscribed in this process. Central to its argument is that rapid industrialization and modernization in postwar Hong Kong brought with it a new, intensified sensory environment and generated a different matrix of perceptual and affective possibilities. It is these changes in the experiential realm that helped propel a paradigmatic shift in Hong Kong martial arts films, which increasingly embraced a mode of sensory realism grounded not so much in visual resemblance between image and world as in the correspondences between a film’s perceptual and visceral sensations and the viewer’s real-life sense experiences. With its propensity for sensory stimulation and the rhetoric of realism underlying it, this new trend of martial arts film can be said to register the changing experience of the real in Hong Kong’s burgeoning urban-industrial modernity, thus functioning as a marker of the complex imbrications of aesthetic texts and sociohistorical processes.
Unpacking a Punch: Transduction and the Sound of Combat Foley in Fight Club
Authors: Hagood Mack
Published: July 2014

This article unpacks the production and impact of the Foley punch in David Fincher’s Fight Club (1999) to theorize the sonic transmission of affect in cinema. It advocates transduction as a model for a soundtrack analysis that acknowledges the already-mediated nature of aural subjectivity and allows for authenticity in electronically mediated experiences.
Return to Commentary: On the Tears of Moses in the Libro de buen amor
Authors: Giles Ryan
Published: July 2014

This essay explores the significance of what are described as the “tears of Moses” in the fourteenth-century Libro de buen amor (“Book of Good Love”). Using digitized corpora , I show how exegesis of this biblical image focused on Pharaoh’s daughter being moved by the weeping of the infant Moses. Her compassion was equated with the bridal and maternal Church lovingly receiving and nourishing the spirit of the Law of Moses as her groom and infant Christ. The Spanish poem parodies these meanings by portraying the relationship between the narrator and his procuress as that of a crying baby being soothed by his mother. In a subversion of the heart-rending cries of Moses being consoled by the Church, the old bawd enables him to seduce the object of his lust by perversely appealing to her maternal compassion.
An Electronic Corpus of Fifteenth-Century Castilian Cancionero Manuscripts
Authors: Bordalejo Barbara , Maguire Fiona , Moreno Manuel , Robinson Peter , Severin Dorothy
Published: July 2014

This article describes the project An Electronic Corpus of Fifteenth-Century Castilian Cancionero Manuscripts , paying particular attention to issues and solutions in matters related to textual criticism, such as the collation of witnesses and the generation of phylogenetic stemmata.
Mossèn Avinyó, the Cancionero de Vindel and the Cançoner llemosí del siglo XV
Authors: Ramos Rafael , Risquete Francisco J. Rodríguez , Torró Jaume
Published: July 2014

This article illustrates an important while comparably unattended role played by the making of digital databases in our contemporary philological study of medieval poetry. By presenting a case study devoted to the figure of Mossèn Avinyó, a fifteenth-century Catalan nobleman and poet, the authors of this essay exemplify the need for a rigorous perusal of the material evidence that is being archived in digital projects. With paleographical, codicological, and literary evidence, the authors show with great probability that Avinyó himself compiled two manuscripts currently held by the Hispanic Society of America: the Cancionero de Vindel and the Cançoner llemosí del siglo XV . In doing so, the authors also show that these two manuscripts contain the entirety of Avinyó’s lyric production, along with a sampling of the poetry produced by those who traveled in Avinyó’s cultural circles.
Takahashi Tomio’s Phoenix: Recuperating Hiraizumi, 1950–71
Authors: Hopson Nathan
Published: July 2014

Since 1945, Hiraizumi has by turns been envisioned as exemplar of the independent history and culture of Tohoku (northeastern Japan), of the possibilities of local culture for national recuperation, and as an exceptional instance of the shared heritage of humankind. This article explores the role of Hiraizumi in the early postwar work of historian Takahashi Tomio, whose vision of an independent Hiraizumi polity governed by and for Tohoku shaped the field of Hiraizumi studies in the early postwar decades.
Will Malaysia Follow the Path of Taiwan and Mexico?
Authors: Nelson Joan M.
Published: July 2014

This essay focuses on the subset of semiauthoritarian systems that Beatriz Magaloni calls hegemonic-party autocracies. In such autocracies, a single party or coalition holds power without interruption for several decades under semiauthoritarian conditions while conducting regular multiparty elections. Within this category, the experiences of Mexico and the Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan) from the l980s to 2000 are particularly helpful in illuminating the current political dynamics in Malaysia and its prospects (or lack thereof) for democratization.
The Maidan and Beyond: The Media’s Role
Authors: Leshchenko Sergii
Published: July 2014

Abstract: Media, both new and traditional and both Russian and Ukrainian, played a major role in the EuroMaidan story from the very outset. On 16 January 2014, parliament passed the infamous “dictatorship package,” a set of eleven laws meant to curb freedoms of association and expression. The “package” was in effect an attempt to seize control of the Internet by means of Russian-style measures such as blocking critical websites and requiring online publications to register. But President Viktor Yanukovych was trying to put in place overnight the kind of autocracy that Vladimir Putin in Russia, like Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Belarus, had spent years building. His hasty effort backfired, as protests against his dictatorial legislation exploded, with fierce clashes breaking out in central Kyiv that cost some demonstrators their lives and Yanukovych his hold on power. The new government must now turn its attention to institution-building and the safeguarding of Ukraine’s democratic advances.