bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposure to tobacco secondhand smoke and its associated factors among non-smoking adults in smoking-restricted and non-restricted areas: findings from a nationwide study in Malaysia
Authors: Lim Kuang Hock , Teh Chien Huey , Nik Mohamed Mohamad Haniki , Pan Sayan , Ling Miaw Yn , Mohd Yusoff Muhammad Fadhli , Hassan Noraryana , Baharom Nizam , Dawam Netty Darwina , Ismail Norliana , Ghazali Sumarni Mohd , Cheong Kee Chee , Chong Kar Hon , Lim Hui Li
Published: January 2018

Objectives

Secondhand smoke (SHS) has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the aims of the paper are to assess SHS exposure among non-smoking adults in Malaysia attending various smoking-restricted and non-restricted public areas according to the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (CTPR) as well as its relationship with various sociodemographic variables.

Design

Data were extracted from a cross-sectional study, the Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2011 which involved 3269 non-smokers in Malaysia. Data was obtained through face-to-face interviews using a validated pre-tested questionnaire. Factors associated with exposure to SHS were identified via multivariable analysis.

Results

The study revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents were exposed to SHS in at least one public area in the past 1 month, with a significantly higher exposure among males (70.6%), those with higher educational attainment (81.4%) and higher income (quintile 1%–73.9%). Besides, the exposure to SHS was almost four times higher in non-restricted areas compared with restricted areas under the CTPR (81.9% vs 22.9). Multivariable analysis revealed that males and younger adults at non-restricted areas were more likely to be exposed to SHS while no significant associated factors of SHS exposure was observed in restricted areas.

Conclusions

The study revealed the prevalence of SHS exposure was higher among Malaysian adults. Although smoke-free laws offer protection to non-smokers from exposure to SHS, enforcement activities in restricted areas should be enhanced to ensure strict public abidance. In addition, legislation of restricted areas should also be extended to greatly reduce the SHS exposure among non-smokers in Malaysia.
Sociodemographic factors, level of physical activity and health-related quality of life in adults from the north-east of São Paulo, Brazil: a cross-sectional population study
Authors: Maciel Nicoly Machado , De Conti Marta Helena Souza , Simeão Sandra Fiorelli Almeida Penteado , Genebra Caio Vitor dos Santos , Corrente José Eduardo , De Vitta Alberto
Published: January 2018

Objective

To verify the association among sociodemographic variables, physical activity level and health-related quality of life in adults aged 20 years and over.

Methods

Population-based study, with household sample by clusters. The dependent variables were the PCS and MCS scores of the instrument 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the independent variables were gathered in sociodemographic characteristics and the level of physical activity. Absolute and relative frequency distributions were used for categorical variables and bivariate analysis, using Student’s t-test and ANOVA and multivariate using non-conditional logistic regression.

Results

Of the 600 interviewees, the mean PCS score for men was 80.2 and for women 74.6, while for MCS, 83.8 (±16.9) and 76.5 (±23.3), for men and women, respectively. Women tend to report lower scores than men in all domains: men (OR=4.83) and women (OR=4.80) were older (OR=4.34) (OR=3.57) and sedentary women (OR=1.90) were associated with lower PCS scores, while older men (OR=3.96) and widowed and separated’ (OR=3.03) had lower MSC scores.

Conclusion

HRQoL was associated with advancing age and schooling, in both sexes, sedentary women and widowed and separated men.
Innovative STRoke Interactive Virtual thErapy (STRIVE) online platform for community-dwelling stroke survivors: a randomised controlled trial protocol
Authors: Johnson Liam , Bird Marie-Louise , Muthalib Makii , Teo Wei-Peng
Published: January 2018

Introduction

The STRoke Interactive Virtual thErapy (STRIVE) intervention provides community-dwelling stroke survivors access to individualised, remotely supervised progressive exercise training via an online platform. This trial aims to determine the clinical efficacy of the STRIVE intervention and its effect on brain activity in community-dwelling stroke survivors.

Methods and analysis

In a multisite, assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial, 60 stroke survivors >3 months poststroke with mild-to-moderate upper extremity impairment will be recruited and equally randomised by location (Melbourne, Victoria or Launceston, Tasmania) to receive 8 weeks of virtual therapy (VT) at a local exercise training facility or usual care. Participants allocated to VT will perform 3–5 upper limb exercises individualised to their impairment severity and preference, while participants allocated to usual care will be asked to maintain their usual daily activities. The primary outcome measures will be upper limb motor function and impairment, which will be assessed using the Action Research Arm Test and Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer, respectively. Secondary outcome measures include upper extremity function and spasticity, as measured by the box and block test and Modified AshworthScale, respectively, and task-related changes in bilateral sensorimotor cortex haemodynamics during hand reaching and wrist extension movements as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Quality of life will be measured using theEuro-Quality of Life-5 Dimension-5 LevelScale, and theMotor Activity Log-28will be used to measure use of the hemiparetic arm. All measures will be assessed at baseline and immediately postintervention.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee in May 2017 (No. 2017–087). The results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at major international stroke meetings.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12617000745347; Pre-results.
Eradication of sarcoptic mange from a Belgian pig breeding farm with a combination of injectable and in‐feed ivermectin
Authors: Smets K. , Neirynck W. , Vercruysse J.
Published: January 2018

Sarcoptes scabiei var suis was eradicated from a Belgian pig farm by using a combination of injections of ivermectin and ivermectin in the feed. The detection of mites in ear scrapings, and calculations of an average dermatitis score and a scratching index were used to evaluate the mange status of the pigs before and after the treatment. Before the treatment 28 per cent of ear scrapings offinishers were positive for the presence of mites, their average dermatitis score (ADS) was 0.92 and their scratching index was 2.0. There was a significant decrease in all three measurements during the year after the treatment, and one year after treatment, no mites were found in the ear scrapings; the ADS of the finishers was 0.31 and their scratching index was 0.16. Adult animals were negative for the presence of mites at all times, the ADS was below the cut‐off level before and after treatment, and the scratching index decreased after treatment. There was an economic improvement among the breeding sows and the fattening pigs. The feed consumption of the sows decreased by 5 per cent; rebreeding decreased by 4.55 per cent; average litter size increased by 0.33 live piglets born per litter and the farrowing index increased by 0.075 litters per sow per year. As a result, the production index increased by 1.34 more piglets weaned per sow per year. There was an immediate improvement in feed conversion during the five months after the treatment The costs of the treatment were recovered within 3.7 months.
Quantum square-well with logarithmic central spike
Authors: Znojil Miloslav , Semorádová Iveta
Published: January 2018

Singular repulsive barrier [Formula: see text] inside a square-well is interpreted and studied as a linear analog of the state-dependent interaction [Formula: see text] in nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In the linearized case, Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory is shown to provide a closed-form spectrum at sufficiently small [Formula: see text] or after an amendment of the unperturbed Hamiltonian. At any spike strength [Formula: see text], the model remains solvable numerically, by the matching of wave functions. Analytically, the singularity is shown regularized via the change of variables [Formula: see text] which interchanges the roles of the asymptotic and central boundary conditions.
Digital Fuzzy Current Mode Controlled Integrated PFC Converter with External Ramp Compensation
Authors: Subbarao Mopidevi , Babu Ch. Sai , Satyanarayana S. , Naidu P. Chandra Babu
Published: January 2018

This paper propounded a novel method of design and realization of a digital fuzzy controlled buck integrated power factor correction (PFC) converter. It derives its advantages through the low buck capacitor voltage and single control switch (SW1), which leads to reduced complex control and price. Sub-harmonic oscillations generated in the peak current mode technique can be nullified by using the ramp signal, thereby improving the overall performance of the converter. The fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is robust and effective than the conventional linear controllers like P, PI, PID. In this paper, the digital fuzzy current mode controlled integrated PFC converter with external ramp compensation signal for 100 W load operating in the universal range of voltage (90[Formula: see text]V–265[Formula: see text]V), 50[Formula: see text]Hz has been designed and implemented using MATLAB/Simulink, verified in hardware using the TMS320F2812 digital processor board, and the results are found to be complying with international regulatory standards (IEC 6100-3-2 and IEEE 519-1992).
On Active Passengering
Authors: Matsumura Kohei , Kirk David S.
Published: January 2018

We describe the development of an interactive car window system designed to support passengers in engaging with the external environment during a journey. Through advances in embedded digital technologies, cars increasingly have a potential to become interactive spaces, in which passengers will find it possible to interact with the external environment through in-car interfaces. However the utility and benefit of such interactive systems for passengers has not been well studied. There is a need therefore, to study the design and use of these technologies, as they are emerging. We thus investigated how digital technology might support passengers' interactions with the external environment. Through a focus group (n=6) and interviews (n=5) we investigated passengers' attitudes towards, and practices during, ordinary car journeys. From this scoping study we formulated five design considerations for designing/implementing a prototype interactive car-window system. This system was then evaluated through an in-lab user study (n=8). Qualitative thematic analysis of interviews during the user study suggested a variety of orientations towards ‘passengering’, the act of being a passenger, on a journey. Herein we critically examine the role of our interactive technology in supporting desired experiences of ‘active passengering’.
Privacy-preserving Image Processing with Binocular Thermal Cameras
Authors: Griffiths Erin , Assana Salah , Whitehouse Kamin
Published: January 2018

Today, cameras and digital image processing are transforming industries and the human environment with rich, informative sensing. However, image processing is not utilized nearly as much in homes where concerns about image privacy dominate. In a preliminary study with 200 participants, we found 21% would reject a camera based system even if the system was designed to not report images as they could still be collected if the camera system was hacked. In this paper, we demonstrate a hardware-based approach for privacy-preserving image processing: the ability to automatically extract information from imaging sensors without the risk of compromising image privacy, even if the system is hacked. The basic idea is to limit both the memory available on board the camera and the data rate of camera communication to prevent a full image from ever being extracted. As a proof of concept, we prototype a system, called Lethe, that tracks and identifies individuals by height with a thermal camera as they move from room to room. Our results show that Lethe can detect the presence of individuals with 96.9% accuracy and determine their direction of travel with 99.7% accuracy. Additionally, Lethe can identify individuals 96.0% of the time with a 5cm (~2in) or greater difference in walking height and 92.9% with a 2.5cm (~1in) or greater difference. Finally, Lethe performs this processing with only 33 bytes of memory (or 0.69% of the full thermal image).
Character Actor
Authors: Tennent Hamish , Moore Dylan , Ju Wendy
Published: January 2018

How might an actuated car seat become an expressive robot? To explore the possibilities of this novel interaction, we conducted a full design exploration from prototyping to validation, drawing on methods for embodied physical interaction design. First, we applied physical and digital puppeteering techniques to explore how a car seat can display emotional affect through movement with limited degrees of freedom in a semi-structured design workshop. Second, prototyped emotions were formalized with the Laban Effort framework and translated into computer animations. Third, we tested if lay users understood the expressions communicated by the animations in an online validation study on Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Participants generally agreed with our interpretation of six prototyped expressive states for the robot car seat (Neutral, Aggressive, Confident, Cool, Excited, and Quirky), and reported quantitative and qualitative reactions to each including perceived safety, which varied across conditions. Participants reported more implied cognition for higher valence expressions, and also were more likely to agree with our design intent. This specific case of physical interaction design and evaluation serves as a vignette for how to design and validate novel physical expressions in non-anthropomorphic robot interfaces.
Continuous Authentication Using Eye Movement Response of Implicit Visual Stimuli
Authors: Zhang Yongtuo , Hu Wen , Xu Weitao , Chou Chun Tung , Hu Jiankun
Published: January 2018

Smart head-worn or head-mounted devices, including smart glasses and Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, are gaining popularity. Online shopping and in-app purchase from such headsets are presenting new e-commerce opportunities to the app developers. For convenience, users of these headsets may store account login, bank account and credit card details in order to perform quick in-app purchases. If the device is unattended, then an attacker, which can include insiders, can make use of the stored account and banking details to perform their own in-app purchases at the expense of the legitimate owner. To better protect the legitimate users of VR headsets (or head mounted displays in general) from such threats, in this paper, we propose to use eye movement to continuously authenticate the current wearer of the VR headset. We built a prototype device which allows us to apply visual stimuli to the wearer and to video the eye movements of the wearer at the same time. We use implicit visual stimuli (the contents of existing apps) which evoke eye movements from the headset wearer but without distracting them from their normal activities. This is so that we can continuously authenticate the wearer without them being aware of the authentication running in the background. We evaluated our proposed system experimentally with 30 subjects. Our results showed that the achievable authentication accuracy for implicit visual stimuli is comparable to that of using explicit visual stimuli. We also tested the time stability of our proposed method by collecting eye movement data on two different days that are two weeks apart. Our authentication method achieved an Equal Error Rate of 6.9% (resp. 9.7%) if data collected from the same day (resp. two weeks apart) were used for testing. In addition, we considered active impersonation attacks where attackers trying to imitate legitimate users' eye movements. We found that for a simple (resp. complex) eye tracking scene, a successful attack could be realised after on average 5.67 (13.50) attempts and our proposed authentication algorithm gave a false acceptance rate of 14.17% (3.61%). These results show that active impersonating attacks can be prevented using complex scenes and an appropriate limit on the number of authentication attempts. Lastly, we carried out a survey to study the user acceptability to our proposed implicit stimuli. We found that on a 5-point Likert scale, at least 60% of the respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that our proposed implicit stimuli were non-intrusive.
The Linguistics of Lying
Authors: Meibauer Jörg
Published: January 2018

This review deals with the communicative act of lying from a linguistic point of view, linguistics comprising both grammar and pragmatics. Integrating findings from the philosophy of language and from psychology, I show that the potential for lying is rooted in the language system. The tasks of providing an adequate definition of lying and of distinguishing lying from other concepts of deception (such as bald-faced lying and bullshitting) can be solved when interfaces between grammar and pragmatics are taken into account and when experimental results are used to narrow down theoretical approaches. Assuming a broadly neo-Gricean background, this review focuses on four theoretical topics: the role of the truth in lying, the scalarity and imprecision of lying, the speaker's intent to deceive, and the possibility of producing deceptive implicatures. I also briefly discuss questions of lying and neuroscience, the acquisition of lying, and prosocial and cross-cultural contexts of lying.
Pregnancy-related hormones, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotrophin, upregulate expression of maternal plasma gelsolin
Authors: Garg Renu , Peddada Nagesh , Dolma Kunzes , Khatri Neeraj , Ashish
Published: January 2018

Plasma gelsolin (pGSN), a protein primarily involved in clearance of circulating actin filaments, is an upcoming novel biomarker. Its level changes in multiple disease and injury conditions, attributable mainly to its consumption during actin clearance; the endogenous regulation of its expression, however, remains elusive as well as unexplored. Here, we are reporting the first isolation of the promoter region of pGSN gene and investigation of its transcriptional regulation during pregnancy (a natural process associated with a well-programmed injury course of parturition). Interestingly, two of the pregnancy-related hormones, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and progesterone, significantly upregulated pGSN promoter activity in muscle cells. This action of both hormones was found to mediate through their respective cellular receptors and involved a contribution of multiple signaling pathways including those of protein kinase A, protein kinase C, epidermal growth factor receptor and prostaglandin-endoperoxidase synthase 2 in the case of hCG-mediated upregulation. This novel upregulation was further supported by elevated levels of endogenous pGSN transcripts as well as secreted protein upon hormonal treatments of muscle cells compared with untreated controls. A participation of pGSN promoter cis-elements, capable of interacting with endogenous transcription factors, Ap1, Sp1, and p300, was also observed during this hormonal upregulation. Additionally, the augmented pGSN levels observed in pregnant mice compared with the control animals further supported an upregulation of this protein during pregnancy, implicating vital role(s) played by pGSN during this period in mammals.
Biosensors for spatiotemporal detection of reactive oxygen species in cells and tissues
Authors: Erard Marie , Dupré-Crochet Sophie , Nüße Oliver
Published: January 2018

Redox biology has become a major issue in numerous areas of physiology. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a broad range of roles from signal transduction to growth control and cell death. To understand the nature of these roles, accurate measurement of the reactive compounds is required. An increasing number of tools for ROS detection is available; however, the specificity and sensitivity of these tools are often insufficient. Furthermore, their specificity has been rarely evaluated in complex physiological conditions. Many ROS probes are sensitive to environmental conditions in particular pH, which may interfere with ROS detection and cause misleading results. Accurate detection of ROS in physiology and pathophysiology faces additional challenges concerning the precise localization of the ROS and the timing of their production and disappearance. Certain ROS are membrane permeable, and certain ROS probes move across cells and organelles. Targetable ROS probes such as fluorescent protein-based biosensors are required for accurate localization. Here we analyze these challenges in more detail, provide indications on the strength and weakness of current tools for ROS detection, and point out developments that will provide improved ROS detection methods in the future. There is no universal method that fits all situations in physiology and cell biology. A detailed knowledge of the ROS probes is required to choose the appropriate method for a given biological problem. The knowledge of the shortcomings of these probes should also guide the development of new sensors.
A predictive model of rat calorie intake as a function of diet energy density
Authors: Beheshti Rahmatollah , Treesukosol Yada , Igusa Takeru , Moran Timothy H.
Published: January 2018

Easy access to high-energy food has been linked to high rates of obesity in the world. Understanding the way that access to palatable (high fat or high calorie) food can lead to overconsumption is essential for both preventing and treating obesity. Although the body of studies focused on the effects of high-energy diets is growing, our understanding of how different factors contribute to food choices is not complete. In this study, we present a mathematical model that can predict rat calorie intake to a high-energy diet based on their ingestive behavior to a standard chow diet. Specifically, we propose an equation that describes the relation between the body weight ( W), energy density ( E), time elapsed from the start of diet ( T), and daily calorie intake ( C). We tested our model on two independent data sets. Our results show that the suggested model can predict the calorie intake patterns with high accuracy. Additionally, the only free parameter of our proposed equation (ρ), which is unique to each animal, has a strong correlation with their calorie intake.
Noninvasive neurophysiological mapping of the lower urinary tract in adult and aging rhesus macaques
Authors: Gad Parag N. , Kokikian Nelly , Christe Kari L. , Edgerton V. Reggie , Havton Leif A.
Published: January 2018

The lower urinary tract (LUT) may be activated by spinal cord stimulation, but the physiological mapping characteristics of LUT activation with noninvasive transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) are not known. The effects of aging on the contractile properties of the detrusor are also not well understood. Therefore, TSCS was applied over the T10/T11 to L6/L7 spinous processes in adult ( n = 6) and aged ( n = 9) female rhesus macaques. A combination of urodynamic studies and electromyography recordings of the external urethral sphincter (EUS), external anal sphincter (EAS), and pelvic floor muscles was performed. Distinct functional maps were demonstrated for TSCS-evoked detrusor and urethral pressures and for the activation of the EUS, EAS, and pelvic floor muscles. The magnitude of responses for each peripheral target organ was dependent on TSCS location and strength. The strongest detrusor contraction was observed with TSCS at the L1/L2 site in adults and the L3/L4 site in aged subjects. TSCS-evoked bladder pressure at the L1/L2 site was significantly higher for the adults compared with the aged subjects ( P < 0.05). Cumulative normalized TSCS-evoked pressures, calculated for five consecutive sites between the T11/T12 and L3/L4 levels, were significantly lower for aged compared with adult subjects ( P < 0.05). The aged animals also showed a caudal shift for the TSCS site that generated the strongest detrusor contraction. We conclude that natural aging in rhesus macaques is associated with decreased detrusor contractility, a finding of significant translational research relevance as detrusor underactivity is a common occurrence with aging in humans.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) was used to map lower urinary tract function in adult and aged rhesus macaques. Aging was associated with decreased peak pressure responses to TSCS, reduced cumulative normalized evoked bladder pressure responses, and a caudal shift for the site generating the strongest TSCS-induced detrusor contraction. We demonstrate the utility of TSCS as a new diagnostic tool for detrusor contractility assessments and conclude that aging is associated with decreased detrusor contractility in primates.
Effects of Early-Life Stress on Social and Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Adult Mice: Sex-Specific Effects
Authors: Bondar Natalya P. , Lepeshko Arina A. , Reshetnikov Vasiliy V.
Published: January 2018

Stressful events in an early postnatal period have critical implications for the individual’s life and can increase later risk for psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of early-life stress on the social behavior of adult male and female mice. C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to maternal separation (MS, 3 h once a day) or handling (HD, 15 min once a day) on postnatal day 2 through 14. Adult male and female mice were tested for social behavior in the social interaction test and for individual behavior in the plus-maze and open-field tests. Female mice exposed to maternal separation had increased social behavior and increased anxiety. MS male mice had no changes in social behavior but had significantly disrupted individual behavior, including locomotor and exploratory activity. Handling had positive effects on social behavior in males and females and decreased anxiety in males. Our results support the hypothesis that brief separation of pups from their mothers (handling), which can be considered as moderate stress, may result in future positive changes in behavior. Maternal separation has deleterious effects on individual behavior and significant sex-specific effects on social behavior.
Current Advances in Pharmacotherapy and Technology for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lu Lei , Jiang Ying , Jaganathan Ravindran , Hao Yanli
Published: January 2018

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is classically defined by its vascular lesions and damage in the neurons of the retina. The cellular and clinical elements of DR have many features of chronic inflammation. Understanding the individual cell-specific inflammatory changes in the retina may lead to novel therapeutic approaches to prevent vision loss. The systematic use of available pharmacotherapy has been reported as a useful adjunct tool to laser photocoagulation, a gold standard therapy for DR. Direct injections or intravitreal anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenesis agents are widely used pharmacotherapy to effectively treat DR and diabetic macular edema (DME). However, their effectiveness is short term, and the delivery system is often associated with adverse effects, such as cataract and increased intraocular pressure. Further, systemic agents (particularly hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antihypertensive agents) and plants-based drugs have also provided promising treatment in the progression of DR. Recently, advancements in pluripotent stem cells technology enable restoration of retinal functionalities after transplantation of these cells into animals with retinal degeneration. This review paper summarizes the developments in the current and potential pharmacotherapy and therapeutic technology of DR. Literature search was done on online databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, clinitrials.gov, and browsing through individual ophthalmology journals and leading pharmaceutical company websites.
Chronic Pain in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Interdisciplinary Program Demonstrates Improvements in Disability, Psychosocial Function, and Healthcare Utilization
Authors: Rash Joshua A. , Poulin Patricia A. , Shergill Yaadwinder , Romanow Heather , Freeman Jeffrey , Taljaard Monica , Hebert Guy , Stiell Ian G. , Smyth Catherine E.
Published: January 2018

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of an individualized interdisciplinary chronic pain care plan as an intervention to reduce emergency department (ED) visits and improve clinical outcomes among patients who frequented the ED with concerns related to chronic pain. Methods. A prospective cohort design was used in an urban tertiary care hospital. As a pilot program, fourteen patients with chronic pain who frequented the ED (i.e., >12 ED visits within the last year, of which ≥50% were for chronic pain) received a rapid interdisciplinary assessment and individualized care plan that was uploaded to an electronic medical record system (EMR) accessible to the ED and patient’s primary care provider. Patients were assessed at baseline and every three months over a 12-month period. Primary outcomes were self-reported pain and function assessed using psychometrically valid scales. Results. Nine patients completed 12-month follow-up. Missing data and attrition were handled using multiple imputation. Patients who received the intervention reported clinically significant improvements in pain, function, ED visits, symptoms of depression, pain catastrophizing, sleep, health-related quality of life, and risk of future aberrant opioid use. Discussion. Individualized care plans uploaded to an EMR may be worth implementing in hospital EDs for high frequency visitors with chronic pain.
Physicochemical Characteristics and Microbiological Quality of Honey Produced in Benin
Authors: Azonwade François Ezin , Paraïso Armand , Agbangnan Dossa Cokou P. , Dougnon Victorien T. , N’tcha Christine , Mousse Wassiyath , Baba-Moussa Lamine
Published: January 2018

Honey is a very complex biological product. It has great diversity, giving it a multitude of properties, both nutritionally and therapeutically. This study aimed to study the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of honeys collected during the dry and rainy seasons in the different phytogeographical areas of Benin. The study revealed that all honeys had pH, water content, electrical conductivity, ash content, free acidity, total sugars, and reducing sugars, respectively, ranging within 3.65–4.09; 12.07–13.16%; 530.25–698.50 μs/cm; 0.42–0.53%; 35.67–40.52 meq/kg; 60–70%; and 58–70%. Moisture content, total sugars, and reducing sugars varied very significantly (p<0.05top<0.001) from one area to another and from one season to another. However, only the production season has a significant influence (p<0.05) on the pH of the honey. With regard to the ash content, free acidity, and electrical conduction, no significant difference (p>0.05) between the zones or between the seasons was observed. The results of the microbiological characterization showed that there is heterogeneity in the microbial load. These results have shown that these honeys meet international standards and their characterization will make it possible to obtain Beninese quality labels.
Number 2 Feibi Recipe Reduces PM2.5‐Induced Lung Injury in Rats
Authors: Liu Zhaoheng , Wang Wei , Cao Fang , Liu Shuo , Zou Xinxin , Li Guodong , Yang Haojie , Jiao Yang
Published: January 2018

Air pollution is the main cause of respiratory diseases. Fine particulates with the diameter below 2.5 μm can get into the alveoli and then enter the blood circulation through the lung tissue ventilation function and cause multiple systemic diseases especially the respiratory diseases. This study investigated the pathological mechanism of the lungs injury in rats induced by PM2.5 and the effect and mechanism of the Chinese herbal medicine number 2 Feibi Recipe (number 2 FBR) on lungs injury. In this experiment, Wistar rats were used. Lungs injury was induced by PM2.5. Number 2 FBR was used to treat the rats. The result showed that number 2 FBR could improve the lung injury in the rats. Meanwhile, it significantly reduced pathological response and inflammatory mediators including interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐13 (IL‐13), interleukin‐17 (IL17), monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1), and transforming growth factor‐α (TNF‐α) and upregulated glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) in the PM2.5 induced lung injury in the rats. Collectively, number 2 FBR appears to attenuate the lungs injury in rats induced by PM2.5.
Combination of Mitochondrial and Plasma Membrane Citrate Transporter Inhibitors Inhibits De Novo Lipogenesis Pathway and Triggers Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Poolsri Wan-angkan , Phokrai Phornpun , Suwankulanan Somrudee , Phakdeeto Narinthorn , Phunsomboon Pattamaphorn , Pekthong Dumrongsak , Richert Lysiane , Pongcharoen Sutatip , Srisawang Piyarat
Published: January 2018

Increased expression levels of both mitochondrial citrate transporter (CTP) and plasma membrane citrate transporter (PMCT) proteins have been found in various cancers. The transported citrates by these two transporter proteins provide acetyl-CoA precursors for the de novo lipogenesis (DNL) pathway to support a high rate of cancer cell viability and development. Inhibition of the DNL pathway promotes cancer cell apoptosis without apparent cytotoxic to normal cells, leading to the representation of selective and powerful targets for cancer therapy. The present study demonstrates that treatments with CTP inhibitor (CTPi), PMCT inhibitor (PMCTi), and the combination of CTPi and PMCTi resulted in decreased cell viability in two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and HuH-7). Treatment with citrate transporter inhibitors caused a greater cytotoxic effect in HepG2 cells than in HuH-7 cells. A lower concentration of combined CTPi and PMCTi promotes cytotoxic effect compared with either of a single compound. An increased cell apoptosis and an induced cell cycle arrest in both cell lines were reported after administration of the combined inhibitors. A combination treatment exhibits an enhanced apoptosis through decreased intracellular citrate levels, which consequently cause inhibition of fatty acid production in HepG2 cells. Apoptosis induction through the mitochondrial-dependent pathway was found as a consequence of suppressed carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1) activity and enhanced ROS generation by combined CTPi and PMCTi treatment. We showed that accumulation of malonyl-CoA did not correlate with decreasing CPT-1 activity. The present study showed that elevated ROS levels served as an inhibition on Bcl-2 activity that is at least in part responsible for apoptosis. Moreover, inhibition of the citrate transporter is selectively cytotoxic to HepG2 cells but not in primary human hepatocytes, supporting citrate-mediating fatty acid synthesis as a promising cancer therapy.
A Comparison Study on Rule Extraction from Neural Network Ensembles, Boosted Shallow Trees, and SVMs
Authors: Bologna Guido , Hayashi Yoichi
Published: January 2018

One way to make the knowledge stored in an artificial neural network more intelligible is to extract symbolic rules. However, producing rules from Multilayer Perceptrons (MLPs) is an NP-hard problem. Many techniques have been introduced to generate rules from single neural networks, but very few were proposed for ensembles. Moreover, experiments were rarely assessed by 10-fold cross-validation trials. In this work, based on the Discretized Interpretable Multilayer Perceptron (DIMLP), experiments were performed on 10 repetitions of stratified 10-fold cross-validation trials over 25 binary classification problems. The DIMLP architecture allowed us to produce rules from DIMLP ensembles, boosted shallow trees (BSTs), and Support Vector Machines (SVM). The complexity of rulesets was measured with the average number of generated rules and average number of antecedents per rule. From the 25 used classification problems, the most complex rulesets were generated from BSTs trained by “gentle boosting” and “real boosting.” Moreover, we clearly observed that the less complex the rules were, the better their fidelity was. In fact, rules generated from decision stumps trained by modest boosting were, for almost all the 25 datasets, the simplest with the highest fidelity. Finally, in terms of average predictive accuracy and average ruleset complexity, the comparison of some of our results to those reported in the literature proved to be competitive.
Embedding of Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers within PHEMA Hydrogel Matrices: Tunable Stiffness Composites with Potential for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Hobzova Radka , Hrib Jakub , Sirc Jakub , Karpushkin Evgeny , Michalek Jiri , Janouskova Olga , Gatenholm Paul
Published: January 2018

Bacterial cellulose (BC) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogels are both considered as biocompatible materials with potential use in various biomedical applications including cartilage, cardiovascular stent, and soft tissue engineering. In this work, the “ever-wet” process based on in situ UV radical polymerization of HEMA monomer in BC nanofibrous structure impregnated with HEMA was used, and a series of BC-PHEMA composites was prepared. The composite structures were characterized by ATR FT-IR spectroscopy, WAXD, SEM, and TEM techniques. The strategy of using densified BC material of various cellulose fiber contents was applied to improve mechanical properties. The mechanical properties were tested under tensile, dynamic shear, and relaxation modes. The final composites contained 1 to 20 wt% of BC; the effect of the reinforcement degree on morphology, swelling capacity, and mechanical properties was investigated. The biocompatibility test of BC-PHEMA composites was performed using mouse mesenchymal stem cells.
Simulation of Turbulent Convection at High Rayleigh Numbers
Authors: Dmitriev Sergey , Kozelkov Andrey , Kurkin Andrey , Tarasova Nataliya , Efremov Valentin , Kurulin Vadim , Shamin Roman , Legchanov Maksim
Published: January 2018

The paper considers the possibility of using different approaches to modeling turbulence under conditions of highly developed convection at high Rayleigh numbers. A number of industrially oriented problems with experimental data have been chosen for the study. It is shown that, at Rayleigh numbers from 109 to 1017, the application of the eddy-resolving LES model makes it possible to substantially increase the accuracy of modeling natural convection in comparison with the linear vortex viscosity model SST. This advantage is most pronounced for cases of a vertical temperature difference with the formation of a large zone of convection of strong intensity. The use of the Reynolds stress model EARSM is shown for cases of natural convective flow in domains with dihedral angles in the simulated region and the predominance of secondary currents. When simulating a less intense convective flow, when the temperature difference is reached at one boundary, the differences in the approaches used to model turbulence are less significant. It is shown that, with increasing values of Rayleigh numbers, errors in the determination of thermohydraulic characteristics increase and, for more accurate determination of them, it is expedient to use eddy-resolving approaches to the modeling of turbulence.
The Palatability of Lopinavir and Ritonavir Delivered by an Innovative Freeze-Dried Fast-Dissolving Tablet Formulation
Authors: Pittman David W. , Brantly Alexandra M. , Drobonick Alexandra L. , King Hannah T. , Mesta Daniel C. , Richards Caroline G. , Lal Manjari , Lai Manshun
Published: January 2018

Negative hedonic sensory qualities of HIV antiretroviral drugs often reduce patient adherence particularly in pediatric populations requiring oral consumption. This study examines the palatability of an innovative delivery mechanism utilizing a freeze-drying-in-blister approach to create fast-dissolving tablets (FDTs) containing a fixed-dose combination of lopinavir and ritonavir (LPV/r). Consumption patterns of solutions during brief-access and long-term testing and baby foodstuff consumption were analyzed to evaluate the orosensory detection and avoidance of placebo FDTs containing no LPV/r (FDT−) and FDTs containing LPV/r (FDT+). Rats showed no change in consumption patterns for the placebo FDT− compared with control solutions. Rats can detect but do not avoid FDT+ at body-weight-adjusted dosages in both brief-access (30-s) and long-term (23 h) consumption tests. There is an aversive response to concentrated doses of FDT+ during brief-access tests that cannot be masked by 25% sucrose. However, the strongest FDT+ concentration was not rejected when mixed with 50 g of applesauce, banana sauce, or rice cereal baby foodstuffs. The averseness of the FDT+ was associated with the presence of LPV/r and not the FDT− formulation itself. The novel FDT formulation appears to be a palatable delivery mechanism for oral antiretroviral pharmaceuticals especially when mixed with baby foodstuffs.
A Comparative Study of K±/π± Ratio in Proton-Proton Collisions at Different Energies: Experimental Results versus Model Simulation
Authors: Bhattacharyya Swarnapratim , Haiduc Maria , Neagu Alina Tania , Firu Elena
Published: January 2018

A detailed study of energy dependence of K+/π+, K-/π- and total kaon to pion multiplicity ratio K++K-/π++π-=K/π has been carried out in proton-proton (pp) collisions at s=6.3, 17.3, 62.4, 200, and 900 GeV and also at s=2.76 TeV and 7 TeV in the framework of UrQMD and DPMJET III model. Dependence of K+/π+ and K-/π- on energy shows different behavior for UrQMD and DPMJET III model. The presence of the horn-like structure in the variation of K+/π+ and K-/π- with energy for the experimental data is supported by the DPMJET III model. Experimentally it has been observed that as energy increases, the total kaon to pion multiplicity ratio K++K-/π++π-=K/π increases systematically for pp collisions at lower energies and becomes independent of energy in LHC energy regime. Our analysis on total kaon to pion multiplicity ratio K++K-/π++π-=K/π with UrQMD data is well supported by the experimental results obtained by different collaborations in different times. In case of DPMJET III data, the saturation of K/π ratio at LHC region has not been observed.
The Clinical Influence of Autophagy-Associated Proteins on Human Lung Cancer
Authors: Chen Yuan , Schnitzler Kai Leonie , Ma Yunxia , Nenkov Miljana , Theis Bernhard , Petersen Iver
Published: January 2018

Exploitation of autophagy might potentially improve therapeutic strategy. Here, we analyzed the protein expression of autophagy-associated genes including LC3A, LC3B, Beclin-1, p62, and Atg5 in 88–131 primary lung tumors by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue-microarrays (TMAs). Additionally, the DNA methylation pattern of LC3A was investigated by bisulfite sequencing (BS) and methylation-specific-PCR (MSP). It turned out that the higher expression of LC3A protein was associated with adenocarcinoma compared to squamous cell carcinoma of lung (p=0.008), positive staining of LC3B was significantly related to tumor grade (p=0.006), and the protein expression of Beclin-1 was significantly correlated to pN stage (p=0.041). The expression of p62 and Atg5 was however not significantly associated with any clinicopathological parameters. Downregulation of LC3A was related to DNA methylation in lung cancer cell lines, while in primary lung tumor samples, protein expression of LC3A was not significantly correlated with DNA methylation, and the methylation status of LC3A was not related to clinicopathological features. Taken together, our results suggest that autophagy-associated proteins such as LC3A, LC3B, and Beclin-1 might be potential biomarkers for subclassification, differentiation, and local metastasis in primary lung tumor, and epigenetic mechanism is partially responsible for gene silencing of LC3A in lung cancer cell lines.
MobiCOP: A Scalable and Reliable Mobile Code Offloading Solution
Authors: Benedetto José I. , Valenzuela Guillermo , Sanabria Pablo , Neyem Andrés , Navón Jaime , Poellabauer Christian
Published: January 2018

Code offloading is a popular technique for extending the natural capabilities of mobile devices by migrating processor‐intensive tasks to resource‐rich surrogates. Despite multiple platforms for offloading being available in academia, these frameworks have yet to permeate the industry. One of the primary reasons for this is limited experimentation in practical settings and lack of reliability, scalability, and options for distribution. This paper introduces MobiCOP, a new code offloading framework designed from the ground up with these requirements in mind. It features a novel design fully self‐contained in a library and offers compatibility with most stock Android devices available today. Compared to local task executions, MobiCOP offers performance improvements of up to 17x and increased battery efficiency of up to 25x, shows minimum performance degradation in environments with unstable networks, and features an autoscaling module that allows its server counterpart to scale to an arbitrary number of offloading requests. It is compatible with the most relevant Android technologies optimized for heavy computation (NDK and Renderscript) and has so far been well received by fellow mobile developers. We hope MobiCOP will help bring mobile code offloading closer to the industry realm.
Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation with Concomitant Aortic Valve and Ascending Aortic Replacement
Authors: Huenges Katharina , Panholzer Bernd , Cremer Jochen , Haneya Assad
Published: January 2018

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is nowadays a routine therapy for patients with advanced heart failure. We present the case of a 74-year-old male patient who was admitted to our center with terminal heart failure in dilated cardiomyopathy and ascending aortic aneurysm with aortic valve regurgitation. The LVAD implantation with simultaneous aortic valve and supracoronary ascending aortic replacement was successfully performed.
On the Stress Transfer of Nanoscale Interlayer with Surface Effects
Authors: Yuan Quan , Wu Mengjun
Published: January 2018

An improved shear-lag model is proposed to investigate the mechanism through which the surface effect influences the stress transfer of multilayered structures. The surface effect of the interlayer is characterized in terms of interfacial stress and surface elasticity by using Gurtin–Murdoch elasticity theory. Our calculation result shows that the surface effect influences the efficiency of stress transfer. The surface effect is enhanced with decreasing interlayer thickness and elastic modulus. Nonuniform and large residual surface stress distribution amplifies the influence of the surface effect on stress concentration.