bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant Potential, Phytochemicals Composition, and Metal Contents of Datura alba
Authors: Khan Waliullah , Subhan Sidra , Shams Dilawar Farhan , Afridi Sahib Gul , Ullah Riaz , Shahat Abdelaaty A. , Alqahtani Ali S.
Published: June 2019

This study investigated the phytochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity in leaves, roots, stem, flower, and seed parts of Datura alba (D. alba). The study also assessed the heavy metal (Cr, Mn, Zn, and Cu) accumulation in each part of the plant. Among the phytochemicals, alkaloids were found only in leaves while tannins, flavonoids, and phenols were present in all parts of the plant. For antioxidant activity, free radical scavenging assay for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was performed using ascorbic acid as the standard. Higher activity was shown by stem extract in methanol and leaf extract in n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and chloroform. Furthermore, all the target heavy metals were detected in all plant sections with the highest concentration of Zn in leaves and Cu in stem, root, flower, and seed. Due to stronger antioxidant potential and phytochemical composition, D. alba could prove as valuable prospect in pharmaceutical formulations by taking part in the antioxidant defense system against generation of free radicals.
Numerical Simulation of Surface Subsidence and Backfill Material Movement Induced by Underground Mining
Authors: Li Xibing , Wang Dongyi , Li Chongjin , Liu Zhixiang
Published: June 2019

Surface subsidence induced by underground mining is one of the challenging problems in mining engineering, which can destroy ground surface buildings and cause huge economic losses to the mine. In this study, a two‐dimensional numerical model, established by the discrete element method code PFC2D, was adopted to investigate the mechanical mechanism of surface subsidence and backfill material movement induced by underground mining in the Hongling lead‐zinc mine. In the first simulation case, the ore body was excavated from the ground surface to the mining level 705 m by the sublevel caving mining method, and the stress evolution during the mining process was analyzed to reveal the mechanical mechanism of surface subsidence. In the second and third simulation cases, the mined‐out areas above 905 m were backfilled by the noncemented tailings and an insulating pillar was reserved beneath the backfill material, and then the deep ore body was excavated by two different mining methods to study the movement law of the backfill material and rock strata induced by underground mining. The numerical simulation results show that when the sublevel caving mining method is adopted, underground mining can induce toppling failures in the hanging wall and lead to a large collapse pit in the ground surface. After the toppling failures in the hanging wall, the collapsed waste rock in the mined‐out area can provide support force for the surrounding rock and restrict the further collapse of the hanging wall. Furthermore, when the cut‐and‐fill mining method is adopted for the excavation of deep ore body, the insulating pillar can restrict the horizontal displacement of surrounding rock and maintain the stability of the backfill material. The cut‐and‐fill mining method can efficiently control the surface subsidence and prevent the occurrence of collapse pit in the ground surface and is recommended for the Hongling lead‐zinc mine to solve the surface subsidence problem.
Transport of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species across Aquaporin: A Molecular Level Picture
Authors: Yusupov Maksudbek , Razzokov Jamoliddin , Cordeiro Rodrigo M. , Bogaerts Annemie
Published: June 2019

Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane proteins that conduct not only water molecules across the cell membrane but also other solutes, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), produced (among others) by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). These RONS may induce oxidative stress in the cell interior, which plays a role in cancer treatment. The underlying mechanisms of the transport of RONS across AQPs, however, still remain obscure. We apply molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the permeation of both hydrophilic (H2O2 and OH) and hydrophobic (NO2 and NO) RONS through AQP1. Our simulations show that these RONS can all penetrate across the pores of AQP1. The permeation free energy barrier of OH and NO is lower than that of H2O2 and NO2, indicating that these radicals may have easier access to the pore interior and interact with the amino acid residues of AQP1. We also study the effect of RONS-induced oxidation of both the phospholipids and AQP1 (i.e., sulfenylation of Cys191) on the transport of the above-mentioned RONS across AQP1. Both lipid and protein oxidation seem to slightly increase the free energy barrier for H2O2 and NO2 permeation, while for OH and NO, we do not observe a strong effect of oxidation. The simulation results help to gain insight in the underlying mechanisms of the noticeable rise of CAP-induced RONS in cancer cells, thereby improving our understanding on the role of AQPs in the selective anticancer capacity of CAP.
Positive Solutions to a Coupled Fractional Differential System with p-Laplacian Operator
Authors: Liu Yuehan , Zhao Xiaodi , Pang Huihui
Published: June 2019

In this paper, we consider a fractional differential system with multistrip and multipoint mixed boundary conditions involving p-Laplacian operator and fractional derivatives. The existence result of positive solutions is established by the Leggett-Williams fixed point theorem. Also, an example is presented to illustrate our main result.
Integrated Management of Haricot Bean Foliage Beetle in Northeastern Ethiopia
Authors: Bazie Setu , Ebabuye Yohannes , Kim Sang Woo , Lee Youn Su
Published: June 2019

A field experiment was conducted to determine the integrated effect of planting dates, insecticides, and their interaction on the reduction of yield and yield related components of haricot bean caused by haricot bean foliage beetle damage at Sirinka Agriculture Research Center, Ethiopia. Planting dates were normal planting (NP) and late planting (10 days after normal planting) (LP), while insecticides comprised Apron star seed dressing (A) and without insecticide (WI). The combined analysis revealed that late planting combined with Apron star seed dressing (LPA) resulted in the highest yield (1223.7 Kg/ha). On the other hand, normal planting date without insecticide application (NPWI) gave the lowest yield (209.6 kg/ha) and the maximum yield loss (209.6%). The cost-benefit analysis showed that use of LPA gave by far better high net profit over control. Thus, LPA are recommended for haricot bean foliage beetle management in northeastern Ethiopia.
The Complex Network Theory‐Based Urban Land‐Use and Transport Interaction Studies
Authors: Ding Rui
Published: June 2019

The research on complex networks offers novel insight into the analysis of complex urban systems. The objective of this article is to provide a review of complex network theory in urban land‐use and transport studies to date. Some traditional integrated studies of urban land‐use and traffic networks are summarized and analysed; related research gaps were proposed. Then, this paper reviewed the application of complex network theory in urban land‐use and transport research and practice. It shows that the node importance identification method is critical for network protection or attack studies; the multiple centrality assessment and kernel density estimation approaches can be used to represent the intuitionistic connections of urban traffic networks and surrounding land‐uses; it can be used to verify the changing trend and variation of landscape connectivity; also it can be applied to the identification of key changed land‐use types in land‐use cover change; the coevolution process can be treated as an integrated way to discuss the relationships between urban traffic network growth and land‐use change, and the multilayer networks based analysis is a novel method to measure their interactions. This paper is essential in establishing apparent research interests and points out the further potential application of complex network theory in urban traffic network and land‐use related studies.
Influence of Organoclay on the Flame Retardancy and Thermal Insulation Property of Expandable Graphite/Polyurethane Foam
Authors: Thi Nhung Hac , Pham Duy Linh , Hanh Nguyen Thi , Oanh Ho Thi , Yen Duong Thi Hai , Nguyen Thanh Nhan , Tuyen Nguyen Duc , Phan Dinh Long , Trinh Ha Thu , Nguyen Ha Tran , Trinh Tung Ngo , Hoang Mai Ha
Published: June 2019

The rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) filled with organoclay cloisite 20A and expandable graphite (EG) were prepared by the one-step expanding foam method. Flame behavior, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of the composites were investigated. The vertical burning test (UL-94V) and limiting oxygen index (LOI) showed that the flame retardancy was increased proportionally with the content of EG in PU composite. However, the presence of EG filler impaired the thermal insulation and the compressive strength of the composite. In this report, we proved that organoclay could improve the compressive strength, thermal insulation, and flame retardancy of EG/polyurethane composites. This work can contribute to the development of environment-friendly flame-retardant products for green growth.
Effectiveness of BOX-PCR in Differentiating Genetic Relatedness amongSalmonella entericaSerotype 4,[5],12:i:- Isolates from Hospitalized Patients and Minced Pork Samples in Northern Thailand
Authors: Poonchareon Kritchai , Pulsrikarn Chaiwat , Nuanmuang Narong , Khamai Phichaya
Published: June 2019

Salmonella entericaSerotype 4,[5],12:i:-, a monophasic variant ofS. Typhimurium, with high virulence and multidrug resistance is distributed globally causing pathogenicity to both humans and domesticated animals. BOX-A1R-based repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (BOX)-PCR proved to be superior to three other repetitive element-based PCR typing methods, namely, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-, poly-trinucleotide (GTG)5-, and repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR (carried out under a single optimized amplification condition), in differentiating genetic relatedness amongS. 4,[5],12:i:- isolates from feces of hospitalized patients (n=12) and isolates from minced pork samples ofS. 4,[5],12:i:- (n=6),S. Typhimurium (n=6), andSalmonellaSerogroup B (n=4) collected from different regions of northern Thailand. Construction of phylogenetic trees from amplicon size patterns allowed allocation ofSalmonellaisolates into clusters of similar genetic relatedness, with BOX-PCR generating more unique clusters for each serotype than the other three typing methods. BOX-, (GTG)5-, and REP-PCR indicated significant genetic relatedness betweenS. 4,[5],12:i:- isolates 1 and 9 from hospitalized patients andS. 4,[5],12:i:- isolate en 29 from minced pork, suggesting a possible route of transmission. Thus, BOX-PCR provides a suitable molecular typing method for discriminating genetic relatedness amongSalmonellaspp. of the same and different serotypes and should be suitable for application in typing and tracking route of transmission inSalmonellaoutbreaks.
Potential Protective Effect of Achillea fragrantissima against Adriamycin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats via an Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pathway
Authors: Hijazi Maha A. , Jambi Hanan A. , Aljehany Buthaina M. , Althaiban Maha A.
Published: June 2019

Adriamycin (Adr) is a cytotoxic anthracycline agent that is utilized to manage many types of tumors, but its clinical use is undesirable due to severe cardiotoxicity. The present study aimed to investigate the cardioprotective effect of Achillea fragrantissima (A. fragrantissima) against Adr-induced cardiotoxicity through the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory metabolic pathways. A single dose of Adr was injected in rats to induce cardiotoxicity. Rats are divided into 5 groups, control, A. fragrantissima 800, Adr, A. fragrantissima 400 + Adr, and A. fragrantissima 800 + Adr. 72 h after Adr administration, electrocardiographic (ECG) study was performed for all rats. Serum and hearts were then collected for biochemical and histopathological studies. A. fragrantissima ameliorated Adr-induced ST-segment elevation. It reduced Adr-induced elevation in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and IL-6. It also protected against Adr-induced histopathological changes. Pretreatment with the extract increased heart tissue contents of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and reduced glutathione (GSH). Phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed that it is rich in phenolic and flavonoid active constituents. The results of this study revealed that A. fragrantissima extract ameliorates Adr-induced cardiotoxicity via an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Further studies are warranted in order to recognize the precise active constituents of this natural extract which are responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.
Characterization and Enhancement of Flight Planning Predictability under Wind Uncertainty
Authors: García-Heras Javier , Soler Manuel , González-Arribas Daniel
Published: June 2019

A novel study is presented aiming at characterizing and illustrating potential enhancements in flight planning predictability due to the effects of wind uncertainty. A robust optimal control methodology is employed to calculate robust flight plans. Wind uncertainty is retrieved out of Ensemble Probabilistic Forecasts. Different wind approximation functions are compared, typifying errors, and illustrating its importance for accurate solving of the robust optimal control problem. A set of key performance indicators is defined for the quantification of uncertainty in terms of flight time and fuel consumption. Two different case studies are presented and discussed. The first one is based on a representative sample of the whole 2016 year for a single origin-destination and a forecast time step of 6 hours. As for the second, we select the most uncertain day together with a multiorigin-destination set of flights with forecast time steps up to 2 days.
Cholecystohepatic Duct: A Biliary Duct Variant Resulting in Postcholecystectomy Bile Leak—Case Report and Review of Normal and Common Variant Biliary Anatomy
Authors: Meyer Nathan , Al-Katib Sayf , Sokhandon Farnoosh
Published: June 2019

Although relatively infrequent, bile duct leaks are among the primary complications of hepatobiliary surgery and cholecystectomy given the large number of these operations performed annually around the world. Variant biliary anatomy increases the risk of surgical complications, especially if unrecognized on preoperative imaging or intraoperatively. Presented here is a case of a patient with an unrecognized cholecystohepatic duct at the time of surgery leading to bile leak after cholecystectomy. Numerous factors made for a technically difficult surgery with obscuration of the true anatomy, ultimately resulting in transection of the cholecystohepatic duct. Understanding normal and variant biliary anatomy will help prevent avoidable complications of hepatobiliary surgery.
Role of Convex Probe Endobronchial Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Nonmalignant Diseases
Authors: Aljohaney Ahmed A.
Published: June 2019

Here we present a comprehensive review of the literature concerning the utility of convex probe endobronchial ultrasound (CP-EBUS) in the diagnosis and treatment of nonmalignant conditions and discuss the associated complications. CP-EBUS has been conventionally used for the staging of lung cancer and sampling of mediastinal and hilar nodes. However, its application is not limited to malignant conditions, and it is gaining acceptance as a diagnostic modality of choice for nonmalignant conditions such as tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, pulmonary embolism, thyroid lesions, and cysts. Moreover, its therapeutic value allows for extended applications such as mediastinal and thyroid cyst drainage, fiducial marker placement for radiation therapy, and transbronchial needle injection. The noninvasiveness, low complication rate, high diagnostic yield, and satisfactory sensitivity and specificity values are the main attributes that lend credence to the use of CP-EBUS as a standalone primary diagnostic and therapeutic tool in pulmonary medicine in the foreseeable future.
A Collaborative Filtering Recommendation Algorithm Based on User Confidence and Time Context
Authors: Xu Guangxia , Tang Zhijing , Ma Chuang , Liu Yanbing , Daneshmand Mahmoud
Published: June 2019

Complex and diverse information is flooding entire networks because of the rapid development of mobile Internet and information technology. Under this condition, it is difficult for a person to locate and access useful information for making decisions. Therefore, the personalized recommendation system which utilizes the user’s behaviour information to recommend interesting items emerged. Currently, collaborative filtering has been successfully utilized in personalized recommendation systems. However, under the condition of extremely sparse rating data, the traditional method of similarity between users is relatively simple. Moreover, it does not consider that the user’s interest will change over time, which results in poor performance. In this paper, a new similarity measure method which considers user confidence and time context is proposed to preferably improve the similarity calculation between users. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is suitable for the sparse data and effectively improves the prediction accuracy and enhances the recommendation quality at the same time.
Repressed Wnt Signaling Accelerates the Aging Process in Mouse Eyes
Authors: Zhang Yujin , Jeffrey Joseph , Dong Fei , Zhang Jianhua , Kao Winston W.-Y. , Liu Chia-Yang , Yuan Yong
Published: June 2019

Purpose. Ocular aging is a natural process of functional decline in vision. When the process reaches a point that compromised vision affects normal daily activity, it manifests as age-related ocular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and pseudoexfoliation syndrome. We previously reported that repressed Wnt signaling accelerated the maturation of corneal epithelium during tissue development. Here, we explore the hypothesis that repressed Wnt signaling is associated with accelerated aging in mouse eyes.Methods. Wnt ligand antagonist secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1) was expressed in the corneal stroma by a tissue-specific, inducible, bitransgenic system. Tissue structure was analyzed for signs of aging. Signal transduction analysis was performed to determine the cellular response to sFRP1.Results. Mouse eyes with sFRP1 expression showed signs of accelerated aging, resembling those found in pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome, a known age-related disease. Specific findings include granular deposition on the surface of the anterior lens capsule, pigment loss from the anterior surface of the iris, the presence of fibrillary material in the anterior chamber, and changes in cell size (polymegethism) and shape (pleomorphism) of the corneal endothelial cells.In vitrostudies demonstrated that sFRP1 did not inhibit Wnt5a function and that cells responded to sFRP1 and Wnt5a in a very similar manner.Conclusion. The expression of sFRP1 accelerates the aging process in mouse eyes and future studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Metalloproteinases and their Inhibitors under the Course of Immunostimulation by CPG-ODN and Specific Antigen Inhalation in Equine Asthma
Authors: Barton Ann Kristin , Shety Tarek , Klier John , Geis Sabine , Einspanier Ralf , Gehlen Heidrun
Published: June 2019

Objectives. Inhalation of immunostimulatory bacterial DNA segments (cytosine-phosphate-guanosine-oligodeoxynucleotides, CpG-ODN) normalizes clinical and cytologic parameters in severe equine asthma. We hypothesized that CpG-ODN inhalation also reduces the misbalance of elastinolytic activity in asthmatic horses.Methods. Twenty asthmatic horses diagnosed by clinical examinations using a scoring system were included. All horses inhaled CpG-ODNs for 14 days in 2-day intervals. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2/-9) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1/-2) concentrations were measured in tracheal aspirates using equine sandwich ELISAs before and 2 and 6 weeks after CpG-ODN inhalation.Results. MMP and TIMP concentrations correlated with the results of clinical scoring in all stages of equine asthma. Inhalation therapy led to significant reductions in clinical scores. MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2 concentrations were significantly reduced immediately, and all MMP and TIMP concentrations 6 weeks after therapy.Discussion. In equine asthma, overexpression of MMPs contributes to pathological tissue destruction, while TIMPs counteract MMPs with overexpression leading to fibrosis formation. The results of this study show that CpG-ODN inhalation may be an effective therapy to address a misbalance in equine asthma.Conclusions. Misbalance of elastinolytic activity seems to improve by CpG-ODN inhalation for at least 6 weeks posttherapy, which may reduce the remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Further studies should evaluate this effect in comparison to glucocorticoid inhalation therapy.Significance. CpG-ODN inhalation may be an effective therapy in the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis formation in equine asthma.
Dysregulated Tgfbr2/ERK-Smad4/SOX2 Signaling Promotes Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma Formation
Authors: Wang Yanxiao , Tan Xiaohong , Tang Yuling , Zhang Chong , Xu Jiaqian , Zhou Jian , Cheng Xuan , Hou Ning , Liu Wenjia , Yang Guan , Teng Yan , Yang Xiao
Published: June 2019

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common type of lung cancer. There is limited information on the genes and pathways that initiate lung SCC. Here, we report that loss of TGFβ type II receptor (Tgfbr2), frequently deleted in human lung cancer, led to predominant lung SCC development in KrasG12D mice with a short latency, high penetrance, and extensive metastases. Tgfbr2-loss–driven lung SCCs resembled the salient features of human lung SCC, including histopathology, inflammatory microenvironment, and biomarker expression. Surprisingly, loss of Smad4, a key mediator of Tgfbr2, failed to drive lung SCC; instead, low levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2, a Smad-independent downstream effector of Tgfbr2, were tightly associated with lung SCC in both mouse and human. Mechanistically, inhibition of phosphorylated ERK1/2 significantly upregulated the expression of SOX2, an oncogenic driver of lung SCC, and cooperated with SMAD4 repression to elevate SOX2. Inhibition of ERK1/2 in Smad4fl/fl;KrasG12D mice led to extensive lung SCC formation that resembled the SCC phenotype of Tgfbr2-deficient mice. Overall, we reveal a key role of ERK1/2 in suppressing SCC formation and demonstrate that dysregulated Tgfbr2/ERK-Smad4/SOX2 signaling drives lung SCC formation. We also present a mouse model of metastatic lung SCC that may be valuable for screening therapeutic targets.

Significance:

This study sheds new light on the mechanisms underlying lung SCC formation driven by mutated Kras.
Glutaminase Activity of L-Asparaginase Contributes to Durable Preclinical Activity against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Chan Wai-Kin , Horvath Thomas D. , Tan Lin , Link Todd , Harutyunyan Karine G. , Pontikos Michael A. , Anishkin Andriy , Du Di , Martin Leona A. , Yin Eric , Rempe Susan B. , Sukharev Sergei , Konopleva Marina , Weinstein John N. , Lorenzi Philip L.
Published: June 2019

We and others have reported that the anticancer activity of L-asparaginase (ASNase) against asparagine synthetase (ASNS)-positive cell types requires ASNase glutaminase activity, whereas anticancer activity against ASNS-negative cell types does not. Here, we attempted to disentangle the relationship between asparagine metabolism, glutamine metabolism, and downstream pathways that modulate cell viability by testing the hypothesis that ASNase anticancer activity is based on asparagine depletion rather than glutamine depletion per se. We tested ASNase wild-type (ASNaseWT) and its glutaminase-deficient Q59L mutant (ASNaseQ59L) and found that ASNase glutaminase activity contributed to durable anticancer activity against xenografts of the ASNS-negative Sup-B15 leukemia cell line in NOD/SCID gamma mice, whereas asparaginase activity alone yielded a mere growth delay. Our findings suggest that ASNase glutaminase activity is necessary for durable, single-agent anticancer activity in vivo, even against ASNS-negative cancer types.
A Unique Case of Primary Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of the Anal Canal
Authors: Diamantopoulos Panagiotis , Dryllis Georgios , Tsourouflis Gerasimos , Petevi Kyriaki , Boutsikas Georgios , Rondogianni Phoebe , Boutsis Dimitris , Korkolopoulou Penelope , Konstantopoulos Konstantinos , Angelopoulou Maria K. , Meletis John , Kanellis George , Vassilakopoulos Theodoros P.
Published: June 2019

Marginal zone lymphomas represent approximately 10–12% of all B-cell lymphomas. Extranodal marginal zone lymphomas (EMZL) or mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas are the most common subtype. Almost half of all MALT lymphomas arise in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and, while the stomach is the most common site of GI involvement, the small and large intestines can also be involved. Rare cases of MALT lymphoma involving the rectum have been reported; however, to our knowledge, involvement of the anal canal has never been reported in the literature. Here, we describe a unique case of MALT lymphoma of the anal canal. Infectious agents have been implicated in the pathogenesis of MALT lymphomas, possibly through persistent antigenic stimulation of the area; however, in our case no such infection was documented.
Perinatal Ischemia Alters Global Expression of Synaptosomal Proteins Critical for Neural Plasticity in the Developing Mouse Brain
Authors: Barks Amanda K. , Beeson Montana M. , Matveeva Tatyana , Gale Jonathan J. , Rao Raghavendra , Tran Phu V.
Published: June 2019

Ischemic perinatal stroke (IPS) affects 1 in 2,300–5,000 live births. Despite a survival rate >95%, approximately 60% of IPS infants develop motor and cognitive impairments. Given the importance of axonal growth and synaptic plasticity in neurocognitive development, our objective was to identify the molecular pathways underlying IPS-associated synaptic dysfunction using a mouse model. IPS was induced by unilateral ligation of the common carotid artery of postnatal day 10 (P10) mice. Five days after ischemia, sensorimotor and motor functions were assessed by vibrissae-evoked forepaw placement and the tail suspension test respectively, showing evidence of greater impairments in male pups than in female pups. Twenty-four hours after ischemia, both hemispheres were collected and synaptosomal proteins then prepared for quantification, using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. Seventy-two of 1,498 qualified proteins were altered in the ischemic hemisphere. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used to map these proteins onto molecular networks indicative of reduced neuronal proliferation, survival, and synaptic plasticity, accompanied by reduced PKCα signaling in male, but not female, pups. These effects also occurred in the non-ischemic hemisphere when compared with sham controls. The altered signaling effects may contribute to the sex-specific neurodevelopmental dysfunction following IPS, highlighting potential pathways for targeting during treatment.
The Prevalence of Mixed Hepatitis C Virus Genotype Infection and Its Effect on the Response to Direct-Acting Antivirals Therapy
Authors: Hayashi Kazuhiko , Tachi Kosuke , Shimizu Yuko , Nagano Kenichi , Ishizu Yoji , Kuzuya Teiji , Honda Takashi , Ishigami Masatoshi , Hirooka Yoshiki , Hattori Masashi , Goto Hidemi
Published: June 2019

Background: The incidence of mixed hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype infection is variable, and a few reports exist regarding the efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) therapy for mixed genotype. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of mixed genotype and its impact on the virologic response to DAA therapy. Methods: A total of 365 patients with chronic HCV infection who completed antiviral therapy were recruited. Nested polymerase chain reaction with universal and specific primers of genotypes 1b and 2 and direct sequencing were used for HCV genotyping. Results: Direct sequencing with universal primers defined genotypes 1b (n = 230), 2a (n = 95), and 2b (n = 40). Direct sequencing of genotype 2 was performed in patients with genotype 1b, and direct sequencing of genotype 1b in patients with genotype 2. Four patients with genotype 1b underwent amplification for genotype 2, and direct sequencing identified genotypes 1b (n = 1), 2a (n = 1), and 2b (n = 2). None with genotype 2 underwent amplification for genotype 1b. Three cases were confirmed to have mixed genotype. Conclusions: Mixed genotype was rare, and hence the impact of mixed genotype on treatment outcome with DAA therapy is expected to be minimal.
Clinical Implications of Poloxamer 407 as Packing Material in an Animal Model
Authors: Choi Ji Eun , Lee Jae-Hun , Chang So-Young , Lee Min Young , Jung Jae Yun
Published: June 2019

Background: Endoscopic ear surgery has recently increased, but it is still inconvenient and time-consuming to place packing material in the middle ear with one hand. Poloxamer 407 (P407) is a thermo-reversible gel that can be easily administered with one hand into the middle ear cavity in liquid form. Upon warming to body temperature, the gel form of P407 can support the graft in the target position and is known to prevent postsurgical tissue adhesion. Objectives: We aim to investigate the feasibility of P407 as packing material in an animal model. Male Hartley guinea pigs (350 and 400 g) were utilized in this study. Method: The animals were randomly divided into 3 groups according to the packing material: the control group, the P407 group, and the gelatin group. To assess the role of packing material on bacterial colonization, left ears were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae through the tympanic membrane using a 0° endoscope. Five days after inoculation, the middle ear cavity was packed through a transbullar approach using 18% P407 or gelatin in both ears. In the control group, no ear pack was inserted. The tympanic membrane was examined every week using a 0° 1.9-mm endoscope until 6 weeks. Half of the animals in each group were sacrificed 6 weeks after placement of the packing materials. Results: Compared with the absorbable gelatin sponge, the P407 group showed little inflammation or fibrosis in the tympanic membrane and middle ear mucosa regardless of bacterial inoculation. The gelatin group showed severe otorrhea or perforation until 2 weeks in the right ear (2 of 4) and the left ear (1 of 4). Even though the endoscopic findings were similar between both packing groups at 6 weeks, histological analysis showed persistent packing material, inflammatory cells, and fibrosis in the gelatin group compared to the P407 group. Conclusions: This study suggested that P407 is feasible as a packing material to handle with one hand and to prevent adhesion, especially in infected middle ear mucosa. Although there is a lack of data on how well P407 supports grafts, we suggest that P407 could be a candidate for packing material in endoscopic ear surgery.
Yoruba Language and Numerals’ Offline Interpreter Using Morphological and Template Matching
Authors: Oladayo Olakanmi Olufemi
Published: June 2019

Yoruba as a language has passed through generation reformations making some of the old documents in the archive to be unreadable by the present generation readers. Apart from this, some Yoruba writers usually mixed English numerals while writing due to brevity and conciseness of English numeral compare to Yoruba numerals which are combination of several characters. Re-typing such historical documents may be time consuming, therefore a need for an efficient Optical Character Reader (OCR) which will not only  effectively recognize Yoruba texts but also converts all the English numerals in the document to Yoruba numerals.Several Optical Character Reader (OCR) systems had been developed to recognize characters or texts of some languages such as English, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, however, despite the significant contribution of Yoruba language to historical documentation and communication, it was observed that there is no particular OCR system for the language. In this paper correlation and template matching techniques were used to develop an OCR for the recognition of Yoruba based texts and convert English numerals in the document to Yoruba numerals. Experimental results show the relatively high accuracy of the developed OCR when it was tested on all size Yoruba alphabets and numerals.
Self Tuning Based Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller in Lab view for Sterilizing Equipments
Authors: Ragu P. J.
Published: June 2019

In this paper, temperature monitoring of sterilizing equipment system was established with the help of fuzzy and self tuning Adaptive fuzzy logic controller designed in Lab VIEW software. It combines the advantages of both fuzzy logic and self tuning Adaptive fuzzy logic controller. The implementation attempts to rectify the errors between the measured value and the set point which helps to achieve efficient temperature control. The Adaptive fuzzy controller uses defined rules to control the system based on the current values of input variables and temperature errors. The simulation results presented in order to evaluate the proposed method. The result shows that self tuning  Adaptive fuzzy logic controller was tolerant to disturbance and the temperature control is most accurate.
An Optimized Takagi-Sugeno Fuzzy-Based Satellite Attitude Controller by Two State Actuator
Authors: Rezanezhad Sobutyeh
Published: June 2019

In this paper, an algorithm was presented to control the satellite attitude in orbit in order to reduce the fuel consumption and increase longevity of satellite. Because of proper operation and simplicity, fuzzy controller was used to save fuel and analyze the uncertainty and nonlinearities of satellite control system. The presented control algorithm has a high level of reliability facing unwanted disturbances considering the satellite limitations. The controller was designed based on Takagi-Sugeno satellite dynamic model, a powerful tool for modeling nonlinear systems. Inherent chattering related to on-off controller produces limit cycles with low frequency amplitude. This increases the system error and maximizes the satellite fuel consumption. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm was used to minimize the system error. The satellite simulation results show the high performance of fuzzy on-off controller with the presented algorithm.
Neuro Fuzzy Based Unified Power Quality Conditioner for Power Quality Improvement Fed Induction Motor Drive
Authors: Saravanan R. , Manoharan P.S.
Published: June 2019

The unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) plays an important role in the constrained delivery of electrical power from source to an isolated pool of load or from a source to the grid.  In this paper presents neuro fuzzy based unified power quality conditioner. The series converter is used to compensate voltage sag/swell compensation. The shunt converter is used to compensate reactive power compensation present in the linear and nonlinear load. The performance of neuro fuzzy and with artificial neural network controller is compared. This approach eliminates the total harmonic distortions efficiently. The performance of proposed system is analysed using Mat lab/Simulink.
A Novel Neuro-Fuzzy Controller for Multilevel Renewable Energy System
Authors: KUMAR T PAVAN , KARTHEEK B N
Published: June 2019

Recently, Development and the utilization of single phase based multilevel inverters has been increased. This paper proposes concept based new topology based seven level inverter with less number of power electronics switches with utility grid connection. This proposed multilevel inverter operates with only eight power electronics switches at their fundamental frequency. This inverter produces seven level output from the input here we considered as a photovoltaic system. The cost, complexity, switching losses are small due to because of usage of less number of switches. The DC/DC converter receives input from which the three positive output voltages are generated and the multilevel inverter performs as a polarity reversal that provides both the positive and negative cycle output. For further enhancement in the output waveform, the filter circuit can be integrated in the output terminal of the multilevel inverter. This paper also proposed a concept of a neuro-fuzzy controller for controlling the seven level inverter. The simulation results are observed by means of MATLAB simulink toolbox.
Design an Algorithm for Software Development in Cbse Environment using Feed Forward Neural Network
Authors: Verma Amit , Kaur Pardeep
Published: June 2019

A In software development organizations, Component based Software engineering (CBSE) is emerging paradigm for software development and gained wide acceptance as it often results in increase quality of software product within development time and budget. In component reusability, main challenges are the right component identification from large repositories at right time. The major objective of this work is to provide efficient algorithm for storage and effective retrieval of components using neural network and parameters based on user choice through clustering. This research paper aims to propose an algorithm that provides error free and automatic process (for retrieval of the components) while reuse of the component. In this algorithm, keywords (or components) are extracted from software document, after by applying k mean clustering algorithm. Then weights assigned to those keywords based on their frequency and after assigning weights, ANN predicts whether correct weight is assigned to keywords (or components) or not, otherwise it back propagates in to initial step (re-assign the weights). In last, store those all keywords into Repositories for effective retrieval. Proposed algorithm is very effective in the error correction and detection with user base choice while choice of component for reusability for efficient retrieval is there. To check the results of our algorithm based on factors like accuracy, precision and recall compare with existing technique i.e. integrated classification scheme for retrieval of components based on keyword search and results are so encouraging.
Mitigation of Voltage Fluctuations using fuzzy-based D-STATCOM in High Level Penetration of DG Systems
Authors: Lalitha M.Padma , Mohan R.Madhan , Babu B.Murali Mohan
Published: June 2019

Voltage fluctuations mainly resulting from variable output power of renewable energy sources; these are strictly challenging power quality in distribution-generation systems. The paper presents a control method for fuzzy based D-STATCOM to relieve variation of positive-sequence and negative-sequence voltages. D-STATCOM continuously operates as fundamental positive–sequence admittance and negative-sequence conductance to restore the positive-sequence voltage to the nominal value and negative-sequence voltage to the allowable level. At transient period both admittance and conductance are dynamically tuned to improve the voltage regulation performance. The ability of fuzzy logic to handle rough and unpredictable real world data made it suitable for a wide variety of applications, especially, when the models are too complex to be analyzed by classical methods. This paper presents the computer simulation of fuzzy based D-STATCOM under steady and transient state condition. The reduction of total harmonic distortions (THD) and voltage imbalance factor %VUF is discussed at all buses and maintained in acceptable level.
A New DG Allocation Approach Based on Biogeography-Based Optimization with Considering Fuzzy Load Uncertainty
Authors: Sedaghat Mohammad , Rokrok Esmaeel , Bakhshipour Mohammad
Published: June 2019

A new distributed generation placement method based on biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is investigated in this paper. A significant novelty of this study lies in considering fuzzy load uncertainty. For this purpose a fuzzy backward- forward sweep load flow is proposed. The main objectives of this study is minimizing power losses and improving voltage profile. A comparative study between optimal location and sizing under typical load condition and fuzzy load uncertainty is presented. To verify the efficiency of proposed BBO method, it is conducted on IEEE 33 bus distribution system, also a comparative study between proposed BBO approach and particle swarm optimization (PSO), Technical-learning based optimization (TLBO), Artificial bee colony (ABC), Imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) is investigated. The simulation results show the excellent and superior performance of proposed BBO approach in comparison with the other intelligent methods.
Twitter Tweet Classifier
Authors: V Ashwin
Published: June 2019

This paper addresses the task of building a classifier that would categorise tweets in Twitter. Microblogging nowadays has become a tool of communication for Internet users. They share opinion on different aspects of life. As the popularity of the microblogging sites increases the closer we get to the era of Information Explosion.Twitter is the second most used microblogging site which handles more than 500 million tweets tweeted everyday which translates to mind boggling 5,700 tweets per second. Despite the humongous usage of twitter there isn’t any specific classifier for these tweets that are tweeted on this site. This research attempts to segregate tweets and classify them to categories like Sports, News, Entertainment, Technology, Music, TV, Meme, etc. Naïve Bayes, a machine learning algorithm is used for building a classifier which classifies the tweets when trained with the twitter corpus. With this kind of classifier the user may simply skim the tweets without going through the tedious work of skimming the newsfeed.
Natural Immune System Response As Complexe Adaptive System Using Learning Fuzzy Cognitive Maps
Authors: Tlili Ahmed , Chikhi Salim
Published: June 2019

In the Natural Immune Systems NIS, adaptive and emergent behaviors result from the behaviors of each cell and their interactions with other cells and environment. Modeling and Simulating NIS requires aggregating these cognitive interactions between the individual cells and the environment. In last years the Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM) has been shown to be a convenient tool for modeling, controlling and simulating complex systems. In this paper,  a new type of learning fuzzy cognitive maps (LFCM) have been proposed as an extension of traditional FCM for modeling complex adaptive system is described. Our approach is summarized in two major ideas: The first one is to increase the reinforcement learning capabilities of the FCM by using an adaptation of Q-learning technique and the second one is to foster diversity of concept's states within the FCM by adopting an IF-THEN rule based system. Through modeling and simulating response of natural immune system, we show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in modeling CASs.
Optimization study of fuzzy parametric uncertain system
Authors: D. Apale Tejal , B. Patil Ajay
Published: June 2019

This paper deals with the analysis and design of the optimal robust controller for the fuzzy parametric uncertain system. An LTI system in which coefficients depends on parameters described by a fuzzy function is called as fuzzy parametric uncertain system. By optimal control design, we get control law and feedback gain matrix which can stabilize the system. The robust controller design is a difficult task so we go for the optimal control approach. The system can be converted into state space controllable canonical form with the α-cut property fuzzy. For optimal control design, we find control law and get the feedback gain matrix which can stabilize the system and optimizes the cost function. Stability analysis is done by using the Kharitonov theorem and Lyapunov-Popov method. The proposed method applied to a response of Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR).
Academic performance prediction algorithm based on fuzzy data mining
Authors: Kumar Tiwari Anil , Ramakrishna G. , Kumar Sharma Lokesh , Kumar Kashyap Sunil
Published: June 2019

This paper presents an algorithm for prediction of academic performance of students by fuzzy data mining. The fuzzy-trace concept applied to predict the academic performance of the students. An algorithm is proposed in this paper lies with this idea. The fuzzy academic set is generated from the student’s academic data. This is analyzed by the fuzzy-matrix set. The prediction
Two new species of Astyanax (Characiformes: Characidae) from upper rio Paraguaçu and rio Itapicuru basins, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil
Authors: ZANATA ANGELA M. , CAMELIER PRISCILA
Published: June 2019

Two new characid species, Astyanax epiagos, from the upper rio Jacuípe, rio Paraguaçu basin, and A. jacobinae, from the upper rio Itapicuru-mirim, rio Itapicuru basin, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, are described. Astyanax epiagos is distinguished from the majority of its congeners and from all Astyanax known to occur in northeastern Brazilian drainages by the reduced number of branched anal-fin rays (usually 14-16), along with a series of other distinctive characters (e.g., vertically elongated humeral blotch, conspicuous dark blotch over caudal peduncle, absence of conspicuous midlateral dark stripe, body highest around vertical through midlength of pectoral-fin, absence of scales over anal-fin base, presence of broad naked space between infraorbitals and preopercle). Astyanax jacobinae differs from its congeners by a combination of morphometric, meristic, and pigmentary characters (e.g., large eye diameter, three maxillary teeth, presence of a vertically elongated humeral blotch, absence of a conspicuous dark midlateral stripe or conspicuous spot over caudal peduncle, absence of broad naked space between infraorbitals and preopercle).
Two new cave-dwelling species of Cyrtodactylus Gray (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Southwestern Vietnam
Authors: VAN TRI NGO
Published: June 2019

Two new cave-dwelling species of Cyrtodactylus from mainland southwestern Vietnam and an offshore island are differentiated from all other congeners in lacking a precloacal groove and precloacal pores, presence of enlarged femoral scales beneath thigh, and in having a color pattern consisting of four or five narrow white bands on the body dorsum and one on the tail. Cyrtodactylus grismeri sp. nov. is reddish brown, has a mean SVL of 87.6 ± 3.8 mm (n = 9), 18–22 irregular longitudinal rows of weakly-keeled tubercles at midbody between the lateral folds, 33–38 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds, 0–3 enlarged scales beneath thighs, and 20–24 subdigital lamellae under the first toe. Cyrtodactylus eisenmani sp. nov. is chocolate brown, has a mean SVL of 81.3 ± 5.0 mm (n = 5), 14 irregular longitudinal rows of weakly keeled tubercles at midbody between ventrolateral folds, 44–45 ventral scales between ventrolateral folds at midbody, 4–6 enlarged femoral scales beneath each thigh, and 22–25 subdigital lamellae under the first toe. This discovery increases the total number of Cyrtodactylus found in Vietnam to fifteen.