bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generalized Synchronization with Uncertain Parameters of Nonlinear Dynamic System via Adaptive Control
Authors: Yang Cheng-Hsiung , Wu Cheng-Lin
Published: September 2014

An adaptive control scheme is developed to study the generalized adaptive chaos synchronization with uncertain chaotic parameters behavior between two identical chaotic dynamic systems. This generalized adaptive chaos synchronization controller is designed based on Lyapunov stability theory and an analytic expression of the adaptive controller with its update laws of uncertain chaotic parameters is shown. The generalized adaptive synchronization with uncertain parameters between two identical new Lorenz-Stenflo systems is taken as three examples to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The numerical simulations are shown to verify the results.
Interaction Analysis through Proteomic Phage Display
Authors: Sundell Gustav N. , Ivarsson Ylva
Published: September 2014

Phage display is a powerful technique for profiling specificities of peptide binding domains. The method is suited for the identification of high-affinity ligands with inhibitor potential when using highly diverse combinatorial peptide phage libraries. Such experiments further provide consensus motifs for genome-wide scanning of ligands of potential biological relevance. A complementary but considerably less explored approach is to display expression products of genomic DNA, cDNA, open reading frames (ORFs), or oligonucleotide libraries designed to encode defined regions of a target proteome on phage particles. One of the main applications of such proteomic libraries has been the elucidation of antibody epitopes. This review is focused on the use of proteomic phage display to uncover protein-protein interactions of potential relevance for cellular function. The method is particularly suited for the discovery of interactions between peptide binding domains and their targets. We discuss the largely unexplored potential of this method in the discovery of domain-motif interactions of potential biological relevance.
Pleural Effusion: A Rare Side Effect of Nilotinib—A Case Report
Authors: Üsküdar Teke Hava , Akay Olga Meltem , Gören Şahin Deniz , Karagülle Mustafa , Gündüz Eren , Andıç Neslihan
Published: September 2014

Pleural effusion, as a side effect of tyrosine kinases, may be seen as most commonly associated with dasatinib and very rarely seen with nilotinib. In this report we present a chronic phase of CML case that was treated with nilotinib due to imatinib (Gleevec) allergy and had pleural effusion with nilotinib at 5th year of treatment. If pleural effusion develops in patients taking nilotinib and if this effusion is exudative and lymphocyte predominant, after ruling out pulmonary and cardiac etiologies, it must be associated with nilotinib; according to stage of effusion drug should be discontinued and/or steroid should be started and/or surgery should be performed.
Solution of Moving Boundary Space-Time Fractional Burger’s Equation
Authors: Abdel-Salam E. A.-B. , Yousif E. A. , Arko Y. A. S. , Gumma E. A. E.
Published: September 2014

The fractional Riccati expansion method is used to solve fractional differential equations with variable coefficients. To illustrate the effectiveness of the method, the moving boundary space-time fractional Burger’s equation is studied. The obtained solutions include generalized trigonometric and hyperbolic function solutions. Among these solutions, some are found for the first time. The linear and periodic moving boundaries for the kink solution of the Burger’s equation are presented graphically and discussed.
On the Mathematical Analysis of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever: Deathly Infection Disease in West African Countries
Authors: Atangana Abdon , Goufo Emile Franc Doungmo
Published: September 2014

For a given West African country, we constructed a model describing the spread of the deathly disease called Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The model was first constructed using the classical derivative and then converted to the generalized version using the beta-derivative. We studied in detail the endemic equilibrium points and provided the Eigen values associated using the Jacobian method. We furthered our investigation by solving the model numerically using an iteration method. The simulations were done in terms of time and beta. The study showed that, for small portion of infected individuals, the whole country could die out in a very short period of time in case there is not good prevention.
Subunit Composition of Neurotransmitter Receptors in the Immature and in the Epileptic Brain
Authors: Sánchez Fernández Iván , Loddenkemper Tobias
Published: September 2014

Neuronal activity is critical for synaptogenesis and the development of neuronal networks. In the immature brain excitation predominates over inhibition facilitating the development of normal brain circuits, but also rendering it more susceptible to seizures. In this paper, we review the evolution of the subunit composition of neurotransmitter receptors during development, how it promotes excitation in the immature brain, and how this subunit composition of neurotransmission receptors may be also present in the epileptic brain. During normal brain development, excitatory glutamate receptors peak in function and gamma-aminobutiric acid (GABA) receptors are mainly excitatory rather than inhibitory. A growing body of evidence from animal models of epilepsy and status epilepticus has demonstrated that the brain exposed to repeated seizures presents a subunit composition of neurotransmitter receptors that mirrors that of the immature brain and promotes further seizures and epileptogenesis. Studies performed in samples from the epileptic human brain have also found a subunit composition pattern of neurotransmitter receptors similar to the one found in the immature brain. These findings provide a solid rationale for tailoring antiepileptic treatments to the specific subunit composition of neurotransmitter receptors and they provide potential targets for the development of antiepileptogenic treatments.
Water Deficit and Seasonality Study on Essential Oil Constituents ofLippia gracilisSchauer Germplasm
Authors: Cruz Elizangela Mércia de Oliveira , Pinto Jéssika Andreza Oliveira , Fontes Saymo Santos , Arrigoni-Blank Maria de Fátima , Bacci Leandro , Jesus Hugo César Ramos de , Santos Darlisson de Alexandria , Alves Péricles Barreto , Blank Arie Fitzgerald
Published: September 2014

The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of the essential oil from leaves ofLippia gracilisgenotypes, in the dry and rainy seasons, and with and without irrigation. The extraction of essential oil was realized by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition analysis was performed using a GC-MS/FID. The leaves of theL. gracilisgenotypes provide essential oil with content between 1.25% and 1.92% in the rainy season and 1.42% and 2.70% in the dry season; when irrigation was used the content was between 1.42% and 2.87%, without irrigation contents were between 1.60% and 3.00%. The chemical composition ofL. gracilisshowed high levels of terpenes. The major constituent of genotypes LGRA-106 was thymol and carvacrol was the major constituent for the other genotypes. Concentrations showed little variation between seasons, demonstrating the stability of the chemical composition ofL. graciliseven with different climatic conditions.
Some Inevitable Remarks on “Tripled Fixed Point Theorems for Mixed Monotone Kannan Type Contractive Mappings”
Authors: Alsulami Hamed H. , Roldán-López-de-Hierro Antonio-Francisco , Karapınar Erdal , Radenović Stojan
Published: September 2014

We advise that the proof of Theorem 12 given by Borcut et al. (2014) is not correct, and it cannot be corrected using the same technique. Furthermore, we present some similar results as an approximation to the opened question if that statement is valid.
Histopathological Audit of 373 Nononcological Hysterectomies in a Teaching Hospital
Authors: Tiwana Kanwardeep Kaur , Nibhoria Sarita , Monga Tanvi , Phutela Richa
Published: September 2014

Hysterectomy, the most common gynecological surgery, provides a definitive cure to various diseases like DUB (dysfunctional uterine bleeding), leiomyoma, adenomyosis, chronic pelvic pain, prolapse, and malignancy. However, with advent of effective medical and conservative treatment modalities for nononcological causes it is now posing question mark on justification of hysterectomy. Therefore, an audit is required to assess the correlation between preoperative diagnosis and histopathological examination of specimen for justification of the procedure. In this study over period of one year (April 2013 to March 2014) 373 hysterectomies specimens were received in the department of pathology for nononcological causes. The age of patients ranged from 22 to 85 years with mean 45±9.2 years. All cases were divided into five categories on the basis of age and audit was done. In this study the most common finding was leiomyoma (43.7%) followed by adenomyosis (19.3%). Almost 50% of hysterectomies causes were justified as preoperative diagnosis matched with histopathology. Cohen kappa statistics were used to measure agreement between preoperative and postoperative histopathological diagnosis which was found to be fair with κ value being 0.36. This study highlights that regular audit of surgeries can help improve quality of health care services and provide safe conservative option to patients.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Induces Arginase Activity inLeishmania amazonensisAmastigote-Infected Macrophages through a Cytokine-Independent Mechanism
Authors: Vendrame Celia Maria Vieira , Carvalho Marcia Dias Teixeira , Tempone Andre Gustavo , Goto Hiro
Published: September 2014

Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensisexhibits peculiarities in its interactions with hosts. Because amastigotes are the primary form associated with the progression of infection, we studied the effect of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I on interactions betweenL. (L.) amazonensisamastigotes and macrophages. Upon stimulation of infected macrophages with IGF-I, we observed decreased nitric oxide production but increased arginase expression and activity, which lead to increased parasitism. However, stimulation of amastigote-infected macrophages with IGF-I did not result in altered cytokine levels compared to unstimulated controls. Because IGF-I is present in tissue fluids and also within macrophages, we examined the possible effect of this factor on phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure on amastigotes, seen previously in tissue-derived amastigotes leading to increased parasitism. Stimulation with IGF-I induced PS exposure on amastigotes but not on promastigotes. Using a PS-liposome instead of amastigotes, we observed that the PS-liposome but not the control phosphatidylcholine-liposome led to increased arginase activity in macrophages, and this process was not blocked by anti-TGF-βantibodies. Our results suggest that inL. (L.) amazonensisamastigote-infected macrophages, IGF-I induces arginase activity directly in amastigotes and in macrophages through the induction of PS exposure on amastigotes in the latter, which could lead to the alternative activation of macrophages through cytokine-independent mechanisms.
Influence of Different Geometric Representations of the Volume Conductor on Nerve Activation during Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Gómez-Tames José , González José , Yu Wenwei
Published: September 2014

Volume conductor models with different geometric representations, such as the parallel layer model (PM), the cylindrical layer model (CM), or the anatomically based model (AM), have been employed during the implementation of bioelectrical models for electrical stimulation (FES). Evaluating their strengths and limitations to predict nerve activation is fundamental to achieve a good trade-off between accuracy and computation time. However, there are no studies aimed at clarifying the following questions. (1) Does the nerve activation differ between CM and PM? (2) How well do CM and PM approximate an AM? (3) What is the effect of the presence of blood vessels and nerve trunk on nerve activation prediction? Therefore, in this study, we addressed these questions by comparing nerve activation between CM, PM, and AM models by FES. The activation threshold was used to evaluate the models under different configurations of superficial electrodes (size and distance), nerve depths, and stimulation sites. Additionally, the influences of the sciatic nerve, femoral artery, and femoral vein were inspected for a human thigh. The results showed that the CM and PM had a high error rate, but the variation of the activation threshold followed the same tendency for electrode size and interelectrode distance variation as AM.
Attachment ofAsaia bogorensisOriginating in Fruit-Flavored Water to Packaging Materials
Authors: Kregiel Dorota , Otlewska Anna , Antolak Hubert
Published: September 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the adhesion of isolated spoilage bacteria to packaging materials used in the food industry. Microorganisms were isolated from commercial fruit-flavored mineral water in plastic bottles with flocks as a visual defect. The Gram-negative rods were identified using the molecular method through the amplification of a partial region of the 16S rRNA gene. Based on the sequence identity (99.6%) between the spoilage organism and a reference strain deposited in GenBank, the spoilage isolate was identified asAsaia bgorensis. Experiments on bacterial adhesion were conducted using plates made of glass and polystyrene (packaging materials commonly used in the beverage industry). Cell adhesion ability was determined using luminometry, plate count, and the microscopic method. The strain ofA. bogorensiswas characterized by strong adhesion properties which were dependent on the surface type, with the highest cell adhesion detected on polystyrene.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: An In Vivo Molecular Imaging Biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease?
Authors: Ciurleo Rosella , Di Lorenzo Giuseppe , Bramanti Placido , Marino Silvia
Published: September 2014

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta which leads to dysfunction of cerebral pathways critical for the control of movements. The diagnosis of PD is based on motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia, akinesia, muscular rigidity, postural instability, and resting tremor, which are evident only after the degeneration of a significant number of dopaminergic neurons. Currently, a marker for early diagnosis of PD is still not available. Consequently, also the development of disease-modifying therapies is a challenge. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a quantitative imaging technique that allows in vivo measurement of certain neurometabolites and may produce biomarkers that reflect metabolic dysfunctions and irreversible neuronal damage. This review summarizes the abnormalities of cerebral metabolites found in MRS studies performed in patients with PD and other forms of parkinsonism. In addition, we discuss the potential role of MRS as in vivo molecular imaging biomarker for early diagnosis of PD and for monitoring the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.
The RAG Model: A New Paradigm for Genetic Risk Stratification in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Prideaux Steven M. , Conway O’Brien Emma , Chevassut Timothy J.
Published: September 2014

Molecular studies have shown that multiple myeloma is a highly genetically heterogonous disease which may manifest itself as any number of diverse subtypes each with variable clinicopathological features and outcomes. Given this genetic heterogeneity, a universal approach to treatment of myeloma is unlikely to be successful for all patients and instead we should strive for the goal of personalised therapy using rationally informed targeted strategies. Current DNA sequencing technologies allow for whole genome and exome analysis of patient myeloma samples that yield vast amounts of genetic data and provide a mutational overview of the disease. However, the clinical utility of this information currently lags far behind the sequencing technology which is increasingly being incorporated into clinical practice. This paper attempts to address this shortcoming by proposing a novel genetically based “traffic-light” risk stratification system for myeloma, termed the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) model, which represents a simplified concept of how complex genetic data may be compressed into an aggregate risk score. The model aims to incorporate all known clinically important trisomies, translocations, and mutations in myeloma and utilise these to produce a score between 1.0 and 3.0 that can be incorporated into diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment algorithms for the patient.
Neck Moment Characterization of Restrained Child Occupant at Realistic Nontest Standard Higher Impact Speed of 32.2 km/h
Authors: Shasthri S. , Kausalyah V. , Shah Qasim H. , Abdullah Kassim A. , Idres Moumen M. , Wong S. V.
Published: September 2014

The effects of bullet vehicle crash impact angle, child restraint system design, and restraint harness slack at side impact speed of 32.2 km/h (20 mph) on moments sustained at the neck by a three-year-old child are investigated. Mathematical models are built using the response surface method based on simulation results whereby good fitness is achieved. The singular and cross interactive effect of each predictor on the neck moment are analyzed. The number of significant parameters affecting the neck moment is shown to be the largest for wide impact angles (ϕ≥60°) and the impact angle parameter is largely revealed to be the most sensitive. An ideal safe range for low neck moment has been established to be within ϕ angles 45° and 65°. It is further shown that the nature of all parameters effect on the neck moment is highly dependent on the impact angle range.
What Proportion of Terminally Ill and Dying People Require Specialist Palliative Care Services?
Authors: Wilson Donna M. , Woytowich Boris
Published: September 2014

Currently, around 55 million people die each year worldwide. That number is expected to increase rapidly with accelerating population aging. Despite growth in the number of palliative care specialists and specialist services in most countries, the prospect of an increasing number of terminally ill and dying persons is daunting. This paper attempts to answer the question: what proportion of terminally ill and dying persons require specialist palliative care services? To address this question and highlight which persons require specialist palliative care, the current state of access to specialist palliative care services and specialists in Canada and other countries is highlighted, along with available evidence-based information on specialist services utilization and the care needs of terminally ill and dying persons. Current evidence and information gaps reveal that this question cannot be answered now, but it should be answered in advance of a crisis of unmet end-of-life care needs with the rising death toll.
Impact of Environmental Factors on the Carbon Dynamics at Hooghly Estuarine Region
Authors: Mukherjee Joyita , Banerjee Moitreyee , Banerjee Arnab , Roy Madhumita , Ghosh Phani Bhusan , Ray Santanu
Published: September 2014

Degradation of litter from mangrove forests adjacent to the creeks at Sagar Island of the Hooghly-Matla estuarine ecosystem is one of the principal sources of nutrient to the estuary. This system receives a major load of carbon from adjacent mangrove forest in the form of litterfall throughout the year. Keeping in view, the effect of environmental factor on the dynamics of carbon is studied through multivariate statistics. Essential environmental variables like soil carbon, dissolved carbon, temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen are analyzed following standard protocol. Multivariate statistical analyses like correlation, regression, and centered PCA ordination are done in order to know the impact of environmental variables on carbon dynamics. The results reflect a close intercorrelation among the studied environmental variables and carbon. It also emphasizes the fact that soil and water temperature, and dissolved oxygen affect soil carbon dynamics, whereas salinity and pH of soil and water greatly regulate dissolved carbon dynamics. The variance pattern of these studied variables through seasons is also enumerated by PCA ordination studies.
Perfusion in the Tissue Surrounding Pancreatic Cancer and the Patient’s Prognosis
Authors: Nishikawa Yoshihiro , Tsuji Yoshihisa , Isoda Hiroyoshi , Kodama Yuzo , Chiba Tsutomu
Published: September 2014

Objective. The objective was to investigate the relationship between prognosis in case of pancreatic cancer and perfusion in tissue surrounding pancreatic cancer using perfusion CT.Methods. We enrolled 17 patients diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. All patients were examined by perfusion CT and then underwent chemotherapy using gemcitabine. The time density curve (TDC) of each CT pixel was analyzed to calculate area under the curve (AUC) and blood flow (BF) using a mathematical algorithm based on the single-compartment model. To measure the AUC and BF of tumor (AUCTandBFT) and peritumoral tissue (AUCPTTandBFPTT), regions of interest were manually placed on the cancer and in pancreatic tissue within 10 mm of proximal pancreatic parenchyma. Survival days from the date of perfusion CT were recorded. Correlation between AUC or BF and survival days was assessed.Results. We found a significant correlation betweenAUCPTTorBFPTTand survival days (P=0.04or 0.0005). HigherAUCPTTorBFPTTvalues were associated with shorter survival. We found no significant correlation betweenAUCTorBFTand survival.Conclusions. Our results suggest that assessments of perfusion in pancreatic tissue within 10 mm of proximal pancreatic parenchyma may be useful in predicting prognosis.
Volume Change and Liver Parenchymal Signal Intensity in Gd-EOB-DTPA-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging after Portal Vein Embolization prior to Hepatectomy
Authors: Akiba Ayako , Murata Satoru , Mine Takahiko , Onozawa Shiro , Sekine Tetsuro , Amano Yasuo , Kawano Youichi , Uchida Eiji , Kumita Shin-ichiro
Published: September 2014

Purpose.To investigate the liver volume change and the potential of early evaluation by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) after portal vein embolization (PVE).Materials and Methods.Retrospective evaluations of computed tomography (CT) volumetry of total liver and nonembolized areas were performed before and 3 weeks after PVE in 37 cases. The percentage of future liver remnant (%FLR) and the change ratio of %FLR (%FLR ratio) were calculated. Prospective evaluation of signal intensities (SIs) was performed to estimate the role of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI as a predictor of hypertrophy in 16 cases. The SI contrast between embolized and nonembolized areas was calculated 1 week after PVE. The change in SI contrast before and after PVE (SI ratio) was also calculated in 11 cases.Results.%FLR ratio significantly increased, and SI ratio significantly decreased (bothP<0.01). There were significant negative correlations between %FLR and SI contrast and between %FLR and SI ratio (bothP<0.01).Conclusion.Hypertrophy in the nonembolized area after PVE was indicated by CT volumetry, and measurement of SI contrast and SI ratio in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI early after PVE may be useful to predict the potential for hepatic hypertrophy.
A Proof of Łojasiewicz’s Theorem
Authors: Kim Namhoon
Published: September 2014

We give a necessary and sufficient condition for a primitive of a distribution to have the value at a point in the sense of Łojasiewicz. A formula defining the indefinite integral of a distribution with a basepoint is introduced, and further structural results are discussed.
Exchange Rates and Monetary Fundamentals: What Do We Learn from Linear and Nonlinear Regressions?
Authors: Zhang Guangfeng
Published: September 2014

This paper revisits the association between exchange rates and monetary fundamentals with the focus on both linear and nonlinear approaches. With the monthly data of Euro/US dollar and Japanese yen/US dollar, our linear analysis demonstrates the monetary model is a long-run description of exchange rate movements, and our nonlinear modelling suggests the error correction model describes the short-run adjustment of deviations of exchange rates, and monetary fundamentals are capable of explaining exchange rate dynamics under an unrestricted framework.
Two Years versus One Year of Tianjiu Therapy in Sanfu Days for Chronic Asthma: A Clinical Efficacy Observation Trial
Authors: Zhu Li Bing , Zhang Wei , Wong Vivian , Eric Ziea , Lo Kwai Ching , Chan Wai Chung , Yau To , Li Lei
Published: September 2014

Background. Tianjiu therapy has established efficacy against chronic asthma with related symptoms or the medication need during asthma attack. This study aimed to explore the optimal duration of Tianjiu therapy for asthma. Methods. This study was a self‐comparison‐to‐the‐baseline study, which comparing treatment with Tianjiu therapy for 1 year and 2 years in the same 102 chronic asthma patients. Totally 6 sessions of Tianjiu treatment were provided, 3 sessions in a year as a course of treatment and totally two years treatment. The primary endpoint was the number of asthma related symptoms which frequently appeared in asthma patients and the frequency of bronchodilator used during asthma attack. Results. The frequency of bronchodilator used during asthma attack significantly improved (χ2 = 46.276, P = 0.000). But the number of asthma related symptoms which frequently appeared in asthma patients added by 1.38 points (95% CI, 0.25 to 2.51), 2.93 ± 0.41 in 1‐year group and 4.31 ± 0.41 in the 2‐years group (P < 0.05). Conclusions. The effect of 2 years Tianjiu therapy was not as effective as 1 year such treatment for asthma, but the second year Tianjiu therapy was still needed because it has a role to consolidate the curative effect of Tianjiu therapy for asthma.
EXIA2: Web Server of Accurate and Rapid Protein Catalytic Residue Prediction
Authors: Lu Chih-Hao , Yu Chin-Sheng , Chien Yu-Tung , Huang Shao-Wei
Published: September 2014

We propose a method (EXIA2) of catalytic residue prediction based on protein structure without needing homology information. The method is based on the special side chain orientation of catalytic residues. We found that the side chain of catalytic residues usually points to the center of the catalytic site. The special orientation is usually observed in catalytic residues but not in noncatalytic residues, which usually have random side chain orientation. The method is shown to be the most accurate catalytic residue prediction method currently when combined with PSI-Blast sequence conservation. It performs better than other competing methods on several benchmark datasets that include over 1,200 enzyme structures. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) on these benchmark datasets are in the range from 0.934 to 0.968.
Oral Phenytoin Toxicity Causing Sinus Arrest: A Case Report
Authors: Thimmisetty Ravi K. , Gorthi Janardhana Rao , Abu Hazeem Mahmoud
Published: September 2014

We present a case of sinus node arrest leading to symptomatic junctional bradycardia from oral phenytoin toxicity, which is a rare presentation. Our patient had no prior cardiac history and was on phenytoin therapy for seizure disorder. Although bradycardia is more commonly associated with intravenous phenytoin and there were few case reports of bradycardia with oral phenytoin reported, the literature is limited. In this case report, we also reviewed the pathophysiology of phenytoin-induced cardiac toxicity.
Hepatitis E Infection in a Renal Transplant Recipient
Authors: Vassallo Diana , Husain Mir Mubariz , Greer Shaun , McGrath Stephen , Ijaz Samreen , Kanigicherla Durga
Published: September 2014

An asymptomatic 35-year-old renal transplant recipient was noted to have deranged liver function tests. Liver biopsy revealed a portal inflammatory process with mild lobular activity and portal fibrous expansion, consistent with a virally mediated process. An extensive viral screen confirmed infection with Hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3). There is increased awareness about locally acquired Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in the transplant population in the UK. The important implications of this infection are becoming more apparent as progression to liver cirrhosis can occur. However, the incidence, natural history, and treatment of HEV infection in the transplant population are not well established. This report illustrates a case of delayed spontaneous clearance of the HEV infection.
Inhibition of Adipogenesis by Oligonol through Akt‐mTOR Inhibition in 3T3‐L1 Adipocytes
Authors: Park Jae-Yeo , Kim Younghwa , Im Jee Ae , You Seungkwon , Lee Hyangkyu
Published: September 2014

Polyphenols have recently become an important focus of study in obesity research. Oligonol is an oligomerized polyphenol, typically comprised of catechin‐type polyphenols from a variety of fruits, which has been found to exhibit better bioavailability and bioreactivity than natural polyphenol compounds. Here, we demonstrated that Oligonol inhibits 3T3‐L1 adipocyte differentiation by reducing adipogenic gene expression. During adipogenesis, Oligonol downregulated the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins α (C/EBPα), and δ (C/EBPδ) in a dose‐dependent manner and the expression of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. The antiadipogenic effect of Oligonol appears to originate from its ability to inhibit the Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway by diminishing the phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), a downstream target of mTOR and forkhead box protein O1 (Foxo1). These results suggest that Oligonol may be a potent regulator of obesity by repressing major adipogenic genes through inhibition of the Akt signaling pathway, which induces the inhibition of lipid accumulation, ultimately inhibiting adipogenesis.
Simultaneous Coproduction of Hydrogen and Ethanol in Anaerobic Packed-Bed Reactors
Authors: dos Reis Cristiane Marques , Silva Edson Luiz
Published: September 2014

This study evaluated the use of an anaerobic packed-bed reactor for hydrogen production at different hydraulic retention times (HRT) (1–8 h). Two reactors filled with expanded clay and fed with glucose (3136–3875 mg L−1) were operated at different total upflow velocities: 0.30 cm s−1(R030) and 0.60 cm s−1(R060). The effluent pH of the reactors was maintained between 4 and 5 by adding NaHCO3and HCl solutions. It was observed a maximum hydrogen production rate of 0.92 L H2 h−1 L−1in R030 at HRT of 1 h. Furthermore, the highest hydrogen yield of 2.39 mol H2 mol−1glucose was obtained in R060. No clear trend was observed by doubling the upflow velocities at this experiment. High ethanol production was also observed, indicating that the ethanol-pathway prevailed throughout the experiment.
Quasipolynomial Approach to Simultaneous Robust Control of Time‐Delay Systems
Authors: Semenič Nikolaj , Sarjaš Andrej , Chowdhury Amor , Svečko Rajko
Published: September 2014

A control law for retarded time‐delay systems is considered, concerning infinite closed‐loop spectrum assignment. An algebraic method for spectrum assignment is presented with a unique optimization algorithm for minimization of spectral abscissa and effective shaping of the chains of infinitely many closed‐loop poles. Uncertainty of plant delays of a certain structure is considered in a sense of a robust simultaneous stabilization. Robust performance is achieved using mixed sensitivity design, which is incorporated into the addressed control law.
Serum Samples That Have Been Stored Long-Term (>10 Years) Can Be Used as a Suitable Data Source for Developing Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Models in Large Observational Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohorts
Authors: Arts Elke E. A. , Popa Calin D. , Smith Jacqueline P. , Arntz Onno J. , van de Loo Fons A. , Donders Rogier , Semb Anne Grete P. , Kitas George D. , van Riel Piet L. C. M. , Fransen Jaap
Published: September 2014

Objective. There is an unmet need for a specific cardiovascular risk (CV) algorithm for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Lipoprotein data are often not available in RA cohorts but could be obtained from frozen blood samples. The objective of this study was to estimate the storage effect on lipoproteins in long-term (>10 years) frozen serum samples.Methods. Data were used from an inception RA cohort. Multiple serum samples from 152 patients were analyzed for lipoproteins, being frozen for 1–26 years at −20°C. Storage effect on lipoproteins was estimated using longitudinal regression analyses and a lipid decay correction factor was developed. Clinical impact of the storage effect on lipoproteins was assessed by calculating the number of patients reclassified to another CV risk group according to the SCORE risk calculator after applying the decay correction factor.Results. There was a significant effect of storage time on total cholesterol (TC) (P< 0.001) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels (P< 0.001), not LDL-c (P= 0.83). The lipid decay correction factor was 0.03 mmol/L and 0.024 mmol/L per additional year of storage for TC and HDL-c, respectively. The TC : HDL ratio decreased after correction for storage effect. After correction, only 5% of patients were reclassified to another CV risk group.Conclusion. A modest storage decay effect on lipoproteins was found that is unlikely to significantly affect CV risk stratification. Serum samples that have been stored long-term (>10 years) can be used to obtain valid lipid levels for developing CV risk prediction models in RA cohorts, even without applying a decay correction factor.
Moringa oleiferaSupplemented Diets Prevented Nickel-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Wistar Rats
Authors: Adeyemi O. S. , Elebiyo T. C.
Published: September 2014

Background. TheMoringa oleiferaplant has been implicated for several therapeutic potentials.Objective. To evaluate whether addition ofM. oleiferato diet has protective effect against nickel-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.Methodology. Male Wistar rats were assigned into six groups of five. The rats were given oral exposure to 20 mg/kg nickel sulphate (NiSO4) in normal saline and sustained on either normal diet or diets supplemented withMoringa oleiferaat different concentrations for 21 days. 24 hours after cessation of treatments, all animals were sacrificed under slight anesthesia. The blood and kidney samples were collected for biochemical and histopathology analyses, respectively.Results. NiSO4exposure reduced the kidney-to-body weight ratio in rats and caused significant elevation in the levels of plasma creatinine, urea, and potassium. Also, the plasma level of sodium was decreased by NiSO4exposure. However, addition ofM. oleiferato diets averted the nickel-induced alteration to the level of creatinine and urea. The histopathology revealed damaged renal tubules and glomerular walls caused by NiSO4exposure. In contrast, the damages were ameliorated by theM. oleiferasupplemented diets.Conclusion. The addition ofM. oleiferato diet afforded significant protection against nickel-induced nephrotoxicity.
Bifidobacteria-Host Interactions—An Update on Colonisation Factors
Authors: Grimm Verena , Westermann Christina , Riedel Christian U.
Published: September 2014

Bifidobacteria are one of the predominant bacterial groups of the human intestinal microbiota and have important functional properties making them interesting for the food and dairy industries. Numerousin vitroand preclinical studies have shown beneficial effects of particular bifidobacterial strains or strain combinations on various health parameters of their hosts. This indicates the potential of bifidobacteria in alternative or supplementary therapeutic approaches in a number of diseased states. Based on these observations, bifidobacteria have attracted considerable interest by the food, dairy, and pharmaceutical industries and they are widely used as so-called probiotics. As a consequence of the rapidly increasing number of available bifidobacterial genome sequences and their analysis, there has been substantial progress in the identification of bifidobacterial structures involved in colonisation of and interaction with the host. With the present review, we aim to provide an update on the current knowledge on the mechanisms by which bifidobacteria colonise their hosts and exert health promoting effects.
Cigarette Smoke-ExposedCandida albicansIncreased Chitin Production and Modulated Human Fibroblast Cell Responses
Authors: Alanazi Humidah , Semlali Abdelhabib , Perraud Laura , Chmielewski Witold , Zakrzewski Andrew , Rouabhia Mahmoud
Published: September 2014

The predisposition of cigarette smokers for development of respiratory and oral bacterial infections is well documented. Cigarette smoke can also contribute to yeast infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) onC. albicanstransition, chitin content, and response to environmental stress and to examine the interaction between CSC-pretreatedC. albicansand normal human gingival fibroblasts. Following exposure to CSC,C. albicanstransition from blastospore to hyphal form increased. CSC-pretreated yeast cells became significantly (P<0.01) sensitive to oxidation but significantly (P<0.01) resistant to both osmotic and heat stress. CSC-pretreatedC. albicansexpressed high levels of chitin, with 2- to 8-fold recorded under hyphal conditions. CSC-pretreatedC. albicansadhered better to the gingival fibroblasts, proliferated almost three times more and adapted into hyphae, while the gingival fibroblasts recorded a significantly (P<0.01) slow growth rate but a significantly higher level of IL-1βwhen in contact with CSC-pretreatedC. albicans. CSC was thus able to modulate bothC. albicanstransition through the cell wall chitin content and the interaction betweenC. albicansand normal human gingival fibroblasts. These findings may be relevant to fungal infections in the oral cavity in smokers.
Soft Covering Based Rough Sets and Their Application
Authors: Yüksel Şaziye , Güzel Ergül Zehra , Tozlu Naime
Published: September 2014

Soft rough sets which are a hybrid model combining rough sets with soft sets are defined by using soft rough approximation operators. Soft rough sets can be seen as a generalized rough set model based on soft sets. The present paper aims to combine the covering soft set with rough set, which gives rise to the new kind of soft rough sets. Based on the covering soft sets, we establish soft covering approximation space and soft covering rough approximation operators and present their basic properties. We show that a new type of the soft covering upper approximation operator is smaller than soft upper approximation operator. Also we present an example in medicine which aims to find the patients with high prostate cancer risk. Our data are 78 patients from Selçuk University Meram Medicine Faculty.
A Load-Share Reliability Model under the Changeable Piecewise Smooth Load
Authors: Gurov Sergey V. , Utkin Lev V.
Published: September 2014

A new load-share reliability model of systems under the changeable load is proposed in the paper. It is assumed that the load is a piecewise smooth function which can be regarded as an extension of the piecewise constant and continuous functions. The condition of the residual lifetime conservation, which means continuity of a cumulative distribution function of time to failure, is accepted in the proposed model. A general algorithm for computing reliability measures is provided. Simple expressions for determining the survivor functions under assumption of the Weibull probability distribution of time to failure are given. Various numerical examples illustrate the proposed model by different forms of the system load and different probability distributions of time to failure.
Qualification of a Noninvasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarker to Assess Tumor Oxygenation
Authors: Colliez Florence , Neveu Marie-Aline , Magat Julie , Cao Pham Thanh Trang , Gallez Bernard , Jordan Bénédicte F.
Published: September 2014

Purpose: Although hypoxia has been long recognized as a crucial factor impairing tumor response in many therapeutic schemes, atraumatic and reliable methods of individually quantifying tumor oxygenation are still lacking in day-to-day clinical practice. The aim of this work was to investigate the potentially quantitative properties of our recently described noninvasive magnetic resonance (MR) technique “MOBILE” (mapping of oxygen by imaging lipids relaxation enhancement) and to qualify this endogenous contrast as a tumor hypoxia marker.

Experimental Design: The “MOBILE” technique, which assesses the longitudinal MR relaxation rate, R1, of lipid protons, was benchmarked with the parent technique which assesses the global (or water) R1, in response to a hyperoxic challenge (carbogen breathing) and to a hypoxic challenge (combretastatin A4) in MDA-MB-231 xenografts and in NT2 mammary tumors. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry was used to quantitatively assess the tumor pO2 in matching tumors longitudinally.

Results and Conclusion: Our study evidenced that (i) positive and negative changes in tumor oxygenation can be detected using MOBILE; (ii) a change in the R1 of lipids is positively correlated with a change in the tumor pO2 (P = 0.0217, r = 0.5097); (iii) measured lipid R1 values are positively correlated with absolute pO2 values in both tumor models (P = 0.0275, r = 0.3726); and (iv) changes in the R1 of lipids are more sensitive than changes in the global R1. As this technique presents unique translational properties, it seems promising for the individual longitudinal monitoring of tumor oxygenation in a clinical setting. Clin Cancer Res; 20(21); 5403–11. ©2014 AACR.
Inhibition of NANOG/NANOGP8 Downregulates MCL-1 in Colorectal Cancer Cells and Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of BH3 Mimetics
Authors: Mattoo Abid R. , Zhang Jingyu , Espinoza Luis A. , Jessup J. Milburn
Published: September 2014

Purpose: High levels of BCL-2 family members in colorectal carcinoma cause resistance to treatment. Inhibition of NANOG or its paralog NANOGP8 reduces the proliferation, stemness, and tumorigenicity of colorectal carcinoma cells. Our hypothesis was that inhibition of NANOG/NANOGP8 enhances the cytotoxic effect of BH3 mimetics targeting BCL-2 family members in colorectal carcinoma cells through reducing expression of MCL-1, a prosurvival BCL-2 protein.

Experimental Design: Lentiviral vector (LV) shRNA to NANOG (shNG-1) or NANOGP8 (shNp8-1) transduced colorectal carcinoma cells that were also exposed to the BH3 mimetics ABT-737 or ABT-199 in vivo in colorectal carcinoma xenografts and in vitro where proliferation, protein and gene expression, and apoptosis were measured.

Results: Clone A and CX-1 were sensitive to ABT-737 and ABT-199 at IC50s of 2 to 9 μmol/L but LS174T was resistant with IC50s of 18 to 30 μmol/L. Resistance was associated with high MCL-1 expression in LS174T. LVshNG-1 or LVshNp8-1 decreased MCL-1 expression, increased apoptosis, and decreased replating efficiency in colorectal carcinoma cells treated with either ABT-737 or ABT-199 compared with the effects of either BH3 mimetic alone. Inhibition or overexpression of MCL-1 alone replicated the effects of LVshNG-1 or LVshNp8-1 in increasing or decreasing the apoptosis caused with the BH3 mimetic. The combination therapy inhibited the growth of LS174T xenografts in vivo compared with untreated controls or treatment with only LV shRNA or ABT-737.

Conclusions: Inhibition of NANOGP8 or NANOG enhances the cytotoxicity of BH3 mimetics that target BCL-2 family members. Gene therapy targeting the NANOGs may increase the efficacy of BH3 mimetics in colorectal carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res; 20(21); 5446–55. ©2014 AACR.
The Family's Experience of Sharing the Care of a Person with Dementia with the Services in Specialized Day-Care Units
Authors: Gústafsdóttir Margrét
Published: September 2014

Background: Services in specialized day-care units for individuals with dementia are set up to enable these persons to live in their own home. The purpose of this paper is to discern the experiences of families with these services while caring for a close relative with dementia. Method: Longitudinal interviews with 8 family members were conducted. In total, 25 interviews were carried out over a period of 5 years. Results: The experience of these families of looking after a close person with dementia appeared to be influenced by (a) the multifaceted meaning of ties, (b) the perception of purposeful relief of the day-care services and (c) the progress of the disease. Conclusion: All families found the services of specialized day-care units both useful and pleasant. This kind of resource was shown to make everyday life much more manageable for all persons involved, most importantly for the patient with dementia.
Advances in Drug Development for Parkinson's Disease: Present Status
Authors: Harikrishna Reddy Dibbanti , Misra Shubham , Medhi Bikash
Published: September 2014

The major hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to the characteristic motor symptoms of resting tremors, bradykinesia and rigidity. Research in the field of PD therapy has been partly successful in terms of developing symptomatic treatments, but it also experienced several failures with regard to developing disease-modifying therapies. According to the definition of the Committee to Identify Neuroprotective Agents for Parkinson's, neuroprotection would be any intervention that favorably influences the disease process or underlying pathogenesis to produce enduring benefits for patients. A development of effective neuroprotective therapies resulting in clinically meaningful results is hampered by several factors in all research stages. Novel solutions might be offered by an evaluation of new targets throughout clinical studies, therapies emerging from drug repositioning approaches, multitarget approaches and network pharmacology. Several promising randomized controlled trials are in progress, and the increased collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and basic and clinical researchers has the potential to bring us closer to developing an optimum pharmaceutical approach for the treatment of PD. The aim of the present review is to give an overview of the neuroprotective agents and their targets currently investigated for the treatment of PD in phase I-III clinical trials.
Update of Intravitreal Steroids for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Bandello Francesco , Preziosa Chiara , Querques Giuseppe , Lattanzio Rosangela
Published: September 2014

Diabetic macular edema is considered the most important factor related to visual impairment in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Together with the use of grid and focal laser photocoagulation, today the intravitreal administration of pharmacotherapies represents the standard of care for the treatment of this complication: anti-vascular endothelium growth factor agents and steroids are the drugs currently used for this aim. Differently from laser therapy, which prevents visual deterioration, the intravitreal approach allows the promotion of visual recovery. However, the intravitreal injections require to be repeated with high frequency, and this carries the risk of drug- and procedure-related adverse effects.