bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acid Lipase fromCandida viswanathii: Production, Biochemical Properties, and Potential Application
Authors: de Almeida Alex Fernando , Tauk-Tornisielo Sâmia Maria , Carmona Eleonora Cano
Published: November 2013

Influences of environmental variables and emulsifiers on lipase production of aCandida viswanathiistrain were investigated. The highest lipase activity (101.1 U) was observed at 210 rpm, pH 6.0, and 27.5°C. Other fermentation parameters analyzed showed considerable rates of biomass yield ( g/h). Addition of soybean lecithin increased lipase production in 1.45-fold, presenting lipase yield () of 10.061 U/g. Crude lipase presented optimal activity at acid pH of 3.5, suggesting a new lipolytic enzyme for this genus and yeast in general. In addition, crude lipase presented high stability in acid conditions and temperature between 40 and 45°C, after 24 h of incubation in these temperatures. Lipase remained active in the presence of organic solvents maintaining above 80% activity in DMSO, methanol, acetonitrile, ethanol, acetone, 1-propanol, isopropanol, and 2-propanol. Effectiveness for the hydrolysis of a wide range of natural triglycerides suggests that this new acid lipase has high potential application in the oleochemical and food industries for hydrolysis and/or modification of triacylglycerols to improve the nutritional properties.
A Location Selection Policy of Live Virtual Machine Migration for Power Saving and Load Balancing
Authors: Zhao Jia , Ding Yan , Xu Gaochao , Hu Liang , Dong Yushuang , Fu Xiaodong
Published: November 2013

Green cloud data center has become a research hotspot of virtualized cloud computing architecture. And load balancing has also been one of the most important goals in cloud data centers. Since live virtual machine (VM) migration technology is widely used and studied in cloud computing, we have focused on location selection (migration policy) of live VM migration for power saving and load balancing. We propose a novel approach MOGA‐LS, which is a heuristic and self‐adaptive multiobjective optimization algorithm based on the improved genetic algorithm (GA). This paper has presented the specific design and implementation of MOGA‐LS such as the design of the genetic operators, fitness values, and elitism. We have introduced the Pareto dominance theory and the simulated annealing (SA) idea into MOGA‐LS and have presented the specific process to get the final solution, and thus, the whole approach achieves a long‐term efficient optimization for power saving and load balancing. The experimental results demonstrate that MOGA‐LS evidently reduces the total incremental power consumption and better protects the performance of VM migration and achieves the balancing of system load compared with the existing research. It makes the result of live VM migration more high‐effective and meaningful.
Insulin Resistance Increases MRI-Estimated Pancreatic Fat in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Normal Controls
Authors: Patel Niraj S. , Peterson Michael R. , Lin Grace Y. , Feldstein Ariel , Schnabl Bernd , Bettencourt Ricki , Seki Ekihiro , Sirlin Claude B. , Loomba Rohit
Published: November 2013

Background. Ectopic fat deposition in the pancreas and its relationship with hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance have not been compared between patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and healthy controls.Aim. Using a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based biomarker, the proton-density-fat-fraction (MRI-PDFF), we compared pancreatic fat content in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD to healthy controls and determined whether it is associated with insulin resistance and liver fat content.Methods. This nested case-control study was derived from two prospective studies including 43 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 49 healthy controls who underwent biochemical testing and MRI.Results. Compared to healthy controls, patients with NAFLD had significantly higher pancreatic MRI-PDFF (3.6% versus 8.5%,Pvalue <0.001), and these results remained consistent in multivariable-adjusted models including age, sex, body mass index, and diabetes (Pvalue =0.03). We found a strong correlation between hepatic and pancreatic MRI-PDFF (Spearman correlation,P= 0.57,Pvalue <0.001). Participants with increased insulin resistance determined by homeostatic-model-of-insulin-resistance (HOMA-IR) greater than 2.5 had higher pancreatic (7.3% versus 4.5%,Pvalue =0.015) and liver (13.5% versus 4.0%,Pvalue <0.001) MRI-PDFF.Conclusion. Patients with NAFLD have greater pancreatic fat than normal controls. Insulin resistance is associated with liver and pancreatic fat accumulation.
Human Moving Pattern Recognition toward Channel Number Reduction Based on Multipressure Sensor Network
Authors: Peng Zhaoqin , Cao Chun , Huang Jiaoying , Pan Wentao
Published: November 2013

A pair of sensing shoes for measuring foot pressure was developed. This system aims at recognizing human movement in unlimited environments. The multipressure sensor network of seven sensors on one insole was set up. Analysis for discriminating the user's movements from foot pressure distribution was carried out, considering the movements of standing, walking, going upstairs, and going downstairs. These actions were discriminated using characteristics extracted from the data of sensors. The classifier based on SVM showed highly accurate movement recognition. Specifically, to improve the classification performance, PCA based dimensionality reduction and channel reduction based data fusion were introduced. Experimental outcomes verified the testing speed of the classification function which was improved without affecting the accuracy rate. The results confirmed that this discriminant analysis can be employed for automatically recognizing human moving pattern based on foot pressure signal.
Modeling the Chemoelectromechanical Behavior of Skeletal Muscle Using the Parallel Open-Source Software Library OpenCMISS
Authors: Heidlauf Thomas , Röhrle Oliver
Published: November 2013

An extensible, flexible, multiscale, and multiphysics model for nonisometric skeletal muscle behavior is presented. The skeletal muscle chemoelectromechanical model is based on a bottom-up approach modeling the entire excitation-contraction pathway by strongly coupling a detailed biophysical model of a half-sarcomere to the propagation of action potentials along skeletal muscle fibers and linking cellular parameters to a transversely isotropic continuum-mechanical constitutive equation describing the overall mechanical behavior of skeletal muscle tissue. Since the multiscale model exhibits separable time scales, a special emphasis is placed on employing computationally efficient staggered solution schemes. Further, the implementation builds on the open-source software library OpenCMISS and uses state-of-the-art parallelization techniques taking advantage of the unique anatomical fiber architecture of skeletal muscles. OpenCMISS utilizes standardized data structures for geometrical aspects (FieldML) and cellular models (CellML). Both standards are designed to allow for a maximum flexibility, reproducibility, and extensibility. The results demonstrate the model’s capability of simulating different aspects of nonisometric muscle contraction and efficiently simulating the chemoelectromechanical behavior in complex skeletal muscles such as the tibialis anterior muscle.
Endpoints of Multivalued Contraction Operators
Authors: Prasad Bhagwati , Sahni Ritu
Published: November 2013

The existence of the endpoints and approximate endpoints are studied in a general setting for the operators satisfying various contractive conditions. Some recent results are also derived as special cases.
Facile Preparation, Characterization, and Highly Effective Microwave Absorption Performance of CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI Nanocomposites
Authors: Zhang Deqing , Yang Xiuying , Cheng Junye , Lu Mingming , Zhao Bin , Cao Maosheng
Published: November 2013

A facile method has been developed to synthesize light‐weight CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites. The formation route was proposed as the coprecipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ and an additional process of in situ polymerization of aniline monomer. The structure and morphology of CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The TEM investigation shows that the CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites exhibit less intertwined structure and that many more Fe3O4 particles are attached homogeneously on the surface of CNTs, indicating that PANI can indeed help CNTs to disperse in isolated form. The wave‐absorbing properties were investigated in a frequency of 2–18 GHz. The results show that the CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites exhibit a super absorbing behavior and possess a maximum reflection loss of −48 dB at 12.9 GHz, and the bandwidth below −20 dB is more than 5 GHz. More importantly, the absorption peak frequency ranges of the CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI composites can be tuned easily by changing the wax weight ratio and thickness of CNTs/Fe3O4/PANI paraffin wax matrix.
A Network-Based Systematic Study for the Mechanism of the Treatment of Zhengs Related to Cough Variant Asthma
Authors: Chen Di , Zhang Fangbo , Tang Shihuan , Chen Yan , Lu Peng , Wen Shaoxin , Zhang Hongchun , Liu Xi , Chao Enxiang , Yang Hongjun
Published: November 2013

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown significant efficacy in the treatment of cough variant asthma (CVA), a special type of asthma. However, there is shortage of explanations for relevant mechanism of treatment. As Zhengs differentiation is a critical concept in TCM, it is necessary to explain the mechanism of treatment of Zhengs. Based on TCM clinical cases, this study illustrated the mechanism of the treatment of three remarkably relevant Zhengs for CVA: “FengXieFanFei,” “FeiQiShiXuan”, and “QiDaoLuanJi.” To achieve this goal, five steps were carried out: (1) determining feature Zhengs and corresponding key herbs of CVA by analyses of clinical cases; (2) finding out potential targets of the key herbs and clustering them based on their functional annotations; (3) constructing an ingredient-herb network and an ingredient network; (4) identifying modules of the ingredient network; (5) illustrating the mechanism of the treatment by further mining the latent biological implications within each module. The systematic study reveals that the treatment of “FengXieFanFei,” “FeiQiShiXuan,” and “QiDaoLuanJi” has effects on the regulation of multiple bioprocesses by herbs containing different ingredients with functions of steroid metabolism regulation, airway inflammation, and ion conduction and transportation. This network-based systematic study will be a good way to boost the scientific understanding of mechanism of the treatment of Zhengs.
Integrating the Supervised Information into Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Ling Ping , Jiang Nan , Rong Xiangsheng
Published: November 2013

This paper presents an assembling unsupervised learning framework that adopts the information coming from the supervised learning process and gives the corresponding implementation algorithm. The algorithm consists of two phases: extracting and clustering data representatives (DRs) firstly to obtain labeled training data and then classifying non-DRs based on labeled DRs. The implementation algorithm is called SDSN since it employs the tuning-scaled Support vector domain description to collect DRs, uses spectrum-based method to cluster DRs, and adopts the nearest neighbor classifier to label non-DRs. The validation of the clustering procedure of the first-phase is analyzed theoretically. A new metric is defined data dependently in the second phase to allow the nearest neighbor classifier to work with the informed information. A fast training approach for DRs’ extraction is provided to bring more efficiency. Experimental results on synthetic and real datasets verify that the proposed idea is of correctness and performance and SDSN exhibits higher popularity in practice over the traditional pure clustering procedure.
An Interplay between Gabor and Wilson Frames
Authors: Kaushik S. K. , Panwar Suman
Published: November 2013

Wilson frames{ψjk:w0,w-1∈L2(ℝ)}j∈ℤ,k∈ℕ0as a generalization of Wilson bases have been defined and studied. We give necessary condition for a Wilson system to be a Wilson frame. Also, sufficient conditions for a Wilson system to be a Wilson Bessel sequence are obtained. Under the assumption that the window functionsw0andw-1for odd and even indices ofjare the same, we obtain sufficient conditions for a Wilson system to be a Wilson frame (Wilson Bessel sequence). Finally, under the same conditions, a characterization of Wilson frame in terms of Zak transform is given.
Effect of Supplementation with Antioxidants on the Quality of Bovine Milk and Meat Production
Authors: Castillo Cristina , Pereira Víctor , Abuelo Ángel , Hernández Joaquín
Published: November 2013

From a clinical point of view, oxidative stress (OS) is considered the primary cause of numerous metabolic processes in transition cow. Thus, the addition of antioxidants has been considered a palliative or preventive treatment. But beyond the clinical perspective, antioxidant supplementation provides an added value to the product obtained being either milk or meat. This paper reviews the beneficial aspects that provide antioxidant supplementation on quality of both products and that fit into the new concept that the consumer has a functional and healthy food. Our approach is from a veterinary standpoint, by reviewing the studies conducted to date and the new perspectives that are interesting and need to be studied in the following years. One of the highlights is that sustainable farming, one in which production is combined with animal health, also impacts positively on the quality of the final products, with beneficial antioxidant properties to human health.
Role of Protein Misfolding and Proteostasis Deficiency in Protein Misfolding Diseases and Aging
Authors: Cuanalo-Contreras Karina , Mukherjee Abhisek , Soto Claudio
Published: November 2013

The misfolding, aggregation, and tissue accumulation of proteins are common events in diverse chronic diseases, known as protein misfolding disorders. Many of these diseases are associated with aging, but the mechanism for this connection is unknown. Recent evidence has shown that the formation and accumulation of protein aggregates may be a process frequently occurring during normal aging, but it is unknown whether protein misfolding is a cause or a consequence of aging. To combat the formation of these misfolded aggregates cells have developed complex and complementary pathways aiming to maintain protein homeostasis. These protective pathways include the unfolded protein response, the ubiquitin proteasome system, autophagy, and the encapsulation of damaged proteins in aggresomes. In this paper we review the current knowledge on the role of protein misfolding in disease and aging as well as the implication of deficiencies in the proteostasis cellular pathways in these processes. It is likely that further understanding of the mechanisms involved in protein misfolding and the natural defense pathways may lead to novel strategies for treatment of age-dependent protein misfolding disorders and perhaps aging itself.
P-Glycoprotein-Activity Measurements in Multidrug Resistant Cell Lines: Single-Cell versus Single-Well Population Fluorescence Methods
Authors: Pasquier Jennifer , Rioult Damien , Abu-Kaoud Nadine , Marie Sabine , Rafii Arash , Guerrouahen Bella S. , Le Foll Frank
Published: November 2013

Background. P-gp expression has been linked to the efflux of chemotherapeutic drugs in human cancers leading to multidrug resistance. Fluorescence techniques have been widely applied to measure the P-gp activity. In this paper, there is a comparison between the advantages of two fluorescence approaches of commonly available and affordable instruments: the microplate reader (MPR) and the flow cytometer to detect the P-gp efflux activity using calcein-AM.Results. The selectivity, sensibility, and reproducibility of the two methods have been defined. Our results showed that the MPR is more powerful for the detection of small inhibition, whereas the flow cytometry method is more reliable at higher concentrations of the inhibitors. We showed that to determine precisely the inhibition efficacy the flow cytometry is better; hence, to get the correctEmaxand EC50values, we cannot only rely on the MPR.Conclusion. Both techniques can potentially be used extensively in the pharmaceutical industry for high-throughput drug screening and in biology laboratories for academic research, monitoring the P-gp efflux in specific assays.
Comparison of a Bayesian Network with a Logistic Regression Model to Forecast IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Ducher Michel , Kalbacher Emilie , Combarnous François , Finaz de Vilaine Jérome , McGregor Brigitte , Fouque Denis , Fauvel Jean Pierre
Published: November 2013

Models are increasingly used in clinical practice to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. The aim of our work was to compare a Bayesian network to logistic regression to forecast IgA nephropathy (IgAN) from simple clinical and biological criteria. Retrospectively, we pooled the results of all biopsies(n=155)performed by nephrologists in a specialist clinical facility between 2002 and 2009. Two groups were constituted at random. The first subgroup was used to determine the parameters of the models adjusted to data by logistic regression or Bayesian network, and the second was used to compare the performances of the models using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. IgAN was found (on pathology) in 44 patients. Areas under the ROC curves provided by both methods were highly significant but not different from each other. Based on the highest Youden indices, sensitivity reached (100% versus 67%) and specificity (73% versus 95%) using the Bayesian network and logistic regression, respectively. A Bayesian network is at least as efficient as logistic regression to estimate the probability of a patient suffering IgAN, using simple clinical and biological data obtained during consultation.
Mixed Acinar-Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Pancreas with Neuroendocrine Predominance
Authors: Ogbonna Onyekachi Henry , Garcon Marie Carmel , Syrigos Kostas N. , Saif Muhammad Wasif
Published: November 2013

Background. Pancreatic tumors are rare and could arise from either the exocrine (ductal and acinar cells) or the endocrine (neuroendocrine cells) components of the pancreas. In some instances, the occurrence of pancreatic tumors comprising both acinar cells and neuroendocrine cells, with neuroendocrine cells making up more than 30% of the tumor, has been identified. This unique entity has been referred to as mixed acinar-neuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC). Only about 20 such cases have been reported in the literature.Case Report. We report an interesting case of MANEC with neuroendocrine cell predominance in a woman presenting with epigastric pain secondary to a pancreatic mass with acinar and endocrine differentiation. She underwent surgical resection of the tumor and was offered adjuvant treatment chemotherapy with carboplatin, etoposide, and radiotherapy for positive tumor resection margins.Conclusions. Given the paucity of the cases of MANEC, continuous reporting of these cases when identified should be encouraged to aid oncologists in understanding the disease and help establish standardized management.
Characterization of Thermo‐ and Detergent Stable Antigenic Glycosylated Cysteine Protease of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.‐Ham. and Evaluation of Its Ecofriendly Applications
Authors: Badgujar Shamkant B. , Mahajan Raghunath T.
Published: November 2013

An antigenic glycosylated cysteine protease has been purified from the latex of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.‐Ham. It exhibits remarkable protease activity in the presence of metal ions, oxidizing agents, organic solvents, and detergents. This enzyme showed potential role in leather processing industry due to its dehairing activity for animal hide without hydrolyzing fibrous proteins, producing, by this way, a better quality product. The enzyme can also be used for silver recovering from X‐ray plates. In addition, the stability (temperature and surfactants) and hydrolysis of blood stain data also revealed its application in detergent industries. Agriculturally, this protease finds application in biocontrol process against the infectious management of root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. Biologically, it shows noticeable wound healing, haemostatic and antibacterial activity.
Roles of Motorcycle Type and Protective Clothing in Motorcycle Crash Injuries
Authors: Erdogan Mehmet Ozgür , Sogut Ozgur , Colak Sahin , Ayhan Harun , Afacan Mustafa Ahmet , Satilmis Dilay
Published: November 2013

Background. The aims of this study were to identify subgroups of motorcyclists with a higher accident risk and evaluate the efficiency of protective clothing for preventing injuries.Methods. A 1-year prospective study of motorcycle crashes was conducted beginning in June 2012. Participants were patients involved in motorcycle crashes and admitted to our emergency department.Results. A total of 226 patients were included in the study. In total, 174 patients were involved in crashes with light motorcycles. Patients involved in a motorcycle accident without a helmet had a higher incidence of head and maxillofacial trauma. Motorcycle jackets were not protective for systemic injuries (P>0.05) or upper extremity fractures (P>0.05). Motorcycle pants (P>0.05) and motorcycle shoes (P>0.05) were not protective against leg and foot fractures. However, motorcycle protective clothes were protective against soft-tissue injuries (P=0.001).Conclusion. Riders of heavy motorcycles rode more safely than riders of light motorcycles. Light motorcycle riders were the most vulnerable and comprised the largest percentage of motorcyclists. Helmets may be effective for preventing head and facial injuries. Other protective clothes were not effective against fractures or systemic injuries.
Peer Selection Strategy Using Mobile Agent and Trust in Peer-to-Peer Streaming Media System
Authors: Xu He , Huang Han-Chen , Wang Ruchuan , Dong Jun
Published: November 2013

The aim of this study is to improve the quality of service (QoS) for peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming media system with the proposed peer selection strategy. P2P technology is promising for large scale streaming media files distribution over the Internet. As peers contribute their resources over multipeer transmission paths, it is particularly challenging to achieve consistently high streaming QoS such as low start-up delay, low jitter, low packet loss ratio, and high bandwidth assurance. Recently, there are a lot of researchers studying peer selection strategy in peer-to-peer streaming system. In this paper, a novel P2P streaming media peer selection strategy based on mobile agent and trust (MATPS) is proposed. The proposed approach is compared with bandwidth first peer selection strategy (BFPSS), GridMedia's peer selection (GridPS), trust-based peer selection strategy (TrBPS), and SmartPeerCast peer selection strategy (SPCPS), and the simulation results show that the proposed strategy improves the streaming QoS.
Evaluation of Vibration Characteristics of an Existing Harbor Caisson Structure Using Tugboat Impact Tests and Modal Analysis
Authors: Yi Jin-Hak , Park Woo-Sun , Lee So-Young , Huynh Thanh-Canh , Kim Jeong-Tae , Seo Chun-Kyo
Published: November 2013

Ambient and forced vibration tests are proposed to evaluate dynamic characteristics of a caisson-type breakwater, including natural frequencies and modal damping ratios. The feasibility of a numerical analysis model with fluid-structure-soil interaction effects, which play an important role in evaluating structural performance and safety, was investigated by comparing the numerical results with experimental results. The Oryukdo breakwater in Busan, Republic of Korea, was employed as the target structure. This breakwater was once heightened by installing additional parapet structures of about 4 m tall to improve the harbor tranquility in 2005. Vibration tests were carried out in 2000 (before heightening) and in 2011 (after heightening). Most caissons were tested in the first test, while only one caisson was tested in 2011. It was found that natural frequencies were reduced by 1.7%–4.3% after heightening, and similar results were observed from the numerical analysis. It was also found that forced vibration tests can yield more reasonable results than ambient vibration tests. Even though there is some discrepancy between experimental and numerical results, numerical analysis can be carried out to analyze dynamic characteristics and evaluate structural performance and safety.
Fabrication and Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Alumina Nanoparticle‐Dispersed Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Matrix Composites
Authors: Kim Kyung Tae , Ha Gook Hyun
Published: November 2013

Alumina nanoparticle‐dispersed bismuth‐antimony‐tellurium matrix (Al2O3/BST) composite powders were fabricated by using ball milling process of alumina nanoparticle about 10 nm and p‐type bismuth telluride nanopowders prepared from the mechanochemical process (MCP). The fabricated Al2O3/BST composite powders were a few hundreds of nanometer in size, with a clear Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 phase. The composite powders were consolidated into p‐type bulk composite by spark plasma sintering process. High‐resolution TEM images reveal that alumina nanoparticles were dispersed among the grain boundary or in the matrix grain. The sintered 0.3 vol.% Al2O3/BST composite exhibited significantly improved power factor and reduced thermal conductivity in the temperature ranging from 293 to 473 K compared to those of pure BST. From these results, the highly increased ZT value of 1.5 was obtained from 0.3 vol.% Al2O3/BST composite at 323 K.
Clinical Effect of Acupuncture on Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Jincao Zhou , Zhongchao Wu , Zhongjie Chen , Xiaoguang Zhao , Jing Hu , Yue Jiao , Guiran Li , Li Pang
Published: November 2013

Objective. To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on endemic skeletal fluorosis (ESF) through the randomized controlled trial.Methods. Ninety-nine cases were divided into the treatment group (68 cases) and the control group (31 cases) randomly. Normal acupuncture combined with electroacupuncture was used in treatment group, while Caltrate with vitamin D tablets were applied in control group. After 2 courses, the VAS, urinary fluoride, serum calcium, and serum phosphate were evaluated before and after treatment.Results. Both of these two methods could relieve pain effectively and the effect of acupuncture was better (P<0.05). In treatment group, the content of urinary fluoride after treatment was higher than before (P<0.05), while the content of serum calcium and phosphate was lower (P<0.05).Conclusion. The effect of acupuncture on relieving pain and promoting discharge of urinary fluoride is better than that of western medicine. Acupuncture can reduce the content of serum calcium and phosphate.
Scenario-Based Analysis on the Structural Change of Land Uses in China
Authors: Xu Qian , Jiang Qunou , Cao Kai , Li Xing , Deng Xiangzheng
Published: November 2013

Land Use/Land Cover change (LUCC) is a key aspect of global environmental change, which has a significant impact on climate change. In the background of increasing global warming resulting from greenhouse effect, to understand the impact of land use change on climate change is necessary and meaningful. In this study, we choose China as the study area and explore the possible land use change trends based on the AgLU module and ERB module of global change assessment model (GCAM model and Global Change Assessment Model). We design three scenarios based on socioeconomic development and simulated the corresponding structure change of land use according to the three scenarios with different parameters. Then we simulate the different emission of CO2under different scenarios based on the simulation results of structure change of land use. At last, we choose the most suitable scenario that could control the emission of CO2best and obtain the relatively better land use structure change for adaption of climate change. Through this research we can provide a theoretical basis for the future land use planning to adapt to climate change.
Numerical Simulation of Liquid-Solid Extrusion Process Based on the Mechanical Model Coupled with Solidification
Authors: Zhou Jiming , Qi Lehua
Published: November 2013

Liquid-solid extrusion process is a combined process of casting and extrusion which can be used to form tubes or bars directly from liquid metal. The performance of products is enhanced through the large deformation and the solidification under pressure with less shrinkage cavity or porosity. Numerical simulation of this process is hard to run for it involves mechanical modeling of the dynamic transition from liquid phase to solid phase. The liquid zone and solid zone were modeled independently for reasons of their different characteristics of deformation. The deformation of liquid zone was described according to the principle of element removal method which eliminates the elemental distortion during the simulation. The solidified zone under elevated temperature was modeled through the hyperbolic sine constitutive equation. The dynamic transitions from liquid phase to solid phase were determined based on the results of thermal analysis. The mechanical model coupled with solidification proposed in this paper was verified through the experiments of liquid-solid extrusion of LY12 alloy.
Simultaneous Determination of Volatile Constituents fromAcorus tatarinowiiSchott in Rat Plasma by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry with Selective Ion Monitoring and Application in Pharmacokinetic Study
Authors: Meng Xue , Zhao Xinfeng , Wang Shixiang , Jia Pu , Bai Yajun , Liao Sha , Zheng Xiaohui
Published: November 2013

A sensitive and specific gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring (GC-MS/SIM) method has been developed for simultaneous identification and quantification ofα-asarone,β-asarone, and methyl eugenol ofAcorus tatarinowiiSchott in rat plasma. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Restek Rxi-5MS capillary column (30 m × 0.32 mm × 0.25 μm), using 1-naphthol as internal standard (IS). MS detection of these compounds and IS was performed atm/z178, 208, 208, and 144. Intra- and interday precisions of all compounds of interest were less than 10%. The recoveries are situated in the range of 92.4–105.2%. Pharmacokinetics of methyl eugenol confirmed to be one-compartment open model,α-asarone andβ-asarone was two-compartment open model, respectively. The method will probably be an alternative to simultaneous determination and pharmacokinetic study of volatile ingredients inAcorus tatarinowiiSchott.
Design and Fabrication of Remote Welding Equipment in a Hot-Cell
Authors: Kim Soosung , Kim Kihwan , Lee Jungwon , Koh Jinhyun
Published: November 2013

The remote welding equipment for nuclear fuel bundle fabrication in a hot-cell was designed and developed. To achieve this, a preliminary investigation of hands-on fuel fabrication outside a hot-cell was conducted with a consideration of the constraints caused by the welding in a hot-cell. Some basic experiments were also carried out to improve the end-plate welding process for nuclear fuel bundle fabrication. The resistance welding equipment using end-plate welding was also improved. It was found that the remote resistance welding was more suitable for joining an end-plate to end caps in a hot-cell. This paper presents an outline of the developed welding equipment for nuclear fuel bundle fabrication and reviews a conceptual design of remote welding equipment using a master-slave manipulator. Furthermore, the mechanical considerations and a mock-up simulation test were described. Finally, its performance test results were presented for a mock-up of the remote resistance welding equipment for nuclear fuel bundle fabrication.
First discovery of Quercus feeding Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera)
in Central America
Authors: STONIS JONAS R. , DIŠKUS ARŪNAS , REMEIKIS ANDRIUS , SCHUSTER JACK
Published: November 2013

Despite the high taxonomic diversity of oaks in Mexico and Central America, no Quercus feeding Nepticulidae have ever been recorded from the region. Here, we present seven species whose larvae are leaf-miners of Quercus (section Lobatae) in Guatemala. Except Stigmella nigriverticella (Chambers 1875), which was previously known from the United States, all other discovered species are new. We describe and name five new species (Stigmella jaguari Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. lauta Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. sublauta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. aurifasciata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. guatemalensis Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.); the remaining new species is described but left unnamed because of lack of adults (i. e. moths and genitalia are described from developed pupae). All seven treated species are illustrated with photographs of the leaf-mines, adults, and genitalia.
Redescription of five gnathiid species from Japan (Crustacea: Isopoda)
Authors: OTA YUZO
Published: November 2013

Five gnathiid species from Japan are redescribed based on14 holotypes, their paratypes, topotypes, and new materials. Observations of these specimens revealed that Caecognathia kikuchii (Nunomura, 1992) should be transferred to genus Elaphognathia and Caecognathia nasuta (Nunomura, 1992) to genus Gnathia. Furthermore, Caecognathia amakusaensis Nunomura, 1992, C. saikaiensis Nunomura, 1992, Gnathia azumai Nunomura, 2012a, G. quadricephala Nunomura, 2012a, and G. recticornata Nunomura, 2012a are considered to be junior synonyms of E. kikuchii. Gnathia hirayamai Nunomura, 1992, G. nagasakiensis Nunomura, 2012a, G. shijikiensis Nunomura, 2012a, and G. brevicephala Nunomura, 2012a are considered to be junior synonyms of G. nasuta. Moreover, Gnathia sanrikuensis Nunomura, 1998 and G. mutsuensis Nunomura, 2004 are redescribed. Gnathia bungoensis Nunomura, 1982 is not completely redescribed because the key characteristics were lacking. The geographical records of these species are provided.
A new species of Lixophaga Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Colombia, a parasitoid of Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Authors: CARREJO NANCY , DIAZ ANA E. , WOODLEY NORMAN E
Published: November 2013

A new species of Lixophaga Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Colombia, Lixophaga puscolulo Carrejo & Woodley, sp. nov., is described and illustrated. It is a parasitoid of the tomato fruit borer, Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), an insect pest of Solanum quitoense Lam., in Colombia. Aspects of its biology are briefly discussed.
New species of the genus Jacekaphorura (Collembola: Onychiuridae) from upper reaches of Kolyma river (North-East of Russia)
Authors: BABENKO ANATOLY
Published: November 2013

Two new species of the genus Jacekaphorura from the North-East of Russia, viz. J. catherinae sp. nov. and J. furcata sp. nov., were described and illustrated. The former species clearly differs from the only previously known species of the genus by a high and variable number of dorsal pso, the latter can easily be distinguished due to specific structure of furcal remnant. The generic diagnosis and position within modern tribal subdivision of the Onychiurinae are discussed.
Biomechanical comparison of menisci from different species and artificial constructs
Authors: Sandmann Gunther H , Adamczyk Christopher , Garcia Eduardo Grande , Doebele Stefan , Buettner Andreas , Milz Stefan , Imhoff Andreas B , Vogt Stefan , Burgkart Rainer , Tischer Thomas
Published: November 2013

Background

Loss of meniscal tissue is correlated with early osteoarthritis but few data exist regarding detailed biomechanical properties (e.g. viscoelastic behavior) of menisci in different species commonly used as animal models. The purpose of the current study was to biomechanically characterize bovine, ovine, and porcine menisci (each n = 6, midpart of the medial meniscus) and compare their properties to that of normal and degenerated human menisci (n = 6) and two commercially available artificial scaffolds (each n = 3).

Methods

Samples were tested in a cyclic, minimally constraint compression–relaxation test with a universal testing machine allowing the characterization of the viscoelastic properties including stiffness, residual force and relative sample compression. T-tests were used to compare the biomechanical parameters of all samples. Significance level was set at p < 0.05.

Results

Throughout cyclic testing stiffness, residual force and relative sample compression increased significantly (p < 0.05) in all tested meniscus samples. From the tested animal meniscus samples the ovine menisci showed the highest biomechanical similarity to human menisci in terms of stiffness (human: 8.54 N/mm ± 1.87, cycle 1; ovine: 11.24 N/mm ± 2.36, cycle 1, p = 0.0528), residual force (human: 2.99 N ± 0.63, cycle 1 vs. ovine 3.24 N ± 0.13, cycle 1, p = 0.364) and relative sample compression (human 19.92% ± 0.63, cycle 1 vs. 18.72% ± 1.84 in ovine samples at cycle 1, p = 0.162). The artificial constructs -as hypothesized- revealed statistically significant inferior biomechanical properties.

Conclusions

For future research the use of ovine meniscus would be desirable showing the highest biomechanical similarities to human meniscus tissue. The significantly different biomechanical properties of the artificial scaffolds highlight the necessity of cellular ingrowth and formation of extracellular matrix to gain viscoelastic properties. As a consequence, a period of unloading (at least partial weight bearing) is necessary, until the remodeling process in the scaffold is sufficient to withstand forces during weight bearing.
Simultaneous subchronic exposure to selenium and diazinon as possible risk factor for osteoporosis in adult male rats
Authors: Martiniaková Monika , Boboňová Ivana , Omelka Radoslav , Grosskopf Birgit , Chovancová Hana , Španková Jana , Toman Róbert
Published: November 2013

Background

Osteoporosis and its main health outcome, fragility fractures, are large and escalating health problems. Skeletal damage may be the critical result of low-level prolonged exposure to several xenobiotics in the general population, but the mechanisms of their adverse effects are not clearly understood. The current study was aimed to investigate the possible ability of simultaneous subchronic peroral administration of selenium (Se) and diazinon (DZN) to induce changes in bone of adult male rats.

In our study, twenty 1-month-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two experimental groups. In the first group, young males were exposed to 5 mg Na2SeO3/L and 40 mg of DZN/L in drinking water, for 90 days. Ten 1-month-old males without Se and DZN intoxication served as a control group. At the end of the experiment, macroscopic and microscopic structures of the femurs were analysed using analytical scales, sliding instrument, and polarized light microscopy.

Results

The body weight, femoral length and cortical bone thickness were significantly decreased in rats simultaneously exposed to Se and DZN (P < 0.05). These rats also displayed different microstructure in the middle part of the compact bone where vascular canals expanded into central area of substantia compacta. The canals occurred only near endosteal surfaces in rats from the control group. Additionally, a smaller number of primary and secondary osteons, as well as a few resorption lacunae were observed near endosteal surfaces in rats simultaneously administered to Se and DZN. The resorption lacunae as typical structures of bone resorption manifestation are connected with an early stage of osteoporosis. Histomorphometric analysis revealed that area, perimeter, maximum and minimum diameters of primary osteons’ vascular canals were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the Se-DZN-exposed rats. On the other hand, all measured variables of Haversian canals and secondary osteons were considerable reduced (P < 0.05) in these rats.

Conclusions

Simultaneous subchronic peroral exposure to Se and DZN induces changes in macroscopic and microscopic structures of the femurs in adult male rats, and also it can be considered as possible risk factor for osteoporosis. The current study contributes to the knowledge on damaging impact of several xenobiotics on the bone.
Adipose Inflammation in Obesity: Relationship With Circulating Levels of Inflammatory Markers and Association With Surgery-Induced Weight Loss
Authors: Lasselin Julie , Magne Eric , Beau Cédric , Ledaguenel Patrick , Dexpert Sandra , Aubert Agnès , Layé Sophie , Capuron Lucile
Published: November 2013

Context:

The inflammatory state of the adipose tissue is believed to contribute to systemic low-grade inflammation in obesity.

Objective:

This study assessed the relationship between adipose and circulating inflammatory markers as well as the influence of adipose inflammation on bariatric surgery-induced weight reduction.

Design:

This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal study (up to 14 mo).

Setting:

The study was conducted in the digestive/bariatric surgery department of the Tivoli and Jean Villar clinics, Bordeaux, France.

Patients:

Thirty-seven obese patients [body mass index (BMI) > 35–40 kg/m2)] seeking bariatric surgery were included. Twenty-eight of them were successively followed up at 1–3 months after surgery and 25 between 6 and 14 months after surgery.

Main Outcome Measures:

Fasting serum samples were collected before surgery to assess concentrations of inflammatory markers. Samples of visceral adipose tissue were extracted during surgery and gene expression of cytokines and immune cell markers were evaluated using quantitative RT-PCR. Pre- and postsurgery weight and BMI were collected.

Results:

Gene expression of several cytokines were strongly intercorrelated in the visceral adipose tissue. Adipose expression of macrophage and T cell markers were related to adipose expression of TNF-α and IL-1 receptor antagonist (P < .01) and to systemic levels of TNF-α (P < .01) and IL-6 (P < .05). A higher inflammatory state of the adipose tissue predicted a lower BMI reduction after surgery (P < .05), notably at early stages after surgery.

Conclusions:

These findings support the involvement of macrophages and T cells in adipose inflammation and provide new information regarding the role of the visceral adipose tissue in the inflammatory state of obesity and its impact on obesity treatment outcomes, such as surgery-induced weight loss.
The Role of Darwinism in Nazi Racial Thought
Authors: Weikart Richard
Published: November 2013

Historians disagree about whether Nazis embraced Darwinian evolution. By examining Hitler's ideology, the official biology curriculum, the writings of Nazi anthropologists, and Nazi periodicals, we find that Nazi racial theorists did indeed embrace human and racial evolution. They not only taught that humans had evolved from primates, but they believed the Aryan or Nordic race had evolved to a higher level than other races because of the harsh climatic conditions that influenced natural selection. They also claimed that Darwinism underpinned specific elements of Nazi racial ideology, including racial inequality, the necessity of the racial struggle for existence, and collectivism.
"Killersatellit" and Randerscheinung : Punk and the Prenzlauer Berg
Authors: Howes Seth
Published: November 2013

This essay argues that the Prenzlauer Berg's poets, artists, and musicians incorporated punk aesthetics into their artistic practice in much more substantive ways than scholars have explored so far. Not only did East Berlin artists make rhetorical and design elements of this Western subculture function within their own artistic endeavors, but punk's participatory emphasis on do-it-yourself musicianship provided them with a new means of circulating and performing their poetry and art. This essay, the first in English on the Prenzlauer Berg's work with punk, has implications for the study of both punk and the literature of the Prenzlauer Berg.
Acrolein-Induced Oxidative Stress In NAD(P)H Oxidase Subunit gp91phox Knock-Out Mice and its modulation of NFκB and CD36
Authors: Yousefipour Zivar , Zhang Chelsea , Monfareed Mahdieh , Walker James , Newaz Mohammad
Published: November 2013

An essential component of NAD(P)H, gp91phox, maintains the functionality of the enzyme in producing oxygen radicals. NAD(P)H oxidase plays an important role in oxidative stress but its precise contribution in acrolein-induced toxicity was not explored. We examined the involvement of NAD(P)H oxidase and other oxidant system in acrolein toxicity using gp91phox knockout mice. Male gp91phox knockout (KO) mice (20–25 gm) or wild type (WT) controls were treated with acrolein (0.5 μg/kg; 1 week). Animals were sacrificed and the liver was used to determine biochemical parameters. Knockout mice generated low (1.43±.02 pg/μg protein) free radicals as evident in 8-Isoprostane compared with the WT mice (2.19±0.1). Acrolein increased 8-Isoprostane in WT (P<.05) and KO (p<.05) mice. Xanthine Oxidase (XO) activity was higher (p<.05) in KO (0.56±0.06 μunit/μg protein) than WT mice. Acrolein increased XO in KO mice, but significantly increased it only in WT. Cycloxygenase (COX) activity was not different between WT and KO mice, although acroelin increased COX in WT. Knockout mice exhibited a significantly low (2.1±0.2 μmol/mg protein) total antioxidant status (TAS) compared with the WT (3.5±0.3). Acrolein reduced TAS in both WT and KO mice equally. Baseline NFκB was significantly higher in KO mice, although acrolein increased NFκB in WT but not in KO. CD36 was higher (p<.05) in KO mice than the WT and acrolein increased (p<.05) CD36 further in KO but not in WT mice. These data suggest that NAD(P)H oxidase contributes significantly in acrolein-induced oxidative stress. We also suggests that in the absence of NAD(P)H oxidase XO plays a definitive role together with reduced antioxidant ability to compound the toxic effects of acrolein. We propose that in absence of NAD(P)H oxidase a different signaling process may involve that utilizes CD36 besides NFκB.
Sickle Cell Anemia: The Impact of Discovery, Politics, and Business
Authors: Xie Lai-Hua , Doye Angelia A. , Conley Eric , Gwathmey Judith K
Published: November 2013

Sickle cell anemia affects 100,000 African Americans. Frequent blood transfusions to prevent stroke lead to fatal iron-overload. Iron chelation with deferoxamine (DFO) requires expensive infusions. In the present study, we explore the feasibility of using a new delivery system for DFO, i.e., targeted liposome entrapped DFO (LDFO). Our results reveal that our novel formulation lowered the dosage requirements by 50%–75%, allowed for less frequent and shorter treatment durations, eliminating the need for a pump and the standard multi-night administration of DFO. In an iron-overloaded rat model, LDFO reduced iron in the liver, and also improved cardiac function. The lower dosage and improved safety profile makes our novel LDFO delivery system a highly desirable new therapy. Meanwhile, this system will also provide an ideal model for studying the mechanism of Fe overload-induced arrhythmias. The political and economic factors related to health care disparities are also discussed.