bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of entropies based on empirical mode decomposition in amnesic mild cognitive impairment of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Cui Dong , Wang Jinhuan , Bian Zhijie , Li Qiuli , Wang Lei , Li Xiaoli
Published: October 2014

EEG characteristics that correlate with the cognitive functions are important in detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in T2DM. To investigate the complexity between aMCI group and age-matched non-aMCI control group in T2DM, six entropies combining empirical mode decomposition (EMD), including Approximate entropy (ApEn), Sample entropy (SaEn), Fuzzy entropy (FEn), Permutation entropy (PEn), Power spectrum entropy (PsEn) and Wavelet entropy (WEn) were used in the study. A feature extraction technique based on maximization of the area under the curve (AUC) and a support vector machine (SVM) were subsequently used to for features selection and classification. Finally, Pearson's linear correlation was employed to study associations between these entropies and cognitive functions. Compared to other entropies, FEn had a higher classification accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 68%, 67.1% and 71.9%, respectively. Top 43 salient features achieved classification accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 73.8%, 72.3% and 77.9%, respectively. P4, T4 and C4 were the highest ranking salient electrodes. Correlation analysis showed that FEn based on EMD was positively correlated to memory at electrodes F7, F8 and P4, and PsEn based on EMD was positively correlated to Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and memory at electrode T4. In sum, FEn based on EMD in right-temporal and occipital regions may be more suitable for early diagnosis of the MCI with T2DM.
Optimizing the Dispersion Conditions of SWCNTs in Aqueous Solution of Surfactants and Organic Solvents
Authors: Rahman Md. Mahfuzur , Younes Hammad , Subramanian Navaladian , Al Ghaferi Amal
Published: October 2014

The optimum concentration of surfactants in aqueous medium and the optimum sonication time for organic medium to achieve the best dispersion of SWCNTs are investigated in this study. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and UV‐vis‐NIR study show that the optimum surfactant concentrations to achieve best dispersion for 0.25 mg/mL of SWCNTs are 9‐10 mg/mL for (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS)) and 8‐9 mg/mL for (sodium deoxycholate (DOC)). The diameter of the SWCNT lies between 0.7 and 2.5 nm in the case of aqueous solvent, which is in good agreement with the chirality. Moreover, SEM analysis reveals the presence of well‐dispersed nanotubes along with some amount of surfactant particles; that is, some nanotubes might be covered with surfactants. Best dispersion of SWCNTs in organic solvents (1,2‐Dichloroethane (DCE) and N,N‐Dimethylformamide (DMF)) is achieved by four hours of tip sonication. It realized that organic solvents provide pure SWCNTs after drying, which may possibly have SWCNTs with intrinsic properties.
Perception and Barriers to Indoor Air Quality and Perceived Impact on Respiratory Health: An Assessment in Rural Honduras
Authors: Le Audrey , Bearman Gonzalo , Sanogo Kakotan , Stevens Michael P.
Published: October 2014

Objective. The aim of this study was to identify household-specific factors associated with respiratory symptoms and to study the perceived impact of indoor air pollution (IAP) as a health issue.Methods. An IRB-approved, voluntary, anonymous 23-item survey was conducted in Spanish at a medical outreach clinic in June 2012 and at the homes of survey respondentsN=79. Comparative analyses were performed to investigate relationships between specific house characteristics and respiratory complaints.Results. Seventy-nine surveys were completed. Respiratory symptoms were frequently reported by survey respondents: 42% stated that smoke in their household caused them to have watery eyes, 42% reported household members with coughs within the past two weeks, and 25% stated that there were currently household members experiencing difficulty in breathing. Stove location and kitchen roof construction material were significantly associated with frequency of respiratory symptoms. The vast majority used firewood as their major fuel type. Most respondents indicated that neither indoor air quality was a problem nor did it affect their daily life.Conclusions. Respiratory complaints are common in Yoro, Honduras. Stove location and kitchen roof construction material were significantly associated with frequency of respiratory symptoms; this may have implications for efforts to improve respiratory health in the region.
A Novel Rose Hip Preparation with Enhanced Anti-Inflammatory and Chondroprotective Effects
Authors: Schwager Joseph , Richard Nathalie , Schoop Rotraut , Wolfram Swen
Published: October 2014

Rose hip powder (RHP) alleviates osteoarthritis (OA) due to its anti-inflammatory and cartilage-protective properties. Substances contained in RHP might contribute to its clinical efficacy. The activity of two RHP (i.e., RH-A, from the whole fruit, RH-B, from fruits without seeds) was investigated in human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) and primary chondrocytes (NHAC-kn). RH-A and RH-B diminished the secretion of chemokines and cytokines in LPS/IFN-γ-activated PBL, including CCL5/RANTES, CXCL10/IP-10, interleukin- (IL-) 6, and IL-12. Most effects were transcriptional, since gene expression levels were significantly influenced by RH-A and RH-B. In IL-1βtreated normal chondrocytes (NHAC-kn), both RH preparations reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 1, MMP-3, and MMP-13 and ADAMTS-4. These changes are associated with diminished inflammatory damage or cartilage erosion. Principal component analysis revealed that (1) RH-A and RH-B modified a large pattern of biomarkers, and (2) RH-B outperformed RH-A. Furthermore, RH-B contained more chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory constituents than RH-A. Thus, RHP contributed to restore cellular homeostasis in PBL and chondrocytes. RH preparations from fruits without seeds are thus expected to have an improved OA-preventive or OA-therapeutic profile, as subsequently shown in a related clinical trial.
Robust Stability Clearance of Flight Control Law Based on Global Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Ou Liuli , Liu Lei , Dong Shuai , Wang Yongji
Published: October 2014

To validate the robust stability of the flight control system of hypersonic flight vehicle, which suffers from a large number of parametrical uncertainties, a new clearance framework based on structural singular value (μ) theory and global uncertainty sensitivity analysis (SA) is proposed. In this framework, SA serves as the preprocess of uncertain model to be analysed to help engineers to determine which uncertainties affect the stability of the closed loop system more slightly. By ignoring these unimportant uncertainties, the calculation ofμcan be simplified. Instead of analysing the effect of uncertainties onμwhich involves solving optimal problems repeatedly, a simpler stability analysis function which represents the effect of uncertainties on closed loop poles is proposed. Based on this stability analysis function, Sobol’s method, the most widely used global SA method, is extended and applied to the new clearance framework due to its suitability for system with strong nonlinearity and input factors varying in large interval, as well as input factors subjecting to random distributions. In this method, the sensitive indices can be estimated via Monte Carlo simulation conveniently. An example is given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Importance of Follow-Up Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis in Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis
Authors: Skripuletz Thomas , Schwenkenbecher Philipp , Pars Kaweh , Stoll Matthias , Conzen Josef , Bolat Seza , Pul Refik , Vonberg Ralf-Peter , Sedlacek Ludwig , Wurster Ulrich , Stangel Martin , Trebst Corinna
Published: October 2014

Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis represents a serious infection of the central nervous system, where reliable prognostic factors during the disease course are needed. Twenty-one patients diagnosed with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in a German university hospital from 1999 to 2013 were analysed retrospectively. CSF parameters were analysed prior to therapy and during antifungal treatment and were compared between patients who survived or deceased. Fifteen patients clinically improved after antifungal therapy, while six patients died. No differences were observed between the outcome groups for the CSF parameters cell count, lactate, total protein, and CSF-serum albumin quotients (QAlb). Follow-up examinations of serum cryptococcal antigen titer and CSF cell count have shown that these parameters cannot be used to monitor the efficacy of antifungal therapy as well. In contrast, the course of QAlb during therapy was indicative for the outcome as a possible prognostic marker. In patients with clinical improvement QAlb values were falling under therapy, while rising QAlb values were found in patients with fatal outcome indicating a continuing dysfunction of the blood-CSF barrier. In conclusion, our results indicate that, among the various CSF parameters, the course of QAlb presents a promising marker that might be used to monitor the efficacy of antifungal therapy.
Finite‐Time Adaptive Synchronization of a New Hyperchaotic System with Uncertain Parameters
Authors: Yongguang Ma , Zijian Dong
Published: October 2014

This paper presents a finite‐time adaptive synchronization strategy for a class of new hyperchaotic systems with unknown slave system’s parameters. Based on the finite‐time stability theory, an adaptive control law is derived to make the states of the new hyperchaotic systems synchronized in finite‐time. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed finite time synchronization scheme.
Distributed Vector Quantization over Sensor Network
Authors: Li Chunguang , Luo Yiliang
Published: October 2014

A vector quantizer is a system for encoding the original data to reduce the bits needed for communication and storage saving while maintaining the necessary fidelity of the data. Signal processing over distributed network has received a lot of attention in recent years, due to the rapid development of sensor network. Gathering data to a central processing node is usually infeasible for sensor network due to limited communication resource and power. As a kind of data compression methods, vector quantization is an appealing technique for distributed network signal processing. In this paper, we develop two distributed vector quantization algorithms based on the Linde-Buzo-Gray (LBG) algorithm and the self-organization map (SOM). In our algorithms, each node processes the local data and transmits the local processing results to its neighbors. Each node then fuses the information from the neighbors. Our algorithms remarkably reduce the communication complexity compared with traditional algorithms processing all the distributed data in one central fusion node. Simulation results show that both of the proposed distributed algorithms have good performance.
Evaluation of Wound Closure Activity of Nigella sativa, Melastoma malabathricum, Pluchea indica, and Piper sarmentosum Extracts on Scratched Monolayer of Human Gingival Fibroblasts
Authors: Ab Rahman Mas Rizal , Abdul Razak Fathilah , Mohd Bakri Marina
Published: October 2014

Nigella sativa, Melastoma malabathricum, Pluchea indica, and Piper sarmentosum are common Asian traditional medicines to treat minor wounds. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro wound healing properties of aqueous extracts of these plants using human gingival fibroblast (HGF) monolayer as study model. DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts was evaluated and effect on HGF proliferation was determined. Their effect on HGF’s function to synthesize collagen was indicated by the level of hydroxyproline produced and effect on wound healing activity was assessed using an in vitro scratch assay. The influence of the extracts on expression of bFGF and TGF‐β was also determined. Results revealed all four extracts to exhibit low free radical scavenging activity. The extract from N. sativa (NSSE) compared to the others showed favourable enhancement of HGF proliferation with EC50 of 22.67 ± 3.06 µg/mL (P < 0.05) with accelerated wound closure activity despite its nonsignificant effect on collagen synthesis. In addition to the elevated level of bFGF by up to 15% at 100 µg/mL of NSSE, a slightly better effect was observed on the expression of TGF‐β. NSSE thus showed that promising wound healing properties and data obtained may contribute towards validation of its traditional use for the healing of oral wounds.
Ghrelin Therapy Improves Survival after Whole-Body Ionizing Irradiation or Combined with Burn or Wound: Amelioration of Leukocytopenia, Thrombocytopenia, Splenomegaly, and Bone Marrow Injury
Authors: Kiang Juliann G. , Zhai Min , Liao Pei-Jyun , Elliott Thomas B. , Gorbunov Nikolai V.
Published: October 2014

Exposure to ionizing radiation alone (RI) or combined with traumatic tissue injury (CI) is a crucial life-threatening factor in nuclear and radiological events. In our laboratory, mice exposed to60Co-γ-photon radiation (9.5 Gy, 0.4 Gy/min, bilateral) followed by 15% total-body-surface-area skin wounds (R-W CI) or burns (R-B CI) experienced an increment of ≥18% higher mortality over a 30-day observation period compared to RI alone. CI was accompanied by severe leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, erythropenia, and anemia. At the 30th day after injury, numbers of WBC and platelets still remained very low in surviving RI and CI mice. In contrast, their RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were recovered towards preirradiation levels. Only RI induced splenomegaly. RI and CI resulted in bone-marrow cell depletion. In R-W CI mice, ghrelin (a hunger-stimulating peptide) therapy increased survival, mitigated body-weight loss, accelerated wound healing, and increased hematocrit. In R-B CI mice, ghrelin therapy increased survival and numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets and ameliorated bone-marrow cell depletion. In RI mice, this treatment increased survival, hemoglobin, and hematocrit and inhibited splenomegaly. Our novel results are the first to suggest that ghrelin therapy effectively improved survival by mitigating CI-induced leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and bone-marrow injury or the RI-induced decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit.
PPAR Gamma Expression Levels during Development of Heart Failure in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease after Coronary Artery Bypass-Grafting
Authors: Wojtkowska Izabela , Tysarowski Andrzej , Seliga Katarzyna , Siedlecki Janusz A. , Juraszyński Zbigniew , Marona Milosz , Greszata Lidia , Skrobisz Anna , Kaminski Karol , Sawicki Robert , Stępińska Janina
Published: October 2014

Genetic research has elucidated molecular mechanisms of heart failure (HF). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) seem to be important in etiology of HF. The aim of study was to find the correlation between PPARγexpression during development of HF in patients and coronary artery disease (CAD) after coronary artery bypass-grafting (CABG).Methods and Results. We followed up 157 patients (mean age 63) with CAD without clinical, laboratory, or echo parameters of HF who underwent CABG. Clinical and laboratory status were assessed before CABG and at 1, 12, and 24 months. During CABG slices of aorta (Ao) and LV were collected for genetic research. HF was defined as LVEF <40% or NT-proBNP >400 pg/mL or 6MWT <400 m. Patients were divided into 2 groups: with and without HF. PPARγexpression in Ao and LV was not increased in both groups at 2-year follow-up. Sensitivity of PPARγexpression in Ao above 1.1075 in detection of HF was 20.5% (AUC 0.531, 95% CI 0.442–0.619). Positive predictive value (Ppv) was 85.7%. Sensitivity and specificity of PPARγexpression in the LV in detection of HF were 58% and 92.9%, respectively (AUC 0.540, 95% CI 0.452–0.626). Ppv was 73.2%.Conclusion. PPARγexpression in Ao and LV was comparable and should not be used as predictive factor for development of HF in patients with CAD after CABG.
H-CRRETAWAC-OH, a Lead Structure for the Development of Radiotracer Targeting Integrinα5β1?
Authors: Haubner Roland , Maschauer Simone , Einsiedel Jürgen , Eder Iris E. , Rangger Christine , Gmeiner Peter , Virgolini Irene J. , Prante Olaf
Published: October 2014

Imaging of angiogenic processes is of great interest in preclinical research as well as in clinical settings. The most commonly addressed target structure for imaging angiogenesis is the integrinαvβ3. Here we describe the synthesis and evaluation of [18F]FProp-Cys*-Arg-Arg-Glu-Thr-Ala-Trp-Ala-Cys*-OH, a radiolabelled peptide designed to selectively target the integrinα5β1. Conjugation of 4-nitrophenyl-(RS)-2-[18F]fluoropropionate provided [18F]FProp-Cys*-Arg-Arg-Glu-Thr-Ala-Trp-Ala-Cys*-OH in high radiochemical purity (>95%) and a radiochemical yield of approx. 55%. In vitro evaluation showedα5β1binding affinity in the nanomolar range, whereas affinity toαvβ3andαIIbβ3was >50 μM. Cell uptake studies using human melanoma M21 (αvβ3-positive andα5β1-negative), human melanoma M21-L (αvβ3-negative andα5β1-negative), and human prostate carcinoma DU145 (αvβ3-negative andα5β1-positive) confirmed receptor-specific binding. The radiotracer was stable in human serum and showed low protein binding. Biodistribution studies showed tumour uptake ranging from 2.5 to 3.5% ID/g between 30 and 120 min post-injection. However, blocking studies and studies using mice bearingα5β1-negative M21 tumours did not confirm receptor-specific uptake of [18F]FProp-Cys*-Arg-Arg-Glu-Thr-Ala-Trp-Ala-Cys*-OH, although this radiopeptide revealed high affinity and substantial selectivity toα5β1in vitro. Further experiments are needed to study the in vivo metabolism of this peptide and to develop improved radiopeptide candidates suitable for PET imaging ofα5β1expression in vivo.
Semileptonic Transition of Tensorχc2(1P)toDsMeson
Authors: Sungu J. Y. , Sundu H. , Azizi K.
Published: October 2014

Taking into account the two-gluon condensate corrections, the transition form factors of the semileptonicχc2→Dsl-ν(l=e,μ)decay channel are calculated via three-point QCD sum rules. These form factors are used to estimate the decay width of the transition under consideration in both electron and muon channels. The obtained results can be used both in direct search for such decay channels at charm factories and in analysis of theBcmeson decay at LHC.
Hypergraph-Based Recognition Memory Model for Lifelong Experience
Authors: Kim Hyoungnyoun , Park Ji-Hyung
Published: October 2014

Cognitive agents are expected to interact with and adapt to a nonstationary dynamic environment. As an initial process of decision making in a real-world agent interaction, familiarity judgment leads the following processes for intelligence. Familiarity judgment includes knowing previously encoded data as well as completing original patterns from partial information, which are fundamental functions of recognition memory. Although previous computational memory models have attempted to reflect human behavioral properties on the recognition memory, they have been focused on static conditions without considering temporal changes in terms of lifelong learning. To provide temporal adaptability to an agent, in this paper, we suggest a computational model for recognition memory that enables lifelong learning. The proposed model is based on a hypergraph structure, and thus it allows a high-order relationship between contextual nodes and enables incremental learning. Through a simulated experiment, we investigate the optimal conditions of the memory model and validate the consistency of memory performance for lifelong learning.
The Influence of Flanking Secondary Structures on Amino Acid Content and Typical Lengths of 3/10 Helices
Authors: Khrustalev Vladislav Victorovich , Barkovsky Eugene Victorovich , Khrustaleva Tatyana Aleksandrovna
Published: October 2014

We used 3D structures of a highly redundant set of bacterial proteins encoded by genes of high, average, and low GC-content. Four types of connecting bridges—regions situated between any of two major elements of secondary structure (alpha helices and beta strands)—containing a pure random coil were compared with connecting bridges containing 3/10 helices. We included discovered trends in the original “VVTAK Connecting Bridges” algorithm, which is able to predict more probable conformation for a given connecting bridge. The highest number of significant differences in amino acid usage was found between 3/10 helices containing bridges connecting two beta strands (they have increased Phe, Tyr, Met, Ile, Leu, Val, and His usages but decreased usages of Asp, Asn, Gly, and Pro) and those without 3/10 helices. The typical (most common) length of 3/10 helices situated between two beta strands and between beta strand and alpha helix is equal to 5 amino acid residues. The preferred length of 3/10 helices situated between alpha helix and beta strand is equal to 3 residues. For 3/10 helices situated between two alpha helices, both lengths (3 and 5 amino acid residues) are typical.
The Pro12Ala Polymorphism of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Gene Modifies the Association of Physical Activity and Body Mass Changes in Polish Women
Authors: Zarebska Aleksandra , Jastrzebski Zbigniew , Cieszczyk Pawel , Leonska-Duniec Agata , Kotarska Katarzyna , Kaczmarczyk Mariusz , Sawczuk Marek , Maciejewska-Karlowska Agnieszka
Published: October 2014

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγis a key regulator of adipogenesis, responsible for fatty acid storage and maintaining energy balance in the human body. Studies on the functional importance of thePPARGPro12Ala polymorphic variants indicated that the observed alleles may influence body mass measurements; however, obtained results were inconsistent. We have decided to check if body mass changes observed in physically active participants will be modulated by thePPARGPro12Ala genotype. The genotype distribution of thePPARGPro12Ala allele was examined in a group of 201 Polish women measured for selected body mass variables before and after the completion of a 12-week training program. The results of our experiment suggest thatPPARGgenotype can modulate training-induced body mass measurements changes: after completion of the training program, Pro12/Pro12 homozygotes were characterised by a greater decrease of body fat mass measurements in comparison with 12Ala allele carriers. These results indicate that thePPARG12Ala variant may impair the training-induced positive effects on body mass measurements; however, the detailed mechanism of such interaction remained unclear and observed correlation betweenPPARGgenotype and body mass differential effects should be interpreted with caution.
Random Whole Body Vibration over 5 Weeks Leads to Effects Similar to Placebo: A Controlled Study in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Gaßner Heiko , Janzen Annette , Schwirtz Ansgar , Jansen Petra
Published: October 2014

Background. Random whole body vibration (WBV) training leads to beneficial short-term effects in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the effect of WBV lasting several weeks is not clear.Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess a random WBV training over 5 weeks in PD.Methods.Twenty-one participants with PD were allocated to either an experimental or a placebo group matched by age, gender, and Hoehn&Yahr stage. The WBV training consisted of 5 series, 60 s each. In the placebo group, vibration was simulated. The primary outcome was the change of performance in Functional reach test (FRT), step-walk-turn task, biomechanical Gait Analysis, Timed up and go test (TUG), and one leg stance.Findings. In most of the parameters, there was no significant interaction of “time*group.” Both groups improved significantly in Gait parameters, TUG, and one leg stance. Only in the FRT [F(1,15)=8.397;P<0.05] and in the TUG [F(1,15)=4.971;P<0.05] the experimental group performed significantly better than the placebo group.Conclusions. Random WBV training over 5 weeks seems to be less effective than reported in previous studies performing short-term training. The slight improvements in the FRT and TUG are not clinically relevant.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Some Novel Dithiocarbamate Derivatives
Authors: Sağlık Begüm Nurpelin , Özkay Yusuf , Demir Özkay Ümide , Karaca Gençer Hülya
Published: October 2014

18 novel dithiocarbamate derivatives were synthesized in order to investigate their inhibitory potency on acetylcholinesterase enzyme and antimicrobial activity. Structures of the synthesized compounds were elucidated by spectral data and elemental analyses. The synthesized compounds showed low enzyme inhibitory activity. However, they displayed good antimicrobial activity profile. Antibacterial activity of compounds4a,4e, and4p(MIC = 25 μg/mL) was equal to that of chloramphenicol againstKlebsiella pneumoniae(ATCC 700603) andEscherichia coli(ATCC 35218). Most of the compounds exhibited notable antifungal activity againstCandida albicans(ATCC 10231),Candida glabrata(ATCC 90030),Candida krusei(ATCC 6258), andCandida parapsilosis(ATCC 7330). Moreover, compound4a, which carries piperidin-1-yl substituent and dimethylthiocarbamoyl side chain as variable group, showed twofold better anticandidal effect against allCandidaspecies than reference drug ketoconazole.
Flutamide-Induced Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in anIn VitroRat Hepatocyte System
Authors: Maruf Abdullah Al , O’Brien Peter
Published: October 2014

Flutamide (FLU) is a competitive antagonist of the androgen receptor which has been reported to induce severe liver injury in some patients. Several experimental models suggested that an episode of inflammation during drug treatment predisposes animals to tissue injury. The molecular cytotoxic mechanisms of FLU in isolated rat hepatocytes using anin vitrooxidative stress inflammation system were investigated in this study. When a nontoxic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generating system (glucose/glucose oxidase) with peroxidase or iron(II) [Fe(II)] (to partly simulatein vivoinflammation) was added to the hepatocytes prior to the addition of FLU, increases in FLU-induced cytotoxicity and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were observed that were decreased by 6-N-propyl-2-thiouracil or deferoxamine, respectively.N-Acetylcysteine decreased FLU-induced cytotoxicity in this system. Potent antioxidants, for example, Trolox ((±)-6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid), resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), and DPPD (N,N′-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine) also significantly decreased FLU-induced cytotoxicity and LPO and increased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and glutathione (GSH) levels in the H2O2generating system with peroxidase. TEMPOL (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl), a known reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger and superoxide dismutase mimetic, also significantly decreased toxicity caused by FLU in this system. These results raise the possibility that the presence or absence of inflammation may be another susceptibility factor for drug-induced hepatotoxicity.
Quantitative Analysis of Dihydroxybenzenes in Complex Water Samples Using Excitation-Emission Matrix Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Second-Order Calibration
Authors: Chen Hui , Lin Zan , Tang Hongmei , Wu Tong , Tan Chao
Published: October 2014

The dihydroxybenzenes are organic intermediates in many fields for various purposes and have been widely recognized as fatal environmental pollutants. Simultaneous determination of these compounds is particularly important. These habitual methods are time-consuming and laborious. The combination of two-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and second-order calibration of parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was investigated for simultaneously determining catechol, hydroquinone, and tryptophan. A total of 25 samples were designed and are divided into a calibration set and a test set. An unexpected constituent was used as unknown interference. The EEM data were successfully decomposed into a four-factor model of PARAFAC. The resolved spectra excitation and emission profiles from PARAFAC algorithm were compared with the corresponding pure spectra to confirm the compounds in samples. Based on the decomposition, the final calibration models provided satisfactory concentration estimates. The mean recovery percentages were 98.3%, 101.7%, and 97.9% for catechol, hydroquinone, and tryptophan, respectively. The results reveal that the developed method is maybe a potential tool for simultaneous determination of phenolic components in water samples or other complex samples.
Protective Effect ofMomordica charantiaFruit Extract on Hyperglycaemia-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis
Authors: Abas Razif , Othman Faizah , Thent Zar Chi
Published: October 2014

In diabetes mellitus, cardiac fibrosis is characterized by increase in the deposition of collagen fibers. The present study aimed to observe the effect ofMomordica charantia(MC) fruit extract on hyperglycaemia-induced cardiac fibrosis. Diabetes was induced in the male Sprague-Dawley rats with a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Following 4 weeks of STZ induction, the rats were subdivided (n= 6) into control group (Ctrl), control group treated withMC(Ctrl-MC), diabetic untreated group (DM-Ctrl), diabetic group treated withMC(DM-MC), and diabetic group treated with 150 mg/kg of metformin (DM-Met). Administration ofMCfruit extract (1.5 g/kg body weight) in diabetic rats for 28 days showed significant increase in the body weight and decrease in the fasting blood glucose level. Significant increase in cardiac tissues superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione contents (GSH), and catalase (CAT) was observed followingMCtreatment. Hydroxyproline content was significantly reduced and associated morphological damages reverted to normal. The decreased expression of type III and type IV collagens was observed under immunohistochemical staining. It is concluded thatMCfruit extract possesses antihyperglycemic, antioxidative, and cardioprotective properties which may be beneficial in the treatment of diabetic cardiac fibrosis.
Cardiac Fibroblasts Aggravate Viral Myocarditis: Cell Specific Coxsackievirus B3 Replication
Authors: Lindner Diana , Li Jia , Savvatis Konstantinos , Klingel Karin , Blankenberg Stefan , Tschöpe Carsten , Westermann Dirk
Published: October 2014

Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease caused by viral infection. Different subpopulations of leukocytes enter the cardiac tissue and lead to severe cardiac inflammation associated with myocyte loss and remodeling. Here, we study possible cell sources for viral replication using three compartments of the heart: fibroblasts, cardiomyocytes, and macrophages. We infected C57BL/6j mice with Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) and detected increased gene expression of anti-inflammatory and antiviral cytokines in the heart. Subsequently, we infected cardiac fibroblasts, cardiomyocytes, and macrophages with CVB3. Due to viral infection, the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IFN-βwas significantly increased in cardiac fibroblasts compared to cardiomyocytes or macrophages. We found that in addition to cardiomyocytes cardiac fibroblasts were infected by CVB3 and displayed a higher virus replication (132-fold increase) compared to cardiomyocytes (14-fold increase) between 6 and 24 hours after infection. At higher virus concentrations, macrophages are able to reduce the viral copy number. At low virus concentration a persistent virus infection was determined. Therefore, we suggest that cardiac fibroblasts play an important role in the pathology of CVB3-induced myocarditis and are another important contributor of virus replication aggravating myocarditis.
Alpha/Beta T-Cell Depleted Grafts as an Immunological Booster to Treat Graft Failure after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with HLA-Matched Related and Unrelated Donors
Authors: Rådestad E. , Wikell H. , Engström M. , Watz E. , Sundberg B. , Thunberg S. , Uzunel M. , Mattsson J. , Uhlin M.
Published: October 2014

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is associated with several complications and risk factors, for example, graft versus host disease (GVHD), viral infections, relapse, and graft rejection. While high levels of CD3+ cells in grafts can contribute to GVHD, they also promote the graft versus leukemia (GVL) effect. Infusions of extra lymphocytes from the original stem cell donor can be used as a treatment after transplantation for relapse or poor immune reconstitution but also they increase the risk for GVHD. In peripheral blood, 95% of T-cells express theαβT-cell receptor and the remaining T-cells express theγδT-cell receptor. AsαβT-cells are the primary mediators of GVHD, depleting them from the graft should reduce this risk. In this pilot study, five patients transplanted with HLA-matched related and unrelated donors were treated withαβT-cell depleted stem cell boosts. The majority ofγδT-cells in the grafts expressedVδ2and/orVγ9. Most patients receivingαβ-depleted stem cell boosts increased their levels of white blood cells, platelets, and/or granulocytes 30 days after infusion. No signs of GVHD or other side effects were detected. A larger pool of patients with longer follow-up time is needed to confirm the data in this study.
Diethylcarbamazine Reduces Chronic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Carbon Tetrachloride- (CCl4-) Induced Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Rocha Sura Wanessa Santos , França Maria Eduarda Rocha de , Rodrigues Gabriel Barros , Barbosa Karla Patrícia Sousa , Nunes Ana Karolina Santana , Pastor André Filipe , Oliveira Anne Gabrielle Vasconcelos , Oliveira Wilma Helena , Luna Rayana Leal Almeida , Peixoto Christina Alves
Published: October 2014

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of DEC on the CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in C57BL/6 mice. Chronic inflammation was induced by i.p. administration of CCl40.5 μL/g of body weight through two injections a week for 6 weeks. DEC (50 mg/kg) was administered by gavage for 12 days before finishing the CCl4induction. Histological analyses of the DEC-treated group exhibited reduced inflammatory process and prevented liver necrosis and fibrosis. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses of the DEC-treated group showed reduced COX-2, IL1β, MDA, TGF-β, andαSMA immunopositivity, besides exhibiting decreased IL1β, COX-2, NFκB, IFNγ, and TGFβexpressions in the western blot analysis. The DEC group enhanced significantly the IL-10 expression. The reduction of hepatic injury in the DEC-treated group was confirmed by the COX-2 and iNOS mRNA expression levels. Based on the results of the present study, DEC can be used as a potential anti-inflammatory drug for chronic hepatic inflammation.
Continuous Drip Flow System to Develop Biofilm ofE. faecalisunder Anaerobic Conditions
Authors: Gonzalez Ana Maria , Corpus Erika , Pozos-Guillen Amaury , Silva-Herzog Daniel , Aragon-Piña Antonio , Cohenca Nestor
Published: October 2014

Purpose.To evaluate a structurally matureE. faecalisbiofilm developed under anaerobic/dynamic conditions in anin vitrosystem.Methods.An experimental device was developed using a continuous drip flow system designed to develop biofilm under anaerobic conditions. The inoculum was replaced every 24 hours with a fresh growth medium for up to 10 days to feed the system. Gram staining was done every 24 hours to control the microorganism purity. Biofilms developed under the system were evaluated under the scanning electron microscope (SEM).Results.SEM micrographs demonstrated mushroom-shaped structures, corresponding to a matureE. faecalisbiofilm. In the mature biofilm bacterial cells are totally encased in a polymeric extracellular matrix.Conclusions.The proposedin vitrosystem model provides an additional useful tool to study the biofilm concept in endodontic microbiology, allowing for a better understanding of persistent root canal infections.
A3Adenosine Receptor Allosteric Modulator Induces an Anti-Inflammatory Effect:In VivoStudies and Molecular Mechanism of Action
Authors: Cohen Shira , Barer Faina , Bar-Yehuda Sara , IJzerman Adriaan P. , Jacobson Kenneth A. , Fishman Pnina
Published: October 2014

The A3adenosine receptor (A3AR) is overexpressed in inflammatory cells and in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals with inflammatory conditions. Agonists to the A3AR are known to induce specific anti-inflammatory effects upon chronic treatment. LUF6000 is an allosteric compound known to modulate the A3AR and render the endogenous ligand adenosine to bind to the receptor with higher affinity. The advantage of allosteric modulators is their capability to target specifically areas where adenosine levels are increased such as inflammatory and tumor sites, whereas normal body cells and tissues are refractory to the allosteric modulators due to low adenosine levels. LUF6000 administration induced anti-inflammatory effect in 3 experimental animal models of rat adjuvant induced arthritis, monoiodoacetate induced osteoarthritis, and concanavalin A induced liver inflammation in mice. The molecular mechanism of action points to deregulation of signaling proteins including PI3K, IKK, IκB, Jak-2, and STAT-1, resulting in decreased levels of NF-κB, known to mediate inflammatory effects. Moreover, LUF6000 induced a slight stimulatory effect on the number of normal white blood cells and neutrophils. The anti-inflammatory effect of LUF6000, mechanism of action, and the differential effects on inflammatory and normal cells position this allosteric modulator as an attractive and unique drug candidate.
A Method for En Face OCT Imaging of Subretinal Fluid in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Mohammad Fatimah , Wanek Justin , Zelkha Ruth , Lim Jennifer I. , Chen Judy , Shahidi Mahnaz
Published: October 2014

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to report a method for en face imaging of subretinal fluid (SRF) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT).Methods. High density SDOCT imaging was performed at two visits in 4 subjects with neovascular AMD and one healthy subject. En face OCT images of a retinal layer anterior to the retinal pigment epithelium were generated. Validity, repeatability, and utility of the method were established.Results. En face OCT images generated by manual and automatic segmentation were nearly indistinguishable and displayed similar regions of SRF. En face OCT images displayed uniform intensities and similar retinal vascular patterns in a healthy subject, while the size and appearance of a hypopigmented fibrotic scar in an AMD subject were similar at 2 visits. In AMD subjects, dark regions on en face OCT images corresponded to reduced or absent light reflectance due to SRF. On en face OCT images, a decrease in SRF areas with treatment was demonstrated and this corresponded with a reduction in the central subfield retinal thickness.Conclusion. En face OCT imaging is a promising tool for visualization and monitoring of SRF area due to disease progression and treatment.
The Role of Magnesium in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Glaucoma
Authors: Ekici Feyzahan , Korkmaz Şafak , Karaca Emine Esra , Sül Sabahattin , Tufan Hasan Ali , Aydın Bahri , Dileköz Ergin
Published: October 2014

Glaucoma is characterized by chronic optic neuropathy resulting in progressive vision loss. Not only is glaucoma considered as a condition of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), but also other risk factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Vascular dysregulation in ocular blood flow and oxidative stress are currently suggested as important risk factors for glaucomatous retinal ganglion cell loss. New treatment modalities that improve ocular blood flow and reduce oxidative stress have been investigated in many studies. Magnesium (Mg) is thought to be one of the molecules that has a treatment potential in glaucoma. Mg has been shown to improve blood flow by modifying endothelial function via endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelial nitric oxide (NO) pathways. Mg also exhibits neuroprotective role by blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-related calcium influx and by inhibiting the release of glutamate, and hence protects the cell against oxidative stress and apoptosis. Both improvement in ocular blood flow and prevention of ganglion cell loss would make magnesium a good candidate for glaucoma management. Further studies on the effect of Mg may open a new therapeutic era in glaucoma.
Influence of Refractive Condition on Retinal Vasculature Complexity in Younger Subjects
Authors: Che Azemin Mohd Zulfaezal , Mohamad Daud Norsyazwani , Ab Hamid Fadilah , Zahari Ilyanoon , Sapuan Abdul Halim
Published: October 2014

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare the retinal vasculature complexity between emmetropia, and myopia in younger subjects.Methods. A total of 82 patients (24.12±1. 25years) with two types of refractive conditions, myopia and emmetropia were enrolled in this study. Refraction data were converted to spherical equivalent refraction. These retinal images (right eyes) were obtained from NAVIS Lite Image Filing System and the vasculature complexity was measured by fractal dimension (Df), quantified using a computer software following a standardized protocol.Results. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the value ofDfbetween emmetropic (1.5666 ± 0.0160) and myopic (1.5588 ± 0.0142) groups. A positive correlation (rho = 0.260,P < 0.05) between theDfand the spherical equivalent refraction was detected in this study. Using a linear model, it was estimated that 6.7% of the variation inDfcould be explained by spherical equivalent refraction.Conclusions. This study provides valuable findings about the effect of moderate to high myopia on the fractal dimension of the retinal vasculature network. These results show that myopic refraction in younger subjects was associated with a decrease inDf, suggesting a loss of retinal vessel density with moderate to high myopia.
A Statistical-Textural-Features Based Approach for Classification of Solid Drugs Using Surface Microscopic Images
Authors: Tahir Fahima , Fahiem Muhammad Abuzar
Published: October 2014

The quality of pharmaceutical products plays an important role in pharmaceutical industry as well as in our lives. Usage of defective tablets can be harmful for patients. In this research we proposed a nondestructive method to identify defective and nondefective tablets using their surface morphology. Three different environmental factors temperature, humidity and moisture are analyzed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Multiple textural features are extracted from the surface of the defective and nondefective tablets. These textural features are gray level cooccurrence matrix, run length matrix, histogram, autoregressive model and HAAR wavelet. Total textural features extracted from images are 281. We performed an analysis on all those 281, top 15, and top 2 features. Top 15 features are extracted using three different feature reduction techniques: chi-square, gain ratio and relief-F. In this research we have used three different classifiers: support vector machine,K-nearest neighbors and naïve Bayes to calculate the accuracies against proposed method using two experiments, that is, leave-one-out cross-validation technique and train test models. We tested each classifier against all selected features and then performed the comparison of their results. The experimental work resulted in that in most of the cases SVM performed better than the other two classifiers.
Heat Shock Protein 90 in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ou Jiang-Rong , Tan Meng-Shan , Xie An-Mu , Yu Jin-Tai , Tan Lan
Published: October 2014

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the first most common neurodegenerative disease. Despite a large amount of research, the pathogenetic mechanism of AD has not yet been clarified. The two hallmarks of the pathology of AD are the extracellular senile plaques (SPs) of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide and the accumulation of the intracellular microtubule-associated protein tau into fibrillar aggregates. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a key role in preventing protein misfolding and aggregation, and Hsp90 can be viewed as a ubiquitous molecular chaperone potentially involved in AD pathogenesis. A role of Hsp90 regulates the activity of the transcription factor heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1), the master regulator of the heat shock response. In AD, Hsp90 inhibitors may redirect neuronal aggregate formation, and protect against protein toxicity by activation of HSF-1 and the subsequent induction of heat shock proteins, such as Hsp70. Therefore, we review here to further discuss the recent advances and challenges in targeting Hsp90 for AD therapy.
Miniaturized Antenna Solution Based on Lossy Planar Microresonators to Conjointly Control Radiation and Selectivity
Authors: Ma Biyun , Chousseaud Anne , Toutain Serge
Published: October 2014

We propose a new method to design miniaturized compact antennas, in which it is possible to control conjointly the radiation efficiency and the bandwidth selectivity of the antenna. And this method has been validated by the realization of prototypes based on planar resonators. The geometry of these resonators has been chosen because their unloaded quality factor can be controlled and is mainly dependent on radiation loss. In the first time, a filter with a significant potential to radiation has been realized by choosing suitable miniaturized resonators. An antenna, based on the same structure, in which the output of the filter was removed (load by air resistance) can be obtained. Modification of the quality factor of each resonator is necessary to take into account the change of the load value from the previous filter to the final structure. The position and the quality factor of the resonators are determined by a filter design concept to obtain a specific frequency response in which each resonator is a basic radiation element. Load of the antenna is ultimately a distributed load constituted by the parallel contributions of each resonators to radiation loss. In other words such an antenna can also be called radiating filter.
Clinical Relevance of HLA Antibody Monitoring after Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Morath Christian , Opelz Gerhard , Zeier Martin , Süsal Caner
Published: October 2014

In kidney transplantation, antibody-mediated allograft injury caused by donor HLA-specific antibodies (DSA) has recently been identified as one of the major causes of late graft loss. This paper gives a brief overview on the impact of DSA development on graft outcome in organ transplantation with a focus on risk factors forde novoalloantibody induction and recently published guidelines for monitoring of DSA during the posttransplant phase.