bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ABSORPTION SPECTRA AND LEVEL SPACING STATISTICS IN A TERNARY ALLOY WITH AN ORNSTEIN–UHLENBECK DISORDER DISTRIBUTION
Authors: SALES M. O. , ASSUNÇÃO T. F. , ALBUQUERQUE S. S. , DE MOURA F. A. B. F.
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we study the dynamics of a one-electron in a one-dimensional (1d) alloy with a correlated Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) disorder distribution. The model considered here corresponds to an alloy with three types of atoms where the position of each atom is obtained using a stochastic rule based on the OU process. We analyze in detail the effect of this correlated disorder in the optical absorption spectrum and the level spacing statistics near the band center. Our results reveal a new collection of optical absorption peaks. We explain in details the appearance of each peak. Our calculations about the level spacing's distribution reveals a Poisson distribution thus contradicting previous statements about the existence of extended states in ternary electronic models with correlated disorder distribution.
PROPERTIES OF ALL-SOLID-STATE LITHIUM-ION RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES DEPOSITED BY RF MAGNETRON SPUTTERING
Authors: ZHU R. J. , REN Y. , GENG L. Q. , CHEN T. , LI L. X. , YUAN C. R.
Published: August 2013

Amorphous V 2 O 5, LiPON and Li 2 Mn 2 O 4 thin films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering methods and the morphology of thin films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Then with these three materials deposited as the anode, solid electrolyte, cathode, and vanadium as current collector, a rocking-chair type of all-solid-state thin-film-type Lithium-ion rechargeable battery was prepared by using the same sputtering parameters on stainless steel substrates. Electrochemical studies show that the thin film battery has a good charge–discharge characteristic in the voltage range of 0.3–3.5 V, and after 30 cycles the cell performance turned to become stabilized with the charge capacity of 9 μAh/cm2, and capacity loss of single-cycle of about 0.2%. At the same time, due to electronic conductivity of the electrolyte film, self-discharge may exist, resulting in approximately 96.6% Coulombic efficiency.
STRUCTURAL, ELASTIC AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OFTMN(TM=Ti,V,Cr): A DFT STUDY
Authors: JIAO ZHAO-YONG , NIU YI-JUN , MA SHU-HONG , HUANG XIAO-FEN
Published: August 2013

Mechanical properties and the effect of metallic bonding on the hardness of transition-metal nitrides ( TiN , VN and CrN ) compounds are studied using the first-principles calculation. Present results show that these transition-metal nitrides are mechanically stable and the VN and CrN are ductile, whereas TiN is predicted to be brittle. Moreover, it is found that the high hardness of TiN , VN and CrN exhibits a remarkable decrease with transition-metal changed from Ti to Cr , and the metallic d–d interactions play important roles on determining the hardness of transition-metal nitrides.
N-TH ROOT OF HERMITE MATRIX AND ITS APPLICATION IN QUANTUM SYSTEMS
Authors: XU SHI-MIN , XU XING-LEI , JIANG FENG , LI HONG-QI
Published: August 2013

In this paper, the n-th root of a matrix is defined, and the explicit form of n-th root of an Hermitian matrix is given. A new method for diagonalizing quadratic Hamiltonians is proposed. Also, a class of quantum operators is induced by the linear transformation in configuration space, and its unitary properties and transformation behavior are studied. Our new method based on n-th root of matrices can develop the mathematical methods of quantum mechanics and quantum optics, and can also be applied to engineering, quantum optics and quantum fields states with squeezing properties, as well as the binomial field states.
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL Sm-DOPED ZnO NANOSTRUCTURES FABRICATED BY HYDROTHERMAL METHOD
Authors: LIN C. C. , KUNG C. Y. , YOUNG S. L. , CHEN H. Z. , KAO M. C. , HORNG L. , SHIH Y. T. , OU C. R. , LIN C. H.
Published: August 2013

Well-defined ZnO and Sm -doped nanorods have been successfully fabricated by a low temperature hyderthermal process. The XRD patterns of both compositions with single diffraction peak (002) show the same wurtzite hexagonal structure. The radius of Sm - ZnO nanorods observed by FE-SEM is smaller than that of pure ZnO indicating the reduction of growth rate by the doping of Sm . Ferromagnetism is observed from the results of magnetization measurement. The increase of the saturation magnetization and decrease of coercivity reveal an association with the increase of oxygen vacancies induced by the doping of the Sm in the nanorods.
TUNABLE PHASE TRANSITION AND PHOTO-INDUCED RESISTANCE IN La0.8Ca0.2MnO3/FERROELECTRIC HETEROSTRUCTURES
Authors: GAO J. , GUO E. J. , WANG S. Y. , WU Z. P. , BU H. J.
Published: August 2013

Heterostructures of La 0.8 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 (LCMO)/ferroelectric were formed by growing a layer of perovskite manganite LCMO on the ferroelectric 0.67 Pb ( Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3) O 3-0.33 PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) single crystals. Well tunable structural, magnetic, and transport properties were achieved by applying electric fields on the formed heterostructures. By varying electric fields biased on the PMN-PT, the metal–insulator transition and resistance could be modulated continuously and reversely. Field modulation of photo-induced resistance (PR) was also observed. In situ X-ray diffraction indicates that the variation of resistance and PR result from the induced strain due to the coaction ferroelectric polarization or converse piezoelectric effect. The variations of PR under different fields differ significantly when PMN-PT was in positively and negatively polarized states. Such observations could be explained based on the coaction of piezoelectric effect and ferroelectric-field polarization, which subsequently affect the lattice strain and density of charge carrier in the grown LCMO layer.
TORSIONAL BUCKLING OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED CYLINDRICAL SHELLS WITH TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT PROPERTIES
Authors: SUN JIABIN , XU XINSHENG , LIM C. W.
Published: August 2013

Based on Hamilton's principle, a new accurate solution methodology is developed to study the torsional bifurcation buckling of functionally graded cylindrical shells in a thermal environment. The effective properties of functionally graded materials (FGMs) are assumed to be functions of the ambient temperature as well as the thickness coordinate of the shell. By applying Donnell's shell theory, the lower-order Hamiltonian canonical equations are established, from which the eigenvalues and eigenvectors are solved as the critical loads and buckling modes of the shell of concern, respectively. The effects of various aspects, including the combined in-plane and transverse boundary conditions, dimensionless geometric parameters, FGM parameters and changing thermal surroundings, are discussed in detail. The results reveal that the in-plane axial edge supports do have a certain influence on the buckling loads. On the other hand, the transverse boundary conditions only affect extremely short shells. With increasing thermal loads, the material volume fraction has a different influence on the critical stresses. It is concluded that the optimized FGM mixtures to withstand thermal torsional buckling are Si3N4/SUS304 and Al2O3/SUS304 among the materials studied in this paper.
THE AUSLANDER–REITEN TRANSLATION IN MORPHISM CATEGORIES
Authors: ESHRAGHI HOSSEIN
Published: August 2013

Let Λ be an Artin algebra and [Formula: see text] be an object in [Formula: see text], the morphism category of Λ. We will describe the Auslander–Reiten translate of [Formula: see text], i.e. [Formula: see text], as an object in [Formula: see text]. It is shown that, even though there may not exist much information about the object [Formula: see text] in the general case, its kernel homomorphism, that is the inclusion Ker (f′) → M′, may be described in terms of some universal-type properties. When f is a monomorphism we will also study the homomorphism f′ and show that, under certain assumptions, f is minimal left almost split if and only if f′ is minimal right almost split.
TSUNAMI HAZARD AND BUILDING DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IN THAILAND USING NUMERICAL MODEL AND FRAGILITY CURVES
Authors: SUPPASRI ANAWAT , IMAMURA FUMIHIKO , KOSHIMURA SHUNICHI
Published: August 2013

Assessing the hazard and damage of a potential tsunami is an ongoing challenge in tsunami research. This study begins by simulating tsunami hazards using historical events. A tsunami propagation model is used to obtain the estimated maximum tsunami height along the west coast of Thailand for a rough return period, and rupture locations that have the potential to generate catastrophic tsunamis in Thailand for a specific return period are proposed. A tsunami inundation model is then performed to quantify each building's maximum inundation depth, using high-resolution satellite images to extract each building's location for the areas of interest located in southern Thailand. Nam Khem village and Patong beach are selected as study areas to represent village communities and tourist attractions, respectively. The model results are then used to obtain the numbers of exposed inhabitants and buildings for each earthquake return period. The developed tsunami fragility curves are applied to these figures to determine the number of potentially damaged buildings. The analysis suggests that the propagation model can be used to obtain rough estimations because it provided results similar to those of the inundation model. However, material type must be considered when fragility curves are used in a different country (i.e. reinforced concrete buildings in Thailand from the 2004 tsunami and wooden houses in Japan from the 2011 East Japan tsunami).
Metformin prevents liver tumorigenesis induced by high-fat diet in C57Bl/6 mice
Authors: Tajima K. , Nakamura A. , Shirakawa J. , Togashi Y. , Orime K. , Sato K. , Inoue H. , Kaji M. , Sakamoto E. , Ito Y. , Aoki K. , Nagashima Y. , Atsumi T. , Terauchi Y.
Published: August 2013

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is increasing with the growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes. NAFLD encompasses a clinicopathologic spectrum of disease ranging from isolated hepatic steatosis to NASH, which is a more aggressive form of fatty liver disease, to cirrhosis and, finally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The exact mechanism behind the development of HCC in NASH remains unclear; however, it has been established that hepatic steatosis is the important risk factor in the development of HCC. Metformin has recently drawn attention because of its potential antitumor effect. Here, we investigated the effects of metformin on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced liver tumorigenesis, using a mouse model of NASH and liver tumor. Metformin prevented long-term HFD-induced liver tumorigenesis in C57Bl/6 mice. Of note, metformin failed to protect against liver tumorigenesis in mice that had already begun to develop NAFLD. Metformin improved short-term HFD-induced fat accumulation in the liver, associated with the suppression of adipose tissue inflammation. Collectively, these results suggest that metformin may prevent liver tumorigenesis via suppression of liver fat accumulation in the early stage, before the onset of NAFLD, which seems to be associated with a delay in the development of inflammation of the adipose tissue.
On the Multipeakon Dissipative Behavior of the Modified Coupled Camassa-Holm Model for Shallow Water System
Authors: Shen Zhixi , Wang Yujuan , Karimi Hamid Reza , Song Yongduan
Published: August 2013

This paper investigates the multipeakon dissipative behavior of the modified coupled two-component Camassa-Holm system arisen from shallow water waves moving. To tackle this problem, we convert the original partial differential equations into a set of new differential equations by using skillfully defined characteristic and variables. Such treatment allows for the construction of the multipeakon solutions for the system. The peakon-antipeakon collisions as well as the dissipative behavior (energy loss) after wave breaking are closely examined. The results obtained herein are deemed valuable for understanding the inherent dynamic behavior of shallow water wave breaking.
Does Comorbidity Increase the Risk of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome?
Authors: Mahmood Shahid , Hafeez Saadia , Nabeel Hiba , Zahra Urooj , Nazeer Hammad
Published: August 2013

Background. Dengue fever is an emerging public health problem in Pakistan. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between comorbid conditions in individuals suffering from dengue fever and the development of dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. Methods. In this age- and sex-matched case control study, total of 132 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome and 249 randomly selected controls were recruited from two major teaching hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data through interview and by reviewing clinical records. SPSS version 18 was utilized for statistical analysis including conditional logistic regression. Results. Odds of developing dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) among diabetics are higher than in controls, but this association was not found statistically significant (OR. 1.26; 95% CI. 0.78–2.03; P=0.34). Similarly, no association was observed in individuals suffering from hypertension (OR. 0.93; 95% CI. 0.57–1.49; P=0.76). Odds of developing DHF and DSS were higher for bronchial asthma (adjusted OR. 1.34) and pulmonary tuberculosis (adjusted OR. 1.41); however P values were insignificant. Conclusion. Presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and bronchial asthma among patients contracted dengue fever will not increase the risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
Köthe-Bochner Spaces and Some Geometric Properties Related to Rotundity and Smoothness
Authors: Hardtke Jan-David
Published: August 2013

In 2000, Kadets et al. introduced the notions of acs, luacs, and uacs spaces, which form common generalisations of well-known rotundity and smoothness properties of Banach spaces. In a recent paper, the author introduced some further related notions and investigated the behaviour of these geometric properties under the formation of absolute sums. The present paper is in a sense a continuation of this work. Here we will study the behaviour of the said properties under the formation of Köthe-Bochner spaces, thereby generalising some results of G. Sirotkin on the acs, luacs, and uacs properties of -Bochner spaces.
Preparation of New α‐Aminophosphonate Derivatives by Kabachnik‐Fields Reaction Using a Recyclable Catalyst
Authors: Shashikumar Nellisara D.
Published: August 2013

A convenient and efficient synthetic method for the preparation of some new α‐aminophosphonate derivatives via a one‐pot three‐component system has been achieved using Amberlite IRC‐748 as a recyclable catalyst. This method not only provides an excellent complement for the synthesis of α‐aminophosphonates but also avoids the use of hazardous acids or expensive/toxic Lewis acids and harsh reaction conditions. Most of the synthesized compounds (4a–o) exhibited activity against bacteria/fungi strains and moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity.
Altered Immune Regulation in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Zóka András , Műzes Györgyi , Somogyi Anikó , Varga Tímea , Szémán Barbara , Al-Aissa Zahra , Hadarits Orsolya , Firneisz Gábor
Published: August 2013

Research in genetics and immunology was going on separate strands for a long time. Type 1 diabetes mellitus might not be characterized with a single pathogenetic factor. It develops when a susceptible individual is exposed to potential triggers in a given sequence and timeframe that eventually disarranges the fine-tuned immune mechanisms that keep autoimmunity under control in health. Genomewide association studies have helped to understand the congenital susceptibility, and hand-in-hand with the immunological research novel paths of immune dysregulation were described in central tolerance, apoptotic pathways, or peripheral tolerance mediated by regulatory T-cells. Epigenetic factors are contributing to the immune dysregulation. The interplay between genetic susceptibility and potential triggers is likely to play a role at a very early age and gradually results in the loss of balanced autotolerance and subsequently in the development of the clinical disease. Genetic susceptibility, the impaired elimination of apoptoticβ-cell remnants, altered immune regulatory functions, and environmental factors such as viral infections determine the outcome. Autoreactivity might exist under physiologic conditions and when the integrity of the complex regulatory process is damaged the disease might develop. We summarized the immune regulatory mechanisms that might have a crucial role in disease pathology and development.
SubMito-PSPCP: Predicting Protein Submitochondrial Locations by Hybridizing Positional Specific Physicochemical Properties with Pseudoamino Acid Compositions
Authors: Du Pufeng , Yu Yuan
Published: August 2013

Knowing the submitochondrial location of a mitochondrial protein is an important step in understanding its function. We developed a new method for predicting protein submitochondrial locations by introducing a new concept: positional specific physicochemical properties. With the framework of general form pseudoamino acid compositions, our method used only about 100 features to represent protein sequences, which is much simpler than the existing methods. On the dataset of SubMito, our method achieved over 93% overall accuracy, with 98.60% for inner membrane, 93.90% for matrix, and 70.70% for outer membrane, which are comparable to all state-of-the-art methods. As our method can be used as a general method to upgrade all pseudoamino-acid-composition-based methods, it should be very useful in future studies. We implement our method as an online service: SubMito-PSPCP.
Existence Results for a Coupled System of Nonlinear Fractional Boundary Value Problems at Resonance
Authors: Liu Ruijuan , Kou Chunhai , Xie Xiujuan
Published: August 2013

Some new Banach spaces are established. Based on those new Banach spaces and by using the coincidence degree theory, we present the existence results for a coupled system of nonlinear fractional differential equations with multipoint boundary value conditions at resonance case.
Modeling the Impacts of the Large-Scale Atmospheric Environment on Inland Flooding during the Landfall of Hurricane Floyd (1999)
Authors: Tang Qianhong , Xie Lian , Lackmann Gary M. , Liu Bin
Published: August 2013

The contribution of the large-scale atmospheric environment to precipitation and flooding during Hurricane Floyd was investigated in this study. Through the vortex removal technique in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, the vortex associated with Hurricane Floyd (1999) was mostly removed in the model initial conditions and subsequent integration. Results show that the environment-induced precipitation can account for as much as 22% of total precipitation in the innermost model domain covering North Carolina coastal area and 7% in the focused hydrological study area. The high-resolution precipitation data from the WRF model was then used for input in a hydrological model to simulate river runoff. Hydrological simulation results demonstrate that without the tropical systems and their interactions with the large-scale synoptic environment the synoptic environment would only contribute 10% to the total discharge at the Tarboro gauge station. This suggests that Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Dennis preceding it, along with the interactions between these tropical systems and the large-scale environment, have contributed to the bulk (90%) of the record amount of flood water in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin.
Early Outcomes of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in a Publically Funded Obesity Program
Authors: Whitlock Kevin A. , Gill Richdeep S. , Ali Talal , Shi Xinzhe , Birch Daniel W. , Karmali Shahzeer
Published: August 2013

Background. There is limited literature assessing the outcomes of bariatric surgery in a publically funded, North American, multidisciplinary bariatric program. Our objective was to assess outcomes of roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in a publically funded bariatric program through a retrospective review of patient records.Methods. 293 patients spent a median of 13 months attending a multidisciplinary obesity clinic prior to undergoing laparoscopic RYGB surgery. The hospital was a Canadian, publically funded, level 2 trauma center with university teaching services.Results. 79% of the patients were female and the average BMI at first visit to clinic was 55.3 kg/m2. The average decrease in BMI was19.2±0.9 kg/m2. This was an average absolute weight loss of 56.1 kg or 35.5% of initial weight. The average excess weight loss was63.4±20.4%. Improvement or resolution of obesity related comorbidities occurred in 65.9% of type 2 diabetics and in 50% of hypertensive patients.Conclusion. Despite this being an unconventional setting of a publically funded program in a large Canadian teaching hospital, early outcomes following RYGB were appropriate in severely obese patients. Ongoing work will identify areas of improvement for enhanced efficiencies within this system.
Transport, Magnetic, and Thermal Properties of La0.7Ca0.24Sr0.06MnO3Single Crystal
Authors: Tank Tejas M. , Bodhaye Ashish , Mukovskii Ya M. , Sanyal Sankar P.
Published: August 2013

We report the transport, magnetic, and thermal properties of La0.7Ca0.24Sr0.06MnO3single crystal. It was prepared using floating zone technique used under oxygen pressure of 1 bar with a typical growth rate of 1 mm/hr. The resistivity data shows the metal to insulator transition (M-I) occuring atTMI=290 K along thec-axis and atTMI=280 K along theab-plane. It is observed that theTMIis higher along thec-axis as compared to that in theab-plane, thus indicating that more favorable hoping of electrons is along thec-axis. From bolometric application point of view, the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is found to be ~28% K−1. Theac-susceptibility measurement shows that this material exhibits ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition temperature (TC) 277 K. Sharp peak around this temperature in heat capacity data indicates the onset of long-range ordering. The entropy change associated with this transition is found to be 2.3 J/mol K.
Risk Factors Associated with Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcusin Intensive Care Unit Settings in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shorman Mahmoud , Al-Tawfiq Jaffar A.
Published: August 2013

Background. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are significant nosocomial pathogens worldwide. There is one report about the epidemiology of VRE in Saudi Arabia.Objective. To determine the risk factors associated with VRE infection or colonization in intensive care unit (ICU) settings.Design. This is a descriptive, epidemiologic hospital-based case-control study of patients with VRE from February 2006 to March 2010 in ICU in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia.Methods. Data were collected from hospital records of patients with VRE. The main outcome measure was the adjusted odds ratio estimates of potential risk factors for VRE.Results. Factors associated with VRE included ICU admission for multiorgan failure, chronic renal failure, prior use of antimicrobial agents in the past three months and before ICU admission, gastrointestinal oral contrast procedure, and hemodialysis. Being located in a high risk room (roommate of patients colonized or infected with VRE) was found to be protective.Conclusions. Factors associated with VRE acquisition are often complex and may be confounded by local variables.
Performance Optimization in a Centrifugal Pump Impeller by Orthogonal Experiment and Numerical Simulation
Authors: Zhou Ling , Shi Weidong , Wu Suqing
Published: August 2013

In order to improve the hydrodynamic performance of the centrifugal pump, an orthogonal experiment was carried out to optimize the impeller design parameters. This study employs the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for three-dimensional steady flow and predict the pump performance. The prototype experimental test results of the original pump were acquired and compared with the data predicted from the numerical simulation, which presents a good agreement under all operating conditions. Five main impeller geometric parameters were chosen as the research factors. According to the orthogonal table, 16 impellers were designed and modeled. Then, the 16 impellers equipped with the same volute were simulated by the same numerical methods. Through the variance analysis method, the best parameter combination for higher efficiency was captured finally. Compared with the original pump, the pump efficiency and head of optimal pump have a significant improvement.
Supply Chain Contracts with Multiple Retailers in a Fuzzy Demand Environment
Authors: Sang Shengju
Published: August 2013

This study investigates supply chain contracts with a supplier and multiple competing retailers in a fuzzy demand environment. The market demand is considered as a positive triangular fuzzy number. The models of centralized decision, return contract, and revenue-sharing contract are built by the method of fuzzy cut sets theory, and their optimal policies are also proposed. Finally, an example is given to illustrate and validate the models and conclusions. It is shown that the optimal total order quantity of the retailers fluctuates at the center of the fuzzy demand. With the rise of the number of retailers, the optimal order quantity and the fuzzy expected profit for each retailer will decrease, and the fuzzy expected profit for supplier will increase.
Luminescence Studies of Eu3+ Doped Calcium Bromofluoride Phosphor
Authors: Kaur Jagjeet , Parganiha Yogita , Dubey Vikas
Published: August 2013

The present paper reports photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) properties of rare earth-doped calcium bromo-fluoride phosphor. The europium (Eu3+) was used as rare earth dopant. The phosphor was prepared by Solid state reaction method (conventional method). The PL emission spectrum of the prepared phosphor shows intense peaks in the red region at 611 nm for 5D0→7F2 transitions, and the PL excitation spectra show a broad band located around 220–400 nm for the emission wavelength fixed at 470 nm. The TL studies were carried out after irradiating the phosphor by UV rays with different exposure time. The glow peak shows second-order kinetics. The present phosphor can act as host for red light emission in display devices.
Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Saturation (StO2) Measured by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in the Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Mesquida J. , Gruartmoner G. , Espinal C.
Published: August 2013

According to current critical care management guidelines, the overall hemodynamic optimization process seeks to restore macrocirculatory oxygenation, pressure, and flow variables. However, there is increasing evidence demonstrating that, despite normalization of these global parameters, microcirculatory and regional perfusion alterations might occur, and persistence of these alterations has been associated with worse prognosis. Such observations have led to great interest in testing new technologies capable of evaluating the microcirculation. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measures tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and has been proposed as a noninvasive system for monitoring regional circulation. The present review aims to summarize the existing evidence on NIRS and its potential clinical utility in different scenarios of critically ill patients.
Comparative Study of Leaching of Aluminium from Aluminium, Clay, Stainless Steel, and Steel Cooking Pots
Authors: Odularu A. T. , Ajibade P. A. , Onianwa P. C.
Published: August 2013

Analyses on the absorption of aluminium by rice boiled in distilled water in a variety of containers, such as old and new aluminium pots, clay receptacles, stainless steel pots, and steel pots, were carried out. 10 g of rice was taken as a representative sample. Colorimetric analysis of classical methods was used to determine the concentration of aluminium. The control for aluminium was 350 ± 130 μg/g. The new aluminium pots had a concentration of 126 ± 64 μg/g, old aluminium pots had 314 ± 128 μg/g, new clay pots had 132 ± 68 μg/g, old clay pots had 195 ± 137 μg/g, new steel pots had 241.00 ± 200 μg/g, old steel utensils had 186.83 ± 75.18 μg/g, new stainless steel utensils had 294.83 ± 163 μg/g, and old stainless steel utensils had 289.00 ± 75.155 μg/g. Aluminium leaching was detected in all forms of new and old cooking utensils, and leaching was below and within the control concentration range. Old aluminium pots had the highest concentration of leaching while new steel pots had the least leaching of aluminium. However, the aluminium contamination of the foods tested was insufficient to constitute a hazard to health.
Annotation of Differentially Expressed Genes in the Somatic Embryogenesis of Musa and Their Location in the Banana Genome
Authors: Maldonado-Borges Josefina Ines , Ku-Cauich José Roberto , Escobedo-GraciaMedrano Rosa Maria
Published: August 2013

Analysis of cDNA‐AFLP was used to study the genes expressed in zygotic and somatic embryogenesis of Musa acuminata Colla ssp. malaccensis, and a comparison was made between their differential transcribed fragments (TDFs) and the sequenced genome of the double haploid‐ (DH‐) Pahang of the malaccensis subspecies that is available in the network. A total of 253 transcript‐derived fragments (TDFs) were detected with apparent size of 100–4000 bp using 5 pairs of AFLP primers, of which 21 were differentially expressed during the different stages of banana embryogenesis; 15 of the sequences have matched DH‐Pahang chromosomes, with 7 of them being homologous to gene sequences encoding either known or putative protein domains of higher plants. Four TDF sequences were located in all Musa chromosomes, while the rest were located in one or two chromosomes. Their putative individual function is briefly reviewed based on published information, and the potential roles of these genes in embryo development are discussed. Thus the availability of the genome of Musa and the information of TDFs sequences presented here opens new possibilities for an in‐depth study of the molecular and biochemical research of zygotic and somatic embryogenesis of Musa.
Development of Microencapsulation Delivery System for Long-Term Preservation of Probiotics as Biotherapeutics Agent
Authors: Solanki Himanshu K. , Pawar Dipak D. , Shah Dushyant A. , Prajapati Vipul D. , Jani Girish K. , Mulla Akil M. , Thakar Prachi M.
Published: August 2013

The administration of probiotic bacteria for health benefit has rapidly expanded in recent years, with a global market worth $32.6 billion predicted by 2014. The oral administration of most of the probiotics results in the lack of ability to survive in a high proportion of the harsh conditions of acidity and bile concentration commonly encountered in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Providing probiotic living cells with a physical barrier against adverse environmental conditions is therefore an approach currently receiving considerable interest. Probiotic encapsulation technology has the potential to protect microorganisms and to deliver them into the gut. However, there are still many challenges to overcome with respect to the microencapsulation process and the conditions prevailing in the gut. This review focuses mainly on the methodological approach of probiotic encapsulation including biomaterials selection and choice of appropriate technology in detailed manner.
Aldehyded Dextran andε-Poly(L-lysine) Hydrogel as Nonviral Gene Carrier
Authors: Togo Yumiko , Takahashi Katsu , Saito Kazuyuki , Kiso Honoka , Huang Boyen , Tsukamoto Hiroko , Hyon Suong-Hyu , Bessho Kazuhisa
Published: August 2013

Background. The expression term of the gene transfected in cells needs to belong enough inorder to make a gene therapy clinically effective. The controlled release of the transfected gene can be utilized. The new biodegradable hydrogel material created by 20 w/w% aldehyded dextran and 10 w/w%ε-poly(L-lysine) (ald-dex/PLL) was developed. We examined whether it could be as a nonviral carrier of the gene transfer.Methods. A plasmid (Lac-Z) was mixed with ald-dex/PLL. Anin vitrostudy was performed to assess the expression of Lac-Z with X-gal stain after gene transfer into the cultured 293 cells and bone marrow cells. As a control group, PLL was used as a cationic polymer.Results. We confirmed that the transfection efficiency of the ald-dex/PLL had a higher transfection efficiency than PLL in 293 cells (plasmid of 2 μg: ald-dex/PLL 1.1%, PLL 0.23%, plasmid of 16 μg: ald-dex/PLL 1.23%, PLL 0.48%). In bone marrow cells, we confirmed the expression of Lac-Z by changing the quantity of aldehyded dextran. In the groups using ald-dextran of the quantity of 1/4 and 1/12 of PLL, their transfection efficiency was 0.43% and 0.41%, respectively.Conclusions. This study suggested a potential of using ald-dex/PLL as a non-carrier for gene transfer.
Specificity of Sensory and Motor Neurons Associated with BL40 and GB30 in the Rat: A Dual Fluorescent Labeling Study
Authors: Cui Jingjing , Ha Lijuan , Zhu Xinlong , Wang Fuchun , Jing Xianghong , Bai Wanzhu
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the specific innervations on “Weizhong” (BL40) and “Huantiao” (GB30) by using a dual neural tracing technique. After Alexa Fluor 488 and 594 conjugates of cholera toxin subunit B (AF488/594-CTB) were, respectively, injected into BL40 and GB30 in the same rat, the labeled sensory and motor neurons were examined in the rat’s dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and spinal cord at thoracic (T) and lumbar (L) segments with a laser scanning confocal microscope. In the cases of BL40 injection, AF488-CTB labeled sensory and motor neurons were located in L2–6DRGs and on the mediolateral part of spinal ventral horn from L3to L5segments, respectively. By contrast, in the cases of GB30 injection, AF594-CTB labeled sensory and motor neurons were distributed in T13-L6DRGs and on the anterolateral part of spinal ventral horn from L1to L5segments, respectively. These results indicate that the sensory and motor neurons associated with BL40 and GB30 are located in different spinal segments and regions in the nervous system, providing the neuroanatomical evidence to serve the specificity of acupoints.
Maternal Vitamin A Deficiency during Pregnancy and Its Relation with Maternal and Neonatal Hemoglobin Concentrations among Poor Egyptian Families
Authors: Hamdy A. M. , Abdel Aleem M. M. , El-Shazly A. A.
Published: August 2013

Background. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) during pregnancy represents a major public health problem in developing countries. Anemia is a common consequence of VAD. We aimed to measure serum retinol concentrations of a sample of poor Egyptian mothers and correlate it with their Hb% and cord Hb%.Methods. This cross-sectional study included 200 healthy mothers and their healthy full term newborns. Maternal and cord blood samples were collected for CBC and measurement of serum retinol concentrations.Results. Forty-seven mothers (23.5%) had VAD and 50% were anemic. Mothers with VAD had a significantly lower mean Hb% and a significantly higher frequency of anemia (95.7%) compared to mothers without VAD (35.9%). The relative risk for anemia among mothers with VAD was 2.7 (CI = 2.12–3.3). Newborns of mothers with VAD had a significantly lower mean cord Hb% compared to newborns of mothers without VAD. Maternal serum retinol concentrations were positively correlated with maternal Hb% and cord Hb%.Conclusion. Maternal VAD during pregnancy among poor mothers is associated with maternal anemia and lower Hb% of newborns at birth. Vitamin A supplementation is highly recommended for this vulnerable group.
Maternal Attachment Status, Mother-Child Emotion Talk, Emotion Understanding, and Child Conduct Problems
Authors: Farrant Brad M. , Maybery Murray T. , Fletcher Janet
Published: August 2013

Conduct problems that emerge in childhood often persist into adolescence and are associated with a range of negative outcomes. It is therefore important to identify the factors that predict conduct problems in early childhood. The present study investigated the relations among maternal attachment status, mother-child emotion talk, child emotion understanding, and conduct problems in a sample of 92 (46 males) typically developing children (M age = 61.3 months, SD = 8.3 months). The results support a model in which maternal attachment status predicts the level of appropriate/responsive mother-child emotion talk, which predicts child emotion understanding, which in turn negatively predicts child conduct problems. These findings further underline the developmental role of mother-child emotion talk as well as the importance of involving parents in programs designed to increase children’s emotion understanding and/or decrease the incidence of conduct problems.
The Immunobiology of Prostanoid Receptor Signaling in Connecting Innate and Adaptive Immunity
Authors: Harizi Hedi
Published: August 2013

Prostanoids, including prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxanes (TXs), and prostacyclins, are synthesized from arachidonic acid (AA) by the action of Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. They are bioactive inflammatory lipid mediators that play a key role in immunity and immunopathology. Prostanoids exert their effects on immune and inflammatory cells by binding to membrane receptors that are widely expressed throughout the immune system and act at multiple levels in innate and adaptive immunity. The immunoregulatory role of prostanoids results from their ability to regulate cell-cell interaction, antigen presentation, cytokine production, cytokine receptor expression, differentiation, survival, apoptosis, cell-surface molecule levels, and cell migration in both autocrine and paracrine manners. By acting on immune cells of both systems, prostanoids and their receptors have great impact on immune regulation and play a pivotal role in connecting innate and adaptive immunity. This paper focuses on the immunobiology of prostanoid receptor signaling because of their potential clinical relevance for various disorders including inflammation, autoimmunity, and tumorigenesis. We mainly discuss the effects of major COX metabolites, PGD2, PGE2, their signaling during dendritic cell (DC)-natural killer (NK) reciprocal crosstalk, DC-T cell interaction, and subsequent consequences on determining crucial aspects of innate and adaptive immunity in normal and pathological settings.
Degree of Approximation by Hybrid Operators
Authors: Deo Naokant , Jung Hee Sun , Sakai Ryozi
Published: August 2013

We consider hybrid (Szász-beta) operators, which are a general sequence of integral type operators including beta function, and we give the degree of approximation by these Szász-beta-Durrmeyer operators.
The Kinetics and Dry-Sliding Wear Properties of Boronized Gray Cast Iron
Authors: Mu Dong , Shen Bao-luo
Published: August 2013

Some properties of boride formed on gray cast iron (GCI) have been investigated. GCI was boronized by powder-pack method using Commercial LSB-II powders at 1123, 1173, and 1223 K for 2, 4, 6, and 8 h, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy showed that boride formed on the surface of boronized GCI had tooth-shaped morphology. The hardness of boride formed on surfaces of GCI ranged from 1619 to 1343 HV0.025, and quenched and tempered GCI ranged from 400 to 610 HV0.025. The boride formed in the coating layer confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis was Fe2B single phase. Depending on boronizing time and temperature, the thickness of coating layers on boronized GCI ranged from 26 to 105 μm. The activation energy was 209 kJ/mol for boronized GCI. Moreover, the possibility of predicting the iso-thickness of boride layers variation was studied. Dry-sliding wear tests showed that the wear resistance of boronized sample was greater than that of quenched and tempered sample.
Observation on Pain Release by Long-Round Needle Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis Related with Meridian-Sinews Theory
Authors: Liu Yuan-shi , Xue Li-gong , Ma Xiao-jian , Liu Chun-shan
Published: August 2013

To evaluate the effectiveness of long-round needle therapy for pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis, 192 patients were included in a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. 97 patients were randomized to the long-round needle therapy group (EG), and 95 patients were randomized to the control group (CG). In EG, the long-round needle therapy was performed once every 7 days for 3 therapy sessions. Ibuprofen sustained-release capsules were administered orally in CG, 1 pill each time, twice daily for 3 weeks. Curative effect was measured after the therapy and was evaluated at a 3-month follow-up interview. In EG, the treatment resulted in a basic cure for 79 patients, was effective for 15 patients, and was ineffective for 1 patient. In CG, the treatment resulted in a basic cure for 30 patients, was effective for 38 patients, and was ineffective for 21 patients. In the follow-up examination in EG, 75 patients were basically cured, and the treatment was effective for 11 patients and ineffective for 9. In CG, 22 were basically cured, 31 found the treatment effective, and 36 found the treatment ineffective. The curative effects in EG after both the treatment and the 3-mouth followup were significantly more superior than that in CG (P<0.01) which should be adopted more widely.
Borel Directions and Uniqueness of Meromorphic Functions
Authors: Zhang Keyu , Xu HongYan , Yi Hongxun
Published: August 2013

We investigate the relationship between Borel directions and uniqueness of meromorphic functions and obtain some results of meromorphic functions sharing four distinct values IM and one set in an angular domain containing a Borel line. Our result is an improvement of a recent theorem given by Long and Wu (2012).
Symptom Profile and Severity in a Sample of Nigerians with Psychotic versus Nonpsychotic Major Depression
Authors: Adeosun Increase Ibukun , Jeje Oyetayo
Published: August 2013

The therapeutic strategies in managing patients with psychotic major depression (PMD) differ from those with non-psychotic major depression (NMD), because of differences in clinical profile and outcome. However, there is underrecognition of psychotic symptoms in depressed patients. Previous studies in Western population suggest that certain symptom patterns, apart from psychosis which may be concealed, can facilitate the discrimination of PMD from NMD. These studies may have limited applicability to sub-Saharan Africa due to cross-cultural differences in the phenomenology of depression. This study compared the rates and severity of depressive symptoms in outpatients with PMD (n=129) and NMD (n=117) using the Structured Clinical Interview for Depression (SCID) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Patients with PMD had statistically significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation, suicidal attempt, psychomotor agitation, insomnia, and reduced appetite. Patients with NMD were more likely to manifest psychomotor retardation and somatic symptoms. PMD was associated with greater symptom severity. On logistic regression analysis, suicidal ideation, psychomotor disturbances, insomnia, and somatic symptoms were predictive of diagnostic status. The presence of these symptoms clusters may increase the suspicion of occult psychosis in patients with depression, thereby informing appropriate intervention strategies.
Dissolution of Silver Nanowires and Nanospheres Dictates Their Toxicity toEscherichia coli
Authors: Visnapuu Meeri , Joost Urmas , Juganson Katre , Künnis-Beres Kai , Kahru Anne , Kisand Vambola , Ivask Angela
Published: August 2013

Silver nanoparticles are extensively used in antibacterial applications. However, the mechanisms of their antibacterial action are not yet fully explored. We studied the solubility-driven toxicity of  nm (mean primary diameter × length) silver nanowires (NWs) to recombinant bioluminescentEscherichia colias a target representative of enteric pathogens. The bacteria were exposed to silver nanostructures in water to exclude the speciation-driven alterations. Spherical silver nanoparticles (83 nm mean primary size) were used as a control for the effect of NPs shape. Toxicity of both Ag NWs and spheres toE. coliwas observed at similar nominal concentrations: the 4h EC50 values, calculated on the basis of inhibition of bacterial bioluminescence, were 0.42 ± 0.06 and 0.68 ± 0.01 mg Ag/L, respectively. Dissolution and bioavailability of Ag from NWs and nanospheres, analyzed with AAS or Ag-sensor bacteria, respectively, suggested that the toxic effects were caused by solubilized Ag+ions. Moreover, the antibacterial activities of Ag NWs suspension and its ultracentrifuged particle-free supernatant were equal. The latter indicated that the toxic effects of ~80–100 nm Ag nanostructures toEscherichia coliwere solely dependent on their dissolution and no shape-induced/related effects were observed. Yet, additional nanospecific effects could come into play in case of smaller nanosilver particles.
Study of Transport Properties of Tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane Hydrochloride in 20% (v/v) Acetone-Water System at
Authors: Dixit Ajita
Published: August 2013

Viscometric properties of Tris-(hydroxymethyl)amino methane hydrochloride are measured in 20% (v/v) acetone-water system 303.15°K. The related parameters are the experimental values of viscosity () allow to determine relative viscosity (), viscosity -coefficient of the Jones-Dole equation, free energies of activation of viscous flow and per mole solvent, and solute, respectively. The excess molar volume, excess viscosity, excess Gibb’s free energy, and interaction parameter of Grunberg and Nissan have also been calculated. These studies are of great help in characterizing the structure and properties of solutions. The addition of an organic solvent to water brings about a sharp change in the solvation of ions.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Postcricoid Region: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Cervenka Brian , Villegas Brenda , Sinha Uttam
Published: August 2013

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm that can present essentially anywhere in the body. Presentations in the hypopharynx are extremely rare with only two previous cases reported. We report the first case of postcricoid SFT occurring in a 58-year-old male requiring a microsuspension laryngoscopy excision following an unsuccessful transoral robotic attempt. The excision was uneventful, and the patient is currently without recurrence. Current management strategies of the hypopharyngeal SFT, the unique differential diagnosis, and challenges in surgical approaches in the postcricoid region are discussed.
Spiritual Needs of Elderly Living in Residential/Nursing Homes
Authors: Erichsen Nora-Beata , Büssing Arndt
Published: August 2013

While the research on spiritual needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases increases, there is limited knowledge about psychosocial and spiritual needs of elderly living in residential/nursing homes. We were interested in which needs were of relevance at all, and how these needs are related to life satisfaction and mood states. For that purpose we enrolled 100 elderly living in residential/nursing homes (mean age years, 82% women) and provided standardized questionnaires, that is, Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ), Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS), Quality of Life in Elders with Multimorbidity (FLQM) questionnaire, and a mood states scale (ASTS). Religious needs and Existential needs were of low relevance, while inner peace needs were of some and needs for giving/generativity of highest relevance. Regression analyses revealed that the specific needs were predicted best by religious trust and mood states, particularly tiredness. However, life satisfaction and quality of life were not among the significant predictors. Most had the intention to connect with those who will remember them, although they fear that there is limited interest in their concerns. It remains an open issue how these unmet needs can be adequately supported.