bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nimbolide Represses the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Bladder Carcinoma Cells via Chk2-Mediated G2/M Phase Cell Cycle Arrest, Altered Signaling Pathways, and Reduced Transcription Factors-Associated MMP-9 Expression
Authors: Shin Seung-Shick , Hwang Byungdoo , Muhammad Kashif , Gho Yujeong , Song Jun-Hui , Kim Wun-Jae , Kim Gonhyung , Moon Sung-Kwon
Published: July 2019

Nimbolide, an active chemical constituent of Azadirachta indica, reportedly has several physiological effects. Here, we assessed novel anticancer effects of nimbolide against bladder cancer EJ and 5637 cells. Nimbolide treatment inhibited the proliferation of both bladder cancer cell lines with an IC50 value of 3 μM. Treatment of cells with nimbolide induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest via both Chk2-Cdc25C-Cdc2/cyclin B1-Wee1 pathway and Chk2-p21WAF1-Cdc2/cyclin B1-Wee1 pathway. Nimbolide increased JNK phosphorylation and decreased p38MAPK and AKT phosphorylation. Additionally, nimbolide impeded both wound healing migration and invasion abilities by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity. Finally, nimbolide repressed the binding activity of NF-κB, Sp-1, and AP-1 motifs, which are key transcription factors for MMP-9 activity regulation. Overall, our study indicates that nimbolide is a potential chemotherapeutic agent for bladder cancer.
Hierarchical Key Management Scheme with Probabilistic Security in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN)
Authors: Albakri Ashwag , Harn Lein , Song Sejun
Published: July 2019

Securing data transferred over a WSN is required to protect data from being compromised by attackers. Sensors in the WSN must share keys that are utilized to protect data transmitted between sensor nodes. There are several approaches introduced in the literature for key establishment in WSNs. Designing a key distribution/establishment scheme in WSNs is a challenging task due to the limited resources of sensor nodes. Polynomial-based key distribution schemes have been proposed in WSNs to provide a lightweight solution for resource-constraint devices. More importantly, polynomial-based schemes guarantee that a pairwise key exists between two sensors in the WSNs. However, one problem associated with all polynomial-based approaches in WSNs is that they are vulnerable to sensor capture attacks. Specifically, the attacker can compromise the security of the entire network by capturing a fixed number of sensors. In this paper, we propose a novel polynomial-based scheme with a probabilistic security feature that effectively reduces the security risk of sensor-captured attacks and requires minimal memory and computation overhead. Furthermore, our design can be extended to provide hierarchical key management to support data aggregation in WSNs.
The Model of Aging Acceleration Network Reveals the Correlation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging at System Level
Authors: Zhou Mengyu , Xia Xiaoqiong , Yan Hao , Li Sijia , Bian Shiyu , Sha Xianzheng , Wang Yin
Published: July 2019

As the incidence of senile dementia continues to increase, researches on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have become more and more important. Several studies have reported that there is a close relationship between AD and aging. Some researchers even pointed out that if we wanted to understand AD in depth, mechanisms of AD based on accelerated aging must be studied. Nowadays, machine learning techniques have been utilized to deal with large and complex profiles, thus playing an important role in disease researches (i.e., modelling biological systems, identifying key modules based on biological networks, and so on). Here, we developed an aging predictor and an AD predictor using machine learning techniques, respectively. Both aging and AD biomarkers were identified to provide insights into genes associated with AD. Besides, aging scores were calculated to reflect the aging process of brain tissues. As a result, the aging acceleration network and the aging-AD bipartite graph were constructed to delve into the relationship between AD and aging. Finally, a series of network and enrichment analyses were also conducted to gain further insights into the mechanisms of AD based on accelerated aging. In a word, our results indicated that aging may contribute to the development of AD by affecting the function of the immune system and the energy metabolism process, where the immune system may play a more prominent role in AD.
C-Reactive Protein to Prealbumin Ratio (CPR): A Novel Inflammatory-Nutritional Prognostic Factor for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival (CSS) and Overall Survival (OS) in Patients with Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Feng Ji-Feng , Wang Liang , Jiang You-Hua , Yang Xun
Published: July 2019

Background. The inflammation and nutrition play an important role in prognosis. A novel index combined with inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers, named C-reactive protein (CRP) to prealbumin (PALB) ratio (CPR), was initially reported to predict the prognosis in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients and Methods. A retrospective study was conducted including 346 resectable ESCC patients. The X-tile program was used to confirm the optimal cut-off value. The Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression analyses were performed to analyze the cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Results. The optimum cut-off point was 0.03 for CPR. Patients with a high level of CPR (> 0.03) were associated with poor CSS (12.0% vs. 43.0%, P<0.001) and OS (11.2% vs. 40.7%, P<0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed that CPR was an independent predictor in resectable ESCC patients (CSS, P=0.008; OS, P=0.007). Conclusion. This study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to investigate prognostic role of CPR in patients with ESCC. Our retrospective observations indicate that CPR, with the optimal cut-off value of 0.03, is a useful potential predictor in resectable ESCC patients.
Ethnophytotherapy Practices for Wound Healing among Populations of District Haripur, KPK, Pakistan
Authors: Siddique Zeeshan , Shah Ghulam Mujtaba , Ahmed Hiwa M. , Nisa Sobia , Khan Abdullah , Idrees Muhammad , Naz Shumaila , Waqas Hassan Syed , Mohiuddin Muhammad
Published: July 2019

Wounds, burns, cuts, and scarring may cause a serious problem for human health if left untreated, and medicinal plants are identified as potentially useful for wound healing. Therefore, the study focused on ethnophytotherapy practices for wound healing from an unexplored area, Pakistan. Ethnophytotherapeutic information was collected through well-planned questionnaire and interview methods by targeting 80 informants (70 males and 10 females), in the study area. Data was analyzed through quantitative tools like use value (UV) and credibility level (CL). A total of forty wound healing plant species, belonging to twenty-nine families, were being used in forty-six recipes. Herbs constitute (35%), shrubs (30%), trees (30%), and climbers (5%) in the treatment of multiple human injuries. For remedies preparations, leaves were most frequently utilized (52%) followed by whole plant, flowers, twigs, roots, bulb, bark, rhizome, resin, oil, leaf gel, latex, gum, and creeper. The most form of herbal preparation was powder (34.7%) and poultice (32.6%), followed by decoction, bandaged and crushed, in which 40% internally and 60 % externally applied. The drugs from these plants seem to be widely used to cure wounds: Acacia modesta, Aloe barbadensis, Azadirachta indica, Ficus benghalensis, Nerium oleander, and Olea ferruginea with higher use values (0.75). Local people are still connected with ethnophytotherapies practices for curing wounds for several reasons. This ethnomedicine and the wound healing plants are under severe threats; thus conservation must be considered. Further research should be directed towards implementing pharmacological activity on these invaluable botanical drugs.
Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch Ameliorates Rheumatic Heart Disease by Affecting Relative Percentages of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 Treg and CD4+IL17 T Cells
Authors: Jiang Tiechao , Zhao Qini , Sun Hongyan , Zhang Lirong , Song Shanshan , Chi Hongli , Zhou Hui
Published: July 2019

Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch. (SSLK) helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) but its effects on rheumatic heart disease (RHD) patients remain unclear. 80 RHD patients were recruited and randomly assigned into SG (to receive SSLK treatment) and CG (to receive placebo) groups, and the intervention lasted for 3 months. The following cardiac indexes were measured, including mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), central venous pressure (CVP), blood lactate, fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitation, and chest pain. ELISA kits were used to analyze creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), serum troponin T (cTnT), CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Relative percentages of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 regulatory (Treg) and CD4+IL-17 T cells were measured using flow cytometry. After 3-month therapy, SSLK intervention improved MAP, HR, CVP, fatigue, palpitation, and shortness breath of CHD patients, reduced the levels of blood lactate, CK-MB, cTnT, CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, and increased SOD level (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, SSLK treatment increased the percentages of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 Treg cells and reduced relative percentages of CD4+IL-17 T cells in a dose-dependent way (p < 0.05). Relative percentage of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 Treg cells had negative relationship while CD4+IL17 T cells had positive relationship with CK-MB, cTnT, CRP, and TNF-a (p < 0.01). SSLK ameliorated RHD by affecting the balance of CD4+CD25+FoxP3 Treg and CD4+IL17 T cells.
Effectiveness of Acupuncture in Treatment of Simple Obesity in Animal Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fan Xiao-lin , Yu Mei-ling , Fu Shu-Ping , Zhuang Yi , Lu Sheng-feng
Published: July 2019

Background. Simple obesity has become a global risk to health of human beings. Acupuncture, as one of traditional Chinese medicine therapies, has been widely used in obesity treatment in recent years. However, the individual heterogeneity which makes acupuncture’s efficiency unstable leads to some controversy. So more evidence-based results are necessary to judge the effectiveness of acupuncture in treatment of simple obesity. Compared with clinical trials, animal experiments are controllable, and the underlying mechanism is more likely to be explored. Last but not the least, more and more experimental studies on acupuncture for animal obesity have been published. Therefore, we conducted the systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating simple obesity in animal experiments. Methods. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for simple obesity animal models were searched from six databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, CNKI, VIP, WanFang Date, and CMB from inception to February 2017 and updated on April 12, 2019. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Treatment effects were summarized as relative risk (RR) and Standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% of confidence interval (CI). Results. A total of 108 trials involving 5731 rats were included. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture had better effect on reducing weight (SMD -2.60, 95%CI: -2.93 to -2.26, p<0.00001) and Lee’s index (SMD -2.62, 95%CI:-3.18 to -2.06, p<0.00001) compared with control group. However, the methodological quality of included studies was generally poor. Details of blinding were not reported in most studies. In spite of high heterogeneity being observed on the merged data, sensitivity analysis using the leave-one-out approach, subgroup analysis based on different acupuncture techniques, and rat strains and meta-regression all failed to find the sources of heterogeneity. The asymmetric funnel plot suggested publication bias. Besides, adverse events were not reported in any reports. Conclusions. Our review provided positive evidence of acupuncture for simple obesity. Unfortunately, none of the firm conclusions can be drawn due to methodological flaws, high heterogeneity, and publication bias. More high-quality trials are needed in future to get objective conclusions.
Preparation of Polypropylene Powder by Dissolution-Precipitation Method for Selective Laser Sintering
Authors: Fang Liang , Wang Yan , Xu Yang
Published: July 2019

Polypropylene (PP) powder with spherical morphology and suitable particle size for selective laser sintering (SLS) was successfully produced by dissolution-precipitation method. The influence of preparation condition on properties of PP powder was investigated. The experimental results show that the optimal preparation conditions are as follows: dissolution temperature being about 166°C, pressure being about 0.7MPa, and the solid-to-solvent ratio being about 0.067g/ml. The prepared PP powder displayed a narrow size distribution with the mean size of about 42.7μm and the apparent density of powder about 0.40 g/cm3. The specimens produced by laser sintering of the PP powder showed smooth appearance and good dimensional accuracy. The tensile strength and impact strength of the sintered parts were 27.9MPa and 6.3KJ/m2, respectively, which are basically equal to the properties of the injection molded parts.
Antioxidant Effects of Oral Ang-(1-7) Restore Insulin Pathway and RAS Components Ameliorating Cardiometabolic Disturbances in Rats
Authors: Figueiredo Vivian Paulino , Barbosa Maria Andrea , de Castro Uberdan Guilherme Mendes , Zacarias Aline Cruz , Bezerra Frank Silva , de Sá Renata Guerra , de Lima Wanderson Geraldo , dos Santos Robson Augusto Souza , Alzamora Andréia Carvalho
Published: July 2019

In prevention studies of metabolic syndrome (MetS), Ang-(1-7) has shown to improve the insulin signaling. We evaluated the HPβCD/Ang-(1-7) treatment on lipid metabolism, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) components, oxidative stress, and insulin pathway in the liver and gastrocnemius muscle and hepatic steatosis in rats with established MetS. After 7 weeks of high-fat (FAT) or control (CT) diets, rats were treated with cyclodextrin (HPβCD) or HPβCD/Ang-(1-7) in the last 6 weeks. FAT-HPβCD/empty rats showed increased adiposity index and body mass, gene expression of ACE/ANG II/AT1R axis, and oxidative stress. These results were accompanied by imbalances in the insulin pathway, worsening of liver function, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Oral HPβCD/Ang-(1-7) treatment decreased ACE and AT1R, increased ACE2 gene expression in the liver, and restored thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), insulin receptor substrate (Irs-1), glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), and serine/threonine kinase 2 (AKT-2) gene expression in the liver and gastrocnemius muscle improving hepatic function, cholesterol levels, and hyperglycemia in MetS rats. Overall, HPβCD/Ang-(1-7) treatment restored the RAS components, oxidative stress, and insulin signaling in the liver and gastrocnemius muscle contributing to the establishment of blood glucose and lipid homeostasis in MetS rats.
Metabolites of the Nitric Oxide (NO) Pathway Are Altered and Indicative of Reduced NO and Arginine Bioavailability in Patients with Cardiometabolic Diseases Complicated with Chronic Wounds of Lower Extremities: Targeted Metabolomics Approach (LC-MS/MS)
Authors: Krzystek-Korpacka Małgorzata , Wiśniewski Jerzy , Fleszar Mariusz G. , Bednarz-Misa Iwona , Bronowicka-Szydełko Agnieszka , Gacka Małgorzata , Masłowski Leszek , Kędzior Krzysztof , Witkiewicz Wojciech , Gamian Andrzej
Published: July 2019

Objective. The status of metabolites of the nitric oxide (NO) pathway in patients with chronic wounds in the course of cardiometabolic diseases is largely unknown. Yet arginine supplementation and citrulline supplementation as novel therapeutic modalities aimed at increasing NO are tested. Material and Methods. Targeted metabolomics approach (LC-MS/MS) was applied to determine the concentrations of L-arginine, L-citrulline, asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginines (ADMA and SDMA), and arginine/ADMA and arginine/SDMA ratios as surrogate markers of NO and arginine availability in ulnar and femoral veins, representing systemic and local levels of metabolites, in patients with chronic wounds in the course of cardiometabolic diseases (n=59) as compared to patients without chronic wounds but with similar cardiometabolic burden (n=55) and healthy individuals (n=88). Results. Patients with chronic wounds had significantly lower systemic L-citrulline and higher ADMA and SDMA concentrations and lower L-arginine/ADMA and L-arginine/SDMA as compared to healthy controls. The presence of chronic wounds in patients with cardiometabolic diseases was associated with decreased L-arginine but with increased L-citrulline, ADMA, and SDMA concentrations and decreased L-arginine/ADMA and L-arginine/SDMA. Serum obtained from the ulnar and femoral veins of patients with chronic wounds differed by L-arginine concentrations and L-arginine/SDMA ratio, both lower in the femoral vein. Wound etiology affected L-citrulline and SDMA concentrations, lower and higher, respectively, in patients with venous stasis, and the L-arginine/SDMA ratio—lower in venous stasis. The wound type affected L-arginine/ADMA and citrulline—lower in patients with ulcerations or gangrene. IL-6 was an independent predictor of L-arginine/ADMA, VEGF-A of ADMA, G-CSF of L-arginine/SDMA, and GM-CSF of L-citrulline and SDMA. Conclusion. Chronic wounds in the course of cardiometabolic diseases are associated with reduced NO and arginine availability due to ADMA and SDMA accumulation rather than arginine deficiency, not supporting its supplementation. Wound character seems to affect NO bioavailability and wound etiology—arginine bioavailability. Arginine concentration and its availability are more markedly reduced at the local level than the systemic level.
Writers and Readers of DNA Methylation/Hydroxymethylation in Physiological Aging and Its Impact on Cognitive Function
Authors: Torres Rodrigo F. , Kouro Ricardo , Kerr Bredford
Published: July 2019

The chromatin landscape has acquired deep attention from several fields ranging from cell biology to neurological and psychiatric diseases. The role that DNA modifications have on gene expression regulation has become apparent in several physiological processes, and numerous efforts have been performed to establish a relationship between DNA modifications and physiological conditions, such as cognitive performance and aging. DNA modifications are incorporated by specific sets of enzymes—the writers—and the modified DNA-interacting partners—the readers—are ultimately responsible for maintaining a functional epigenetic landscape. Therefore, understanding how these epigenetic mediators—writers and readers—are modulated in physiological aging will contribute to unraveling how aging-associated neuronal disturbances arise and contribute to the cognitive decline associated with this period of life. In this review, we focused on DNA modifications, writers and readers, highlighting that despite some methodological disparities, the evidence suggests a critical role for epigenetic mediators in the aging-associated neuronal dysfunction.
Contributions of Jets in Net Charge Fluctuations from the Beam Energy Scan at RHIC and LHC
Authors: Ali Bushra , Khan Shaista , Ahmad Shakeel
Published: July 2019

Dynamical net charge fluctuations have been studied in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions from the beam energy scan at RHIC and LHC energies by carrying out the hadronic model simulation. Monte Carlo model, HIJING, is used to generate events in two different modes, HIJING-default with jet quenching switched off and jet/minijet production switched off. A popular variable, ν[+-,dyn], is used to study the net charge fluctuations in different centrality bins and the findings are compared with the available experimental values reported earlier. Although the broad features of net charge fluctuations are reproduced by the HIJING, the model predicts the larger magnitude of fluctuations as compared to the one observed in experiments. The role of jets/minijets production in reducing the net charge fluctuations is, however, distinctly visible from the analysis of the two types of HIJING events. Furthermore, dNch/dη and 1/N scaling is partially exhibited, which is due to the fact that, in HIJING, nucleus-nucleus collisions are treated as multiple independent nucleon-nucleon collisions.
Forgotten Elastic Band as an Unusual Cause of Limb Ulceration: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Werner-Gibbings Keagan , Ischia Liesl , Khoma Oleksandr , Tang Robert
Published: July 2019

We discuss a case of circumferential ulceration of the lower leg in a cognitively impaired elderly man with poor tissue integrity. Thorough clinical examination eventually determined the cause as being a circumferentially placed, forgotten elastic band causing ulceration via sustained tension around the limb. Circumferential application of an elastic band to an extremity is an exceedingly rare but serious cause of lower leg ulceration.
Dual CNN for Relation Extraction with Knowledge-Based Attention and Word Embeddings
Authors: Li Jun , Huang Guimin , Chen Jianheng , Wang Yabing
Published: July 2019

Relation extraction is the underlying critical task of textual understanding. However, the existing methods currently have defects in instance selection and lack background knowledge for entity recognition. In this paper, we propose a knowledge-based attention model, which can make full use of supervised information from a knowledge base, to select an entity. We also design a method of dual convolutional neural networks (CNNs) considering the word embedding of each word is restricted by using a single training tool. The proposed model combines a CNN with an attention mechanism. The model inserts the word embedding and supervised information from the knowledge base into the CNN, performs convolution and pooling, and combines the knowledge base and CNN in the full connection layer. Based on these processes, the model not only obtains better entity representations but also improves the performance of relation extraction with the help of rich background knowledge. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves competitive performance.
Multiple Nonfamilial Unilateral Trichoepitheliomas: Report of a Case—Mini Review of the Literature
Authors: Mandekou-Lefaki I. , Theodosiou G. , Delli F.-S. , Oikonomou D. , Papageorgiou M.
Published: July 2019

Trichoepitheliomas are benign skin tumors with follicular differentiation that present most commonly as solitary lesions. They can also present as multiple centrofacial papules due to several mutations in the CYLD gene. Multiple unilateral trichoepitheliomas in a linear or dermatomal distribution may rarely be seen. Herein, we report a case of multiple unilateral trichoepitheliomas on the face of a healthy 34-year-old woman of Caucasian origin.
The Sparsity Adaptive Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Simulated Annealing for Compressed Sensing
Authors: Li Yangyang , Zhang Jianping , Sun Guiling , Lu Dongxue
Published: July 2019

This paper proposes a novel sparsity adaptive simulated annealing algorithm to solve the issue of sparse recovery. This algorithm combines the advantage of the sparsity adaptive matching pursuit (SAMP) algorithm and the simulated annealing method in global searching for the recovery of the sparse signal. First, we calculate the sparsity and the initial support collection as the initial search points of the proposed optimization algorithm by using the idea of SAMP. Then, we design a two-cycle reconstruction method to find the support sets efficiently and accurately by updating the optimization direction. Finally, we take advantage of the sparsity adaptive simulated annealing algorithm in global optimization to guide the sparse reconstruction. The proposed sparsity adaptive greedy pursuit model has a simple geometric structure, it can get the global optimal solution, and it is better than the greedy algorithm in terms of recovery quality. Our experimental results validate that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing state-of-the-art sparse reconstruction algorithms.
A Travel Route Recommendation System Based on Smart Phones and IoT Environment
Authors: Bin Chenzhong , Gu Tianlong , Sun Yanpeng , Chang Liang , Sun Lei
Published: July 2019

Tourism recommendation systems play a vital role in providing useful travel information to tourists. However, existing systems rarely aim at recommending tangible itineraries for tourists within a specific POI due to their lack of onsite travel behavioral data and related route mining algorithms. To this end, a novel travel route recommendation system is proposed, which collects tourist onsite travel behavior data automatically regarding a specific POI based on smart phone and IoT technology. Then, the proposed system preprocesses the behavior data to transform raw behavior sequences into Tourist-Behavior pattern sequences. Subsequently, the system discovers frequent travel routes from the generated pattern sequences by using an original route mining algorithm, named Tourist-Behavior PrefixSpan. Finally, a route-recommending method is designed to search and rank tangible travel routes according to the querying tourist’s profile and constraint. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system is efficient and effective in recommending POI-oriented tangible travel routes considering tourists’ route constraints and personal profile while ensuring that the suggested routes have considerable route values.
Effects of 12-Week Supplementation of a Polyherbal Formulation in Old Adults with Prehypertension/Hypertension: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Shen Tian , Xing Guoqiang , Zhu Jingfen , Cai Yong , Zhang Shuxian , Xu Gang , Feng Yi , Li Donghua , Rao Jianyu , Shi Rong
Published: July 2019

Background. Uncontrolled blood pressure is the leading cause of mortality and disability due to associated cerebral and cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure. More than one-third of the old adult population have hypertension or prehypertension and many of their blood pressure are poorly controlled.Objective. We hypothesized that plant extracts-based antioxidants may benefit those with prehypertension/hypertension.Method. One hundred age- and gender-matched healthy older adults were randomly assigned to receive HyperBalance capsules (n=50) or placebo (n=50) at Tang-Qiao Community Health Service Center, Shanghai. Blood pressure and severity scores of hypertension treatment-related symptoms (dizziness, headache, ringing/buzzing in ears, rapid heart rate, and chest tightness) were evaluated before and after the 12-week intervention.Results. Ninety-eight people completed the study, with 2 dropouts in the placebo group before the end of the study. Forty-one subjects (82%) of the HyperBalance group and 40 subjects (83.3%) of the placebo group had prehypertension (systolic blood pressures (SBP) between 130-139 and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between 85-89mmHg), and 9 subjects (18%) in the HyperBalance group and 8 subjects (16.7%) in the placebo group had hypertension (≥140/90mmHg) before the intervention. HyperBalance significantly (P<0.01) reduced SBP from 136.18±4.38 to 124.14±3.96 mmHg and reduced DBP from 82.45±2.91 to 80.24±2.41mmHg, respectively, and reversed all 9 hypertension people to normotension or prehypertension state, whereas the placebo moderately reduced SBP from 135.79±4.22 to 132.35±4.656mmHg and reduced DBP from 82.90±3.07 to 82.27±3.01mmHg. All symptom severity scores became significantly lower in the HyperBalance group than in the placebo group after HyperBalance intervention: dizziness (0.82±0.44; vs 2.02±0.64, P<0.01); headache (0.46±0.50; vs 1.81±0.61, P<0.01); ringing/buzzing in ears (0.44±0.50; vs 1.04±0.29, P<0.01); and rapid heart rate and chest tightness (0.30±0.46; vs 0.92±0.28, P<0.01).Conclusion. Polyherbal supplementation such as HyperBalance could benefit old adults with prehypertension/hypertension and improve treatment-related symptoms. Further studies are needed to validate the current findings.
Numerical Simulation of Gas-Particle Two-Phase Flow in a Nozzle with DG Method
Authors: Maochang Duan , Xijun Yu , Dawei Chen , Fang Qing , Shijun Zou
Published: July 2019

In this paper, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is applied to solve the governing equations of the dispersed two-phase flow with the two-fluid Euler/Euler approach. The resulting governing equations are simple in form and the solution process is very natural. The characteristics of the gas-particle two-phase flow in an engine nozzle are mainly analyzed, and the impacts of the particle mass fraction and particle size on the flow field and engine performance are evaluated. Because of the addition of particles, the gas flow field undergoes significant modifications. Increase in the mass fraction leads to a significant thrust loss in the gas phase, and the impact of the particles on the gas phase could be substantial. Therefore, a quantitative study of thrust loss in the nozzle due to the particle impact is made. It is found that the gas thrust in the two-phase flow is reduced, but the total thrust of the two-phase flow increases to a certain extent.
Research Progress of Male Reproductive Toxicity of Chinese Materia Medicas
Authors: Li Sicong , Li Chao , Cheng Xiaoran , Liu Xin , Han Mei
Published: July 2019

In recent years, as the infertility rate in China has been increasing year by year and semen quality decreasing, male reproductive toxicity of drugs attracts more and more attention. There are many factors that cause male reproductive toxicity, among which Chinese materia medica is an important aspect. This article will introduce the male reproductive toxicity of Chinese materia medicas grouped by different effectivenesses such as immunosuppressant, evacuant, diuretic, cardiotonic, anti-infective drug and analgesic.
The Level of Vitamin D in Children and Adolescents with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhu Shanshan , Wang Yuhui , Luo Fei , Liu Jie , Xiu Liangchang , Qin Jiheng , Wang Tao , Yu Na , Wu Hongfu , Zou Tangbin
Published: July 2019

Background. The relationship between vitamin D level and NAFLD has not been investigated in children and adolescents. We performed a meta-analysis of published observational studies to assess this association between vitamin D levels (measured as serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D]) and NAFLD in this age group. Methods. Relevant studies conducted before May 20, 2018, were identified from the following electronic databases: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and the Chinese CNKI databases. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale, and associations between vitamin D levels and NAFLD were estimated using standardised mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup and sensitivity analysis were used to identify sources of heterogeneity, and publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots. Results. Eight articles were included in this meta-analysis. A significant difference was observed between low 25(OH)D levels and NAFLD in children and adolescents (SMD = -0.59, 95%CI = -0.98, -0.20, P <  0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed no differences in the study type, geographic location, BMI, and age subgroups. Conclusions. Low vitamin D levels were associated with NAFLD in children and adolescents.
Statistical Distributions of Physical Characteristics of Molecules with Casimir Force in the Transfer of Admixtures in Nanoscale Volumes
Authors: Uvarova Liudmila , Babarin Sergey
Published: July 2019

In this work, we study the statistical properties of molecular systems of admixtures, which are placed in nanoscale volumes like cube or parallelepiped with impermeable surfaces on their walls. We simulate interactions of free motion of molecules of admixtures with molecules on the surfaces of walls: we modeled them in the form of atomic structure grid using SiO2 as a material. This type of substance allows us to take into account the manifestation of one of the important quantum effects: Casimir force. We used its general expression in terms of interaction energy, with the assumption of dependence on distance and projected area between atoms of the wall and atoms of the admixtures. To model surface roughness we used uniform random distribution function for surface heights (z coordinates). The results of computational experiments can be used to estimate the distribution of chemical bond lengths, valence, and dihedral angles lengths deviations in polyatomic molecules. Our model can be useful to determine the stable configuration properties of the system, to solve practical problems in the conditions of physical limitations of nanoscale devices, filtration of admixtures in highly dispersed systems, in the development of mechanisms in structures that have parallel plates or membranes, including porous structures. Also we compute radial distribution function for multicomponent admixtures including atoms of inert gases, water vapor, and ethanol. And we took into account the influence of Casimir force on admixtures for cube and parallelepiped type volumes. In results, we showed distributions of deviations of lengths from their equilibrium values.
Security Requirements Engineering in Safety-Critical Railway Signalling Networks
Authors: Heinrich Markus , Vateva-Gurova Tsvetoslava , Arul Tolga , Katzenbeisser Stefan , Suri Neeraj , Birkholz Henk , Fuchs Andreas , Krauß Christoph , Zhdanova Maria , Kuzhiyelil Don , Tverdyshev Sergey , Schlehuber Christian
Published: July 2019

Securing a safety-critical system is a challenging task, because safety requirements have to be considered alongside security controls. We report on our experience to develop a security architecture for railway signalling systems starting from the bare safety-critical system that requires protection. We use a threat-based approach to determine security risk acceptance criteria and derive security requirements. We discuss the executed process and make suggestions for improvements. Based on the security requirements, we develop a security architecture. The architecture is based on a hardware platform that provides the resources required for safety as well as security applications and is able to run these applications of mixed-criticality (safety-critical applications and other applications run on the same device). To achieve this, we apply the MILS approach, a separation-based high-assurance security architecture to simplify the safety case and security case of our approach. We describe the assurance requirements of the separation kernel subcomponent, which represents the key component of the MILS architecture. We further discuss the security measures of our architecture that are included to protect the safety-critical application from cyberattacks.
Improving Linearity and Robustness of RF LDMOS by Mitigating Quasi-Saturation Effect
Authors: Mo Haifeng , Zhang Yaohui , Song Helun
Published: July 2019

This paper discusses linearity and robustness together for the first time, disclosing a way to improve them. It reveals that the nonlinear transconductance with device working at quasi-saturation region is significant factor of device linearity. The peak electric field is the root cause of electron velocity saturation. The high electric field at the drift region near the drain will cause more electron-hole pairs generated to trigger the parasitic NPN transistor turn-on, which may cause failure of device. Devices with different drift region doping are simulated with TCAD and measured. With LDD4 doping, the peak electric field in the drift region is reduced; the linear region of the transconductance is broadened. The adjacent channel power ratio is decreased by 2 dBc; 12% more power can be discharged before the NPN transistor turn-on, indicating a better linearity and robustness.
Lipomatous Hypertrophy: An Accidental Finding in Heart
Authors: Petrelli F. , Spagnoli L. , Aversa S. , Tripodi S. , Bellan C.
Published: July 2019

Lipomatous hypertrophy is an uncommon benign lesion of the atrium, generally asymptomatic, characterized by unencapsulated accumulation of adipose tissue entrapping cardiomyocytes. This pathology generally remains unnoticed and often emerges as an occasional finding. Here, we report two cases from our hospital including a review of the available literature.
The Influence of Electrohydrodynamic Secondary Flow on the Collection Efficiency and Deposition Pattern in ESP
Authors: Guo Jun , Ye Xinglian , Wang Shuai , Guo Baoyu , Zhang Chucheng , Su Yinbiao
Published: July 2019

Electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is widely used for dust removal from flue gas in industry. In the electrostatic precipitation, the electrohydrodynamic secondary flow (EHD) produced by corona ionization has an important influence on the characteristics of particle transport and the collection efficiency of ESP. In this work, a comprehensive ESP model with interaction of multiple physical fields is established to study the EHD effect in ESP. The numerical results show that the EHD generally can increase the streamwise velocity of airflow near the collection plate, which makes the removal performance of ESP worsen. Meanwhile, the EHD has a significant effect on the particle deposition pattern, especially at lower flue gas velocity. When the needle tip of discharge electrode points to the collection plate, the EHD can promote the circulation of airflow near the corona wire, increase the probability of particle charging, and then improve the collection efficiency of ESP.
Estimation of Dry Season Irrigation Water Abstraction in Lunsemfwa, Mulungushi, Mwomboshi, and Mkushi Subbasins from 2013 to 2017 in Zambia
Authors: Tshenyego Lamong Duke , Mulonda Kamuti , Simate Isaac Nyambe
Published: July 2019

Water abstraction depends on many variables that include the purpose for the abstraction, the location, the policies in place, and the type of water resources available for abstraction. The overall objective of this study was to estimate irrigation water abstraction from Mkushi, Mulungushi, Mwomboshi, and Lunsemfwa subbasins in Zambia. Reference evapotranspiration was determined using FAO ETo calculator and the results ranged from 6.84 mm/day to 7.02 mm/day. For this study the soils were set as described in the soil map of Zambia and put into the soil characteristic calculator to estimate their physical properties. The results estimate that a total maximum abstraction of 119,680,200 m3 was in 2013, and a minimum estimate of 74,951,400 m3 was in 2014. Wheat abstraction volumes (which were used to represent crops with higher water demand) were compared between catchments and significant differences exist when comparing Lunsemfwa catchment to Mkushi, Mulungushi, and Mwomboshi; thus there were no chances of similarity at an alpha level of 0.05. This means that Lunsemfwa catchment abstracted most irrigation water from 2013 to 2017 than the other three catchments as a result of having the largest proportion of irrigated area in the subbasin.
Activators and Inhibitors of NRF2: A Review of Their Potential for Clinical Development
Authors: Robledinos-Antón Natalia , Fernández-Ginés Raquel , Manda Gina , Cuadrado Antonio
Published: July 2019

The transcription factor NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) triggers the first line of homeostatic responses against a plethora of environmental or endogenous deviations in redox metabolism, proteostasis, inflammation, etc. Therefore, pharmacological activation of NRF2 is a promising therapeutic approach for several chronic diseases that are underlined by oxidative stress and inflammation, such as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases. A particular case is cancer, where NRF2 confers a survival advantage to constituted tumors, and therefore, NRF2 inhibition is desired. This review describes the electrophilic and nonelectrophilic NRF2 activators with clinical projection in various chronic diseases. We also analyze the status of NRF2 inhibitors, which at this time provide proof of concept for blocking NRF2 activity in cancer therapy.
Composite Materials Based on Henequen Fiber as a Thermal Barrier in the Automotive Sector
Authors: Olivares-Ramírez J. M. , Dector A. , Duarte-Moller A. , Ortega Díaz D. , Dector Diana , Cano-López J. A. , Rangel-Martínez R. , Pérez-Bueno J. J. , Castañeda-Miranda A. , Tovar-Pacheco Felipe Samuel
Published: July 2019

Currently, the automotive industry has made great advances in the incorporation of materials such as carbon fiber in high-performance cars. One of the main problems of these vehicles is warming, which is generated inside due to the heat transfer produced by solar radiation falling on the car, mainly on the roof. This research proposes the preparation of a composite material containing henequen natural fiber as a thermal barrier to be used as the roof of the car. In this research, 35 different laminates of 5 layers were prepared, combining carbon fiber, henequen natural fiber, fiberglass, and additives such as resin + Al2O3 or resin + Al. Reference samples were taken from stainless steel and one reference sample was extracted from the roof of the car. Considering the solar radiation and the heat transfer mechanisms, the temperature of the surface exposed to solar radiation was determined. The thermal conductivity of the 37 samples was determined, and the experimental results showed that the thermal conductivity of the steel with which the roof of the car is manufactured was 13.43 W·m−1·K−1 and that of the proposed laminate was 5.22 W·m−1·K−1, achieving a decrease in the thermal conductivity by 61.13%. Using the temperature and thermal conductivity data, the simulation (ANSYS) of the thermal system was performed. The results showed that the temperature inside the car with the carbon steel, which is currently used to manufacture high-performance cars, would be 62.34°C, whereas that inside the car with the proposed laminate would be 44.96°C, achieving a thermal barrier that allows a temperature difference of 17.38°C.
Brucella Periprosthetic Joint Infection Involving Bilateral Knees with Negative Synovial Fluid Alpha-Defensin
Authors: Balkhair Abdullah , Al Maskari Sultan , Ibrahim Shadin , Al Busaidi Ibrahim , Al Amin Mohammed , Ba Taher Hashim
Published: July 2019

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) due to Brucella is uncommon despite relatively high endemicity of human brucellosis and its osteoarticular predilection. We report a case of a 57-year-old woman with bacteraemic brucellosis complicated by Brucella periprosthetic infection of both knee joints occurring a decade after bilateral knee arthroplasty and associated with a negative synovial fluid alpha-defensin test. The patient was successfully treated with anti-Brucella therapy alone and without surgical revision, resulting in clinical and microbiological cure. We propose that Brucella should be considered as a possible cause of prosthetic joint infection in the appropriate clinical and epidemiological settings. A negative synovial fluid alpha-defensin (Synovasure AD test) should not be used as a rule-out test for Brucella PJI. Brucella PJI without radiological loosening may be treated conservatively and solely with antimicrobial therapy.
Review on Acoustic Droplet Vaporization in Ultrasound Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Authors: Loskutova Ksenia , Grishenkov Dmitry , Ghorbani Morteza
Published: July 2019

Acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) is the physical process in which liquid undergoes phase transition to gas after exposure to a pressure amplitude above a certain threshold. In recent years, new techniques in ultrasound diagnostics and therapeutics have been developed which utilize microformulations with various physical and chemical properties. The purpose of this review is to give the reader a general idea on how ADV can be implemented for the existing biomedical applications of droplet vaporization. In this regard, the recent developments in ultrasound therapy which shed light on the ADV are considered. Modern designs of capsules and nanodroplets (NDs) are shown, and the material choices and their implications for function are discussed. The influence of the physical properties of the induced acoustic field, the surrounding medium, and thermophysical effects on the vaporization are presented. Lastly, current challenges and potential future applications towards the implementation of the therapeutic droplets are discussed.
Waldenström Macroglobulinemia and Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: From Diagnosis to Complication
Authors: Costa Paulo Zoé , Chorão Pedro , Póvoa Andreia , Vieira Pedro , Cabrera Heidy , Mendes Orlando , Evangelista Céu
Published: July 2019

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in which cancer cells produce large amounts of an abnormal protein that can cause hyperviscosity syndrome (HVS). A 43-year-old woman with WM, who developed seizures, had a head computed tomography scan that showed signs of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Nevertheless, the value of immunoglobulin M was lower than 50 g/L, and evaluation of serum viscosity was not performed. Moreover, there was no history of bleeding, and the eye funduscopy was normal. These findings lead to think of causes of CVT other than HVS in a patient with WM.
İŞSİZLİK HİSTERİSİ Mİ? DOĞAL İŞSİZLİK ORANI MI? FARKLI KAPİTALİZM TÜRLERİ İÇİN BİR ANALİZ
Authors: BAYSAL KAR Bahar
Published: July 2019

Bu çalışmanın amacı literatürde iki ideal kapitalizm türü olarak tanımlanan liberal piyasa ekonomileri ve eşgüdümlü piyasa ekonomilerinde işsizlik davranışının doğal işsizlik oranı ile mi yoksa işsizlik histerisi ile mi açıklanacağını ampirik olarak araştırmaktır. Bu amaçla 1993-2017 dönemi için çeyrek yıllık veriler kullanılmıştır. İlk olarak, yatay kesit bağımlılığını dikkate alan panel birim kök testleri uygulanmıştır. Ardından işsizlik histerisi hipotezi olası yapısal kırılmaları dikkate alan, doğrusal birim kök testleri kullanılarak iki ülke grubu için bireysel olarak test edilmiştir. Ampirik sonuçlar eşgüdümlü piyasa ekonomileri için histeri hipotezinin ve liberal piyasa ekonomileri için doğal oran hipotezinin daha uygun hipotezler olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.
İŞYERİNDE MİZAH YOLUYLA BAŞA ÇIKMANIN ETİK LİDERLİK İLE İŞTEN AYRILMA NİYETİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİDE ÜSTLENDİĞİ ROL
Authors: OKTUĞ Bige Zeynep
Published: July 2019

Bu çalışmanın amacı, işyerinde mizah yoluyla başa çıkma becerilerinin, etik
liderlik ile işten ayrılma niyeti arasındaki ilişkide üstlendiği rolü
incelemektir. Çalışma,
iş yaşamındaki bir takım güçlüklerin aşılmasında mizahın
rolünün anlaşılması bakımından önemlidir. Araştırmanın örneklemini İstanbul’da
hizmet sektöründe faaliyet gösteren kurumlarda çalışan 192 kişi oluşturmaktadır.
Elde edilen bulgular, etik liderlik ile işten ayrılma niyeti arasında negatif
bir ilişki olduğunu göstermiştir. Yapılan hiyerarşik regresyon analizlerinin
sonuçları ise işyerinde mizah yoluyla başa çıkma eğiliminin, etik liderlik ile
işten ayrılma niyeti arasındaki ilişkide düzenleyici rol üstlendiğini ortaya
koymuştur. Etik liderliğin yüksek olduğu durumlarda, iş yerinde mizah yoluyla
başa çıkma becerilerinin işten ayrılma niyetinde bir fark yaratmadığı, ancak
etik liderliğin düşük olduğu durumlarda, çalışanların işyerinde mizah yoluyla
başa çıkma becerileri arttıkça, işten ayrılma niyetlerinin azaldığı tespit
edilmiştir.
KASTAMONU’DA MÜLK EDİNME YÖNTEMLERİ: SATIŞ-MÜZAYEDE-MÜBADELE VE HİBE (1673-1702)
Authors: KUNDAKÇI Sibel
Published: July 2019

Toplumlarda mülk sahibi olma ve
mülkün el değiştirmesi uygulamaları, insanlık tarihi kadar eskidir. Bu
uygulamaların bir Osmanlı taşra kenti olan Kastamonu’da 1673-1702 yılları
arasında nasıl gerçekleştirildiği çalışmanın konusunu oluşturmaktadır. Kastamonu
özelinde bahsi geçen yıllarda mülk edinme yöntemlerinden satış, müzayede,
mübadele ve hibe üzerinde durulacaktır. Mülkünü satmak, mübadele ya da hibe
etmek isteyen kişilerin öncelikle mahkemeye başvurması ve karşı tarafında yine
mahkemede hazır bulunması gerekirdi. Bu sebeple siciller, bu tür uygulamaları
içeren örneklerle doludur. Buradan hareketle çalışmanın kaynağını Kastamonu
Şer’iyye Sicilleri oluşturmaktadır. Sicillerde mülk edinme yöntemleriyle ilgili
belgeler kaydedilirken belli bir sistematik düzen takip edilmiştir. Bu düzenle
birlikte mülk alım-satımlarında ya da mülklerin el değiştirmesinde uygulanan
yöntem ve farklılıklar, çalışmada ele alınacak konulardır.