bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of the cardiac hypertrophic response and heart failure with ginseng, ginsenosides, and ginseng-related products
Authors: Karmazyn Morris , Gan Xiaohong Tracey
Published: May 2017

Heart failure is a major medical and economic burden throughout the world. Although various treatment options are available to treat heart failure, death rates in both men and women remain high. Potential adjunctive therapies may lie with use of herbal medications, many of which possess potent pharmacological properties. Among the most widely studied is ginseng, a member of the genus Panax that is grown in many parts of the world and that has been used as a medical treatment for a variety of conditions for thousands of years, particularly in Asian societies. There are a number of ginseng species, each possessing distinct pharmacological effects due primarily to differences in their bioactive components including saponin ginsenosides and polysaccharides. While experimental evidence for salutary effects of ginseng on heart failure is robust, clinical evidence is less so, primarily due to a paucity of large-scale well-controlled clinical trials. However, there is evidence from small trials that ginseng-containing Chinese medications such as Shenmai can offer benefit when administered as adjunctive therapy to heart failure patients. Substantial additional studies are required, particularly in the clinical arena, to provide evidence for a favourable effect of ginseng in heart failure patients.
Corrective Step-cut Osteotomy at the Affected Bone for Correction of Rotational Deformity Due to Fracture of the Middle Phalanx
Authors: Fujioka Hiroyuki , Takagi Yohei , Tanaka Juichi , Yoshiya Shinichi
Published: May 2017

Malunion at the shaft of the middle phalanx yields less functional problems compared with malunion at the shaft of the proximal phalanx and metacarpal bones. In the present report, the patient sustained a minimally displaced fracture at the distal portion of the distal middle phalanx of the ring finger spraining the finger during playing flag football. Fracture was treated conservatively and fracture union was completed. However, the patient complained of functional problems in activities of daily living due to the malrotational deformity of the finger. We treated the malrotational deformity close to the distal interphalangeal joint of the middle phalanx with step-cut osteotomy at the affected bone successfully.
APPLICATION OF CUT ALGORITHM BASED ON ALGEBRAIC CONNECTIVITY TO COMMUNITY DETECTION
Authors: ZHAO FUQIANG , ZHANG LICHAO , YANG GUIJUN , HE LI , YAN FENGYU
Published: May 2017

In the graph of a complex network, the algebraic connectivity is the second smallest eigenvalue of a Laplacian matrix. In this paper, we present a cut algorithm based on edge centrality by minimizing the algebraic connectivity of graph. The edge centrality cut algorithm (ECCA) cuts [Formula: see text] edges at a time in order to reduce temporal complexity, the algebraic connectivity of which experiences the fastest decline. To prevent nodes from overcutting, each edge sets the weight. We use the advanced ECCA (AECCA) to detect overlapping communities by calculating the correlation coefficients of the nodes. This paper also proposes upper, lower and weaker lower bounds of algebraic connectivity. We demonstrate that our algorithms are effective and accurate at discovering community structure in both artificial and real-world network data and that the algebraic connectivity of the cut algorithm lies between the upper and lower bounds. Our algorithms offer new insights into community detection by calculating the edge centrality.
ICCM2016: The Implementation of Two-Dimensional Multi-Block Lattice Boltzmann Method on GPU
Authors: Zhang Ya , Pan Guang , Huang Qiaogao
Published: May 2017

A straightforward implementation of the Multi-Block Lattice Boltzmann Method (MB-LBM) on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is presented to accelerate the simulation of fluid flows in two-dimensional geometries. The algorithm is measured in terms of both accuracy and efficiency with the benchmark cases of the lid-driven cavity flow and the flow past a circular cylinder, and satisfactory results are obtained. The results show that the performance on GPU becomes even better with the amount of data increasing. Moreover, the arrangement of the computational domain has a significant effect on the efficiency. These results demonstrate the great potential of GPU on the MB-LBM, especially when dealing with massive data.
Search Result Prefetching on Desktop and Mobile
Authors: White Ryen W. , Diaz Fernando , Guo Qi
Published: May 2017

Search result examination is an important part of searching. High page load latency for landing pages (clicked search results) can reduce the efficiency of the search process. Proactively prefetching landing pages in advance of clickthrough can save searchers valuable time. However, prefetching consumes resources (primarily bandwidth and battery) that are wasted unless the prefetched results are requested by searchers. Balancing the costs in prefetching particular results against the benefits in reduced latency to searchers represents the search result prefetching challenge. In this article, we introduce this challenge and present methods to address it in both desktop and mobile settings. Our methods leverage searchers’ cursor movements (on desktop) and viewport-based viewing behavior (on mobile) on search engine result pages (SERPs) in real time to dynamically estimate the result that searchers will request next. We demonstrate through large-scale log analysis that our approach significantly outperforms three strong baselines that prefetch results based on (i) the search engine result ranking (prefetch top-ranked results), (ii) past SERP clicks from all searchers for the query (prefetch popular results), or (iii) past SERP clicks from the current searcher for the query (prefetch results that the searcher prefers). Our promising findings have implications for the design of search support in desktop and mobile settings that makes the search process more efficient.
A Layered Approach for More Robust Generation of Road Network Maps from Vehicle Tracking Data
Authors: Karagiorgou Sophia , Pfoser Dieter , Skoutas Dimitrios
Published: May 2017

Nowadays, large amounts of tracking data are generated via GPS-enabled devices and other advanced tracking technologies. These constitute a rich source for inferring the structure of transportation networks. In this work, we present a novel methodology for revealing a road network map from vehicle trajectories. Specifically, we propose an enhanced and robust map construction algorithm that is based on segmenting the original tracking data according to different types of movement and then constructing the topology of the road network hierarchically. The segmentation produces separate road network layers, which are then fused into a single network. This provides a more efficient way to addresses the challenges imposed by noisy and low sampling rate trajectories. It also allows for a mechanism to accommodate automatic map maintenance on updates. Thus, the proposed approach overcomes the limitations of existing methods and introduces a map construction algorithm that is robust against heterogeneous and sparse data and capable to incorporate changes and improvements. An experimental evaluation extensively assesses the quality of the proposed methodology by constructing large parts of the road networks of four major cities, namely Athens, Berlin, Vienna, and Chicago, using as input GPS tracking data of utility vehicles and taxi fleets. Our results show significant improvements concerning the spatial accuracy and the quality of the constructed road network over the current state of the art.
Estimating People Flow from Spatiotemporal Population Data via Collective Graphical Mixture Models
Authors: Iwata Tomoharu , Shimizu Hitoshi , Naya Futoshi , Ueda Naonori
Published: May 2017

Thanks to the prevalence of mobile phones and GPS devices, spatiotemporal population data can be obtained easily. In this article, we propose a mixture of collective graphical models for estimating people flow from spatiotemporal population data. The spatiotemporal population data we use as input is the number of people in each grid cell area over time, which is aggregated information about many individuals; to preserve privacy, they do not contain trajectories of each individual. Therefore, it is impossible to directly estimate people flow. To overcome this problem, the proposed model assumes that transition populations are hidden variables and estimates the hidden transition populations and transition probabilities simultaneously. The proposed model can handle changes of people flow over time by segmenting time-of-day points into multiple clusters, where different clusters have different flow patterns. We develop an efficient variational Bayesian inference procedure for the collective graphical mixture model. In our experiments, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by using four real-world spatiotemporal population datasets in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Beijing.
Optimizing Tree Patterns for Querying Graph- and Tree-Structured Data
Authors: Czerwinski Wojciech , Martens Wim , Niewerth Matthias , Parys Pawel
Published: May 2017

Many of today's graph query languages are based on graph pattern matching. We investigate optimization for treeshaped patterns with transitive closure. Such patterns are quite expressive, yet can be evaluated efficiently. The minimization problem aims at reducing the number of nodes in patterns and goes back to the early 2000's. We provide an example showing that, in contrast to earlier claims, tree patterns cannot be minimized by deleting nodes only. The example resolves the M ?/= NR problem, which asks if a tree pattern is minimal if and only if it is nonredundant. The example can be adapted to also understand the complexity of minimization, which was another question that was open since the early research on the problem. Interestingly, the latter result also shows that, unless standard complexity assumptions are false, more general approaches for minimizing tree patterns are also bound to fail in some cases.
Wander Join and XDB
Authors: Li Feifei , Wu Bin , Yi Ke , Zhao Zhuoyue
Published: May 2017

Joins are expensive, and online aggregation is an effective approach to explore the tradeoff between query efficiency and accuracy in a continuous, online fashion. However, the stateof- the-art approach, in both internal and external memory, is based on ripple join, which is still very expensive and needs strong assumptions (e.g., the tuples in a table are stored in random order). This paper proposes a new approach, the wander join algorithm, to the online aggregation problem by performing random walks over the underlying join graph. We also design an optimizer that chooses the optimal plan for conducting the random walks without having to collect any statistics a priori. Selection predicates and group-by clauses can be handled as well. We have developed an online engine called XDB by integrating wander join in the latest version of PostgreSQL. Extensive experiments using the TPC-H benchmark have shown the superior performance of wander join. The XDB implementation has demonstrated its practicality in a full-fledged database system.
Scaling Machine Learning via Compressed Linear Algebra
Authors: Elgohary Ahmed , Boehm Matthias , Haas Peter J. , Reiss Frederick R. , Reinwald Berthold
Published: May 2017

Large-scale machine learning (ML) algorithms are often iterative, using repeated read-only data access and I/Obound matrix-vector multiplications to converge to an optimal model. It is crucial for performance to fit the data into single-node or distributed main memory and enable very fast matrix-vector operations on in-memory data. Generalpurpose, heavy- and lightweight compression techniques struggle to achieve both good compression ratios and fast decompression speed to enable block-wise uncompressed operations. Compressed linear algebra (CLA) avoids these problems by applying lightweight lossless database compression techniques to matrices and then executing linear algebra operations such as matrix-vector multiplication directly on the compressed representations. The key ingredients are effective column compression schemes, cache-conscious operations, and an efficient sampling-based compression algorithm. Experiments on an initial implementation in SystemML show in-memory operations performance close to the uncompressed case and good compression ratios.We thereby obtain significant end-to-end performance improvements up to 26x or reduced memory requirements.
Plant Evolution and Climate Over Geological Timescales
Authors: Boyce C. Kevin , Lee Jung-Eun
Published: May 2017

The terrestrial vegetation is unambiguously an important factor in the climate system, modulating the exchange of energy, momentum, water vapor, and other trace gases between land and atmosphere. Here, we review the evolution of the terrestrial flora from the Proterozoic through to the Neogene at three distinct scales—the overall evolution of floral composition, the evolution of plant physiology, and the evolution of landscape occupation both spatially and seasonally—all in the context of how the vegetation may have influenced climate through time and which deep-time evolutionary transitions may have had the greatest effect. Our focus is upon the direct impacts of the vegetation on temperature and precipitation, but we also consider the indirect impacts of plants on climate via atmospheric composition. We argue that the times of greatest change in plant climate feedbacks are likely to have been the Carboniferous and the early Paleogene.
The Formation of Consumer Brand Preferences
Authors: Bronnenberg Bart J. , Dubé Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2017

Brands and brand capital have long been theorized to play an important role in the formation of the industrial market structure of consumer goods industries. We summarize several striking empirical regularities in the concentration, magnitude, and persistence of brand market shares in consumer goods categories. We then survey the theoretical and empirical literatures on the formation of brand preferences and the ways in which brand preferences contribute to our understanding of these empirical regularities. We also review the literature on how brand capital creates strategic advantages to firms that own established brands.
Silicon's Role in Abiotic and Biotic Plant Stresses
Authors: Debona Daniel , Rodrigues Fabrício A. , Datnoff Lawrence E.
Published: May 2017

Silicon (Si) plays a pivotal role in the nutritional status of a wide variety of monocot and dicot plant species and helps them, whether directly or indirectly, counteract abiotic and/or biotic stresses. In general, plants with a high root or shoot Si concentration are less prone to pest attack and exhibit enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, low temperature, or metal toxicity. However, the most remarkable effect of Si is the reduction in the intensities of a number of seedborne, soilborne, and foliar diseases in many economically important crops that are caused by biotrophic, hemibiotrophic, and necrotrophic plant pathogens. The reduction in disease symptom expression is due to the effect of Si on some components of host resistance, including incubation period, lesion size, and lesion number. The mechanical barrier formed by the polymerization of Si beneath the cuticle and in the cell walls was the first proposed hypothesis to explain how this element reduced the severity of plant diseases. However, new insights have revealed that many plant species supplied with Si have the phenylpropanoid and terpenoid pathways potentiated and have a faster and stronger transcription of defense genes and higher activities of defense enzymes. Photosynthesis and the antioxidant system are also improved for Si-supplied plants. Although the current understanding of how this overlooked element improves plant reaction against pathogen infections, pest attacks, and abiotic stresses has advanced, the exact mechanism(s) by which it modulates plant physiology through the potentiation of host defense mechanisms still needs further investigation at the genomic, metabolomic, and proteomic levels.
Antifatigue Effect of Luteolin‐6‐C‐Neohesperidoside on Oxidative Stress Injury Induced by Forced Swimming of Rats through Modulation of Nrf2/ARE Signaling Pathways
Authors: Duan Fang-fang , Guo Ying , Li Jing-wan , Yuan Ke
Published: May 2017

Luteolin‐6‐C‐neohesperidoside (LN) is a flavonoid isolated from moso bamboo leaf. This study was performed to evaluate the antifatigue effect of LN on a rat model undergoing the weight‐loaded forced swimming test (FST). Briefly, male Sprague‐Dawley rats (20–22 weeks old) were forced to undertake exhaustive swimming every other day for 3 weeks. Each swimming session was followed by the administration of distilled water, LN (25–75 mg/kg), or ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg) 1 h later. Oral administration of LN significantly improved exercise endurance; normalized alterations in energy metabolic markers; and decreased serum lactic acid, lactate dehydrogenase, and blood urea nitrogen levels of rats that underwent FST. Moreover, LN enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant capacity, as measured by enzyme activity assays, RT‐PCR, and Western blotting, as well as decreasing the levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), and IL‐6 and increasing the level of anti‐inflammatory (IL‐10) in the liver and skeletal muscle. These results suggested that LN reduces both physical and mental effects of chronic fatigue, probably by attenuating oxidative stress injury and inflammatory responses in the liver and skeletal muscle. This study thus supports the use of LN in functional foods for antifatigue and antioxidant effects.
Low Molecular Weight Heparin Nebulization Attenuates Acute Lung Injury
Authors: Xie Nianlin , Huan Menglei , Tian Feng , Gu Zhongping , Li Xiaofei
Published: May 2017

Background. As acute lung injury (ALI) caused high mortality rate, it is important to explore the protection and treatment of ALI. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) nebulization on attenuating acute lung injury and the associated mechanism. Methods. The arterial blood gas, total protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung wet/dry weight ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and Akt phosphorylation were evaluated after the ALI rabbits were treated with or without LMWH nebulization. Results. PaO2 was increased and lung wet/dry weight ratio as well as total protein content in BALF was decreased after LMWH nebulization. After the application of LMWH nebulization therapy, the SOD and GSH-Px activity was rebounded and the increase of MDA content was significantly inhibited. The Akt protein phosphorylation level was decreased after LMWH nebulization therapy. Conclusions. LMWH nebulization treatment can relieve the traumatic ALI in rabbits and inhibit oxidative stress possibly by suppressing the Akt phosphorylation.
MicroRNA-16-5p Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis in Giant Cell Tumor of Bone
Authors: Sang Shang , Zhang Zhichang , Qin Shu , Li Changwei , Dong Yang
Published: May 2017

Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is an aggressive skeletal tumor characterized by localized bone resorption. MicroRNA-16-5p (miR-16-5p) has been reported to be downregulated in lesions of patients with GCT, but little is known about its role in GCT. To explore the underlying function of miR-16-5p in GCT, we first detected its expression in patients with GCT. The results showed that osteoclast formation increased, whereas miR-16-5p expression considerably decreased with the severity of bone destruction. Furthermore, we found that miR-16-5p expression considerably decreased with the progression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand- (RANKL-) induced osteoclastogenesis. Functionally, miR-16-5p mimics significantly reduced RANKL-induced osteoclast formation. However, treatment with an inhibitor of miR-16-5p significantly promoted osteoclastogenesis. These findings reveal that miR-16-5p inhibits osteoclastogenesis and that it may represent a therapeutic target for giant cell tumor of bone.
Distinct Roles of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Shi Juan , Li Feng , Luo Meihui , Wei Jun , Liu Xiaoming
Published: May 2017

Wnt signaling pathways are tightly controlled under a physiological condition, under which they play key roles in many biological functions, including cell fate specification and tissue regeneration. Increasing lines of evidence recently demonstrated that a dysregulated activation of Wnt signaling, particularly the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, was involved in the pathogenesis of chronic pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this respect, Wnt signaling interacts with other cellular signaling pathways to regulate the initiation and pathogenic procedures of airway inflammation and remodeling, pulmonary myofibroblast proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and development of emphysema. Intriguingly, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is activated in IPF; an inhibition of this signaling leads to an alleviation of pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in experimental models. Conversely, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is inactivated in COPD tissues, and its reactivation results in an amelioration of airspace enlargement with a restored alveolar epithelial structure and function in emphysema models. These studies thus imply distinct mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of these two chronic pulmonary diseases, indicating potential targets for COPD and IPF treatments. This review article aims to summarize the involvement and pathogenic roles of Wnt signaling pathways in the COPD and IPF, with a focus on the implication of Wnt/β-catenin signaling as underlying mechanisms and therapeutic targets in these two incurable diseases.
Access Point Backhaul Resource Aggregation as a Many-to-One Matching Game in Wireless Local Area Networks
Authors: Hassine Kawther , Frikha Mounir , Chahed Tijani
Published: May 2017

This paper studies backhaul bandwidth aggregation in the context of a wireless local area network composed of two different types of access points: those with spare backhaul capacity (which we term providers) and those in shortage of it (beneficiaries); the aim is to transfer excess capacity from providers to beneficiaries. We model the system as a matching game with many-to-one setting wherein several providers can be matched to one beneficiary and adopt the so-called deferred acceptance algorithm to reach an optimal and stable solution. We consider two flavors, when the beneficiaries are limited in their resource demands and when they are not, and two scenarios, when resources are abundant and when they are scarce. Our results show that the many-to-one setting outperforms the one-to-one case in terms of overall throughput gain, resource usage, and individual beneficiaries satisfaction by up to 50%, whether resources are scarce or abundant. As of the limited versus nonlimited case, the former ensures more fair sharing of spectral resources and higher satisfaction percentage between beneficiaries.
Cross-Layer Design for Downlink Scheduling Combined with Call Admission Control in Wireless Networks
Authors: Arunachalam Manikandan , Kandasamy Balasubadra
Published: May 2017

Scheduling with admission control is proposed based on the integration of the parameters of physical layer and MAC layer called cross-layer design. To achieve the throughput, resource allocation is carried out based on the adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) in the physical layer and scheduling in MAC layer with rate adaptation. When link adaptation is applied, the total energy consumed will be reduced, which will lead to the optimization. Here the physical layer and MAC layer parameters are jointly analyzed to achieve the cross-layer integration for the proposed problem. Based on this cross-layer integration the packet delay and throughput of the multiuser system are analyzed. All the simulations were carried out in 3G simulation environment like Qualnet and Network Simulator and results were presented.
Numerical Study on Turbulent Forced Convection and Heat Transfer Characteristic in a Circular Tube with V-Orifice
Authors: Jedsadaratanachai Withada , Boonloi Amnart
Published: May 2017

Performance assessments on heat transfer, pressure loss, and thermal enhancement factor in the circular tube heat exchanger inserted with the V-orifices are investigated numerically. The influences of the blockage ratio, gap spacing ratio, and orifice arrangement are reported for turbulent regime, Re=3000–10,000. The finite volume method and SIMPLE algorithm are selected to solve the present problem. The mechanisms on flow and heat transfer characteristics are described. The periodic concepts on flow and heat transfer are also studied. The numerical results show that the gap spacing ratio is main reason for the changes of the flow and heat transfer topologies. The gap distance helps to adjust the optimum point of the thermal performance, especially at high flow blockage ratio. In addition, the optimum thermal performance of the present system is around 2.25 at the lowest Reynolds number, Re=3000.
Environmental Factors That Influence Stem Cell Migration: An “Electric Field”
Authors: Iwasa Stephanie N. , Babona-Pilipos Robart , Morshead Cindi M.
Published: May 2017

Environmental Stimulus of Electric Fields on Stem Cell Migration.The movement of cells in response to electric potential gradients is called galvanotaxis. In vivo galvanotaxis, powered by endogenous electric fields (EFs), plays a critical role during development and wound healing. This review aims to provide a perspective on how stem cells transduce EFs into directed migration and an understanding of the current literature relating to the mechanisms by which cells sense and transduce EFs. We will comment on potential EF-based regenerative medicine therapeutics.
The Preventive Control of Zoonotic Visceral Leishmaniasis: Efficacy and Economic Evaluation
Authors: Shimozako Helio Junji , Wu Jianhong , Massad Eduardo
Published: May 2017

Zoonotic Visceral Leishmaniasis (ZVL) is one of the world’s deadliest and neglected infectious diseases, according to World Health Organization. This disease is one of major human and veterinary medical significance. The sandfly and the reservoir in urban areas remain among the major challenges for the control activities. In this paper, we evaluated five control strategies (positive dog elimination, insecticide impregnated dog collar, dog vaccination, dog treatment, and sandfly population control), considering disease control results and cost-effectiveness. We elaborated a mathematical model based on a set of differential equations in which three populations were represented (human, dog, and sandfly). Humans and dogs were divided into susceptible, latent, clinically ill, and recovery categories. Sandflies were divided into noninfected, infected, and infective. As the main conclusions, the insecticide impregnated dog collar was the strategy that presented the best combination between disease control and cost-effectiveness. But, depending on the population target, the control results and cost-effectiveness of each strategy may differ. More and detailed studies are needed, specially one which optimizes the control considering more than one strategy in activity.
Exosomes Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Relieve Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Mice
Authors: Mao Fei , Wu Yunbing , Tang Xudong , Kang Jingjing , Zhang Bin , Yan Yongmin , Qian Hui , Zhang Xu , Xu Wenrong
Published: May 2017

Exosomes secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown repairing effects on several tissue injury diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of exosomes released from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) on the treatment of dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to explore the underlying mechanism. We found that indocyanine green (ICG) labeled exosomes homed to colon tissues of IBD mice at 12 hours after injection. Exosomes significantly relieved the severity of IBD in mice as hucMSCs. The expression of IL-10 gene was increased while that of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, and IL-7 genes was decreased in the colon tissues and spleens of exosomes-treated mice. Furthermore, the infiltration of macrophages into the colon tissues was decreased by exosome treatment in IBD mice. In addition, we provided evidence that in vitro coculture with exosomes inhibited the expression of iNOS and IL-7 in mouse enterocoelia macrophages. Moreover, we found that the expression of IL-7 was higher in the colon tissues of colitis patients than that of healthy controls. Our findings suggest that exosomes from hucMSCs have profound effects on alleviating DSS-induced IBD and may exert their impact through the modulation of IL-7 expression in macrophages.
The Clinical Application of Raman Spectroscopy for Breast Cancer Detection
Authors: Gao Pin , Han Bing , Du Ye , Zhao Gang , Yu Zhigang , Xu Weiqing , Zheng Chao , Fan Zhimin
Published: May 2017

Raman spectroscopy has been widely used as an important clinical tool for real-time in vivo cancer diagnosis. Raman information can be obtained from whole organisms and tissues, at the cellular level and at the biomolecular level. The aim of this paper is to review the newest developments of Raman spectroscopy in the field of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Raman spectroscopy can distinguish malignant tissues from noncancerous/normal tissues and can assess tumor margins or sentinel lymph nodes during an operation. At the cellular level, Raman spectra can be used to monitor the intracellular processes occurring in blood circulation. At the biomolecular level, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy techniques may help detect the biomarker on the tumor surface as well as evaluate the efficacy of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, Raman images reveal an inhomogeneous distribution of different compounds, especially proteins, lipids, microcalcifications, and their metabolic products, in cancerous breast tissues. Information about these compounds may further our understanding of the mechanisms of breast cancer.
Anti-Skin Cancer Activities of Apostichopus japonicus Extracts from Low-Temperature Ultrasonification Process
Authors: Kim Nam Young , Choi Woon Yong , Heo Soo Jin , Kang Do Hyung , Lee Hyeon Yong
Published: May 2017

Objectives. This work aimed to enhance anti-skin cancer activities of Apostichopus japonicus, spiky sea cucumber, through ultrasonification extraction process at low temperature. Methods. Dried Apostichopus japonicus was extracted with an ultrasonification process at 50°C and 95 kHz for two hours (UE), and anti-skin cancer activities of the extract from the UE were also compared with those from conventional extraction processes using hot water (WE) or 70% ethanol at 80°C (EE) for 12 hours. Results. The amount of canthaxanthin in the UE was higher than that in the WE or EE, and its cytotoxicity against human keratinocytes was less than the others. The extract from the UE showed 93.5% inhibition against human malignant cell growth, which was also higher than those from both WE and EE. The extract from the UE demonstrated the ability of inhibiting both cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by downregulating the skin tumor-promoting genes such as Bcl-2, STAT3, and MMP-9. Conclusions. The ultrasonification process was proved to be effective especially in extracting heat-sensitive marine biomass, A. japonicus having higher amounts of canthaxanthin and better anti-skin cancer activities, possibly due to less destruction and high elution of bioactive substances under low temperature extraction condition.
Advanced Role of Neutrophils in Common Respiratory Diseases
Authors: Liu Jinping , Pang Zhiqiang , Wang Guoqiang , Guan Xuewa , Fang Keyong , Wang Ziyan , Wang Fang
Published: May 2017

Respiratory diseases, always being a threat towards the health of people all over the world, are most tightly associated with immune system. Neutrophils serve as an important component of immune defense barrier linking innate and adaptive immunity. They participate in the clearance of exogenous pathogens and endogenous cell debris and play an essential role in the pathogenesis of many respiratory diseases. However, the pathological mechanism of neutrophils remains complex and obscure. The traditional roles of neutrophils in severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), pneumonia, lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis had already been reviewed. With the development of scientific research, the involvement of neutrophils in respiratory diseases is being brought to light with emerging data on neutrophil subsets, trafficking, and cell death mechanism (e.g., NETosis, apoptosis) in diseases. We reviewed all these recent studies here to provide you with the latest advances about the role of neutrophils in respiratory diseases.
Metastasis-Associated Protein 1 Is Involved in Angiogenesis after Transarterial Chemoembolization Treatment
Authors: Xue Tao , Feng Wenming , Yu Hongbin , Zhu Ming , Fei Maoyun , Bao Ying , Wang Xiaoyi , Ma Wenxue , Lv Guiyuan , Guan Jianming , Chen Suhong
Published: May 2017

Background. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), a well-established treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), blocks the arterial blood supply to the tumor, which can be short-lived as development of collateral neovessels, leading to the failure of treatment. Metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) is involved in development of tumors and metastases. However, the role of MTA1 in angiogenesis is still obscure. Methods. We detected the expression of MTA1 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and microvessel density (MVD) value in liver tumor tissues and tumor periphery before and after TACE treatment. Hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, tube formation assay, and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay were applied to explore the mechanism of MTA1 in angiogenesis. Results. We found that expression of MTA1 increased after TACE treatment, especially in tumor periphery, which was accompanied by markedly elevated MVD value, indicating a significant correlation between MTA1 and MVD value. Moreover, MTA1 contributed to neovascularization of residual tumors. Cellular experiments further revealed that MTA1 increased the stability and the expression of HIF-1α, and overexpression of MTA1 enhanced tube formation and neovessels of chick embryos. Conclusions. MTA1 is an active angiogenic regulator; our results shed light on better understanding in neovascularization, which are helpful to predict prognosis of TACE, and provide evidences for intervention to improve therapeutic effects on HCC.
Gastrointestinal Bleeding Is an Independent Risk Factor for Poor Prognosis in GIST Patients
Authors: Liu Qi , Li Yuji , Dong Ming , Kong Fanmin , Dong Qi
Published: May 2017

A retrospective analysis of prognosis of GIST was used to assess the prognostic effects of hemorrhage of digestive tract induced by mucosal invasion of primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors and related mechanisms. The conclusion is that GISTs with gastrointestinal hemorrhage are more likely to recur, which indicates poor prognosis. Therefore, gastrointestinal hemorrhage may be used as a significant indicator to assess the prognosis of patients.
The Roles of Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Liver Metastasis and Therapeutic Approaches
Authors: Lee Joo Han , Lee Seong-Wook
Published: May 2017

Metastasis is a highly complicated and sequential process in which primary cancer spreads to secondary organic sites. Liver is a well-known metastatic organ from colorectal cancer. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is expressed in most gastrointestinal, breast, and lung cancer cells. Overexpression of CEA is closely associated with liver metastasis, which is the main cause of death from colorectal cancer. CEA is widely used as a diagnostic and prognostic tumor marker in cancer patients. It affects many steps of liver metastasis from colorectal cancer cells. CEA inhibits circulating cancer cell death. CEA also binds to heterogeneous nuclear RNA binding protein M4 (hnRNP M4), a Kupffer cell receptor protein, and activates Kupffer cells to secrete various cytokines that change the microenvironments for the survival of colorectal cancer cells in the liver. CEA also activates cell adhesion-related molecules. The close correlation between CEA and cancer has spurred the exploration of many CEA-targeted approaches as anticancer therapeutics. Understanding the detailed functions and mechanisms of CEA in liver metastasis will provide great opportunities for the improvement of anticancer approaches against colorectal cancers. In this report, the roles of CEA in liver metastasis and CEA-targeting anticancer modalities are reviewed.
Multiplicative Noise Removal Based on the Linear Alternating Direction Method for a Hybrid Variational Model
Authors: Hao Yan , Xu Jianlou , Zhang Fengyun , Zhang Xiaobo
Published: May 2017

To preserve the edge, multiplicative noise removal models based on the total variation regularization have been widely studied, but they suffer from the staircase effect. In this paper, to preserve the edge and reduce the staircase effect, we develop a hybrid variational model based on the variable splitting method for multiplicative noise removal; the new model is a strictly convex objective function which contains the total variation regularization and a modified regularization term. We use the linear alternative direction method to find the minimal solution and also give the convergence proof of the proposed algorithm. Experimental results verify that the proposed model can obtain the better results for removing the multiplicative noise compared with the recent method.
Anomalous Papillary Muscle Insertion Causing Dynamic Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction without Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Korabathina Ravi , Chiu Katherine , van Gelder Hugh M. , Labovitz Arthur
Published: May 2017

Anomalous papillary muscle insertion directly into the surface of the mitral valve leaflet is rare, especially in a subject without apparent evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We present a case of this isolated congenital malformation producing two hemodynamic sequelae of dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and severe mitral regurgitation.
Models in Translational Oncology: A Public Resource Database for Preclinical Cancer Research
Authors: Galuschka Claudia , Proynova Rumyana , Roth Benjamin , Augustin Hellmut G. , Müller-Decker Karin
Published: May 2017

The devastating diseases of human cancer are mimicked in basic and translational cancer research by a steadily increasing number of tumor models, a situation requiring a platform with standardized reports to share model data. Models in Translational Oncology (MiTO) database was developed as a unique Web platform aiming for a comprehensive overview of preclinical models covering genetically engineered organisms, models of transplantation, chemical/physical induction, or spontaneous development, reviewed here. MiTO serves data entry for metastasis profiles and interventions. Moreover, cell lines and animal lines including tool strains can be recorded. Hyperlinks for connection with other databases and file uploads as supplementary information are supported. Several communication tools are offered to facilitate exchange of information. Notably, intellectual property can be protected prior to publication by inventor-defined accessibility of any given model. Data recall is via a highly configurable keyword search. Genome editing is expected to result in changes of the spectrum of model organisms, a reason to open MiTO for species-independent data. Registered users may deposit own model fact sheets (FS). MiTO experts check them for plausibility. Independently, manually curated FS are provided to principle investigators for revision and publication. Importantly, noneditable versions of reviewed FS can be cited in peer-reviewed journals. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2557–63. ©2017 AACR.
Acute Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation after Oxaliplatin Infusion
Authors: Waddle Mark , Irvin Myra , Gupta Eva , Gibbs Martin , Kakar Tanya S. , Gannon Nicole A. , Arthurs Jennifer R. , Fischer Deborah L. , Ailawadhi Sikander
Published: May 2017

Oxaliplatin is one of the most commonly used drugs for patients with colorectal cancer. It has rarely been associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) with only 3 previously reported cases. In all those instances, the patients had started receiving oxaliplatin, developed evidence of DIC during the course of planned treatment, and recovered with supportive care. We report a case of a 71-year-old man with colorectal cancer treated successfully with an oxaliplatin-based regimen who had disease relapse after 3 years. When treated again with oxaliplatin, he developed signs of an acute hypersensitivity reaction, and eventually had signs and symptoms consistent with DIC despite appropriate management. This case is unique in that a DIC reaction evolving from a hypersensitivity reaction occurred after the patient had already tolerated the drug years earlier. It suggests a possible immune-mediated etiology to this rare occurrence that should be kept in mind while utilizing this commonly employed drug.
Predictors of Loss to Follow-Up among Children with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Shoemaker Ashley , Cheng Peiyao , Gal Robin L. , Kollman Craig , Tamborlane William V. , Klingensmith Georgeanna J. , Clements Mark A. , Hannon Tamara S. , Heptulla Rubina , Less Joane , Wood Jamie ,   for the Pediatric Diabetes Consortium
Published: May 2017

Background/Aims: Youth with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have poor compliance with medical care. This study aimed to determine which demographic and clinical factors differ between youth with T2D who receive care in a pediatric diabetes center versus youth lost to follow-up for >18 months. Methods: Data were analyzed from 496 subjects in the Pe­diatric Diabetes Consortium registry. Enrollment variables were selected a priori and analyzed with univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: After a median of 1.3 years from enrollment, 55% of patients were lost to follow-up. The final model included age, race/ethnicity, parent education, and estimated distance to study site. The odds ratio (99% confidence interval) of loss to follow-up was 2.87 (1.34, 6.16) for those aged 15 to <18 years versus those aged 10 to <13 years and 6.57 (2.67, 16.15) for those aged ≥18 years versus those aged 10 to <13 years. Among patients living more than 50 miles from the clinic, the odds ra tio of loss to follow-up was 3.11 (1.14, 8.49) versus those living within 5 miles of the site. Conclusion: Older adolescents with T2D are more likely to be lost to follow-up, but other socioeconomic factors were not significant predictors of clinic follow-up.
Novel Insights in Fetal Cardiomyopathy due to in utero Herpes Simplex Virus Infection
Authors: Pahlitzsch Tamara Margit Jutta , Helbig Elisa Theresa , Sarioglu Nanette , Hinkson Larry , von Weizsäcker Katharina , Henrich Wolfgang
Published: May 2017

This is a case report of fatal cardiomyopathy in a fetus following maternal intrauterine infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV), despite the mother having no symptoms of an infection. The fetus showed signs of a disseminated infection affecting the heart, brain, lungs, liver, adrenal glands, and skin. HSV cardiomyopathy, characterized by vast necrosis, extensive calcifications, and inflammatory infiltration, was found to be the cause of intrauterine fetal death. To our knowledge, this is a unique report of an asymptomatic maternal nonprimary or recurrent HSV infection that induced a transmission of HSV resulting in extensive and fatal changes in the fetal heart.
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation Increases GAP-43 Expression via ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt Pathways in Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Cui Jianzhong , Cui Changmeng , Cui Ying , Li Ran , Sheng Huaxin , Jiang Xiaohua , Tian Yanxia , Wang Kaijie , Gao Junling
Published: May 2017

Background/Aims: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) occurs in hypertensive patients and results in high rates of mortality and disability. This study determined whether bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation affects axonal regeneration and examined the underlying mechanisms after the administration of PD98059 (p-ERK1/2 inhibitor) or/ and LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor). The hypothesis that was intended to be tested was that BMSC transplantation regulates the expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) via the ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Methods: Seventy-five male rats (250–280 g) were subjected to intracerebral blood injection and then randomly received a vehicle, BMSCs, PD98059 or LY294002 treatment. Neurological deficits were evaluated prior to injury and at 1, 3 and 7 days post-injury. The expression of GAP-43, Akt, p-Akt, ERK1/2, and p-ERK1/2 proteins was measured by western blot analysis. Results: BMSC transplantation attenuated neurological deficits 3-7 days post-ICH. The expression of GAP-43 was increased 3 days following BMSC transplantation. However, this increase was inhibited by either PD98059 or LY294002 treatment. Treatment with both PD98059 and LY294002 was more effective than was treatment with an individual compound. Conclusion: BMSC transplantation could attenuate neurological deficits and activate axonal regeneration in this rat ICH model. The protective effects might be associated with increased GAP-43 expression by activating both the ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.
Preliminary genetic data suggest the occurrence of the Balkan water frog, Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, in southwestern Poland
Authors: Kolenda Krzysztof , Pietras-Lebioda Agnieszka , Hofman Sebastian , Ogielska Maria , Pabijan Maciej
Published: May 2017

Recent molecular studies have detected the occurrence of exotic water frog species (Pelophylaxsp.) in central and western European populations. Here, we report genetic evidence for the occurrence of the Balkan water frog,Pelophylax kurtmuelleri, in southwestern Poland. We found a high frequency of an allele of serum albumin intron-1 and a mitochondrial cytochromebhaplotype specific for this southern taxon in frogs from the Barycz river drainage system. We interpret this finding as evidence of admixture betweenP. kurtmuelleriand the localridibundus-esculentuswater frog population. The origin of the exoticP. kurtmuellerimitochondrial and nuclear alleles in southwestern Poland could be due to (i) hybridization after a human-mediated introduction ofP. kurtmuelleri, (ii) the persistence of ancestral polymorphism in central EuropeanP. ridibundus, or (iii) hybridization betweenP. kurtmuelleriandP. ridibundusin the Balkans followed by the northward expansion of admixedP. ridibundus. Identical mtDNA haplotypes found in southwestern Poland and localities on the borders between Greece, Albania and Macedonia suggest that this region harboured the source population ofP. kurtmuelleriat the studied site.
Craig S. Keener’s Spirit Hermeneutics
Authors: Aker Ben
Published: May 2017

In this review article of Craig Keener’s Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in the Light of Pentecost, Ben Aker, who is Keener’s former professor, raises fundamental theological questions that lie beneath the legitimacy of the Classical Pentecostal reading of Acts 2, suggesting that the Spirit is equally active in the process of salvation and in the empowerment for mission. Although Keener is commended for his attention to contextualization, the article questions whether a more practical theology is not still needed.