bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnesium protects against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by regulating platinum accumulation
Authors: Solanki Malvika H. , Chatterjee Prodyot K. , Gupta Madhu , Xue Xiangying , Plagov Andrei , Metz Margot H. , Mintz Rachel , Singhal Pravin C. , Metz Christine N.
Published: June 2014

Despite its success as a potent antineoplastic agent, ∼25% of patients receiving cisplatin experience acute kidney injury (AKI) and must discontinue therapy. Impaired magnesium homeostasis has been linked to cisplatin-mediated AKI, and because magnesium deficiency is widespread, we examined the effect of magnesium deficiency and replacement on cisplatin-induced AKI in physiologically relevant older female mice. Magnesium deficiency significantly increased cisplatin-associated weight loss and markers of renal damage (plasma blood urea nitrogen and creatinine), histological changes, inflammation, and renal cell apoptosis and modulated signaling pathways (e.g., ERK1/2, p53, and STAT3). Conversely, these damaging effects were reversed by magnesium. Magnesium deficiency alone significantly induced basal and cisplatin-mediated oxidative stress, whereas magnesium replacement attenuated these effects. Similar results were observed using cisplatin-treated LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells exposed to various magnesium concentrations. Magnesium deficiency significantly amplified renal platinum accumulation, whereas magnesium replacement blocked the augmented platinum accumulation after magnesium deficiency. Increased renal platinum accumulation during magnesium deficiency was accompanied by reduced renal efflux transporter expression, which was reversed by magnesium replacement. These findings demonstrate the role of magnesium in regulating cisplatin-induced AKI by enhancing oxidative stress and thus promoting cisplatin-mediated damage. Additional in vitro experiments using ovarian, breast, and lung cancer cell lines showed that magnesium supplementation did not compromise cisplatin's chemotherapeutic efficacy. Finally, because no consistently successful therapy to prevent or treat cisplatin-mediated AKI is available for humans, these results support developing more conservative magnesium replacement guidelines for reducing cisplatin-induced AKI in cancer patients at risk for magnesium deficiency.
Dendritic spine heterogeneity and calcium dynamics in basolateral amygdala principal neurons
Authors: Power John M. , Sah Pankaj
Published: June 2014

Glutamatergic synapses on pyramidal neurons are formed on dendritic spines where glutamate activates ionotropic receptors, and calcium influx via N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors leads to a localized rise in spine calcium that is critical for the induction of synaptic plasticity. In the basolateral amygdala, activation of metabotropic receptors is also required for synaptic plasticity and amygdala-dependent learning. Here, using acute brain slices from rats, we show that, in basolateral amygdala principal neurons, high-frequency synaptic stimulation activates metabotropic glutamate receptors and raises spine calcium by releasing calcium from inositol trisphosphate-sensitive calcium stores. This spine calcium release is unevenly distributed, being present in proximal spines, but largely absent in more distal spines. Activation of metabotropic receptors also generated calcium waves that differentially invaded spines as they propagated toward the soma. Dendritic wave invasion was dependent on diffusional coupling between the spine and parent dendrite which was determined by spine neck length, with waves preferentially invading spines with short necks. Spine calcium is a critical trigger for the induction of synaptic plasticity, and our findings suggest that calcium release from inositol trisphosphate-sensitive calcium stores may modulate homosynaptic plasticity through store-release in the spine head, and heterosynaptic plasticity of unstimulated inputs via dendritic calcium wave invasion of the spine head.
Jejunal Cancer withWRNMutation Identified from Next-Generation Sequencing: A Case Study and Minireview
Authors: Chang Christopher , Shiah Her-Shyong , Hsu Nan-Yung , Huang Hsiu-Ying , Chu Jan-Show , Yen Yun
Published: June 2014

Small bowel cancer is a rare, gastrointestinal cancer originating from the small intestines. Carcinogenesis in the jejunum, the middle segment of the small intestines, occurs less commonly than in the duodenum and ileum. Despite the increasing incidences globally, the cancer is still poorly understood, which includes lack of pathological understanding and etiological reasoning, as it seems to exhibit both similarities and differences with other types of cancers. A 76-year-old Asian man was presented with abdominal pain, which was later attributed to an adenocarcinoma in the jejunum. Initial immunoreactive staining results found no connections to colorectal cancer. The microsatellite instability test was further examined by immunohistochemistry which revealed them to be wild-type. From our exome-capture sequencing results, mutations ofWRNmay be important as they represent the only genetic defect in this jejunal cancer. The patient has since undergone surgical resection of his cancer and is currently being treated with chemotherapy. The pathology, genomic markers, and treatments are described along with literature review.
Online Monitoring of Water-Quality Anomaly in Water Distribution Systems Based on Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis by UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Hou Dibo , Liu Shu , Zhang Jian , Chen Fang , Huang Pingjie , Zhang Guangxin
Published: June 2014

This study proposes a probabilistic principal component analysis- (PPCA-) based method for online monitoring of water-quality contaminant events by UV-Vis (ultraviolet-visible) spectroscopy. The purpose of this method is to achieve fast and sound protection against accidental and intentional contaminate injection into the water distribution system. The method is achieved first by properly imposing a sliding window onto simultaneously updated online monitoring data collected by the automated spectrometer. The PPCA algorithm is then executed to simplify the large amount of spectrum data while maintaining the necessary spectral information to the largest extent. Finally, a monitoring chart extensively employed in fault diagnosis field methods is used here to search for potential anomaly events and to determine whether the current water-quality is normal or abnormal. A small-scale water-pipe distribution network is tested to detect water contamination events. The tests demonstrate that the PPCA-based online monitoring model can achieve satisfactory results under the ROC curve, which denotes a low false alarm rate and high probability of detecting water contamination events.
Studies on Longer Wavelength Type II Radio Bursts Associated with Flares and CMEs during the Rise and Decay Phase of 23rd Solar Cycle
Authors: Vasanth V. , Umapathy S.
Published: June 2014

A statistical study on the properties of CMEs and flares associated with DH-type II bursts in the 23rd solar cycle during the period 1997–2008 is carried out. A sample of 229 events from our recent work is used for the present study (Vasanth and Umapathy, 2013). The collected events are divided into two groups as (i) solar cycle rise phase events and (ii) solar cycle decay phase events. The properties of CMEs in the two groups were compared and the results are presented. It is noted that there is no difference in the properties of type II burst like start frequency and end frequency between the solar cycle rise phase events and decay phase events. The mean CME speed of solar cycle decay phase events (1373 km s−1) is slightly higher than the solar cycle rise phase events (1058 km s−1). The mean CME acceleration of solar cycle decay phase events (−15.18 m s−2) is found to be higher than that of the solar cycle rise phase events (−1.32 m s−2). There exists good correlation between (i) CME speed and width and (ii) CME speed and acceleration for solar cycle decay phase events (R=0.79, R=-0.80) compared to solar cycle rise phase events (R=0.60, R=-0.57). These results indicate that the type II bursts parameters do not depend upon the time of appearance in the solar cycle.
Analysis of Multiple Structural Changes in Financial Contagion Based on the Largest Lyapunov Exponents
Authors: Wang Rui , Hui Xiaofeng , Zhang Xuechao
Published: June 2014

A modified multiple structural changes model is built to test structural breaks of the financial system based on calculating the largest Lyapunov exponents of the financial time series. Afterwards, the Lorenz system is used as a simulation example to inspect the new model. As the Lorenz system has strong nonlinearity, the verification results show that the new model has good capability in both finding the breakpoint and revealing the changes in nonlinear characteristics of the time series. The empirical study based on the model used daily data from the S&P 500 stock index during the global financial crisis from 2005 to 2012. The results provide four breakpoints of the period, which divide the contagion into four stages: stationary, local outbreak, global outbreak, and recovery period. An additional significant result is the obvious chaos characteristic difference in the largest Lyapunov exponents and the standard deviation at various stages, particularly at the local outbreak stage.
Numerical Investigation on Supercritical Heat Transfer of RP3 Kerosene Flowing inside a Cooling Channel of Scramjet
Authors: Wang Ning , Pan Yu , Bao Heng , Zhou Jin
Published: June 2014

Supercritical convective heat transfer characteristics of hydrocarbon fuel play a fundamental role in the active cooling technology of scramjet. In this paper, a 2D-axisymmetric numerical study of supercritical heat transfer of RP3 flowing inside the cooling channels of scramjet has been conducted. The main thermophysical properties of RP3, including density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity, are obtained from experimental data, while viscosity is evaluated from a commercial code with a ten-species surrogate. Effects of heat flux, mass flow rate, and inlet temperature on supercritical heat transfer processes have been investigated. Results indicate that when the wall temperature rises above the pseudocritical temperature of RP3, heat transfer coefficient decreases as a result of drastic decrease of the specific heat. The conventional heat transfer correlations, that is, Gnielinski formula, are no longer proper for the supercritical heat transfer of RP3. The modified Jackson and Hall formula, which was proposed for supercritical CO2 and water, gives good prediction except when the wall temperature is near or higher than the pseudocritical temperature.
Use of Active Learning to Design Wind Tunnel Runs for Unsteady Cavity Pressure Measurements
Authors: Srivastava Ankur , Meade Andrew J.
Published: June 2014

Wind tunnel tests to measure unsteady cavity flow pressure measurements can be expensive, lengthy, and tedious. In this work, the feasibility of an active machine learning technique to design wind tunnel runs using proxy data is tested. The proposed active learning scheme used scattered data approximation in conjunction with uncertainty sampling (US). We applied the proposed intelligent sampling strategy in characterizing cavity flow classes at subsonic and transonic speeds and demonstrated that the scheme has better classification accuracies, using fewer training points, than a passive Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) strategy.
Fixed Points and Stability of a Class of Integrodifferential Equations
Authors: Pi Dingheng
Published: June 2014

We study a class of integrodifferential functional differential equations with variable delay. By using the fixed point theory, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions ensuring that the zero solution of this equation is asymptotically stable.
A Study on Process Design of Automobile Parts Using Extruded Material by Die Forming
Authors: Kim Dae Up , Choi Young , Kang Bong Yong , Park Joon Hong , Yeo Hong Tae , Kim Jae Hun , Park Sang Woo
Published: June 2014

Currently, the use of aluminum alloy which is light weighted is increasing. Extruded aluminum profiles are used as automobile frame parts for higher stiffness and light weight. However, few studies have been performed on die forming technology of extruded materials which productivity can be much increased with. In this study, die forming processes with precision dies have been designed to manufacture automobile control arm and subframe parts using aluminum extruded profiles. Computer aided analyses have been conducted for the designed processes by the commercial FEM code, DEFORM-3D. From the results of the computational analysis, process planning and forming analysis will be completed by using the extruded profiles. And then, forming dies for each process were designed and pilot products of subframe parts and control arms were manufactured by the verified forming process. In addition, some of the important features of design parameters in the die forming were investigated.
A GreyNGM(1,1,k)Self-Memory Coupling Prediction Model for Energy Consumption Prediction
Authors: Guo Xiaojun , Liu Sifeng , Wu Lifeng , Tang Lingling
Published: June 2014

Energy consumption prediction is an important issue for governments, energy sector investors, and other related corporations. Although there are several prediction techniques, selection of the most appropriate technique is of vital importance. As for the approximate nonhomogeneous exponential data sequence often emerging in the energy system, a novel greyNGM(1,1,k)self-memory coupling prediction model is put forward in order to promote the predictive performance. It achieves organic integration of the self-memory principle of dynamic system and greyNGM(1,1,k)model. The traditional grey model’s weakness as being sensitive to initial value can be overcome by the self-memory principle. In this study, total energy, coal, and electricity consumption of China is adopted for demonstration by using the proposed coupling prediction technique. The results show the superiority ofNGM(1,1,k)self-memory coupling prediction model when compared with the results from the literature. Its excellent prediction performance lies in that the proposed coupling model can take full advantage of the systematic multitime historical data and catch the stochastic fluctuation tendency. This work also makes a significant contribution to the enrichment of grey prediction theory and the extension of its application span.
Hemodynamic Indexes Derived from Computed Tomography Angiography to Predict Pulmonary Embolism Related Mortality
Authors: John Gregor , Marti Christophe , Poletti Pierre-Alexandre , Perrier Arnaud
Published: June 2014

Pulmonary embolism (PE) induces an acute increase in the right ventricle afterload that can lead to right-ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and eventually to circulatory collapse. Hemodynamic status and presence of RVD are important determinants of adverse outcomes in acute PE. Technologic progress allows computed tomography angiography (CTA) to give more information than accurate diagnosis of PE. It may also provide an insight into hemodynamics and right-ventricular function. Proximal localization of emboli, reflux of contrast medium to the hepatic veins, and right-to-left short-axis ventricular diameter ratio seem to be the most relevant CTA predictors of 30-day mortality. These elements require little postprocessing time, an advantage in the emergency room. We herein review the prognostic value of RVD and other CTA mortality predictors for patients with acute PE.
Joint Subchannel Pairing and Power Control for Cognitive Radio Networks with Amplify-and-Forward Relaying
Authors: Shen Yanyan , Wang Shuqiang , Wei Zhiming
Published: June 2014

Dynamic spectrum sharing has drawn intensive attention in cognitive radio networks. The secondary users are allowed to use the available spectrum to transmit data if the interference to the primary users is maintained at a low level. Cooperative transmission for secondary users can reduce the transmission power and thus improve the performance further. We study the joint subchannel pairing and power allocation problem in relay-based cognitive radio networks. The objective is to maximize the sum rate of the secondary user that is helped by an amplify-and-forward relay. The individual power constraints at the source and the relay, the subchannel pairing constraints, and the interference power constraints are considered. The problem under consideration is formulated as a mixed integer programming problem. By the dual decomposition method, a joint optimal subchannel pairing and power allocation algorithm is proposed. To reduce the computational complexity, two suboptimal algorithms are developed. Simulations have been conducted to verify the performance of the proposed algorithms in terms of sum rate and average running time under different conditions.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibition Reduces Cardiovascular Responses to Acute Stress in Myocardially Infarcted and Chronically Stressed Rats
Authors: Cudnoch-Jedrzejewska A. , Czarzasta K. , Puchalska L. , Dobruch J. , Borowik O. , Pachucki J. , Szczepanska-Sadowska E.
Published: June 2014

Previous studies showed that chronically stressed and myocardially infarcted rats respond with exaggerated cardiovascular responses to acute stress. The present experiments were designed to elucidate whether this effect can be abolished by treatment with the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor captopril. Sprague Dawley rats were subjected either to sham surgery (Groups 1 and 2) or to myocardial infarction (Groups 3 and 4). The rats of Groups 2 and 4 were also exposed to mild chronic stressing. Four weeks after the operation, mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and heart rate (HR) were measured under resting conditions and after application of acute stress. The cardiovascular responses to the acute stress were determined again 24 h after administration of captopril orally. Captopril significantly reduced resting MABP in each group. Before administration of captopril, the maximum increases in MABP evoked by the acute stressor in all (infarcted and sham-operated) chronically stressed rats and also in the infarcted nonchronically stressed rats were significantly greater than in the sham-operated rats not exposed to chronic stressing. These differences were abolished by captopril. The results suggest that ACE may improve tolerance of acute stress in heart failure and during chronic stressing.
CFD Simulation for Separation of Carbon Dioxide-Methane Mixture by Pressure Swing Adsorption
Authors: Rambabu K. , Muruganandam L. , Velu S.
Published: June 2014

A developing technology for gas separations is pressure swing adsorption, which has been proven to be more economical and energy efficient compared to other separation methods like cryogenic distillation and membrane separation. A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) column, with carbon dioxide-methane as feed mixture and 6-FDA based polyimides as the adsorbent, was modeled and simulated in this work. Ansys Fluent 12.1, along with supplementary user defined functions, was used to develop a 2D transient Eulerian laminar viscous flow model for the PSA column. The model was validated by comparing the simulated results with established analytical models for PSA. The developed numerical model was used to determine the carbon dioxide concentration in the column as a function of time based on different operating conditions. Effect of various operating parameters like pressure, temperature, and flow rate on the separation efficiency has been studied and reported. Optimization studies were carried out to obtain suitable operating conditions for the feed gases separation. Simulation studies were carried out to determine the separation length required for complete separation of the feed mixture corresponding to different inlet feed concentrations which were entering the column at a given flow rate.
Development of a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for the Quantification of Glucaric Acid Derivatives in Beverage Substrates
Authors: Craig Ana Paula , Fields Christine C. , Simpson John V.
Published: June 2014

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method using the standard addition methodology was developed for the determination of glucuronolactone (GL) and glucuronic acid (DGuA) in four beverages categorized as detoxification, recovery, or energy drinks. The method features a precolumn derivatization step with a combination of BSTFA (N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide) and TMCS (trimethylchlorosilane) to silylate the analytes. The sample pretreatment required no extraction, filtration, or reduction step prior to the injection. The quantification of the analytes was performed using a five-point standard addition protocol. The proposed method presented excellent intraday precision (%RSD<10) and linearity for GL calibration curves (correlation coefficients>0.995) and acceptable linearity for DGuA calibration curves (correlation coefficients>0.97). The estimated limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for GL ranged from 0.006 ppm to 0.14 ppm, and 0.02 ppm to 0.47 ppm, respectively. The estimated LOD and LOQ for DGuA determination ranged, respectively, from 0.06 ppm to 1.1 ppm and 0.2 ppm to 3.8 ppm. The results demonstrated that the method should be regarded as a reliable alternative to the simultaneous determination of GL and DGuA.
Static Analysis of Large-Scale Multibody System Using Joint Coordinates and Spatial Algebra Operator
Authors: Omar Mohamed A.
Published: June 2014

Initial transient oscillations inhibited in the dynamic simulations responses of multibody systems can lead to inaccurate results, unrealistic load prediction, or simulation failure. These transients could result from incompatible initial conditions, initial constraints violation, and inadequate kinematic assembly. Performing static equilibrium analysis before the dynamic simulation can eliminate these transients and lead to stable simulation. Most exiting multibody formulations determine the static equilibrium position by minimizing the system potential energy. This paper presents a new general purpose approach for solving the static equilibrium in large-scale articulated multibody. The proposed approach introduces an energy drainage mechanism based on Baumgarte constraint stabilization approach to determine the static equilibrium position. The spatial algebra operator is used to express the kinematic and dynamic equations of the closed-loop multibody system. The proposed multibody system formulation utilizes the joint coordinates and modal elastic coordinates as the system generalized coordinates. The recursive nonlinear equations of motion are formulated using the Cartesian coordinates and the joint coordinates to form an augmented set of differential algebraic equations. Then system connectivity matrix is derived from the system topological relations and used to project the Cartesian quantities into the joint subspace leading to minimum set of differential equations.
Radiosensitivity and Induction of Apoptosis by High LET Carbon Ion Beam and Low LET Gamma Radiation: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ghorai Atanu , Bhattacharyya Nitai P. , Sarma Asitikantha , Ghosh Utpal
Published: June 2014

Cancer treatment with high LET heavy ion beam, especially, carbon ion beam (12C), is becoming very popular over conventional radiotherapy like low LET gamma or X-ray. Combination of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor with xenotoxic drugs or conventional radiation (gamma or X-ray) is the newer approach for cancer therapy. The aim of our study was to compare the radiosensitivity and induction of apoptosis by high LET12C and low LET gamma radiation in HeLa and PARP-1 knocked down cells. We did comet assay to detect DNA breaks, clonogenic survival assay, and cell cycle analysis to measure recovery after DNA damage. We measured apoptotic parameters like nuclear fragmentation and caspase-3 activation. DNA damage, cell killing, and induction of apoptosis were significantly higher for12C than gamma radiation in HeLa. Cell killing and apoptosis were further elevated upon knocking down of PARP-1. Both12C and gamma induced G2/M arrest although the12C had greater effect. Unlike the gamma,12C irradiation affects DNA replication as detected by S-phase delay in cell cycle analysis. So, we conclude that high LET12C has greater potential over low LET gamma radiation in killing cells and radiosensitization upon PARP-1 inhibition was several folds greater for12C than gamma.
On an Initial Boundary Value Problem for a Class of Odd Higher Order Pseudohyperbolic Integrodifferential Equations
Authors: Mesloub Said
Published: June 2014

This paper is devoted to the study of the well-posedness of an initial boundary value problem for an odd higher order nonlinear pseudohyperbolic integrodifferential partial differential equation. We associate to the equationnnonlocal conditions andn+1classical conditions. Upon some a priori estimates and density arguments, we first establish the existence and uniqueness of the strongly generalized solution in a class of a certain type of Sobolev spaces for the associated linear mixed problem. On the basis of the obtained results for the linear problem, we apply an iterative process in order to establish the well-posedness of the nonlinear problem.
Structural Characterization of Carbon Nanomaterial FilmIn SituSynthesized on Various Bulk Metals
Authors: Xu J. Y. , Yang R. , Fan Z. Z. , Lei X. C.
Published: June 2014

Carbon nanofiber films were prepared via a simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method on various bulk metal substrates including bulk 316 L stainless steel, pure cobalt, and pure nickel treated by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The microstructures of the carbon nanomaterial film were studied by SEM, TEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. In this paper, bulk metallic materials treated by SMAT served as substrates as well as catalysts for carbon nanomaterial film formation. The results indicate that the carbon nanofiber films are formed concerning the catalytic effects of the refined metallic particles during CVD on the surface of SMAT-treated bulk metal substrates. However, distinguished morphologies of carbon nanomaterial film are displayed in the case of the diverse bulk metal substrates.
Associations of Prenatal Growth with Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, and Nutritional Status in Chilean Children
Authors: Mardones Francisco , Arnaiz Pilar , Pacheco Paz , Dominguez Angelica , Villarroel Luis , Eriksson Johan G. , Barja Salesa , Farías Marcelo , Castillo Oscar
Published: June 2014

Introduction. The association of prenatal growth with nutritional status, metabolic syndrome (MS), and insulin resistance (IR) was studied in school-age children.Methods. A retrospective cohort study was designed linking present data of children with perinatal records. 3325 subjects were enrolled. Anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), and pubertal status were assessed. Blood lipids, glucose, and insulin were measured. Linear associations were assessed using the Cochran-Armitage test. Odds ratios and nonlinear associations were computed.Results. 3290 children (52% females, mean age of 11.4 ± 1 years) were analyzed. Prevalence of obesity, stunting, MS, and IR was 16.0%, 3.6%, 7.3%, and 25.5%, respectively. The strongest positive association was between birth weight (BW) and obesity (OR 2.97 (95% CI 2.01–4.40) at BW ≥ 4,000 g compared to BW 2,500–2,999). The strongest inverse association was between birth length (BL) and stunting (OR 8.70 (95% CI 3.66–20.67) at BL < 48 cm compared to BL 52-53 cm). A U-shaped association between BL and BP ≥ 90th percentile was observed. Significant ORs were also found for MS and IR. Adjustments for present fat mass increased or maintained the most prenatal growth influences.Conclusions. Prenatal growth influences MS, IR, and nutritional status. Prenatal growth was more important than present body composition in determining these outcomes.
3D Data Denoising via Nonlocal Means Filter by Using Parallel GPU Strategies
Authors: Cuomo Salvatore , De Michele Pasquale , Piccialli Francesco
Published: June 2014

Nonlocal Means (NLM) algorithm is widely considered as a state-of-the-art denoising filter in many research fields. Its high computational complexity leads researchers to the development of parallel programming approaches and the use of massively parallel architectures such as the GPUs. In the recent years, the GPU devices had led to achieving reasonable running times by filtering, slice-by-slice, and 3D datasets with a 2D NLM algorithm. In our approach we design and implement a fully 3D NonLocal Means parallel approach, adopting different algorithm mapping strategies on GPU architecture and multi-GPU framework, in order to demonstrate its high applicability and scalability. The experimental results we obtained encourage the usability of our approach in a large spectrum of applicative scenarios such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or video sequence denoising.
Upper Semicontinuity of Attractors for a Non-Newtonian Fluid under Small Random Perturbations
Authors: Luo Jianxin
Published: June 2014

This paper investigates the limiting behavior of attractors for a two-dimensional incompressible non-Newtonian fluid under small random perturbations. Under certain conditions, the upper semicontinuity of the attractors for diminishing perturbations is shown.
Pattern Synthesis of Planar Nonuniform Circular Antenna Arrays Using a Chaotic Adaptive Invasive Weed Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Wu Huaning , Liu Chao , Xie Xu
Published: June 2014

A novel invasive weed optimization (IWO) variant called chaotic adaptive invasive weed optimization (CAIWO) is proposed and applied for the optimization of nonuniform circular antenna arrays. A chaotic search method has been combined into the modified IWO with adaptive dispersion, where the seeds produced by a weed are dispersed in the search space with standard deviation specified by the fitness value of the weed. To evaluate the performance of CAIWO, several representative benchmark functions are minimized using various optimization algorithms. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach improves the performance of the algorithm significantly, in terms of both the convergence speed and exploration ability. Moreover, the scheme of CAIWO is employed to find out an optimal set of weights and antenna element separation to obtain a radiation pattern with maximum side‐lobe level (SLL) reduction with different numbers of antenna element under two cases with different purposes. The design results obtained by CAIWO have comfortably outperformed the published results obtained by other state‐of‐the‐art metaheuristics in a statistically meaningful way.
Applications of the Novel (G′/G)-Expansion Method for a Time Fractional Simplified Modified Camassa-Holm (MCH) Equation
Authors: Shakeel Muhammad , Ul-Hassan Qazi Mahmood , Ahmad Jamshad
Published: June 2014

We use the fractional derivatives in modified Riemann-Liouville derivative sense to construct exact solutions of time fractional simplified modified Camassa-Holm (MCH) equation. A generalized fractional complex transform is properly used to convert this equation to ordinary differential equation and, as a result, many exact analytical solutions are obtained with more free parameters. When these free parameters are taken as particular values, the traveling wave solutions are expressed by the hyperbolic functions, the trigonometric functions, and the rational functions. Moreover, the numerical presentations of some of the solutions have been demonstrated with the aid of commercial software Maple. The recital of the method is trustworthy and useful and gives more new general exact solutions.
Rubella Immunity among Pregnant Women in Jeddah, Western Region of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alsibiani Sharifa A.
Published: June 2014

To determine the presence of rubella immunity among pregnant women attending their first prenatal visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study (prevalence study) was undertaken. A total of 10276 women attending prenatal clinics between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011 were included. Rubella screening tests (immunoglobulins: IgG and IgM), rubella antibody titer levels, patient age, gravidity, parity, and the number of previous abortions were analyzed. No patients tested IgM positive, and 9410 (91.6%) were immune (IgG positive); the remaining 866 (8.4%) were susceptible. There were no significant differences in gravidity, parity, or the number of previous abortions between immune and nonimmune groups. In contrast, the immunity rate decreased with increasing age, with a significant difference between the youngest age group (15–19 years) and the oldest age group (40–49 years) (P=0.0005; odds ratio, 2.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.7–4.7). Rubella immunity among pregnant women was high (91.6%) but decreased significantly with increasing age. A possible explanation for this is the change in the rubella vaccination policy in Saudi Arabia in 2002, from 1 dose to 2 doses. In addition, antibody levels begin to decline after vaccination and natural infection.
Laguerre Collocation Method for Solving Fredholm Integro-Differential Equations with Functional Arguments
Authors: Gürbüz Burcu , Sezer Mehmet , Güler Coşkun
Published: June 2014

Laguerre collocation method is applied for solving a class of the Fredholm integro-differential equations with functional arguments. This method transforms the considered problem to a matrix equation which corresponds to a system of linear algebraic equations. The reliability and efficiency of the proposed scheme are demonstrated by some numerical experiments. Also, the approximate solutions are corrected by using the residual correction method.
Role of Exercise Training on Autonomic Changes and Inflammatory Profile Induced by Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Rodrigues Bruno , Lira Fabio S. , Consolim-Colombo Fernanda M. , Rocha Juraci A. , Caperuto Erico C. , De Angelis Kátia , Irigoyen Maria-Cláudia
Published: June 2014

The cardiovascular autonomic imbalance in patients after myocardial infarction (MI) provides a significant increase in mortality rate, and seems to precede metabolic, hormonal, and immunological changes. Moreover, the reduction in the parasympathetic function has been associated with inflammatory response in different pathological conditions. Over the years, most of the studies have indicated the exercise training (ET) as an important nonpharmacological tool in the management of autonomic dysfunction and reduction in inflammatory profile after a myocardial infarction. In this work, we reviewed the effects of ET on autonomic imbalance after MI, and its consequences, particularly, in the post-MI inflammatory profile. Clinical and experimental evidence regarding relationship between alterations in autonomic regulation and local or systemic inflammation response after MI were also discussed.
Existence and Multiplicity of Positive Solutions for a System of Fourth-Order Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Yu Shoucheng , Yang Zhilin
Published: June 2014

We study the existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for the system of fourth-order boundary value problems x(4)=ft,x,x′,-x′′,-x′′′,y,y′,-y′′,-y′′′,  y(4)=gt,x,x′,-x′′,-x′′′,y,y′,-y′′,-y′′′,  x(0)=x′(1)=x′′(0)=x′′′(1)=0, and y(0)=y′(1)=y′′(0)=y′′′(1)=0, where f,g∈C([0,1]×R+8,R+)  (R+:=[0,∞)). We use fixed point index theory to establish our main results based on a priori estimates achieved by utilizing some integral identities and inequalities and R+2-monotone matrices.
Drug Design of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 Inhibitor for Melanoma from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Tang Hsin-Chieh , Chen Calvin Yu-Chian
Published: June 2014

One has found an important cell cycle controller. This guard can decide the cell cycle toward proliferation or quiescence. Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is a unique target among the CDK family in melanoma therapy. We attempted to find out TCM compounds from TCM Database@Taiwan that have the ability to inhibit the activity of CDK2 by systems biology. We selected Tetrahydropalmatine, Reserpiline, and (+)-Corydaline as the candidates by docking and screening results for further survey. We utilized support vector machine (SVM), multiple linear regression (MLR) models and Bayesian network for validation of predicted activity. By overall analysis of docking results, predicted activity, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we could conclude that Tetrahydropalmatine, Reserpiline, and (+)-Corydaline had better binding affinity than the control. All of them had the ability to inhibit the activity of CDK2 and might have the opportunity to be applied in melanoma therapy.
Health Care Reform: Understanding Individuals’ Attitudes and Information Sources
Authors: Shue Carolyn K. , McGeary Kerry Anne , Reid Ian , Khubchandani Jagdish , Fan Maoyong
Published: June 2014

Since passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Barrack Obama, little is known about state-level perceptions of residents on the ACA. Perceptions about the act could potentially affect implementation of the law to the fullest extent. This 3-year survey study explored attitudes about the ACA, the types of information sources that individuals rely on when creating those attitudes, and the predictors of these attitudes among state of Indiana residents. The respondents were split between favorable and unfavorable views of the ACA, yet the majority of respondents strongly supported individual components of the act. National TV news, websites, family members, and individuals’ own reading of the ACA legislation were identified as the most influential information sources. After controlling for potential confounders, the respondent’s political affiliation, age, sex, and obtaining ACA information from watching national television news were the most important predictors of attitudes about the ACA and its components. These results mirror national-level findings. Implications for implementing health care reform at the state-level are discussed.
D-Serine in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: New Advances
Authors: Durrant Andrea R. , Heresco-Levy Uriel
Published: June 2014

D-Serine (DSR) is an endogenous amino acid involved in glia-synapse interactions that has unique neurotransmitter characteristics. DSR acts as obligatory coagonist at the glycine site associated with the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors (NMDAR) and has a cardinal modulatory role in major NMDAR-dependent processes including NMDAR-mediated neurotransmission, neurotoxicity, synaptic plasticity, and cell migration. Since either over- or underfunction of NMDARs may be involved in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders; the pharmacological manipulation of DSR signaling represents a major drug development target. A first generation of proof-of-concept animal and clinical studies suggest beneficial DSR effects in treatment-refractory schizophrenia, movement, depression, and anxiety disorders and for the improvement of cognitive performance. A related developing pharmacological strategy is the indirect modification of DSR synaptic levels by use of compounds that alter the function of main enzymes responsible for DSR production and degradation. Accumulating data indicate that, during the next decade, we will witness important advances in the understanding of DSR role that will further contribute to elucidating the causes of neuropsychiatric disorders and will be instrumental in the development of innovative treatments.
The Effects of Knowledge Maps on Acquisition and Retention of Visual Arts Concepts in Teacher Education
Authors: Vitulli Paige , Giles Rebecca M. , Shaw Edward L.
Published: June 2014

This study examined the use of knowledge maps as a tool for teacher education students to increase knowledge acquisition and retention of concepts related to the visual arts design elements: line, color, and shape. Participants were randomly assigned to either the no map or knowledge map group. Three instruments—Student Autobiography, Elements of Design Tests (EDT), and Knowledge Map Questionnaire—were used to collect data. Results revealed significantly higher means on the immediately administered posttest for the elements line and color and the delayed posttest for line map group. Questionnaire responses indicated positive attitudes toward knowledge map use as a study strategy. Specifically, endorsement was reported toward maps’ clarity, effectiveness for learning concepts, and enjoyment of use.
A Review of Solar Photovoltaic Concentrators
Authors: Khamooshi Mehrdad , Salati Hana , Egelioglu Fuat , Hooshyar Faghiri Ali , Tarabishi Judy , Babadi Saeed
Published: June 2014

Throughout the recent centuries, the limits of using energy resources due to the cost and environmental issues became one of the scientists’ concerns. Because of the huge amount of energy received by the Earth from the sun, the application of photovoltaic solar cells has become popular in the world. The photovoltaic (PV) efficiency can be increased by several factors; concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system is one of the important tools for efficiency improvement and enables for a reduction in the cell area requirement. The limits of the PV area can reduce the amount of absorbing irradiation; CPV systems can concentrate a large amount of sunlight into a smaller one by applying lenses or curved and flat mirrors. However, the additional costs on concentrating optics and cooling systems made CPV less common than nonconcentrated photovoltaic. This paper reviews the different types of PV concentrators, their performance with advantages and disadvantages, concentration ratio, acceptance angle, brief comparison between their efficiencies, and appropriate cooling system.
Acupuncture and Multiple Sclerosis: A Review of the Evidence
Authors: Karpatkin H. I. , Napolione D. , Siminovich-Blok B.
Published: June 2014

Use of acupuncture to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is fairly common, but little literature exists which studies its effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the use of acupuncture to treat MS. A literature search resulted in twelve peer‐reviewed articles on the subject that examined the use of acupuncture to treat MS related quality of life (QoL), fatigue, spasticity, and pain. The majority of the studies were poorly designed—without control, randomization, or blinding. Description of the subjects, interventions, and outcome measures as well as statistical analysis was often lacking or minimal. Although many of the studies suggested that acupuncture was successful in improving MS related symptoms, lack of statistical rigor and poor study design make it difficult to draw any conclusions about the true effectiveness of this intervention in the MS population. Further studies with more rigorous designs and analysis are needed before accurate claims can be made as to the effectiveness of acupuncture in this population.
Malignant Pelvic Pheochromocytoma Presenting as NonFunctioning Kidney and Accelerated Hypertension: A Rare Presentation
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Parmar Kalpesh Mahesh , Prasad Seema , Rani Jyotsna
Published: June 2014

Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors that arise from sympathetic nerve ganglia. They can develop anywhere from the neck to the pelvis, but are most commonly found in the abdomen, particularly at the aortic bifurcation or in the periaortic region. Malignant paragangliomas account for 29–40% of cases. We report a case of 36-year hypertensive female presented with and right flank pain and accelerated hypertension. On evaluation she was diagnosed to have non unctioning kidney due to malignant pelvic paraganglioma with right ureteric encasement. We believe our case is one of the first reported in literature as rare presentation of malignant paraganglioma presenting as nonfunctioning kidney and accelerated hypertension.
Immunotherapy Converts Nonimmunogenic Pancreatic Tumors into Immunogenic Foci of Immune Regulation
Authors: Lutz Eric R. , Wu Annie A. , Bigelow Elaine , Sharma Rajni , Mo Guanglan , Soares Kevin , Solt Sara , Dorman Alvin , Wamwea Anthony , Yager Allison , Laheru Daniel , Wolfgang Christopher L. , Wang Jiang , Hruban Ralph H. , Anders Robert A. , Jaffee Elizabeth M. , Zheng Lei
Published: June 2014

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered a “nonimmunogenic” neoplasm. Single-agent immunotherapies have failed to demonstrate significant clinical activity in PDAC and other “nonimmunogenic” tumors, in part due to a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that provides a formidable barrier to immune infiltration and function. We designed a neoadjuvant and adjuvant clinical trial comparing an irradiated, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)–secreting, allogeneic PDAC vaccine (GVAX) given as a single agent or in combination with low-dose cyclophosphamide to deplete regulatory T cells (Treg) as a means to study how the TME is altered by immunotherapy. Examination of resected PDACs revealed the formation of vaccine-induced intratumoral tertiary lymphoid aggregates in 33 of 39 patients 2 weeks after vaccine treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis showed these aggregates to be regulatory structures of adaptive immunity. Microarray analysis of microdissected aggregates identified gene-expression signatures in five signaling pathways involved in regulating immune-cell activation and trafficking that were associated with improved postvaccination responses. A suppressed Treg pathway and an enhanced Th17 pathway within these aggregates were associated with improved survival, enhanced postvaccination mesothelin-specific T-cell responses, and increased intratumoral Teff:Treg ratios. This study provides the first example of immune-based therapy converting a “nonimmunogenic” neoplasm into an “immunogenic” neoplasm by inducing infiltration of T cells and development of tertiary lymphoid structures in the TME. Post-GVAX T-cell infiltration and aggregate formation resulted in the upregulation of immunosuppressive regulatory mechanisms, including the PD-1–PD-L1 pathway, suggesting that patients with vaccine-primed PDAC may be better candidates than vaccine-naïve patients for immune checkpoint and other immunomodulatory therapies. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(7); 616–31. ©2014 AACR.
Effects of Chronic Bryophyllum pinnatum Administration on Wistar Rat Pregnancy
Authors: Hosomi Jorge Kioshi , Ghelman Ricardo , Quintino Marisa Pascale , de Souza Eduardo , Nakamura Mary Uchiyama , Moron Antonio Fernandes
Published: June 2014

Background: Drugs used in preterm labor (PTL) have side effects. Research into new tocolytic agents is recommended. The plant Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken (Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers) is used in Anthroposophic Medicine for PTL, insomnia, and emotional disturbances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of B. pinnatum mother tincture (MT) on Wistar rats and their fetuses throughout pregnancy. Method: Sixty animals were divided into 6 equal groups: controls C1 and C2 received 1 and 25 × the maximum daily dose of a 30% ethanol / water solution, serving as vehicle of B. pinnatum MT; B1 and B2 received 1 and 25 × the maximum daily dose of B. pinnatum MT; and B3 and B4 received 50 and 100 × B. pinnatum concentrate. The following parameters were assessed: weight gain; maternal and fetal mortality; implantations and resorptions; number and weight of fetuses and placentas; major external fetal malformations. Results: Rat weight gain (excluding fetal and placental weight) was higher in group B4 and lower in group B2. There were no maternal or fetal deaths and no group differences in implantations and resorptions or number and weight of fetuses and placentas. No macroscopic fetal abnormalities were observed at the 4 dosage levels investigated. Conclusion: Daily administration of B. pinnatum MT at high doses to pregnant Wistar rats interfered with maternal weight gain and did not interfere with fetal compartment.