bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report of a Satin Guinea Pig with Fibrous Osteodystrophy That Resembles Human Pseudohypoparathyroidism
Authors: Gallego Miguel
Published: July 2017

A case report of a 2-year-old female satin guinea pig with a history of dental overgrowth and lameness and radiological lesions of fibrous osteodystrophy is presented. The most relevant clinical findings were bone demineralization, high level of parathyroid hormone (PTH), normophosphatemia, normal ionized calcium, and low total thyroxine (tT4) with a normal renal function. Long-term treatment was based on teeth coronal reduction and maintaining a balanced diet. PTH measurement was performed with a kit suitable for rats to test 4 different paired samples of guinea pigs and resulted in similar results for each pair of measurements. Two kits routinely employed in dogs and cats failed in measuring PTH in guinea pig serum samples. The ionized calcium, PTH, and tT4 values, not previously reported in similar cases, were obtained. The determination of tT4 could be useful in the diagnosis of fibrous osteodystrophy in guinea pigs. The observed findings show similarity with human pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia, a disease caused by an inactivating heterozygous mutation of the stimulatory G proteinαsubunit from the maternal genome that induces multiple hormone resistance and that courses with a syndrome called Albright hereditary osteodystrophy. Naturally occurring pseudohypoparathyroidism in animals has been reported previously only in a ferret.
Therapeutic Approach to the Management of Severe Asymptomatic Hyponatremia
Authors: Ijaiya Thaofiq , Manohar Sandhya , Lakshmi Kameswari
Published: July 2017

Hyponatremia is an electrolyte imbalance encountered commonly in the hospital and ambulatory settings. It can be seen in isolation or present as a complication of other medical conditions. It is therefore a challenge to determine the appropriate therapeutic intervention. An understanding of the etiology is key in instituting the right treatment. Clinicians must not be too hasty to correct a random laboratory value without first understanding the physiologic principle. We present such a case of a patient who presented with sodium of 98 mmol/L, the lowest recorded in the current literature, and yet was asymptomatic. Following appropriate management driven by an understanding of the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism, the patient was managed to full recovery without any clinically significant neurological sequelae.
Cascade Convolutional Neural Network Based on Transfer-Learning for Aircraft Detection on High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Pan Bin , Tai Jianhao , Zheng Qi , Zhao Shanshan
Published: July 2017

Aircraft detection from high-resolution remote sensing images is important for civil and military applications. Recently, detection methods based on deep learning have rapidly advanced. However, they require numerous samples to train the detection model and cannot be directly used to efficiently handle large-area remote sensing images. A weakly supervised learning method (WSLM) can detect a target with few samples. However, it cannot extract an adequate number of features, and the detection accuracy requires improvement. We propose a cascade convolutional neural network (CCNN) framework based on transfer-learning and geometric feature constraints (GFC) for aircraft detection. It achieves high accuracy and efficient detection with relatively few samples. A high-accuracy detection model is first obtained using transfer-learning to fine-tune pretrained models with few samples. Then, a GFC region proposal filtering method improves detection efficiency. The CCNN framework completes the aircraft detection for large-area remote sensing images. The framework first-level network is an image classifier, which filters the entire image, excluding most areas with no aircraft. The second-level network is an object detector, which rapidly detects aircraft from the first-level network output. Compared with WSLM, detection accuracy increased by 3.66%, false detection decreased by 64%, and missed detection decreased by 23.1%.
VSMURF: A Novel Sliding Window Cleaning Algorithm for RFID Networks
Authors: Xu He , Shen Weiwei , Li Peng , Sgandurra Daniele , Wang Ruchuan
Published: July 2017

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one of the key technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) and is used in many areas, such as mobile payments, public transportation, smart lock, and environment protection. However, the performance of RFID equipment can be easily affected by the surrounding environment, such as electronic productions and metal appliances. These can impose an impact on the RF signal, which makes the collection of RFID data unreliable. Usually, the unreliability of RFID source data includes three aspects: false negatives, false positives, and dirty data. False negatives are the key problem, as the probability of false positives and dirty data occurrence is relatively small. This paper proposes a novel sliding window cleaning algorithm called VSMURF, which is based on the traditional SMURF algorithm which combines the dynamic change of tags and the value analysis of confidence. Experimental results show that VSMURF algorithm performs better in most conditions and when the tag’s speed is low or high. In particular, if the velocity parameter is set to 2 m/epoch, our proposed VSMURF algorithm performs better than SMURF. The results also show that VSMURF algorithm has better performance than other algorithms in solving the problem of false negatives for RFID networks.
Mediating Roles of PPARs in the Effects of Environmental Chemicals on Sex Steroids
Authors: Huang Qiansheng , Chen Qionghua
Published: July 2017

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated nuclear receptors that are widely involved in various physiological functions. They are widely expressed through the reproductive system. Their roles in the metabolism and function of sex steroids and thus the etiology of reproductive disorders receive great concern. Various kinds of exogenous chemicals, especially environmental pollutants, exert their adverse impact on the reproductive system through disturbing the PPAR signaling pathway. Chemicals could bind to PPARs and modulate the transcription of downstream genes containing PPRE (peroxisome proliferator response element). This will lead to altered expression of genes related to metabolism of sex steroids and thus the abnormal physiological function of sex steroids. In this review, various kinds of environmental ligands are summarized and discussed. Their interactions with three types of PPARs are classified by various data from transcript profiles, PPRE reporter in cell line, in silico docking, and gene silencing. The review will contribute to the understanding of the roles of PPARs in the reproductive toxicology of environmental chemicals.
Methodology for Thermal Behaviour Assessment of Homogeneous Façades in Heritage Buildings
Authors: Gil Enrique , Lerma Carlos , Vercher Jose , Mas Ángeles
Published: July 2017

It is fundamental to study the thermal behaviour in all architectural constructions throughout their useful life, in order to detect early deterioration ensuring durability, in addition to achieving and maintaining the interior comfort with the minimum energy consumption possible. This research has developed a methodology to assess the thermal behaviour of façades in heritage buildings. This paper presents methodology validation and verification (V & V) through a laboratory experiment. Guidelines and conclusions are extracted with the employment of three techniques in this experiment (thermal sensors, thermal imaging camera, and 3D thermal simulation in finite element software). A small portion of a homogeneous façade has been reproduced with indoor and outdoor thermal conditions. A closed chamber was constructed with wood panels and thermal insulation, leaving only one face exposed to the outside conditions, with a heat source inside the chamber that induces a temperature gradient in the wall. With this methodology, it is possible to better understand the thermal behaviour of the façade and to detect possible damage with the calibration and comparison of the results obtained by the experimental and theoretical techniques. This methodology can be extrapolated to the analysis of the thermal behaviour of façades in heritage buildings, usually made up of homogeneous material.
Box Office Forecasting considering Competitive Environment and Word-of-Mouth in Social Networks: A Case Study of Korean Film Market
Authors: Kim Taegu , Hong Jungsik , Kang Pilsung
Published: July 2017

Accurate box office forecasting models are developed by considering competition and word-of-mouth (WOM) effects in addition to screening-related information. Nationality, genre, ratings, and distributors of motion pictures running concurrently with the target motion picture are used to describe the competition, whereas the numbers of informative, positive, and negative mentions posted on social network services (SNS) are used to gauge the atmosphere spread by WOM. Among these candidate variables, only significant variables are selected by genetic algorithm (GA), based on which machine learning algorithms are trained to build forecasting models. The forecasts are combined to improve forecasting performance. Experimental results on the Korean film market show that the forecasting accuracy in early screening periods can be significantly improved by considering competition. In addition, WOM has a stronger influence on total box office forecasting. Considering both competition and WOM improves forecasting performance to a larger extent than when only one of them is considered.
Longitudinal Changes in Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Evaluated Using Avanti Rtvue-XR Optical Coherence Tomography after 23G Vitrectomy for Epiretinal Membrane in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Lyssek-Boroń Anita , Wylęgała Adam , Polanowska Katarzyna , Krysik Katarzyna , Dobrowolski Dariusz
Published: July 2017

Objectives. The aim of this study is to evaluate longitudinal RNFL thickness changes in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with epiretinal membrane (ERM) and ILM removal using OCT RTVue XR 100 Avanti. Methods. Retrospective analysis of OCT scans of 40 patients who underwent PPV or combined phacovitrectomy with ILM peeling for the idiopathic ERM has been carried out. The patients were divided into two groups for the study: patients with the ERM and OAG and those with ERM without glaucoma. A trend analysis of the RNFL thickness changes in 1 month and 3, 6, and 12 months was created. Results. At 1 month after surgery, the RNFL thickness increased significantly in the temporalis quadrant from 89.9 μm to 105.7 μm in patients with OAG. Comparison between group with OAG and group without glaucoma showed that the RNFLT in the temporalis quadrant decreased significantly 6 months after the surgery. Conclusion. Postoperative changes in RNFL thickness appeared to be transient, and there was temporal retardation of the retinal nerve fibers without affecting visual acuity in both groups.
Systemic Associations with Residual Subretinal Fluid after Ranibizumab in Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Tsai Meng-Ju , Hsieh Yi-Ting , Shen Elizabeth P. , Peng Yi-Jie
Published: July 2017

Purpose. To investigate the impact of systemic diseases on the occurrence of subretinal fluid (SRF) in diabetic macular edema (DME) and prognostic factors for residual SRF following three consecutive monthly intravitreal ranibizumab. Methods. Ninety-seven eyes from 68 patients with DME who completed 3 consecutive monthly injections of ranibizumab were enrolled. Systemic parameters mainly included chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, HbA1c, and insulin dependence. Renal parameters for CKD were serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and serum albumin. Ocular factors were baseline central macular thickness (CMT), severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and status of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). Results. Chronic kidney disease had significant correlation with baseline SRF (R=0.397, p<0.001 after partial correlation with adjustment for age and DR severity). As for CKD, lower serum albumin, but not eGFR or serum creatinine, was associated with baseline presence of SRF (p=0.026, p=0.08 and p=0.53, resp., after adjustment for age and DR severity). Overall, lower eGFR and lower HbA1c values, contrary to popular belief, predicted the presence of residual SRF following intravitreal injections (p=0.016 and p<0.001, resp.). Conclusions. Tight sugar control and poorer baseline kidney function may slow the resorption of SRF after anti-VEGF injections in patients with DME in the short term.
An Interstitial 4q Deletion with a Mosaic Complementary Ring Chromosome in a Child with Dysmorphism, Linear Skin Pigmentation, and Hepatomegaly
Authors: Carter J. , Brittain H. , Morrogh D. , Lench N. , Waters J. J.
Published: July 2017

Interstitial deletions of 4q are rarely reported, vary in size, and have limited genotype-phenotype correlations. Here, genome-wide array CGH analysis identified a 21.6 Mb region of copy number loss at 4q12-q21.1 in a patient diagnosed with dysmorphism, linear skin pigmentation, and hepatomegaly. An additional small ring chromosome was detected in 5/30 cells examined via G-banding. Confirmation of the origin of the ring chromosome was obtained by FISH analysis which identified that the ring chromosome contained material from the deleted region of chromosome 4 and was therefore complementary to the 21.6 Mb deletion. Further microarray studies in the proband using a different microarray platform showed no evidence of mosaicism. This case highlights the importance of an integrated approach to cytogenetic analysis and demonstrates the value of G-banding for detecting mosaicism, as current microarray platforms are unable to detect low level mosaics.
Robust Significance Analysis of Microarrays by Minimumβ-Divergence Method
Authors: Shahjaman Md. , Kumar Nishith , Mollah Md. Manir Hossain , Ahmed Md. Shakil , Ara Begum Anjuman , Shahinul Islam S. M. , Mollah Md. Nurul Haque
Published: July 2017

Identification of differentially expressed (DE) genes with two or more conditions is an important task for discovery of few biomarker genes. Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) is a popular statistical approach for identification of DE genes for both small- and large-sample cases. However, it is sensitive to outlying gene expressions and produces low power in presence of outliers. Therefore, in this paper, an attempt is made to robustify the SAM approach using the minimumβ-divergence estimators instead of the maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters. We demonstrated the performance of the proposed method in a comparison of some other popular statistical methods such as ANOVA, SAM, LIMMA, KW, EBarrays, GaGa, and BRIDGE using both simulated and real gene expression datasets. We observe that all methods show good and almost equal performance in absence of outliers for the large-sample cases, while in the small-sample cases only three methods (SAM, LIMMA, and proposed) show almost equal and better performance than others with two or more conditions. However, in the presence of outliers, on an average, only the proposed method performs better than others for both small- and large-sample cases with each condition.
Electrochemical Evaluation oftrans-Resveratrol Levels in Red Wine Based on the Interaction between Resveratrol and Graphene
Authors: Liu Lantao , Zhou Yanli , Kang Yiyu , Huang Haihong , Li Congming , Xu Maotian , Ye Baoxian
Published: July 2017

trans-Resveratrol is often considered as one of the quality standards of red wine, and the development of a sensitive and reliable method for monitoring thetrans-resveratrol levels in red wine is an urgent requirement for the quality control. Here, a novel voltammetric approach was described for probingtrans-resveratrol using a graphene-modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The proposed electrode was prepared by one-step electrodeposition of reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) at a GC electrode. Compared with the bare GC electrode, the introduced graphene film on the electrode surface dramatically improved the sensitivity of the sensor response due to theπ-πinteraction between the graphene andtrans-resveratrol. The developed sensor exhibited low detection limit of 0.2 μM with wide linear range of 0.8–32 μM and high stability. For the analysis oftrans-resveratrol in red wine, the high anti-interference ability and the good recoveries indicated the great potential for practical applications.
An IoT Platform for Epilepsy Monitoring and Supervising
Authors: Vergara Paula M. , de la Cal Enrique , Villar José R. , González Víctor M. , Sedano Javier
Published: July 2017

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder with several different types of seizures, some of them characterized by involuntary recurrent convulsions, which have a great impact on the everyday life of the patients. Several solutions have been proposed in the literature to detect this type of seizures and to monitor the patient; however, these approaches lack in ergonomic issues and in the suitable integration with the health system. This research makes an in-depth analysis of the main factors that an epileptic detection and monitoring tool should accomplish. Furthermore, we introduce the architecture for a specific epilepsy detection and monitoring platform, fulfilling these factors. Special attention has been given to the part of the system the patient should wear, providing details of this part of the platform. Finally, a partial implementation has been deployed and several tests have been proposed and carried out in order to make some design decisions.
A Correlation between the Higgs Mass and Dark Matter
Authors: Hertzberg Mark P.
Published: July 2017

Depending on the value of the Higgs mass, the Standard Model acquires an unstable region at large Higgs field values due to RG running of couplings, which we evaluate at 2-loop order. For currently favored values of the Higgs mass, this renders the electroweak vacuum only metastable with a long lifetime. We argue on statistical grounds that the Higgs field would be highly unlikely to begin in the small field metastable region in the early universe, and thus some new physics should enter in the energy range of order of, or lower than, the instability scale to remove the large field unstable region. We assume that Peccei-Quinn (PQ) dynamics enters to solve the strong CP problem and, for a PQ-scale in this energy range, may also remove the unstable region. We allow the PQ-scale to scan and argue, again on statistical grounds, that its value in our universe should be of order of the instability scale, rather than (significantly) lower. Since the Higgs mass determines the instability scale, which is argued to set the PQ-scale, and since the PQ-scale determines the axion properties, including its dark matter abundance, we are led to a correlation between the Higgs mass and the abundance of dark matter. We find the correlation to be in good agreement with current data.
Effect of Nanotube Geometry on the Strength and Dispersion of CNT-Cement Composites
Authors: Mohsen Mohamed O. , Taha Ramzi , Abu Taqa Ala , Al-Nuaimi Nasser , Al-Rub Rashid Abu , Bani-Hani Khaldoon A.
Published: July 2017

This study investigated the effect of multiwalled carbon nanotubes’ geometry on the dispersion and strength of cement composites. Mixes with CNTs contents ranging from 0.03 to 0.25% were prepared and tested using CNTs’ diameters of 10–20, 20–30, and 30–50 nm and lengths of 0.5–2 and 10–30 μm. The samples’ microstructures were then examined using a scanning electron microscope. After that, Response Surface Methodologies techniques were implemented to determine the strength functions’ response to the aspect ratio and weight fraction variables. The results showed that CNTs of smaller diameters and longer lengths resulted in the highest strength values in batches having CNT contents of up to 0.15%. At 0.25% CNTs, the results showed that those CNTs of shorter lengths attained higher strengths than those of longer ones. SEM images showed better dispersion properties at lower CNTs’ contents regardless of their geometry. The analysis also indicated that short CNTs of 0.5–2 μm length have better dispersion properties compared to long ones of 10–30 μm length. The RSM model confirmed this finding. Furthermore, the model showed that the CNTs with the lowest aspect ratio of 83 and highest weight fraction of 0.25% provided the highest strength response among all batches.
Positioning Performance of Power and Manual Drivers in Posterior Spinal Fusion Procedures
Authors: Prendergast J. Micah , Perry Alexander C. , Patel Vikas V. , Lindley Emily M. , Rentschler Mark E.
Published: July 2017

This work presents an analysis and comparison of the efficacy of two methods for pedicle screw placement during posterior spinal fusion surgery. A total of 100 screws (64 manual and 36 power driven), all placed utilizing a surgical navigation system, were analyzed and compared. Final screw placement was compared to initial surgical plans using the navigation system, and the final screw locations were analyzed on the basis of angular deviation from these planned trajectories as well as screw translation within a critical reference plane. The power driver was found to insignificantly decrease the resulting angular deviation of these pedicle screws with a mean deviation of 3.35 degrees compared to 3.44 degrees with the manual driver (p=0.853). Conversely, the power driver was found to increase the translational distance in the critical region, with mean deviations of 2.45 mm for the power driver compared to 1.54 mm with the manual driver. The increase in translational deviation was significant (p=0.002) indicating that there may be some loss in performance from the adoption of the power driver.
Mixed Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Inhibit Staphylococcus aureus Induced Inflammation and Ameliorate Intestinal Microflora in Mice
Authors: Ren Dayong , Gong Shengjie , Shu Jingyan , Zhu Jianwei , Rong Fengjun , Zhang Zhenye , Wang Di , Gao Liangfeng , Qu Tianming , Liu Hongyan , Chen Ping
Published: July 2017

Objective. Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that causes intestinal infection. We examined the immunomodulatory function of single and mixed Lactobacillus plantarum strains, as well as their impacts on the structure of the microbiome in mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus. The experiment was divided into three groups: protection, treatment, and control. Serum IFN-γ and IL-4 levels, as well as intestinal sIgA levels, were measured during and 1 week after infection with Staphylococcus aureus with and without Lactobacillus plantarum treatment. We used 16s rRNA tagged sequencing to analyze microbiome composition. IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio decreased significantly from infection to convalescence, especially in the mixed Lactobacillus plantarum group. In the mixed Lactobacillus plantarum group the secretion of sIgA in the intestine of mice (9.4–9.7 ug/mL) was significantly higher than in the single lactic acid bacteria group. The dominant phyla in mice are Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. Treatment with mixed lactic acid bacteria increased the anti-inflammatory factor and the secretion of sIgA in the intestine of mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus and inhibited inflammation.
Extraction and Optimization of Natural Dye from Hambo Hambo(Cassia singueana)Plant Used for Coloration of Tanned Leather Materials
Authors: Berhanu Taame , Ratnapandian Saminathan
Published: July 2017

This investigation was aimed at introducing natural dye extracted from the bark ofCassia Singueanaplant for dyeing chrome tanned sheep skin crust leather. The colorant was extracted by aqueous extraction and its strength evaluated using UV-Visible spectroscopy. The extraction with the highest strength (3.9 atλmaxof 400 nm) was obtained at temperature of 95°C, concentration of 60 g/l, and time of 60 minutes. The possibility of using aloe vera juice and mango bark extract as natural mordants for leather coloration was investigated. Dyeing was conducted with and without mordant using different combinations of temperature, time, pH, and concentration of mordants. All three mordanting techniques were evaluated. The color strength(K/S), CIEL⁎a⁎b⁎values, and fastness properties (light, rubbing, and perspiration) of dyed leather samples were evaluated using appropriate instruments and according to international standards. Majority of samples exhibited that fastness result was in the range of good-excellent. Significantly better color fastness was obtained in case of leather samples premordanted with aloe vera. This study leads to the conclusion that dye extracted from bark ofCassia singueanacan be used as colorant for tanned leather with the selected natural mordants.
Examining Health Inequalities in Latvia: A Decade of Association between Socioeconomic Position and Perceived Health Status
Authors: Berķe-Berga Anželika , Paul Pavitra , Valtonen Hannu
Published: July 2017

The relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and population health is contextual. This study identifies the determinants of SEP producing health inequalities in the Latvian population. We also estimate the proportional contribution of different socioeconomic strata- (SES-) related determinants in Latvian health inequalities and measure the changes in the relative contributions of such determinants over the period 2005–2015. Using the household survey data (2005–2015), we construct a principal component analysis based SES index. A regression-based concentration index (CI) is our measure of health inequality to examine the distribution of perceived health status. Finally, we identify and estimate the contribution of predictors of health inequalities by decomposing CI with Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition. SES-related health inequalities have declined from 2005 (CI: 0.201) to 2015 (CI: 0.137) in Latvia—better-off Latvians enjoyed better perceived health during that period. The proportional contributions of education and working status have increased in 2015 compared to 2005. Although we have generated the first evidence to suggest policy relevant measures in addressing Latvian health inequalities, our decomposition method explains the extent of variation in perceived health instead of covariance between health and SEP.
Evaluation of the Processing Times in Anuran Sound Classification
Authors: Luque Amalia , Gómez-Bellido Jesús , Carrasco Alejandro , Personal Enrique , Leon Carlos
Published: July 2017

Nowadays, sound classification applications are becoming more common in the Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN) scope. However, these architectures require special considerations, like looking for a balance between transmitted data and local processing. This article proposes an audio processing and classification scheme, focusing on WASN architectures. This article also analyzes in detail the time efficiency of the different stages involved (from acquisition to classification). This study provides useful information which makes it possible to choose the best tradeoff between processing time and classification result accuracy. This approach has been evaluated on a wide set of anurans songs registered in their own habitat. Among the conclusions of this work, there is an emphasis on the disparity in the classification and feature extraction and construction times for the different studied techniques, all of them notably depending on the overall feature number used.
Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health
Authors: Pizzino Gabriele , Irrera Natasha , Cucinotta Mariapaola , Pallio Giovanni , Mannino Federica , Arcoraci Vincenzo , Squadrito Francesco , Altavilla Domenica , Bitto Alessandra
Published: July 2017

Oxidative stress is a phenomenon caused by an imbalance between production and accumulation of oxygen reactive species (ROS) in cells and tissues and the ability of a biological system to detoxify these reactive products. ROS can play, and in fact they do it, several physiological roles (i.e., cell signaling), and they are normally generated as by‐products of oxygen metabolism; despite this, environmental stressors (i.e., UV, ionizing radiations, pollutants, and heavy metals) and xenobiotics (i.e., antiblastic drugs) contribute to greatly increase ROS production, therefore causing the imbalance that leads to cell and tissue damage (oxidative stress). Several antioxidants have been exploited in recent years for their actual or supposed beneficial effect against oxidative stress, such as vitamin E, flavonoids, and polyphenols. While we tend to describe oxidative stress just as harmful for human body, it is true as well that it is exploited as a therapeutic approach to treat clinical conditions such as cancer, with a certain degree of clinical success. In this review, we will describe the most recent findings in the oxidative stress field, highlighting both its bad and good sides for human health.
Surgical Treatment for Chronic Pancreatitis: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Plagemann Stephanie , Welte Maria , Izbicki Jakob R. , Bachmann Kai
Published: July 2017

The pancreas was one of the last explored organs in the human body. The first surgical experiences were made before fully understanding the function of the gland. Surgical procedures remained less successful until the discovery of insulin, blood groups, and finally the possibility of blood donation. Throughout the centuries, the surgical approach went from radical resections to minimal resections or only drainage of the gland in comparison to an adequate resection combined with drainage procedures. Today, the well-known and standardized procedures are considered as safe due to the high experience of operating surgeons, the centering of pancreatic surgery in specialized centers, and optimized perioperative treatment. Although surgical procedures have become safer and more efficient than ever, the overall perioperative morbidity after pancreatic surgery remains high and management of postoperative complications stagnates. Current research focuses on the prevention of complications, optimizing the patient’s general condition preoperatively and finding the appropriate timing for surgical treatment.
Analysis of Precooling Injection Transient of Steam Generator for High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor
Authors: Wang Yan , Shi Lei , Zheng Yanhua
Published: July 2017

After a postulated design basis accident leads high temperature gas cooled reactor to emergency shutdown, steam generator still remains with high temperature level and needs to be cooled down by a precooling before reactor restarts with clearing of fault. For the large difference of coolant temperature between inlet and outlet of steam generator in normal operation, the temperature distribution on the components of steam generator is very complicated. Therefore, the temperature descending rate of the components in steam generator needs to be limited to avoid the potential damage during the precooling stage. In this paper, a pebble-bed high temperature gas cooled reactor is modeled by thermal-hydraulic system analysis code and several postulated precooling injection transients are simulated and compared to evaluate their effects, which will provide support for the precooling design. The analysis results show that enough precooling injection is necessary to satisfy the precooling requirements, and larger mass flow rate of precooling water injection will accelerate the precooling process. The temperature decrease of steam generator is related to the precooling injection scenarios, and the maximal mass flow rate of the precooling injection should be limited to avoid the excessively quick temperature change of the structures in steam generator.
Effect of Aluminum Incorporation into Mesoporous Aluminosilicate Framework on Drug Release Kinetics
Authors: Mitran Raul-Augustin , Berger Daniela , Pandele-Cusu Jeanina , Matei Cristian
Published: July 2017

Mesoporous silica materials are promising nanocarriers for the development of drug delivery systems. In this study, the influence of pore size, volume, surface area, and doping the silica framework on the release kinetics of a model drug, metoprolol, has been studied. 20% or 50% wt. therapeutic agent was loaded into the carrier mesopores through incipient wetness impregnation. The carriers and drug-loaded samples have been characterized by small- and wide-angle X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The in vitro release profiles have been fitted using a three-parameter kinetic model and they have been explained in terms of the release rate during the burst and sustained release stages and the fraction of drug molecules released during the burst stage. The silica framework doping with aluminum was found to decrease the amount of drug released in the burst stage, without affecting the other kinetic parameters. The therapeutic agent release rates depend mainly on the pore size and volume of the mesoporous carriers and drug-loaded samples.
Changes in White Matter Integrity following Intensive Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD®) in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Motor Speech Disorders
Authors: Reed Alesha , Cummine Jacqueline , Bakhtiari Reyhaneh , Fox Cynthia M. , Boliek Carol A.
Published: July 2017

Preliminary evidence suggests that intensive voice and speech treatment based on activity-dependent neuroplasticity principles holds promise for affecting positive change in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and motor speech disorders. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) allows researchers to make inferences about the integrity of white matter tracks and provides a sensitive measure of neuroplasticity. Previous treatment studies looking at the effects of training on white matter integrity have shown positive results, but these studies have been limited to gross motor function. Eight children with motor speech disorders and CP (3 females; age 8-16 years) and an age- and sex-matched group of typically developing (TD) children participated. Each child with CP completed a full dose of LSVT LOUD® and a 12-week maintenance program. Participants attended 3 recording sessions: before and after treatment, and after the maintenance period. TD children were tested at the same 3 time points. Recording sessions for both groups of children included measures of white matter integrity using DTI and acoustic measures of voice and speech. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured for 2 motor tracts and 5 association tracts. In children with CP, we observed an increase in FA in several motor and association tracts immediately following treatment and 12 weeks after treatment. Acoustic data on untrained tasks were correlated with changes in FA detected immediately following treatment and after the 12-week maintenance program. These findings suggest that long-term practice of skills attained during the treatment phase enhances white matter tract integrity in speech production networks.
Deoxyelephantopin Induces Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Apoptosis and Autophagy in Human Osteosarcoma Cells
Authors: Zou Jilong , Zhang Yan , Sun Jiabing , Wang Xiaoyan , Tu Hualei , Geng Shuo , Liu Renhao , Chen Yuxi , Bi Zhenggang
Published: July 2017

Background/Aims: Osteosarcoma is the predominant form of primary bone malignancy. Although the combinational application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection significantly increases the survival rate, the therapeutic outcome remains unsatisfactory. Deoxyelephantopin (DET), an active ingredient of Elephantopus scaber, has been reported to have an anti-tumor effect in recent publications. This study aimed to investigate whether DET has antineoplastic effects on osteosarcoma cells and its underlying mechanism. Methods: Cell viability and morphological changes were assessed by MTT and Live/dead assays. Cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected utilizing Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, DCFH-DA and JC-1 probes, respectively. Autophagy was detected by mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus transfection and western blot. Results: DET dose-dependently reduced the viability of osteosarcoma cells following the increase in intracellular ROS levels. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reversed this effect. Furthermore, DET induced mitochondrial apoptosis. Depolarized cells were increased, and apoptosis-related proteins, such as Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved ploy ADP-ribose polymerase, were activated. Additionally, we found that DET could induce autophagy in osteosarcoma cells, but autophagy inhibition did not affect the decrease in cell viability. Conclusion: DET induced apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells through ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation; in addition, autophagy was involved in the effects of DET on osteosarcoma cells.
Prophylactic Treatment with Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Attenuate Hepatic Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Sprague Dawley Rats
Authors: Manne Nandini D.P.K. , Arvapalli Ravikumar , Graffeo Vincent A. , Bandarupalli Venkata V. K. , Shokuhfar Tolou , Patel Sweetu , Rice Kevin M. , Ginjupalli Gautam Kumar , Blough Eric R.
Published: July 2017

Background: Hepatic ischemia reperfusion is one the main causes for graft failure following transplantation. Although, the molecular events that lead to hepatic failure following ischemia reperfusion (IR) are diverse and complex, previous studies have shown that excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for hepatic IR injury. Cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles have been previously shown to act as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Here, we evaluated the protective effects of CeO2 nanoparticles on hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: Control, CeO2 nanoparticle only, hepatic ischemia reperfusion (IR) group and hepatic ischemia reperfusion (IR) plus CeO2 nanoparticle group (IR+ CeO2). Partial warm hepatic ischemia was induced in left lateral and median lobes for 1h, followed by 6h of reperfusion. Animals were sacrificed after 6h of reperfusion and blood and tissue samples were collected and processed for various biochemical experiments. Results: Prophylactic treatment with CeO2 nanoparticles (0.5mg/kg i.v (IR+CeO2 group)) 1 hour prior to hepatic ischemia and subsequent reperfusion injury lead to a decrease in serum levels of alanine aminotransaminase and lactate dehydrogenase at 6 hours after reperfusion. These changes were accompanied by significant decrease in hepatocyte necrosis along with reduction in several serum inflammatory markers such as macrophage derived chemokine, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, KC/GRO, myoglobin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. However, immunoblotting demonstrated no significant changes in the levels of apoptosis related protein markers such as bax, bcl2 and caspase 3 in IR and IR+ CeO2 groups at 6 hours suggesting necrosis as the main pathway for hepatocyte death. Conclusion: Taken together, these data suggest that CeO2 nanoparticles attenuate IR induced cell death and can be used as a prophylactic agent to prevent hepatic injury associated with graft failure.
Silencing of Prrx2 Inhibits the Invasion and Metastasis of Breast Cancer both In Vitro and In Vivo by Reversing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Lv Zhi-Dong , Wang Hai-Bo , Liu Xiang-Ping , Jin Li-Ying , Shen Ruo-Wu , Wang Xin-Gang , Kong Bin , Qu Hui-Li , Li Fu-Nian , Yang Qi-Feng
Published: July 2017

Background/Aims: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is recognized as a crucial mechanism in breast cancer progression and metastasis. Paired-related homeobox 2 (Prrx2) has been identified as a new EMT inducer in cancer, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. Methods: The expression of Prrx2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in breast cancer tissues to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of Prrx2, as well as the correlation between Prrx2 and EMT. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of Prrx2 was used to examine cellular effects of Prrx2, detecte the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and EMT-associated proteins, and observe cell proliferation, invasion and migration abilities in vitro and in vivo. Results: Clinical association studies showed that Prrx2 expression was related to tumor size, lymph node metastasis, tumor node metastasis stages, EMT and poor survival. Results also showed that knockdown of Prrx2 could alter cell morphology, suppressed the abilities of cell proliferation, invasion and migration in breast cancer. Moreover, silencing of Prrx2 induced the mesenchymal-epithelial transition and prevented nuclear translocation of β-catenin, inhibited wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study indicated that Prrx2 may be an important activator of EMT in human breast cancer and it can serve as a molecular target of therapeutic interventions for breast cancer.
Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells-1: a new player in platelet aggregation
Authors: Jolly Lucie , Lemarié Jérémie , Carrasco Kevin , Popovic Batric , Derive Marc , Boufenzer Amir , Gibot Sébastien
Published: July 2017

Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is an immunoreceptor initially known to be expressed on neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. TREM-1 acts as an amplifier of the inflammatory response during both infectious and aseptic inflammatory diseases. Another member of the TREM family, The Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells Like Transcript-1 (TLT-1) is exclusively expressed in platelets and promotes platelet aggregation. As the gene that encodes for TLT-1 is located in the TREM-1 gene cluster, this prompted us to investigate the expression of TREM-1 on platelets. Here we show that TREM-1 is constitutively expressed in α-granules and mobilised at the membrane upon platelet activation. Pharmacologic inhibition of TREM-1 reduces platelet activation as well as platelet aggregation induced by collagen, ADP, and thrombin in human platelets. Aggregation is similarly impaired in platelets from Trem-1−/− mice. In vivo, TREM-1 inhibition decreases thrombus formation in a carotid artery model of thrombosis and protects mice during pulmonary embolism without excessive bleeding. These findings suggest that TREM-1 inhibition could be useful adducts in antiplatelet therapies.

Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
The Significance of Institutional Culture in Enhancing the Validity of International Criminal Tribunals
Authors: Mistry Hemi
Published: July 2017

When considering the validity of international criminal tribunals, focus is typically and appropriately upon areas of substantive law and procedure and questions of prosecutorial policy. However, to the extent that it is within the capacity of judges to address and resolve challenges to the validity of the institution, in order for judges to formulate and implement effective solutions to those challenges it is imperative that an institutional culture is cultivated that is conducive to those ends. This paper explains the relationship between judicial culture and institutional legitimacy, and highlights how recent jurisprudence of the International Criminal Court (icc) suggests that there is a need for the adoption and implementation of measures to promote the development of a robust institutional culture conducive to resolving the challenges faced by the icc.
Catalogue of Egyptian Tephritoidea (Diptera: Schizophora: Acalyptratae)
Authors: EL-HAWAGRY MAGDI S.
Published: July 2017

All known Egyptian taxa of the superfamily Tephritoidea are systematically catalogued. Synonymies, type localities, type depositories, world distributions by biogeographic realm(s) and country, Egyptian localities and dates of collection for Egyptian tephritoid species are provided. The known Egyptian host plants of phytophagous species are listed. A total number of 86 tephritoid species belonging to 48 genera, 15 tribes, 9 subfamilies, and repre-senting 6 families has been catalogued. The treated families are: Lonchaeidae (lance flies), Piophilidae (skippers), Platystomatidae (signal flies), Pyrgotidae (pyrgotid flies), Tephritidae (fruit flies) and Ulidiidae (picture–winged flies).
A new species of Megacormus (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae) from an oak-pine forest in Guanajuato, México with an identification key to the species in the genus
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-SANTILLÁN EDMUNDO , GONZÁLEZ-RUÍZ JUAN MANUEL , ESCOBEDO-MORALES LUIS A.
Published: July 2017

The fifth species of the genus, Megacormus xichu sp. nov., is described and compared to the other species. An identification key to these species as well as a distributional map with localities taken from the literature are provided.
Life-stage association of black flies, using a fast-evolving nuclear gene sequence, and description of the larva of Simulium lampangense Takaoka & Choochote (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Thailand
Authors: THAIJARERN JIRAPORN , PRAMUAL PAIROT , ADLER PETER H.
Published: July 2017

Larval black flies, especially earlier instars, can be difficult to associate morphologically and chromosomally with other life stages. We used sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and nuclear elongation complex protein 1 (ECP1) to associate unknown larvae with known species of the Simulium multistriatum species group in Thailand. COI barcode sequences failed to differentiate closely related species (S. chaliowae, S. lampangense, and S. fenestratum) and unknown larvae. In contrast, ECP1 sequences clearly separated these species, and revealed that the unknown larvae clustered with pupae of S. lampangense. The larva of S. lampangense is described morphologically for the first time. It is similar to that of S. chaliowae, but can be distinguished by a pair of dorsal protuberances on segments 3–7 rather than on segments 2–6.
Decadal Variability of the Indian and Pacific Walker Cells since the 1960s: Do They Covary on Decadal Time Scales?
Authors: Han Weiqing , Meehl Gerald A. , Hu Aixue , Zheng Jian , Kenigson Jessica , Vialard Jérôme , Rajagopalan Balaji , Yanto
Published: July 2017

Previous studies have investigated the centennial and multidecadal trends of the Pacific and Indian Ocean Walker cells (WCs) during the past century, but have obtained no consensus owing to data uncertainties and weak signals of the long-term trends. This paper focuses on decadal variability (periods of one to few decades) by first documenting the variability of the WCs and warm-pool convection, and their covariability since the 1960s, using in situ and satellite observations and reanalysis products. The causes for the variability and covariability are then explored using a Bayesian dynamic linear model, which can extract nonstationary effects of climate modes. The warm-pool convection exhibits apparent decadal variability, generally covarying with the Indian and Pacific Ocean WCs during winter (November–April) with enhanced convection corresponding to intensified WCs, and the Indian–Pacific WCs covary. During summer (May–October), the warm-pool convection still highly covaries with the Pacific WC but does not covary with the Indian Ocean WC, and the Indian–Pacific WCs are uncorrelated. The wintertime coherent variability results from the vital influence of ENSO decadal variation, which reduces warm-pool convection and weakens the WCs during El Niño–like conditions. During summer, while ENSO decadal variability still dominates the Pacific WC, decadal variations of ENSO, the Indian Ocean dipole, Indian summer monsoon convection, and tropical Indian Ocean SST have comparable effects on the Indian Ocean WC overall, with monsoon convection having the largest effect since the 1990s. The complex causes for the Indian Ocean WC during summer result in its poor covariability with the Pacific WC and warm-pool convection.