bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benefit Finding and Psychological Adjustment Following a Non-Marital Relationship Breakup
Authors: Samios Christina , Henson Donna F. , Simpson Hannah J.
Published: May 2014

Many people experience a non-marital relationship breakup, which can lead to poor adjustment outcomes; however, relative to divorce, non-marital breakups have received less research attention, particularly on factors that may predict positive adjustment outcomes. We examined the adaptive role of finding benefits in a non-marital breakup in 140 participants who completed measures of benefit finding, the impact of the event, and adjustment. Regression analyses found that benefit finding related to positive adjustment outcomes and that the benefit finding-depression relationship was moderated by the impact of the event. This study provides empirical support for benefit finding in a non-marital relationship breakup.
Introducing improvements in the mass rearing of the housefly: biological, morphometric and genetic characterization of laboratory strains
Authors: Pastor B. , Martínez-Sánchez A.S. , Ståhls G.A. , Rojo S.
Published: May 2014

Understanding the biology of the housefly (Musca domesticaL.) is crucial for the development of mass-rearing protocols in order to use this insect as a degradation agent for livestock waste. In this study, the biological and genetic differences between different laboratory strains ofM. domesticawere analysed. Additionally, hybrids were obtained by mixing the strains and their biological parameters were also measured. The three strains ofM. domesticapresented differences in their biological and morphological parameters, the main differences were: size, egg production and developmental time. The strain A (specimens from Central Europe) had the best qualities to be used in mass-rearing conditions: it produced the largest quantities of eggs (5.77±0.38 eggs per female per day), the individuals were larger (12.62±0.22 mg) and its developmental time was shorter (15.22±0.21 days). However, the strain C (specimens from SW Europe) produced the fewest eggs (3.15±0.42 eggs per female per day) and needed 18.16±0.49 days to develop from larva to adult, whilst the females from strain B (from South America) produced 4.25±0.47 eggs per day and needed 17.11±0.36 days to complete its development. Genetic analysis of the original laboratory strains showed four different mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I haplotypes. Statistical parsimony network analysis showed that the SW Europe and South-American strains shared haplotypes, whereas the Central Europe strain did not. Upon hybridizing the strains, variations in egg production and in developmental time were observed in between hybrids and pure strains, and when mixing Central European and South-American strains only males were obtained.
Universal Benefit: Gandhi's doctrine of Trusteeship: A review article
Authors: CHAKRABARTY BIDYUT
Published: May 2014

Trusteeship is Gandhi's conceptualization of the contribution of business houses towards social well-being. Trusteeship is a theoretical construct seeking to redefine the relationship between indigenous business houses and the nationalist movement. That Gandhi succeeded in persuading the business men to participate in the freedom struggle, despite adverse consequences, suggests the extent to which Trusteeship was an effective mechanism in political mobilization. Besides elaborating the concept, this paper also argues that Gandhi was indebted to Andrew Carnegie and John D. Ruskin, amongst others, in his effort to articulate Trusteeship as a bridge between business houses and the freedom struggle; and that this Gandhian idea is a forerunner of the contemporary conceptualization of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Sons of Soil, Sons of Steel: Autochthony, Descent and the Class Concept in Industrial India
Authors: SANCHEZ ANDREW , STRÜMPELL CHRISTIAN
Published: May 2014

Inspired by E. P. Thompson's modelling of class as the contingent outcome of historical processes, this paper explores how autochthony and descent came to inform the boundaries of industrial workforces in the Indian steel towns of Jamshedpur and Rourkela. We suggest that if class is a historical object, then it relates to other forms of power and identity in ways that question the use of rigid analytic typologies. In the private sector Tata company town of Jamshedpur, an industrial working class was constructed during the late colonial period from labour migrants, whose employment became heritable within families. In the public sector Rourkela Steel Plant, founded in the mid-twentieth century, the politics of ethno regionalism coincided with state development policy to inform employment reservation for autochthons. Through a historical analysis of urbanization, migration and employment policy, we consider how elite workforces that bound themselves according to the principles of autochthony and descent were formed in the social laboratories of India's steel towns. We suggest that such processes demand a class concept that engages more subtly with the work of E. P. Thompson.
Clarity in Philosophy
Authors: Magee Bryan
Published: May 2014

Some philosophy – Wittgenstein's would be an example – is written in clear sentences, yet most people find it obscure at a first reading. This is because the prime location of clarity in philosophy is not sentences but structures. Only if a reader can relate what he is currently reading to a wider framework does he know where he is. Coherent utterance in all discursive media – not only language but mathematics, for example, or music – possesses two kinds of structure at the same time. In this article these are distinguished, and their radically different relationships with language shown. In the process, the commonest causes of unclarity are also identified.
On Having a Good
Authors: Korsgaard Christine M.
Published: May 2014

In some recent papers I have been arguing that the concept ‘good-for’ is prior to the concept of ‘good’ (in the sense in which final ends are good), and exploring the implications of that claim. One of those implications is that everything that is good is good for someone. That implication seems to fall afoul of our intuitions about certain cases, such as the intuition that a world full of happy people and animals is better than a world full of miserable ones, even if the people and animals are different in the two cases, so that there is no one for whom the second world is better. Such cases tempt people to think that there must be impersonal goods, and that what it means to say that something is good for you is that you are the one who ‘has’ some impersonal good. In this paper, I argue that if we approach things in this way, it is impossible to say what the ‘having’ consists of, what relation it names. This leads me to a discussion of various things we do mean by saying that something is good for someone, how they are related to each other, and what sorts of entities can ‘have a good’. Finally, I explain why we think that a world full of happy people and animals is better than a world full of miserable ones, even if the people and animals are different in the two cases.
The causes of parent–offspring transmission of drug abuse: a Swedish population-based study
Authors: Kendler K. S. , Ohlsson H. , Sundquist K. , Sundquist J.
Published: May 2014

Background

While drug abuse (DA) is strongly familial, we still have limited knowledge about the causes of its cross-generational transmission.

Method

We examined DA ascertained from national registers in offspring of three family types from the Swedish population [intact (n = 2 111 074), ‘not-lived-with’ (n = 165 315, where biological parents never lived with their offspring) and ‘step’ (n = 124 800 offspring)], which reflected, respectively, the effects of genes + rearing, genes only and rearing only. We replicated these results in three high-risk co-relative designs.

Results

Combined across mothers and fathers, the hazard ratio (HR) for DA in offspring given DA in parents was 3.52 in intact, 2.73 in ‘not-lived-with’ and 1.79 in stepfamilies. In 968 biological full or half-sibling pairs one of whom was reared by and the other never lived with their parent with DA, the HR for DA was greater in the reared than ‘not-lived-with’ child (HR 1.57). In 64 offspring pairs of a parent with DA, the HR for DA was greater in a reared biologicalv. step-parented non-biological child (HR 3.33). In 321 pairs of offspring of a parent with DA one of whom was a not-lived-with biological child and the second a step-parented non-biological child, the HR for DA was greater in the biologicalv. stepchild (HR 1.80).

Conclusions

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute substantially to parent–offspring resemblance for DA. The general population contains informative family constellations that can complement more traditional adoption designs in clarifying the sources of parent–offspring resemblance.
Immigration, self-determination, and the brain drain
Authors: FERRACIOLI LUARA
Published: May 2014

This article focuses on two questions regarding the movement of persons across international borders: (1) do states have a right to unilaterally control their borders; and (2) if they do, are migration arrangements simply immune to moral considerations? Unlike open borders theorists, I answer the first question in the affirmative. However, I answer the second question in the negative. More specifically, I argue that states have a negative duty to exclude prospective immigrants whose departure could be expected to contribute to severe deprivation in their countries of origin. Countries have a right to unilaterally control their borders, but their exercise of this right is constrained by the demands of morality.
Cartesian workspace optimization of Tricept parallel manipulator with machining application
Authors: Hosseini M. A. , Daniali H. M.
Published: May 2014

In this research work, the maximum Cartesian workspace of a Tricept parallel robot with two rotational and one translational degrees of freedom was investigated. Generally, the Cartesian workspace identifies the maximum size of a work-piece, specifying its cubicx,yandzdimensions, on which the milling machine could perform operations. However, the workspace of a robot can be considered in its task space, such as ψ × θ ×zfor the Tricept Parallel Kinematic Mechanism (PKM). A novel homogeneous Jacobian matrix which transforms joint space velocity vector into end-effector Cartesian velocity vector has been generated named as a Cartesian Jacobian matrix. Using the indices derived from the homogeneous Cartesian Jacobian matrix, i.e. the maximum singular values and local conditioning indices, the manipulator is designed to reach the Cartesian workspace with rapid positioning rates as well as with singularity avoidance.
Importance of regional diversity and environmental conditions on local species richness of aquatic macro-invertebrates in tropical forested streams
Authors: Al-Shami Salman Abdo , Md Rawi Che Salmah , Ahmad Abu Hassan , Madrus Madziatul Rosemahanie , AL Mutairi Khalid
Published: May 2014

We used aquatic macro-invertebrates as a model to investigate the relationship between the regional species richness (RSR) and local species richness (LSR) in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 38 streams (local scale) in seven catchments (regional scale), were sampled for aquatic macro-invertebrates. Eleven environmental variables (i.e. pH, DO, velocity, temperature, width, depth, TSS, BOD, COD, ammonia and canopy cover) were measured to assess their importance for local species richness. The average species richness was 34.9 species per region and the average abundance was 1380 individual per region. The highest number of species was 41, while the lowest species richness was 31. We applied local-regional richness regression models to explore the nature of the RSR–LSR relationship and then used variation partitioning to determine the relative importance of RSR and environmental conditions on LSR. We found a linear RSR–LSR relationship, which indicates unsaturated communities for macro-invertebrates in Malaysian streams and absence of local control with strong effects of regional processes. Variation in LSR explained by RSR was 43%, while the variation fraction in LSR explained by environmental conditions was low (2%) and not significant. We conclude that the variation in LSR is mainly controlled by the regional diversity pool (i.e. RSR) for aquatic macro-invertebrates in Peninsular Malaysia. However, weak effects of environmental conditions may reflect relatively low variability in the habitat among investigated streams. Further studies at larger scales, and involving different regions in this area, will be useful to draw comprehensive conclusions about determinants of local species diversity for stream invertebrates.
Regulating China's Power Sector: Creating an Independent Regulator without Autonomy
Authors: Tsai Chung-min
Published: May 2014

Throughout its period of economic transition, the Chinese state has readjusted its relationship with industry and developed new regulatory schemes. China's first industry-specific independent regulatory agency, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC), was created in 2003. Its operation does not follow Western practice which adopts the best institutional arrangement for autonomous regulators. This article will examine the failings and regulatory capture of SERC. I argue that because the process of creating a new regulator involves resource reallocation and power redistribution, SERC has suffered both endogenous and exogenous disadvantages since its inception. The compromised institutional design, along with insufficient resources and fragmented authority, has considerably weakened SERC's regulatory capacity. Moreover, SERC was not designed as part of the reform schedule, but rather emerged later as a response to institutional necessities, which also contributes to its vulnerability. As a result, the state has exposed SERC to potential capture by both government entities and regulated enterprises.
Predicate logic as a modeling language: modeling and solving some machine learning and data mining problems withIDP3
Authors: BRUYNOOGHE MAURICE , BLOCKEEL HENDRIK , BOGAERTS BART , DE CAT BROES , DE POOTER STEF , JANSEN JOACHIM , LABARRE ANTHONY , RAMON JAN , DENECKER MARC , VERWER SICCO
Published: May 2014

This paper provides a gentle introduction to problem-solving with the IDP3 system. The core of IDP3 is a finite model generator that supports first-order logic enriched with types, inductive definitions, aggregates and partial functions. It offers its users a modeling language that is a slight extension of predicate logic and allows them to solve a wide range of search problems. Apart from a small introductory example, applications are selected from problems that arose within machine learning and data mining research. These research areas have recently shown a strong interest in declarative modeling and constraint-solving as opposed to algorithmic approaches. The paper illustrates that the IDP3 system can be a valuable tool for researchers with such an interest. The first problem is in the domain of stemmatology, a domain of philology concerned with the relationship between surviving variant versions of text. The second problem is about a somewhat related problem within biology where phylogenetic trees are used to represent the evolution of species. The third and final problem concerns the classical problem of learning a minimal automaton consistent with a given set of strings. For this last problem, we show that the performance of our solution comes very close to that of the state-of-the art solution. For each of these applications, we analyze the problem, illustrate the development of a logic-based model and explore how alternatives can affect the performance.
Three body resonances in close orbiting planetary systems: tidal dissipation and orbital evolution
Authors: Papaloizou John C. B.
Published: May 2014

We study the orbital evolution of a three-planet system with masses in the super-Earth regime resulting from the action of tides on the planets induced by the central star which cause orbital circularization. We consider systems either in or near to a three-body commensurability for which adjacent pairs of planets are in a first-order commensurability. We develop a simple analytic solution, derived from a time averaged set of equations, that describes the expansion of the system away from strict commensurability as a function of time, once a state where relevant resonant angles undergo small amplitude librations has been attained. We perform numerical simulations that show the attainment of such resonant states focusing on the Kepler 60 system. The results of the simulations confirm many of the scalings predicted by the appropriate analytic solution. We go on to indicate how the results can be applied to put constraints on the amount of tidal dissipation that has occurred in the system. For example, if the system has been in a librating state since its formation, we find that its present period ratios imply an upper limit on the time average of 1/Q′, With Q′ being the tidal dissipation parameter. On the other hand if a librating state has not been attained, a lower upper bound applies.
Design of non-uniform concentric circular antenna arrays with optimal sidelobe level reduction using biogeography-based optimization
Authors: Dib Nihad , Sharaqa Ashraf
Published: May 2014

This paper presents the design of non-uniform concentric circular antenna arrays (CCAAs) of isotropic radiators with optimum sidelobe level (SLL) reduction. The biogeography-based optimization (BBO) method is used to determine an optimum set of excitation amplitudes that provide a radiation pattern with optimum SLL reduction with the constraint of a fixed major lobe beamwidth. The BBO method represents a new global evolutionary algorithm for optimization problems in electromagnetics. It is shown that the BBO results provide an SLL reduction that is comparable to that obtained using well-known algorithms, such as the particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and evolutionary programming (EP). Moreover, BBO results are compared with those obtained using the Matlab function Fmincon which uses a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method. The comparison shows that the design of non-uniformly excited CCAAs using the SQP method provides a SLL reduction that is better than that obtained using global stochastic optimization methods, indicating that global optimization techniques might not really be needed in this problem.
Brain Activity During Resting State in Relation to Academic Performance
Authors: Cheung Mei-chun , Chan Agnes S. , Han Yvonne M. , Sze Sophia L.
Published: May 2014

EEG coherence has been widely used to investigate brain activity and learning. However, relatively little is known about the relationship between resting-state EEG coherence and academic performance. The present study investigated this relationship with 140 healthy, normal participants. EEG was recorded during resting periods, with eyes open for 3 min, and the recordings were analyzed for 64 electrode positions in the theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), and beta (12–25 Hz) frequency bands. Coherence, defined as the spectral cross-correlation between two signals normalized by their power spectra, was calculated. Short- and long-range intrahemispheric coherence within each hemisphere and interhemispheric coherence across the left and right hemispheres were then computed and compared for each of the theta, alpha, and beta bands. The results showed that academic performance, as measured by grade point average (GPA), was negatively correlated with short-range intrahemispheric alpha and beta coherences in both hemispheres and with interhemispheric alpha and beta coherences in the temporal cortical regions. Therefore, better academic performers demonstrated more decoupling of brain areas when resting with eyes open. This is consistent with a model that relates decreased coherence to neural efficiency.
Intensity Dependence of Auditory Evoked Potentials (IDAP) in Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) Disorder
Authors: Seo Bo-Kyung , Sartory Gudrun , Kis Bernhard , Scherbaum Norbert , Müller Bernhard W.
Published: May 2014

Intensity-dependent auditory evoked potentials (IDAP) were shown to be increased in highly impulsive individuals. As impulsivity is one of the core symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), patients with ADHD were expected to exhibit an enhanced IDAP. Twenty-five ADHD patients taking methylphenidate and 21 healthy control participants were given diagnostic questionnaires including the Barratt Impulsivity Scale and IDAP was assessed with five-tone intensities. Amplitude, latency, and intensity slope of the N1, P2, and N1/P2 were determined. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant group difference with regard to N1 amplitude and ADHD patients exhibited significantly lower P2 amplitude at high intensity and a flatter N1/P2 slope of the stimulus intensity function than healthy controls. Motor impulsivity, a subscale of the Barratt impulsivity scale, showed a significantly negative correlation with P2 amplitude within the ADHD group. The unexpected results could be due to the effect of methylphenidate.
A Subconvulsive Dose of Kainate Selectively Compromises Astrocytic Metabolism in the Mouse Brain In Vivo
Authors: Walls Anne B , Eyjolfsson Elvar M , Schousboe Arne , Sonnewald Ursula , Waagepetersen Helle S
Published: May 2014

Despite the well-established use of kainate as a model for seizure activity and temporal lobe epilepsy, most studies have been performed at doses giving rise to general limbic seizures and have mainly focused on neuronal function. Little is known about the effect of lower doses of kainate on cerebral metabolism and particularly that associated with astrocytes. We investigated astrocytic and neuronal metabolism in the cerebral cortex of adult mice after treatment with saline (controls), a subconvulsive or a mildly convulsive dose of kainate. A combination of [1,2-13C]acetate and [1-13C]glucose was injected and subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of cortical extracts was employed to distinctively map astrocytic and neuronal metabolism. The subconvulsive dose of kainate led to an instantaneous increase in the cortical lactate content, a subsequent reduction in the amount of [4,5-13C]glutamine and an increase in the calculated astrocytic TCA cycle activity. In contrast, the convulsive dose led to decrements in the cortical content and 13C labeling of glutamate, glutamine, GABA, and aspartate. Evidence is provided that astrocytic metabolism is affected by a subconvulsive dose of kainate, whereas a higher dose is required to affect neuronal metabolism. The cerebral glycogen content was dose-dependently reduced by kainate supporting a role for glycogen during seizure activity.
Photochromic–fluorescent–plasmonic nanomaterials: towards integrated three-component photoactive hybrid nanosystems
Authors: Ouhenia-Ouadahi K. , Yasukuni R. , Yu P. , Laurent G. , Pavageau C. , Grand J. , Guérin J. , Léaustic A. , Félidj N. , Aubard J. , Nakatani K. , Métivier R.
Published: May 2014

Silica-coated gold nanorods functionalized with grafted fluorescent and photochromic derivatives were synthesized and cross-coupled interactions between plasmonic, photochromic, and fluorescence properties have been demonstrated.
Selective P4 activation by an organometallic nickel(i) radical: formation of a dinuclear nickel(ii) tetraphosphide and related di- and trichalcogenides
Authors: Pelties Stefan , Herrmann Dirk , de Bruin Bas , Hartl František , Wolf Robert
Published: May 2014

The reaction of white phosphorus with a mononuclear cyclopentadienyl nickel(i) complex affords a nickel-substituted tetraphospha[1.1.0]bicyclobutane in a highly selective fashion.
An atlas of two-dimensional materials
Authors: Miró Pere , Audiffred Martha , Heine Thomas
Published: May 2014

The discovery of graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials together with recent advances in exfoliation techniques have set the foundations for the manufacturing of single layered sheets from any layered 3D material.
Methane activation: the past and future
Authors: Tang Pei , Zhu Qingjun , Wu Zhaoxuan , Ma Ding
Published: May 2014

This review summarizes and provides an outlook on the possible routes for methane conversion to valuable fuel and chemicals.
First measurements of a carbon dioxide plume from an industrial source using a ground based mobile differential absorption lidar
Authors: Robinson R. A. , Gardiner T. D. , Innocenti F. , Finlayson A. , Woods P. T. , Few J. F. M.
Published: May 2014

We report on the development and demonstration of a DIAL system able to measure the mass emission rate of CO2 in the plume from a power station.
The efficiency of compounds with α-amino-β-mercapto-ethane group in protection of human serum albumin carbonylation and cross-linking with methylglyoxal
Authors: Aćimović Jelena M. , Penezić Ana Z. , Pavićević Ivan D. , Jovanović Vesna B. , Mandić Ljuba M.
Published: May 2014

Substances containing an α-amino-β-mercapto-ethane pharmacophore may be used as effective methylglyoxal scavengers and inhibitors of protein carbonylation and cross-linking.
Live cell interactome of the human voltage dependent anion channel 3 (VDAC3) revealed in HeLa cells by affinity purification tag technique
Authors: Messina Angela , Reina Simona , Guarino Francesca , Magrì Andrea , Tomasello Flora , Clark Richard E. , Ramsay Rona R. , De Pinto Vito
Published: May 2014

In higher eukaryotes three different VDAC genes encode three homologous proteins which do not show the same activity.
Ugi 4-CR synthesis of γ- and δ-lactams providing new access to diverse enzyme interactions, a PDB analysis
Authors: Boltjes André , Liao George P. , Zhao Ting , Herdtweck Eberhardt , Dömling Alexander
Published: May 2014

A three step synthesis of N-unsubstituted tetrazolo γ- and δ-lactams involving a key Ugi-4CR is presented.
Nanomechanical sensors for single microbial cell growth monitoring
Authors: Maloney Niall , Lukacs Gyongyi , Jensen Jason , Hegner Martin
Published: May 2014

Real time growth tracking of a single microorganism spore on a micromechanical cantilever sensor.
Synthesis of core cross-linked star polystyrene with functional end groups and self-assemblies templated by breath figures
Authors: Zhu Liang-Wei , Yang Wu , Wan Ling-Shu , Xu Zhi-Kang
Published: May 2014

We report the synthesis of core cross-linked star (CCS) polymers with functional end groups for self-assembled films, which show mono-layer and multi-layer transition, depending on arm numbers, arm length, and end groups.
Fosmidomycin analogues with N-hydroxyimidazole and N-hydroxyimidazolone as a chelating unit
Authors: Midrier Camille , Montel Sonia , Braun Ralf , Haaf Klaus , Willms Lothar , van der Lee Arie , Volle Jean-Noël , Pirat Jean-Luc , Virieux David
Published: May 2014

Fosmidomycin has been reported to have many biological activities as an antibacterial and antimalarial, along with being a herbicidal agent.
Synergistic effect from Lewis acid and the Ni–W2C/AC catalyst for highly active and selective hydrogenation of aryl nitro to aryl amine
Authors: Zhao Zhongkui , Yang Hongling , Li Yu
Published: May 2014

Highly-active and selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes to their corresponding aromatic amines by synergism from Ni–W2C/AC and Lewis acid is presented.
Recent advances in Mn-based oxides as anode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Deng Yuanfu , Wan Lina , Xie Ye , Qin Xusong , Chen Guohua
Published: May 2014

The Mn-based oxides including MnO, Mn3O4, Mn2O3, MnO2, CoMn2O4, ZnMn2O4and their carbonaceous composite/oxide supports with different morphologies and compositions as anode materials are reviewed.
Autohydrolysis and aqueous ammonia extraction of wheat straw: effect of treatment severity on yield and structure of hemicellulose and lignin
Authors: Sipponen Mika Henrikki , Pihlajaniemi Ville , Sipponen Satu , Pastinen Ossi , Laakso Simo
Published: May 2014

Pseudo-lignin accumulation in wheat straw autohydrolysis was revealed by relative double detection high-performance size-exclusion chromatography and confirmed by CuO oxidation.
Oil-in-water microemulsion droplets of TDMAO/decane interconnected by the telechelic C18-EO150-C18: clustering and network formation
Authors: Malo de Molina Paula , Appavou Marie-Sousai , Gradzielski Michael
Published: May 2014

The combination of SANS, DLS, and FCS allows to derive a self-consistent picture of the evolution of structure and dynamics of the mixed system microemulsion/telechelic polymer as a function of the polymer content.
Facile construction of ultrathin standing α-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets on halloysite nanotubes and their enhanced electrochemical capacitance
Authors: Liang Jin , Dong Bitao , Ding Shujiang , Li Cuiping , Li Ben Q. , Li Jun , Yang Guang
Published: May 2014

α-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets@HA hybrid nanostructures exhibit an excellent specific capacitance and cycling stability at a high charge–discharge current density.
Blind carrier frequency offset estimation for tile‐based orthogonal frequency division multiple access uplink with multi‐antenna receiver
Authors: Zhang Weile , Yin Qinye
Published: May 2014

In this study, the authors propose a blind carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation method for the tile structure orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) uplink with multi‐antenna receiver. They employ an iterative approach to extract the signal component for each user gradually and propose a carefully designed CFO estimator to update the CFO estimate during the iterative procedure. The key ingredient of the proposed method is using few subcarriers on both sides within each tile as the ‘guard subcarriers’, which can greatly mitigate the effect of multi‐user interference. The proposed method supports not only fully loaded transmissions, but also the generalised assignment scheme that provides the flexibility for dynamical resource allocation. The numerical results are provided, which indicate that the proposed method can almost converge to the analytical lower bound within a few iterative cycles. It is seen that the proposed method also outperforms the existing competitor with multi‐antenna receiver in terms of estimation performance, especially with few adopted blocks.
Estimation of measurements for block‐based compressed video sensing: study of correlation noise in measurement domain
Authors: Song Bin , Guo Jie , Li Lingquan , Liu Haixiao
Published: May 2014

Compressed video sensing (CVS) is an application of compressed sensing theory which samples a signal below the Shannon–Nyquist rate. However, previous research about CVS has largely ignored the inter‐frame correlation analysis in the measurement domain, and then is not able to remove the time redundancy. In this study, the authors consider the estimation of the measurements of a block in any possible position in a frame by introducing a correlation noise (CN) between the actual and the estimated measurements. In this work, they first establish a correlation model (CM) in the pixel domain between a block which is in a random unknown position in a frame and the adjacent non‐overlapping blocks that they already have. Then, a novel measurement domain CM is presented to approximate the measurements for the random block. Lastly, they employ the CN to characterise the accuracy of the CM in the measurement domain. The simulation results show that the proposed model can make an accurate estimation to the actual measurements of an arbitrary block in a frame and that by using the proposed CN to perform motion estimation, they can improve the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio of the video sequences by 0.1–1.7 dB compared with the existing methods.
The Impact of the Cage Height, Diameter, and Positioning on Clinical and Radiographic Outcome of the Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
Authors: Hofstetter C. P. , Alimi M. , Elowitz E. , Hartl R.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Extreme lateral interbody fusion (ELIF) is a novel technique for anterior spinal fixation and indirect decompression of neural elements.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective analysis of 145 ELIFs in 90 patients. Cages measuring 8 to 14 mm in height were used. Intervertebral disc height, foraminal height, cage position, and lumbar lordosis were determined on preoperative, postoperative, and the latest follow-up studies. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS).

Results

At the time of last follow-up (17.7 ± 1.1 months), two factors determined restoration of foraminal height: First, the amount of oversizing the graft (implant height-preoperative disc height) showed a significant positive correlation with increase of foraminal height (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.691, p < 0.001). Implantation of cages 6 to 9 mm higher than the preoperative disc resulted in 3.1 ± 0.3 mm foraminal height increase. Thus, cages oversized by 6 to 9 mm yielded in significantly greater restoration of foraminal height compared with grafts that were oversized by 0 to 3 mm ( p < 0.01) or 3 to 6 mm ( p < 0.05). The second determinant of foraminal height restoration was the footprint of the intervertebral spacer. Approximately one half of our patients received 18 mm spacers and the other 22 mm grafts. Eighteen mm spacers allowed for a 2.1 mm increase of foraminal height while 22 mm spacers lead to an increase by 4.0 mm on postoperative radiographs ( p < 0.001). Interestingly, neither cage position nor posterior instrumentation had statistically significant influence on restoration of foraminal height. ELIF interbody grafts provided adequate anterior column support with 1.0 ± 0.1 mm subsidence on last follow-up imaging compared with immediate postoperative studies. Subsidence was significantly greater with intervertebral cages that were oversized by 0 to 3 mm (1.7 ± 0.5 mm) compared with cages oversized by 6 to 9 mm (0.8 ± 0.2 mm, p < 0.05). One-third of patients received lordotic spacers. Both, lordotic and nonlordotic cages allowed for increased lumbar lordosis on postoperative imaging (6.0 and 4.7 degrees, respectively). Clinical evaluation revealed a mean ODI, VAS back, buttock, and leg pain improvements of 21.1%, 3.7, 3.6, and 3.7 points, respectively.

Conclusion

In ELIF, cage width and height but not cage position determine restoration of foraminal height. Thus, optimum foraminal height restoration is achieved by using 22 mm wide cages oversized by 6 to 9 mm in height. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Intradiscal Administration of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitor, Etanercept, Clinically Improves Intractable Discogenic Low Back Pain
Authors: Sainoh T. , Orita S. , Yamauchi K. , Sakuma Y. , Kubota G. , Oikawa Y. , Inage K. , Sato J. , Fujimoto K. , Takahashi K. , Ohtori S.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Discogenic low back pain (LBP) has been clinically considered to be one of the sources of intractable LBP. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is one of the well-known pain-related proinflammatory mediators in the degenerative intervertebral disc. However, it is unclear whether its inhibition leads to any analgesic outcomes. In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of intradiscal TNF-α inhibitor administration in discogenic LBP patients.

Materials and Methods

Discogenic LBP patients were diagnosed on the basis of physical and radiographic (X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging) findings. Sixty patients were divided randomly into two groups: etanercept group ( n = 30; bupivacaine 2 mL with etanercept 10 mg) and control group ( n = 30; bupivacaine 2 mL). Numerical rating scale score for LBP before and 1 day, 1, 2, and 4 weeks after the injection and Oswestry disability index (ODI) score before and 4 weeks after the injection were evaluated. In addition, complications after the injection were evaluated.

Results

While both groups experienced considerable pain relief, the visual analog scale score significantly decreased in the etanercept group at every time point after the injection ( p < 0.05). The ODI score decreased 4 weeks after the injection only in the etanercept group ( p < 0.05). There were no complications in either group.

Conclusion

Single intradiscal administration of TNF-α inhibitor showed a greater analgesic effect without any complications lasting for 4 weeks, thereby implying that TNF-α may be profoundly involved in the pathogenesis of chronic discogenic LBP. The present study indicates that intradiscal administration of TNF-α inhibitor can be useful for intractable discogenic LBP treatment in humans. Disclosure of Interest None declared
BMPs Enhance in Vitro Tissue Regeneration by Human Degenerated Nucleus Pulposus Cells
Authors: Krouwels A. , Iljas L. , Plomp S. , Dhert W. , Oner C. , Creemers L.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are currently being investigated for differentiation of stem cells or enhancement of tissue production for various cell types. It has been shown that heterodimers of BMPs can be more effective than the combined homodimers.1 In this study, we investigate whether this is also true for tissue regeneration by human degenerated NP cells.

Materials and Methods

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells from a human donor (Thompson grade III) were cultured for 14 days in high density (1 × 10^6 cells/cm2) on collagen II coated filters. Several rhBMPs (BMP2, BMP4, BMP7, BMP2+7, BMP4+7 and the heterodimers of BMP2,7 and BMP4,7) were added to the culture medium (DMEM + 10% heat inactivated fetal bovine serum + 2% ascorbic acid-2-phosphate) in two different concentrations (total concentration 10 or 100 ng/mL medium). Control medium contained 10 ng/mL TGF-β2. Samples were stained with Safranin O for glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and with immunohistochemistry for collagen II. Matrix content as reflected by GAG production was measured with a dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay and DNA content with a PicoGreen assay. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni.

Results

GAG per DNA was highest for BMP4 (see Fig. 1 for p values). At 10 ng/mL, the heterodimer of BMP2,7 resulted in more GAG/DNA than the homodimers combined ( p = 0.003) or BMP7 alone ( p = 0.003), but not for 100 ng/mL. GAG per DNA was higher at 100 ng/mL BMP versus 10 ng/mL for all BMPs ( p < 0.001).

Conclusion

In conclusion, BMP4 seems to be the most potent factor for improving matrix production by NP cells in vitro. The heterodimers of BMP2,7 and BMP4,7 do not seem to be clearly more effective for tissue production than the homodimers combined or alone, especially for higher concentrations. Disclosure of Interest None declared Reference Israel DI, Nove J, Kerns KM, et al. Heterodimeric bone morphogenetic proteins show enhanced activity in vitro and in vivo. Growth Factors 1996;13(3-4):291–300
Early Degeneration of Intervertebral Disc in HIF-1α-Deficiency Mouse
Authors: Zhang X. , Liang Y. , Wu W. , Cao P.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is one of the most important factors that mediate direct cellular response to hypoxia. Intervertebral disc is the largest avascular organ in human body, nucleus pulposus cells originating from mesenchymal tissue are in the hypoxia environment. HIF-1α has been reported to express in normal and degenerated intervertebral disc cells. But there is no intervertebral disc HIF-1α deficiency mice available for degeneration study till now.

Materials and Methods

Shh-Cre+/− and HIF-1αflox/flox mice were used to generate HIF-1α-deficiency mice in intervertebral disc which was confirmed by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Five mice of HIF-1α−/− and wild-type (WT) group received the radiographic and MRI study at 2, 4 weeks after birth. Histological observation, Safranin O/Fast green staining of intervertebral disc were performed in each group. QRT-PCR and Western blot were used to assay the changes of collagen II and aggrecan with growth in the discs of mutant and wild type mice.

Results

RT-PCR of tail snip confirmed the genotype of HIF-1α deficiency mice and in situ hybridization of HIF-1α showed the ablation of HIF-1α in the disc. Radiographic study showed narrowing of intervertebral disc was noted on 4 weeks age mice in gene deletion, compared with the WT group, MRI study showed signal in the nucleus pulposus area disappeared and became “dark disc” in the HIF-1α−/− groups, starting from 2 weeks age, while the signal intensity WT group discs did not show appreciable degeneration. Histological observation indicated early degeneration in 2 weeks age of mutant mice (2.53 ± 0.97), and no degeneration of disc in WT mice (1.67 ± 0.52). mRNA expression and protein secretion of maim matrix in disc: collagen II (col2α) and aggrecan were both decreased in HIF-1α deficiency mice compared with WT mice.

Conclusion

Shh can be used as promotor for Cre recombinase to delete HIF-1α in mice nucleus pulposus cells successfully. HIF-1α deficiency mice in the disc were phenotypically normal as the WT, but manifest degeneration of intervertebral disc as early as 2 weeks age. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Utilization of Stem Cells in Alginate for Nucleus Pulposus Tissue Engineering
Authors: Huang B. , Wang H. , Zhou Y. , Liu L. , Liu M. , Wang J. , Li C. , Zhang Z. , Chu T. , Xiong C.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

In a general view of anatomy, intervertebral disc is composed of three parts: annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus (NP), and cartilage endplate. Recently, several types of stem cells were successfully isolated from these corresponding regions, but up to now, no research was performed about which kind of stem cells is the most efficient candidate for NP tissue engineering or for stem cell-based disc regeneration therapy.

Materials and Methods

In this study, we compared the regenerative potentials of the above-mentioned three kinds of disc-derived stem cells with that of the classic bone marrow (BM)-mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a rabbit disc degeneration model. By magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, histology, and so on.

Results

We found that cartilage endplate-derived stem cells (CESCs) showed superior capacity compared with the annulus fibrosus-derived stem cells (AFSCs), nucleus pulposus-derived stem cells (NPSCs), and BM-MSCs ( p< 0.05); in addition, when comparing the CESC group with the normal control group, there existed no statistical difference in X-ray ( p>0.05). Those results demonstrated that the CESC-seeded alginate construct performed the most powerful ability for NP regeneration, while AFSCs showed the most inferior potency, NPSCs and BM-MSCs had similar regenerative capacity and located in the middle.

Conclusion

Our study showed that CESCs might act as an efficient seed cell source for NP tissue engineering, which paved a new way for the biological solution of disc degeneration diseases. Disclosure of Interest None declared
LMP-1 Suppresses Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Inhibiting MMPs Expression
Authors: Zheng Z. , Liu H. , Pan H.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

LIM mineralization protein-1(LMP-1) is an intracellular regulatory molecule in bone formation. Previous studies have proved that it has beneficial effects on intervertebral disc regeneration in vitro and in vivo. However the mechanism of LMP-1 suppresses intervertebral disc degeneration remains unknown. The purpose of the present study was to identify the protective role of LMP-1 in a TNF-α induced intervertebral disc degeneration cell model.

Materials and Methods

TNF-α induced extracellular matrix degradation of rat nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) was used to imitate intervertebral disc degeneration. Cultured NPCs were transfected with rLMP-1 siRNA to knock down the LMP-1 expression, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) dyeing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blotting were used to analyze proteoglycan, mRNA, and protein levels, respectively. Two days later, the mRNA levels of MMPs were measured.

Results

In vitro experiments revealed that the sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) level was significantly reduced with the rLMP-1 siRNA treatment, while the mRNA level of MMP3 and MMP13 increased. TNF-α down-regulated the proteoglycan expression in NPCs, knocking down LMP-1 expression had significantly elevated levels of MMP3 and MMP13 mRNA, accompanied with the decrease of sGAG level.

Conclusion

LMP-1 suppresses TNF-α induced intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting MMPs expression. Disclosure of Interest None declared
MicroRNA-319 Regulates Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Targeting SOX9
Authors: Shang J. , Liu H. , Zhou Y.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Cartilage is an avascular tissue without innervations. Thus, it has really limited regeneration and repair capacity. Tissue-engineered cartilage is highly demanded for repairing cartilage defects in cartilage-related diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewal and multipotent stem cells, which can differentiate into osteocytes, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. Several studies have shown that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the chondrogenesis of MSCs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small noncoding single-strand RNAs which can bind to target mRNAs to modulate various biological processes. We are intended to find roles of miR-319 during chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Materials and Methods

To investigate the roles of miR-319 in chondrogenic differentiation of human MSCs, we induced chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. Chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs was identified by Alcian staining and RT-qPCR assays. Next, we used lentiviruses as vehicles to upregulate and downregulate miR-319. In addition, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was done to identify target gene of miR-319. Western blot was done to identify changes of target protein.

Results

RT-qPCR assays were done on day 0, 7, 14, and 21. Results showed that level of miR-319 was decreased during chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. Overexpression of miR-319 greatly inhibited Alcian staining and downregulated mRNA levels of chondrogenic marker genes, such as COL2A1, COMP, COL9a2, COL11A1, and ACAN. Similarly, underexpression of miR-319 promoted Alcian staining and upregulated mRNA levels of chondrogenic marker genes. Next, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay identified that SOX9 was the target gene of miR-319. Importantly, changes of miR-319 did not change mRNA level of SOX9, but changed protein level of SOX9. The results showed that miR-319 modulated SOX9 at posttranscriptional level.

Conclusion

In summary, our studies demonstrated that miR-319 inhibited chondrogenic differentiation of human MSCs by targeting SOX9. Disclosure of Interest None declared