bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The New Insight into the Role of Antimicrobial Proteins-Alarmins in the Immunopathogenesis of Psoriasis
Authors: Batycka-Baran A. , Maj J. , Wolf R. , Szepietowski J. C.
Published: May 2014

The pathognesis of psoriasis still remains not fully elucidated. Recent advances favor the idea that interactions between innate and adaptive immune response drive inflammatory process in this disease. Innate antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) are diverse group of small molecules that provide the first line of defense against invading pathogens. In recent years, the novel functions of AMPs have been identified. There are three subclasses among AMPs that have gained the special interest as a potentially important player in the pathogenesis of psoriasis: cathelicidin, S100 proteins, and defensins. These AMPs have been shown to modulate and trigger host immune response in psoriasis acting as interplayer between innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Overexpressed in psoriatic lesions, they prime immune cells for enhanced production of proinflammatory mediators and act as chemoattractant for leukocytes. Therefore, the novel term describing AMPs alarmins has been suggested. As multifunctional player in pathogenesis of psoriasis, AMPs may constitute potential target for therapeutic interventions. However, further investigations are required to establish the methods of downregulation of the aberrant proinflammatory functions of AMPs without increasing the risk of infections.
Plasmid Transfer of Plasminogen K1-5 Reduces Subcutaneous Hepatoma Growth by Affecting Inflammatory Factors
Authors: Koch Lea A. , Schmitz Volker , Strassburg Christian P. , Raskopf Esther
Published: May 2014

There is evidence that plasminogen K1-5 (PlgK1-5) directly affects tumour cells and inflammation. Therefore, we analysed if PlgK1-5 has immediate effects on hepatoma cells and inflammatory factorsin vitroandin vivo.In vitro, effects of plasmid encoding PlgK1-5 (pK1-5) on Hepa129, Hepa1-6, and HuH7 cell viability, apoptosis, and proliferation as well as VEGF and TNF-alpha expression and STAT3-phosphorylation were investigated.In vivo, tumour growth, proliferation, vessel density, and effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) expression were examined following treatment with pK1-5.In vivo, pK1-5 halved cell viability; cell death was increased by up to 15% compared to the corresponding controls. Proliferation was not affected. VEGF, TNF-alpha, and STAT3-phosphorylation were affected following treatment with pK1-5.In vivo, ten days after treatment initiation, pK1-5 reduced subcutaneous tumour growth by 32% and mitosis by up to 77% compared to the controls. Vessel density was reduced by 50%. TNF-alpha levels in tumour and liver tissue were increased, whereas VEGF levels in tumours and livers were reduced after pK1-5 treatment. Taken together, plasmid gene transfer of PlgK1-5 inhibits hepatoma (cell) growth not only by reducing vessel density but also by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation, and triggering inflammation.
124Iodine: A Longer-Life Positron Emitter Isotope—New Opportunities in Molecular Imaging
Authors: Cascini Giuseppe Lucio , Niccoli Asabella Artor , Notaristefano Antonio , Restuccia Antonino , Ferrari Cristina , Rubini Domenico , Altini Corinna , Rubini Giuseppe
Published: May 2014

124Iodine (124I) with its 4.2 d half-life is particularly attractive forin vivodetection and quantification of longer-term biological and physiological processes; the long half-life of124I is especially suited for prolonged timein vivostudies of high molecular weight compounds uptake. Numerous small molecules and larger compounds like proteins and antibodies have been successfully labeled with124I. Advances in radionuclide production allow the effective availability of sufficient quantities of124I on small biomedical cyclotrons for molecular imaging purposes. Radioiodination chemistry with124I relies on well-established radioiodine labeling methods, which consists mainly in nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution reactions. The physical characteristics of124I permit taking advantages of the higher PET image quality. The availability of new molecules that may be targeted with124I represents one of the more interesting reasons for the attention in nuclear medicine. We aim to discuss all iodine radioisotopes application focusing on124I, which seems to be the most promising for its half-life, radiation emissions, and stability, allowing several applications in oncological and nononcological fields.
Bedside Assessment of Tissue Oxygen Saturation Monitoring in Critically Ill Adults: An Integrative Review of the Literature
Authors: Epstein Carol Diane , Haghenbeck Karen Toby
Published: May 2014

Objective. Tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) monitoring is a noninvasive technology with the purpose of alerting the clinician of peripheral hypoperfusion and the onset of tissue hypoxia. This integrative review examines the rigor and quality of studies focusing on StO2monitoring in adult critically ill patients.Background. Clinicians must rapidly assess adverse changes in tissue perfusion while minimizing potential complications associated with invasive monitoring. The noninvasive measurement of tissue oxygen saturation is based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical method of illuminating chemical compounds which absorb, reflect, and scatter light directed at that compound.Methods. An integrative review was conducted to develop a context of greater understanding about complex topics. An Integrative review draws on multiple experimental and nonexperimental research methodologies.Results. Fourteen studies were graded at the C category. None reported the use of probability sampling or demonstrated a cause-and-effect relationship between StO2values and patient outcomes.Conclusions. Future research should be based on rigorous methods of sampling and design in order to enhance the internal and external validity of the findings.
Forecasting Crude Oil Price with Multiscale Denoising Ensemble Model
Authors: Li Xia , He Kaijian , Lai Kin Keung , Zou Yingchao
Published: May 2014

Crude oil price becomes more volatile and sensitive to increasingly diversified influencing factors with higher level of deregulations worldwide. Current methodologies are being challenged as they have been constrained by traditional approaches assuming homogeneous time horizons and investment strategies. Approximations they provided over the long term time horizon no longer satisfy the accuracy requirement at shorter term and more microlevels. This paper proposes a novel crude oil price forecasting model based on the wavelet denoising ARMA models ensemble by least square support vector regression with the reduced forecasting matrix dimensions by independent component analysis. The proposed methodology combines the multi resolution analysis and nonlinear ensemble framework. The wavelet denoising based algorithm is introduced to separate and extract the underlying data components with distinct features, corresponding to investors with different investment scales, which are modeled with time series models of different specifications and parameters. Then least square support vector regression is introduced to nonlinearly ensemble results based on different wavelet families to further reduce the estimation biases and improve the forecasting generalizability. Empirical studies show the significant performance improvement when the proposed model is tested against the bench‐mark models.
An Effective Transform Unit Size Decision Method for High Efficiency Video Coding
Authors: Wang Chou-Chen , Tung Chi-Wei , Wang Jing-Wein
Published: May 2014

High efficiency video coding (HEVC) is the latest video coding standard. HEVC can achieve higher compression performance than previous standards, such as MPEG‐4, H.263, and H.264/AVC. However, HEVC requires enormous computational complexity in encoding process due to quadtree structure. In order to reduce the computational burden of HEVC encoder, an early transform unit (TU) decision algorithm (ETDA) is adopted to pruning the residual quadtree (RQT) at early stage based on the number of nonzero DCT coefficients (called NNZ‐EDTA) to accelerate the encoding process. However, the NNZ‐ETDA cannot effectively reduce the computational load for sequences with active motion or rich texture. Therefore, in order to further improve the performance of NNZ‐ETDA, we propose an adaptive RQT‐depth decision for NNZ‐ETDA (called ARD‐NNZ‐ETDA) by exploiting the characteristics of high temporal‐spatial correlation that exist in nature video sequences. Simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve time improving ratio (TIR) about 61.26%~81.48% when compared to the HEVC test model 8.1 (HM 8.1) with insignificant loss of image quality. Compared with the NNZ‐ETDA, the proposed method can further achieve an average TIR about 8.29%~17.92%.
Dynamic Communities in Stock Market
Authors: Gui Xiangquan , Li Li , Cao Jie , Li Lian
Published: May 2014

The stock market has the huge effect and influence on a country or region’s economic and financial activities. But we have found that it is very hard for the prediction and control. This illustrates a critical need for new and fundamental understanding of the structure and dynamics of stock markets. Previous research and analysis on stock markets often focused on some assumptions of the game of competition and cooperation. Under the condition of these assumptions, the conclusions often reflect just part of the problem. The stock price is the core reflections of a stock market. So, in this paper, the authors introduce a methodology for constructing stock networks based on stock prices in a stock market and detecting dynamic communities in it. This strategy will help us from a new macroperspective to explore and mine the characteristics and laws hiding in the big data of stock markets. Through statistical analysis of many characteristics of dynamic communities, some interesting phenomena are found in this paper. These results are new findings in finance data analysis field and will potentially contribute to the analysis and decision-making of a financial market. The method presented in this paper can also be used to analyze other similar financial systems.
Electrospun Polyhydroxybutyrate and Poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) Composites as Nanofibrous Scaffolds
Authors: Daranarong Donraporn , Chan Rodman T. H. , Wanandy Nico S. , Molloy Robert , Punyodom Winita , Foster L. John R.
Published: May 2014

Electrospinning can produce nanofibrous scaffolds that mimic the architecture of the extracellular matrix and support cell attachment for tissue engineering applications. In this study, fibrous membranes of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) with various loadings of poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) were successfully prepared by electrospinning. In comparison to PLCL scaffolds, PLCL blends with PHB exhibited more irregular fibre diameter distributions and higher average fibre diameters but there were no significant differences in pore size. PLCL/PHB scaffolds were more hydrophilic (<120°) with significantly reduced tensile strength (ca. 1 MPa) compared to PLCL scaffolds (150.9±2.8∘and5.8±0.5 MPa). Increasing PLCL loading in PHB/PLCL scaffolds significantly increased the extension at break, (4–6-fold). PLCL/PHB scaffolds supported greater adhesion and proliferation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) than those exhibiting asynchronous growth on culture plates. Mitochondrial activity of cells cultivated on the electrospun blended membranes was enhanced compared to those grown on PLCL and PHB scaffolds (212, 179, and 153%, resp.). Analysis showed that PLCL/PHB nanofibrous membranes promoted cell cycle progression and reduced the onset of necrosis. Thus, electrospun PLCL/PHB composites promoted adhesion and proliferation of OECs when compared to their individual PLCL and PHB components suggesting potential in the repair and engineering of nerve tissue.
A Simple Exact Penalty Function Method for Optimal Control Problem with Continuous Inequality Constraints
Authors: Gao Xiangyu , Zhang Xian , Wang Yantao
Published: May 2014

We consider an optimal control problem subject to the terminal state equality constraint and continuous inequality constraints on the control and the state. By using the control parametrization method used in conjunction with a time scaling transform, the constrained optimal control problem is approximated by an optimal parameter selection problem with the terminal state equality constraint and continuous inequality constraints on the control and the state. On this basis, a simple exact penalty function method is used to transform the constrained optimal parameter selection problem into a sequence of approximate unconstrained optimal control problems. It is shown that, if the penalty parameter is sufficiently large, the locally optimal solutions of these approximate unconstrained optimal control problems converge to the solution of the original optimal control problem. Finally, numerical simulations on two examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Ouabain Affects the Expression of Activation Markers, Cytokine Production, and Endocytosis of Human Monocytes
Authors: Teixeira Mariana Pires , Rumjanek Vivian Mary
Published: May 2014

Ouabain is a steroid capable of binding to and inhibiting Na+,-K+-ATPase. Studies have demonstrated some actions of ouabain on immune cells, which indicated both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of this molecule. Nevertheless, its effects on human monocytes are still poorly understood. Thus, the present work investigated effects of ouabain in the activation and function of human adherent monocytes. Our results show that there is an increase in intracellular calcium levels already 5 minutes following monocyte treatment with 10−7 M of ouabain. Furthermore, monocytes expressed increased amounts of surface activation markers such as CD69, HLA-DR, CD86, and CD80 and also presented an augmented endocytic activity of dextran-FITC particles after 24 hours of culture in the presence of ouabain. However, monocytes treated with ouabain did not have an increased stimulatory capacity in allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction. Ouabain-treated monocytes produced higher levels of IL-1βand TNF-αas reported before. A novel observation was the fact that ouabain induced IL-10 and VEGF as well. Collectively, these results suggest that ouabain impacts monocyte activation and modulates monocyte functions, implying that this steroid could act as an immunomodulator of these cells.
Phototunable Magnetism in Copper Octacyanomolybdate
Authors: Ohara Jun , Yamamoto Shoji
Published: May 2014

We introduce copper molybdenum cyanides of general formula Cu2[Mo(CN)8]·nH2O, which can serve as optofunctional magnetic devices. Their ground states generally stay paramagnetic down to temperatures of the K order but exhibit a spontaneous magnetization upon photoirradiation usually below a few tens of K. To interest us still further, such a ferromagnetic stateinduced by blue-laser irradiation is demagnetized step by step through further application of red or near-infrared laser pulses. We solve this intriguing photomagnetism. The ground-state properties are fully revealed by means of a group-theoretical technique. Taking account of experimental observations, we simulate applying pump laser pulses to a likely ground state and successfully reproduce both the magnetization and demagnetization dynamics. We monitor the photorelaxation process through angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Electrons are fully itinerant in any of the photoinduced steady states, forming a striking contrast to the initial equilibrium state of atomic aspect. The fully demagnetized final steady state looks completely different from the initial paramagnetism but bears good analogy to one of the possible ground states available with the Coulomb repulsion on Cu sites suppressed.
The Use of Hyaluronic Acid after Tendon Surgery and in Tendinopathies
Authors: Abate Michele , Schiavone Cosima , Salini Vincenzo
Published: May 2014

Viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid is safe and effective in the management of osteoarthritis, but its use in the treatment of tendon disorders has received less attention. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on this topic, evaluating experimental and clinical trials. A search of English-language articles was performed using the key search terms “hyaluronic acid” or “viscosupplementation” combined with “tendon,” “tendinopathy,“ “adhesions,“ or “gliding,“ independently. In quite all the experimental studies, performed after surgical procedures for tendon injuries or in the treatment of chronic tendinopathies, using different hyaluronic acid compounds, positive results (reduced formation of scars and granulation tissue after tendon repair, less adhesions and gliding resistance, and improved tissue healing) were observed. In a limited number of cases, hyaluronic acid has been employed in clinical practice. After flexor tendon surgery, a greater total active motion and fingers function, with an earlier return to work and daily activities, were observed. Similarly, in patients suffering from elbow, patellar, and shoulder tendons disorders, pain was reduced, and function improved. The positive effect of hyaluronic acid can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory activity, enhanced cell proliferation, and collagen deposition, besides the lubricating action on the sliding surface of the tendon.
Evaluating the Cancer Therapeutic Potential of Cardiac Glycosides
Authors: Calderón-Montaño José Manuel , Burgos-Morón Estefanía , Orta Manuel Luis , Maldonado-Navas Dolores , García-Domínguez Irene , López-Lázaro Miguel
Published: May 2014

Cardiac glycosides, also known as cardiotonic steroids, are a group of natural products that share a steroid-like structure with an unsaturated lactone ring and the ability to induce cardiotonic effects mediated by a selective inhibition of the Na+/K+-ATPase. Cardiac glycosides have been used for many years in the treatment of cardiac congestion and some types of cardiac arrhythmias. Recent data suggest that cardiac glycosides may also be useful in the treatment of cancer. These compounds typically inhibit cancer cell proliferation at nanomolar concentrations, and recent high-throughput screenings of drug libraries have therefore identified cardiac glycosides as potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth. Cardiac glycosides can also block tumor growth in rodent models, which further supports the idea that they have potential for cancer therapy. Evidence also suggests, however, that cardiac glycosides may not inhibit cancer cell proliferation selectively and the potent inhibition of tumor growth induced by cardiac glycosides in mice xenografted with human cancer cells is probably an experimental artifact caused by their ability to selectively kill human cells versus rodent cells. This paper reviews such evidence and discusses experimental approaches that could be used to reveal the cancer therapeutic potential of cardiac glycosides in preclinical studies.
Continued Root Formation after Delayed Replantation of an Avulsed Immature Permanent Tooth
Authors: Moradi Majd Nima , Zohrehei Heidar , Darvish Alireza , Homayouni Hamed , Adel Mamak
Published: May 2014

Introduction.Tooth avulsion in the young permanent dentition is a frequent finding, and its prognosis depends on the treatment of the avulsed tooth before replantation, the extra-alveolar time, the storage medium, and the patient’s general health. The present report describes management of an immature avulsed lower central incisor 90 minutes after the accident.Methods.A right lower central incisor of a 7-year-old girl was avulsed, and it was soaked in a glass of milk. 90 minutes after avulsion, replantation was performed, and the tooth was splinted; but after two weeks the replanted tooth’s pulp was necrotic. Thus, endodontic treatment was performed and root canal was filled using a calcium hydroxide and iodoform paste (Metapex). Three months later, the intracanal medication was washed out and the canal was sealed using an apical plug of calcium enriched mixture (CEM) cement.Results.20 months after replantation the tooth was completely asymptomatic, with physiologic mobility. Also, continued root formation including an apical segment beyond the artificial apical plug was observed.Conclusion.Creation of an appropriate apical barrier following the disinfection of root canal system promoted continued root-end growth in a replanted immature permanent tooth.
Research on Multiprincipals Selecting Effective Agency Mode in the Student Loan System
Authors: Ding Libo , Li Bangyi , Feng Suling
Published: May 2014

An effective agency mode is the key to solve incentive problems in Chinese student loan system. Principal‐agent frameworks are considered in which two principals share one common agent that is performing one single task but each prefers the different aspect of the task. Three models are built and decision mechanisms are given. The studies show that the three modes have different effects. Exclusive dealing mode is not good for long‐term effect because sometimes it guides agent ignoring repayment. If effort proportionality coefficient and observability are both unchanged, principals all prefer common agency, but independent contracting mode may be more efficient in reality because not only the total outputs under that mode are larger than those under cooperation one, but also preferring independent contracting mode can stimulate the bank participating in the game.
Gender Differences in Metabolic Disorders and Related Diseases in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii-LeprfaRats
Authors: Ohta Takeshi , Katsuda Yoshiaki , Miyajima Katsuhiro , Sasase Tomohiko , Kimura Shuichi , Tong Bin , Yamada Takahisa
Published: May 2014

The Spontaneously Diabetic ToriiLeprfa(SDT fatty) rat is a novel type 2 diabetic model wherein both male and female rats develop glucose and lipid abnormalities from a young age. In this study, we investigated gender differences in abnormalities and related complications in SDT fatty rats. Food intake was higher in males compared to female rats; however, body weight was not different between genders. Progression of diabetes, including increases in blood glucose and declines in blood insulin, was observed earlier in male rats than in females, and diabetic grade was more critical in male rats. Blood lipids tended to increase in female rats. Gonadal dysfunction was observed in both male and female rats with aging. Microangiopathies, such as nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and osteoporosis, were seen in both genders, and pathological grade and progression were more significant in males. Qualitative and quantitative changes were observed for metabolic disease gender differences in SDT fatty rats. The SDT fatty rat is a useful model for researching gender differences in metabolic disorders and related diseases in diabetes with obesity.
Multivariate Time Series Similarity Searching
Authors: Wang Jimin , Zhu Yuelong , Li Shijin , Wan Dingsheng , Zhang Pengcheng
Published: May 2014

Multivariate time series (MTS) datasets are very common in various financial, multimedia, and hydrological fields. In this paper, a dimension-combination method is proposed to search similar sequences for MTS. Firstly, the similarity of single-dimension series is calculated; then the overall similarity of the MTS is obtained by synthesizing each of the single-dimension similarity based on weighted BORDA voting method. The dimension-combination method could use the existing similarity searching method. Several experiments, which used the classification accuracy as a measure, were performed on six datasets from the UCI KDD Archive to validate the method. The results show the advantage of the approach compared to the traditional similarity measures, such as Euclidean distance (ED), cynamic time warping (DTW), point distribution (PD), PCA similarity factorSPCA, and extended Frobenius norm (Eros), for MTS datasets in some ways. Our experiments also demonstrate that no measure can fit all datasets, and the proposed measure is a choice for similarity searches.
Evidence for Bladder Urothelial Pathophysiology in Functional Bladder Disorders
Authors: Keay Susan K. , Birder Lori A. , Chai Toby C.
Published: May 2014

Understanding of the role of urothelium in regulating bladder function is continuing to evolve. While the urothelium is thought to function primarily as a barrier for preventing injurious substances and microorganisms from gaining access to bladder stroma and upper urinary tract, studies indicate it may also function in cell signaling events relating to voiding function. This review highlights urothelial abnormalities in bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC), feline interstitial cystitis (FIC), and nonneurogenic idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). These bladder conditions are typified by lower urinary tract symptoms including urinary frequency, urgency, urgency incontinence, nocturia, and bladder discomfort or pain. Urothelial tissues and cells from affected clinical subjects and asymptomatic controls have been compared for expression of proteins and mRNA. Animal models have also been used to probe urothelial responses to injuries of the urothelium, urethra, or central nervous system, and transgenic techniques are being used to test specific urothelial abnormalities on bladder function. BPS/IC, FIC, and OAB appear to share some common pathophysiology including increased purinergic, TRPV1, and muscarinic signaling, increased urothelial permeability, and aberrant urothelial differentiation. One challenge is to determine which of several abnormally regulated signaling pathways is most important for mediating bladder dysfunction in these syndromes, with a goal of treating these conditions by targeting specific pathophysiology.
Acupuncture for Treating Whiplash Associated Disorder: A Systematic Review of Randomised Clinical Trials
Authors: Moon Tae-Woong , Posadzki Paul , Choi Tae-Young , Park Tae-Yong , Kim Hye-Jung , Lee Myeong Soo , Ernst Edzard
Published: May 2014

The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of whiplash associated disorder (WAD). Twenty databases were searched from their inceptions to Oct. 2013. Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of acupuncture (AT), electroacupuncture (EA), or dry needling (DN) for the treatment of WAD were considered eligible. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Six RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Most of the included RCTs have serious methodological flaws. Four of the RCTs showed effectiveness of AT, AT in addition to usual care (UC), AT in addition to herbal medicine (HM) or EA was more effective than relaxation, sham EA, sham EA in addition to HM or UC for conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and alleviating pain. In one RCT, DN in addition to physiotherapy (PT) had no effect compared to sham‐DN in addition to PT for the reduction of pain. None of the RCTs showed that AT/EA/DN was more effective than various types of control groups in reducing disability/function. One RCT did not report between‐group comparisons of any outcome measures. The evidence for the effectiveness of AT/EA/DN for the treatment of WAD is limited. Therefore, more research in this area is warranted.
Nucleobase-Based Barbiturates: Their Protective Effect against DNA Damage Induced by Bleomycin-Iron, Antioxidant, and Lymphocyte Transformation Assay
Authors: Dhorajiya Bhaveshkumar D. , Dholakiya Bharatkumar Z. , Ibrahim Ahmed S. , Badria Farid A.
Published: May 2014

A number of nucleobase-based barbiturates have been synthesized by combination of nucleic acid bases and heterocyclic amines and barbituric acid derivatives through green and efficient multicomponent route and one pot reaction. This approach was accomplished efficiently using aqueous medium to give the corresponding products in high yield. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral analysis (FT-IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, HMBC, and UV spectroscopy) and elemental analysis. Representative of all synthesized compounds was tested and evaluated for antioxidant, bleomycin-dependent DNA damage, and Lymphocyte Transformation studies. CompoundsTBC>TBA>TBGshowed highest lymphocyte transformation assay,TBC>TBA>BGshowed inhibitory antioxidant activity using ABTS methods, andTBC>BPA>BAMT>TBA>1,3-TBAmanifested the best protective effect against DNA damage induced by bleomycin.
Orbit Propagation and Determination of Low Earth Orbit Satellites
Authors: Shou Ho-Nien
Published: May 2014

This paper represents orbit propagation and determination of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Satellite global positioning system (GPS) configured receiver provides position and velocity measures by navigating filter to get the coordinates of the orbit propagation (OP). The main contradictions in real-time orbit which is determined by the problem are orbit positioning accuracy and the amount of calculating two indicators. This paper is dedicated to solving the problem of tradeoffs. To plan to use a nonlinear filtering method for immediate orbit tasks requires more precise satellite orbit state parameters in a short time. Although the traditional extended Kalman filter (EKF) method is widely used, its linear approximation of the drawbacks in dealing with nonlinear problems was especially evident, without compromising Kalman filter (unscented Kalman Filter, UKF). As a new nonlinear estimation method, it is measured at the estimated measurements on more and more applications. This paper will be the first study on UKF microsatellites in LEO orbit in real time, trying to explore the real-time precision orbit determination techniques. Through the preliminary simulation results, they show that, based on orbit mission requirements and conditions using UKF, they can satisfy the positioning accuracy and compute two indicators.
Design of SVC Controller Based on Improved Biogeography-Based Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Dong Feifei , Liu Dichen , Wu Jun , Cen Bingcheng , Wang Haolei , Song Chunli , Ke Lina
Published: May 2014

Considering that common subsynchronous resonance controllers cannot adapt to the characteristics of the time-varying and nonlinear behavior of a power system, the cosine migration model, the improved migration operator, and the mutative scale of chaos and Cauchy mutation strategy are introduced into an improved biogeography-based optimization (IBBO) algorithm in order to design an optimal subsynchronous damping controller based on the mechanism of suppressing SSR by static var compensator (SVC). The effectiveness of the improved controller is verified by eigenvalue analysis and electromagnetic simulations. The simulation results of Jinjie plant indicate that the subsynchronous damping controller optimized by the IBBO algorithm can remarkably improve the damping of torsional modes and thus effectively depress SSR, and ensure the safety and stability of units and power grid operation. Moreover, the IBBO algorithm has the merits of a faster searching speed and higher searching accuracy in seeking the optimal control parameters over traditional algorithms, such as BBO algorithm, PSO algorithm, and GA algorithm.
Some Exact Solutions of Nonlinear Fin Problem for Steady Heat Transfer in Longitudinal Fin with Different Profiles
Authors: Mhlongo M. D. , Moitsheki R. J.
Published: May 2014

One-dimensional steady-state heat transfer in fins of different profiles is studied. The problem considered satisfies the Dirichlet boundary conditions at one end and the Neumann boundary conditions at the other. The thermal conductivity and heat coefficients are assumed to be temperature dependent, which makes the resulting differential equation highly nonlinear. Classical Lie point symmetry methods are employed, and some reductions are performed. Some invariant solutions are constructed. The effects of thermogeometric fin parameter, the exponent on temperature, and the fin efficiency are studied.
Delayed Presentation of Traumatic Right-Sided Diaphragmatic Hernia after Abdominoplasty
Authors: Jadlowiec Caroline C. , Sakorafas Lois U.
Published: May 2014

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias are rare and challenging to diagnose. Following trauma, diagnosis may occur immediately or in a delayed fashion. It is believed that left traumatic diaphragmatic hernias are more common as a result of the protective right-sided anatomic lie of the liver. If unrecognized, traumatic diaphragmatic injuries are subject to enlarge over time as a result of the normal pressure changes observed between the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Additionally, abrupt changes to the pressure gradients, such as those which occur with positive pressure ventilation or surgical manipulation of the abdominal wall, can act as a nidus for making an asymptomatic hernia symptomatic. We report our experience with a delayed traumatic right-sided diaphragmatic hernia presenting with large bowel incarceration two months after abdominoplasty. In our review of the literature, we were unable to find any reports of delayed presentation of a traumatic right-sided diaphragmatic hernia occurring acutely following abdominoplasty.
Release Behavior and Toxicity Profiles towards Leukemia (WEHI-3B) Cell Lines of 6-Mercaptopurine-PEG-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles Delivery System
Authors: Dorniani Dena , Kura Aminu Umar , Hussein-Al-Ali Samer Hasan , Hussein Mohd Zobir bin , Fakurazi Sharida , Shaari Abdul Halim , Ahmad Zalinah
Published: May 2014

The coating of an active drug, 6-mercaptopurine, into the iron oxide nanoparticles-polyethylene glycol (FNPs-PEG) in order to form a new nanocomposite, FPEGMP-2, was accomplished using coprecipitation technique. The resulting nanosized with a narrow size distribution magnetic polymeric particles show the superparamagnetic properties with 38.6 emu/g saturation magnetization at room temperature. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the thermal analysis study supported the formation of the nanocomposite and the enhancement of thermal stability in the resulting nanocomposite comparing with its counterpart in free state. The loading of 6-mercaptopurine (MP) in the FPEGMP-2 nanocomposite was estimated to be about 5.6% and the kinetic experimental data properly correlated with the pseudo-second order model. Also, the release of MP from the FPEGMP-2 nanocomposite shows the sustained release manner which is remarkably lower in phosphate buffered solution at pH 7.4 than pH 4.8, due to different release mechanism. The maximum percentage release of MP from the nanocomposite reached about 60% and 97% within about 92 and 74 hours when exposed to pH 7.4 and 4.8, respectively.
Optimal Robust Motion Controller Design Using Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Sarjaš Andrej , Svečko Rajko , Chowdhury Amor
Published: May 2014

This paper describes the use of a multiobjective genetic algorithm for robust motion controller design. Motion controller structure is based on a disturbance observer in an RIC framework. The RIC approach is presented in the form with internal and external feedback loops, in which an internal disturbance rejection controller and an external performance controller must be synthesised. This paper involves novel objectives for robustness and performance assessments for such an approach. Objective functions for the robustness property of RIC are based on simple even polynomials with nonnegativity conditions. Regional pole placement method is presented with the aims of controllers’ structures simplification and their additional arbitrary selection. Regional pole placement involves arbitrary selection of central polynomials for both loops, with additional admissible region of the optimized pole location. Polynomial deviation between selected and optimized polynomials is measured with derived performance objective functions. A multiobjective function is composed of different unrelated criteria such as robust stability, controllers’ stability, and time-performance indexes of closed loops. The design of controllers and multiobjective optimization procedure involve a set of the objectives, which are optimized simultaneously with a genetic algorithm—differential evolution.
Bladder Cancer and Urothelial Impairment: The Role of TRPV1 as Potential Drug Target
Authors: Mistretta Francesco , Buffi Nicolò Maria , Lughezzani Giovanni , Lista Giuliana , Larcher Alessandro , Fossati Nicola , Abrate Alberto , Dell’Oglio Paolo , Montorsi Francesco , Guazzoni Giorgio , Lazzeri Massimo
Published: May 2014

Urothelium, in addition to its primary function of barrier, is now understood to act as a complex system of cell communication that exhibits specialized sensory properties in the regulation of physiological or pathological stimuli. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that bladder inflammation and neoplastic cell growth, the two most representative pathological conditions of the lower urinary tract, may arise from a primary defective urothelial lining. Transient receptor potential vanilloid channel 1 (TRPV1), a receptor widely distributed in lower urinary tract structures and involved in the physiological micturition reflex, was described to have a pathophysiological role in inflammatory conditions and in the genesis and development of urothelial cancer. In our opinion new compounds, such as curcumin, the major component of turmericCurcuma longa, reported to potentiate the effects of the chemotherapeutic agents used in the management of recurrent urothelial cancer in vitro and also identified as one of several compounds to own the vanillyl structure required to work like a TRPV1 agonist, could be thought as complementary in the clinical management of both the recurrences and the inflammatory effects caused by the endoscopic resection or intravesical chemotherapy administration or could be combined with adjuvant agents to potentiate their antitumoral effect.
A Phase I Dose-Finding Study of the Novel Toll-like Receptor 8 Agonist VTX-2337 in Adult Subjects with Advanced Solid Tumors or Lymphoma
Authors: Northfelt Donald W. , Ramanathan Ramesh K. , Cohen Peter A. , Von Hoff Daniel D. , Weiss Glen J. , Dietsch Gregory N. , Manjarrez Kristi L. , Randall Tressa D. , Hershberg Robert M.
Published: May 2014

Purpose: This phase I, open-label, uncontrolled, ascending-dose study explored the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and pharmacology of the TLR8 agonist VTX-2337 in subjects with advanced solid tumors or lymphoma.

Experimental Design: VTX-2337 doses (0.1–3.9 mg/m2) were administered subcutaneously on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle. Safety/tolerability assessments included adverse events (AE); physical, ophthalmologic, and laboratory evaluations; and electrocardiograms. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) were evaluated during the first cycle. Pharmacokinetics were evaluated after the first dose. Plasma samples were quantitatively assessed for chemokines, cytokines, and other inflammatory mediators. Antitumor activity was assessed.

Results: Thirty-three subjects were enrolled in 8 cohorts and received an average of 2 treatment cycles (range, 1–8 cycles). Most AEs were grades 1 to 2; the most common drug-related AEs were injection site reactions, chills, pyrexia, and influenza-like illness. One DLT was reported: grade 3 hypotension (3.9 mg/m2). The MTD was considered the highest dose administered. Peak drug plasma levels and total systemic exposure were generally dose proportional. At doses ≥0.4 mg/m2, increases above baseline levels were observed for plasma levels of G-CSF, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, and TNFα. Eight subjects (24.2%) had a best response of stable disease (median duration, 54.5 days).

Conclusions: VTX-2337 is clinically well tolerated and biologically active with a predictable pharmacokinetic profile. Suitable doses for testing in combination studies were identified. Phase II placebo-controlled studies of VTX-2337 in combination with doxorubicin in ovarian cancer, and in combination with platinum chemotherapy, 5 FU, and cetuximab in head and neck cancer have been initiated (NCT #01666444 and NCT#01836029). Clin Cancer Res; 20(14); 3683–91. ©2014 AACR.
Activation of Liver X Receptors Inhibits Hedgehog Signaling, Clonogenic Growth, and Self-Renewal in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Agarwal Jasmin R. , Wang Qiuju , Tanno Toshihiko , Rasheed Zeshaan , Merchant Akil , Ghosh Nilanjan , Borrello Ivan , Huff Carol Ann , Parhami Farhad , Matsui William
Published: May 2014

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is aberrantly activated in a wide variety of human cancers, and recent clinical studies have demonstrated that pathway inhibitors are effective in advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The majority of these agents have been designed to target SMOOTHENED (SMO), a transmembrane regulator of Hh signaling, but subsequent mutations in SMO have been found to generate drug resistance. In other cancers, oncogenic events that bypass SMO may activate canonical Hh signaling, and SMO antagonists have not demonstrated significant activity in several diseases. Therefore, alternative strategies targeting the Hh pathway downstream of SMO may have clinical utility. Liver X receptors (LXR) regulate cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis, and LXR activation can inhibit the Hh pathway in normal mouse embryonic fibroblasts. We examined the effects of LXR activation on Hh signaling in human multiple myeloma cells and found that LXR agonists inhibited Hh pathway activity and clonogenic tumor growth in vitro. LXR activation also inhibited putative multiple myeloma cancer stem cells in vivo leading to the loss of tumor initiating and self-renewal potential. Finally, Hh signaling was inhibited downstream of SMO, suggesting that LXR agonists may represent a novel strategy to target pathogenic Hh signaling as well as treat multiple myeloma. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(7); 1873–81. ©2014 AACR.
The Acetylenic Tricyclic Bis(cyano enone), TBE-31 Inhibits Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Migration through Direct Binding with Actin
Authors: Chan Eddie , Saito Akira , Honda Tadashi , Di Guglielmo Gianni M.
Published: May 2014

The migratory and invasive potential of the epithelial-derived tumor cells depends on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the reorganization of the cell cytoskeleton. Here, we show that the tricyclic compound acetylenic tricyclic bis(cyano enone), TBE-31, directly binds to actin and inhibits linear and branched actin polymerization in vitro. Furthermore, we observed that TBE-31 inhibits stress fiber formation in fibroblasts as well as in non–small cell lung cancer cells during TGFβ-dependent EMT. Interestingly, TBE-31 does not interfere with TGFβ-dependent signaling or changes in E-cadherin and N-cadherin protein levels during EMT. Finally, we observed that TBE-31 inhibits fibroblast and non–small cell lung tumor cell migration with an IC50 of 1.0 and 2.5 μmol/L, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that TBE-31 targets linear actin polymerization to alter cell morphology and inhibit cell migration. Cancer Prev Res; 7(7); 727–37. ©2014 AACR.
Molecular Biology of Liver Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Oishi Naoki , Yamashita Taro , Kaneko Shuichi
Published: May 2014

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide. The concept of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is based primarily on the clinical and experimental observations that indicate the existence of a subpopulation of cells with the capacity to self-renew and differentiate as well as show increased resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. They are considered as the factors responsible for the cases of tumor relapse. Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) could form the basis of some hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and cholangiocarcinomas. Liver CSCs have been reported in multiple subtypes of HCC and are considered as the master regulators of HCC initiation, tumor metastasis, and progression. HPCs activators such as epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), Wnt/β-catenin, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), Notch and Hedgehog signaling systems expedite tumorigenesis or conversely, serve as a powerful cancer-prevention tool. Recent work has also identified Sal-like protein 4 (SALL4) and some epigenetic regulations as important molecules, while several therapeutic drugs that directly control HPCs have been tested both in vivo and in vitro. However, liver CSCs clearly have a complex pathogenesis, with the potential for considerable crosstalk and redundancy in signaling pathways. Hence, the targeting of single molecules or pathways may have limited benefit for treatment. In addition to the direct control of liver CSCs, many other factors are needed for CSC maintenance including angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, invasion and migration, hypoxia, immune evasion, multiple drug resistance, and radioresistance. Here, we provide a brief review of molecular signaling in liver CSCs and present insights into new therapeutic strategies for their targeting.
Hypervascular Benign and Malignant Liver Tumors That Require Differentiation from Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Key Points of Imaging Diagnosis
Authors: Murakami Takamichi , Tsurusaki Masakatsu
Published: May 2014

Most liver tumors are benign and hypervascular, and it is important to avoid unnecessary interventions for benign lesions. This review describes the typical and atypical imaging features of common hypervascular benign liver tumors and outlines a general approach to distinguishing between benign and malignant hepatic lesions. There are many types of benign liver tumors that need to be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, it is very important to know the imaging characteristics of benign tumors. Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is helpful in diagnosing hypervascular pseudotumors, focal nodular hyperplasia, and nodular lesions associated with alcohol-induced hepatitis. There are also some hypervascular malignant tumors, such as cholangiocarcinoma, cholangiolocellular carcinoma, mixed type tumors, and metastatic liver tumors, which also required differentiation from HCC.
Drug Therapy for Advanced-Stage Liver Cancer
Authors: Peck-Radosavljevic Markus
Published: May 2014

Liver cancer was traditionally treated by surgery or interventional ablative treatments, or, if these options were not feasible, by best supportive care. Since 2008, systemic therapy with the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib has become available worldwide and has become the standard of care for unresectable/non-ablatable or advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sorafenib is able to improve the median overall survival by approximately 3 months. Despite this significant advance in the non-surgical/non-interventional management of liver cancer, this improvement in overall survival is only a first step toward more potent, more targeted, and better tolerated oral antitumor treatments. Since the introduction of sorafenib into clinical practice, several attempts have been made to develop even more effective first-line treatments as well as an effective second-line treatment for HCC. None of these endeavors has been successful so far. The development of drug treatments for HCC has been particularly hampered by the unfortunate push to establish the diagnosis of liver cancer by non-invasive imaging alone, without requiring a liver biopsy for histologic confirmation: this precluded the very necessary search for informative biomarkers and the search for molecular targets for drug development in HCC. This important drawback is being increasingly recognized and corrected. Despite several obstacles remaining to be overcome, it seems reasonable to assume that using a rational, data-driven approach, we will be able to develop better drug treatments for liver cancer in the coming years.