bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Distractions on a Pedestrian’s Waiting Behavior at Traffic Signals: Observational Study
Authors: Gillette George , Fitzpatrick Kay , Chrysler Susan , Avelar Raul
Published: December 2016

Distraction has been a point of interest in transportation research for many years. Recently, this interest has extended from distracted drivers to distracted pedestrians. Past research suggests that distracted pedestrians are less likely to show cautionary crossing habits and tend toward increased crossing times. This study provided information about the pedestrian waiting to cross and investigated how distraction and other factors may have affected pedestrian start-up time and crossing behaviors. Researchers surreptitiously observed 760 pedestrians at three intersections in College Station, Texas, and coded their characteristics and behavior in real time. Characteristics recorded were age, gender, distraction, and grouping. Distractions recorded were talking on a phone, texting, listening to music, eating, drinking, smoking, and other. The pedestrian groups were no group (crossed alone), mixed-age group, and peer group. Behaviors recorded were glancing before entering the crosswalk, entering the crosswalk early, walking within the crosswalk markings, and hurrying across the crosswalk. Pedestrians who texted and pedestrians who talked on a phone had 21% and 31% more start-up time, respectively. Additionally, pedestrians in mixed-age groups had 14% more start-up time. Texting pedestrians were about two times less likely to glance before entering the crosswalk compared with undistracted pedestrians. Similarly, a pedestrian engaged in a phone conversation was about five times less likely to glance. These results may provide insight into ongoing discussion on how to address distracted pedestrians crossing the street.
Heart failure  How can we face this pandemic of twenty first century?
Authors: Azam STM Abu , Ullah Mohammad
Published: December 2016

Abstract not availableBangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(1) : 1-2
Short-term outcomes associated with bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting
Authors: Khan Sayedur R , Kashem Abul , Mohiuddin Mirza AK , Kabir Jahangir
Published: December 2016

Background: Bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting is associated with improved long-term survival and graft patency compared to single internal thoracic artery (SITA) graft and saphenous vein graft in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, BITA grafting may adversely affect early in hospital mortality and morbidity due to deep sternal wound infection. Hence, we carried out this study to evaluate early outcomes of BITA grafting in different configuration in our hospital and to assess safety and applicability of BITA grafting as a routine procedure.Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted in September 2014 where all 134 patients using bilateral ITA for coronary artery bypass (CABG) at United Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2009 to September 2014 were included. BITA grafting were used in either in-situ or Y-graft technique. We reviewed and evaluated patients characteristics and short-term outcomes. The short-term outcomes included in hospital mortality and major morbidities.Results: Out of 134 patients, 129 (96%) patients were male. The mean age was 48.73 ± 8.42 yrs ranging from 28 to 72 yrs. Hypertension and smoking were the most common cardiac risk factors. There was no mortality in both BITA in-situ and BITA Y-graft groups. Most common postoperative complications were fever (26%), and arrhythmia (7.5%). Only one female patient (0.7) had sternal wound complication. Elderly, obesity and COPD were not observed to be associated with sternal wound complication.Conclusion: Short-term outcomes of BITA grafting for CABG is excellent with no significant difference between BITA in-situ and BITA Y-graft groups.Bangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(1) : 3-9
Outcome of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery: Analysis of 129 cases
Authors: Alam AKM Manzurul , Ahmed Istiaq , Ahmed Manzil , Hossain Al Mamun
Published: December 2016

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, including Bangladesh. Besides medical and interventional treatment, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in an effective modality for the management of a subset of CAD patients. Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery is a recent modification of conventional CABG surgery, which, like other parts of the world, is being increasingly practiced in Bangladesh. But the outcome of this relatively recent surgical approach in our setting is largely unknown. In this study, the outcomes of 129 cases off-pump CABG surgery done in a tertiary cardiovascular centre and a private institute in Dhaka were analyzed. Majority (67, 54.2%) had triple vessel disease (TVD), while 4 (3.2%) patients had left main disease. One, two and three grafts were used in 17 (13.2%),74 (57.4%) and 38 (29.4%) cases respectively. There was no mortality. Post-operative complications occurred in 17 (13.18%) patients; secondary wound infection in 10 (7.75%) and immediate respiratory distress in 7 (5.43%) cases. Ten (7.75%) patients needed secondary stitches.Bangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(1) : 23-25
Safe Technique of Removal of Left Atrial Thrombus during Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery
Authors: Sarker Rampada , Sarker Manoz Kumar , Rahim AM Asif , Beg Abdul Khaleque
Published: December 2016

Background: Open mitral operation in patients with massive left atrial thrombus still with high mortality due to intra-operative embolism. To prevent this mortality due to intra-operative embolism and to prevent this danger we practiced a surgical technique which includes careful handling of heart and obliteration of left ventricular cavity by bilateral compression.Method: We used this technique in patients of severe mitral stenosis with atrial thrombus during mitral valve replacement. Our technique was to obliterate the left ventricular cavity and thus keep the mitral cusps in a coapted position by placing gauge posterior to left ventricle and a compression over right ventricle by hand of an assistant with a piece of gauze. This obliteration prevented passage of fragments of left atrial thrombus towards collapsed left ventricle.Result: Before practicing this technique, 4 out 9 patients expired due to cerebral embolism . But after implementation of this technique in 17 patients no mortality or morbidity occurred.Conclusion: This technique of removal of left atrial thrombus during mitral valve replacement may be a safe procedure for preventing peroperative embolism.Bangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(1) : 26-28
Characterization and Evaluation of Aerobic Rice Genotypes under Transplanted Condition
Authors: Akter S , Pervin S , Iftekharuddaula KM , Akter A , Yasmeen R
Published: December 2016

Due to over sinking of underground water, scarcity of irrigation water is becoming a threat to the sustainability of irrigated rice production and the concept of aerobic culture appeared prominently. Aerobic rice has the ability to grow under minimum irrigation water and minimum yield reduction occurs when grown under aerobic culture with less water. This experiment aimed to evaluate two advanced aerobic rice lines under transplanted condition in net house. Two advanced lines, IR83140-B-36-B-B and IR83142-B-71-B-B and two check varieties BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan29 were grown in three moisture regimes. The moisture regimes included a) continuous standing water (CSW) b) saturated moisture condition (SMC) and c) moisture content at field capacity (FCM). The experimental units, drum containing 110 kg soil, were arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications. Three to four seedlings of forty days were transplanted at the soil surface of each drum. Seedlings were thinned to one plant per genotypes one week after transplanting. Genotype × water interaction showed significant variation in total dry matter production, panicle length, panicle exertion rate, sterility percentage and yield contributing characters. Irrespective of the genotypes, CSW conditions favored to produce maximum number of tiller and panicle. Although BRRI dhan29 gave the highest yield at both CSW and SMC, IR83142-B-71-B-B produced the highest yield at FCM. However, BRRI dhan28 gave similar yield to that of IR83142-B-71-B-B in FCM treated drums.Bangladesh Rice j. 2016, 20(1): 45-50
Effect of Fertilizer Management on NPKS Leaching Loss from Sandy Loam Soil under Alternate Wetting and Drying Condition
Authors: Islam MN , Rahman MM , Mian MJA , Ali MH
Published: December 2016

Leaching loss of nutrients hampers plant growth and contributes to environmental pollution. An experiment was conducted at the net house of Soil Science Department, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during January to May 2009 to find out the leaching loss of N, P, K and S from sandy loam soil. Each pot received 6.67 kg dry soil with an opening at the bottom for collecting leachates. Six treatments were used: T0 = control, T1 = NPKS (120, 25, 60 and 20 kg ha-1), T2 = NPKS (180, 37, 90 and 30 kg ha-1), T3 = NPKS (90, 5, 28 and 17 kg ha-1) + cowdung (2.5 t ha-1), T4 = NPKS (109, 25, 60 and 20 kg ha-1, N as USG) and T5 = as T1 but N applied as foliar spray. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Leachates were collected at 15 days interval for determination of NPKS. The total leaching loss of N, P, K and S due to different treatments ranged from 16.00 to 90.21, 0.07 to 0.29, 9.60 to 11.20 and 3.75 to 17.81 kg ha-1, respectively. Application of chemical fertilizer at higher rates resulted in greater loss of nutrients. Integrated fertilizer management with cowdung (T3) minimized such losses. Use of USG also reduced leaching loss of N, P, K and S. The application of cowdung and USG with recommended balanced fertilizer might be useful for minimizing N, P, K and S loss from wetland rice field.Bangladesh Rice j. 2016, 20(1): 59-64
Improved ADRC for a Maglev Planar Motor with a Concentric Winding Structure
Authors: Kou Baoquan , Xing Feng , Zhang Chaoning , Zhang Lu , Zhou Yiheng , Wang Tiecheng
Published: December 2016

In the semiconductor industry, positioning accuracy and acceleration are critical parameters. To improve the acceleration speed of a motor, this paper proposes the moving-coil maglev planar motor with a concentric winding structure. The coordinate system has been built for the multiple degrees of freedom movement system. The Lorenz force method has been applied to solve its electromagnetic model. The real-time solving of the generalized inverse matrix of factors can realize the decoupling of the winding current. When the maglev height changes, the electromagnetic force and torque decreases exponentially with the increase of the air gap. To decrease the influence on control system performance by the internal model change and the external disturbance, this paper proposes an improved active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) to design the controller. This new controller overcomes the jitter phenomenon due to the turning point for the traditional ADRC, thus it is more suitable for the maglev control system. The comparison between ADRC and the improved ADRC has been conducted, the result of which shows the improved ADRC has greater robustness.
Axial Turbine Cascade Correlation
Authors: Leibsohn Martins Guilherme
Published: December 2016

The performance simulation of an axial turbine is achieved in a simple way from the calculation of velocity diagrams. For this purpose, a reliable loss model is needed for the flow through each stationary or rotating axial blade cascade. A loss coefficient assessment is conducted through the establishment of a correlation between the maximum profile velocity ratio and a circulation parameter, dedicated specifically to turbine cascades. A detailed examination of published wind tunnel cascade tests available in the literature provides enough experimental data to support the proposed correlation. Afterwards, the surface diffusion is quantified and the total pressure loss estimation is obtained from the boundary layer momentum thickness and conservation equations for the downstream flow. Further validation of the proposed loss model is presented from published experimental results in turbine cascades and stages. The simulation methodology is also demonstrated in two single-stage steam turbine units applied to the oil refining industry, in comparison with performance factory tests results.
Effect of Slot at Blade Root on Compressor Cascade Performance under Different Aerodynamic Parameters
Authors: Liu Yangwei , Sun Jinjing , Tang Yumeng , Lu Lipeng
Published: December 2016

The effects of compressor aerodynamic parameters, such as pitch-chord ratio, aspect ratio, and fillet, on the cascade performance have been studied in this paper. Slot configuration at the root of the blade has been proved to be an efficient passive control method for the corner separation control in compressor cascade. The combined effects of the pitch-chord ratio, aspect ratio, and blade fillet with a slot configuration on the blade, have also been studied. Larger corner separation caused by the high pitch-chord ratio can be eliminated by the slot, which leads to fewer blades with almost the same or even better cascade performance. Various aspect ratios, together with the slot configuration, have been investigated and all of them have a positive effect on the cascade performance. For the blade with the blade fillet, the slot still has a positive effect on the control of the corner separation, while cascade performance with just a slot configuration is better than the slot configuration under the influence of the blade fillet.
Investigation of an Ironless Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous Motor with Cooling System
Authors: Zhang Lu , Kou Baoquan , Jin Yinxi , Chen Yusheng , Liu Yanjie
Published: December 2016

In this paper, a novel ironless linear synchronous motor with a cooling system is proposed. Firstly, the topology of this ironless linear synchronous motor with a cooling system is introduced. Flux density in the cooling system is obtained analytically by the separation of variables method according to the boundary conditions. The eddy current braking force induced by the cooling system is calculated and validated by finite element method. Then, the influence of the motor parameters on the eddy current braking force is investigated. At last, a prototype is manufactured and some experiments are carried out with the prototype. The experiment results are validated by finite element analyzed results.
Reliability Evaluation of a PSC Highway Bridge Based on Resistance Capacity Degradation Due to a Corrosive Environment
Authors: Kim Sang-Hyo , Choi Jae-Gu , Ham Sung-Min , Heo Won-Ho
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a method for evaluating the reliability of an in-service highway bridge that considers the resistance capacity loss due to various corrosive environments. To demonstrate the application of the suggested method, a pre-stressed concrete-I (PSC-I) type girder was selected as a sample bridge. An analytical procedure was developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance degradation of a PSC-I girder bridge considering the traffic conditions, corrosive environment, and crack damage. The bridge performance was evaluated by considering traffic conditions, including the annual average daily traffic volume, heavy vehicle volume, and corrosive environment (mild, normal, and severe). To calculate the resistance capacity, all variables regarding the materials and sections were considered through probabilistic variances, Monte Carlo simulation, and the statistical characteristics of the resistance. The results showed that the performance degradation is sensitive to the important parameters of the traffic conditions and corrosive environment, which may decrease the structural reliability and lead to bridge failure. Cracks in a PSC-I girder may accelerate the performance degradation and affect the reliability level of the bridge. Therefore, a maintenance plan should be rationally considered depending on the site environment.
Seasonal and Spatial Variation of Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity in a Small Urban Agglomerate in Brazil
Authors: Alves Elis
Published: December 2016

In recent years, SUHIs (surface urban heat islands) have been greatly emphasized in urban climate studies, since it is one of the climate phenomena most influenced by human action. In this study, temporal and spatial variations of SUHIs in the cities of Ceres and Rialma (Brazil) were investigated; satellite Landsat 8 TIRS/OLI images from 2013 to 2016 were used for this purpose. The results showed that in all seasons, two relationships were observed, one positive and one negative. An N D V I (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of 0.2 is the divider of this relationship: up to this value, the relationship is positive, that is, the higher the N D V I value, the higher the surface temperature, while the relationship is negative at an N D V I greater than 0.2. There was high seasonal variation in the SUHIs, with the highest intensities recorded in the spring and summer (±12 °C), and the lowest in the winter. These temporal variations were attributed to the annual cycle of precipitation, which directly involves the robustness of the Cerrado vegetation. SUHIs occupied, on average, an area three times larger than the area of SUCIs (surface urban cool islands). The highest values of SUCIs were observed in water bodies and in valley bottoms. Overall, SUHIs showed high intensities; however, a more intense core area, such as in large cities, was not observed.
Nitrous Oxide and Methane Fluxes from Smallholder Farms: A Scoping Study in the Anjeni Watershed
Authors: Bayabil Haimanote , Stoof Cathelijne , Mason Cedric , Richards Brian , Steenhuis Tammo
Published: December 2016

While agricultural practices are widely reported to contribute to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there are only limited measurements available for emission rates in the monsoon climate of the African continent. We conducted a scoping study to measure nitrous oxide (N2O-N) and methane (CH4) emission rates from 24 plots constructed on smallholder agricultural farms along the slope catena of three transects in the sub-humid Anjeni watershed in the Ethiopian highlands. Greenhouse gas flux samples were collected in 2013, before, towards the end, and after the rainy monsoon phase. At each location, three plots were installed in groups: two plots grown with barley (one enriched with charcoal and the other without soil amendment) and lupine was grown on the third plot without any soil amendment. Preliminary study results showed that nitrous oxide emission rates varied from −275 to 522 μg·m−2·h−1 and methane emissions ranged from −206 to 264 μg·m−2·h−1 with overall means of 51 and 5 μg·m−2·h−1 for N2O-N and CH4, respectively. Compared with the control, charcoal and lupine plots had elevated nitrous oxide emissions. Plots amended with charcoal showed on average greater methane uptake than was emitted. While this study provides insights regarding nitrous oxide and methane emission levels from smallholder farms, studies of longer durations are needed to verify the results.
Sustainable Stewardship of the Landrace Diversity
Authors: Tokatlidis Ioannis , Vlachostergios Dimitrios
Published: December 2016

Landraces are heterogeneous populations and their variability goes through continuous alterations because of physical, genetic, and epigenetic procedures exacerbated by the ongoing climatic changes. Appropriate stewardship of landrace diversity is pivotal to promote its longevity in a manner that is sustainable from the farming perspective. A seed multiplication procedure is presented based on the assumption that in order to improve effectiveness in resource use and increase seed productivity, landraces should comprise genotypes which minimize intra-species competition. These aforementioned genotypes should be of the “weak competitor” ideotype, which are selected so as to alleviate the interplant competition and reach as high as possible crop stand uniformity. Stand uniformity is essential to ensure the same growing conditions for each plant. Reduced intra-crop inequality and equal use of inputs by individual plants will optimize crop performance. Precisely, the “weak competitor” is most often of high yield potential due to a negative association between yielding and competitive ability. Therefore, the suggested procedure involves initial reproduction at nil-competition (widely spaced plants to preclude any plant-to-plant interference for inputs) where “off-type” and low yielding plants are omitted, followed by subsequent multiplication at dense stands. This may represent an effective cultural practice to improve also the landrace health status concerning seed-borne diseases in the absence of certification systems.
Characterizing Energy per Job in Cloud Applications
Authors: Ho Thi , Gribaudo Marco , Pernici Barbara
Published: December 2016

Energy efficiency is a major research focus in sustainable development and is becoming even more critical in information technology (IT) with the introduction of new technologies, such as cloud computing and big data, that attract more business users and generate more data to be processed. While many proposals have been presented to optimize power consumption at a system level, the increasing heterogeneity of current workloads requires a finer analysis in the application level to enable adaptive behaviors and in order to reduce the global energy usage. In this work, we focus on batch applications running on virtual machines in the context of data centers. We analyze the application characteristics, model their energy consumption and quantify the energy per job. The analysis focuses on evaluating the efficiency of applications in terms of performance and energy consumed per job, in particular when shared resources are used and the hosts on which the virtual machines are running are heterogeneous in terms of energy profiles, with the aim of identifying the best combinations in the use of resources.
A Parallel Probabilistic Load Flow Method Considering Nodal Correlations
Authors: Liu Jun , Hao Xudong , Cheng Peifen , Fang Wanliang , Niu Shuanbao
Published: December 2016

With the introduction of more and more random factors in power systems, probabilistic load flow (PLF) has become one of the most important tasks for power system planning and operation. Cumulants-based PLF is an effective algorithm to calculate PLF in an analytical way, however, the correlations among the nodal injections to the system level have rarely been studied. A novel parallel cumulants-based PLF method considering nodal correlations is proposed in this paper, which is able to deal with the correlations among all system nodes, and avoid the Jacobian matrix inversion in the traditional cumulants-based PLF as well. In addition, parallel computing is introduced to improve the efficiency of the numerical calculations. The accuracy of the proposed method is validated by numerical tests on the standard IEEE-14 system, comparing with the results from Correlation Latin hypercube sampling Monte Carlo Simulation (CLMCS) method. And the efficiency and parallel performance is proven by the tests on the modified IEEE-300, C703, N1047 systems with distributed generation (DG). Numerical simulations show that the proposed parallel cumulants-based PLF method considering nodal correlations is able to get more accurate results using less computational time and physical memory, and have higher efficiency and better parallel performance than the traditional one.
A Novel Approach for Microgrid Protection Based upon Combined ANFIS and Hilbert Space-Based Power Setting
Authors: Hadi Abdulwahid Ali , Wang Shaorong
Published: December 2016

Nowadays, the use of distributed generation (DG) has increased because of benefits such as increased reliability, reduced losses, improvement in the line capacity, and less environmental pollution. The protection of microgrids, which consist of generation sources, is one of the most crucial concerns of basic distribution operators. One of the key issues in this field is the protection of microgrids against permanent and temporary failures by improving the safety and reliability of the network. The traditional method has a number of disadvantages. The reliability and stability of a power system in a microgrid depend to a great extent on the efficiency of the protection scheme. The application of Artificial Intelligence approaches was introduced recently in the protection of distribution networks. The fault detection method depends on differential relay based on Hilbert Space-Based Power (HSBP) theory to achieve fastest primary protection. It is backed up by a total harmonic distortion (THD) detection method that takes over in case of a failure in the primary method. The backup protection would be completely independent of the main protection. This is rarely attained in practice. This paper proposes a new algorithm to improve protection performance by adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The protection can be obtained in a novel way based on this theory. An advantage of this algorithm is that the protection system operates in fewer than two cycles after the occurrence of the fault. Another advantage is that the error detection is not dependent on the selection of threshold values, and all types of internal fault can identify and show that the algorithm operates correctly for all types of faults while preventing unwanted tripping, even if the data were distorted by current transformer (CT) saturation or by data mismatches. The simulation results show that the proposed circuit can identify the faulty phase in the microgrid quickly and correctly.
Nonparametric Reconstruction of the Om Diagnostic to Test ΛCDM
Authors: Escamilla-Rivera Celia , Fabris Júlio
Published: December 2016

In this work, we consider an Om diagnostic using a non-parametric reconstruction by employing the Loess–Simex factory. This procedure allows us to perform a model-independent comparison for w(z) with the astrophysical data. The concordance model can be tested with the advantage that our approach represents an alternative and efficient way to relax the use of priors and find a possible w that reliably describes the data with no previous knowledge of a cosmological model.
Anomaly Detection from Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Guo Qiandong , Pu Ruiliang , Cheng Jun
Published: December 2016

Hyperspectral remote sensing imagery contains much more information in the spectral domain than does multispectral imagery. The consecutive and abundant spectral signals provide a great potential for classification and anomaly detection. In this study, two real hyperspectral data sets were used for anomaly detection. One data set was an Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data covering the post-attack World Trade Center (WTC) and anomalies are fire spots. The other data set called SpecTIR contained fabric panels as anomalies compared to their background. Existing anomaly detection algorithms including the Reed–Xiaoli detector (RXD), the blocked adaptive computation efficient outlier nominator (BACON), the random selection based anomaly detector (RSAD), the weighted-RXD (W-RXD), and the probabilistic anomaly detector (PAD) are reviewed here. The RXD generally sets strict assumptions to the background, which cannot be met in many scenarios, while BACON, RSAD, and W-RXD employ strategies to optimize the estimation of background information. The PAD firstly estimates both background information and anomaly information and then uses the information to conduct anomaly detection. Here, the BACON, RSAD, W-RXD, and PAD outperformed the RXD in terms of detection accuracy, and W-RXD and PAD required less time than BACON and RSAD.
Impact of an 8-Month Trial Using Height-Adjustable Desks on Children’s Classroom Sitting Patterns and Markers of Cardio-Metabolic and Musculoskeletal Health
Authors: Contardo Ayala Ana , Salmon Jo , Timperio Anna , Sudholz Bronwyn , Ridgers Nicola , Sethi Parneet , Dunstan David
Published: December 2016

During school hours, children can sit for prolonged and unbroken periods of time. This study investigated the impact of an 8-month classroom-based intervention focusing on reducing and breaking-up sitting time on children’s cardio-metabolic risk factors (i.e., body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure) and perceptions of musculoskeletal discomfort. Two Year-6 classes (24 students per class) in one primary school were assigned to either an intervention or control classroom. The intervention classroom was equipped with height-adjustable desks and the teacher was instructed in the delivery of pedagogical strategies to reduce and break-up sitting in class. The control classroom followed standard practice using traditional furniture. At baseline, and after 8-months, time spent sitting, standing, stepping, and sitting-bouts (occasions of continuous sitting) as well as the frequency of sit-to-stand transitions were obtained from activPAL inclinometers and the time spent in light-intensity physical activity was obtained from ActiGraph accelerometers. Demographics and musculoskeletal characteristics were obtained from a self-report survey. Hierarchical linear mixed models found that during class-time, children’s overall time spent sitting in long bouts (>10 min) were lower and the number of sit-to-stand transitions were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group, while no changes were observed for musculoskeletal pain/discomfort. No significant intervention effects were found for the anthropometrics measures and blood pressure. Height-adjustable desks and pedagogical strategies to reduce/break-up sitting can positively modify classroom sitting patterns in children. Longer interventions, larger and varied sample size may be needed to show health impacts; however, these desks did not increase musculoskeletal pain/discomfort.
PEDF Inhibits the Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Hypoxia Cardiomyocytes through PEDF Receptor/Phospholipase A2
Authors: Zhou Zhongxin , Wang Zhu , Guan Qiuhua , Qiu Fan , Li Yufeng , Liu Zhiwei , Zhang Hao , Dong Hongyan , Zhang Zhongming
Published: December 2016

The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been linked to sterile inflammation, which is involved in ischemic injury in myocardial cells. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a multifunctional secreted glycoprotein with many biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-angiogenic properties. However, it is not known whether and how PEDF acts to regulate the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in cardiomyocytes. In the present study, we used the neonatal cardiomyocytes models of ischemia-like conditions to evaluate the mitochondrial fission and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. We also determined the mechanism by which PEDF inhibits hypoxia-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. We found that PEDF decreased the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in neonatal cardiomyocytes through pigment epithelial-derived factor receptor/calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (PEDFR/iPLA2). Meanwhile, PEDF reduced Drp1-induced mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial fission-induced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), as well as mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) release into cytosol through PEDFR/iPLA2. We also found that PEDF inhibited mitochondrial fission-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Furthermore, previous research has found that endogenous cytosolic mtDNA and mtROS can serve as activators of NLRP3 inflammasome activity. Therefore, we hypothesized that PEDF can protect against hypoxia-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by inhibiting mitochondrial fission though PEDFR/iPLA2.
Pioglitazone, a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Agonist, Suppresses Rat Prostate Carcinogenesis
Authors: Suzuki Shugo , Mori Yukiko , Nagano Aya , Naiki-Ito Aya , Kato Hiroyuki , Nagayasu Yuko , Kobayashi Mizuho , Kuno Toshiya , Takahashi Satoru
Published: December 2016

Pioglitazone (PGZ), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonist, which is known as a type 2 diabetes drug, inhibits cell proliferation in various cancer cell lines, including prostate carcinomas. This study focused on the effect of PGZ on prostate carcinogenesis using a transgenic rat for an adenocarcinoma of prostate (TRAP) model. Adenocarcinoma lesions as a percentage of overall lesions in the ventral prostate were significantly reduced by PGZ treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The number of adenocarcinomas per given area in the ventral prostate was also significantly reduced by PGZ treatment. The Ki67 labeling index in the ventral prostate was also significantly reduced by PGZ. Decreased cyclin D1 expression in addition to the inactivation of both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)κB were detected in PGZ-treated TRAP rat groups. In LNCaP, a human androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line, PGZ also inhibited cyclin D1 expression and the activation of both p38 MAPK and NFκB. The suppression of cultured cell growth was mainly regulated by the NFκB pathway as detected using specific inhibitors in both LNCaP and PC3, a human androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line. These data suggest that PGZ possesses a chemopreventive potential for prostate cancer.
p53 as a Regulator of Lipid Metabolism in Cancer
Authors: Parrales Alejandro , Iwakuma Tomoo
Published: December 2016

Enhanced proliferation and survival are common features of cancer cells. Cancer cells are metabolically reprogrammed which aids in their survival in nutrient-poor environments. Indeed, changes in metabolism of glucose and glutamine are essential for tumor progression. Thus, metabolic reprogramming is now well accepted as a hallmark of cancer. Recent findings suggest that reprogramming of lipid metabolism also occurs in cancer cells, since lipids are used for biosynthesis of membranes, post-translational modifications, second messengers for signal transduction, and as a source of energy during nutrient deprivation. The tumor suppressor p53 is a transcription factor that controls the expression of proteins involved in cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, apoptosis, and senescence. p53 also regulates cellular metabolism, which appears to play a key role in its tumor suppressive activities. In this review article, we summarize non-canonical functions of wild-type and mutant p53 on lipid metabolism and discuss their association with cancer progression.
Differential Cytotoxic Potential of Silver Nanoparticles in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells and Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Choi Yun-Jung , Park Jung-Hyun , Han Jae , Kim Eunsu , Jae-Wook Oh , Lee Seung , Kim Jin-Hoi , Gurunathan Sangiliyandi
Published: December 2016

The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis postulates that cancer cells are composed of hierarchically-organized subpopulations of cells with distinct phenotypes and tumorigenic capacities. As a result, CSCs have been suggested as a source of disease recurrence. Recently, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used as antimicrobial, disinfectant, and antitumor agents. However, there is no study reporting the effects of AgNPs on ovarian cancer stem cells (OvCSCs). In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of AgNPs and their mechanism of causing cell death in A2780 (human ovarian cancer cells) and OvCSCs derived from A2780. In order to examine these effects, OvCSCs were isolated and characterized using positive CSC markers including aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and CD133 by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The anticancer properties of the AgNPs were evaluated by assessing cell viability, leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (mt-MP). The inhibitory effect of AgNPs on the growth of ovarian cancer cells and OvCSCs was evaluated using a clonogenic assay. Following 1–2 weeks of incubation with the AgNPs, the numbers of A2780 (bulk cells) and ALDH+/CD133+ colonies were significantly reduced. The expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes was measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Our observations showed that treatment with AgNPs resulted in severe cytotoxicity in both ovarian cancer cells and OvCSCs. In particular, AgNPs showed significant cytotoxic potential in ALDH+/CD133+ subpopulations of cells compared with other subpopulation of cells and also human ovarian cancer cells (bulk cells). These findings suggest that AgNPs can be utilized in the development of novel nanotherapeutic molecules for the treatment of ovarian cancers by specific targeting of the ALDH+/CD133+ subpopulation of cells.
Oxidative Stress in Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Zhao Mingyi , Zhu Ping , Fujino Masayuki , Zhuang Jian , Guo Huiming , Sheikh IdrisAhmed , Zhao Lingling , Li Xiao-Kang
Published: December 2016

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Because of high concentrations of sensitive immature cells, metal-catalyzed free radicals, non-saturated fatty acids, and low concentrations of antioxidant enzymes, the brain requires high levels of oxygen supply and is, thus, extremely sensitive to hypoxia. Strong evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays an important role in pathogenesis and progression. Following hypoxia and ischemia, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production rapidly increases and overwhelms antioxidant defenses. A large excess of ROS will directly modify or degenerate cellular macromolecules, such as membranes, proteins, lipids, and DNA, and lead to a cascading inflammatory response, and protease secretion. These derivatives are involved in a complex interplay of multiple pathways (e.g., inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis) which finally lead to brain injury. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanism for oxidative stress in HIE, summarize current research on therapeutic strategies utilized in combating oxidative stress, and try to explore novel potential clinical approaches.
Pathophysiology of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Petta Salvatore , Gastaldelli Amalia , Rebelos Eleni , Bugianesi Elisabetta , Messa Piergiorgio , Miele Luca , Svegliati-Baroni Gianluca , Valenti Luca , Bonino Ferruccio
Published: December 2016

The physiopathology of fatty liver and metabolic syndrome are influenced by diet, life style and inflammation, which have a major impact on the severity of the clinicopathologic outcome of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A short comprehensive review is provided on current knowledge of the pathophysiological interplay among major circulating effectors/mediators of fatty liver, such as circulating lipids, mediators released by adipose, muscle and liver tissues and pancreatic and gut hormones in relation to diet, exercise and inflammation.
In Vitro Antitumor Active Gold(I) Triphenylphosphane Complexes Containing 7-Azaindoles
Authors: Štarha Pavel , Trávníček Zdeněk , Drahoš Bohuslav , Dvořák Zdeněk
Published: December 2016

A series of gold(I) complexes of the general composition [Au(naza)(PPh3)] (1–8) was prepared and thoroughly characterized (e.g., electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry and multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy). The N1-deprotonated anions of 7-azaindole or its derivatives (naza) are coordinated to the metal centre through the N1 atom of their pyrrole ring, as proved by a single crystal X-ray analysis of the complexes [Au(3I5Braza)(PPh3)] (7) and [Au(2Me4Claza)(PPh3)]·½H2O (8′). The in vitrocytotoxicity of the complexes 1–8 was studied against both the cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant variants of the A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cell line, as well as against the MRC-5 human normal fibroblast cell line. The complexes 4, 5, and 8, containing deprotonated 3-iodo-7-azaindole, 5-bromo-7-azaindole, and 2-methyl-4-chloro-7-azaindole (2Me4Claza), respectively, showed significantly higher potency (IC50 = 2.8–3.5 µM) than cisplatin (IC50 = 20.3 µM) against the A2780 cells and markedly lower effect towards the MRC-5 non-cancerous cells (IC50 = 26.0–29.2 µM), as compared with the mentioned A2780 cancer cells. The results of the flow cytometric studies of the A2780 cell cycle perturbations revealed a G2-cell cycle phase arrest of the cells treated by the representative complexes 1 and 5, which is indicative of a different mechanism of action from cisplatin (induced S-cell cycle phase arrest). The stability of the representative complex 8 in the water-containing solution as well as its ability to interact with the reduced glutathione, cysteine and bovine serum albumin was also studied using 1H and 31P-NMR spectroscopy (studied in the 50% DMF-d7/50% D2O mixture) and ESI+ mass spectrometry (studied in the 50% DMF/50% H2O mixture); DMF = dimethylformamide. The obtained results are indicative for the release of the N-donor azaindole-based ligand in the presence of the used biomolecules.
Inflammation in Chronic Wounds
Authors: Zhao Ruilong , Liang Helena , Clarke Elizabeth , Jackson Christopher , Xue Meilang
Published: December 2016

Non-healing chronic wounds present a major biological, psychological, social, and financial burden on both individual patients and the broader health system. Pathologically extensive inflammation plays a major role in the disruption of the normal healing cascade. The causes of chronic wounds (venous, arterial, pressure, and diabetic ulcers) can be examined through a juxtaposition of normal healing and the rogue inflammatory response created by the common components within chronic wounds (ageing, hypoxia, ischaemia-reperfusion injury, and bacterial colonisation). Wound bed care through debridement, dressings, and antibiotics currently form the basic mode of treatment. Despite recent setbacks, pharmaceutical adjuncts form an interesting area of research.
Crystallization of Galectin-8 Linker Reveals Intricate Relationship between the N-terminal Tail and the Linker
Authors: Si Yunlong , Wang Yue , Gao Jin , Song Chenyang , Feng Shiqiong , Zhou Yifa , Tai Guihua , Su Jiyong
Published: December 2016

Galectin-8 (Gal-8) plays a significant role in normal immunological function as well as in cancer. This lectin contains two carbohydrate recognition domains (CRD) connected by a peptide linker. The N-terminal CRD determines ligand binding specificity, whereas the linker has been proposed to regulate overall Gal-8 function, including multimerization and biological activity. Here, we crystallized the Gal-8 N-terminal CRD with the peptide linker using a crystallization condition that contains Ni2+. The Ni2+ ion was found to be complexed between two CRDs via crystal packing contacts. The coordination between Ni2+ and Asp25 plays an indirect role in determining the structure of β-strand F0 and in influencing the linker conformation which could not be defined due to its dynamic nature. The linker was also shortened in situ and crystallized under a different condition, leading to a higher resolution structure refined to 1.08 Å. This crystal structure allowed definition of a short portion of the linker interacting with the Gal-8 N-terminal tail via ionic interactions and hydrogen bonds. Observation of two Gal-8 N-terminal CRD structures implies that the N-terminal tail and the linker may influence each other’s conformation. In addition, under specific crystallization conditions, glycerol could replace lactose and was observed at the carbohydrate binding site. However, glycerol did not show inhibition activity in hemagglutination assay.
Cellulose Nanocrystal Membranes as Excipients for Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Barbosa Ananda , Robles Eduardo , Ribeiro Juliana , Lund Rafael , Carreño Neftali , Labidi Jalel
Published: December 2016

In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were obtained from flax fibers by an acid hydrolysis assisted by sonochemistry in order to reduce reaction times. The cavitation inducted during hydrolysis resulted in CNC with uniform shapes, and thus further pretreatments into the cellulose are not required. The obtained CNC exhibited a homogeneous morphology and high crystallinity, as well as typical values for surface charge. Additionally, CNC membranes were developed from CNC solution to evaluation as a drug delivery system by the incorporation of a model drug. The drug delivery studies were carried out using chlorhexidine (CHX) as a drug and the antimicrobial efficiency of the CNC membrane loaded with CHX was examined against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus). The release of CHX from the CNC membranes is determined by UV-Vis. The obtaining methodology of the membranes proved to be simple, and these early studies showed a potential use in antibiotic drug delivery systems due to the release kinetics and the satisfactory antimicrobial activity.
Synthesis and Drug Delivery Application of Thermo- and pH-Sensitive Hydrogels: Poly(β-CD-co-N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-IAM)
Authors: Rwei Syang-Peng , Anh Tuan , Chiang Whe-Yi , Way Tun-Fun , Hsu Yung-Jia
Published: December 2016

Copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), itaconamic acid (IAM; 4-amino-2-methylene-4-oxobutanoic acid) and β-cyclodextrin was investigated in this study. β-cyclodextrin was at first modified by reacting with allyl glycidyl ether to substitute its OH end groups with moieties containing double bonds to facilitate the subsequent radical copolymerization with NIPAM and IAM. It was reported that poly(NIPAM-IAM) can respond to the change of temperature as well as pH value. In this study, the structure of β-cyclodextrin was introduced to poly(NIPAM-IAM) copolymers because of its cavity structure capable of encapsulating a variety of drug molecules. The tri-component copolymers, poly(CD-NIPAM-IAM), were synthesized with different monomeric ratios of NIPAM/IAM/β-CD and the hydrogels of the tri-component copolymers were also synthesized by additionally adding N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linking agent. The results show that the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the copolymer (or hydrogel) increases as the molar fraction of IAM increases. The transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images of linear copolymers (no cross-linking) show that molecules undergo self-assembly to have a distinct core–shell structure, compared to poly(CD-NIPAM) which contains no IAM. On the other hand, the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of hydrogels show that the pores gradually become sheet-like structures as the molar fraction of IAM increases to enhance the water absorption capacity. In order to exhibit the thermal and pH sensitivities of poly(CD-NIPAM-IAM) as the drug carrier, the drug release of the newly synthesized hydrogels at 37 °C and different pH values, pH = 2 and pH = 7.4, was investigated using atorvastatin which was used primarily as a lipid-lowering drug. The drug release experimental result shows that poly(CD-NIPAM-IAM) as a drug carrier was pH-sensitive and has the largest release rate at pH = 7.4 at 37 °C, indicating it is useful to release drugs in a neutral or alkaline (intestinal) environment.