bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prosthetic Rehabilitation of a Patient with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: 4-Year Followup
Authors: Okida Ricardo Coelho , Santos Daniela Micheline dos , Vechiato Filho Aljomar José , Andreotti Agda Marobo , Medeiros Rodrigo Antonio de , Goiato Marcelo Coelho
Published: March 2014

The gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the main causes of dental erosion. The aim of this case presented is to describe the prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with GERD after 4 years of followup. A 33-year-old male patient complained about tooth sensitivity. The lingual surface of the maxillary anterior teeth and the cusps of the upper and lower posterior teeth presented wear. It was suspected that the feeling of heartburn reported by the patient associated with the intake of sports supplements (isotonics) was causing gastroesophageal changes. The patient was referred to a gastroenterologist and was diagnosed with GERD. Dental treatment was performed with metal-free crowns and porcelain veneers after medical treatment of the disease. With the change in eating habits, the treatment of GERD and lithium disilicate ceramics provided excellent cosmetic results after 4 years and the patient reported satisfaction with the treatment.
An Improved Reinforcement Learning Algorithm for Cooperative Behaviors of Mobile Robots
Authors: Song Yong , Li Yibin , Wang Xiaoli , Ma Xin , Ruan Jiuhong
Published: March 2014

Reinforcement learning algorithm for multirobot will become very slow when the number of robots is increasing resulting in an exponential increase of state space. A sequentialQ-learning based on knowledge sharing is presented. The rule repository of robots behaviors is firstly initialized in the process of reinforcement learning. Mobile robots obtain present environmental state by sensors. Then the state will be matched to determine if the relevant behavior rule has been stored in the database. If the rule is present, an action will be chosen in accordance with the knowledge and the rules, and the matching weight will be refined. Otherwise the new rule will be appended to the database. The robots learn according to a given sequence and share the behavior database. We examine the algorithm by multirobot following-surrounding behavior, and find that the improved algorithm can effectively accelerate the convergence speed.
A Panel of Cancer Testis Antigens and Clinical Risk Factors to Predict Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Molania Ramyar , Mahjoubi Frouzandeh , Mirzaei Rezvan , Khatami Saeed-Reza , Mahjoubi Bahar
Published: March 2014

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third common carcinoma with a high rate of mortality worldwide and several studies have investigated some molecular and clinicopathological markers for diagnosis and prognosis of its malignant phenotypes. The aim of this study is to evaluate expression frequency of PAGE4, SCP-1, and SPANXA/D cancer testis antigen (CTA) genes as well as some clinical risk markers to predict liver metastasis of colorectal cancer patients. The expression frequency of PAGE4, SCP-1, and SPANXA/D cancer/testis antigen (CTA) genes was obtained using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in 90 colorectal tumor samples including both negative and positive liver metastasis tumors. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the association of three studied genes and clinical risk factors with CRC liver metastasis. The frequency of PAGE4 and SCP-1 genes expression was significantly higher in the primary tumours with liver metastasis when statistically compared with primary tumors with no liver metastasis (P<0.05). Among all clinical risk factors studied, the lymph node metastasis and the depth of invasion were statistically correlated with liver metastasis of CRC patients. In addition, using multiple logistic regression, we constructed a model based on PAGE4 and lymph node metastasis to predict liver metastasis of CRC.
Antenna Array Synthesis and Failure Correction Using Differential Search Algorithm
Authors: Guney Kerim , Durmus Ali , Basbug Suad
Published: March 2014

Differential search (DS) optimization algorithm is proposed for the synthesis of three different types of linear antenna array design examples. The first group of examples is that DS algorithm is used to locate wide nulls on the linear antenna array patterns by controlling amplitude-only. In these examples, sidelobe levels disposed to rise are also suppressed by using DS algorithm in the same optimization process. In the second group of examples, individual nulls are placed with the help of DS algorithm by controlling the amplitude-only, phase-only, and position-only. The last example is a linear antenna array failure correction example. In order to tolerate the element failures, DS is employed to recalculate the amplitude values of the remaining intact elements of the antenna array. The results show that DS is very capable to solve the linear antenna array optimization problems which have different characteristics.
Simulating a Measurement of the 2nd Knee in the Cosmic Ray Spectrum with an Atmospheric Fluorescence Telescope Tower Array
Authors: Liu Jiali , Yang Qunyu , Bai Yunxiang , Cao Zhen
Published: March 2014

A fluorescence telescope tower array has been designed to measure cosmic rays in the energy range of 1017–1018 eV. A full Monte Carlo simulation, including air shower production, light generation and propagation, detector response, electronics, and trigger system, has been developed for that purpose. Using such a simulation tool, the detector configuration, which includes one main tower array and two side-trigger arrays, 24 telescopes in total, has been optimized. The aperture and the event rate have been estimated. Furthermore, the performance of theXmax⁡technique in measuring composition has also been studied.
Corrosion Behavior of Zinc-Graphite Metal Matrix Composite in 1 M of HCl
Authors: Afifi M. A.
Published: March 2014

This paper is aimed at investigating the corrosion behavior of Pure and Zinc-graphite particles with percentage of 1, 3, and 5%, respectively. The composites were fabricated by powder metallurgy method. Corrosion tests were performed according to ASTM standard. Corrosion rate was calculated and it is found that in all cases the corrosion rate was decreasing with the increase in exposure time. Meanwhile, the microstructure of composites was imaged and analyzed using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. It is observed that the best corrosion resistance was zinc with 1% Graphite while Zinc with 3% and 5% Graphite composites did not enhance the corrosion resistance comparing to pure Zinc.
Gray and Green Revisited: A Multidisciplinary Perspective of Gardens, Gardening, and the Aging Process
Authors: Wright Scott D. , Wadsworth Amy Maida
Published: March 2014

Over fourteen years ago, the concept of “gray and green” was first introduced by Wright and Lund (2000) to represent a new awareness and a call for increased scholarship at the intersection of environmental issues and the aging process. This review paper revisits that concept with a fresh perspective on the specific role of gardens and gardening in the aging experience. As example, gardening is one of the most popular home-based leisure activities in the US and represents an important activity in the lives of older adults in a variety of residential settings. Yet, there has been a lack of any comprehensive and multidisciplinary (science and humanities) examination of the nexus between gardening and the aging experience, and in particular with research connections to stewardship and caring. In this paper, we review contemporary articles demonstrating the multidisciplinarity of gardening and the aging process. First, we will focus on the beneficial psychological effects resulting from the cultivation of caring, including personal contentment and artistic expression. Second, we will focus on stewardship and how gardening increases health, community awareness, and a connection to future generations. On the surface, this may demonstrate a separation between the humanities and science, but we will clarify a symbiotic relationship between the two disciplines in our conclusion.
Effect of Age-Related Cartilage Turnover on Serum C-Telopeptide of Collagen Type II and Osteocalcin Levels in Growing Rabbits with and without Surgically Induced Osteoarthritis
Authors: Huang Chung-Cheng , Lee Chen-Chang , Wang Ching-Jen , Wang Feng-Sheng , Huang Hsuan-Ying , Ng Shu-Hang , Tseng Chia-Yi , Ko Sheung-Fat
Published: March 2014

This study aims to determine the effect of age-related cartilage turnover on the serum C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) and osteocalcin (OC) levels in growing rabbits with and without surgically induced osteoarthritis. Twenty-four New Zealand male 3-month-old rabbits were randomized into three operated groups (n= 6 per group, with surgically induced osteroarthritis in the right knee; after blood sampling, the knees were harvested following euthanization at 2, 3, and 6 months after surgery) and a control group (n= 6, blood samples were obtained monthly between 3 and 15 months). Histomorphologically, the medial femoral condyles, particularly the central parts, harbored the most severe osteoarthritic changes among the operated rabbits. The serum levels of CTX-II and OC decreased in the controls from 3 to 11 months and then remained stable. No significant differences in the serum CTX-II and OC levels between the osteoarthritic rabbits and controls were observed. The osteoarthritic-to-normal ratios (ONRs, the ratios of serum CTX-II or OC levels in osteoarthritic rabbits to those of the controls at same ages) enabled an overall assessment of osteoarthritis and age-related cartilage turnover. Elevated CTX-II ONRs were observed in rabbits with mild to advanced osteoarthritis. However, the OC ONRs were unhelpful in assessing osteoarthritic growing rabbits.
Real-Time Depth-Based Hand Detection and Tracking
Authors: Joo Sung-Il , Weon Sun-Hee , Choi Hyung-Il
Published: March 2014

This paper illustrates the hand detection and tracking method that operates in real time on depth data. To detect a hand region, we propose the classifier that combines a boosting and a cascade structure. The classifier uses the features of depth-difference at the stage of detection as well as learning. The features of each candidate segment are to be computed by subtracting the averages of depth values of subblocks from the central depth value of the segment. The features are selectively employed according to their discriminating power when constructing the classifier. To predict a hand region in a successive frame, a seed point in the next frame is to be determined. Starting from the seed point, a region growing scheme is applied to obtain a hand region. To determine the central point of a hand, we propose the so-called Depth Adaptive Mean Shift algorithm. DAM-Shift is a variant of CAM-Shift (Bradski, 1998), where the size of the search disk varies according to the depth of a hand. We have evaluated the proposed hand detection and tracking algorithm by comparing it against the existing AdaBoost (Friedman et al., 2000) qualitatively and quantitatively. We have analyzed the tracking accuracy through performance tests in various situations.
Residual Generator‐Based Controller Design via Process Measurements
Authors: Huang Zenghui , Yin Shen , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: March 2014

This paper deals with designing the controller of LTI system based on data‐driven techniques. We propose a scheme embedding a residual generator into control loop based on realization of the Youla parameterization for advanced controller design. Basic idea of the proposed scheme is constructing the residual generator by using the solution of the Luenberger equations as well as the well‐established relationship between diagnosis observer (DO) and the parity vector. Besides, the core of the above idea is straightly using the process measurements to obtain the parity space based on the Subspace Identification Method (SIM), rather than establishing the system model. At last, a simulation based on the numerical model demonstrates
the performance and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
The Utility of Serial Allograft Biopsies during Delayed Graft Function in Renal Transplantation under Current Immunosuppressive Regimens
Authors: Hatoum Hilana H. , Patel Anita , Venkat K. K.
Published: March 2014

Delayed graft function (DGF) of kidney transplants increases risk of rejection. We aimed to assess the utility of weekly biopsies during DGF in the setting of currently used immunosuppression and identify variables associated with rejection during DGF. We reviewed all kidney transplants at our institution between January 2008 and December 2011. All patients received rabbit antithymocyte globulin/Thymoglobulin (ATG) or Basiliximab/Simulect induction with maintenance tacrolimus + mycophenolate + corticosteroid therapy. Patients undergoing at least one weekly biopsy during DGF comprised the study group. Eighty-three/420 (19.8%) recipients during this period experienced DGF lasting ≥1 week and underwent weekly biopsies until DGF resolved. Biopsy revealed significant rejection only in 4/83 patients (4.8%) (one Banff 1-A and two Banff 2-A cellular rejections, and one acute humoral rejection). Six other/83 patients (7.2%) had Banff-borderline rejection of uncertain clinical significance. Four variables (ATG versus Basiliximab induction, patient age, panel reactive anti-HLA antibody level at transplantation, and living versus deceased donor transplants) were statistically significantly different between patients with and without rejection, though the clinical significance of these differences is questionable given the low incidence of rejection. Conclusions. Under current immunosuppression regimens, rejection during DGF is uncommon and the utility of serial biopsies during DGF is limited.
Regional Pericarditis Mimicking Inferior Myocardial Infarction following Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Alhammouri Ahmad T. , Omar Bassam A.
Published: March 2014

Acute pericarditis is common but illusive, often mimicking acute coronary syndrome in its clinical and electrocardiographic presentation. Regional pericarditis, though rare, presents further challenge with a paucity of published diagnostic criteria. We present a case of postoperative regional pericarditis and discuss helpful electrocardiographic findings. A 66-year-old male with history of open drainage of a liver abscess presented with abdominal pain and tenderness. CT of the abdomen was concerning for pneumatosis intestinalis of the distal descending colon. He underwent lysis of liver adhesions; exploration revealed only severe colonic impaction, for which he had manual disimpaction and peritoneal irrigation. Postoperatively, he developed sharp chest pain. Electrocardiogram revealed inferior ST elevation. Echocardiogram revealed normal left and right ventricular dimensions and systolic function without wall motion abnormalities. Emergent coronary angiography did not identify a culprit lesion, and left ventriculogram showed normal systolic function without wall motion abnormalities. He received no intervention, and the diagnosis of regional pericarditis was entertained. His cardiac troponin was 0.04 ng/dL and remained unchanged, with resolution of the ECG abnormalities in the following morning. Review of his preangiography ECG revealed PR depression, downsloping baseline between QRS complexes, and reciprocal changes in the anterior leads, suggestive of regional pericarditis.
The Role of Vitamin D Deficiency and Vitamin D Receptor Genotypes on the Degree of Collateralization in Patients with Suspected Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Hossein-Nezhad Arash , Eshaghi Seyede Mahdieh , Maghbooli Zhila , Mirzaei Khadijeh , Shirzad Mahmood , Curletto Bryon , Chen Tai C.
Published: March 2014

We determined the association of vitamin D deficiency and the FokI polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in 760 patients who underwent angiography due to suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Angiography and the Rentrop scoring system were used to classify the severity of CAD in each patient and to grade the extent of collateral development, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to determine the FokI VDR gene polymorphism. The prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL) was significantly higher in patients with at least one stenotic coronary artery compared to those without any stenotic coronary arteries. Severe vitamin D deficiency was not independently associated with collateralization, but it was significantly associated with the VDR genotypes. In turn, VDR genotype was independently associated with the degree of collateralization; the Rentrop scores were the highest in FF, intermediate in Ff, and the lowest in the ff genotype. The results show that FokI polymorphism is independently associated with collateralization. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency is more prevalent in patients with CAD that may result from FokI polymorphism. Therefore, maintaining a normal vitamin D status should be a high priority for patients with CAD.
Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Patients with Alopecia Areata in Comparison with Normal Subjects
Authors: Aghaei Shahin , Saki Nasrin , Daneshmand Ehsan , Kardeh Bahare
Published: March 2014

Alopecia areata is a chronic disease with a great impact on the patient’s quality of life. In this study we reviewed the frequency of psychological disorders in patients with alopecia areata in comparison to a control group. We enrolled 40 patients with alopecia areata and a 40-volunteer random age-sex matched control group. The study is based on anxiety and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Analytical evaluation was done by Mann-Whitney, Kruskal Wallis, and t-tests. There was a significant difference between the case and control group regarding the prevalence of depression (P value = 0.008), anxiety (P value = 0.003), and neuroticism (P value = 0.05). There was no significant differences regarding extraversion (P value = 0.249), psychosis (P value = 0.147), and lying (P value = 0.899) between the two groups. In alopecia areata involving the head, there was a significant relation only between neuroticism (P value = 0.045) and lying (P value = 0.005). The facial involvement had a significant relation with depression (P value = 0.020), anxiety (P value = 0.019), and neuroticism (P value = 0.029). The frequency of psychological disorders in the case group is significantly greater than the control group.
Energy Conditions for Hamiltonicity of Graphs
Authors: Yu Guidong , Cai Gaixiang , Ye Miaolin , Cao Jinde
Published: March 2014

LetGbe an undirected simple graph of ordern. LetA(G)be the adjacency matrix ofG, and letμ1(G)≤μ2(G)≤⋯≤μn(G)be its eigenvalues. The energy ofGis defined asℰ(G)=∑i=1n‍|μi(G)|. Denote byGBPTa bipartite graph. In this paper, we establish the sufficient conditions forGhaving a Hamiltonian path or cycle or to be Hamilton-connected in terms of the energy of the complement ofG, and give the sufficient condition forGBPThaving a Hamiltonian cycle in terms of the energy of the quasi-complement ofGBPT.
Effect of Chitosan on Rhizome Rot Disease of Turmeric Caused byPythium aphanidermatum
Authors: Anusuya Sathiyanarayanan , Sathiyabama Muthukrishnan
Published: March 2014

Chitosan was evaluated for its potential to induce antifungal hydrolases in susceptible turmeric plant (Curcuma longaL.). Under field conditions, the application of chitosan (crab shell) to turmeric plants by foliar spray method induces defense enzymes such as chitinases and chitosanases. Such an increase in enzyme activity was enhanced by spraying chitosan (0.1% w/v) on leaves of turmeric plants at regular intervals. Gel electrophoresis revealed new chitinase and chitosanase isoforms in leaves of turmeric plants treated with chitosan. Treated turmeric plants showed increased resistance towards rhizome rot disease caused byPythium aphanidermatum, whereas control plants expressed severe rhizome rot disease. Increased activity of defense enzymes in leaves of chitosan treated turmeric plants may play a role in restricting the development of disease symptoms. The eliciting properties of chitosan make chitosan a potential antifungal agent for the control of rhizome rot disease of turmeric.
Converting Potential Abdominal Hysterectomy to Vaginal One: Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy
Authors: Shetty Jyothi , Shanbhag Asha , Pandey Deeksha
Published: March 2014

Background.The idea of laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) is to convert a potential abdominal hysterectomy to a vaginal one, thus decreasing associated morbidity and hastening recovery. We compared intraoperative and postoperative outcomes between LAVH and abdominal hysterectomy, to find out if LAVH achieves better clinical results compared with abdominal hysterectomy.Material and methods.A total of 48 women were enrolled in the study. Finally 17 patients underwent LAVH (cases) and 20 underwent abdominal hysterectomy (controls). All surgeries were performed by a set of gynecologists with more or less same level of surgical experience and expertise.Results.None of the patients in LAVH required conversion to laparotomy. Mean operating time was 30 minutes longer in LAVH group as compared to abdominal hysterectomy group (167.06+31.97 min versus 135.25+31.72 min;P<0.05). However, the mean blood loss in LAVH was 100 mL lesser than that in abdominal hysterectomy and the difference was found to be statistically significant (248.24+117.79 mL versus 340.00+119.86 mL;P<0.05). Another advantage of LAVH was significantly lower pain scores on second and third postoperative days. Overall complications and postoperative hospital stay were not significantly different between the two groups.
Application of the Expanded Theory of Planned Behavior in Intercity Travel Behavior
Authors: Peng Jing , Zhi-cai Juan , Lin-jie Gao
Published: March 2014

Congestion in intercity corridors of metropolitan area has been increasing steadily. To alleviate congestion, many major investment projects, such as the high speed railway projects, were proposed by agency. To evaluate the adequacy and efficiency of these projects, the intercity travel behavior should be analyzed in metropolitan area. The paper constructed a Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model according to an expanded theory of planned behavior (TPB) to study the travel behavior of choosing from the choice set of the traditional train, the high speed railway and the coach by demographic and psychological factors. Through empirical data collection and analysis, we found that demographic factors of travelers indeed positively engender the latent variables in MIMIC, and descriptive norm and habit had direct or indirect significant effect on travel behavior and intention. On the basis of the effect of psychological constructors of the expanded TPB on the intercity travel behavior and differentiation of traveler's demographic characteristics, the agency can make reasonable policies and proper information for the intercity transportation. The results will support the basic theory of optimizing the transportation system in metropolitan area. Implications for researchers and suggestions for future research are also addressed in this study.
Endoscopic Papillary Large Balloon Dilation Reduces the Need for Mechanical Lithotripsy in Patients with Large Bile Duct Stones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Madhoun Mohammad F. , Wani Sachin , Hong Sam , Tierney William M. , Maple John T.
Published: March 2014

Background. Removal of large stones can be challenging and frequently requires the use of mechanical lithotripsy (ML). Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) following endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) is a technique that appears to be safe and effective. However, data comparing ES + EPLBD with ES alone have not conclusively shown superiority of either technique. Objective. To assess comparative efficacies and rate of adverse events of these methods. Method. Studies were identified by searching nine medical databases for reports published between 1994 and 2013, using a reproducible search strategy. Only studies comparing ES and ES + EPLBD with regard to large bile duct stone extraction were included. Pooling was conducted by both fixed-effects and random-effects models. Risk ratio (RR) estimates with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results. Seven studies (involving 902 patients) met the inclusion criteria; 3 of 7 studies were prospective trials. Of the 902 patients, 463 were in the ES + EPLBD group, whereas 439 underwent ES alone. There were no differences noted between the groups with regard to overall stone clearance (98% versus 95%, RR  =  1.01 [0.97, 1.05]; P =0.60) and stone clearance at the 1st session (87% versus 79%, RR = 1.11 [0.98, 1.25]; P =0.11). ES + EPLBD was associated with a reduced need for ML compared to ES alone (15% versus 32%; RR  =  0.49 [0.32, 0.74]; P = 0.0008) and was also associated with a reduction in the overall rate of adverse events (11% versus 18%; RR = 0.58 [0.41, 0.81]; P =0.001). Conclusions. ES + EPLBD has similar efficacy to ES alone while significantly reducing the need for ML. Further, ES + EPLBD appears to be safe, with a lower rate of adverse events than traditional ES. ES + EPLBD should be considered as a first-line technique in the management of large bile duct stones.
Toad Glandular Secretions and Skin Extractions as Anti‐Inflammatory and Anticancer Agents
Authors: Qi Ji , Tan C. K. , Hashimi Saeed M. , Zulfiker Abu Hasanat Md. , Good David , Wei Ming Q.
Published: March 2014

Toad glandular secretions and skin extractions contain many natural agents which may provide a unique resource for novel drug development. The dried secretion from the auricular and skin glands of Chinese toad (Bufo bufo gargarizans) is named Chansu, which has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating infection and inflammation for hundreds of years. The sterilized hot water extraction of dried toad skin is named Huachansu (Cinobufacini) which was developed for treating hepatitis B virus (HBV) and several types of cancers. However, the mechanisms of action of Chansu, Huachansu, and their constituents within are not well reported. Existing studies have suggested that their anti‐inflammation and anticancer potential were via targeting Nuclear Factor (NF)‐κB and its signalling pathways which are crucial hallmarks of inflammation and cancer in various experimental models. Here, we review some current studies of Chansu, Huachansu, and their compounds in terms of their use as both anti‐inflammatory and anticancer agents. We also explored the potential use of toad glandular secretions and skin extractions as alternate resources for treating human cancers in combinational therapies.
Synthesis, Characterization, Antimicrobial, DNA Cleavage, andIn VitroCytotoxic Studies of Some Metal Complexes of Schiff Base Ligand Derived from Thiazole and Quinoline Moiety
Authors: Yernale Nagesh Gunvanthrao , Bennikallu Hire Mathada Mruthyunjayaswamy
Published: March 2014

A novel Schiff base ligandN-(4-phenylthiazol-2yl)-2-((2-thiaxo-1,2-dihydroquinolin-3-yl)methylene)hydrazinecarboxamide(L)obtained by the condensation ofN-(4-phenylthiazol-2-yl)hydrazinecarboxamide with 2-thioxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde and its newly synthesized Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and various spectral studies like FT-IR,1H NMR, ESI mass, UV-Visible, ESR, TGA/DTA, and powder X-ray diffraction studies. The Schiff base ligand(L)behaves as tridentate ONS donor and forms the complexes of type [ML(Cl)2] with square pyramidal geometry. The Schiff base ligand(L)and its metal complexes have been screenedin vitrofor their antibacterial and antifungal activities by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. The DNA cleavage activity of ligand and its metal complexes were studied using plasmid DNA pBR322 as a target molecule by gel electrophoresis method. The brine shrimp bioassay was also carried out to study thein vitrocytotoxicity properties for the ligand and its metal complexes againstArtemia salina. The results showed that the biological activities of the ligand were found to be increased on complexation.
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura after Mastectomy and Axillary Lymph Node Dissection
Authors: Santivasi Wil L. , Routt Meghan M. , Terando Alicia M.
Published: March 2014

First described in 1916, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of platelets. Here, we present a case of an 85-year-old patient diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast whose surgical treatment was complicated postoperatively by acute-onset thrombocytopenia with a resultant hematoma at the operative site. Diagnostic Workup revealed no clear etiology for the thrombocytopenia; therefore, a presumptive diagnosis of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was made. Previous literature has associated the development of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura with breast cancer. However, to the authors’ knowledge, there are no reported cases of ITP presenting immediately following surgical intervention for breast cancer in the absence of other etiologic factors.
Dynamic Neural Network Identification and Decoupling Control Approach for MIMO Time-Varying Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Shen Zhixi , Zhao Kai
Published: March 2014

Overcoming the coupling among variables is greatly necessary to obtain accurate, rapid and independent control of the real nonlinear systems. In this paper, the main methodology, on which the method is based, is dynamic neural networks (DNN) and adaptive control with the Lyapunov methodology for the time-varying, coupling, uncertain, and nonlinear system. Under the framework, the DNN is developed to accommodate the identification, and the weights of DNN are iteratively and adaptively updated through the identification errors. Based on the neural network identifier, the adaptive controller of complex system is designed in the latter. To guarantee the precision and generality of decoupling tracking performance, Lyapunov stability theory is applied to prove the error between the reference inputs and the outputs of unknown nonlinear system which is uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB). The simulation results verify that the proposed identification and control strategy can achieve favorable control performance.
Robust Tracking Control for Vehicle Lateral Dynamics with Uncertain Parameters and External Nonlinearities
Authors: Pan Huihui , Zhang Yifu , Sun Weichao
Published: March 2014

This paper focuses on the problem of tracking control for vehicle lateral dynamic systems and designs an adaptive robust controller (ARC) based on backstepping technology to improve vehicle handling and stability, in the presence of parameter uncertainties and external nonlinearities. The main target of controller design has two aspects: the first target is to control the sideslip angle as small as possible, and the second one is to keep the real yaw rate tracking the desired yaw rate. In order to compromise the two indexes, the desired sideslip angle is planned as a new reference signal, instead of the ideal “zero.” As a result, the designed controller not only accomplishes the control purposes mentioned above, but also effectively attenuates both the changes of vehicle mass and the variations of cornering stiffness. In addition, to overcome the problem of “explosion of complexity” caused by backstepping method in the traditional ARC design, the dynamic surface control (DSC) technique is used to estimate the derivative of the virtual control. Finally, a nonlinear vehicle model is employed as the design example to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control laws.
Pretreatment Patient Specific Quality Assurance and Gamma Index Variation Study in Gantry Dependent EPID Positions for IMRT Prostate Treatments
Authors: Cyriac Siji , Musthafa M. M. , Ganapathi Raman R. , Abdul Haneefa K. , Hridya V. T.
Published: March 2014

Pretreatment quality assurance (QA) is a major concern in complex radiation therapy treatment plans like intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Present study considers the variations in gamma index for gantry dependent pretreatment verification and commonly practiced zero gantry angle verifications for ten prostate IMRT plans using two commercial medical linear accelerators (Varian 2300 CD, Varian Clinac iX). Two verification plans (the one with all fields at the actual treatment angles and one with all fields merged to 0 degree gantry angles) for all the patients were generated to obtain dose fluence mapping using amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (EPID). The gamma index was found depend on gantry angles but the difference between zero and the nonzero treatment angles is in the confidence level for clinical acceptance. The acceptance criteria of gamma method were always satisfied in both cases for two machines and are stable enough to execute the patient specific pretreatment quality assurance at 0 degree gantry angle for prostate IMRTs, where limited number of gantry angles are used.
Role of HLA-B Alleles and Clinical Presentation of B27 Negative Spondyloarthritis Patients from Mumbai, Western India
Authors: Parasannanavar Devaraj J. , Rajadhyaksha Anjali , Ghosh Kanjaksha
Published: March 2014

Seronegative spondyloarthritis (SpA) are variably associated with HLA-B*27 antigen. HLA-B*27 negative SpA has also been reported from different parts of the world. There is paucity of data on this entity from Indian subcontinent. We studied 100 consecutively diagnosed HLA-B27 negative spondyloarthritis patients from a tertiary care center in India. Modified New York Criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and ESSG criteria for SpA were used for diagnosing patients. HLA-B*27 typing was done by an in-house PCR-SSP technique in SpA patients to exclude B*27 positive patients and PCR-SSOP technique was used to type 100 B*27 negative SpA patients and 100 controls from the same ethnicity. Frequency of B*07 was significantly increased (B*07: % PF 54 versus 18; OR 5.348; 95% CI 2.808–10.186;Pvalue 1.14E− 07), whereas frequency of B*40 was significantly decreased (B*40: % PF 17 versus 32; OR 0.435; 95% CI 0.222–0.850;Pvalue 0.013) when compared with B*27 negative controls. Among 100 SpA patients, 47 were undifferentiated spondyloarthritis and 33 patients were reactive arthritis patients. 40% of the patients were suffering from polyarticular arthritis, 35% had pauciarticular arthritis with knee joint, hip joint, ankle joint, and SI joint involvement. We conclude that B*07 was significantly associated with B27 negative spondyloarthropathy from Western India and majority of B*27 negative patients were uSpA.
Simulation of Impinging Cooling Performance with Pin Fins and Mist Cooling Adopted in a Simplified Gas Turbine Transition Piece
Authors: Xu Tao , Xiu Hang , Li Junlou , Ge Haichao , Shao Qing , Yang Guang , Yu Zhenglei
Published: March 2014

The gas turbine transition piece was simplified to a one-four cylinder double chamber model with a single row of impinging holes in the outer wall. Heat transfer augmentation in the coolant chamber was achieved through the use of pin fin structure and mist cooling, which could increase the turbulence and heat transfer efficiency. The present research is focused on heat transfer and pressure characteristics of the impinging cooling in the coolant chamber using FLUENT software. With the given diameter of impinging hole, pin fin diameter ratiosD/dhave been numerically studied in ranges from 1 to 2. Three different detachedLwere simulated. The impinging cooling performance in all cases was compared between single-phase and two-phase (imported appropriate mist) flow in the coolant chamber. All the simulation results reveal that the factors ofLandD/dhave significant effects on the convective heat transfer. After the pin fin structure was taken, the resulting temperature decrease of 38.77 K at most compared with the result of structure without pin fins. And with the mist injecting into the cooling chamber, the area weighted average temperature got a lower value without excess pressure loss, which could satisfy the more stringent requirements in engineering.
Waste Tire Particles and Gamma Radiation as Modifiers of the Mechanical Properties of Concrete
Authors: Herrera-Sosa Eduardo Sadot , Martínez-Barrera Gonzalo , Barrera-Díaz Carlos , Cruz-Zaragoza Epifanio
Published: March 2014

In polymer reinforced concrete, the Young’s modulus of both polymers and cement matrix is responsible for the detrimental properties of the concrete, including compressive and tensile strength, as well as stiffness. A novel methodology for solving such problems is based on use of ionizing radiation, which has proven to be a good tool for improvement on physical and chemical properties of several materials including polymers, ceramics, and composites. In this work, particles of 0.85 mm and 2.80 mm obtained from waste tire were submitted at 250 kGy of gamma radiation in order to modify their physicochemical properties and then used as reinforcement in Portland cement concrete for improving mechanical properties. The results show diminution on mechanical properties in both kinds of concrete without (or with) irradiated tire particles with respect to plain concrete. Nevertheless such diminutions (from 2 to 16%) are compensated with the use of high concentration of waste tire particles (30%), which ensures that the concrete will not significantly increase the cost.
Inhibitory Effects of Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) Leaves on Tumour Promotion in Two‐Stage Mouse Skin Carcinogenesis
Authors: Yasukawa Ken , Okuda Sakiko , Nobushi Yasuhito
Published: March 2014

Ethanol extracts of gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) leaves exhibited marked antitumour‐promoting activity in an in vivo two‐stage carcinogenesis test in mice using 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene as an initiator and 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA) as a promoter. From the active fraction of the ethanol extract of the gymnema leaves, three triterpenoids were isolated and identified. These compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on TPA‐induced inflammation (1 µg/ear) in mice. The tested compounds showed marked anti‐inflammatory effects, with a 50% inhibitory dose of 50–555 nmol/ear.
(E)3-2-(1-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethyldeneamino)phenyl)-2-methylquinazoline-4(3H)-one Schiff Base and Its Metal Complexes: A New Drug of Choice against Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Siddappa K. , Mane Sunilkumar B. , Manikprabhu Deene
Published: March 2014

The 3-(2-aminophenyl) quinazolin-2-methyl-4(3H)-one and 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone undergo condensation to afford (E)3-2-(1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyldeneamino)phenyl)-2-methylquinazoline-4(3H)-one Schiff base (DHPEAPMQ). The newly synthesized Schiff base (DHPEAPMQ) and its metal complexes were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusisolated from the Gulbarga region in India. The Cu(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes of Schiff base (DHPEAPMQ) showed good antimicrobial activity. So, this could be a new drug of choice.
A Standardized Critical Size Defect Model in Normal and Osteoporotic Rats to Evaluate Bone Tissue Engineered Constructs
Authors: Poser Livia , Matthys Romano , Schawalder Peter , Pearce Simon , Alini Mauro , Zeiter Stephan
Published: March 2014

Tissue engineered constructs should be tested for their efficacy not only in normal but also in osteoporotic bone. The rat is an established animal model for osteoporosis and is used often for bone healing studies. In this study a defined and standardized critical size defect model in the rat suitable for screening new tissue engineered constructs in normal and osteoporotic bone is described and validated. Normal and ovariectomised Wistar rats received a unilateral middiaphyseal 5 mm defect in the femur, which was instrumented with a radiolucent PEEK plate fixed with angular stable titanium screws and left untreated. All animals were euthanized eight weeks after defect surgery and the bone healing was evaluated using radiographs, computed tomography measurements, and histology. The developed fixation system provided good stability, even in osteoporotic bone. The implants and ancillary instruments ensured consistent and facile placement of the PEEK plates. The untreated defects did not heal without intervention making the model a well-defined and standardized critical size defect model highly useful for evaluating tissue engineered solutions in normal and osteoporotic bone.
Correlation between PFGE Groups andmrp/epf/slyGenotypes of HumanStreptococcus suisSerotype 2 in Northern Thailand
Authors: Tharavichitkul Prasit , Wongsawan Kanreuthai , Takenami Naoki , Pruksakorn Sumalee , Fongcom Achara , Gottschalk Marcelo , Khanthawa Banyong , Supajatura Volaluk , Takai Shinji
Published: March 2014

Streptococcus suisinfection is a severe zoonotic disease commonly found in Northern Thailand where people often consume raw pork and/or pig’s blood. The most frequent clinical presentations are meningitis, sepsis, and endocarditis with higher rate of mortality and hearing loss sequelae. To clarify the correlation between pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) groups andmrp/epf/slygenotypes ofS. suisserotype 2, 62 patient and 4 healthy pig isolates from Northern Thailand were studied. By PFGE analysis, at 66% homology, most human isolates (69.4%) and 1 pig isolate were in group A, whereas 14.5% of human isolates and 3 out of 4 pig isolates were in group D. According tomrp/epf/slygenotypes, 80.6% of human isolates were identified inmrp+epf−sly−and only 12.9% were inmrp−epf−sly+genotypes; in contrast, 1 and 3 pig isolates were detected in these two genotypes, respectively. Interestingly, all isolates ofS. suisserotype 2 classified in PFGE groups A, B, and E were set inmrp+epf−sly−genotypes. These data show a close correlation between PFGE groups andmrp/epf/slygenotypes of humanS. suisserotype 2.
Characterization of Musclin as a New Target for Treatment of Hypertension
Authors: Lin Jia-Wei , Tsai Cheng-Chia , Chen Li-Jen , Niu Ho-Shan , Chang Chen Kuei , Niu Chiang-Shan
Published: March 2014

Musclin is a novel skeletal muscle-derived factor found in the signal sequence trap of mouse skeletal muscle cDNAs. Recently, it has been demonstrated that musclin is involved in the pathogenesis of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). However, it is known as a genetic hypertension model. In the present study, we aim to investigate the role of musclin in another animal model of hypertension and characterize the direct effect of musclin on vascular contraction. The results show that expression of musclin was increased in arterial tissues isolated from DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rats or the normal rats received repeated vasoconstriction with phenylephrine. Additionally, direct incubation with phenylephrine did not modify the expression of musclin in thein vitrostudies. Also, the direct effect of musclin on the increase of intracellular calcium was observed in a concentration-dependent manner. These results provide the evidence to support that musclin is involved in hypertension. Thus, musclin is suitable to be considered as a novel target for treatment of hypertension.
A Survey on Evolutionary Algorithm Based Hybrid Intelligence in Bioinformatics
Authors: Li Shan , Kang Liying , Zhao Xing-Ming
Published: March 2014

With the rapid advance in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other types of omics technologies during the past decades, a tremendous amount of data related to molecular biology has been produced. It is becoming a big challenge for the bioinformatists to analyze and interpret these data with conventional intelligent techniques, for example, support vector machines. Recently, the hybrid intelligent methods, which integrate several standard intelligent approaches, are becoming more and more popular due to their robustness and efficiency. Specifically, the hybrid intelligent approaches based on evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are widely used in various fields due to the efficiency and robustness of EAs. In this review, we give an introduction about the applications of hybrid intelligent methods, in particular those based on evolutionary algorithm, in bioinformatics. In particular, we focus on their applications to three common problems that arise in bioinformatics, that is, feature selection, parameter estimation, and reconstruction of biological networks.
Simple and Cost-Effective Restriction Endonuclease Analysis of Human Adenoviruses
Authors: Adhikary Arun Kumar , Hanaoka Nozomu , Fujimoto Tsuguto
Published: March 2014

Restriction endonuclease analyses (REAs) constitute the only inexpensive molecular approach capable of typing and characterizing human adenovirus (HAdV) strains based on the entire genome. However, the application of this method is limited by the need for time-consuming and labor-intensive procedures. We herein developed a simple and cost-effective REA for assessing HAdV. The method consists of (1) simple and cost-effective DNA extraction, (2) fast restriction endonuclease (RE) digestion, and (3) speedy mini agarose gel electrophoresis. In this study, DNA was isolated according to the kit-based method and 21.0 to 28.0 μg of viral DNA was extracted from prototypes (HAdV-1, HAdV-3, HAdV-4, and HAdV-37) in each flask. The amount of DNA ranged from 11.4 to 57.0 μg among the HAdV-3 (n=73) isolates. The obtained viral DNA was found to be applicable to more than 10 types of REAs. Fast-cut restriction endonucleases (REs) were able to digest the DNA within 15 minutes, and restriction fragments were easily separated via horizontal mini agarose gel electrophoresis. The whole procedure for 10 samples can be completed within approximately six hours (the conventional method requires at least two days). These results show that our REA is potentially applicable in many laboratories in which HAdVs are isolated.
Tualang Honey Supplementation Reduces Blood Oxidative Stress Levels/Activities in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Shafin Nazlahshaniza , Othman Zahiruddin , Zakaria Rahimah , Nik Hussain Nik Hazlina
Published: March 2014

This study aimed to investigate the ability of Tualang honey (TH), a phytoestrogen, to reduce blood oxidative stress levels/activities in postmenopausal women and compared the effects with the standard estrogen progestin therapy (EPT). A total of 78 healthy postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to one of two groups; EPT group received Femoston conti 1/5 (1 mg 17β-estradiol and 5 mg dydrogesterone), and TH group, received 20 g of TH supplement daily for 16 weeks. The reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH : GSSG), plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) levels/activities were measured at pre- and postinterventions using commercially available kits. The plasma GPx and CAT activities were notably increased, and plasma 4-HNE level was significantly decreased in postmenopausal women who received EPT and TH supplementation. TH supplementation for 16 weeks was able to reduce blood oxidative stress levels/activities of postmenopausal women comparable to those who received EPT. Thus, TH has a potential to be used as antioxidant therapy to combat oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative diseases. This trial is registered with NCT01300676.
An Efficient Spectral Approximation for Solving Several Types of Parabolic PDEs with Nonlocal Boundary Conditions
Authors: Tohidi E. , Kılıçman A.
Published: March 2014

The problem of solving several types of one‐dimensional parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) subject to the given initial and nonlocal boundary conditions is considered. The main idea is based on direct collocation and transforming the considered PDEs into their associated algebraic equations. After approximating the solution in the Legendre matrix form, we use Legendre operational matrix of differentiation for representing the mentioned algebraic equations clearly. Three numerical illustrations are provided to show the accuracy of the presented scheme. High accurate results with respect to the Bernstein Tau technique and Sinc collocation method confirm this accuracy.