bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sonographic Echo-pattern of the Thyroid Gland among the Non-nodular Goitrous Patients Having Abnormal thyrotropin Level at their First Diagnosis
Authors: Begum Nasrin , Shah Kabiruzzaman , Ahmed Parvez , Hossain Mosharruf , Chowdhury Shariful Islam , Khatun Shefaly
Published: January 2018

Objective: This study was done to observe the high resolution sonographic echo-pattern of the thyroid gland among the non-nodular goitrous patients having abnormal thyrotropin (TSH) level at their first diagnosis.Method: This study was conducted at the Institute of Nuclear medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajshahi, Bangladesh during the period between 1st January, 2014 and 31st March, 2015. The goitrous patients are referred at this Institute by the clinicians for radionuclide thyroid scan, HRUS of thyroid gland and thyroid function tests. Under the basis of convenient sampling technique, 62 patients are included as sample. Their age, gender, HRUS echo-patterns of goiter and thyrotropin levels are recorded and analyzed with statistical software IBM SPSS v. 16.Results: Among the total enrolled patients (n=62), 57 (91.9 %) were female and five (8.1 %) were male. Mean (± SD) age was 28 ± 11.85 years (range=8 to 69 years). Regarding thyrotropin level among the sample patients (n=62), 53 (85.5 %) had above normal range and 9 (14.5 %) had below normal range. In relation to sonographic echo-pattern of the non-nodular goitrous patients (n=62), 43 (69.4 %) had hypoechoic feature, 15 (24.2 %) had non-homogenous feature and four (6.5 %) had both hypoechoic and non-homogenous feature. Among the 43 goitrous patients with hypoechoic feature, 38 had thyrotropin above normal range and five had below normal range; among the 15 goitrous patients with non-homogenous feature, 12 had thyrotropin above normal range and three had below normal range and among the four goitrous patients with both hypoechoic and non-homogenous feature, three had thyrotropin above normal range and one had below normal range.Conclusion: The results of this study will be helpful in the relevant prospective studies which will be concerned with developing non-nodular goiter management algorithm, in addition to the role of other parameters like thyroid function tests especially thyrotropin level, circulating thyroid autoantibodies detection and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology findings.Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 18(2): 152-155, July 2015
Isolated Hydatid Cyst in Retro-vesical Location with Unusual Presentation - A Case Report
Authors: Nahar Nazmun , Islam SM Moinul , Mahmood Saiyeeda , Hossain Gazi Abul , Khan Nasim , Chakraborty Ratan Kumar , Rima Shakila Zaman , Ara Rawshan , Dowel Fahima Akhter
Published: January 2018

Hydatid disease is caused by Echinococcus granulosus and is endemic in many parts of the worlds and produce cysts in almost every organs of the body, with the liver and lung being the most common sites. Here we presented a case of isolated retro-vesical hydatid cyst which is extremely rare with only a few cases reported in literature previously.Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 18(2): 186-188, July 2015
Development and Validation of a Chiral HPLC Method for Quantitative Analysis of Enantiomeric Escitalopram
Authors: Rahman Asma , Haque Mohammad Rashedul , Rahman M Muhibur , Rashid Mohammad A
Published: January 2018

In the present study a rapid, accurate and precise chiral HPLC method was developed and validated for enantiomeric separation of racemate citalopram and escitalopram according to the guidelines of United States of Pharmacopeia (USP) and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH). The chiral chromatographic separation was achieved with ammonium acetate/ ethanol/ 2-propanol/ methylene dichloride (100 : 150 : 70 : 30, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min using a chiral CD-PH column. The HPLC analyses were monitored at 254 nm. The method showed a good linearity with regression coefficient (r2) of 0.998 in the range of 20.0-70.0 μg/ml for escitalopram. The detection limit (LOD), quantitation limit (LOQ) and average percentage of recovery for escitalopram were found to be 2.54, 7.68 μg/ml and 100.28% to 102.86%, respectively. The percentage of relative standard deviation (%RSD) for intra- and inter- day precision were found as 0.16% and 0.09%, respectively. The established method proved as reproducible with a %RSD value of less than 2 and having the robustness within specified limit. The present study also showed the enantiomeric purity or excess (%ee) of seven pharmaceutical preparations of escitalopram. Thus the proposed chiral method can be applied for the enantiomeric purity determination of escitalopram formulations.Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 16(2): 165-172, 2017 (December)
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Some Novel Benzimidazole Derivatives
Authors: Karmaker Nilima , Lira Dilshad Noor , Das Biplab Kumar , Kumar Uttom , Rouf Abu Shara Shamsur
Published: January 2018

A series of 2-substituted-5-methylbenzimidazole derivatives (3a-e) were synthesized by reacting   4-methyl-1,2-phenylenediamine (1) with a number of p-substituted benzaldehydes (2a-e) in moderate yields (25.51-   40.21%). The synthesized compounds (3a-e) were characterized by spectroscopic data and were evaluated for   antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The compounds showed significant antioxidant   activity having IC50 value of 1.054-19.05 μg/ml as compared to the standard BHT (26.96 μg/ml).Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 16(2): 245-249, 2017 (December)
Analytic Combinatorics for Computing Seeding Probabilities
Authors: Filion Guillaume
Published: January 2018

Seeding heuristics are the most widely used strategies to speed up sequence alignment in bioinformatics. Such strategies are most successful if they are calibrated, so that the speed-versus-accuracy trade-off can be properly tuned. In the widely used case of read mapping, it has been so far impossible to predict the success rate of competing seeding strategies for lack of a theoretical framework. Here, we present an approach to estimate such quantities based on the theory of analytic combinatorics. The strategy is to specify a combinatorial construction of reads where the seeding heuristic fails, translate this specification into a generating function using formal rules, and finally extract the probabilities of interest from the singularities of the generating function. The generating function can also be used to set up a simple recurrence to compute the probabilities with greater precision. We use this approach to construct simple estimators of the success rate of the seeding heuristic under different types of sequencing errors, and we show that the estimates are accurate in practical situations. More generally, this work shows novel strategies based on analytic combinatorics to compute probabilities of interest in bioinformatics.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Administrative Sciences in 2017
Authors:   Administrative Sciences Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Administrative Sciences maintains high quality standards for its published papers.[...]
A Macroscopic Performance Analysis of NASA’s Northrop Grumman RQ-4A
Authors: Pastor Enric , Pérez-Batlle Marc , Barrado Cristina , Royo Pablo , Cuadrado Raúl
Published: January 2018

This paper presents the process of identification, from a macroscopic point of view, of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk Remote-Piloted Aircraft System from real, but limited flight information. Performance parameters and operational schemes will be extracted by analyzing available data from two specific science flights flown by the Global Hawk back in 2010. Each phase of the flight, take-off, climb, cruise climb, descent and landing, is analyzed from various points of view: speed profile, altitude, climb/descent ratios and rate of turn. The key performance parameters derived from individual flights will be confirmed by performing a wider statistical validation with additional flight trajectories. Derived data are exploited to validate a simulated RQ-4A vehicle employed in extensive real-time air traffic management simulated integration exercises and to complement the development of a future RQ-4A trajectory predictor.
Emergency-Prioritized Asymmetric Protocol for Improving QoS of Energy-Constraint Wearable Device in Wireless Body Area Networks
Authors: Lee Jaeho , Kim Seungku
Published: January 2018

Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is usually composed of nodes for contacting the body and coordinator for collecting the body data from the nodes. In this setup, the nodes are under constraint of the energy resource while the coordinator can be recharged and has relatively larger energy resource than the nodes. Therefore, the architecture mechanism of the networks must not allow the nodes to consume much energy. Primarily, Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols should be carefully designed to consider this issue, because the MAC layer has the key of the energy efficiency phenomenon (e.g., idle listening). Under these characteristics, we propose a new MAC protocol to satisfy the higher energy efficiency of nodes than coordinator by designing the asymmetrically energy-balanced model between nodes and coordinator. The proposed scheme loads the unavoidable energy consumption into the coordinator instead of the nodes to extend their lifetime. Additionally, the scheme also provides prioritization for the emergency data transmission with differentiated Quality of Service (QoS). For the evaluations, IEEE 802.15.6 was used for comparison.
Indoor Autonomous Vehicle Navigation—A Feasibility Study Based on Infrared Technology
Authors: Run Ray-Shine , Xiao Zhi-Yu
Published: January 2018

The application of autonomous vehicles has grown dramatically in recent years. Not only has the rail-guided vehicle (RGV) been used widely in traditional production lines, the automatic guided vehicle (AGV) has also been increasingly used. Positioning and path planning are two major functions of autonomous vehicles; however, there are many ways to fulfill the above requirements. The infrared remote control has been heavily and successfully used in home appliances for decades, which has encouraged us to apply this mature and cost-effective technology to an autonomous vehicle. By decoding the coded signal from the infrared light-emitting diode (LED), which is equipped on the ceiling, the autonomous vehicle can be positioned with an accuracy of less than 50 mm. On the other hand, by changing the beam pattern of infrared light from the ceiling, an invisible route can be produced on the ground. That is to say, instead of the traditional rail-guided method, these invisible paths can guide the autonomous vehicle. We have implemented a prototype of an autonomous vehicle system based on the above concept, with the aim of creating a simple and reliable approach for the navigation of an indoor autonomous vehicle.
Social Support, Religious Endorsement, and Career Commitment: A Study on Saudi Nurses
Authors: Azim Mohammad , Islam Mohammad
Published: January 2018

The present study investigates the effect of perceived social support (PSS) and perceived religious endorsement (PRE) on career commitment (CC) of Saudi nurses. The investigation also extends to the moderating role of different demographic and organizational factors in the extent of PSS, and career commitment these nurses report. Data required for meeting these study objectives were collected from male and female Saudi nurses through a structured questionnaire. Multiple regressions using Partial Least Squares based Structural Equation Model, Smart-PLS version 3.0, and independent sample t-test using SPSS version 22.0, were used to analyze data. The study findings reveal that both perceived social support and perceived religious endorsement are important antecedents of career commitment of Saudi nurses. However, private-sector nurses are found to exhibit a significantly higher level of career commitment compared to their public-sector counterparts. Nurses with greater educational attainment perceive higher level of social support and express greater career commitment than their less educated peers. These findings suggest that nursing as a profession should be more openly discussed in both secular and religious contexts, to ensure an adequate level of respect and compassion on behalf of the public. In particular, endorsement from the individual nurses’ social networks is vital in maintaining their wellbeing and career commitment. Given the religious influence in all aspects of life in the Saudi society, the current practice of gender-based segregation in Saudi hospitals and clinics seems to be meaningful for sustaining the career commitment of the nurses.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Cancers in 2017
Authors:   Cancers Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Cancers maintains high quality standards for its published papers[...]
Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Review of Local Ablative Therapies
Authors: Ruarus Alette , Vroomen Laurien , Puijk Robbert , Scheffer Hester , Meijerink Martijn
Published: January 2018

Pancreatic cancer is typically characterized by its aggressive tumor growth and dismal prognosis. Approximately 30% of patients with pancreatic cancer present with locally advanced disease, broadly defined as having a tumor-to-artery interface >180°, having an unreconstructable portal vein or superior mesenteric vein and no signs of metastatic disease. These patients are currently designated to palliative systemic chemotherapy, though median overall survival remains poor (approximately 11 months). Therefore, several innovative local therapies have been investigated as new treatment options for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). This article provides an overview of available data with regard to morbidity and oncological outcome of novel local therapies for LAPC.
Solid Acid Catalyst Based on Single-Layer α-Zirconium Phosphate Nanosheets for Biodiesel Production via Esterification
Authors: Zhou Yingjie , Noshadi Iman , Ding Hao , Liu Jingjing , Parnas Richard , Clearfield Abraham , Xiao Min , Meng Yuezhong , Sun Luyi
Published: January 2018

In this study, a solid acid was prepared by the sulfonation of surface modified α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) single-layer nanosheets (SO3H@ZrP), and the prepared solid acid was investigated for the esterification of oleic acid with methanol to produce biodiesel. For comparison, liquid H2SO4 and commercial Amberlyst® 15 catalyst were also evaluated for the same reaction under the same conditions. The experimental results showed that the SO3H@ZrP solid acid catalyst has a superior catalytic efficiency for the esterification reaction, as well as excellent recyclability. The SO3H@ZrP single-layer solid acid catalyst can be uniformly dispersed in the reaction media, but remains heterogeneous and thus can be easily separated and recycled.
Observations on Nanoscale Te Precipitates in CdZnTe Crystals Grown by the Traveling Heater Method Using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Zhou Boru , Jie Wanqi , Wang Tao , Kou Zongde , Zhao Dou , Yin Liying , Yang Fan , Xi Shouzhi , Zha Gangqiang , Yin Ziang
Published: January 2018

Te precipitates in CdZnTe (CZT) crystals grown by the traveling heater method (THM) are investigated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results show that in THM-grown CZT crystals, Te precipitates are less than 10 nm in size—much smaller than those in Bridgman-grown CZT. They have hexagonal structure and form a coherent interface with zinc blend structure CZT matrix in the orientation relationship [ 1 ¯ 12 ] M / / [ 0001 ] P and ( 1 1 ¯ 1 ) M / / ( 1 ¯ 100 ) P . A ledge growth interface with the preferred orientation along the [ 1 1 ¯ 1 ] M and [ 110 ] M was found near Te precipitates. The growth and nucleation mechanism of Te precipitates are also discussed.
Characterizing Complex Dynamics in the Classical and Semi-Classical Duffing Oscillator Using Ordinal Patterns Analysis
Authors: Trostel Max , Misplon Moses , Aragoneses Andrés , Pattanayak Arjendu
Published: January 2018

The driven double-well Duffing oscillator is a well-studied system that manifests a wide variety of dynamics, from periodic behavior to chaos, and describes a diverse array of physical systems. It has been shown to be relevant in understanding chaos in the classical to quantum transition. Here we explore the complexity of its dynamics in the classical and semi-classical regimes, using the technique of ordinal pattern analysis. This is of particular relevance to potential experiments in the semi-classical regime. We unveil different dynamical regimes within the chaotic range, which cannot be detected with more traditional statistical tools. These regimes are characterized by different hierarchies and probabilities of the ordinal patterns. Correlation between the Lyapunov exponent and the permutation entropy is revealed that leads us to interpret dips in the Lyapunov exponent as transitions in the dynamics of the system.
Downshifting in the Fast Lane: A Post-Keynesian Model of a Consumer-Led Transition
Authors: Kemp-Benedict Eric , Ghosh Emily
Published: January 2018

If the world’s countries seriously tackle the climate targets agreed upon in Paris, their citizens are likely to experience substantial changes in production, consumption, and employment. We present a long-run post-Keynesian model for studying the potential implications of a major transition on macroeconomic stability and employment. It is a demand-led model in which firms have considerable but not absolute freedom to administer prices, while household consumption exhibits inertia. Firms continually seek input-saving technological improvements that, in aggregate, tie technological progress to firms’ cost structures. Together with firm pricing strategies and wage setting, the productivities of different inputs determine the functional income distribution. Saving and investment, and production and purchase of consumption goods, are undertaken by different economic actors, driven by income and capacity utilization, with the possibility that productive capacity exceeds, or falls short of, effective demand. The model produces business cycles and long waves driven by technological change. We present results for a “downshifting” scenario in which households voluntarily withdraw labor, and discuss the implications of downshifting for stability, growth, and employment. We contrast the downshifting scenario with ones in which households reduce consumption without withdrawing from the labor pool.
Daily Peak Load Forecasting Based on Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise and Support Vector Machine Optimized by Modified Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Dai Shuyu , Niu Dongxiao , Li Yan
Published: January 2018

Daily peak load forecasting is an important part of power load forecasting. The accuracy of its prediction has great influence on the formulation of power generation plan, power grid dispatching, power grid operation and power supply reliability of power system. Therefore, it is of great significance to construct a suitable model to realize the accurate prediction of the daily peak load. A novel daily peak load forecasting model, CEEMDAN-MGWO-SVM (Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise and Support Vector Machine Optimized by Modified Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm), is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the model uses the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) algorithm to decompose the daily peak load sequence into multiple sub sequences. Then, the model of modified grey wolf optimization and support vector machine (MGWO-SVM) is adopted to forecast the sub sequences. Finally, the forecasting sequence is reconstructed and the forecasting result is obtained. Using CEEMDAN can realize noise reduction for non-stationary daily peak load sequence, which makes the daily peak load sequence more regular. The model adopts the grey wolf optimization algorithm improved by introducing the population dynamic evolution operator and the nonlinear convergence factor to enhance the global search ability and avoid falling into the local optimum, which can better optimize the parameters of the SVM algorithm for improving the forecasting accuracy of daily peak load. In this paper, three cases are used to test the forecasting accuracy of the CEEMDAN-MGWO-SVM model. We choose the models EEMD-MGWO-SVM (Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Support Vector Machine Optimized by Modified Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm), MGWO-SVM (Support Vector Machine Optimized by Modified Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm), GWO-SVM (Support Vector Machine Optimized by Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm), SVM (Support Vector Machine) and BP neural network to compare with the CEEMDAN-MGWO-SVM model and analyze the forecasting results of the same sample data. The experimental results fully demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the CEEMDAN-MGWO-SVM model proposed in this paper for daily peak load forecasting, which shows the strong generalization ability and robustness of the model.
State-Space Approximation of Convolution Term in Time Domain Analysis of a Raft-Type Wave Energy Converter
Authors: Liu Changhai , Yang Qingjun , Bao Gang
Published: January 2018

Two methods, frequency domain analysis and time domain analysis, are widely applied to modeling wave energy converters (WECs). Frequency domain analysis can evaluate the performance of WECs quickly and efficiently, while it refers to a linear model. When it comes to investigations on nonlinear characteristics of the power take-off (PTO) unit of WECs or control for improving the WECs’ performance, time domain analysis based on a state-space approximation for the convolution term is more desirable. In this paper, a state-space approximation of the convolution term in a time domain analysis of a raft-type WEC consisting of two rafts and a PTO unit is presented. The state-space model is identified through regression in the frequency domain. Verification of such a type of time domain analysis is conducted by comparison of its simulation results with those calculated by using a frequency domain analysis, and there is a good agreement. Finally, the effects of PTO parameters, wave frequency, surge and heave motions of the joint, and quadratic damping PTO on the power capture ability of the raft-type WEC are investigated.
Quantitative Assessment of Epistemic Uncertainties in Tsunami Hazard Effects on Building Risk Assessments
Authors: Fukutani Yo , Suppasri Anawat , Imamura Fumihiko
Published: January 2018

Based on the definition of tsunami risk, we quantitatively evaluated the annual expected tsunami loss ratio (Tsunami Risk Index) and clarified the quantitative effects of epistemic uncertainties in tsunami hazard assessments on the tsunami risk of buildings by combining probabilistic information regarding tsunami inundation depths at target points and tsunami fragility assessments of buildings. For the risk assessment, we targeted buildings with four different structures (reinforced concrete, steel, brick, wood) located in three different areas (Soma, Sendai, Kesennuma). In conclusion, we demonstrated that the expected tsunami risk could vary by approximately two orders of magnitude when considering tsunami hazard uncertainties between the 95th percentile and the 5th percentile. In addition, we quantitatively clarified the fact that we cannot properly understand the tsunami risk by evaluating the tsunami fragility alone. For example, the analysis results indicate that the tsunami risk of a wood building located in Kesennuma is lower than that of a reinforced concrete building located in either Soma or Sendai.
The Secretory Response of Rat Peritoneal Mast Cells on Exposure to Mineral Fibers
Authors: Borelli Violetta , Trevisan Elisa , Francesca Vita , Zabucchi Giuliano
Published: January 2018

Background: Exposure to mineral fibers is of substantial relevance to human health. A key event in exposure is the interaction with inflammatory cells and the subsequent generation of pro-inflammatory factors. Mast cells (MCs) have been shown to interact with titanium oxide (TiO2) and asbestos fibers. In this study, we compared the response of rat peritoneal MCs challenged with the asbestos crocidolite and nanowires of TiO2 to that induced by wollastonite employed as a control fiber. Methods: Rat peritoneal MCs (RPMCs), isolated from peritoneal lavage, were incubated in the presence of mineral fibers. The quantities of secreted enzymes were evaluated together with the activity of fiber-associated enzymes. The ultrastructural morphology of fiber-interacting RPMCs was analyzed with electron microscopy. Results: Asbestos and TiO2 stimulate MC secretion. Secreted enzymes bind to fibers and exhibit higher activity. TiO2 and wollastonite bind and improve enzyme activity, but to a lesser degree than crocidolite. Conclusions: (1) Mineral fibers are able to stimulate the mast cell secretory process by both active (during membrane interaction) and/or passive (during membrane penetration) interaction; (2) fibers can be found to be associated with secreted enzymes—this process appears to create long-lasting pro-inflammatory environments and may represent the active contribution of MCs in maintaining the inflammatory process; (3) MCs and their enzymes should be considered as a therapeutic target in the pathogenesis of asbestos-induced lung inflammation; and (4) MCs can contribute to the inflammatory effect associated with selected engineered nanomaterials, such as TiO2 nanoparticles.
Graph-Optimization-Based ZUPT/UWB Fusion Algorithm
Authors: Wang Yan , Li Xin
Published: January 2018

The potential of multi-sensor fusion for indoor positioning has attracted substantial attention. A ZUPT/UWB data fusion algorithm based on graph optimization is proposed in this paper and is compared with the traditional fusion algorithms, which are based on particle filtering. With a series of observations, the proposed algorithm can achieve higher precision with acceptable computational complexity. Two methods for dynamically determining the confidence level are also presented. The first method can reduce the confidence level of ZUPT at corners, and the second method can determine the lower bound on the UWB sensor’s confidence level through the UWB optimized residual. Experimental results demonstrate the ability of the proposed method to achieve a positioning accuracy of 0.4 m, which is better than the 0.7 m achieved by the particle-filtering-based fusion method.
Functional Testing of SLC26A4 Variants—Clinical and Molecular Analysis of a Cohort with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct from Austria
Authors: Roesch Sebastian , Bernardinelli Emanuele , Nofziger Charity , Tóth Miklós , Patsch Wolfgang , Rasp Gerd , Paulmichl Markus , Dossena Silvia
Published: January 2018

The prevalence and spectrum of sequence alterations in the SLC26A4 gene, which codes for the anion exchanger pendrin, are population-specific and account for at least 50% of cases of non-syndromic hearing loss associated with an enlarged vestibular aqueduct. A cohort of nineteen patients from Austria with hearing loss and a radiological alteration of the vestibular aqueduct underwent Sanger sequencing of SLC26A4 and GJB2, coding for connexin 26. The pathogenicity of sequence alterations detected was assessed by determining ion transport and molecular features of the corresponding SLC26A4 protein variants. In this group, four uncharacterized sequence alterations within the SLC26A4 coding region were found. Three of these lead to protein variants with abnormal functional and molecular features, while one should be considered with no pathogenic potential. Pathogenic SLC26A4 sequence alterations were only found in 12% of patients. SLC26A4 sequence alterations commonly found in other Caucasian populations were not detected. This survey represents the first study on the prevalence and spectrum of SLC26A4 sequence alterations in an Austrian cohort and further suggests that genetic testing should always be integrated with functional characterization and determination of the molecular features of protein variants in order to unequivocally identify or exclude a causal link between genotype and phenotype.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology in 2017
Authors:   Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology maintains high quality standards for its published papers.[...]
Surface Mesh Reconstruction from Cardiac MRI Contours
Authors: Villard Benjamin , Grau Vicente , Zacur Ernesto
Published: January 2018

We introduce a tool to build a surface mesh able to deal with sparse, heterogeneous, non-parallel, cross-sectional, non-coincidental contours and show its application to reconstruct surfaces of the heart. In recent years, much research has looked at creating personalised 3D anatomical models of the heart. These models usually incorporate a geometrical reconstruction of the anatomy in order to better understand cardiovascular functions as well as predict different cardiac processes. As MRIs are becoming the standard for cardiac medical imaging, we tested our methodology on cardiac MRI data from standard acquisitions. However, the ability to accurately reconstruct heart anatomy in three dimensions commonly comes with fundamental challenges—notably, the trade-off between data fitting and expected visual appearance. Most current techniques can either require contours from parallel slices or, if multiple slice orientations are used, require an exact match between these contours. In addition, some methods introduce a bias by the use of prior shape models or by trade-offs between the data matching terms and the smoothing terms. Our approach uses a composition of smooth approximations towards the maximization of the data fitting, ensuring a good matching to the input data as well as pleasant interpolation characteristics. To assess our method in the task of cardiac mesh generations, we evaluated its performance on synthetic data obtained from a cardiac statistical shape model as well as on real data. Using a statistical shape model, we simulated standard cardiac MRI acquisitions planes and contour data. We performed a multi-parameter evaluation study using plausible cardiac shapes generated from the model. We also show that long axes contours as well as the most extremal slices (basal and apical) contain the most amount of structural information, and thus should be taken into account when generating anatomically relevant geometrical cardiovascular surfaces. Our method is both used on epicardial and endocardial left ventricle surfaces as well as on the right ventricle.
Very High Cycle Fatigue Behavior of a Directionally Solidified Ni-Base Superalloy DZ4
Authors: Nie Baohua , Zhao Zihua , Liu Shu , Chen Dongchu , Ouyang Yongzhong , Hu Zhudong , Fan Touwen , Sun Haibo
Published: January 2018

The effect of casting pores on the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behavior of a directionally solidified (DS) Ni-base superalloy DZ4 is investigated. Casting and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) specimens were subjected to very high cycle fatigue loading in an ambient atmosphere. The results demonstrated that the continuously descending S-N curves were exhibited for both the casting and HIP specimens. Due to the elimination of the casting pores, the HIP samples had better fatigue properties than the casting samples. The subsurface crack initiated from the casting pore in the casting specimens at low stress amplitudes, whereas fatigue crack initiated from crystallographic facet decohesion for the HIP specimens. When considering the casting pores as initial cracks, there exists a critical stress intensity threshold ranged from 1.1 to 1.3 MPa m , below which fatigue cracks may not initiate from the casting pores. Furthermore, the effect of the casting pores on the fatigue limit is estimated based on a modified El Haddad model, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. Fatigue life for both the casting and HIP specimens is well predicted using the Fatigue Indicator Parameter (FIP) model.
Evaluation of Asphalt Mixture Low-Temperature Performance in Bending Beam Creep Test
Authors: Pszczola Marek , Jaczewski Mariusz , Rys Dawid , Jaskula Piotr , Szydlowski Cezary
Published: January 2018

Low-temperature cracking is one of the most common road pavement distress types in Poland. While bitumen performance can be evaluated in detail using bending beam rheometer (BBR) or dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests, none of the normalized test methods gives a comprehensive representation of low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures. This article presents the Bending Beam Creep test performed at temperatures from −20 °C to +10 °C in order to evaluate the low-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. Both validation of the method and its utilization for the assessment of eight types of wearing courses commonly used in Poland were described. The performed test indicated that the source of bitumen and its production process (and not necessarily only bitumen penetration) had a significant impact on the low-temperature performance of the asphalt mixtures, comparable to the impact of binder modification (neat, polymer-modified, highly modified) and the aggregate skeleton used in the mixture (Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) vs. Asphalt Concrete (AC)). Obtained Bending Beam Creep test results were compared with the BBR bitumen test. Regression analysis confirmed that performing solely bitumen tests is insufficient for comprehensive low-temperature performance analysis.
Sponges: A Reservoir of Genes Implicated in Human Cancer
Authors: Ćetković Helena , Halasz Mirna , Herak Bosnar Maja
Published: January 2018

Recently, it was shown that the majority of genes linked to human diseases, such as cancer genes, evolved in two major evolutionary transitions—the emergence of unicellular organisms and the transition to multicellularity. Therefore, it has been widely accepted that the majority of disease-related genes has already been present in species distantly related to humans. An original way of studying human diseases relies on analyzing genes and proteins that cause a certain disease using model organisms that belong to the evolutionary level at which these genes have emerged. This kind of approach is supported by the simplicity of the genome/proteome, body plan, and physiology of such model organisms. It has been established for quite some time that sponges are an ideal model system for such studies, having a vast variety of genes known to be engaged in sophisticated processes and signalling pathways associated with higher animals. Sponges are considered to be the simplest multicellular animals and have changed little during evolution. Therefore, they provide an insight into the metazoan ancestor genome/proteome features. This review compiles current knowledge of cancer-related genes/proteins in marine sponges.
Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile Ethanolic Extract Modulates Cell Activities with Skin Health Applications
Authors: Cornara Laura , Pastorino Giulia , Borghesi Barbara , Salis Annalisa , Clericuzio Marco , Marchetti Carla , Damonte Gianluca , Burlando Bruno
Published: January 2018

Seagrasses are high plants sharing adaptive metabolic features with both terrestrial plants and marine algae, resulting in a phytocomplex possibly endowed with interesting biological properties. The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro activities on skin cells of an ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, family Potamogetonaceae, herein named Posidonia ethanolic extract (PEE). PEE showed high radical scavenging activity, high phenolic content, and resulted rich in chicoric acid, as determined through HPLC-MS analysis. The use of MTT assay on fibroblasts showed a PEE cytotoxicity threshold (IC05) of 50 µg/mL at 48 h, while a sub-toxic dose of 20 µg/mL induced a significant increase of fibroblast growth rate after 10 days. In addition, an ELISA assay revealed that PEE doses of 5 and 10 µg/mL induced collagen production in fibroblasts. PEE induced dose-dependent mushroom tyrosinase inhibition, up to about 45% inhibition at 1000 µg/mL, while 50% reduction of melanin was observed in melanoma cells exposed to 50 µg/mL PEE. Finally, PEE lipolytic activity was assessed by measuring glycerol release from adipocytes following triglyceride degradation. In conclusion, we have collected new data about the biological activities of the phytocomplex of P. oceanica seagrass on skin cells. Our findings indicate that PEE could be profitably used in the development of products for skin aging, undesired hyperpigmentation, and cellulite.
Semisynthesis and Biological Evaluation of Oleanolic Acid 3-O-β-d-Glucuronopyranoside Derivatives for Protecting H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts against H2O2-Induced Injury
Authors: Tian Yu , Sun Zhonghao , Wang Wenqian , Shang Hai , Wang Baoqi , Deng Di , Ma Guoxu , Wu Haifeng , Zhu Nailiang , Xu Xudong , Sun Guibo , Sun Xiaobo
Published: January 2018

A series of novel oleanolic acid 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside derivatives have been designed and synthesized. Biological evaluation has indicated that some of the synthesized compounds exhibit moderate to good activity against H2O2-induced injury in rat myocardial cells (H9c2). Particularly, derivative 28-N-isobutyl ursolic amide 3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (8a) exhibited a greater protective effect than the positive control oleanolic acid 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, indicating that it possesses a great potential for further development as a cardiovascular disease modulator by structural modification.
Chlorophyll-Inspired Red-Region Fluorophores: Building Block Synthesis and Studies in Aqueous Media
Authors: Liu Rui , Liu Mengran , Hood Don , Chen Chih-Yuan , MacNevin Christopher , Holten Dewey , Lindsey Jonathan
Published: January 2018

Fluorophores that absorb and emit in the red spectral region (600–700 nm) are of great interest in photochemistry and photomedicine. Eight new target chlorins (and 19 new chlorins altogether)—analogues of chlorophyll—of different polarities have been designed and synthesized for various applications; seven of the chlorins are equipped with a bioconjugatable tether. Hydrophobic or amphiphilic chlorins in a non-polar organic solvent (toluene), polar organic solvent (DMF), and aqueous or aqueous micellar media show a sharp emission band in the red region and modest fluorescence quantum yield (Φf = 0.2–0.3). A Poisson analysis implies most micelles are empty and few contain >1 chlorin. Water-soluble chlorins each bearing three PEG (oligoethyleneglycol) groups exhibit narrow emission bands (full-width-at-half maximum <25 nm). The lifetime of the lowest singlet excited state and the corresponding yields and rate constants for depopulation pathways (fluorescence, intersystem crossing, internal conversion) are generally little affected by the PEG groups or dissolution in aqueous or organic media. A set of chlorin–avidin conjugates revealed a 2-fold increase in Φf with increased average chlorin/avidin ratio (2.3–12). In summary, the chlorins of various polarities described herein are well suited as red-emitting fluorophores for applications in aqueous or organic media.
Self-Assembled AgNP-Containing Nanocomposites Constructed by Electrospinning as Efficient Dye Photocatalyst Materials for Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Liu Yamei , Hou Caili , Jiao Tifeng , Song Jingwen , Zhang Xu , Xing Ruirui , Zhou Jingxin , Zhang Lexin , Peng Qiuming
Published: January 2018

The design and self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO)-based composite membranes have attracted enormous attention due to their wide application in nanomaterial and environmental fields. In this work, we have successfully developed a strategy to fabricate new composite membranes based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/carboxyl-functionalized graphene oxide modified with silver nanoparticles (PVA/PAA/GO-COOH@AgNPs), which were prepared via thermal treatment and the electrospinning technique. Due to the strong π-π forces and strong electrostatic interactions of GO–COOH sheets, the prepared composite membranes and their lager surface areas were modified by scores of AgNPs, which demonstrated that a high-efficiency photocatalyst removed the organic dyes from the aqueous solutions. The prepared PVA/PAA/GO-COOH@AgNPs nanocomposite membranes showed a remarkable photocatalytic capacity in the catalytic degradation of the methylene blue dye solutions. Most importantly, the whole process was easy, mild, and eco-friendly. Additionally, the as-prepared membranes could be repeatedly used after the catalytic reaction.
Is Hypovitaminosis D Related to Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes and High Fasting Glucose Level in Healthy Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Rafiq Shamaila , Jeppesen Per
Published: January 2018

There is evidence that vitamin D status is associated with type 2 diabetes. Many observational studies have been performed investigating the relationship of vitamin D status and circulating biomarkers of glycemic regulation. To find out whether this association holds, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross sectional and longitudinal studies. We searched Pubmed, Medline and Embase, all through June 2017. The studies were selected to determine the effect of vitamin D on the parameters of glucose metabolism in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Correlation coefficients from all studies were pooled in a random effects meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. We found significant inverse relationship of vitamin D status with glycemic level in both diabetic (r = −0.223, 95% CI = −0.184 to −0.261, p = 0.000) and non-diabetic (r = −0.073, 95% CI = −0.052 to −0.093, p = 0.000) subjects. This meta-analysis concludes that hypovitaminosis D is associated with increased risk of hyperglycemia both in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. A future strategy for the prevention of impaired glycemic regulation could be individualized supplementation of vitamin D.
Changing Trends in Nutritional Behavior among University Students in Greece, between 2006 and 2016
Authors: Kyrkou Charikleia , Tsakoumaki Foteini , Fotiou Maria , Dimitropoulou Aristea , Symeonidou Maria , Menexes Georgios , Biliaderis Costas , Michaelidou Alexandra-Maria
Published: January 2018

The objective of the present survey was to study the dietary behavior of university students residing away from the family home. In this context, we (a) compared their dietary habits in two time periods, namely 2006 and 2016; and (b) explored the possible impact of gender on the behavioral changes in nutritional choices. A total of four hundred and five university students (2006, n = 242; 2016, n = 163) participated in the study. Dietary assessment was carried out using a qualitative Food Frequency Questionnaire, while data about demographic and lifestyle factors were also collected. Students’ dietary habits have been modified in a generally desirable direction, as reflected, e.g., in the elevated consumption of several plant-based foods. Gender was also significantly associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) and changes in dietary attitudes. Possible reasons for the transition towards healthier and more balanced dietary habits could involve the budgetary constraints facing Greece in the last decade, as well as increasing nutritional awareness and other socio-cultural factors characterizing this target group. A deeper understanding of these relations would be crucial to foster nutritional education and further enhance the effectiveness of health promotion campaigns.
The Pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus Eye Infections
Authors: O’Callaghan Richard
Published: January 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen of the eye able to infect the tear duct, eyelid, conjunctiva, cornea, anterior and posterior chambers, and the vitreous chamber. Of these infections, those involving the cornea (keratitis) or the inner chambers of the eye (endophthalmitis) are the most threatening because of their potential to cause a loss in visual acuity or even blindness. Each of these ocular sites is protected by the constitutive expression of a variety of antimicrobial factors and these defenses are augmented by a protective host response to the organism. Such infections often involve a predisposing factor that weakens the defenses, such as the use of contact lenses prior to the development of bacterial keratitis or, for endophthalmitis, the trauma caused by cataract surgery or intravitreal injection. The structural carbohydrates of the bacterial surface induce an inflammatory response able to reduce the bacterial load, but contribute to the tissue damage. A variety of bacterial secreted proteins including alpha-toxin, beta-toxin, gamma-toxin, Panton-Valentine leukocidin and other two-component leukocidins mediate tissue damage and contribute to the induction of the inflammatory response. Quantitative animal models of keratitis and endophthalmitis have provided insights into the S. aureus virulence and host factors active in limiting such infections.
Cross-Flow Catalysis Behavior of a PVDF/SiO2@Ag Nanoparticles Composite Membrane
Authors: Wang Wenqiang , Chen Xi , Zhao Chu , Zhao Bowu , Dong Hualin , Ma Shengkui , Li Liying , Chen Li , Zhang Bin
Published: January 2018

A blend of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) and SiO2 microspheres in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) underwent phase inversion to form a PVDF/SiO2 membrane with SiO2 microspheres in the membrane’s pores. Subsequently, the SiO2 microspheres have been used as platforms for in site Ag nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis, forming a composite membrane. Benefitting from the full exposure of Ag NPs to the reactants, the composite membrane shows high catalytic reactivity when catalyzing the reduction of p-nitrophenol under a cross-flow. The catalytic reaction follows the first-order kinetics, and the reaction rate increases with an increase in the amount of Ag NPs in the membrane, the reaction temperature, and the operating pressure. What is more, highly purified products can be produced and separated from the reactants in a timely manner by using the composite membrane.
Introduction to the Special Issue of Religions—“The Future of Catholic Theological Ethics”
Authors: Abram Anna
Published: January 2018

If the past is said to be a foreign country, then the future must be even less native.[...]