bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification ofSLC22A5Gene Mutation in a Family with Carnitine Uptake Defect
Authors: Mutlu-Albayrak Hatice , Bene Judit , Oflaz Mehmet Burhan , Tanyalçın Tijen , Çaksen Hüseyin , Melegh Bela
Published: May 2015

Primary systemic carnitine deficiency is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in theSLC22A5gene on chromosome 5q31. The most common presentations are in infancy and early childhood with either metabolic decompensation or cardiac and myopathic manifestations. We report a case of 9-year-old boy with dysmorphic appearance and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Tandem MS spectrometry analysis was compatible with carnitine uptake defect (CUD). His sister had died due to sudden infant death at 19 months. His second 4-year-old sister’s echocardiographic examination revealed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, also suffering from easy fatigability. Her tandem MS spectrometry analyses resulted in CUD. We sequenced all the exons of theSLC22A5gene encoding the high affinity carnitine transporter OCTN2 in the DNA. And one new mutation (c.1427T>G → p.Leu476Arg) was found in the boy and his sister in homozygous form, leading to the synthesis of an altered protein which causes CUD. The parent’s molecular diagnosis supported the carrier status. In order to explore the genetic background of the patient’s dysmorphic appearance, an array-CGH analysis was performed that revealed nine copy number variations only. Here we report a novelSLC22A5mutation with the novel hallmark of its association with dysmorphologic feature.
Performance Evaluation on Transmission Tower-Line System with Passive Friction Dampers Subjected to Wind Excitations
Authors: Chen Bo , Xiao Xiang , Li Peng-yun , Zhong Wan-li
Published: May 2015

The vibration control and performance evaluation on a transmission-tower line system by using friction dampers subjected to wind excitations are carried out in this study. The three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of a transmission tower is firstly constructed. A two-dimensional lumped mass model of a transmission tower is developed for dynamic analysis. The analytical model of transmission tower-line system is proposed by taking the dynamic interaction between the tower and the transmission lines into consideration. The mechanical model of passive friction damper is presented by involving the effects of damper axial stiffness. The equation of motion of the transmission tower-line system incorporated with the friction dampers disturbed by wind excitations is established. A real transmission tower-line system is taken as an example to examine the feasibility and reliability of the proposed control approach. An extensive parameter study is carried out to find the optimal parameters of friction damper and to assess the effects of slipping force axial stiffness and hysteresis loop on control performance. The work on an example structure indicates that the application of friction dampers with optimal parameters could significantly reduce wind-induced responses of the transmission tower-line system.
Role of Electrophysiology in the Early Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Pescosolido Nicola , Barbato Andrea , Stefanucci Alessio , Buomprisco Giuseppe
Published: May 2015

Retinopathy is a severe and common complication of diabetes, representing a leading cause of blindness among working-age people in developed countries. It is estimated that the number of people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) will increase from 126.6 million in 2011 to 191 million by 2030. The pathology seems to be characterized not only by the involvement of retinal microvessels but also by a real neuropathy of central nervous system, similar to what happens to the peripheral nerves, particularly affected by diabetes. The neurophysiological techniques help to assess retinal and nervous (optic tract) function. Electroretinography (ERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) allow a more detailed study of the visual function and of the possible effects that diabetes can have on the visual function. These techniques have an important role both in the clinic and in research: the central nervous system, in fact, has received much less attention than the peripheral one in the study of the complications of diabetes. These techniques are safe, repeatable, quick, and objective. In addition, both the ERG (especially the oscillatory potentials and the flicker-ERG) and VEP have proved to be successful tools for the early diagnosis of the disease and, potentially, for the ophthalmologic follow-up of diabetic patients.
Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity Determination of Chilean Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) Fruit
Authors: Uribe Elsa , Delgadillo Alvaro , Giovagnoli-Vicuña Claudia , Quispe-Fuentes Issis , Zura-Bravo Liliana
Published: May 2015

The aim of this work was to assess and compare different extraction methods by using high hydrostatic pressure (HHPE), ultrasound (UE), agitation (AE), and their combinations for the extraction of bioactive compounds of Chilean papaya. Extract antioxidant capacity was evaluated by three methods (i.e., DPPH, FRAP, and Voltammetry) and phenolic compounds and vitamin C were determined by HPLC. Papaya sample extraction was performed by HHPE at 500 MPa for 10 min and UE and AE for 30 min, respectively. The combined-extractions: HHPE-UE and HHPE-AE, were carried out for 5 min and 15 min, respectively. The highest values found were total phenolic 129.1 mg GAE/100 g FW, antioxidant capacity by DPPH 20.6 mM TE/100 g FW, and voltammetry 141.0 mM TE/100 g FW for HHPE-UE method in free compound extraction. Regarding vitamin C content, its highest value was found by HHPE-UE (74 mg/100 g FW) a combined extraction method. The phenolic compounds rutin andp-coumaric acid were found in all the extracts, both in free and bound forms, respectively. Besides, the combined techniques improved the extraction of bioactive compounds.
Experimental Analysis of Microstructured Steel Surfaces for Wet Tribological Applications in the Low Velocity Regime
Authors: Chlipala Mateusz , Schneider Johannes , Schulze Volker
Published: May 2015

The surface topography plays an important role in the design of a function-optimised surface. Therefore, the influence of topography with microsized structures produced by laser surface texturing (LST) is experimentally examined under lubricated sliding conditions. The structured specimens were made of AISI 51200 (DIN 100Cr6) hardened to about 800 HV. Concerning the requirements of tribological testing without any debris caused by the preprocessing, the structuring was carried out using a picosecond laser system (Trumpf TruMicro) with 6 ps pulse duration. A laboratory pin-on-disc tribometer (Plint TE-92 HS) was used for the tests, which were run under wet conditions with counterbodies made of bronze and steel at a nominal contact pressure of up to 4 MPa and sliding speeds between 0.04 and 2.0 m/s. Furthermore, start-stop cycles with accelerating and decelerating shares were used to simulate an automotive start-stop system. In the tribological experiments, a significant reduction of the friction coefficient was observed compared to sliding pairs without microstructured pin surfaces. Whereas no measureable wear occurred on the steel pins and discs, the bronze discs showed a significant amount of wear and the microstructures on the pin surfaces mated against bronze discs were almost completely filled with wear debris.
Surface Analysis of Chain Joint Components after Tribological Load and Usage of Antiwear Additives
Authors: Sappok D. , Merz R. , Sauer B. , Kopnarski M.
Published: May 2015

Wear in chain joints leads to an increased clearance and thus an elongation of the entire chain which determines the lifetime of the chain. This particularly applies for chains that are used in timing chain drives. The aim of this study was to investigate especially the influences of lubricant additives and a contamination with carbon black on the tribological behavior of chain joint components and to correlate these influences to observable changes in topographical and chemical surface properties. A precisely defined contact and load situation is essential for generating a comparable series of samples for surface analyses. To meet this requirement, chain joint component samples from tests on a linear reciprocating model tribometer were used for the following analyses. But to connect the results to the realistic situation regarding the typical wear rates of the subjected chain types, suited experimental parameters were selected. Topographical, structural, and chemical characterization of the worn surface regions of the components were performed after the tribological loading. The results show the influence of the lubricant, the additive, and the contamination with carbon black especially on the chemical properties of the component surfaces.
Experimental Investigation of the Properties of Electrospun Nanofibers for Potential Medical Application
Authors: Wang Anhui , Xu Chao , Zhang Chuanwei , Gan Yunna , Wang Bin
Published: May 2015

Polymer based nanofibers using ethylene‐co‐vinyl alcohol (EVOH) were fabricated by electrospinning technology. The nanofibers were studied for potential use as dressing materials for skin wounds treatment. Properties closely related to the clinical requirements for wound dressing were investigated, including the fluid uptake ability (FUA), the water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), the bacteria control ability of nanofibers encapsulated with different antibacterial drugs, and Ag of various concentrations. Nanofibre degradation under different environmental conditions was also studied for the prospect of long term usage. The finding confirms the potential of EVOH nanofibers for wound dressing application, including the superior performance compared to cotton gauze and the strong germ killing capacity when Ag particles are present in the nanofibers.
Activation of CXCL‐8 Transcription by Hepatitis E Virus ORF‐1 via AP‐1
Authors: Li Zhubing , Chen Lu , Liu Qiang
Published: May 2015

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a small nonenveloped single‐stranded positive‐sense RNA virus and is one of the major causes for acute hepatitis worldwide. CXCL‐8 is a small multifunctional proinflammatory chemokine. It was reported recently that HEV infection significantly upregulates CXCL‐8 gene expression. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of HEV‐induced CXCL‐8 transcriptional activation. Using CXCL‐8 promoter reporters of different lengths ranging from −1400 to −173, we showed that −173 promoter has the highest promoter activity in the presence of HEV genomic RNA, indicating that the −173 promoter contains sequences responsible for CXCL‐8 activation by HEV. Ectopic expression of the ORF‐1 protein can upregulate the −173 CXCL‐8 promoter activity. In contrast, expression of the ORF‐2 protein suppresses the CXCL‐8 promoter activity and expression of the ORF‐3 protein has no effect on the CXCL‐8 promoter activity. We further showed that AP‐1 is required for CXCL‐8 activation because neither HEV genomic RNA nor the ORF‐1 protein can upregulate the −173 CXCL‐8 promoter in the absence of the AP‐1 binding sequence. Taken together, our results showed that HEV and HEV ORF‐1 protein activate the CXCL‐8 promoter via AP‐1. This novel function of HEV ORF‐1 protein should contribute to our understanding of HEV‐host interactions and HEV‐associated pathogenesis.
Particle Radiation-Induced Nontargeted Effects in Bone-Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Authors: Sasi Sharath P. , Park Daniel , Muralidharan Sujatha , Wage Justin , Kiladjian Albert , Onufrak Jillian , Enderling Heiko , Yan Xinhua , Goukassian David A.
Published: May 2015

Bone-marrow- (BM-) derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical for endothelial cell maintenance and repair. During future space exploration missions astronauts will be exposed to space irradiation (IR) composed of a spectrum of low-fluence protons (1H) and high charge and energy (HZE) nuclei (e.g., iron-56Fe) for extended time. How the space-type IR affects BM-EPCs is limited. In media transfer experimentsin vitrowe studied nontargeted effects induced by1H- and56Fe-IR conditioned medium (CM), which showed significant increase in the number of p-H2AX foci in nonirradiated EPCs between 2 and 24 h. A 2–15-fold increase in the levels of various cytokines and chemokines was observed in both types of IR-CM at 24 h.Ex vivoanalysis of BM-EPCs from single, low-dose, full-body1H- and56Fe-IR mice demonstrated a cyclical (early 5–24 h and delayed 28 days) increase in apoptosis. This early increase in BM-EPC apoptosis may be the effect of direct IR exposure, whereas late increase in apoptosis could be a result of nontargeted effects (NTE) in the cells that were not traversed by IR directly. Identifying the role of specific cytokines responsible for IR-induced NTE and inhibiting such NTE may prevent long-term and cyclical loss of stem and progenitors cells in the BM milieu.
Life-Cycle Monitoring of Long-Span PSC Box Girder Bridges through Distributed Sensor Network: Strategies, Methods, and Applications
Authors: Chen Zheheng , Guo Tong , Yan Shengyou
Published: May 2015

Structural health monitoring (SHM) has attracted much attention in recent years, which enables early warnings of structural failure, condition assessments, and rational maintenance/repair strategies. In the context of bridges, many long-span steel bridges in China have been installed with the SHM systems; however, the applications of the SHM in prestressed concrete (PSC) bridges are still rather limited. On the other hand, the PSC box girder bridges are extensively used in highway and railway systems and premature damage of these bridges is often reported, resulting in considerable maintenance and/or replacement costs. First, this paper presents a state-of-art review on the SHM of long-span PSC bridges. Monitoring strategies, methods, and previous applications for these bridges are summarized and discussed. In order to well capture the behavior of the bridge during its whole life and to maximize the use of sensors, a life-cycle monitoring strategy is proposed, in which the sensor layout is determined according to requirements for construction monitoring, completion test, and in-service monitoring. A case study is made on a three-span PSC box girder bridge in China. The system configuration, sensor layout, and data communications, and so forth, are presented. The up-to-date monitored structural responses are analyzed and compared with the design values.
TGF‐Beta Blockade Increases Renal Inflammation Caused by the C‐Terminal Module of the CCN2
Authors: Rodrigues-Díez Raquel , Rayego-Mateos Sandra , Orejudo Macarena , Aroeira Luiz Stark , Selgas Rafael , Ortiz Alberto , Egido Jesús , Ruiz-Ortega Marta
Published: May 2015

The CCN family member 2 (CCN2, also known as
connective tissue growth factor) may behave as a risk
biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for renal
disease. CCN2 participates in the regulation of
inflammation and fibrosis. TGF‐β is considered
the main fibrogenic cytokine; however, in some
pathological settings TGF‐β also has
anti‐inflammatory properties. CCN2 has been proposed
as a downstream profibrotic mediator of TGF‐β,
but data on TGF‐β role in CCN2 actions are
scarce. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of
TGF‐β blockade in CCN2‐mediated experimental
renal damage. Systemic administration of the
C‐terminal module of CCN2 to mice caused sustained
renal inflammation. In these mice, TGF‐β
blockade, using an anti‐TGF‐β neutralizing
antibody, significantly increased renal expression of
the NGAL (a kidney injury biomarker), kidney
infiltration by monocytes/macrophages, and
upregulation of MCP‐1 expression. The
anti‐inflammatory effect of TGF‐β seems to be
mediated by a dysregulation of the systemic Treg
immune response, shown by decreased levels of
circulating CD4+/Foxp3+Treg
cells. Our experimental data support the idea that
TGF‐β exerts anti‐inflammatory actions in the
kidney and suggest that it is not an optimal
therapeutic target.
Potential for Recycling Nutrients from Biosolids Amended with Clay and Lime in Coarse-Textured Water Repellence, Acidic Soils of Western Australia
Authors: Shanmugam Sanjutha , Abbott Lynette K.
Published: May 2015

Application of biosolids in soils is an efficient method of recycling nutrients from biosolids and it is considered even safer when it is modified after mixing and diluting with other suitable soil organic amendments. A variety of soil organic amendments, such as green manures and composts, are used for modifying and co-composting with biosolids. However, these may not be considered as appropriate biosolids disposal and remedial measures for soils with unique problems such as low soil pH, water repellence nature, and poor water and nutrient retention capacities due to soil textural issues. Historically, soil amendments such as lime, clay, and recently biochar are being applied for such problematic soils at Western Australia and these researches focused mostly on improvement in soil physical and chemical properties. However, studies with potential for applying modified biosolids with these amendments are not complete yet. This review focused on identifying such gaps in these studies from over 170 peer-reviewed key research and review articles published over decades to latest in these areas.
Noncardiogenic Pulmonary Edema after Amlodipine Overdose without Refractory Hypotension and Bradycardia
Authors: Hedaiaty M. , Eizadi-Mood N. , Sabzghabaee A. M.
Published: May 2015

Amlodipine overdose can be life-threatening when manifesting as noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. Treatment remains challenging. We describe a case of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema without refractory hypotension and bradycardia after ingestion of 500 milligram amlodipine with suicidal intent. Mechanical ventilation, dexamethasone, atrovent HFA (ipratropium), pulmicort inhalation, and antibiotic therapy were used for the management. Length of hospital stay was 11 days. The patient was discharged with full recovery.
Role of Vitamin D Deficiency in Extraskeletal Complications: Predictor of Health Outcome or Marker of Health Status?
Authors: Guessous Idris
Published: May 2015

The relationship of vitamin D with extraskeletal complications, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease, is of major interest considering its roles in key biological processes and the worldwide high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. However, the causal relationships between vitamin D and most extraskeletal complications are weak. Currently, a heated debate over vitamin D is being conducted according to two hypotheses. In this review, we first present the different arguments that suggest a major role of vitamin D in a very broad type of extraskeletal complications (hypothesis #1). We then present results from recent meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials indicating a lack of association of vitamin D with major extraskeletal complications (hypothesis #2). We discuss different issues (e.g., causality, confounding, reverse causation, misclassification, and Mendelian randomization) that contribute to the favoring of one hypothesis over the other. While ultimately only one hypothesis is correct, we anticipate that the results from the ongoing randomized controlled trials will be unlikely to reconcile the divided experts.
Presentation of AIDS with Disseminated Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis in Iran
Authors: Davarpanah Mohammadali , Rassaei Masumeh , Sari aslani Fatemeh
Published: May 2015

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease in form of visceral (VL), cutaneous (CL), and mucocutaneous (MCL) leishmaniasis. Immunocompromised patients have increased risk ofLeishmaniainfection, especially in endemic areas for visceral leishmaniasis, where in the world HIV/VL coinfection has become endemic. The case here suffers from both AIDS and visceral-cutaneous leishmaniasis. We report an Iranian woman with disseminated cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis who became positive for HIV test.
Probability Model of Hangzhou Bay Bridge Vehicle Loads Using Weigh-in-Motion Data
Authors: Sun Dezhang , Wang Xu , Chen Bin , Sun Baitao
Published: May 2015

To study the vehicle load characteristics of bay bridges in China, especially truck loads, we performed a statistical analysis of the vehicle loads on Hangzhou Bay Bridge using more than 3 months of weigh-in-motion data from the site. The results showed that when all the vehicle samples were included in the statistical analysis, the histogram of the vehicles exhibited a multimodal distribution, which could not be fitted successfully by a familiar single probability distribution model. When the truck samples were analyzed, a characteristic multiple-peaked distribution with a main peak was obtained. The probability distribution of all vehicles was fitted using a weighting function with five normal distributions and the truck loads were modeled by a single normal distribution. The results demonstrated the good fits with the histogram. The histograms of different time periods were also analyzed. The results showed that the traffic mainly comprised two-axle small vehicles during the rush hours in the morning and the evening, and the histogram could be fitted approximately using three normal distribution functions. And the maximum value distributions of vehicles during the design life of the bay bridge were predicted by maximum value theory.
Multi-Instance Multilabel Learning with Weak-Label for Predicting Protein Function in Electricigens
Authors: Wu Jian-Sheng , Hu Hai-Feng , Yan Shan-Cheng , Tang Li-Hua
Published: May 2015

Nature often brings several domains together to form multidomain and multifunctional proteins with a vast number of possibilities. In our previous study, we disclosed that the protein function prediction problem is naturally and inherently Multi-Instance Multilabel (MIML) learning tasks. Automated protein function prediction is typically implemented under the assumption that the functions of labeled proteins are complete; that is, there are no missing labels. In contrast, in practice just a subset of the functions of a protein are known, and whether this protein has other functions is unknown. It is evident that protein function prediction tasks suffer fromweak-labelproblem; thus protein function prediction with incomplete annotation matches well with the MIML with weak-label learning framework. In this paper, we have applied the state-of-the-art MIML with weak-label learning algorithm MIMLwel for predicting protein functions in two typical real-world electricigens organisms which have been widely used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) researches. Our experimental results validate the effectiveness of MIMLwel algorithm in predicting protein functions with incomplete annotation.
Pretreatment of Adipose Derived Stem Cells with Curcumin Facilitates Myocardial Recovery via Antiapoptosis and Angiogenesis
Authors: Liu Jianfeng , Zhu Ping , Song Peng , Xiong Weiping , Chen Haixu , Peng Wenhui , Wang Shuxia , Li Shan , Fu Zhiqing , Wang Yutang , Wang Haibin
Published: May 2015

The poor survival rate of transplanted stem cells in ischemic myocardium has limited their therapeutic efficacy. Curcumin has potent antioxidant property. This study investigates whether prior curcumin treatment protects stem cells from oxidative stress injury and improves myocardial recovery following cells transplantation. Autologous Sprague-Dawley rat adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) were pretreated with or without curcumin. The hydrogen peroxide/serum deprivation (H2O2/SD) medium was used to mimic the ischemic conditionin vitro. Cytoprotective effects of curcumin on ADSCs were evaluated. Curcumin pretreatment significantly increased cell viability and VEGF secretion, and decreased cell injury and apoptosis via regulation of PTEN/Akt/p53 and HO-1 signal proteins expression. The therapeutic potential of ADSCs implantation was investigated in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) model. Transplantation of curcumin pretreated ADSCs not only resulted in better heart function, higher cells retention, and smaller infarct size, but also decreased myocardial apoptosis, promoted neovascularization, and increased VEGF level in ischemic myocardium. Together, priming of ADSCs with curcumin improved tolerance to oxidative stress injury and resulted in enhancement of their therapeutic potential of ADSCs for myocardial repair. Curcumin pretreatment is a promising adjuvant strategy for stem cells transplantation in myocardial restoration.
A Double-Switch Cell Fusion-Inducible Transgene Expression System for Neural Stem Cell-Based Antiglioma Gene Therapy
Authors: Luo Yumei , Zhu Detu , Lam Dang Hoang , Huang Juan , Tang Yi , Luo Xitu , Wang Shu
Published: May 2015

Recent progress in neural stem cell- (NSC-) based tumor-targeted gene therapy showed that NSC vectors expressing an artificially engineered viral fusogenic protein, VSV-G H162R, could cause tumor cell death specifically under acidic tumor microenvironment by syncytia formation; however, the killing efficiency still had much room to improve. In the view that coexpression of another antitumoral gene with VSV-G can augment the bystander effect, a synthetic regulatory system that triggers transgene expression in a cell fusion-inducible manner has been proposed. Here we have developed a double-switch cell fusion-inducible transgene expression system (DoFIT) to drive transgene expression upon VSV-G-mediated NSC-glioma cell fusion. In this binary system, transgene expression is coregulated by a glioma-specific promoter and targeting sequences of a microRNA (miR) that is highly expressed in NSCs but lowly expressed in glioma cells. Thus, transgene expression is “switched off” by the miR in NSC vectors, but after cell fusion with glioma cells, the miR is diluted and loses its suppressive effect. Meanwhile, in the syncytia, transgene expression is “switched on” by the glioma-specific promoter. Ourin vitroandin vivoexperimental data show that DoFIT successfully abolishes luciferase reporter gene expression in NSC vectors but activates it specifically after VSV-G-mediated NSC-glioma cell fusion.
Research on Impact Process of Lander Footpad against Simulant Lunar Soils
Authors: Huang Bo , Jiang Zhujin , Lin Peng , Ling Daosheng
Published: May 2015

The safe landing of a Moon lander and the performance of the precise instruments it carries may be affected by too heavy impact on touchdown. Accordingly, landing characteristics have become an important research focus. Described in this paper are model tests carried out using simulated lunar soils of different relative densities (called “simulant” lunar soils below), with a scale reduction factor of 1/6 to consider the relative gravities of the Earth and Moon. In the model tests, the lander was simplified as an impact column with a saucer-shaped footpad with various impact landing masses and velocities. Based on the test results, the relationships between the footpad peak feature responses and impact kinetic energy have been analyzed. Numerical simulation analyses were also conducted to simulate the vertical impact process. A 3D dynamic finite element model was built for which the material parameters were obtained from laboratory test data. When compared with the model tests, the numerical model proved able to effectively simulate the dynamic characteristics of the axial forces, accelerations, and penetration depths of the impact column during landing. This numerical model can be further used as required for simulating oblique landing impacts.
Exosomes Secreted from CXCR4 Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Cardioprotection via Akt Signaling Pathway following Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Kang Kai , Ma Ruilian , Cai Wenfeng , Huang Wei , Paul Christian , Liang Jialiang , Wang Yuhua , Zhao Tiejun , Kim Ha Won , Xu Meifeng , Millard Ronald W. , Wen Zhili , Wang Yigang
Published: May 2015

Background and Objective.Exosomes secreted from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have demonstrated cardioprotective effects. This study examined the role of exosomes derived from MSC overexpressing CXCR4 for recovery of cardiac functions after myocardial infarction (MI).Methods. In vitro, exosomes from MSC transduced with lentiviral CXCR4 (ExoCR4) encoding a silencing sequence or null vector were isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Gene expression was then analyzed by qPCR and Western blotting. Cytoprotective effects on cardiomyocytes were evaluated and effects of exosomes on angiogenesis analyzed.In vivo, an exosome-pretreated MSC-sheet was implanted into a region of scarred myocardium in a rat MI model. Angiogenesis, infarct size, and cardiac functions were then analyzed.Results. In vitro, ExoCR4significantly upregulatedIGF-1αand pAkt levels and downregulated active caspase 3 levelin cardiomyocytes. ExoCR4also enhanced VEGF expression and vessel formation. However, effects of ExoCR4were abolished by an Akt inhibitor or CXCR4 knockdown.In vivo, ExoCR4treated MSC-sheet implantation promoted cardiac functional restoration by increasing angiogenesis, reducing infarct size, and improving cardiac remodeling.Conclusions.This study reveals a novel role of exosomes derived from MSCCR4and highlights a new mechanism of intercellular mediation of stem cells for MI treatment.
Anchor Dragging Analysis of Rock-Berm Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method
Authors: Woo Jinho , Kim Dongha , Na Won-Bae
Published: May 2015

This study presents dynamic responses of rock-berm structural system under anchor dragging and accordingly provides the characteristics of the stresses and displacements obtained. For the purpose, first, a rock-berm was modeled by the SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) method and piecewise Drucker-Prager material model by facilitating the associated software package—ANSYS-AUTODYN. Second, 2-ton stockless anchor was modeled as a rigid body and eventually dragging external force was obtained. Then, the dragging velocity (1 and 2 m/s) was considered as a parameter to investigate the effect of its variation on the responses. Finally, the dragging tensile forces of the anchor cable were obtained and compared according to the dragging velocities. It is shown that the four-layer rock-berm gives the safety margin to the submarine power cable according to the unaffected gauge points near the cable. This safety is accomplished by the four layers (related to rock-berm height) and the number of rock particles at each layer (related to rock-berm widths).
Sensor Placement Optimization of Vibration Test on Medium-Speed Mill
Authors: Zhu Lihua , Dai Jun , Bai Guoliang
Published: May 2015

Condition assessment and decision making are important tasks of vibration test on dynamic machines, and the accuracy of dynamic response can be achieved by the sensors placed on the structure reasonably. The common methods and evaluation criteria of optimal sensor placement (OSP) were summarized. In order to test the vibration characteristic of medium-speed mill in the thermal power plants, the optimal placement of 12 candidate measuring points inX,Y, andZdirections on the mill was discussed for different targeted modal shapes, respectively. The OSP of medium-speed mill was conducted using the effective independence method (EfI) and QR decomposition algorithm. The results showed that the order of modal shapes had an important influence on the optimization results. The difference of these two methods on the sensor placement optimization became smaller with the decrease of the number of target modes. The final scheme of OSP was determined based on the optimal results and the actual test requirements. The field test results were basically consistent with the finite element analysis results, which indicated the sensor placement optimization for vibration test on the medium-speed mill was feasible.
Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction Improves the Migration and Homing of Mesenchymal Stem Cells after Myocardial Infarction by Upregulating SDF-1/CXCR4: A Pilot Study
Authors: Li Lu , Wu Shengzheng , Liu Zheng , Zhuo Zhongxiong , Tan Kaibin , Xia Hongmei , Zhuo Lisha , Deng Xiaojun , Gao Yunhua , Xu Yali
Published: May 2015

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy shows considerable promise for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). However, the inefficient migration and homing of MSCs after systemic infusion have limited their therapeutic applications. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has proven to be promising to improve the homing of MSCs to the ischemic myocardium, but the concrete mechanism remains unclear. We hypothesize that UTMD promotes MSC homing by upregulating SDF-1/CXCR4, and this study was aimed at exploring this potential mechanism. We analyzed SDF-1/CXCR4 expression after UTMD treatment in vitro and in vivo and counted the number of homing MSCs in MI areas. The in vitro results demonstrated that UTMD not only led to elevated secretion of SDF-1 but also resulted in an increased proportion of MSCs that expressed surface CXCR4. The in vivo findings show an increase in the number of homing MSCs and higher expression of SDF-1/CXCR4 in the UTMD combined with MSCs infusion group compared to other groups. In conclusion, UTMD can increase SDF-1 expression in the ischemic myocardium and upregulate the expression of surface CXCR4 on MSCs, which provides a molecular mechanism for the homing of MSCs assisted by UTMD via SDF-1/CXCR4 axis.
Effect of Temperature Variation on Vibration Monitoring of Prestressed Concrete Girders
Authors: Huynh Thanh-Canh , Park Young-Hwan , Park Jae-Hyung , Hong Dong-Soo , Kim Jeong-Tae
Published: May 2015

The effect of temperature variation on vibration monitoring of prestressed concrete (PSC) girders is experimentally analyzed. Firstly, vibration features such as autoregressive (AR) coefficient, correlation coefficient of power spectral density (CC of PSD), natural frequency, and mode shape are selected to estimate the effect of temperature variation on vibration characteristics of PSC girders. Secondly, vibration experiments on a lab-scale PSC girder are performed under the condition of temperature variation. Finally, the vibration features with respect to the temperature variation are analyzed to estimate the effect of temperature in vibration characteristics of the PSC girder.
New and Emerging Strategies in Platelet-Rich Plasma Application in Musculoskeletal Regenerative Procedures: General Overview on Still Open Questions and Outlook
Authors: Salamanna Francesca , Veronesi Francesca , Maglio Melania , Della Bella Elena , Sartori Maria , Fini Milena
Published: May 2015

Despite its pervasive use, the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and the different mechanisms of action have yet to be established. This overview of the literature is focused on the role of PRP in bone, tendon, cartilage, and ligament tissue regeneration considering basic science literature deriving fromin vitroandin vivostudies. Although this work provides evidence that numerous preclinical studies published within the last 10 years showed promising results concerning the application of PRP, many key questions remain unanswered and controversial results have arisen. Additional preclinical studies are needed to define the dosing, timing, and frequency of PRP injections, different techniques for delivery and location of delivery, optimal physiologic conditions for injections, and the concomitant use of recombinant proteins, cytokines, additional growth factors, biological scaffolds, and stems cells to develop optimal treatment protocols that can effectively treat various musculoskeletal conditions.
Acoustic Emission Signal Recognition of Different Rocks Using Wavelet Transform and Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Liu Xiangxin , Liang Zhengzhao , Zhang Yanbo , Wu Xianzhen , Liao Zhiyi
Published: May 2015

Different types of rocks generate acoustic emission (AE) signals with various frequencies and amplitudes. How to determine rock types by their AE characteristics in field monitoring is also useful to understand their mechanical behaviors. Different types of rock specimens (granulite, granite, limestone, and siltstone) were subjected to uniaxial compression until failure, and their AE signals were recorded during their fracturing process. The wavelet transform was used to decompose the AE signals, and the artificial neural network (ANN) was established to recognize the rock types and noise (artificial knock noise and electrical noise). The results show that different rocks had different rupture features and AE characteristics. The wavelet transform provided a powerful method to acquire the basic characteristics of the rock AE and the environmental noises, such as the energy spectrum and the peak frequency, and the ANN was proved to be a good method to recognize AE signals from different types of rocks and the environmental noises.
Agronomic Efficiency of Biosolid as Source of Nitrogen to Banana Plants
Authors: Teixeira Luiz Antonio Junqueira , Berton Ronaldo Severiano , Coscione Aline Reneé , Saes Luis Alberto , Chiba Marcio Koiti
Published: May 2015

Sewage sludge (SS) or biosolid has been studied as source of nutrient for several different plant species. It also contributes to soil fertility recycling organic matter and plant nutrients. This followup work examines a three-year (2001–2004) field experiment designed to evaluate the response of banana plants (Cavendish subgroup) to the application of biosolid as source of nitrogen. The treatments consisted of control (mineral PK, no N), three rates of sludge, and two rates of mineral NPK fertilizer. Plant and soil N concentration, fruit yield, plant height, stem diameter, and foliar endurance index were measured. Fruit yield with mineral fertilization or sludge applications did not differ statistically(P>0.05). Application of biosolid resulted in statistically significant higher agronomic efficiency(P<0.05)in comparison to mineral fertilizers. The concentration of soil mineral nitrogen increased using mineral fertilizer or sludge until 0.80 m after three years of application. The effect of the source of N was smaller than the effect of the rate. Biosolid can be used as source of N for banana growers.
Investigation of the Wear Resistance Properties of Cr/CrN Multilayer Coatings against Sand Erosion
Authors: Naveed Muhammad , Obrosov Aleksei , Weiß Sabine
Published: May 2015

The wear of metallic components used in gas and steam turbines due to erosive sand particles leads to a tremendous decrease in their lifetime. This wear can be reduced by the use of suitable erosion resistant coatings resulting in lower maintenance costs. In this context, multilayer Cr/CrN PVD coatings using an industrial coater were designed and applied on Inconel 718, a material which finds its application in gas turbines. A variation in the bimodal period has been induced in order to achieve an optimal coating architecture providing optimum properties needed for the erosion resistant coatings. The coating was deposited using a single Cr-target with an induction of N2 during the nitriding phase at a temperature of 480–500°C and the coating thickness of 24–26 μm was kept constant throughout. The erosion tests were conducted at angles of 30°, 60°, and 90°. The sand used for the test is an irregular shaped SiO2. The erosion tests were followed by a detailed microscopic examination of the eroded coating structure in combination with nanoindentation and scratch tests.
Constraint Programming Based Biomarker Optimization
Authors: Zhou Manli , Luo Youxi , Sun Guoquan , Mai Guoqin , Zhou Fengfeng
Published: May 2015

Efficient and intuitive characterization of biological big data is becoming a major challenge for modern bio-OMIC based scientists. Interactive visualization and exploration of big data is proven to be one of the successful solutions. Most of the existing feature selection algorithms do not allow the interactive inputs from users in the optimizing process of feature selection. This study investigates this question as fixing a few user-input features in the finally selected feature subset and formulates these user-input features as constraints for a programming model. The proposed algorithm, fsCoP (feature selection based on constrained programming), performs well similar to or much better than the existing feature selection algorithms, even with the constraints from both literature and the existing algorithms. An fsCoP biomarker may be intriguing for further wet lab validation, since it satisfies both the classification optimization function and the biomedical knowledge. fsCoP may also be used for the interactive exploration of bio-OMIC big data by interactively adding user-defined constraints for modeling.
Tribological Characteristics of the Magnesium Matrix-Glassy Carbon Particles Composite Manufactured by Different Casting Methods
Authors: Olszówka-Myalska Anita , Myalski Jerzy , Hekner Bartosz
Published: May 2015

A particulate composite with a magnesium matrix (Mg3Al) and glassy carbon particles (GCp) obtained under industrial conditions from a gravity cast and pressure die cast suspension was examined. The influence of the casting procedure on the microstructure and mechanical properties was revealed. Sliding friction tests by the pin-on-disc method for different loads (2.3, 5, and 9.3 N) and speeds (0.06, 0.09, and 0.14 m/s) were performed. Regardless of the technology, the sliding friction coefficient’s value strongly depended on the load and speed. Its value was changing (0.35–0.13) and was usually higher for the pressure die cast material, yet the wear resistance of the composite processed in that way was considerably better compared with the gravity cast. The results of the worn surface observation by SEM with EDS showed an influence of the initial Mg3Al-GCp composite’s microstructure on the processes of its wear.
Treatment of Thrombotic Antiphospholipid Syndrome: The Rationale of Current Management—An Insight into Future Approaches
Authors: Chighizola Cecilia Beatrice , Ubiali Tania , Meroni Pier Luigi
Published: May 2015

Vascular thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity represent the clinical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which is serologically characterized by the persistent positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents currently provide the mainstay of APS treatment. However, the debate is still open: controversies involve the intensity and the duration of anticoagulation and the treatment of stroke and refractory cases. Unfortunately, the literature cannot provide definite answers to these controversial issues as it is flawed by many limitations, mainly due to the recruitment of patients not fulfilling laboratory and clinical criteria for APS. The recommended therapeutic management of different aPL-related clinical manifestations is hereby presented, with a critical appraisal of the evidence supporting such approaches. Cutting edge therapeutic strategies are also discussed, presenting the pioneer reports about the efficacy of novel pharmacological agents in APS. Thanks to a better understanding of aPL pathogenic mechanisms, new therapeutic targets will soon be explored. Much work is still to be done to unravel the most controversial issues about APS management: future studies are warranted to define the optimal management according to aPL risk profile and to assess the impact of a strict control of cardiovascular risk factors on disease control.
Early Prediction of Disease Progression in Small Cell Lung Cancer: Toward Model-Based Personalized Medicine in Oncology
Authors: Buil-Bruna Núria , Sahota Tarjinder , López-Picazo José-María , Moreno-Jiménez Marta , Martín-Algarra Salvador , Ribba Benjamin , Trocóniz Iñaki F.
Published: May 2015

Predictive biomarkers can play a key role in individualized disease monitoring. Unfortunately, the use of biomarkers in clinical settings has thus far been limited. We have previously shown that mechanism-based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling enables integration of nonvalidated biomarker data to provide predictive model-based biomarkers for response classification. The biomarker model we developed incorporates an underlying latent variable (disease) representing (unobserved) tumor size dynamics, which is assumed to drive biomarker production and to be influenced by exposure to treatment. Here, we show that by integrating CT scan data, the population model can be expanded to include patient outcome. Moreover, we show that in conjunction with routine medical monitoring data, the population model can support accurate individual predictions of outcome. Our combined model predicts that a change in disease of 29.2% (relative standard error 20%) between two consecutive CT scans (i.e., 6–8 weeks) gives a probability of disease progression of 50%. We apply this framework to an external dataset containing biomarker data from 22 small cell lung cancer patients (four patients progressing during follow-up). Using only data up until the end of treatment (a total of 137 lactate dehydrogenase and 77 neuron-specific enolase observations), the statistical framework prospectively identified 75% of the individuals as having a predictable outcome in follow-up visits. This included two of the four patients who eventually progressed. In all identified individuals, the model-predicted outcomes matched the observed outcomes. This framework allows at risk patients to be identified early and therapeutic intervention/monitoring to be adjusted individually, which may improve overall patient survival. Cancer Res; 75(12); 2416–25. ©2015 AACR.
Repair versus Checkpoint Functions of BRCA1 Are Differentially Regulated by Site of Chromatin Binding
Authors: Goldstein Michael , Kastan Michael B.
Published: May 2015

The product of the Brca1 tumor-suppressor gene is involved in multiple aspects of the cellular DNA damage response (DDR), including activation of cell-cycle arrests and DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination. Prior reports demonstrated that BRCA1 recruitment to areas of DNA breakage depended on RAP80 and the RNF8/RNF168 E3 ubiquitin ligases. Here, we extend these findings by showing that RAP80 is only required for the binding of BRCA1 to regions flanking the DSB, whereas BRCA1 binding directly to DNA breaks requires Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 (NBS1). These differential recruitment mechanisms differentially affect BRCA1 functions: (i) RAP80-dependent recruitment of BRCA1 to chromatin flanking DNA breaks is required for BRCA1 phosphorylation at serine 1387 and 1423 by ATM and, consequently, for the activation of S and G2 checkpoints; and (ii) BRCA1 interaction with NBS1 upon DSB induction results in an NBS1-dependent recruitment of BRCA1 directly to the DNA break and is required for nonhomologous end-joining repair. Together, these findings illustrate that spatially distinct fractions of BRCA1 exist at the DSB site, which are recruited by different mechanisms and execute different functions in the DDR. Cancer Res; 75(13); 2699–707. ©2015 AACR.