bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moraxella catarrhalisinduces an immune response in the murine lung that is independent of human CEACAM5 expression and long-term smoke exposure
Authors: Gutbier Birgitt , Fischer Katja , Doehn Jan-Moritz , von Lachner Carolin , Herr Christian , Klaile Esther , Frischmann Ursula , Singer Bernhard B. , Riesbeck Kristian , Zimmermann Wolfgang , Suttorp Norbert , Bachmann Sebastian , Bals Robert , Witzenrath Martin , Slevogt Hortense
Published: June 2015

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Moraxella catarrhalis infection of the lower airways is associated with chronic colonization and inflammation during stable disease and acute exacerbations. Chronic smoke exposure induces chronic inflammation and impairs mucociliary clearance, thus contributing to bacterial colonization of the lower airways in COPD patients. The human-specific carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) 5, expressed in human airways, has been shown to contribute to epithelial colonization of CEACAM-binding pathogens. To investigate the impact of CEACAM5 expression on pulmonary M. catarrhalis colonization, we infected mice transgenic for human CEACAM5 (hCEACAM5) and wild type mice intratracheally with M. catarrhalis with or without preceding smoke exposure and analyzed bacterial colonization and local and systemic inflammation. Our results show that airway infection with M. catarrhalis accelerated acute local but not systemic inflammation, albeit independent of hCEACAM5 expression. Long-term smoke exposure alone or prior to M. catarrhalis infection did not contribute to increased local or systemic inflammation. No difference was found in pulmonary clearance of M. catarrhalis in hCEACAM5-transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice. Smoke exposure neither altered time nor extent of persistence of M. catarrhalis in the lungs of both genotypes. In conclusion, M. catarrhalis induced a local acute immune response in murine airways. Neither hCEACAM5 expression nor chronic smoke exposure nor a combination of both was sufficient as prerequisites for the establishment of chronic M. catarrhalis colonization. Our results demonstrate the difficulties in mirroring conditions of chronic airways colonization of M. catarrhalis in a murine model.
What can we learn about treating heart failure from the heart's response to acute exercise? Focus on the coronary microcirculation
Authors: Heinonen Ilkka , Sorop Oana , de Beer Vincent J. , Duncker Dirk J. , Merkus Daphne
Published: June 2015

Coronary microvascular function and cardiac function are closely related in that proper cardiac function requires adequate oxygen delivery through the coronary microvasculature. Because of the close proximity of cardiomyocytes and coronary microvascular endothelium, cardiomyocytes not only communicate their metabolic needs to the coronary microvasculature, but endothelium-derived factors also directly modulate cardiac function. This review summarizes evidence that the myocardial oxygen balance is disturbed in the failing heart because of increased extravascular compressive forces and coronary microvascular dysfunction. The perturbations in myocardial oxygen balance are exaggerated during exercise and are due to alterations in neurohumoral influences, endothelial function, and oxidative stress. Although there is some evidence from animal studies that the myocardial oxygen balance can partly be restored by exercise training, it is largely unknown to what extent the beneficial effects of exercise training include improvements in endothelial function and/or oxidative stress in the coronary microvasculature and how these improvements are impacted by risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia.
Solvent-Free MgO-Functionalized Mesoporous Catalysts for Jatropha Oil Transesterification
Authors: Andrew Anamagreth , Katima Jamidu , Lee Keat Teong , Mdoe James Epiphan Gabriel
Published: June 2015

A convenient solvent-free technique was employed in the functionalization of Micelle-Templated Silica using Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (MTS-CNSL) as a template and magnesium nitrate as a precursor salt. Magnesium oxide species was highly dispersed in MTS-CNSL by manually grinding the precursor salt and the as-synthesized mesoporous silica followed by calcination. The resultant modified mesoporous silicas MgO/MTS-CNSL were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, N2adsorption/desorption), and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX). MgO/MTS-CNSL (30) having small specific surface area of 16.7 m2/g and larger pore volume of 0.02 cm3/g, presented higher activity of 81.45% for jatropha oil under optimized conditions (200°C, 4 h, 36 : 1 methanol : oil ratio, 500 rpm, and 6% wt of catalyst). This method of catalyst development has an advantage of being highly energy- and time-efficient.
How Long, Narrowly Constructed Wetlands Purify Irrigation Return Water: A Case Study of Ulansuhai Lake, China
Authors: Mao Xufeng , Yuan Donghai , He Liansheng , Wei Xiaoyan , Chen Qiong , Bian Libo , Li Junqi
Published: June 2015

The use of constructed wetlands (CWs) in the treatment of raw wastewater in China has proved to be very successful in recent decades. However, it is not known whether surface-flow constructed wetlands can effectively purify irrigation return water. To investigate the performance of a constructed wetland in terms of meeting the goals of pollutant purification, the 8th drainage of Ulansuhai Lake was used for this study. Pollutant removal performances, as well as hydrological characteristic variations in relation to specific characteristics of plants, were investigated utilizing two years of monthly average data. The results indicated that surface-flow constructed wetlands can effectively change the physical characteristics of return water and lead to a sharp decrease in pollutant concentrations. The 1200 m long, narrowly constructed wetland resulted in the average reduction rates of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of up to 22.1% and 21.5%, respectively. The overall purification efficient of the constructed wetland presented seasonal variations in four different monitoring periods (May, July, September, and November). Constructed wetlands with multiple types of plants exhibited higher efficiencies in pollutants removal than those with a single type of plant. The current study can provide meaningful information for the treatment of agricultural wastewater.
Changes in Serum TSH and T4 Levels after Switching the Levothyroxine Administration Time from before Breakfast to before Dinner
Authors: Ala S. , Akha O. , Kashi Z. , Bahar A. , Askari Rad H. , Sasanpour N. , Shiva A.
Published: June 2015

Background. Levothyroxine is commonly used in the treatment of patients with hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine is most often administered in the morning, on an empty stomach, in order to increase its oral absorption. However, many patients have difficulties taking levothyroxine in the morning.Aim. The aim of this study was evaluating the effect of changing levothyroxine administration time from before breakfast to before dinner on the serum levels of TSH and T4.Subjects and Methods. Fifty patients between 18 and 75 years old with hypothyroidism were included in the study and were randomly divided into two groups. Each group received two tablets per day (one levothyroxine tablet and one placebo tablet) 30 minutes before breakfast and 1 hour before dinner. After two months, the administration time for the tablets was changed for each group, and the new schedule was continued for a further two-month period. The serum TSH and T4 levels were measured before and after treatment in each group.Results. Changing the levothyroxine administration time resulted in 1.47 ± 0.51 µIU/mL increase in TSH level (p=0.001) and 0.35 ± 1.05 µg/dL decrease in T4 level (p=0.3).Conclusions. Changing the levothyroxine administration time from before breakfast to before dinner reduced the therapeutic efficacy of levothyroxine.
Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in North Western Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gebre Abel , Mulugeta Afework
Published: June 2015

Background. Anemia affects the lives of more than 2 billion people globally, accounting for over 30% of the world’s population. Anemia is a global public health problem occurring at all stages of the life cycle but the burden of the problem is higher in pregnant women particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in north western zone of Tigray, northern Ethiopia.Methods. A facility based cross-sectional study was employed. A systematic random sampling procedure was employed to select 714 pregnant women who were attending antenatal clinics in health facilities found in the study area from April to May 2014. The data was entered and analyzed using Epi-info version 3.5.1 and SPSS version 20.0 statistical software, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with anemia among the study participants. All tests were two-sided andpvalue < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results. The overall prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL) among the pregnant women was 36.1% (95% CI = 32.7%–39.7%) of which 58.5% were mildly, 35.7% moderately, and 5.8% severely anemic. In pregnant women, rural residence (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.01–3.04), no education/being illiterate (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.03–2.37), absence of iron supplementation during pregnancy (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.92–5.37), and meal frequency of less than two times per day (AOR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.06–4.91) were the independent predictors for increased anemia among the pregnant women.Conclusions. Anemia was found to be moderate public health problem in the study area. Residence, educational status, iron supplementation during pregnancy, and meal frequency per day were statistically associated with anemia among the pregnant women. Awareness creation and nutrition education on the importance of taking iron supplementation and nutritional counseling on consumption of extra meal and iron-rich foods during pregnancy are recommended to prevent anemia in the pregnant women.
High Throughput Screening Identifies a Novel Compound Protecting Cardiomyocytes from Doxorubicin-Induced Damage
Authors: Gergely Szabolcs , Hegedűs Csaba , Lakatos Petra , Kovács Katalin , Gáspár Renáta , Csont Tamás , Virág László
Published: June 2015

Antracyclines are effective antitumor agents. One of the most commonly used antracyclines is doxorubicin, which can be successfully used to treat a diverse spectrum of tumors. Application of these drugs is limited by their cardiotoxic effect, which is determined by a lifetime cumulative dose. We set out to identify by high throughput screening cardioprotective compounds protecting cardiomyocytes from doxorubicin-induced injury. Ten thousand compounds of ChemBridge’s DIVERSet compound library were screened to identify compounds that can protect H9C2 rat cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin-induced cell death. The most effective compound proved protective in doxorubicin-treated primary rat cardiomyocytes and was further characterized to demonstrate that it significantly decreased doxorubicin-induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death and inhibited doxorubicin-induced activation of JNK MAP kinase without having considerable radical scavenging effect or interfering with the antitumor effect of doxorubicin. In fact the compound identified as 3-[2-(4-ethylphenyl)-2-oxoethyl]-1,2-dimethyl-1H-3,1-benzimidazol-3-ium bromide was toxic to all tumor cell lines tested even without doxorubicine treatment. This benzimidazole compound may lead, through further optimalization, to the development of a drug candidate protecting the heart from doxorubicin-induced injury.
Interstitial Lung Disease of the UIP Variant as the Only Presenting Symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Agrawal Abhinav , Thyagarajan Braghadheeswar , Ceniza Sidney , Hasan Yusuf Syed
Published: June 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily manifesting with symptoms of joint pain. It also involves multiple organ systems in the body, including the lungs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common form of pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Without the typical symptoms such as chronic joint pain, establishing the diagnosis of RA could be quite challenging and a high index of suspicion is thereby required to diagnose ILD in patients with RA, thereby delaying treatment and increasing morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a 67-year-old Hispanic male with no previous history of rheumatoid arthritis or symptoms of typical joint pain who comes to the hospital only with the chief complaints of progressive worsening of shortness of breath for a duration of 6 months and was eventually diagnosed with ILD of the usual interstitial pneumonia variant with serologies positive for rheumatoid arthritis.
Creating Well-Being: Increased Creativity and proNGF Decrease following Quadrato Motor Training
Authors: Venditti Sabrina , Verdone Loredana , Pesce Caterina , Tocci Nicoletta , Caserta Micaela , Ben-Soussan Tal Dotan
Published: June 2015

Mind-body practices (MBP) are known to induce electrophysiological and morphological changes, whereas reports related to changes of neurotrophins are surprisingly scarce. Consequently, in the current paper, we focused on the Quadrato motor training (QMT), a newly developed whole-body movement-based MBP, which has been reported to enhance creativity. Here we report the effects of 4 weeks of daily QMT on creativity and proNGF level in two interrelated studies. In Study A, we examined the effects of QMT compared with a walking training (WT) in healthy adults, utilizing the alternate uses task. In contrast with the WT, QMT resulted in increased creativity. In addition, the change in creativity negatively correlated with the change in proNGF levels. In Study B, we examined QMT effects on creativity and additional metacognitive functions in children, using a nonintervention group as control. Similar to Study A, following QMT, we found a negative correlation of proNGF with creativity, as well as working memory updating and planning ability. Together, the current results point to the relationship between increased creativity and decreased proNGF following MBP. Thus, the current research emphasizes the importance of widening the scope of examination of “MBP in motion” in relation to metacognition and well-being.
Identification of Water Scarcity and Providing Solutions for Adapting to Climate Changes in the Heihe River Basin of China
Authors: Deng Xiangzheng , Zhao Chunhong
Published: June 2015

In ecologically fragile areas with arid climate, such as the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China, sustainable social and economic development depends largely on the availability and sustainable uses of water resource. However, there is more and more serious water resource shortage and decrease of water productivity in Heihe River Basin under the influence of climate change and human activities. This paper attempts to identify the severe water scarcity under climate change and presents possible solutions for sustainable development in Heihe River Basin. Three problems that intervened land use changes, water resource, the relevant policies and institutions in Heihe River basin were identified, including (1) water scarcity along with serious contradiction between water supply and demand, (2) irrational water consumption structure along with low efficiency, and (3) deficient systems and institutions of water resource management along with unreasonable water allocation scheme. In this sense, we focused on reviewing the state of knowledge, institutions, and successful practices to cope with water scarcity at a regional extent. Possible solutions for dealing with water scarcity are explored and presented from three perspectives: (1) scientific researches needed by scientists, (2) management and institution formulation needed by governments, and (3) water resource optimal allocation by the manager at all administrative levels.
Exploring the Mode Change Behavior of Park-and-Ride Users
Authors: Islam Shahi Taphsir , Liu Zhiyuan , Sarvi Majid , Zhu Ting
Published: June 2015

This paper investigates the mode change behavior of park-and-ride (P&R) users, which is of considerable significance to analyze the effectiveness of P&R site on the commuters’ travel mode change as well as the increase of public transport mode share. Data from an intercept interview survey conducted at different P&R facilities in Metropolitan Melbourne is used. A questionnaire containing revealed preference (RP) and stated preference (SP) questions is used to interview the individuals who park at the facility and catch public transport to go to city. This study firstly aims to know the factors affecting current travel behavior using RP data and secondly to investigate the importance of the factors on influencing the commuters’ decision of travel mode choice using the SP data. The empirical models using multinomial logistic regression reveal that travel time taken by transit vehicle and transfer time at P&R stations are the primary factors affecting individuals’ decision on choosing public transport whereas parking fare is the additional factor affecting commuters’ choice of driving. Based on the results of this study, the effectiveness of P&R scheme on commuters’ travel mode change is evaluated which would be helpful to shed lights on the future construction of P&R sites.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (rs4932178) in the P1 Promoter ofFURINIs Not Prognostic to Colon Cancer
Authors: Declercq Jeroen , Jacobs Bart , Biesmans Bart , Roth Arnaud , Klingbiel Dirk , Tejpar Sabine , Creemers John W.
Published: June 2015

High expression of the proprotein processing enzyme FURIN has been associated with tumor progression and metastasis. A SNP (rs4932178) in the promoter ofFURINhas been reported to affect expression in liver, with the T allele resulting in higher expression than the C allele. In this study we have investigated the association of this SNP with prognostic and biological subgroups of colorectal cancer (CRC). In a panel of 1382 patients with CRC, this SNP had no impact on overall survival or on postoperative risk of relapse. This SNP also could not be linked withFURINexpression levels in CRC samples from the patients. Furthermore, we demonstrate in luciferase reporter experiments in the colon cancer cell lines Caco-2 and SW480 and in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh 7 that expression is not affected by the SNP. Since, FURIN inhibition in human colon cancer cell lines has previously been shown to repress tumor metastases, association betweenFURINgene expression levels and postoperative relapse-free survival was also investigated. However, no association could be found. Altogether, we could not confirm an effect of the SNP onFURINexpressionin vitroand no correlations could be foundin vivowithFURINexpression or outcome.
A Comparison of Two Methods on the Climatic Effects of Urbanization in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Area
Authors: Wang Mingna , Yan Xiaodong
Published: June 2015

Both the “urban minus rural” (UMR) and the “observation minus reanalysis” (OMR) methods were used to quantify the potential impacts of urbanization on regional temperature changes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area in China. DMSP/OLS nighttime light imagery and population census data were used to classify stations into four classes: rural, small city, medium city, and large city groups. The regional average annual mean temperature was estimated to increase by 0.12°C decade−1derived from urban warming, accounting for 40% of total climate warming from 1960 to 2009 using the UMR method. The OMR method also indicates that rapid urbanization has a significant influence on surface warming trend although the urban warming intensity is dependent on reanalysis dataset. The seasonal cycle patterns from all three datasets are consistent with each other, which is contrary to the UMR result owing to the cooling effect of agriculture activity in the rural stations confusing the UMR result. So in this paper we found a deficiency of the UMR method where it would underestimate the effects of urbanization in summer. In this regard, the results from the OMR method are relatively more convincing although we admit it still has many other problems.
Embryonal Carcinoma in Cryptorchid Abdominal Testis of an Infant
Authors: Zaka-ur-Rab Atia , Zaka-ur-Rab Zeeba , Akhtar Kafil
Published: June 2015

Cryptorchidism is a known predisposing factor for the development of testicular tumors in adults. Age of patient at the time of treatment of undescended testes has some bearing on the risk of neoplasia. Testicular neoplasia at the time of primary surgery for cryptorchidism has been reported rarely in prepubertal period. We report a case where embryonal carcinoma was detected in a cryptorchid testis of an infant.
Independent Component Analysis Based on Information Bottleneck
Authors: Ke Qiao , Zhang Jiangshe , Srivastava H. M. , Wei Wei , Chen Guang-Sheng
Published: June 2015

The paper is mainly used to provide the equivalence of two algorithms of independent component analysis (ICA) based on the information bottleneck (IB). In the viewpoint of information theory, we attempt to explain the two classical algorithms of ICA by information bottleneck. Furthermore, via the numerical experiments with the synthetic data, sonic data, and image, ICA is proved to be an edificatory way to solve BSS successfully relying on the information theory. Finally, two realistic numerical experiments are conducted via FastICA in order to illustrate the efficiency and practicality of the algorithm as well as the drawbacks in the process of the recovery images the mixing images.
Cytogenomic Evaluation of Subjects with Syndromic and Nonsyndromic Conotruncal Heart Defects
Authors: de Souza Karen Regina , Mergener Rafaella , Huber Janaina , Campos Pellanda Lucia , Riegel Mariluce
Published: June 2015

Despite considerable advances in the detection of genomic abnormalities in congenital heart disease (CHD), the etiology of CHD remains largely unknown. CHD is the most common birth defect and is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality, and conotruncal defects constitute 20% of all CHD cases. We used array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) to retrospectively study 60 subjects with conotruncal defects and identify genomic imbalances. The DNA copy number variations (CNVs) detected were matched with data from genomic databases, and their clinical significance was evaluated. We found that 38.3% (23/60) of CHD cases possessed genomic imbalances. In 8.3% (5/60) of these cases, the imbalances were causal or potentially causal CNVs; in 8.3% (5/60), unclassified CNVs were identified; and in 21.6% (13/60), common variants were detected. Although the interpretation of the results must be refined and there is not yet a consensus regarding the types of CHD cases in which array-CGH should be used as a first-line test, the identification of these CNVs can assist in the evaluation and management of CHD. The results of such studies emphasize the growing importance of the use of genome-wide assays in subjects with CHD to increase the number of genomic data sets associated with this condition.
Predictors of a Good Outcome after Endovascular Stroke Treatment with Stent Retrievers
Authors: Ozdemir Ozcan , Giray Semih , Arlier Zulfikar , Baş Demet Funda , Inanc Yusuf , Colak Ertugrul
Published: June 2015

Background and Purpose. Successful recanalization after endovascular stroke therapy (EVT) did not translate into a good clinical outcome in randomized trials. The goal of the study was to identify the predictors of a good outcome after mechanical thrombectomy with stent retrievers. Methods. A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database included consecutive patients treated with stent retrievers. We evaluated the influence of risk factors for stroke, baseline NIHSS score, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score, recanalization rate, onset‐to‐recanalization and onset‐to‐groin puncture time, and glucose levels at admission on good outcomes. The number of stent passes during procedure and symptomatic hemorrhage rate were also recorded. A modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–2 at 90 days was considered as a good outcome. Results. From January 2011 to 2014, 70 consecutive patients with an acute ischemic stroke underwent EVT with stent retrievers. The absence of a medical history of diabetes was associated with good outcomes. Apart from diabetes, the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were similar between subjects with poor outcome versus those with good outcomes. Median time from onset to recanalization was significantly shorter in patients with good outcomes 245 (IQR: 216–313 min) compared with poor outcome patients (315 (IQR: 240–360 min); P = 0.023). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was observed in eight (21.6%) of 37 patients with poor outcomes and no symptomatic hemorrhage was seen in patients with good outcomes (P = 0.006). In multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis, a favorable ASPECT score (ASPECT > 7) and successful recanalization after EVT were predictors of good outcomes. Every 10‐year increase was associated with a 3.60‐fold decrease in the probability of a good outcome at 3 months. The probability of a good outcome decreases by 1.43‐fold for each 20 mg/dL increase in the blood glucose at admission. Conclusion. To achieve a good outcome after EVT with stent retrievers, quick and complete recanalization and better strategies for patient selection are warranted. We need randomized trials to identify the significance of tight blood glucose control in clinical outcome during or after EVT.
Neurophysiological Effects of Meditation Based on Evoked and Event Related Potential Recordings
Authors: Singh Nilkamal , Telles Shirley
Published: June 2015

Evoked potentials (EPs) are a relatively noninvasive method to assess the integrity of sensory pathways. As the neural generators for most of the components are relatively well worked out, EPs have been used to understand the changes occurring during meditation. Event-related potentials (ERPs) yield useful information about the response to tasks, usually assessing attention. A brief review of the literature yielded eleven studies on EPs and seventeen on ERPs from 1978 to 2014. The EP studies covered short, mid, and long latency EPs, using both auditory and visual modalities. ERP studies reported the effects of meditation on tasks such as the auditory oddball paradigm, the attentional blink task, mismatched negativity, and affective picture viewing among others. Both EP and ERPs were recorded in several meditations detailed in the review. Maximum changes occurred in mid latency (auditory) EPs suggesting that maximum changes occur in the corresponding neural generators in the thalamus, thalamic radiations, and primary auditory cortical areas. ERP studies showed meditation can increase attention and enhance efficiency of brain resource allocation with greater emotional control.
Paclitaxel and Its Evolving Role in the Management of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Kampan Nirmala Chandralega , Madondo Mutsa Tatenda , McNally Orla M. , Quinn Michael , Plebanski Magdalena
Published: June 2015

Paclitaxel, a class of taxane with microtubule stabilising ability, has remained with platinum based therapy, the standard care for primary ovarian cancer management. A deeper understanding of the immunological basis and other potential mechanisms of action together with new dosing schedules and/or routes of administration may potentiate its clinical benefit. Newer forms of taxanes, with better safety profiles and higher intratumoural cytotoxicity, have yet to demonstrate clinical superiority over the parent compound.
Influence of Land Use Patterns on Evapotranspiration and Its Components in a Temperate Grassland Ecosystem
Authors: Li Yuzhe , Fan Jiangwen , Hu Zhongmin , Shao Quanqin , Zhang Liangxia , Yu Hailing
Published: June 2015

To better understand variation in response of components of ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) to grassland use differences, we selected three typical land use patterns in a temperate steppe area: grazed steppe (G), steppe with grazers excluded (GE), and steppe cultivated to cropland (C). ET was divided into its components evaporation (E) and canopy transpiration (T) using herbicide and a chamber attached to a portable infrared gas analyzer (Li-6400). The results indicated that daily water consumption by ET in G was 3.30 kg m−2d−1; compared with G, ET increased significantly in GE at 13.4% and showed a trend of 6.73% increase in C. Daily water consumption by E increased 24.3% in GE relative to G, and C showed 20.2% more than GE. At 0.46, E/ET in C was significantly higher than G at 0.35. Air temperature and the vapor pressure deficit were closely correlated with variation in diurnal ET, E, and T. The leaf area index (LAI) was also positively correlated with daily ET and E varied among grassland use patterns and explained variation in E/ET (81%). Thus, variation in LAI strongly influences the overall magnitude of ecosystem ET and the composition of its components under different grassland use patterns.
A Cellular Automata Bioinspired Algorithm Designing Data Trees in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Tsompanas Michail-Antisthenis I. , Mayne Richard , Sirakoulis Georgios Ch. , Adamatzky Andrew I.
Published: June 2015

Several studies present methods to economize energy in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) which is one of the most confining resources in these systems. This paper presents a bioinspired, cellular automata (CA) based model for constructing data trees that connect all nodes with a sink node. Nonetheless, the proposed model takes into consideration not only the proximity between two nodes but also their remaining available energy. Consequently, by avoiding nodes with nearly depleted energy sources, the life time of the network can be prolonged. The plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum is the inspiration for the proposed model, as it has proved its robustness in graphically expressed problems. Moreover, CAs are able to encapsulate the parallel dynamics of the model and, thus, achieve a very fast execution.
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor, Allopurinol, Prevented Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis, and Myocardial Damage in Isoproterenol Induced Aged Rats
Authors: Sagor Md. Abu Taher , Tabassum Nabila , Potol Md. Abdullah , Alam Md. Ashraful
Published: June 2015

We evaluated the preventive effect of allopurinol on isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial infarction in aged rats. Twelve- to fourteen-month-old male Long Evans rats were divided into three groups: control, ISO, and ISO + allopurinol. At the end of the study, all rats were sacrificed for blood and organ sample collection to evaluate biochemical parameters and oxidative stress markers analyses. Histopathological examinations were also conducted to assess inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis in heart and kidneys. Our investigation revealed that the levels of oxidative stress markers were significantly increased while the level of cellular antioxidants, catalase activity, and glutathione concentration in ISO induced rats decreased. Treatment with allopurinol to ISO induced rats prevented the elevated activities of AST, ALT, and ALP enzymes, and the levels of lipid peroxidation products and increased reduced glutathione concentration. ISO induced rats also showed massive inflammatory cells infiltration and fibrosis in heart and kidneys. Furthermore, allopurinol treatment prevented the inflammatory cells infiltration and fibrosis in ISO induced rats. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that allopurinol treatment is capable of protecting heart of ISO induced myocardial infarction in rats probably by preventing oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Spectroscopic Studies of the Behavior of Eu3+on the Luminescence of Cadmium Tellurite Glasses
Authors: García-Amaya I. V. , Zayas Ma. E. , Alvarado-Rivera J. , Álvarez E. , Gallardo-Heredia S. A. , Limón G. A. , Lozada-Morales R. , Rincón J. Ma.
Published: June 2015

The effect of europium doping on the photoluminescence of ZnO-CdO-TeO2glasses is analyzed. TeO2-based glasses are of high interest as hosts for laser glasses. The Eu-doped oxide glasses were prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method. Five different concentrations of europium nitrate hexahydrate that varied from 0.3 to 1.5 mol% were used. SEM observations revealed the formation of zinc aluminate spinel and disperse droplets of liquid-liquid phase separation in the glasses. X-Ray diffraction reveals the amorphous structure of the fabricated glasses. FT-IR and Raman spectra show the presence of TeO4and TeO3+1/TeO3units that conform with the glass matrix. Raman spectra evidenced a band located at 1556 cm−1that can be related to interstitial molecular oxygen in the glass matrix. Photoluminescence of the glasses showed light emission due to the following europiumtransitions from itsD52,D51, andD50levels to itsF7Jmanifolds:D52→F70(468 nm),D52→F72(490 nm),D52→F73(511 nm),D51→F71(536 nm),D51→F72(554 nm),D50→F70(579.5 nm),D50→F71(592 nm),D50→F72(613 nm),D50→F73(652 nm), andD50→F74(490 nm). The estimated decay time,τ, was 0.4 ms for all the glasses.
Studies on the Protective Effects of Scutellarein against Neuronal Injury by Ischemia through the Analysis of Endogenous Amino Acids and Ca2+Concentration Together with Ca2+-ATPase Activity
Authors: Tang Hao , Dong Ze-Xi , Gu Ting , Li Nian-Guang , Tang Yu-Ping , Shi Qian-Ping , Guo Jian-Ming , Zhang Peng-Xuan , Duan Jin-Ao
Published: June 2015

Scutellarin, which is extracted from the dried plant ofErigeron breviscapus, has been reported to protect the neural injury against excitotoxicity induced by ischemia. However, there are a few studies on the protective effects of scutellarein, which is the main metabolite of scutellarin in vivo. Thus, this study investigated the neuroprotective effects of scutellarein on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) model, through the analysis of endogenous amino acids using HILIC-MS/MS, and evaluation of Ca2+concentration together with Ca2+-ATPase activity. The results showed that scutellarein having good protective effects on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion might by decreasing the excitatory amino acids, increasing the inhibitory amino acids, lowing intracellular Ca2+level, and improving Ca2+-ATPase activity, which suggested that scutellarein might be a promising potent agent for the therapy of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
Qigongas a Traditional Vegetative Biofeedback Therapy: Long-Term Conditioning of Physiological Mind-Body Effects
Authors: Matos Luís Carlos , Sousa Cláudia Maria , Gonçalves Mário , Gabriel Joaquim , Machado Jorge , Greten Henry Johannes
Published: June 2015

A contemporary understanding of Chinese Medicine (CM) regards CM diagnosis as a functional vegetative state that may be treated by vegetative reflex therapies such as acupuncture. Within this context, traditional mind-body exercises such asQigongcan be understood as an attempt to enhance physiological proprioception, by combining a special state of “awareness” with posture, movement, and breath control. We have formerly trained young auditing flutists in “White Ball”Qigongto minimize anxiety-induced cold hands and lower anxiety-induced heart rate. Functional changes occurred 2–5 min after training and were observed over the whole training program, allowing the children to control their symptoms. In our current work, we report that warm fingers and calm hearts could be induced by the children even withoutQigongexercises. Thus, these positive changes once induced and “conditioned” vegetatively were stable after weeks of training. This may show the mechanism by whichQigongacts as a therapeutic measure in disease: positive vegetative pathways may be activated instead of dysfunctional functional patterns. The positive vegetative patterns then may be available in critical stressful situations.Qigongexercise programs may therefore be understood as an ancient vegetative biofeedback exercise inducing positive vegetative functions which are added to the individual reactive repertoire.
Diabetic Retinopathy: Vascular and Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Semeraro F. , Cancarini A. , dell’Omo R. , Rezzola S. , Romano M. R. , Costagliola C.
Published: June 2015

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of visual impairment in the working-age population of the Western world. The pathogenesis of DR is complex and several vascular, inflammatory, and neuronal mechanisms are involved. Inflammation mediates structural and molecular alterations associated with DR. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the inflammatory pathways associated with DR are not completely characterized. Previous studies indicate that tissue hypoxia and dysregulation of immune responses associated with diabetes mellitus can induce increased expression of numerous vitreous mediators responsible for DR development. Thus, analysis of vitreous humor obtained from diabetic patients has made it possible to identify some of the mediators (cytokines, chemokines, and other factors) responsible for DR pathogenesis. Further studies are needed to better understand the relationship between inflammation and DR. Herein the main vitreous-related factors triggering the occurrence of retinal complication in diabetes are highlighted.
MicroRNA-208a Silencing Attenuates Doxorubicin Induced Myocyte Apoptosis and Cardiac Dysfunction
Authors: Tony Hasahya , Yu Kunwu , Qiutang Zeng
Published: June 2015

Aims. GATA4 depletion is a distinct mechanism by which doxorubicin leads to cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and preservation of GATA4 mitigates doxorubicin induced myocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. We investigated a novel approach of attenuating doxorubicin induced cardiac toxicity by silencing miR-208a, a heart specific microRNA known to target GATA4.Methods and Results. Eight-week-old female Balb/C mice were randomly assigned to sham, antagomir, and control groups. Antagomir group were pretreated with miR-208a antagomir 4 days before doxorubicin administration. At day 0, control and antagomir groups received 20 mg/kg of doxorubicin, while sham mice received phosphate buffered solution. Echocardiography was done at day 7, after which animals were sacrificed and hearts harvested and assessed for apoptosis and expression of miR-208a, GATA4, and BCL-2. Doxorubicin significantly upregulated miR-208a, downregulated GATA4, and increased myocyte apoptosis, with resulting decrease in cardiac function. In contrast, therapeutic silencing of miR-208a salvaged GATA4 and BCL-2 and decreased apoptosis, with improvement in cardiac function.Conclusion. Doxorubicin upregulates miR-208a and promotes cardiomyocyte apoptosis, while therapeutic silencing of miR-208a attenuates doxorubicin induced myocyte apoptosis with subsequent improvement in cardiac function. These novel results highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting miR-208a to prevent doxorubicin cardiotoxicity.
Cross Talk between Proliferative, Angiogenic, and Cellular Mechanisms Orchestred by HIF‐1α in Psoriasis
Authors: Torales-Cardeña Azael , Martínez-Torres Isaí , Rodríguez-Martínez Sandra , Gómez-Chávez Fernando , Cancino-Díaz Juan C. , Vázquez-Sánchez Ernesto A. , Cancino-Díaz Mario E.
Published: June 2015

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease where the altered regulation in angiogenesis, inflammation, and proliferation of keratinocytes are the possible causes of the disease, and the transcription factor “hypoxia‐inducible factor 1‐alpha” (HIF‐1α) is involved in the homeostasis of these three biological phenomena. In this review, the role of HIF‐1α in the cross talk between the cytokines and cells of the immunological system involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis is discussed.
Cancer Discrimination Using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Chemometric Models
Authors: Chen Hui , Lin Zan , Tan Chao
Published: June 2015

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy technique offers many potential advantages as tool for biomedical analysis since it enables the subtle biochemical signatures related to pathology to be detected and extracted. In conjunction with advanced chemometrics, NIR spectroscopy opens the possibility of their use in cancer diagnosis. The study focuses on the application of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and classification models for discriminating colorectal cancer. A total of 107 surgical specimens and a corresponding NIR diffuse reflection spectral dataset were prepared. Three preprocessing methods were attempted and least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) was used to build a classification model. The hybrid preprocessing of first derivative and principal component analysis (PCA) resulted in the best LS-SVM model with the sensitivity and specificity of 0.96 and 0.96 for the training and 0.94 and 0.96 for test sets, respectively. The similarity performance on both subsets indicated that overfitting did not occur, assuring the robustness and reliability of the developed LS-SVM model. The area of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.99, demonstrating once again the high prediction power of the model. The result confirms the applicability of the combination of NIR spectroscopy, LS-SVM, PCA, and first derivative preprocessing for cancer diagnosis.
Obstructive Jaundice as Initial Presentation of Multiple Myeloma: Case Presentation and Literature Review
Authors: Khan Yasir , Mansour Iyad , Ong Eric , Shrestha Manish
Published: June 2015

Multiple myeloma is a malignant plasma-cell disorder that primarily involves the bone marrow, but extramedullary involvement is becoming increasingly common (Bladé et al., 2012) both at initial presentation and follow-up. Most common initial presentations for multiple myeloma include generalized fatigue, renal insufficiency, bone pain, and recurrent bacterial infections. We present a case of a healthy 55-year-old man that presented to the emergency department with a three-week history of anorexia and jaundice without any past medical history. Patient’s initial labs were significant for hyperbilirubinemia and elevated liver function enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT). Additional laboratory workup was significant for mild hypercalcemia and increased protein gap. MRI and ERCP suggested primary sclerosing cholangitis but were not diagnostic. Liver biopsy illustrated plasma-cell infiltration and bone marrow biopsy diagnosed multiple myeloma with extramedullary disease. Patient was started on dexamethasone, bortezomib, and cyclophosphamide, but, despite this aggressive regimen, the patient continued to decline. We take this opportunity to present this atypical presentation of a common hematological malignancy and review the associated literature.
Effect of Low and High Dose Sugammadex on the Coagulation and Fibrinolytic System in Rats
Authors: Taş Nilay , Yağan Özgür , Noyan Tevfik , Ayyıldız Sema Nur , Üstün Y. Burcu , Gözlükaya Özgül , Kocamanoğlu Serhat
Published: June 2015

Background. Sugammadex is a new reversal agent that has entered use recently. It is known that with sugammadex some changes in coagulation parameters occur without documented clinical results. Aim of the Work. The objective of this study was to identify effects of sugammadex on liver functions, coagulation, and fibrinolytic systems. Methods. Thirty-six rats were randomized into six groups: Group I, control; Group II, rocuronium group; Group III, sugammadex administered in 16 mg kg−1 dose; Group IV, sugammadex administered in 96 mg kg−1 dose; Group V, rocuronium and sugammadex administered in 16 mg kg−1 dose; and Group VI, rocuronium and sugammadex administered in 96 mg kg−1 dose. After 120 minutes, blood samples were obtained for prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer, fibrinogen, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, albumin, platelet, and mean platelet volume analyses. Results. Compared to the control group, in all groups measured parameters did not show any effect from a statistical viewpoint either due to the administered drugs alone or due to interaction effects. Conclusion. The conclusion was reached that administration of sugammadex in rats did not have any significant effect on the fibrinolytic system, coagulation parameters, and liver function.
An Efficient Approach for Web Indexing of Big Data through Hyperlinks in Web Crawling
Authors: Devi R. Suganya , Manjula D. , Siddharth R. K.
Published: June 2015

Web Crawling has acquired tremendous significance in recent times and it is aptly associated with the substantial development of the World Wide Web. Web Search Engines face new challenges due to the availability of vast amounts of web documents, thus making the retrieved results less applicable to the analysers. However, recently, Web Crawling solely focuses on obtaining the links of the corresponding documents. Today, there exist various algorithms and software which are used to crawl links from the web which has to be further processed for future use, thereby increasing the overload of the analyser. This paper concentrates on crawling the links and retrieving all information associated with them to facilitate easy processing for other uses. In this paper, firstly the links are crawled from the specified uniform resource locator (URL) using a modified version of Depth First Search Algorithm which allows for complete hierarchical scanning of corresponding web links. The links are then accessed via the source code and its metadata such as title, keywords, and description are extracted. This content is very essential for any type of analyser work to be carried on the Big Data obtained as a result of Web Crawling.
Precision Medicine for Continuing Phenotype Expansion of Human Genetic Diseases
Authors: Yu Hui , Zhang Victor Wei
Published: June 2015

Determining the exact genetic causes for a patient and providing definite molecular diagnoses are core elements of precision medicine. Individualized patient care is often limited by our current knowledge of disease etiologies and commonly used phenotypic-based diagnostic approach. The broad and incompletely understood phenotypic spectrum of a disease and various underlying genetic heterogeneity also present extra challenges to our clinical practice. With the rapid adaptation of new sequence technology in clinical setting for diagnostic purpose, phenotypic expansions of disease spectrum are becoming increasingly common. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms will help us to integrate genomic information into the workup of individualized patient care and make better clinical decisions.
Isolation and Characterization of Human Lung Lymphatic Endothelial Cells
Authors: Lorusso Bruno , Falco Angela , Madeddu Denise , Frati Caterina , Cavalli Stefano , Graiani Gallia , Gervasi Andrea , Rinaldi Laura , Lagrasta Costanza , Maselli Davide , Gnetti Letizia , Silini Enrico M. , Quaini Eugenio , Ampollini Luca , Carbognani Paolo , Quaini Federico
Published: June 2015

Characterization of lymphatic endothelial cells from the respiratory system may be crucial to investigate the role of the lymphatic system in the normal and diseased lung. We describe a simple and inexpensive method to harvest, isolate, and expand lymphatic endothelial cells from the human lung (HL-LECs). Fifty-five samples of healthy lung selected from patients undergoing lobectomy were studied. A two-step purification tool, based on paramagnetic sorting with monoclonal antibodies to CD31 and Podoplanin, was employed to select a pure population of HL-LECs. The purity of HL-LECs was assessed by morphologic criteria, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and functional assays. Interestingly, these cells retainin vitroseveral receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) implicated in cell survival and proliferation. HL-LECs represent a clinically relevant cellular substrate to study lymphatic biology, lymphoangiogenesis, interaction with microbial agents, wound healing, and anticancer therapy.