bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extended Mixed Vector Equilibrium Problems
Authors: Rahaman Mijanur , Kılıçman Adem , Ahmad Rais
Published: April 2014

We study extended mixed vector equilibrium problems, namely, extended weak mixed vector equilibrium problem and extended strong mixed vector equilibrium problem in Hausdorff topological vector spaces. Using generalized KKM-Fan theorem (Ben-El-Mechaiekh et al.; 2005), some existence results for both problems are proved in noncompact domain.
Fractal Prediction Model for Normal Contact Damping of Joint Surfaces considering Friction Factors and Its Simulation
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Yue Bing , Zhao Guanghui , Sun Dehua
Published: April 2014

To research the dynamic characteristics of the joint surfaces from the microperspective, the fractal prediction model of the normal contact damping of joint surfaces is established based on the “solid-gap-solid” contact model which was proposed by the author, tribology theory, and contact fractal theory. And the kinetic model of joint surfaces is improved to a certain extent. The influences of actual contacting area, friction coefficient, and the fractal dimension on the normal contact damping are revealed by the research of numerical simulation. Simulation results show that the normal contact damping of joint surfaces decreases to a constant value with the increase of actual contacting area, increases with the increase of friction coefficient, and decreases with the increase of fractal dimension. Actual contacting area influences the location of the turning point of the C n*-μ (critical friction coefficient), and the critical friction coefficient increases with the increase of actual contacting area. Normal damping coefficient of joint surfaces continuously decreases with the increase of fractal dimension and the difference of magnitude exists between normal contact damping coefficients with different fractal dimension values.
Complete Cell Killing by Applying High Hydrostatic Pressure for Acellular Vascular Graft Preparation
Authors: Mahara Atsushi , Morimoto Naoki , Sakuma Takahiro , Fujisato Toshiya , Yamaoka Tetsuji
Published: April 2014

Pressure treatment has been developed in tissue engineering application. Although the tissue scaffold prepared by a ultrahydrostatic pressure treatment has been reported, an excessive pressure has a potential to disrupt a structure of extracellular matrix through protein denaturation. It is important to understand the suitable low-pressure condition and mechanisms for cell killing. In this study, cellular morphology, mitochondria activity, and membrane permeability of mammalian cells with various pressure treatments were investigated with in vitro models. When the cells were treated with a pressure of 100 MPa for 10 min, cell morphology and adherence were the same as an untreated cells. Dehydrogenase activity in mitochondria was almost the same as untreated cells. On the other hand, when the cells were treated with the pressure of more than 200 MPa, the cells did not adhere, and the dehydrogenase activity was completely suppressed. However, green fluorescence was observed in the live/dead staining images, and the cells were completely stained as red after above 500 MPa. That is, membrane permeability was disturbed with the pressure treatment of above 500 MPa. These results indicated that the pressure of 200 MPa for 10 min was enough to induce cell killing through inactivation of mitochondria activity.
The Potential Protective Effect ofPhysalis peruvianaL. against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats Is Mediated by Suppression of Oxidative Stress and Downregulation of MMP-9 Expression
Authors: Al-Olayan Ebtisam M. , El-Khadragy Manal F. , Aref Ahmed M. , Othman Mohamed S. , Kassab Rami B. , Abdel Moneim Ahmed E.
Published: April 2014

The active constituent profile in Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruvianaL.) juice was determined by GC-MS. Quercetin and kaempferol were active components in the juice. In this study we have evaluated its potential protective effect on hepatic injury and fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Twenty-eight rats divided into 4 groups: Group I served as control group, and Group II received weekly i.p. injection of 2 mL CCl4/kg bwt for 12 weeks. Group III were supplemented with Physalis juice via the drinking water. The animals of Group IV received Physalis juice as Group III and also were intraperitoneally injected weekly with 2 mL CCl4/kg bwt for 12 weeks. Hepatoprotective effect was evaluated by improvement in liver enzymes serum levels, reduction in collagen areas, downregulation in expression of the fibrotic marker MMP-9, reduction in the peroxidative marker malonaldehyde and the inflammatory marker nitric oxide, and restoration of the activity of antioxidant enzymatic and nonenzymatic systems, namely, glutathione content, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities. The results show that the potential hepatoprotective effects ofPhysalis peruvianamay be due to physalis acts by promotion of processes that restore hepatolobular architecture and through the inhibition of oxidative stress pathway.
Clinical Efficacy of Intravitreal Ranibizumab in Early and Mid-Idiopathic Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Fan Chuanfeng , Ji Qiang , Wang Yu , Shu Xiangwen , Xie Juan
Published: April 2014

Background. To compare visual outcomes and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography results following intravitreal ranibizumab treatment for early and mid-idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (ICNV).Methods. This retrospective, case-controlled study examined 44 patients with ICNV in one eye initially treated with intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5 mg). Further intravitreal treatments were administered as necessary. Patients were divided into two groups according to disease duration, that is, ≤3 months or 3–6 months (early and mid-groups), and the data were compared.Results. All patients completed at least 12 months of follow-up. Significant differences were observed between the groups in best-corrected visual acuity and in central macular thickness (CMT) reduction at all five follow-up visits. At the last follow-up (12 months), 19 early group eyes (79.1%) and 10 mid group eyes (50.0%) had statistically significant visual gains of >15 early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) letters(χ2=4.130,  P=0.042). The mean number of injections was significantly higher (P=0.0001)in the mid group(2.53±1.76)than in the early group(1.22±1.01).Conclusions. Early intravitreal ranibizumab for ICNV can result in better visual prognoses, more obvious decreases in CMT, and fewer injections.
Heat Flow in the Campos Sedimentary Basin and Thermal History of the Continental Margin of Southeast Brazil
Authors: Cardoso Roberta A. , Hamza Valiya M.
Published: April 2014

Bottom-hole temperatures and physical properties derived from geophysical logs of deep oil wells have been employed in assessment of the geothermal field of the Campos basin, situated in the continental margin of southeast Brazil. The results indicate geothermal gradients in the range of 24 to 41°C/km and crustal heat flow in the range of 30 to 100 mW/m2 within the study area. Maps of the regional distributions of these parameters point to arc-shaped northeast-southwest trending belts of relatively high gradients and heat flow in the central part of the Campos basin. This anomalous geothermal belt is coincident with the areas of occurrences of oil deposits. The present study also reports progress obtained in reconstructing the subsidence history of sedimentary strata at six localities within the Campos basin. The results point to episodes of crustal extension with magnitudes of 1.3 to 2, while extensions of subcrustal layers are in the range of 2 to 3. Thermal models indicate high heat flow during the initial stages of basin evolution. Maturation indices point to depths of oil generation greater than 3 km. The age of peak oil generation, allowing for variable time scales for cooling of the extended lithosphere, is found to be less than 40 Ma.
Marker-Assisted Selection for Recognizing Wheat Mutant Genotypes Carrying HMW Glutenin Alleles Related to Baking Quality
Authors: Zamani Mohammad Javad , Bihamta Mohammad Reza , Naserian Khiabani Behnam , Tahernezhad Zahra , Hallajian Mohammad Taher , Shamsi Marzieh Varasteh
Published: April 2014

Allelic diversity of HMW glutenin loci in several studies revealed that allelic combinations affect dough quality. Dx5 + Dy10 subunits are related to good baking quality and Dx2 + Dy12 are related to undesirable baking quality. One of the most regular methods to evaluate the baking quality is SDS-PAGE which is used to improve baking quality labs. Marker-assisted selection is the method which can recognize the alleles related to baking quality and this method is based on polymerase chain reaction. 10 pairs of specific primers related to Dx2, Dx2.1, Dx5, Dy10, and Dy12 subunits were used for recognizing baking quality of some wheat varieties and some mutant genotypes. Only 5 pairs of them could show the specific bands. All subunits were recognized by the primers except Dx2.1. Some of the primers were extracted from previous studies and the others were designed based on D genome subunits of wheat. SDS-PAGE method accomplished having confidence in these marker’s results. To realize the effect of mutation, seed storage proteins were measured. It showed that mutation had effect on the amount of seed storage protein on the mutant seeds (which showed polymorphism).
Improved Ant Algorithms for Software Testing Cases Generation
Authors: Yang Shunkun , Man Tianlong , Xu Jiaqi
Published: May 2014

Existing ant colony optimization (ACO) for software testing cases generation is a very popular domain in software testing engineering. However, the traditional ACO has flaws, as early search pheromone is relatively scarce, search efficiency is low, search model is too simple, positive feedback mechanism is easy to porduce the phenomenon of stagnation and precocity. This paper introduces improved ACO for software testing cases generation: improved local pheromone update strategy for ant colony optimization, improved pheromone volatilization coefficient for ant colony optimization (IPVACO), and improved the global path pheromone update strategy for ant colony optimization (IGPACO). At last, we put forward a comprehensive improved ant colony optimization (ACIACO), which is based on all the above three methods. The proposed technique will be compared with random algorithm (RND) and genetic algorithm (GA) in terms of both efficiency and coverage. The results indicate that the improved method can effectively improve the search efficiency, restrain precocity, promote case coverage, and reduce the number of iterations.
Strong Convergence Theorems of theCQAlgorithm forH-Monotone Operators in Hilbert Spaces
Authors: He Huimin , Liu Sanyang
Published: April 2014

The aim of this paper is to show the strong convergence theorems of theCQalgorithm forH-monotone operators in Hilbert spaces by hybrid method in the mathematical programming. The main results extend and improve the corresponding results. Moreover, the assumption conditions of our results are weaker than those of the corresponding results.
Determination Permeability Coefficient from Piezocone
Authors: Wang Qiang , Tong LiYuan
Published: April 2014

The permeability coefficient of soil profile is one of the problems concerned by engineers, and the determination of permeability coefficient method mainly relies on the laboratory permeability test and field pumping test, but these tests are time-consuming and inefficient, and especially the permeability coefficient of soil under the condition of partial drainage was difficult to determine; in this paper, the modern digital CPTU technology was used. Dimensional permeabilityKTwas defined by using the dimensionless normalized cone tip resistanceQt, friction factorFr, and pore pressure ratioBq, these parameters enable plots ofBq-Qt,Fr-Qt,Bq-Frto be contouredKTand hence for permeability coefficient. The relationship has been applied to Nanjing 4th Yangtze river bridge, and compared with laboratory penetration test. The results indicate that the method can accurately determine the permeability coefficient of soil under partial drainage condition and provide the theoretical basis for engineering application.
New Type Continuities via Abel Convergence
Authors: Cakalli Huseyin , Albayrak Mehmet
Published: April 2014

We investigate the concept of Abel continuity. A functionfdefined on a subset ofℝ, the set of real numbers, is Abel continuous if it preserves Abel convergent sequences. Some other types of continuities are also studied and interesting result is obtained. It turned out that uniform limit of a sequence of Abel continuous functions is Abel continuous and the set of Abel continuous functions is a closed subset of continuous functions.
Tunability of Triangular SRR and Wire Strip (TSRR-WS) Metamaterial at THz
Authors: Dawar Parul , De Asok
Published: April 2014

This paper adumbrates a novel tunable metamaterial consisting of triangular split ring resonator (TSRR) and wire strip (WS) at THz frequency. Ansoft high frequency structure simulator (HFSS) has been used to design and analyse the metamaterial having Rogers RT/duroid 5870 (εr  =  2.33) and FR4 (εr  =  4.4) as substrate material. Nicolson Ross Weir (NRW) method has been used to retrieve the material parameters from transmission and reflection coefficient. 4% maximization has been obtained in the location of the negative region (or resonance frequency for permeability) by using FR4 with 0.75 μm instead of 1.25 μm as substrate thickness. In addition, 18% minimization has been achieved by using FR4 with 0.25 μm instead of RT/duroid 5870 substrate with the same thickness. Tunability has been proved by showing dependence of resonant frequency over the substrate thickness and substrate material.
Cryptosporidiosis in Iranian Farm Workers and Their Household Members: A Hypothesis about Possible Zoonotic Transmission
Authors: Izadi Morteza , Jonaidi-Jafari Nematollah , Saburi Amin , Eyni Hossein , Rezaiemanesh Mohammad-Reza , Ranjbar Reza
Published: April 2014

Objectives. The prevalence ofCryptosporidiumand the risk factors of zoonotic transmission in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran dairy farms were examined.Methods. One fecal sample was collected from all calves less than 6 months old in eight dairy farms around Najafabad (Isfahan province, Central Iran) as well as individuals working in these farms and their household members. A two-step nested PCR protocol was used to amplify the 18S rRNA gene (830 bp).Results.Cryptosporidiumwas identified in the stool of 36 (prevalence 8.5%) of 96 farm workers and 326 household members. Furthermore, 31 (14.2%) of 218 calf samples were positive.Cryptosporidium parvumwas identified in 15 (72%) of the positive farm workers and 10 (65%) of the positive household members. Of the positive calves, 20 (64.5%) were infected withC. parvum, indicating possible zoonotic transmission in these farms. Contact with calves (P< 0.0001) was the most significant risk factor ofC. parvuminfection. A considerable negative association was observed betweenC. parvuminfection and cleaning of shoes/boots after daily work (P= 0.004), hand washing (P= 0.013), and use of piped water (P< 0.006). In the multivariate analysis with logistic regression, only contact with calves was significant.Conclusion. Zoonotic transmission ofC. parvumdue to contact with calves is predominant among farm workers and their household members of this region and appropriate health measures must be applied to control the infection and decrease of zoonotic transmission of this parasite.
Traveling Wave Solutions for Epidemic Cholera Model with Disease-Related Death
Authors: Zhang Tianran , Gou Qingming
Published: April 2014

Based on Codeço’s cholera model (2001), an epidemic cholera model that incorporates the pathogen diffusion and disease-related death is proposed. The formula for minimal wave speedc∗is given. To prove the existence of traveling wave solutions, an invariant cone is constructed by upper and lower solutions and Schauder’s fixed point theorem is applied. The nonexistence of traveling wave solutions is proved by two-sided Laplace transform. However, to apply two-sided Laplace transform, the prior estimate of exponential decrease of traveling wave solutions is needed. For this aim, a new method is proposed, which can be applied to reaction-diffusion systems consisting of more than three equations.
Improvement in Device Performance and Reliability of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes through Deposition Rate Control
Authors: Liu Shun-Wei , Lee Chih-Chien , Chung Yu-Ting , Lee Jiun-Haw , Chen Chin-Ti , Wang Juen-Kai
Published: April 2014

We demonstrated a fabrication technique to reduce the driving voltage, increase the current efficiency, and extend the operating lifetime of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) by simply controlling the deposition rate of bis(10-hydroxybenzo[h]qinolinato) beryllium (Bebq2) used as the emitting layer and the electron-transport layer. In our optimized device, 55 nm of Bebq2was first deposited at a faster deposition rate of 1.3 nm/s, followed by the deposition of a thin Bebq2(5 nm) layer at a slower rate of 0.03 nm/s. The Bebq2layer with the faster deposition rate exhibited higher photoluminescence efficiency and was suitable for use in light emission. The thin Bebq2layer with the slower deposition rate was used to modify the interface between the Bebq2and cathode and hence improve the injection efficiency and lower the driving voltage. The operating lifetime of such a two-step deposition OLED was 1.92 and 4.6 times longer than that of devices with a single deposition rate, that is, 1.3 and 0.03 nm/s cases, respectively.
The Lattices of Group Fuzzy Congruences and Normal Fuzzy Subsemigroups onE-Inversive Semigroups
Authors: Wang Shoufeng
Published: May 2014

The aim of this paper is to investigate the lattices of group fuzzy congruences and normal fuzzy subsemigroups onE-inversive semigroups. We prove that group fuzzy congruences and normal fuzzy subsemigroups determined each other inE-inversive semigroups. Moreover, we show that the set of groupt-fuzzy congruences and the set of normal subsemigroups with tiptin a givenE-inversive semigroup form two mutually isomorphic modular lattices for everyt∈0,1.
ATP-Binding Cassette Genes Genotype and Expression: A Potential Association with Pancreatic Cancer Development and Chemoresistance?
Authors: Pang Li , Word Beverly , Xu Joshua , Wang Honggang , Hammons George , Huang Shiew-Mei , Lyn-Cook Beverly
Published: May 2014

Genetic polymorphisms in ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter genes are associated with differential responses to chemotherapy in various cancers including pancreatic cancer. In this study, four SNPs in the ABCB1, ABCC1, and ABCG2 genes were investigated in normal and pancreatic cancerous specimens. The expression of the three transporters was also analyzed. The TT genotypes of G2677T and C3435T in ABCB1 gene were associated with lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer (P=0.013, OR = 0.35 andP=0.015, OR = 0.29, resp.). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the common polymorphisms in the ABCB1 gene affecting the genetic risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Moreover, the expression of ABCB1 in 2677TT and 3435TT carriers was lower compared to the wild-type homozygotes and heterozygotes. A cell viability assay, using standard pancreatic cancer cell lines, revealed that the ABCB1 2677TT-3455TT haplotype was more sensitive than the other haplotypes to gemcitabine.Conclusion. Polymorphisms in ABCB1 G2677T and G3435T were associated with differential susceptibility to pancreatic cancer and may predict responses to chemotherapy.
Mathematical Modeling of Moisture Sorption Isotherms and Determination of Isosteric Heats of Sorption ofZiziphusLeaves
Authors: Saad Amel , Touati Boumediene , Draoui Belkacem , Tabti Boufeldja , Abdenebi Asma , Benaceur Said
Published: April 2014

Desorption and adsorption equilibrium moisture isotherms ofZiziphus spina-christileaves were determined using the gravimetric-static method at 30, 40, and 50°C for water activity(aw)ranging from 0.057 to 0.898. At a givenaw, the results show that the moisture content decreases with increasing temperature. A hysteresis effect was observed. The experimental data of sorption were fitted by eight models (GAB, BET, Henderson-Thompson, modified-Chung Pfost, Halsey, Oswin, Peleg, and Adam and Shove). After evaluating the models according to several criteria, the Peleg and Oswin models were found to be the most suitable for describing the sorption curves. The net isosteric heats of desorption and adsorption ofZiziphus spina-christileaves were calculated by applying the Clausius-Clapeyron equation to the sorption isotherms and an expression for predicting these thermodynamic properties was given.
Stability and Hopf Bifurcation of a Predator‐Prey Model with Distributed Delays and Competition Term
Authors: Zheng Lv-Zhou
Published: April 2014

A class of predator‐prey system with distributed delays and competition term is considered. By considering the time delay as bifurcation parameter, we analyze the stability and the Hopf bifurcation of the predator‐prey system. According to the theorem of Hopf bifurcation, some sufficient conditions are obtained for the local stability of the positive equilibrium point.
Cryptanalytic Performance Appraisal of Improved CCH2 Proxy Multisignature Scheme
Authors: Kumar Raman , Singla Nonika
Published: April 2014

Many of the signature schemes are proposed in which the t out of n threshold schemes are deployed, but they still lack the property of security. In this paper, we have discussed implementation of improved CCH1 and improved CCH2 proxy multisignature scheme based on elliptic curve cryptosystem. We have represented time complexity, space complexity, and computational overhead of improved CCH1 and CCH2 proxy multisignature schemes. We have presented cryptanalysis of improved CCH2 proxy multisignature scheme and showed that improved CCH2 scheme suffered from various attacks, that is, forgery attack and framing attack.
Long-Term Risperidone Treatment Induces Visceral Adiposity Associated with Hepatic Steatosis in Mice: A Magnetic Resonance Approach
Authors: Auger Florent , Duriez Patrick , Martin-Nizard Françoise , Durieux Nicolas , Bordet Régis , Pétrault Olivier
Published: April 2014

Although atypical antipsychotic drugs (APDs) have led to significant advances in the treatment of psychotic disorders, they still induce metabolic disturbances. We aimed at characterizing the metabolic consequences of a risperidone treatment and at establishing a link with noninvasive MR markers, in order to develop a tool for predicting symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. Fat deposition and liver morphometry were assessed by T1-weighted imaging. Fatty acid composition and fat accumulations in tissues were determined using MR spectroscopy with and without water suppression, respectively. Risperidone treatment induced a weight gain accompanied with metabolic disturbances such as hyperglycemic status, an increase in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and liver fat depositions. Correlations using Methylene-Water Ratio (MWR) and Polyunsaturated Index (PUI) demonstrated a concomitant increase in the weight gain, VAT and liver fat depositions, and a decrease in the quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These results were consistent with a hepatic steatosis state. We evaluated the ability of MR techniques to detect subtle metabolic disorders induced by APDs. Thus, our model and methodology offer the possibility to investigate APDs side effects in order to improve the health conditions of schizophrenic patients.
Radiographic Markers of Femoroacetabular Impingement: Correlation of Herniation Pit and Femoral Bump with a Positive Cross-Over Ratio
Authors: Scheyerer Max J. , Copeland Carol E. , Stromberg Jeffrey , Ruckstuhl Thomas , Werner Clément M. L.
Published: April 2014

Introduction. The goal of this study was to research the association of femoral bumps and herniation pits with the overlap-ratio of the cross-over sign.Methods. Pelvic X-rays and CT-scans of 2925 patients with good assessment of the anterior and the posterior acetabular wall and absence of neutral pelvic tilt were enrolled in the investigation. Finally pelvic X-rays were assessed for the presence of a positive cross-over sign, and CT-scans for a femoral bump or a herniation pit. Additionally, if a positive cross-over sign was discovered, the overlap-ratio was calculated.Results. A femoral bump was found in 53.3% (n=1559), and a herniation pit in 27.2% (n=796) of all hips. The overlap-ratio correlated positively with the presence of a femoral bump, while a negative correlation between the overlap-ratio and the presence of a herniation pit was found. The latter was significantly more often combined with a femoral bump than without.Conclusions. We detected an increased prevalence of femoral bump with increasing overlap-ratios of the cross-over sign indicating a relation to biomechanical stress. The observed decreased prevalence of herniation pits with increasing overlap-ratios could be explained by reduced mechanical stress due to nontightened iliofemoral ligament in the presence of retroversion of the acetabulum.
Management of Uveitis-Related Choroidal Neovascularization: From the Pathogenesis to the Therapy
Authors: D’Ambrosio Enzo , Tortorella Paolo , Iannetti Ludovico
Published: April 2014

Inflammatory choroidal neovascularization is a severe but uncommon complication of uveitis, more frequent in posterior uveitis such as punctate inner choroidopathy, multifocal choroiditis, serpiginous choroiditis, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. Its pathogenesis is supposed to be similar to the wet age related macular degeneration: hypoxia, release of vascular endothelial growth factor, stromal cell derived factor 1-alpha, and other mediators seem to be involved in the uveitis-related choroidal neovascularization. A review on the factors implicated so far in the pathogenesis of inflammatory choroidal neovascularization was performed. Also we reported the success rate of single studies concerning the therapies of choroidal neovascularization secondary to uveitis during the last decade: photodynamic therapy, intravitreal bevacizumab, and intravitreal ranibizumab, besides steroidal and immunosuppressive therapy. Hereby a standardization of the therapeutic approach is proposed.
Iterative Reproducing Kernel Method for Solving Second-Order Integrodifferential Equations of Fredholm Type
Authors: Komashynska Iryna , AL-Smadi Mohammed
Published: April 2014

We present an efficient iterative method for solving a class of nonlinear second-order Fredholm integrodifferential equations associated with different boundary conditions. A simple algorithm is given to obtain the approximate solutions for this type of equations based on the reproducing kernel space method. The solution obtained by the method takes form of a convergent series with easily computable components. Furthermore, the error of the approximate solution is monotone decreasing with the increasing of nodal points. The reliability and efficiency of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated by some numerical experiments.
Biological Evaluation of131I- and CF750-Labeled Dmab(scFv)-Fc Antibodies for Xenograft Imaging of CD25-Positive Tumors
Authors: Fan Qing , Cai Huawei , Yang Hao , Li Lin , Yuan Cen , Lu Xiaofeng , Wan Lin
Published: April 2014

A Dmab(scFv)-Fc antibody containing the single chain variable fragment of a humanized daclizumab antibody and the Fc fragment of a human IgG1 antibody was produced via recombinant expression inPichia pastoris. The Dmab(scFv)-Fc antibody forms a dimer in solution, and it specifically binds CD25-positive tumor cells and tumor tissues. For tumor imaging, the Dmab(scFv)-Fc antibody was labeled with the 131I isotope and CF750 fluorescent dye, respectively. After intravenous injection of mice bearing CD25-positive tumor xenografts, tumor uptake of the131I-Dmab(scFv)-Fc antibody was visible at 1 h, and clear images were obtained at 5 h using SPECT/CT. After systemic administration of the CF750-Dmab(scFv)-Fc antibody, tumor uptake was present as early as 1 h, and tumor xenografts could be kinetically imaged within 9 h after injection. These results indicate that the Dmab(scFv)-Fc antibody rapidly and specifically targets CD25-positive tumor cells, suggesting the potential of this antibody as an imaging agent for the diagnosis of lymphomatous-type ATLL.
RE-ATTEMPT: A New Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks
Authors: Ahmad A. , Javaid N. , Qasim U. , Ishfaq M. , Khan Z. A. , Alghamdi T. A.
Published: April 2014

Modern health care system is one of the most popular Wireless Body Area Sensor Network (WBASN) applications and a hot area of research subject to present work. In this paper, we present Reliability Enhanced-Adaptive Threshold based Thermal-unaware Energy-efficient Multi-hop ProTocol (RE-ATTEMPT) for WBASNs. The proposed routing protocol uses fixed deployment of wireless sensors (nodes) such that these are placed according to energy levels. Moreover, we use direct communication for the delivery of emergency data and multihop communication for the delivery of normal data. RE-ATTEMPT selects route with minimum hop count to deliver data which downplays the delay factor. Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive analysis supported by MATLAB simulations to provide an estimation of path loss, and problem formulation with its solution via linear programming model for network lifetime maximization is also provided. In simulations, we analyze our protocol in terms of network lifetime, packet drops, and throughput. Results show better performance for the proposed protocol as compared to the existing one.
Characteristics of Children Who Lost the Diagnosis of Autism: A Sample from Istanbul, Turkey
Authors: Mukaddes Nahit Motavalli , Tutkunkardas Mustafa Deniz , Sari Oktay , Aydin Aydan , Kozanoglu Pınar
Published: April 2014

Aim.The aim of this study was to describe a group of children who lost a diagnosis of autism following participation in early educational programs.Method.This is a descriptive study reporting the characteristics of children (n: 39) who lost their diagnosis of autism and explaining the educational programs that these children followed. The data were collected by reviewing the participants’ files and through examinations.Results.All of the children were placed at regular psychiatric follow-ups. The mean age at referral was 2.39±0.75 years, whereas the mean age at the time of optimal outcome reported was5.11±1.95years. Two of the children were in early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), and the rest were in a comprehensive naturalistic behavioral program. The childhood autism rating scale (CARS) total scores at baseline and final were32.75±3.15and18.01±1.76, respectively. The mean IQ of the group at final examination was116.70±18.88.Conclusion.It could be concluded that a group of children with an autism diagnosis could lose the diagnosis of autism upon early intervention. High IQ and the development of communicative and language skills at an early age could be the most powerful factors contributing to an optimal outcome.
Main Chain Noncentrosymmetric Hydrogen Bonded Macromolecules Incorporating Aniline, Alkanol, and Alkanoic Acid Hydrogen Bond Donors
Authors: Wolf Jeremy R.
Published: April 2014

The syntheses and characterization of three noncentrosymmetric main chain hydrogen bonded macromolecules which incorporate aniline, alkanoic acid, and alkanol hydrogen bond donor units are reported. These macromolecules participate in weak intermolecular hydrogen bonding as demonstrated using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR. The phase transitions of these macromolecules depend on the identity of the hydrogen bond donor.
Historical Feature Pattern Extraction Based Network Attack Situation Sensing Algorithm
Authors: Zeng Yong , Liu Dacheng , Lei Zhou
Published: April 2014

The situation sequence contains a series of complicated and multivariate random trends, which are very sudden, uncertain, and difficult to recognize and describe its principle by traditional algorithms. To solve the above questions, estimating parameters of super long situation sequence is essential, but very difficult, so this paper proposes a situation prediction method based on historical feature pattern extraction (HFPE). First, HFPE algorithm seeks similar indications from the history situation sequence recorded and weighs the link intensity between occurred indication and subsequent effect. Then it calculates the probability that a certain effect reappears according to the current indication and makes a prediction after weighting. Meanwhile, HFPE method gives an evolution algorithm to derive the prediction deviation from the views of pattern and accuracy. This algorithm can continuously promote the adaptability of HFPE through gradual fine-tuning. The method preserves the rules in sequence at its best, does not need data preprocessing, and can track and adapt to the variation of situation sequence continuously.
Preimage Selective Trapdoor Function: How to Repair an Easy Problem
Authors: Wang Baocang
Published: April 2014

Public key cryptosystems are constructed by embedding a trapdoor into a one‐way function. So, the one‐wayness and the trapdoorness are vital to public key cryptography. In this paper, we propose a novel public key cryptographic primitive called preimage selective trapdoor function. This scenario allows to use exponentially many preimage to hide a plaintext even if the underlying function is not one‐way. The compact knapsack problem is used to construct a probabilistic public key cryptosystem, the underlying encryption function of which is proven to be preimage selective trapdoor one‐way functions under some linearization attack models. The constructive method can guarantee the noninjectivity of the underlying encryption function and the unique decipherability for ciphertexts simultaneously. It is heuristically argued that the security of the proposal cannot be compromised by a polynomial‐time adversary even if the compact knapsack is easy to solve. We failed to provide any provable security results about the proposal; however, heuristic illustrations show that the proposal is secure against some known attacks including brute force attacks, linearization attacks, and key‐recovery attacks. The proposal turns out to have acceptable key sizes and performs efficiently and hence is practical.
Cauchy Problems for Evolutionary Pseudodifferential Equations overp-Adic Field
Authors: Wu Bo , Li Yin , Su Weiyi
Published: April 2014

We study a class of evolutionary pseudodifferential equations of the second order int,  (∂2u(t,x)/∂t2+2a2Tα/2(∂u(t,x)/∂t)+b2Tαu(t,x)+c2u(t,x)=q(t,x)), wheret∈(0,z]andTαis pseudodifferential operator inx∈Qp, which defined by Weiyi Su in 1992. We obtained the exact solutions to the equations which belong to mixed classes of real andp-adic functions.
A Mathematical Model of the Immune and Neuroendocrine Systems Mutual Regulation under the Technogenic Chemical Factors Impact
Authors: Zaitseva N. V. , Kiryanov D. A. , Lanin D. V. , Chigvintsev V. M.
Published: April 2014

The concept of the triad regulatory metasystem, which includes the neuroendocrine and immune regulation systems, is currently generally accepted. Changes occurring in each of the regulatory systems in response to the impact of technogenic chemical factors are also well known. This paper presents mathematical models of the immune and neuroendocrine system functioning, using the interaction between these systems in response to bacterial invasion as an example, and changes in their performance under exposure to chemical factors, taking into account the stage of functional disorders in a producing organ, using the performance of the bone marrow as an example.
Extending an Almost Complete Pair of Matrices to a Complete Triple
Authors: Chen Sheng , Xia Chao
Published: April 2014

Motivated by the concept of complete pairs, which was introduced by Krein and Langer, we present the concepts of an almost complete pair of matrices and a complete triple of matrices. It is proved that an almost complete pair of matrices can be extended to a complete triple. An application of the result to differential equations is also given.
The Risk of Endoscopic Mucosal Resection in the Setting of Clopidogrel Use
Authors: Namasivayam Vikneswaran , Prasad Ganapathy A. , Lutzke Lori S. , Dunagan Kelly T. , Borkenhagen Lynn S. , Okoro Ngozi I. , Tomizawa Yutaka , Buttar Navtej S. , Michel Wongkeesong Louis , Wang Kenneth K.
Published: April 2014

Objective. Guidelines on antiplatelet medication use during endoscopy are based on limited evidence. We investigate the risk of bleeding and ischemic events in patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of esophageal lesions in the setting of scheduled cessation and prompt resumption of clopidogrel. Design. Single centre retrospective review. Patients. Patients undergoing EMR of esophageal lesions. Interventions. Use of clopidogrel before EMR and resumption after EMR. Patients cease antiplatelets and anticoagulants 7 days before EMR and resume clopidogrel 2 days after EMR in average risk patients. Main Outcomes. Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and ischemic events (IE) within 30 days of EMR. Results. 798 patients underwent 1716 EMR. 776 EMR were performed on patients on at least 1 antiplatelet/anticoagulant (APAC). 17 EMR were performed following clopidogrel cessation. There were 14 GIB and 2 IE. GIB risk in the setting of recent clopidogrel alone (0%) was comparable to those not on APAC (1.1%) (P=1.0). IE risk on clopidogrel (6.3%) was higher than those not on APAC (0.1%) (P=0.03). Limitations. Retrospective study. Conclusions. Temporary cessation of clopidogrel before EMR and prompt resumption is not associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding but may be associated with increased ischemic events.
Incidence of Heterotopic Ossification in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy following Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Koulouvaris Panagiotis , Sherr David , Sculco Thomas
Published: April 2014

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a frequent complication of hip surgery. In this study the incidence of HO is analyzed in high risk patients who received radiation therapy (RT) after total hip replacement (THA) with regular and miniposterolateral hip approach. Two hundred and thirty five high risk patients received a single dose of 700 rad after THA. The incidence of HO was 15.7%. The incidence of HO in the high risk subgroup with the miniincision was lower (5.7%) but not significantly different (P=0.230). Hypertrophic osteoarthritis was demonstrated to be the consistent predisposing factor for HO formation (P=0.005).
Novel Molecular Beacon Probe-Based Real-Time RT-PCR Assay for Diagnosis of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Encountered in India
Authors: Kamboj Aman , Pateriya Atul Kumar , Mishra Anamika , Ranaware Pradip , Kulkarni Diwakar D. , Raut Ashwin Ashok
Published: April 2014

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging zoonotic disease in India and requires immediate detection of infection both for preventing further transmission and for controlling the infection. The present study describes development, optimization, and evaluation of a novel molecular beacon-based real-time RT-PCR assay for rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnosis of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). The developed assay was found to be a better alternative to the reported TaqMan assay for routine diagnosis of CCHF.
Output‐Feedback Control for a Class of Stochastic High‐Order Feedforward Nonlinear Systems with Delay
Authors: Ma Qian , Jiao Ticao , Cui Guozeng
Published: April 2014

The problem of global output‐feedback stabilization for a class of stochastic high‐order time‐delay feedforward nonlinear systems with different power orders is investigated. By combining the adding one power integrator technique with the homogeneous domination approach, an output‐feedback controller design is proposed, which ensures the global asymptotical stability in probability of the closed‐loop system.
Human Hair “Waste” and Its Utilization: Gaps and Possibilities
Authors: Gupta Ankush
Published: April 2014

Human hair is considered a waste material in most parts of the world and its accumulation in waste streams causes many environmental problems; however, it has many known uses. Preventing waste of such a material requires both addressing the problems in the current usage and developing its utilization systems at locations where they are missing. With focus on developing systematic utilization of human hair waste, this paper first reviews the possible uses of human hair gathered from large scale trades, local/traditional knowledge, upcoming innovations, and scientific research; along with the socioeconomic systems that have evolved around the known uses. Concerns and gaps in these systems are identified and possible directions to address these gaps are discussed. For expanding hair utilization to new contexts, important considerations such as knowledge, skill, and technology requirements and potential markets are discussed. Finally, a policy framework for socially and environmentally healthy utilization of human hair is outlined. This study shows that human hair is a highly versatile material with significant potential in several critical areas such as agriculture, medical applications, construction materials, and pollution control. Moreover, these uses are diverse enough for entrepreneurs ranging from unskilled to highly technical individuals and for the wide variety of human hair waste available in different locations.
Differential Hypermethylation of Death-Associated Protein Kinase Promoter in Central Neurocytoma and Oligodendroglioma
Authors: Chung Chia-Li , Tsai Hung Pei , Tsai Cheng-Yu , Chen Wan-Tzu , Lieu Ann-Shung , Wang Chih-Jen , Sheehan Jason , Chai Chee-Yin , Kwan Aij-Lie
Published: April 2014

Background. Central neurocytoma and oligodendroglioma are rare tumors of the central nervous system. However, diagnosis between these two types of tumors is challenging due to their many cytological and histological similarities. Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a calcium/calmodulin-regulated serine/threonine protein kinase involved in many apoptosis pathways, and repressed expression of DAPK by promoter hypermethylation has been found in a variety of human cancers. The purpose of this study was to assess DAPK protein expression and promoter hypermethylation in central neurocytoma and oligodendroglioma.Method. Central neurocytoma and oligodendroglioma samples were obtained from age- and sex-matched patients. DAPK protein expression was performed using immunohistochemical assays in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. DAPK promoter hypermethylation was carried out using bisulfite-modified genomic DNA in methylation-specific PCR followed by separation in agarose gels.Findings. A statistically significant difference (P=0.021) in DAPK promoter hypermethylation between central neurocytoma (76.9%) and oligodendroglioma (20%) was observed. High levels of DAPK protein expression were generally found in oligodendroglioma (90%), compared with 38.5% in central neurocytoma (P=0.054; not statistically significant). There was an inverse correlation between DAPK protein expression and DAPK promoter hypermethylation in the cohort of 23 patients (P=0.002).Conclusions. The results show that DAPK promoter hypermethylation and repressed expression of DAPK protein were more common in central neurocytoma than in oligodendroglioma. Thus, DAPK promoter hypermethylation could be useful for differential diagnosis between these two types of tumors, whereas DAPK protein expression might be less predictive. The role of DAPK promoter hypermethylation in the pathogenesis of central neurocytoma warrants further study.
Relationships of Alpha-SMA-Positive Fibroblasts and SDF-1-Positive Tumor Cells with Neoangiogenesis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Wang Shumin , Ma Ning , Kawanishi Shosuke , Hiraku Yusuke , Oikawa Shinji , Xie Ying , Zhang Zhe , Huang Guangwu , Murata Mariko
Published: April 2014

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors with poor prognosis in Southern China and Southeast Asia. Angiogenesis-related molecules can be promising therapeutic targets in NPC. To investigate the relationships of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and chemokine-related molecules with neoangiogenesis, we compared immunohistochemical analyses of alpha-smooth-muscle actin (α-SMA), stroma-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and its receptor CXCR4 in primary NPC specimens and chronic nasopharyngitis tissues. In addition, we examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A), and CD133- and VEGF- receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) double positive cells, as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). We also assessed CD34-positive microvessels. Significantly higher expression ofα-SMA was observed in fibroblasts in NPC stroma. The immunoreactive intensities of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were significantly higher in NPC cells. CXCR4-positive cells and CD133/VEGFR-2- double positive cells were observed in the stroma surrounding cancer nests, and VEGF was detected in both cancer and stromal cells. Microvessel density was significantly higher in the stroma of NPC tissues compared to chronic nasopharyngitis tissues. Our data suggest that CAFs and NPC tumor cells may enhance neoangiogenesis in a VEGF- and SDF-1-dependent manner by recruiting EPCs from the bone marrow into tumor stroma.
Role of Dried Fruits ofCarissa carandasas Anti-Inflammatory Agents and the Analysis of Phytochemical Constituents by GC-MS
Authors: Anupama N. , Madhumitha G. , Rajesh K. S.
Published: April 2014

Inflammation plays an important role in various diseases with high prevalence within populations such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcer, atherosclerosis, and asthma. Many drugs are available in the market for inflammatory diseases. They exhibit several unwanted side effects to humans. Therefore, alternative treatments with safer compounds are needed.Carissa carandasplant is used in traditional medicinal system for its various diseases curing property. In the present study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of dried fruit methanol extract on carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats.C. carandaswas defatted with petroleum ether, followed by methanol extraction. The methanol extracts of the dried fruits ofCarissa carandaswere given orally to the experimental rats caused significant activity (P≤0.05) when compared with the control group. The maximum inhibition of paw edema was found to be in Group V, that is, 76.12% with inhibition of paw volume in a dose-dependent manner. The anti-inflammatory activity of the methanol extract of the dried fruits shows that the presence of potential constituents present in this extract may provide assistance in the drug discovery process. The phytochemical compounds of the extract were screened by GC-MS analysis and it was found that 11 compounds are present in methanol extract of dried fruits ofCarissa carandas.
Thermal Decomposition Study of Ferrocene [(C5H5)2Fe]
Authors: Bhattacharjee Ashis , Rooj Amlan , Roy Debasis , Roy Madhusudan
Published: April 2014

A single-step thermal decomposition of ferrocene [(C5H5)2Fe] using nonisothermal thermogravimetry (TG) has been studied using single- as well as multiple-heating rate programs. Both mechanistic and nonmechanistic methods have been used to analyze the TG data to estimate the kinetic parameters for the solid state reaction. Two different isoconversional methods (improved iterative method and model-free method) have been employed to analyze the TG results to find out whether the activation energy of the reaction depends on the extent of decomposition and to predict the most probable reaction mechanism of thermal decomposition as well. A comparison of the activation energy values for the single-step thermal reaction of ferrocene estimated by different methods has been made in this work. An appraisal on the applicability of single-heating rate data for the analysis of single-step thermal decompositions over the recommendations by the International Confederation for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (ICTAC) is made to look beyond the choice.