bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
T‐cell‐replete haploidentical stem cell transplantation is highly efficacious for relapsed and refractory childhood acute leukaemia
Authors: Kobayashi S. , Ito M. , Sano H. , Mochizuki K. , Akaihata M. , Waragai T. , Ohara Y. , Hosoya M. , Ohto H. , Kikuta A.
Published: September 2014

Background

Despite improvements in first‐line therapies, the outcomes of relapsed or refractory childhood acute leukaemia that has not achieved complete remission after relapse, has relapsed after stem cell transplantation (SCT), has primary induction failure and has relapsed with a very unfavourable cytogenetic risk profile, are dismal.

Objectives and Methods

We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of T‐cell‐replete haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo‐SCT) with low‐dose anti‐human thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG), tacrolimus, methotrexate and prednisolone (PSL) in 14 paediatric patients with high‐risk childhood acute leukaemia.

Results

All patients achieved complete engraftment. The median time to reaching an absolute neutrophil count of more than 0.5 × 109 L−1 was 14 days. Acute graft‐vs‐host disease (aGVHD) of grades II–IV and III–IV developed in 10 (71%) and 2 (14%) patients, respectively. Treatment‐related mortality and relapse occurred in one (7%) patient and six (43%) patients, respectively. Eleven patients were alive and seven of them were disease‐free with a median follow‐up of 36 months (range: 30–159 months). The probability of event‐free survival after 2 years was 50%.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that T‐cell‐replete haplo‐SCT, with low‐dose ATG and PSL, provides sustained remission with an acceptable risk of GVHD in paediatric patients with advanced haematologic malignancies.
Chloroquine cardiomyopathy: beyond ocular adverse effects
Authors: Lopez-Ruiz Nilson , Uribe Carlos Esteban
Published: September 2014

A 36-year-old woman who had received long-term treatment with chloroquine for systemic lupus erythematosus developed a third degree atrioventricular block and required a permanent pacemaker. Notably, left ventricular thickening and mild systolic dysfunction were noticed on echocardiography as well as on cardiac MRI. As there was no clear explanation for myocardial findings, the patient underwent an endomyocardial biopsy that demonstrated vacuolar degeneration of myocytes on light microscopy and curvilinear bodies on electron microscopy, both findings consistent with chloroquine toxicity. The drug was withheld and treatment with candesartan and carvedilol was prescribed. At 2-year follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic and left ventricular systolic function had improved. Physicians who prescribe antimalarial drugs for rheumatic diseases should be aware of the potentially life-threatening effects of chloroquine on the heart.
Neurotrophins and cognitive functions in T1D compared with healthy controls: effects of a high-intensity exercise
Authors: Tonoli Cajsa , Heyman Elsa , Buyse Luk , Roelands Bart , Piacentini Maria Francesca , Bailey Stephen , Pattyn Nathalie , Berthoin Serge , Meeusen Romain
Published: September 2014

Exercise is known to have beneficial effects on cognitive function. This effect is greatly favored by an exercise-induced increase in neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), especially with high-intensity exercises (HIE). As a complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D), a cognitive decline may occur, mostly ascribed to hypoglycaemia and chronic hyperglycaemia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute HIE on cognitive function and neurotrophins in T1D and matched controls. Ten trained T1D (8 males, 2 females) participants and their matched (by age, sex, fitness level) controls were evaluated on 2 occasions after familiarization: a maximal test to exhaustion and an HIE bout (10 intervals of 60 s at 90% of their maximal wattage followed by 60 s at 50 W). Cognitive tests and analyses of serum BDNF, IGF-1, and free insulin were performed before and after HIE and following 30 min of recovery. At baseline, cognitive performance was better in the controls compared with the T1D participants (p < 0.05). After exercise, no significant differences in cognitive performance were detected. BDNF levels were significantly higher and IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in T1D compared with the control group (p < 0.05) at all time points. Exercise increased BDNF and IGF-1 levels in a comparable percentage in both groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, although resting levels of serum BDNF and IGF-1 were altered by T1D, comparable increasing effects on BDNF and IGF-1 in T1D and healthy participants were found. Therefore, regularly repeating acute HIE could be a promising strategy for brain health in T1D.
Resin-supported arylstannanes as precursors for radiolabeling with iodine: benzaldehydes, benzoic acids, benzamides, and NHS esters
Authors: Janabi Mustafa , Pollock Catherine M. , Chacko Ann-Marie , Hunter Duncan H.
Published: September 2014

A highly cross-linked polystyrene resin bearing a reactive chlorostannane moiety 1 has been used to generate a variety of arylstannane radiopharmaceutical precursors for no-carrier-added radioiodination. The resins were characterized for their solvent compatibility and sensitivity to acid cleavage. Resin-supported arylstannanes synthesized via their aryllithium analogues include 3- and 4-stannylbenzaldehydes, 3- and 4-stannylbenzoic acids, and 3- and 4-N-succinimidyl benzoates. A three-step route to the resin-supported stannylbenzoic acids 12a/b was developed through resin-supported benzaldehydes 11a/b. The aldehyde to acid conversion efficiency is >90%, and acid loading capacities of 0.66–0.94 mmol/g were obtained. Resin-supported N-succinimidyl benzoates 16a/b were prepared from the acid with 78%–84% conversion efficiency. Libraries of resin-supported benzamides 19a/b prepared from amine conjugation to corresponding benzoic acids or N-succinimidyl benzoates are described. A third approach describes the preparation of resin-supported benzamides via direct conjugation of the dilithio salt of the intact benzamide to the chlorostannane resin 1. Lastly, as proof-of-principle, a radiolabeling study with iodine-131 (131I) was performed with a resin-supported benzamide to afford the corresponding radioligand in moderate yields, and high radiochemical purity.
Home range and habitat use by Magellanic Woodpeckers in an old-growth forest of Patagonia
Authors: Ojeda Valeria , Chazarreta Laura
Published: September 2014

The Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus (King, 1827)) is a large, vulnerable species exhibiting geographic range retraction. We analyzed the size and location of forest areas used by these woodpeckers in consecutive years (2010–2012), as related to habitat characteristics, in an old-growth lenga (Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp et Endl.) Krasser) forest of Argentine Patagonia. Woodpeckers were tracked during the postbreeding season, and forest features were evaluated in plots within territories. Woodpecker density was 1.01 territories·100 ha–1. The resident population apparently saturates the forest available in the study site; hence, territorial disputes were frequent between all pairs of adjacent families. Families used 39.3 ± 13.6 ha during the postreproductive season and 63.2 ± 12.3 ha across the three seasons, with interannual variability in both location and size of the areas used. Abundances of large live trees and of coarse woody debris were correlated with smaller, presumably high-quality, home ranges. Other forest attributes that are often important in woodpecker habitat (e.g., snag density) had little relationship with home-range size, but the high availability of resources in old-growth forests may mask their potential importance in a poorer quality habitat. Our results show that Magellanic Woodpecker family groups require a minimum of 100 ha in old-growth forest habitat; thus, forest patches in less favourable forest conditions (e.g., younger, managed, fragmented, mixed forests) should probably be much larger to support a resident pair or family. This habitat size would be a provisional minimum threshold to be used in management decisions involving the forests of Patagonia until alternative figures are derived from studies across multiple forest types.
Structural and mechanical features of some lanthanum tellurite glasses
Authors: Saddeek Yasser B. , Elsayed N.Z.
Published: September 2014

Tellurite-based glasses of the chemical formula xLa2O3-(100 – x) TeO2, (2.5 ≤ x ≤ 12.5 mol%) have been prepared and studied by FTIR spectroscopy and the ultrasonic technique. The FTIR analysis indicated that La2O3 transformed the TeO3 into TeO4 structural units in the range 2.5 ≤ x ≤ 5, while in the range 5 ≤ x ≤ 7.5 mol%; there is a coordination transformation of Te atoms in [TeO4] groups into [Formula: see text] groups associated with the formation of non-bridging oxygens. Beyond x = 7.5 mol%, the structural units [Formula: see text] (tp) were destroyed and transformed into TeO4 structural units that acted as a former and tightened the tellurite glass network more. The stretching force constant of the tellurite structural units was affected with the increase of La2O3 content. The structural variations of the structural units of TeO2 and La2O3 affected the increase of density, the behaviour of the ultrasonic velocities, the elastic moduli, and both of the optical and acoustical Debye temperature with increasing La2O3 content. The ratio of optical to acoustic Debye temperature represented the three-dimensional nature of tellurite-based glasses.
Quark mass determinations in QCD
Authors: Dominguez C. A.
Published: September 2014

Recent progress on QCD sum rule determinations of the light and heavy quark masses is reported. In the light quark sector a major breakthrough has been made recently in connection with the historical systematic uncertainties due to a lack of experimental information on the pseudoscalar resonance spectral functions. It is now possible to suppress this contribution to the 1% level by using suitable integration kernels in Finite Energy QCD sum rules. This allows to determine the up-, down-, and strange-quark masses with an unprecedented precision of some 8–10%. In the heavy quark sector, the availability of experimental data in the vector channel, and the use of suitable multipurpose integration kernels allows to increase the accuracy of the charm- and bottom-quarks masses to the 1% level.
Production of strange resonances in AA collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{\it NN}}} = 17.3$, 62.4 and 200 GeV
Authors: Liu Kai-Chun , Song Jun , Shao Feng-Lan
Published: September 2014

Hadronic resonances measured experimentally by invariant mass reconstruction in relativistic heavy-ion collisions contain contributions from different production channels and/or stages, i.e., leftovers of primordial hadronization, regenerations in hadronic rescatterings and those decayed from heavier resonances. We use a UrQMD model to systematically calculate the proportions of these different channels in final observation of resonances K*(892), Σ*(1385), ϕ(1020), Ξ*(1530) and Λ(1520) and investigate the time evolution of these resonance productions in AA collisions at [Formula: see text], 62.4 and 200 GeV. We study the yields, transverse momentum spectra and elliptic flows of these resonances and discuss the survival information of the primordial hadronization in final observations.
AN ILIOPSOAS GANGLION MIMICKING FEMORAL HERNIA
Authors: Huang Kuo-Yuan , Yang Rong-Sen , Hsieh Chin-Chiang
Published: September 2014

The palpable mass over the groin region include inguinal or femoral hernia, enlarged lymph nodes, aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm, synovial cyst and iliopsoas ganglion. Among these diagnoses, patients with femoral hernia are at risk of bowel obstruction or strangulation; so it should be treated as an emergency. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are helpful for differential diagnosis. We report a case with a large iliopsoas ganglion located around the distal iliopsoas muscle and tendon with pseudopodia extending close to the joint capsule, mimicking femoral hernia clinically. The patient underwent excision and no recurrence was noted at one-year follow-up.
Riesz basis of wavelets constructed from trigonometric B-splines
Authors: Jena Mahendra Kumar
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we construct a class of compactly supported wavelets by taking trigonometric B-splines as the scaling function. The duals of these wavelets are also constructed. With the help of these duals, we show that the collection of dilations and translations of such a wavelet forms a Riesz basis of 𝕃2(ℝ). Moreover, when a particular differential operator is applied to the wavelet, it also generates a Riesz basis for a particular generalized Sobolev space. Most of the proofs are based on three assumptions which are mild generalizations of three important lemmas of Jia et al. [Compactly supported wavelet bases for Sobolev spaces, Appl. Comput. Harmon. Anal. 15 (2003) 224–241].
Reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces of CR functions for the Euclidean motion group
Authors: Barbieri D. , Citti G.
Published: September 2014

We study the geometric structure of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space associated to the continuous wavelet transform generated by the irreducible representations of the group of Euclidean motions of the plane SE(2). A natural Hilbert norm for functions on the group is constructed that makes the wavelet transform an isometry, but since the considered representations are not square integrable, the resulting Hilbert space will not coincide with L2( SE (2)). The reproducing kernel Hilbert subspace generated by the wavelet transform, for the case of a minimal uncertainty mother wavelet, can be characterized in terms of the complex regularity defined by the natural CR structure of the group. Relations with the Bargmann transform are presented.
Embedding properties of weighted Besov-type spaces
Authors: Yuan Wen , Haroske Dorothee D. , Skrzypczak Leszek , Yang Dachun
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we consider the embeddings of weighted Besov spaces [Formula: see text] into Besov-type spaces [Formula: see text] with w being a (local) Muckenhoupt weight, and give sufficient and necessary conditions on the continuity and the compactness of these embeddings. As special cases, we characterize the continuity and the compactness of embeddings in case of some polynomial or exponential weights. The proofs of these conclusions strongly depend on the geometric properties of dyadic cubes.
Lp resolvent estimates for variable coefficient elliptic systems on Lipschitz domains
Authors: Wei Wei , Zhang Zhenqiu
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we treat the general strongly elliptic systems with a class of singular potentials on a bounded Lipschitz domain Ω ⊂ ℝd, d ≥ 3. We establish the Lp resolvent estimates on Ω for the above systems with vanishing Dirichlet type or Neumann type boundary value condition, where 2d/(d + 2) - ϵ < p < 2d/(d - 2) + ϵ with some positive constant ϵ = ϵ(Ω).
Sharp convolution and multiplication estimates in weighted spaces
Authors: Toft Joachim , Johansson Karoline , Pilipović Stevan , Teofanov Nenad
Published: September 2014

We establish sharp convolution and multiplication estimates in weighted Lebesgue, Fourier Lebesgue and modulation spaces. We cover, especially some results in [L. Hörmander, Lectures on Nonlinear Hyperbolic Differential Equations (Springer, Berlin, 1997); S. Pilipović, N. Teofanov and J. Toft, Micro-local analysis in Fourier Lebesgue and modulation spaces, II, J. Pseudo-Differ. Oper. Appl.1 (2010) 341–376]. The results are also related to some results by Iwabuchi in [T. Iwabuchi, Navier–Stokes equations and nonlinear heat equations in modulation spaces with negative derivative indices, J. Differential Equations248 (2010) 1972–2002].
Perceived Ease of Use: Examining Its Influence on Personal Use of the Tax e-Filing System
Authors: Mpinganjira Mercy
Published: September 2014

This paper examines the influence of perceived ease of use on personal use of the tax e-filing system in South Africa. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and a structured questionnaire. The findings show that higher levels of perceived ease of use are associated with personal use as well as behavioral intentions to make use of the system. The results also indicate that computer self-efficacy and access to information have positive influence on perceived ease of use. These findings point to the need for equipping people with skills and information that can enable them to make use of the system.
Effect of anisotropy on creep behavior in a functionally graded material disc of variable thickness
Authors: Gupta Vandana , Singh S. B.
Published: September 2014

In this paper, an effort has been made to study the effect of anisotropy on the steady state creep behavior in the functionally graded material disc with hyperbolic thickness made of Al - SiC (particle). The content of silicon carbide particles in the disc is assumed to decrease linearly from the inner to the outer radius of the disc. The creep behavior of the disc under stresses developing due to rotation at 15,000 rpm has been determined by Sherby's law. The creep parameters of the FGM disc vary along the radial distance due to varying composition and this variation has been estimated by regression fit of the available experimental data. The creep response of rotating disc is expressed by a threshold stress with value of stress exponent as 8. The study reveals that the anisotropy has a significant effect on the steady state creep response of rotating FGM disc. Thus, the care to introduce anisotropy should be taken for the safe design of the rotating FGM disc with hyperbolic thickness.
A Design of Irregular Grid Map for Large-Scale Wi-Fi LAN Fingerprint Positioning Systems
Authors: Kim Jae-Hoon , Min Kyoung Sik , Yeo Woon-Young
Published: September 2014

The rapid growth of mobile communication and the proliferation of smartphones have drawn significant attention to location-based services (LBSs). One of the most important factors in the vitalization of LBSs is the accurate position estimation of a mobile device. The Wi-Fi positioning system (WPS) is a new positioning method that measures received signal strength indication (RSSI) data from all Wi-Fi access points (APs) and stores them in a large database as a form of radio fingerprint map. Because of the millions of APs in urban areas, radio fingerprints are seriously contaminated and confused. Moreover, the algorithmic advances for positioning face computational limitation. Therefore, we present a novel irregular grid structure and data analytics for efficient fingerprint map management. The usefulness of the proposed methodology is presented using the actual radio fingerprint measurements taken throughout Seoul, Korea.
QoS-Based Path Switching Mechanism in Mobile SCTP
Authors: Han Li , Sun Shimin , Joo Bokgyu , Han Sunyoung
Published: September 2014

In mobile SCTP, a mobile terminal has two or more network interfaces and vertical handover occurs when it moves from one network to another. The delay due to the handover process and the slow-start phase of SCTP's congestion control after handover cause substantial performance degradation. If the mobile node goes back and forth frequently, excessive handovers occur and data transmission quality deteriorates. In order to provide the required level of QoS for on-going application, the frequency of handovers should be kept minimized. In this paper, we propose a transport layer handover mechanism using the mobile SCTP. We take the QoS requirements of application as the major criterion in deciding path switching. In our mechanism, the mobile node in overlapping area does not perform handover if the current network metrics satisfy the QoS requirements of on-going application. Both analytic evaluation and simulation results show that the proposed mechanism significantly improves the throughput by suppressing unnecessary handovers. Our research results can also be applied to distributed mobile sensor networks.
WISCOD: A Statistical Web-Enabled Tool for the Identification of Significant Protein Coding Regions
Authors: Vilardell Mireia , Parra Genis , Civit Sergi
Published: September 2014

Classically, gene prediction programs are based on detecting signals such as boundary sites (splice sites, starts, and stops) and coding regions in the DNA sequence in order to build potential exons and join them into a gene structure. Although nowadays it is possible to improve their performance with additional information from related species or/and cDNA databases, further improvement at any step could help to obtain better predictions. Here, we present WISCOD, a web-enabled tool for the identification of significant protein coding regions, a novel software tool that tackles the exon prediction problem in eukaryotic genomes. WISCOD has the capacity to detect real exons from large lists of potential exons, and it provides an easy way to use globalPvalue called expected probability of being a false exon (EPFE) that is useful for ranking potential exons in a probabilistic framework, without additional computational costs. The advantage of our approach is that it significantly increases the specificity and sensitivity (both between 80% and 90%) in comparison to other ab initio methods (where they are in the range of 70–75%). WISCOD is written in JAVA and R and is available to download and to run in a local mode on Linux and Windows platforms.
Acute Effect of Topical Menthol on Chronic Pain in Slaughterhouse Workers with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Triple-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Sundstrup Emil , Jakobsen Markus D. , Brandt Mikkel , Jay Kenneth , Colado Juan Carlos , Wang Yuling , Andersen Lars L.
Published: September 2014

Topical menthol gels are classified “topical analgesics” and are claimed to relieve minor aches and pains of the musculoskeletal system. In this study we investigate the acute effect of topical menthol on carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We screened 645 slaughterhouse workers and recruited 10 participants with CTS and chronic pain of the arm/hand who were randomly distributed into two groups to receive topical menthol (Biofreeze) or placebo (gel with a menthol scent) during the working day and 48 hours later the other treatment (crossover design). Participants rated arm/hand pain intensity during the last hour of work (scale 0–10) immediately before 1, 2, and 3 hours after application. Furthermore, global rating of change (GROC) in arm/hand pain was assessed 3 hours after application. Compared with placebo, pain intensity and GROC improved more following application of topical menthol (P=0.026andP=0.044, resp.). Pain intensity of the arm/hand decreased by −1.2 (CI 95%: −1.7 to −0.6) following topical menthol compared with placebo, corresponding to a moderate effect size of 0.63. In conclusion, topical menthol acutely reduces pain intensity during the working day in slaughterhouse workers with CTS and should be considered as an effective nonsystemic alternative to regular analgesics in the workplace management of chronic and neuropathic pain.
Antioxidant/Prooxidant and Antibacterial/Probacterial Effects of a Grape Seed Extract in Complex with Lipoxygenase
Authors: Chedea Veronica Sanda , Braicu Cornelia , Chirilă Flore , Ogola Henry Joseph Oduor , Pelmuş Rodica Ştefania , Călin Loredana Georgeta , Socaciu Carmen
Published: September 2014

In an attempt to determine the antioxidant/prooxidant, antibacterial/probacterial action of flavan-3-ols and procyanidins from grape seeds, pure catechin (CS), and an aqueous grape seed extract (PE), were applied in the absence and presence of pure lipoxygenase (LS) or in extract (LE) to leucocyte culture,Escherichia coli B41andBrevibacterium linens, and observed whether there was any effect on lipid peroxidation, cytotoxicity, or growth rate. Short time periods of coincubation of cells with the polyphenols, followed by the exposure to LS and LE, revealed a high level of lipid peroxidation and a prooxidative effect. Longer coincubation and addition of LS and LE resulted in the reversal of the prooxidant action either to antioxidant activity for CS + LS and PE + LS or to the control level for CS + LE and PE + LE. Lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced when cells were exposed to polyphenols over a longer period. Longer exposure ofE. colito CS or PE followed by addition of LS for 3 h resulted in bactericidal activity. Significant stimulatory effect on microbial growth was observed for PE + LS and PE + LE treatments inB. linens, illustrating the potential probacterial activity inB. linenscultures. Lipoxygenase-polyphenols complex formation was found to be responsible for the observed effects.
Real-Time MIMO Channel Sounder for Emulation of Distributed Ultrawideband Systems
Authors: Zetik Rudolf , Kmec Martin , Sachs Jürgen , Thomä Reiner S.
Published: September 2014

This paper introduces an ultrawideband (UWB) channel sounding system. Its novel architecture allows real-time measurements of multiple time-variant radio propagation channels in different ultrawide frequency bands. Its architecture allows emulation of multiuser systems, sensor networks, localization systems, and distributed MIMO radar systems. The sounder uses a maximum length binary sequence (MLBS) excitation signal and correlation processing in the receiver. Its synchronous multichannel operation is supported by excellent timing stability and low power consumption of miniature size modules based upon custom integrated SiGe circuits. The paper describes the architecture, design, calibration, basic parameters, and application examples of the sounding system.
Effect of Third-Order Dispersion on the Solitonic Solutions of the Schrödinger Equations with Cubic Nonlinearity
Authors: Samet H. Chachou , Benarous M. , Asad-uz-zaman M. , Al Khawaja U.
Published: September 2014

We derive the solitonic solution of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with cubic nonlinearity, complex potentials, and time-dependent coefficients using the Darboux transformation. We establish the integrability condition for the most general nonlinear Schrödinger equation with cubic nonlinearity and discuss the effect of the coefficients of the higher-order terms in the solitonic solution. We find that the third-order dispersion term can be used to control the soliton motion without the need for an external potential. We discuss the integrability conditions and find the solitonic solution of some of the well-known nonlinear Schrödinger equations with cubic nonlinearity and time-dependent coefficients. We also investigate the higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation with cubic and quintic nonlinearities.
Prevalence of Hyponatremia in Femur Neck Fractures: A One-Year Survey in an Urban Emergency Department
Authors: Cervellin Gianfranco , Mitaritonno Michele , Pedrazzoni Mario , Picanza Alessandra , Lippi Giuseppe
Published: September 2014

This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of hyponatremia in patients with intracapsular femoral neck fracture. All records containing clinical and laboratory information of patients admitted with femoral neck fractures to the Academic Hospital of Parma (Italy) during the year 2013 were retrieved from the hospital database. The control population consisted of subjects admitted to the outpatient phlebotomy center during the same period. The final population consisted of 543 patients with femoral neck fractures and 700 outpatients. The category of elderly subjects (i.e., ≥65 years) included 491 patients and 380 controls. In both the entire population and elderly subjects, serum sodium was lower in patients than in controls (138 versus 139 mmol/L,P<0.001). The prevalence of hyponatremia was also higher in cases than in controls, both in the entire population (19.5 versus 10.4%,P<0.001) and in elderly subjects (20.8 versus 11.8%,P<0.001). The odds ratio of hyponatremia for femoral neck fracture was 2.08 in the entire study population and 1.95 in those aged 65 years and older. In conclusion, we found that hyponatremia is significantly associated with femoral neck fracture. Serum sodium should hence be regularly assessed and hyponatremia eventually corrected.
Multiobjective Optimization Involving Quadratic Functions
Authors: Augusto Oscar Brito , Bennis Fouad , Caro Stephane
Published: September 2014

Multiobjective optimization is nowadays a word of order in engineering projects. Although the idea involved is simple, the implementation of any procedure to solve a general problem is not an easy task. Evolutionary algorithms are widespread as a satisfactory technique to find a candidate set for the solution. Usually they supply a discrete picture of the Pareto front even if this front is continuous. In this paper we propose three methods for solving unconstrained multiobjective optimization problems involving quadratic functions. In the first, for biobjective optimization defined in the bidimensional space, a continuous Pareto set is found analytically. In the second, applicable to multiobjective optimization, a condition test is proposed to check if a point in the decision space is Pareto optimum or not and, in the third, with functions defined inn-dimensional space, a direct noniterative algorithm is proposed to find the Pareto set. Simple problems highlight the suitability of the proposed methods.
Fibrous Agricultural Biomass as a Potential Source for Bioconversion to Vanillic Acid
Authors: Tang Pei-Ling , Hassan Osman , Md-Jahim Jamaliah , Mustapha Wan Aida Wan , Maskat Mohamad Yusof
Published: September 2014

This study was conducted to assess the potential of six fibrous agricultural residues, namely, oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (OPEFBF), coconut coir fiber (CCF), pineapple peel (PP), pineapple crown leaves (PCL), kenaf bast fiber (KBF), and kenaf core fiber (KCF), as a source of ferulic acid and phenolic compounds for bioconversion into vanillic acid. The raw samples were pretreated with organosolv (NaOH-glycerol) and alkaline treatment (NaOH), to produce phenol-rich black liquor. The finding showed that the highest amount of phenolic compounds and ferulic acid was produced from CCF and PP, respectively. This study also found that organosolv treatment was the superior method for phenolic compound extraction, whereas alkaline treatment was the selective method for lignin extraction. Vanillic acid production byAspergillus nigerI-1472 was only observed when the fermentation broth was fed with liquors from PP and PCL, possibly due to the higher levels of ferulic acid in those samples.
An Improved Method for Soil DNA Extraction to Study the Microbial Assortment within Rhizospheric Region
Authors: Fatima Faria , Pathak Neelam , Rastogi Verma Smita
Published: September 2014

The need for identification of soil microbial community mainly depends on direct extraction of DNA from soil, a multifaceted environment that is a major pool for microbial genetic diversity. The soil DNA extraction procedures usually suffer from two major problems, namely, inappropriate rupturing of cells and contamination with humic substances. In the present study, five protocols for single type of rhizospheric soil were investigated and their comparison indicated that the inclusion of 120 mM phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for washing and mannitol in the lysis buffer allowed the processing of soil sample in minimal time with no specific equipment requirement. Furthermore, DNA purity and yield were also improved, which allowed the exploitation of genetic potential of soil microbes within soil sample thereby facilitating the amplification of metagenomic DNA. The effectiveness of methods was analyzed using random amplification of polymorphic DNA. The banding patterns revealed that both the abundance and the composition of indigenous microbial community depend on the DNA recovery method.
Characterization and Biocompatibility of Chitosan Gels with Silver and Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Sámano-Valencia C. , Martínez-Castañón G. A. , Martínez-Gutiérrez F. , Ruiz F. , Toro-Vázquez J. F. , Morales-Rueda J. A. , Espinosa-Cristóbal L. F. , Zavala Alonso N. V. , Niño Martínez N.
Published: September 2014

The presence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a very important issue and the search of new alternatives is necessary. In this work, a combination of chitosan gel with silver or gold nanoparticles was prepared and characterized using thermal, rheology, bactericide, and biocompatibility analyses. ESEM images were also taken to visualize the incorporation of the nanoparticles into the gel matrix. Thermal analysis showed a better thermal stability in the chitosan‐gold nanoparticles gels compared to the chitosan‐silver nanoparticles gels. Rheology analyses showed that the viscosity of the gels decreased when velocity increased and there were differences in viscosity when silver and gold nanoparticles concentrations change. ESEM images showed the presence of agglomerates of silver and gold nanoparticles into the gel matrix with a good distribution; in some cases the formation of microstructures was found. Bactericide results show that these materials present an antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. mutans, and E. coli. The biocompatibility test showed neither negative reaction nor wound healing delay after the application of the gels in an in vivo test. The gels with silver and gold nanoparticles could be used to treat wound infections in oral or skin applications.
An Efficient Family of Optimal Eighth-Order Iterative Methods for Solving Nonlinear Equations and Its Dynamics
Authors: Singh Anuradha , Jaiswal J. P.
Published: September 2014

The prime objective of this paper is to design a new family of optimal eighth-order iterative methods by accelerating the order of convergence of the existing seventh-order method without using more evaluations for finding simple root of nonlinear equations. Numerical comparisons have been carried out to demonstrate the efficiency and performance of the proposed method. Finally, we have compared new method with some existing eighth-order methods by basins of attraction and observed that the proposed scheme is more efficient.
Osteogenic Potential of Mouse Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Sorted for CD90 and CD105 In Vitro
Authors: Yamamoto Maiko , Nakata Hidemi , Hao Jia , Chou Joshua , Kasugai Shohei , Kuroda Shinji
Published: September 2014

Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells, termed ASCs, play an important role in regenerative applications. They resemble mesenchymal stem cells owing to their inexhaustibility, general differentiation potential, and plasticity and display a series of cell-specific and cluster-of-differentiation (CD) marker profiles similar to those of other somatic stem cells. Variations in phenotypes or differentiation are intimately associated with CD markers. The purpose of our study was to exhibit distinct populations of ASCs with differing characteristics for osteogenic differentiation. The primary cell batch of murine-derived ASCs was extracted from subcutaneous adipose tissue and the cells were sorted for the expression of the surface protein molecules CD90 and CD105 using flow cytometry. Each cell population sorted for CD90 and CD105 was analyzed for osteogenic potency after cell culture. The results suggested that ASCs exhibit distinct populations with differing characteristics for osteogenic differentiation: unsorted ASCs stimulated comparable mineralized nodule formation as bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in osteogenic medium and viral transfection for BMP2 accelerated the formation of mineralized nodules in CD90 and/or CD105 positive ASCs with observation of decrease in CD105 expression after 14 days. Future studies assessing different immunophenotypes of ASCs should be undertaken to develop cell-based tissue engineering.
Lipoblastoma and Lipoblastomatosis of the Lower Leg
Authors: Kamal Achmad Fauzi , Wiratnaya I Gde Eka , Hutagalung Errol Untung , Prasetyo Marcel , Kodrat Evelina , Widodo Wahyu , Effendi Zuhri , Husodo Kurniadi
Published: September 2014

Lipoblastoma is a benign lesion of immature fat cells that is found almost exclusively in pediatric population. This tumor is a rare tumor that occurs in infancy and early childhood, accounting for less than 1% of all childhood neoplasm. It is more common in male than in female and often presents as an asymptomatic, rapidly enlarging, soft lobular mass on the extremity. Although benign, it gives great difficulty in its management, due to its extensions into different facial planes, especially in lipoblastomatosis. Thus, complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice.
Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-β) Signaling in Paravertebral Muscles in Juvenile and Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Authors: Nowak Roman , Kwiecien Magdalena , Tkacz Magdalena , Mazurek Urszula
Published: September 2014

Most researchers agree that idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is a multifactorial disease influenced by complex genetic and environmental factors. The onset of the spinal deformity that determines the natural course of the disease, usually occurs in the juvenile or adolescent period. Transforming growth factorsβ(TGF-βs) and their receptors, TGFBRs, may be considered as candidate genes related to IS susceptibility and natural history. This study explores the transcriptional profile of TGF-βs, TGFBRs, and TGF-βresponsive genes in the paravertebral muscles of patients with juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (JIS and AIS, resp.). Muscle specimens were harvested intraoperatively and grouped according to the side of the curve and the age of scoliosis onset. The results of microarray and qRT-PCR analysis confirmed significantly higher transcript abundances of TGF-β2, TGF-β3, and TGFBR2 in samples from the curve concavity of AIS patients, suggesting a difference in TGF-βsignaling in the pathogenesis of juvenile and adolescent curves. Analysis of TGF-βresponsive genes in the transcriptomes of patients with AIS suggested overrepresentation of the genes localized in the extracellular region of curve concavity: LTBP3, LTBP4, ITGB4, and ITGB5. This finding suggests the extracellular region of paravertebral muscles as an interesting target for future molecular research into AIS pathogenesis.
Behavior of an Exponential System of Difference Equations
Authors: Khan A. Q. , Qureshi M. N.
Published: September 2014

We study the qualitative behavior of the following exponential system of rational difference equations:xn+1 = αe-yn+βe-yn-1/γ+αxn+βxn-1,  yn+1 = α1e-xn+β1e-xn-1/γ1+α1yn+β1yn-1,  n = 0,1,…,whereα,β,γ,α1,β1, andγ1and initial conditionsx0,  x-1,  yo, and  y-1are positive real numbers. More precisely, we investigate the boundedness character and persistence, existence and uniqueness of positive equilibrium, local and global behavior, and rate of convergence of positive solutions that converges to unique positive equilibrium point of the system. Some numerical examples are given to verify our theoretical results.
Drift Modified Longitudinal Electrokinetic Mode in Colloids Laden Semiconductor Quantum Plasmas
Authors: Chaudhary Sandhya , Nimje Nilesh , Yadav Nishchhal , Ghosh S.
Published: September 2014

Dispersion and absorption characteristics of electrokinetic wave in unmagnetised extrinsic semiconductor with streaming carriers are analytically investigated. By using quantum hydrodynamic model, a linear dispersion relation is derived for longitudinal electrokinetic wave in colloids laden semiconductor plasma under slow electrokinetic mode regime. Results indicate that quantum effect through Bohm potential significantly modifies the dispersion and absorption characteristics of electrokinetic wave spectrum. The outcome is hoped to add substantially to the present knowledge of wave spectrum of longitudinal electrokinetic wave in colloids laden quantum semiconductor plasma subjected to a dc electric field along the direction of wave propagation.
Effect of Chamfer Angle on the Calibration Curves of Five Hole Probes
Authors: Sitaram Nekkanti , Srikanth Kancherla
Published: September 2014

Five hole probes are extensively used for measurement of total and static pressures, flow angles, velocity and its components in turbomachinery, and other aerodynamic flows. Their operating range is usually limited to 30–40° depending on the type of the probe head. The chamfer angle of the probe is usually taken around 45°. Recent studies on three hole probes have shown that 30° chamfer angle is desirable for unsteady flow measurements. Hence the present investigation is undertaken to find the optimum chamfer angle of five-hole probes. A special five-hole probe of 9.6 mm head diameter and 3 mm diameter pressure take off tubes was designed and fabricated. The large size of the probe was chosen to minimize machining inaccuracies. The probe chamfer angle was varied from 30° to 60° in 5° steps. For each of the chamfer angles, the probe was calibrated in the range of −30° to +30° in 5° interval and the calibration curves are presented. In addition the sensitivities of the calibration coefficients are determined. It is concluded that five-hole probe with a chamfer angle 30° has large operating range, while five-hole probe with a chamfer angle of 50° has good sensitivity.
Current Options for Determining Fracture Union
Authors: Morshed Saam
Published: September 2014

Determining whether a bone fracture is healed is one of the most important and fundamental clinical determinations made in orthopaedics. However, there are currently no standardized methods of assessing fracture union, which in turn has created significant disagreement among orthopaedic surgeons in both clinical and research settings. An extensive amount of research has been dedicated to finding novel and reliable ways of determining healing with some promising results. Recent advancements in imaging techniques and introduction of new radiographic scores have helped decrease the amount of disagreement on this topic among physicians. The knowledge gained from biomechanical studies of bone healing has helped us refine our tools and create more efficient and practical research instruments. Additionally, a deeper understanding of the molecular pathways involved in the bone healing process has led to emergence of serologic markers as possible candidates in assessment of fracture union. In addition to our current physician centered methods, patient-centered approaches assessing quality of life and function are gaining popularity in assessment of fracture union. Despite these advances, assessment of union remains an imperfect practice in the clinical setting. Therefore, clinicians need to draw on multiple modalities that directly and indirectly measure or correlate with bone healing when counseling patients.
Effect of Hemodialysis on Retinal Thickness in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy, with and without Macular Edema, Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Azem Nur , Spierer Oriel , Shaked Meital , Neudorfer Meira
Published: September 2014

Background.Effects of hemodialysis (HD) treatment on retinal thickness and macular edema are unclear.Objective.To evaluate changes in retinal thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), with and without diabetic macular edema (DME), undergoing HD.Methods.Nonrandomized prospective study. Forty eyes of DR patients with ESRD treated with HD were divided into two groups: patients with macular edema and patients without macular edema. Both eyes were analyzed. Patients underwent an ophthalmic examination including OCT measurements of retinal thickness, blood albumin and hemoglobin A1C levels, blood pressure, and body weight, 30 minutes before and after HD.Results.We found no significant effects of HD on retinal thickness among patients both with and without DME. The former showed a trend towards reduction in retinal thickness in foveal area following HD, while the latter showed an increase. There was no correlation between retinal thickness and mean blood pressure, weight, kinetic model value—Kt/V, glycemic hemoglobin, or albumin levels before and after HD.Conclusions.HD has no significant effect on retinal thickness among patients with or without DME. Further studies on larger cohorts and repeated OCT examinations are needed to confirm the preliminary findings in this study.
Investigation of Structural Formation of Starting Composition 2245 in the Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O System Superconductors
Authors: Venkataswamy Ashoka Nukkanahalli , Chirayil George Thomas , Kannaiyan Srinivasan
Published: September 2014

Structural formation of Bi1.65Pb0.35Sr2Ca4Cu5Oy (2245 phase) superconducting compound was investigated by preparing the sample in a new matrix route. The phases formed at different intervals of heat treatment are monitored by X-ray diffraction studies. Bi-2212 phase was found to be the predominant phase till 20 hours of sintering at 850°C after which Bi-2223 phase was found to be the major phase. Traces of Ca2PbO4 were also noticed along with 2212 and 2223 phases. For the first time, the highest TC onset of 127 K with maximum superconducting volume fraction was observed for the sample sintered at 850°C for 30 hours in this preparation. Further sintering is found to deteriorate the TC onset value of the sample. There was no signature of the formation of 2234 or 2245 phase in this synthesis.
Experimental Learning of Digital Power Controller for Photovoltaic Module Using Proteus VSM
Authors: Padgavhankar Abhijit V. , Mohod Sharad W.
Published: September 2014

The electric power supplied by photovoltaic module depends on light intensity and temperature. It is necessary to control the operating point to draw the maximum power of photovoltaic module. This paper presents the design and implementation of digital power converters using Proteus software. Its aim is to enhance student’s learning for virtual system modeling and to simulate in software for PIC microcontroller along with the hardware design. The buck and boost converters are designed to interface with the renewable energy source that is PV module. PIC microcontroller is used as a digital controller, which senses the PV electric signal for maximum power using sensors and output voltage of the dc-dc converter and according to that switching pulse is generated for the switching of MOSFET. The implementation of proposed system is based on learning platform of Proteus virtual system modeling (VSM) and the experimental results are presented.
Size‐Controlled Synthesis of Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles in the Layers of Montmorillonite
Authors: Kalantari Katayoon , Ahmad Mansor B. , Shameli Kamyar , Hussein Mohd Zobir Bin , Khandanlou Roshanak , Khanehzaei Hajar
Published: September 2014

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4‐NPs) were synthesized using chemical coprecipitation method. Fe3O4‐NPs are located in interlamellar space and external surfaces of montmorillonite (MMT) as a solid supported at room temperature. The size of magnetite nanoparticles could be controlled by varying the amount of NaOH as reducing agent in the medium. The interlamellar space changed from 1.24 nm to 2.85 nm and average diameter of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was from 12.88 nm to 8.24 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using some instruments such as transmission electron microscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.