bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hardware Implementation of 32-Bit High-Speed Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer
Authors: Ibrahim Salah Hasan , Ali Sawal Hamid Md. , Islam Md. Shabiul
Published: June 2014

The design and implementation of a high-speed direct digital frequency synthesizer are presented. A modified Brent-Kung parallel adder is combined with pipelining technique to improve the speed of the system. A gated clock technique is proposed to reduce the number of registers in the phase accumulator design. The quarter wave symmetry technique is used to store only one quarter of the sine wave. The ROM lookup table (LUT) is partitioned into three 4-bit sub-ROMs based on angular decomposition technique and trigonometric identity. Exploiting the advantages of sine-cosine symmetrical attributes together with XOR logic gates, one sub-ROM block can be removed from the design. These techniques, compressed the ROM into 368 bits. The ROM compressed ratio is 534.2 : 1, with only two adders, two multipliers, and XOR-gates with high frequency resolution of 0.029 Hz. These techniques make the direct digital frequency synthesizer an attractive candidate for wireless communication applications.
Bonding Effectiveness of Two Adhesive Luting Cements to Glass Fiber Posts: Pull-Out Evaluation of Three Different Post Surface Conditioning Methods
Authors: Graiff Lorenzo , Rasera Laura , Calabrese Marco , Vigolo Paolo
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bond strength at the post/resin-cement interface with 3 different surface treatments of glass fiber posts and with 2 different luting resin cements. Sixty glass fiber posts (RelyX Fiber Post) were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=20) and were luted with a dual-polymerizing self-adhesive universal resin cement (RelyX Unicem) and with a dual-polymerizing resin cement (RelyX ARC). This was carried out in association with a dual-polymerizing adhesive (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Plus) in simulated plexiglass root canals after receiving three different pretreatment procedures. A pull-out test was performed on each sample to measure bond strengths. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA. Two samples from each group were processed for SEM observations in order to investigate the morphologic aspect of the post/cement interface. Both resin cements demonstrated significant different bond strength values (P<0.0001). The surface treatment result was also statistically significant (P=0.0465). SEM examination showed a modification of the post surface after pretreatment with methyl methacrylate. The dual-polymerizing self-adhesive universal resin cement achieved higher MPa bond strength values. The use of methyl methacrylate as a surface treatment of glass fiber posts provided a significant increase in bond strengths between the posts and both luting materials.
A Multilevel Simplification Algorithm for Computing the Average Shortest-Path Length of Scale-Free Complex Network
Authors: Mao Guoyong , Zhang Ning
Published: June 2014

Computing the average shortest-path length (ASPL) of a large scale-free network needs much memory space and computation time. Based on the feature of scale-free network, we present a simplification algorithm by cutting the suspension points and the connected edges; the ASPL of the original network can be computed through that of the simplified network. We also present a multilevel simplification algorithm to get ASPL of the original network directly from that of the multisimplified network. Our experiment shows that these algorithms require less memory space and time in computing the ASPL of scale-free network, which makes it possible to analyze large networks that were previously impossible due to memory limitations.
Clinic-Genomic Association Mining for Colorectal Cancer Using Publicly Available Datasets
Authors: Liu Fang , Feng Yaning , Li Zhenye , Pan Chao , Su Yuncong , Yang Rui , Song Liying , Duan Huilong , Deng Ning
Published: June 2014

In recent years, a growing number of researchers began to focus on how to establish associations between clinical and genomic data. However, up to now, there is lack of research mining clinic-genomic associations by comprehensively analysing available gene expression data for a single disease. Colorectal cancer is one of the malignant tumours. A number of genetic syndromes have been proven to be associated with colorectal cancer. This paper presents our research on mining clinic-genomic associations for colorectal cancer under biomedical big data environment. The proposed method is engineered with multiple technologies, including extracting clinical concepts using the unified medical language system (UMLS), extracting genes through the literature mining, and mining clinic-genomic associations through statistical analysis. We applied this method to datasets extracted from both gene expression omnibus (GEO) and genetic association database (GAD). A total of 23517 clinic-genomic associations between 139 clinical concepts and 7914 genes were obtained, of which 3474 associations between 31 clinical concepts and 1689 genes were identified as highly reliable ones. Evaluation and interpretation were performed using UMLS, KEGG, and Gephi, and potential new discoveries were explored. The proposed method is effective in mining valuable knowledge from available biomedical big data and achieves a good performance in bridging clinical data with genomic data for colorectal cancer.
Two Cases of Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 2 Presenting with Severe Coagulopathy without Jaundice
Authors: Tibesar Eric , Karwowski Christine , Hertel Paula , Scheimann Ann , Karnsakul Wikrom
Published: June 2014

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) type 2 results from a mutation in the bile salt exporter pump, impeding bile acid transport. Patients usually present with jaundice, pruritus, growth failure, and fat soluble vitamin deficiencies. We present two patients diagnosed with PFIC type 2 due to severe coagulopathy and bleeding without jaundice.
Relationship between Maternal Immunological Response during Pregnancy and Onset of Preeclampsia
Authors: Martínez-Varea Alicia , Pellicer Begoña , Perales-Marín Alfredo , Pellicer Antonio
Published: June 2014

Maternofetal immune tolerance is essential to maintain pregnancy. The maternal immunological tolerance to the semiallogeneic fetus becomes greater in egg donation pregnancies with unrelated donors as the complete fetal genome is allogeneic to the mother. Instead of being rejected, the allogeneic fetus is tolerated by the pregnant woman in egg donation pregnancies. It has been reported that maternal morbidity during egg donation pregnancies is higher as compared with spontaneous orin vitrofertilization pregnancies. Particularly, egg donation pregnancies are associated with a higher incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension and placental pathology. Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific disease characterized by the development of both hypertension and proteinuria, remains the leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. The aim of this review is to characterize and relate the maternofetal immunological tolerance phenomenon during pregnancies with a semiallogenic fetus, which are the spontaneously conceived pregnancies andin vitrofertilization pregnancies, and those with an allogeneic fetus or egg donation pregnancies. Maternofetal immune tolerance in uncomplicated pregnancies and pathological pregnancies, such as those with preeclampsia, has also been assessed. Moreover, whether an inadequate maternal immunological response to the allogenic fetus could lead to a higher prevalence of preeclampsia in egg donation pregnancies has been addressed.
A Malware Detection Scheme Based on Mining Format Information
Authors: Bai Jinrong , Wang Junfeng , Zou Guozhong
Published: June 2014

Malware has become one of the most serious threats to computer information system and the current malware detection technology still has very significant limitations. In this paper, we proposed a malware detection approach by mining format information of PE (portable executable) files. Based on in-depth analysis of the static format information of the PE files, we extracted 197 features from format information of PE files and applied feature selection methods to reduce the dimensionality of the features and achieve acceptable high performance. When the selected features were trained using classification algorithms, the results of our experiments indicate that the accuracy of the top classification algorithm is 99.1% and the value of the AUC is 0.998. We designed three experiments to evaluate the performance of our detection scheme and the ability of detecting unknown and new malware. Although the experimental results of identifying new malware are not perfect, our method is still able to identify 97.6% of new malware with 1.3% false positive rates.
Clinical Report of a 17q12 Microdeletion with Additionally Unreported Clinical Features
Authors: Roberts Jennifer L. , Gandomi Stephanie K. , Parra Melissa , Lu Ira , Gau Chia-Ling , Dasouki Majed , Butler Merlin G.
Published: June 2014

Copy number variations involving the 17q12 region have been associated with developmental and speech delay, autism, aggression, self-injury, biting and hitting, oppositional defiance, inappropriate language, and auditory hallucinations. We present a tall-appearing 17-year-old boy with marfanoid habitus, hypermobile joints, mild scoliosis, pectus deformity, widely spaced nipples, pes cavus, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and psychiatric manifestations including physical and verbal aggression, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and oppositional defiance. An echocardiogram showed borderline increased aortic root size. An abdominal ultrasound revealed a small pancreas, mild splenomegaly with a 1.3 cm accessory splenule, and normal kidneys and liver. A testing panel for Marfan, aneurysm, and related disorders was negative. Subsequently, a 400 K array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) + SNP analysis was performed which identified ade novosuspected pathogenic deletion on chromosome 17q12 encompassing 28 genes. Despite the limited number of cases described in the literature with 17q12 rearrangements, our proband’s phenotypic features both overlap and expand on previously reported cases. Since syndrome-specific DNA sequencing studies failed to provide an explanation for this patient’s unusual habitus, we postulate that this case represents an expansion of the 17q12 microdeletion phenotype. Further analysis of the deleted interval is recommended for new genotype-phenotype correlations.
System Identification and Embedded Controller Design for Pneumatic Actuator with Stiffness Characteristic
Authors: Osman Khairuddin , Mohd Faudzi Ahmad ′Athif , Rahmat M. F. , Suzumori Koichi
Published: June 2014

This paper presents model and controller design applications to pneumatic actuator embedded system. Two model strategies of position and force are proposed to realize compliance control for stiffness characteristic. Model of the pneumatic actuator system (transfer function) is obtained from system identification (SI) method. Next, combination of predictive functional control with observer (PFC‐O) design is selected as a new control strategy for pneumatic system. Performance assessment of the controller is performed in MATLAB and validated through real‐time experiments using national instrument (NI) devices and programmable system on chip (PSoC) microcontroller. Result shows that the new controller is adapted to the system and able to successfully control both simulation and real‐time experiments.
Optimal Investment and Reinsurance for Insurers with Uncertain Time‐Horizon
Authors: Gu Ailing , Yi Bo , Ye Dezhu
Published: June 2014

This paper considers the investment‐reinsurance problems for an insurer with uncertain time‐horizon in a jump‐diffusion model and a diffusion‐approximation model. In both models, the insurer is allowed to purchase proportional reinsurance and invest in a risky asset, whose expected return rate and volatility rate are both dependent on time and a market state. Meanwhile, the market state described by a stochastic differential equation will trigger the uncertain time‐horizon. Specifically, a barrier is predefined and reinsurance and investment business would be stopped if the market
state hits the barrier. The objective of the insurer is to maximize the expected discounted exponential utility of her terminal wealth. By dynamic programming approach and Feynman‐Kac representation theorem, we derive the expressions for optimal value functions and optimal investment‐reinsurance strategies in two special cases. Furthermore, an example is considered under the diffusion‐approximation model, which shows some interesting results.
Exact Determinants of Some Special Circulant Matrices Involving Four Kinds of Famous Numbers
Authors: Jiang Xiaoyu , Hong Kicheon
Published: June 2014

Circulant matrix family is used for modeling many problems arising in solving various differential equations. The RSFPLR circulant matrices and RSLPFL circulant matrices are two special circulant matrices. The techniques used herein are based on the inverse factorization of polynomial. The exact determinants of these matrices involving Perrin, Padovan, Tribonacci, and the generalized Lucas number are given, respectively.
Antioxidant Activities and Phytochemicals of Leaf Extracts from 10 Native Rhododendron Species in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chi-Yang , Lin Lei-Chen , Ho Shang-Tse , Tung Yu-Tang , Tseng Yen-Hsueh , Wu Jyh-Horng
Published: June 2014

Rhododendron, one of the most famous ornamental plants in the world, is traditionally a medicinal plant. However, the potential bioactivities of native Rhododendron in Taiwan have not been completely studied. In this study, the results revealed that Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum exhibited the best antioxidant activities among 10 native Rhododendron species in Taiwan. Furthermore, based on a bioactivity‐guided isolation principle, nine specific phytochemicals were isolated and identified as (2R,3S)‐catechin (1), (2R,3R)‐epicatechin (1′), (2R,3R)‐dihydromyricetin 3‐O‐β‐l‐arabinopyranoside (2), (2S,3S)‐taxifolin 3‐O‐β‐l‐arabinopyranoside (2′), (2R,3R)‐taxifolin 3‐O‐β‐l‐arabinopyranoside (3), myricetin 3‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside (3′), rutin (4), hyperoside (5), and quercitrin (6). Of these compounds, 2 and 3 were found to be major bioactive compounds, and their concentrations in the n‐butanol (BuOH) fraction were determined to be 52.0 and 67.3 mg per gram, respectively. These results demonstrated that methanolic extracts of Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum leaves have excellent antioxidant activities and great potential as a source for natural health products.
Effect of Nanocomposite Structures on Fracture Behavior of Epoxy‐Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Different Dispersion Methods
Authors: Bashar Mohammad , Mertiny Pierre , Sundararaj Uttandaraman
Published: June 2014

The effects of organic modifier and processing method on morphology and mechanical properties of epoxy‐clay nanocomposites were investigated. In this study, the preparation of nanocomposites by exfoliation‐adsorption method involved an ultrasonic mixing procedure, and mechanical blending was used for in situ intercalative polymerization. The microstructure study revealed that the organoclay, which was ultrasonically mixed with the epoxy, partially exfoliated and intercalated. In contrast, organoclay remained in phase‐separated and flocculated state after the mechanical blending process. Tensile stiffness increased significantly for the nanocomposite prepared by ultrasonic dispersion method through realizing the reinforcing potential of exfoliated silicate layers. Nanocomposites with exfoliated and intercalated nanoclay morphology were ineffective in enhancing the fracture toughness whereas nanocomposites with phase‐separated and flocculated morphology have improved crack resistance predominantly by crack deflecting and pinning mechanisms.
Application of Hilbert‐Huang Transform in Structural Health Monitoring: A State‐of‐the‐Art Review
Authors: Chen Bo , Zhao Sheng-lin , Li Peng-yun
Published: June 2014

This paper reviews the development and application of HHT in the field of SHM in the last two decades. The challenges and future trends in the development of HHT based techniques for the SHM of civil engineering structures are also put forward. It also reviews the basic principle of the HHT method, which contains the extraction of the intrinsic mode function (IMF), mechanism of the EMD, and the features of HT; shows the application of HHT in the system identification, which contains the introduction of theoretical method, the identification of modal parameters, and the system identification on real structures; and discusses the structural damage detection using HHT based approaches, which includes the detection of common damage events, sudden damage events, and cracks and flaws.
An Immune Clonal Selection Algorithm for Synthetic Signature Generation
Authors: Song Mofei , Sun Zhengxing
Published: June 2014

The collection of signature data for system development and evaluation generally requires significant time and effort. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a detector generation based clonal selection algorithm for synthetic signature set generation. The goal of synthetic signature generation is to improve the performance of signature verification by providing more training samples. Our method uses the clonal selection algorithm to maintain the diversity of the overall set and avoid sparse feature distribution. The algorithm firstly generates detectors with a segmented r‐continuous bits matching rule and P‐receptor editing strategy to provide a more wider search space. Then the clonal selection algorithm is used to expand and optimize the overall signature set. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our clonal selection algorithm, and the experiments show that adding the synthetic training samples can improve the performance of signature verification.
Lymphocyte Glucose and Glutamine Metabolism as Targets of the Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Effects of Exercise
Authors: Wasinski Frederick , Gregnani Marcos F. , Ornellas Fábio H. , Bacurau Aline V. N. , Câmara Niels O. , Araujo Ronaldo C. , Bacurau Reury F.
Published: June 2014

Glucose and glutamine are important energetic and biosynthetic nutrients for T and B lymphocytes. These cells consume both nutrients at high rates in a function-dependent manner. In other words, the pathways that control lymphocyte function and survival directly control the glucose and glutamine metabolic pathways. Therefore, lymphocytes in different functional states reprogram their glucose and glutamine metabolism to balance their requirement for ATP and macromolecule production. The tight association between metabolism and function in these cells was suggested to introduce the possibility of several pathologies resulting from the inability of lymphocytes to meet their nutrient demands under a given condition. In fact, disruptions in lymphocyte metabolism and function have been observed in different inflammatory, metabolic, and autoimmune pathologies. Regular physical exercise and physical activity offer protection against several chronic pathologies, and this benefit has been associated with the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of exercise/physical activity. Chronic exercise induces changes in lymphocyte functionality and substrate metabolism. In the present review, we discuss whether the beneficial effects of exercise on lymphocyte function in health and disease are associated with modulation of the glucose and glutamine metabolic pathways.
Identification and Forecasting in Mortality Models
Authors: Nielsen Bent , Nielsen Jens P.
Published: June 2014

Mortality models often have inbuilt identification issues challenging the statistician. The statistician can choose to work with well-defined freely varying parameters, derived as maximal invariants in this paper, or with ad hoc identified parameters which at first glance seem more intuitive, but which can introduce a number of unnecessary challenges. In this paper we describe the methodological advantages from using the maximal invariant parameterisation and we go through the extra methodological challenges a statistician has to deal with when insisting on working with ad hoc identifications. These challenges are broadly similar in frequentist and in Bayesian setups. We also go through a number of examples from the literature where ad hoc identifications have been preferred in the statistical analyses.
Continuous Dynamic Registration of Microvascularization of Liver Tumors with Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound
Authors: Beyer Lukas Philipp , Pregler Benedikt , Wiesinger Isabel , Stroszczynski Christian , Wiggermann Philipp , Jung Ernst-Michael
Published: June 2014

Aim.To evaluate the diagnostic value of quantification of liver tumor microvascularization using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) measured continuously from the arterial phase to the late phase (3 minutes).Material and Methods.We present a retrospective analysis of 20 patients with malignant (n=13) or benign (n=7) liver tumors. The tumors had histopathologically been proven or clearly identified using contrast-enhanced reference imaging with either 1.5 T MRI (liver specific contrast medium) or triphase CT and follow-up. CEUS was performed using a multifrequency transducer (1–5 MHz) and a bolus injection of 2.4 mL sulphur hexafluoride microbubbles. A retrospective perfusion analysis was performed to determine TTP (time-to-peak), RBV (regional blood volume), RBF (regional blood flow), and Peak.Results.Statistics revealed a significant difference (P<0.05) between benign and malignant tumors in the RBV, RBF, and Peak but not in TTP (P=0.07). Receiver operating curves (ROC) were generated for RBV, RBF, Peak, and TTP with estimated ROC areas of 0.97, 0.96, 0.98, and 0.76, respectively.Conclusion.RBV, RBF, and Peak continuously measured over a determined time period of 3 minutes could be of valuable support in differentiating malignant from benign liver tumors.
Distributionally Robust Self-Scheduling Optimization with CO2Emissions Constraints under Uncertainty of Prices
Authors: Bai Minru , Yang Zhupei
Published: June 2014

As a major energy-saving industry, power industry has implemented energy-saving generation dispatching. Apart from security and economy, low carbon will be the most important target in power dispatch mechanisms. In this paper, considering a power system with many thermal power generators which use different petrochemical fuels (such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas) to produce electricity, respectively, we establish a self-scheduling model based on the forecasted locational marginal prices, particularly taking into accountCO2emission constraint,CO2emission cost, and unit heat value of fuels. Then, we propose a distributionally robust self-scheduling optimization model under uncertainty in both the distribution form and moments of the locational marginal prices, where the knowledge of the prices is solely derived from historical data. We prove that the proposed robust self-scheduling model can be solved to any precision in polynomial time. These arguments are confirmed in a practical example on the IEEE 30 bus test system.
Validation of Novel Reference Genes for Reverse Transcription Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Drought-Stressed Sugarcane
Authors: Silva Roberta Lane de Oliveira , Silva Manassés Daniel , Ferreira Neto José Ribamar Costa , Nardi Claudia Huerta de , Chabregas Sabrina Moutinho , Burnquist William Lee , Kahl Günter , Benko-Iseppon Ana Maria , Kido Ederson Akio
Published: June 2014

One of the most challenging aspects of RT-qPCR data analysis is the identification of reliable reference genes. Ideally, they should be neither induced nor repressed under different experimental conditions. To date, few reference genes have been adequately studied for sugarcane (Saccharumspp.) using statistical approaches. In this work, six candidate genes (αTUB, GAPDH, H1, SAMDC, UBQ, and 25S rRNA) were tested for gene expression normalization of sugarcane root tissues from drought-tolerant and -sensitive accessions after continuous dehydration (24 h). By undergoing different approaches (GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper), it was shown that most of them could be used in combinations for normalization purposes, with the exception of SAMDC. Nevertheless three of them (H1,αTUB, and GAPDH) were considered the most reliable reference genes. Their suitability as reference genes validated the expression profiles of two targets (AS and PFPα1), related to SuperSAGE unitags, in agreement with results revealed by previousin silicoanalysis. The other two sugarcane unitags (ACC oxidase and PIP1-1), after salt stress (100 mM NaCl), presented their expressions validated in the same way. In conclusion, these reference genes will be useful for dissecting gene expression in sugarcane roots under abiotic stress, especially in transcriptomic studies using SuperSAGE or RNAseq approaches.
Effect of Dietaryn-3Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Oxidant/Antioxidant Status in Macrosomic Offspring of Diabetic Rats
Authors: Guermouche B. , Soulimane-Mokhtari N. A. , Bouanane S. , Merzouk H. , Merzouk S. , Narce M.
Published: June 2014

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of dietaryn-3PUFA on oxidant/antioxidant status,in vitrovery low and low density lipoprotein (VLDL-LDL), and VLDL-LDL-fatty acid composition in macrosomic pups of diabetic mothers. We hypothesized thatn-3PUFA would improve oxidative stress in macrosomia. Diabetes was induced in female Wistar rats fed with the ISIO diet (control) or with the EPAX diet (enriched inn-3PUFAs), by streptozotocin. The macrosomic pups were killed at birth (day 0) and at adulthood (day 90). Lipid parameters and VLDL-LDL-fatty acid composition were investigated. The oxidant/antioxidant status was determined by measuring plasma oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), hydroperoxides, carbonyl proteins, and VLDL-LDL oxidation. Macrosomic rats of ISIO fed diabetic mothers showed an increase in plasma and VLDL-LDL-triglycerides and VLDL-LDL-cholesterol levels and altered VLDL-LDL-fatty acid composition. Plasma ORAC was low with high hydroperoxide and carbonyl protein levels. Thein vitrooxidizability of VLDL-LDL was enhanced in these macrosomic rats. The EPAX diet corrected lipid parameters and improved oxidant/antioxidant status but increased VLDL-LDL susceptibility to oxidation. Macrosomia is associated with lipid abnormalities and oxidative stress.n-3PUFA exerts favorable effects on lipid metabolism and on the oxidant/antioxidant status of macrosomic rats. However, there are no evident effects on VLDL-LDL oxidation.
A New One-Dimensional Chaotic Map and Its Use in a Novel Real-Time Image Encryption Scheme
Authors: Boriga Radu , Dăscălescu Ana Cristina , Diaconu Adrian-Viorel
Published: June 2014

We present a new one-dimensional chaotic map, suitable for real-time image encryption. Its theoretical analysis, performed using some specific tools from the chaos theory, shows that the proposed map has a chaotic regime and proves its ergodicity, for a large space of values of the control parameter. In addition, to argue for the good cryptographic properties of the proposed map, we have tested the randomness of the values generated by its orbit using NIST statistical suite. Moreover, we present a new image encryption scheme with a classic bimodular architecture, in which the confusion and the diffusion are assured by means of two maps of the previously proposed type. The very good cryptographic performances of the proposed scheme are proved by an extensive analysis, which was performed regarding the latest methodology in this field.
Network Based Integrated Analysis of Phenotype-Genotype Data for Prioritization of Candidate Symptom Genes
Authors: Li Xing , Zhou Xuezhong , Peng Yonghong , Liu Baoyan , Zhang Runshun , Hu Jingqing , Yu Jian , Jia Caiyan , Sun Changkai
Published: June 2014

Background. Symptoms and signs (symptoms in brief) are the essential clinical manifestations for individualized diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). To gain insights into the molecular mechanism of symptoms, we develop a computational approach to identify the candidate genes of symptoms.Methods. This paper presents a network-based approach for the integrated analysis of multiple phenotype-genotype data sources and the prediction of the prioritizing genes for the associated symptoms. The method first calculates the similarities between symptoms and diseases based on the symptom-disease relationships retrieved from the PubMed bibliographic database. Then the disease-gene associations and protein-protein interactions are utilized to construct a phenotype-genotype network. The PRINCE algorithm is finally used to rank the potential genes for the associated symptoms.Results. The proposed method gets reliable gene rank list with AUC (area under curve) 0.616 in classification. Some novel genes like CALCA, ESR1, and MTHFR were predicted to be associated with headache symptoms, which are not recorded in the benchmark data set, but have been reported in recent published literatures.Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that by integrating phenotype-genotype relationships into a complex network framework it provides an effective approach to identify candidate genes of symptoms.
Exacerbated Skeletal Muscle Inflammation and Calcification in the Acute Phase of Infection by MexicanTrypanosoma cruziDTUI Strain
Authors: Vizcaíno-Castillo Andrea , Jiménez-Marín Andrea , Espinoza Bertha
Published: June 2014

A murine model was used to study the histopathological aspects and cytokine expression levels in skeletal muscle provoked by the infection with Mexican TcI strains. BALB/c mice were inoculated with the virulent Querétaro strain and the nonvirulent Ninoa strain. Parasite numbers were counted in blood and skeletal muscle at different times post-infection, and real time-PCR expression levels of the cytokines IL-12, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-αwere evaluated. In the acute phase of infection, a high parasitic load, both in blood and skeletal muscle, was detected. The histopathological analyses showed an exacerbated inflammation and granulomatous-like infiltrate with the Querétaro strain. Interestingly, extensive calcification areas were observed in the skeletal muscle surrounded by inflammatory infiltrates. TNF-αand IL-10 expression exhibited a significant increase at the peak of infection. In summary, Querétaro strain, a Mexican TcI strain, is virulent enough to induce high inflammation and calcification in skeletal muscle of the hind limbs, which could be related to high expression levels of TNF-α.
S-Shaped Wide Excision with Primary Closure for Extensive Chronic Pilonidal Sinus Disease
Authors: Karaman Kerem , Ozturk Safak , Tugmen Cem , Kebapcı Eyup , Dogan Sait Murat , Unver Mutlu , Olmez Mustafa , Aydin Cengiz
Published: June 2014

Background. The management of complex pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) with multiple pits on and beside the natal cleft is variable, contentious, and problematic. Wide excision of the sinus and reconstruction of the defect using different flap techniques have become more popular in recent years.Case Report. We report a case with a complex chronic PSD to which we applied primary closure after S-shaped wide excision. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and at the end of one-year followup he is now disease-free and comes for routine checkups.Conclusion. The simplicity of the technique and the promising results support the applicability of the S-shaped wide excision in chronic bilaterally extended large PSDs. Further studies entailing large patient populations are needed to reach a definite conclusion.
Comparative Examination of the Olive Mill Wastewater Biodegradation Process by Various Wood-Rot Macrofungi
Authors: Koutrotsios Georgios , Zervakis Georgios I.
Published: June 2014

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) constitutes a major cause of environmental pollution in olive-oil producing regions. Sixty wood-rot macrofungi assigned in 43 species were evaluated for their efficacy to colonize solidified OMW media at initially established optimal growth temperatures. Subsequently eight strains of the following species were qualified:Abortiporus biennis,Ganoderma carnosum,Hapalopilus croceus,Hericium erinaceus,Irpex lacteus,Phanerochaete chrysosporium,Pleurotus djamor, andP. pulmonarius. Fungal growth in OMW (25%v/v in water) resulted in marked reduction of total phenolic content, which was significantly correlated with the effluent’s decolorization.A. bienniswas the best performing strain (it decreased phenolics by 92% and color by 64%) followed byP. djamorandI. lacteus. Increase of plant seeds germination was less pronounced evidencing that phenolics are only partly responsible for OMW’s phytotoxicity. Laccase production was highly correlated with all three biodegradation parameters forH. croceus,Ph. chrysosporium, andPleurotusspp., and so were manganese-independent and manganese dependent peroxidases forA. biennisandI. lacteus. Monitoring of enzymes with respect to biomass production indicated thatPleurotusspp.,H. croceus, andPh. chrysosporiumshared common patterns for all three activities. Moreover, generation of enzymes at the early biodegradation stages enhanced the efficiency of OMW treatment.
The Role of CTLA-4 Exon-1 49 A/G Polymorphism and Soluble CTLA-4 Protein Level in Egyptian Patients with Behçet's Disease
Authors: Abdel Galil Sahar M. , Hagrass Hoda A.
Published: June 2014

This study analyzed the association of the A/G SNP at position +49 of exon-1 in the CTLA-4 gene to the susceptibility and clinical manifestations of Behcet’s disease (BD). It was performed on 60 Egyptian BD patients and 95 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The genotypes for the +49 A/G polymorphism of the CTLA-4 gene were determined by PCR-RFLP, while the serum level of CTLA-4 protein was measured by ELISA. CTLA-4 +49 A allele (P<0.001,OR=3.084, and CI (95%) = 1.90–4.99) and A/A genotype (P<0.001,OR=6.643, and CI (95%) = 2.58–17.10) frequency distribution was significantly more increased in patients than in the controls, with no significant differences between males and females with regard to the genotype or allele frequency distribution. A/A genotype was associated with a more reduced expression of sCTLA-4 protein in patients than in the controls (1.76±0.19versus1.91±0.30, resp;P<0.0007). In addition, it is associated with the occurrence of ocular and vasculitic manifestations of BD in the patient group. The CTLA-4 gene could be considered as a susceptibility and a disease-modifying gene to BD in Egyptian population that needs further confirmatory studies on larger cohorts.
Feedback-Mediated Upper Extremities Exercise: Increasing Patient Motivation in Poststroke Rehabilitation
Authors: Popović Maša D. , Kostić Miloš D. , Rodić Sindi Z. , Konstantinović Ljubica M.
Published: June 2014

Purpose. This proof-of-concept study investigated whether feedback-mediated exercise (FME) of the affected arm of hemiplegic patients increases patient motivation and promotes greater improvement of motor function, compared to no-feedback exercise (NFE).Method. We developed a feedback-mediated treatment that uses gaming scenarios and allows online and offline monitoring of both temporal and spatial characteristics of planar movements. Twenty poststroke hemiplegic inpatients, randomly assigned to the FME and NFE group, received therapy five days a week for three weeks. The outcome measures were evaluated from the following: (1) the modified drawing test (mDT), (2) received therapy time—RTT, and (3) intrinsic motivation inventory—IMI.Results. The FME group patients showed significantly higher improvement in the speed metric (P<0.01), and smoothness metric (P<0.01), as well as higher RTT (P<0.01). Significantly higher patient motivation is observed in the FME group (interest/enjoyment subscale (P<0.01) and perceived competence subscale (P<0.01)).Conclusion. Prolonged endurance in training and greater improvement in certain areas of motor function, as well as very high patient motivation and strong positive impressions about the treatment, suggest the positive effects of feedback-mediated treatment and its high level of acceptance by patients.
On Nonautonomous Discrete Dynamical Systems
Authors: Thakkar Dhaval , Das Ruchi
Published: June 2014

We define and study expansiveness, shadowing, and topological stability for a nonautonomous discrete dynamical system induced by a sequence of homeomorphisms on a metric space.
Compressed Biogas-Diesel Dual-Fuel Engine Optimization Study for Ultralow Emission
Authors: Koten Hasan , Yilmaz Mustafa , Zafer Gul M.
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study is to find out the optimum operating conditions in a diesel engine fueled with compressed biogas (CBG) and pilot diesel dual-fuel. One-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code and multiobjective optimization code were employed to investigate the influence of CBG-diesel dual-fuel combustion performance and exhaust emissions on a diesel engine. In this paper, 1D engine code and multiobjective optimization code were coupled and evaluated about 15000 cases to define the proper boundary conditions. In addition, selected single diesel fuel (dodecane) and dual-fuel (CBG-diesel) combustion modes were modeled to compare the engine performances and exhaust emission characteristics by using CFD code under various operating conditions. In optimization study, start of pilot diesel fuel injection, CBG-diesel flow rate, and engine speed were optimized and selected cases were compared using CFD code. CBG and diesel fuels were defined as leading reactants using user defined code. The results showed that significantly lower NOx emissions were emitted under dual-fuel operation for all cases compared to single-fuel mode at all engine load conditions.
Natural Convection in a Differentially Heated Square Enclosure with a Solid Polygon
Authors: Roslan R. , Saleh H. , Hashim I.
Published: June 2014

The aim of the present numerical study is to analyze the conjugate natural convection heat transfer in a differentially heated square enclosure containing a conductive polygon object. The left wall is heated and the right wall is cooled, while the horizontal walls are kept adiabatic. The COMSOL Multiphysics software is applied to solve the dimensionless governing equations. The governing parameters considered are the polygon type,3≤N≤∞, the horizontal position,0.25≤X0≤0.75, the polygon size,0≤A≤π/16, the thermal conductivity ratio,0.1≤Kr≤10.0, and the Rayleigh number,103≤Ra≤106. The critical size of the solid polygon was found exists at low conductivities. The heat transfer rate increases with the increase of the size of the solid polygon, until it reaches its maximum value. Here, the size of the solid polygon is reaches its critical value. Further, beyond this critical size of the solid polygon, will decrease the heat transfer rate.
A Generalized Mazur-Ulam Theorem for Fuzzy Normed Spaces
Authors: Font J. J. , Galindo J. , Macario S. , Sanchis M.
Published: June 2014

We introducefuzzy norm-preservingmaps, which generalize the concept of fuzzy isometry. Based on the ideas from Vogt, 1973, and Väisälä, 2003, we provide the following generalized version of the Mazur-Ulam theorem in the fuzzy context: letX,Ybe fuzzy normed spaces and letf:X→Ybe a fuzzy norm-preserving surjection satisfyingf(0)=0. Thenfis additive.
Reliability Analysis of Random Fuzzy Unrepairable Systems
Authors: Liu Ying , Li Xiaozhong , Li Jianbin
Published: June 2014

The lifetimes of components in unrepairable systems are considered as random fuzzy variables since randomness and fuzziness are often merged with each other. Then we establish the fundamental mathematical models of random fuzzy unrepairable systems, including series systems, parallel systems, series-parallel systems, parallel-series systems, and cold standby systems with absolutely reliable conversion switches. Furthermore, the expressions of reliability and mean time to failure (MTTF) are given for the above five random fuzzy unrepairable systems, respectively. Finally, numerical examples are given to show the application in a lighting lamp system and a hi-fi system.
Metachronous Primary Adenocarcinoma of Distal and Proximal Ureter within Two Years
Authors: Abt Dominik , Müllhaupt Gautier , Mordasini Livio , Diener Pierre André , Schmid Hans-Peter
Published: June 2014

Primary adenocarcinoma of the upper urinary tract, particularly of the ureter, is an extremely rare entity. We are reporting on the first case of metachronous appearance in one patient. The 71-year-old man underwent partial ureterectomy (R0 resection) for primary adenocarcinoma of the left distal ureter. 3 years later, nephroureterectomy had to be performed because of metachronous primary adenocarcinoma of the left proximal ureter. Extensive examinations revealed no evidence for further malignancies at both times. Primary adenocarcinoma of the upper urinary tract is rare but should be kept in mind, especially in patients with chronic inflammation and urinary tract obstruction. Due to the low incidence, there is a lack of data regarding its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and optimal treatment.
Analysis of Combined Power and Refrigeration Generation Using the Carbon Dioxide Thermodynamic Cycle to Recover the Waste Heat of an Internal Combustion Engine
Authors: Wang Shunsen , Bai Kunlun , Xie Yonghui , Di Juan , Cheng Shangfang
Published: June 2014

A novel thermodynamic system is proposed to recover the waste heat of an internal combustion engine (ICE) by integrating the transcritical carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigeration cycle with the supercritical CO2 power cycle, and eight kinds of integration schemes are developed. The key parameters of the system are optimized through a genetic algorithm to achieve optimum matching with different variables and schemes, as well as the maximum net power output (Wnet). The results indicate that replacing a single‐turbine scheme with a double‐turbine scheme can significantly enhance the net power output (Wnet) and lower the inlet pressure of the power turbine (P4). With the same exhaust parameters of ICE, the maximum Wnet of the double‐turbines scheme is 40%–50% higher than that of the single‐turbine scheme. Replacing a single‐stage compression scheme with a double‐stage compression scheme can also lower the value of P4, while it could not always significantly enhance the value of Wnet. Except for the power consumption of air conditioning, the net power output of this thermodynamic system can reach up to 13%–35% of the engine power when it is used to recover the exhaust heat of internal combustion engines.
Hybrid Wavelet-Postfix-GP Model for Rainfall Prediction of Anand Region of India
Authors: Dabhi Vipul K. , Chaudhary Sanjay
Published: June 2014

An accurate prediction of rainfall is crucial for national economy and management of water resources. The variability of rainfall in both time and space makes the rainfall prediction a challenging task. The present work investigates the applicability of a hybrid wavelet-postfix-GP model for daily rainfall prediction of Anand region using meteorological variables. The wavelet analysis is used as a data preprocessing technique to remove the stochastic (noise) component from the original time series of each meteorological variable. The Postfix-GP, a GP variant, and ANN are then employed to develop models for rainfall using newly generated subseries of meteorological variables. The developed models are then used for rainfall prediction. The out-of-sample prediction performance of Postfix-GP and ANN models is compared using statistical measures. The results are comparable and suggest that Postfix-GP could be explored as an alternative tool for rainfall prediction.
Bandwidth Selection for Recursive Kernel Density Estimators Defined by Stochastic Approximation Method
Authors: Slaoui Yousri
Published: June 2014

We propose an automatic selection of the bandwidth of the recursive kernel estimators of a probability density function defined by the stochastic approximation algorithm introduced by Mokkadem et al. (2009a). We showed that, using the selected bandwidth and the stepsize which minimize the MISE (mean integrated squared error) of the class of the recursive estimators defined in Mokkadem et al. (2009a), the recursive estimator will be better than the nonrecursive one for small sample setting in terms of estimation error and computational costs. We corroborated these theoretical results through simulation study.
Lead Discovery for Alzheimer’s Disease Related Target Protein RbAp48 from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Huang Hung-Jin , Lee Cheng-Chun , Chen Calvin Yu-Chian
Published: June 2014

Deficiency or loss of function of Retinoblastoma-associated proteins (RbAp48) is related with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and AD disease is associated with age-related memory loss. During normal function, RbAp48 forms a complex with the peptide FOG-1 (friend of GATA-1) and has a role in gene transcription, but an unstable complex may affect the function of RbAp48. This study utilizes the world’s largest traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) database and virtual screening to provide potential compounds for RbAp48 binding. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was employed to understand the variations after protein-ligand interaction. FOG1 was found to exhibit low stability after RbAp48 binding; the peptide displayed significant movement from the initial docking position, a phenomenon which matched the docking results. The protein structure of the other TCM candidates was not variable during MD simulation and had a greater stable affinity for RbAp48 binding than FOG1. Our results reveal that the protein structure does not affect ligand binding, and the top three TCM candidates Bittersweet alkaloid II, Eicosandioic acid, and Perivine might resolve the instability of the RbAp48-FOG1 complex and thus be used in AD therapy.
Comparison of Outcomes between Early Fascial Closure and Delayed Abdominal Closure in Patients with Open Abdomen: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Yu , Ye Jinning , Song Wu , Chen Jianhui , Yuan Yujie , Ren Jianan
Published: June 2014

Up to the present, the optimal time to close an open abdomen remains controversial. This study was designed to evaluate whether early fascial abdominal closure had advantages over delayed approach for open abdomen populations. Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched until April 2013. Search terms included “open abdomen,” “abdominal compartment syndrome,” “laparostomy,” “celiotomy,” “abdominal closure,” “primary,” “delayed,” “permanent,” “fascial closure,” and “definitive closure.” Open abdomen was defined as “fail to close abdominal fascia after a laparotomy.” Mortality, complications, and length of stay were compared between early and delayed fascial closure. In total, 3125 patients were included for final analysis, and 1942 (62%) patients successfully achieved early fascial closure. Vacuum assisted fascial closure had no impact on pooled fascial closure rate. Compared with delayed abdominal closure, early fascial closure significantly reduced mortality (12.3% versus 24.8%, RR, 0.53,P<0.0001) and complication incidence (RR, 0.68,P<0.0001). The mean interval from open abdomen to definitive closure ranged from 2.2 to 14.6 days in early fascial closure groups, but from 32.5 to 300 days in delayed closure groups. This study confirmed clinical advantages of early fascial closure over delayed approach in treatment of patients with open abdomen.