bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ICRF‐193, an anticancer topoisomerase II inhibitor, induces arched telophase spindles that snap, leading to a ploidy increase in fission yeast
Authors: Nakazawa Norihiko , Mehrotra Rajesh , Arakawa Orie , Yanagida Mitsuhiro
Published: July 2016

ICRF‐193 [meso‐4,4‐(2,3‐butanediyl)‐bis(2,6‐piperazinedione)] is a complex‐stabilizing inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) that is used as an effective anticancer drug. ICRF‐193 inhibits topo II catalytic activity in vitro and blocks nuclear division in vivo. Here, we examined the effects of ICRF‐193 treatment on chromatin behavior and spindle dynamics using detailed live mitotic cell analysis in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Time‐lapse movie analysis showed that ICRF‐193 treatment leads to an elongation of presumed chromatin fibers connected to kinetochores during mid‐mitosis. Anaphase spindles begin to arch, and eventually spindle poles come together abruptly, as if the spindle snapped at the point of spindle microtubule overlap in telophase. Segregating chromosomes appeared as elastic clumps and subsequently pulled back and merged. The snapped spindle phenotype was abolished by microtubule destabilization after thiabendazole treatment, accompanied by unequal chromosome segregation or severe defects in spindle extension. Thus, we conclude that ICRF‐193‐treated, unseparated sister chromatids pulling toward opposite spindle poles produce the arched and snapped telophase spindle. ICRF‐193 treatment increased DNA content, suggesting that the failure of sister chromatids to separate properly in anaphase, causes the spindle to break in telophase, resulting in polyploidization.
Haemarthrosis model in mice: BSS – Bleeding Severity Score assessment system
Authors: Hakobyan N. , Valentino L. A. , Cong L. , Enockson C. , Song X. Q. , Desai S. , Radtke R. , Fogg L. F.
Published: July 2016

Introduction

The prophylactic administration of clotting factor concentrate is currently the most effective strategy for the prevention of joint bleeding. As new agents with different mechanisms of action and administration schedules are developed, it will be important to study them in relevant preclinical models.

Aim

The aim of this study was the standardization of a mouse haemarthrosis model in a haemophilia mouse and the development and validation of a comprehensive bleeding assessment system, the Bleeding Severity Score (BSS).

Methods and Results

Four outcome measurements were assessed, two of which, the extra‐articular bleeding score and intra‐articular bleeding score, were determined to be the most reliable and were summarized into a BSS which was validated using a mouse haemarthrosis variability model.

Conclusion

Using this model, the haemostatic effect of prospective drugs can be assessed in a clinically relevant joint bleeding model and will significantly increase the value of preclinical studies.
Histone deacetylases function as novel potential therapeutic targets for cancer
Authors: Zhang Hui , Shang Yu‐Ping , Chen Hong‐ying , Li Jun
Published: July 2016

Diverse cellular functions, including tumor suppressor gene expression, DNA repair, cell proliferation and apoptosis, are regulated by histone acetylation and deacetylation. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes involved in remodeling of chromatin by deacetylating the lysine residues. They play a pivotal role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Dysregulation of HDACs and aberrant chromatin acetylation and deacetylation have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer. Histone deacetylases have become a target for the development of drugs for treating cancer because of their major contribution to oncogenic cell transformation. Overexpression of HDACs correlates with tumorigenesis. Previous work showed that inhibition of HDACs results in apoptosis and the inhibition of cell proliferation in multiple cells. A significant number of HDAC inhibitors have been developed in the past decade. These inhibitors have strong anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo, inducing growth arrest, differentiation, and programmed cell death, inhibiting cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, and suppressing angiogenesis. In addition, HDAC‐mediated deacetylation alters the transcriptional activity of nuclear transcription factors, including p53, E2F, c‐Myc, and nuclear factor‐κB, as well as the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase1/2, phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase, Notch, and Wnt signaling pathways. This review highlights the role of HDACs in cancer pathogenesis and, more importantly, that HDACs are potential novel therapeutic targets.
Unusual records of deepwater teleosteans trawled off the western coast of Mexico
Authors: De La Cruz‐Agüero J. , Moncayo‐Estrada R. , Cota‐Gómez V. M. , Villalobos‐Ortiz H. , Valdez‐Pelayo A.
Published: July 2016

The first records of three midwater species for the Mexican ichthyofauna (Holtbyrnia laticauda, Brama dussumieri and Cubiceps baxteri), caught off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, in mid 2014, are reported. As far as is known, they are the first verified specimens, geo‐referenced and catalogued in a reference fish collection for the west coast of Mexico. The species' known distributions were extended northward in the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from 3495 to 8300 km.
Exposure to a putative alarm cue reduces downstream drift in larval sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus in the laboratory
Authors: Wagner C. M. , Kierczynski K. E. , Hume J. B. , Luhring T. M.
Published: July 2016

An experimental mesocosm study suggested larval sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus detect and respond to an alarm cue released by dead adult conspecifics. Larvae exhibited a reduced tendency to move downstream when exposed to the cue and were less likely to move under continuous v. pulsed exposure. These findings support the hypothesis that short‐term exposure to the alarm cue would probably result in retraction into the burrow, consistent with the blind, cryptic lifestyle of the larval P. marinus.
Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus SP. Using Chitosan‐Alginate‐Xanthan Gum‐β‐Cyclodextrin and Characterization of its Cholesterol Reducing Potential and Resistance Against pH, Temperature and Storage
Authors: Fareez Ismail M. , Lim Siong Meng , Lim Fei Tieng , Mishra Rakesh K. , Ramasamy Kalavathy
Published: July 2016

Probiotics are increasingly recognized for their cholesterol removal ability. Their vulnerability to harsh environmental factors during gastrointestinal transit and industrial processing remains a major challenge. This study addressed these issues by immobilizing Lactobacillus plantarum LAB12 within polymeric matrix comprised of sodium alginate (NaAlg), xanthan gum (XG) and chitosan (Ch) coating, with supplementation of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD), another potential cholesterol reducing agent. LAB12 encapsulated in Alg‐XG‐β‐CD‐Ch exhibited excellent survivability (∼95%) at pH 1.8 with facilitated release (>9 log CFU/g) at pH 6.8. While minimizing the loss of viable microencapsulated LAB12 at 75 and 90°C, the microcapsules yielded viable counts >7 log CFU/g over a 4‐week storage at 4°C. Cholesterol lowering effects of β‐CD supplemented beads and LAB12 against total cholesterol from egg yolk were also studied. These findings implied the potential use of Alg‐XG‐β‐CD‐Ch as protective micro‐transport for probiotics and additional means of cholesterol reduction.

Practical Applications

The Alg‐XG‐β‐CD‐Ch beads yielded in this study exhibited characteristics of an ideal probiotic vehicle whereby they enhanced protection of free lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against harsh environments, facilitated targeted‐cell release and conferred health benefits to the host upon consumption. The technical applications of this formulation include its use as heat‐ and pH‐stable polymeric beads that carry L. plantarum LAB12 (the LAB model). The beads are acid tolerant (pH 1.8) under gastric conditions with the capability of targeted release at the large intestine (pH 6.8). In addition, it is also heat resistant, enabling microorganisms to survive at high temperature of up to 90°C (essential during product manufacturing). The bound β‐CD within the formulation is also able to enhance the cholesterol reducing ability of the LAB. Alg‐XG‐β‐CD‐Ch have successfully widen the applications of probiotics especially in health, food and agro industries.
Early development of the malleus and incus in humans
Authors: Burford Charlotte M. , Mason Matthew J.
Published: July 2016

It is widely accepted by developmental biologists that the malleus and incus of the mammalian middle ear are first pharyngeal arch derivatives, a contention based originally on classical embryology that has now been backed up by molecular evidence from rodent models. However, it has been claimed in several studies of human ossicular development that the manubrium of the malleus and long process of the incus are actually derived from the second arch. This ‘dual‐arch’ interpretation is commonly presented in otolaryngology textbooks, and it has been used by clinicians to explain the aetiology of certain congenital abnormalities of the human middle ear. In order to re‐examine the origins of the human malleus and incus, we made three‐dimensional reconstructions of the pharyngeal region of human embryos from 7 to 28 mm crown–rump length, based on serial histological sections from the Boyd Collection. We considered the positions of the developing ossicles relative to the pharyngeal pouches and clefts, and the facial and chorda tympani nerves. Confirming observations from previous studies, the primary union between first pharyngeal pouch and first cleft found in our youngest specimens was later lost, the external meatus developing rostroventral to this position. The mesenchyme of the first and second arches in these early embryos seemed to be continuous, but the boundaries of the developing ossicles proved to be very hard to determine at this stage. When first distinguishable, the indications were that both the manubrium of the malleus and the long process of the incus were emerging within the first pharyngeal arch. We therefore conclude that the histological evidence, on balance, favours the ‘classical’ notion that the human malleus and incus are first‐arch structures. The embryological basis of congenital ossicular abnormalities should be reconsidered in this light.
Bottle milk feeding and its association with food group consumption, growth and socio‐demographic characteristics in Chinese young children
Authors: Yeung Suey , Chan Ruth , Li Liz , Leung Shirley , Woo Jean
Published: July 2016

It is recommended that infants from the age of 12 months should be weaned from bottles. However, an overwhelming proportion of young children were still using bottle after the recommended age of bottle‐weaning. This cross‐sectional study examined the association between utensils for milk drinking and food group consumption, growth and socio‐demographic characteristics among young children. Data from the Survey of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Hong Kong were analyzed for 649 children aged 18–48 months old. Dietary outcomes were obtained via 3‐day dietary records, while utensils for milk drinking and socio‐demographic characteristics were collected from a self‐developed questionnaire. Length/height and weight of the children were measured by the nurses. Results showed that daily consumption of formula milk was significantly greater among bottle users or bottle plus cup users than non‐bottle users (p < 0.05). Exclusive bottle users had significantly lower intakes of meat and meat alternatives than bottle plus cup users for the 18 to 24‐month group (p = 0.001) and lower intakes of fruits than non‐bottle users in the 48‐month group (p = 0.015). BMI z‐score was significantly higher for exclusive bottle users than non‐bottle users, even after adjusting for socio‐economic factors and child's age (p = 0.006). The results showed that the milk drinking utensil was associated with the amount of formula milk and food group consumption as well as BMI z‐score. There is a need to actively discourage prolonged bottle use in order to help young children develop good dietary habits. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Reconciling concepts of space and person‐centred care of the older person with cognitive impairment in the acute care setting
Authors: Rushton Carole , Edvardsson David
Published: July 2016

Although a large body of literature exists propounding the importance of space in aged care and care of the older person with dementia, there is, however, only limited exploration of the ‘acute care space’ as a particular type of space with archetypal constraints that maybe unfavourable to older people with cognitive impairment and nurses wanting to provide care that is person‐centred. In this article, we explore concepts of space and examine the implications of these for the delivery of care to older people who are cognitively impaired. Our exploration is grounded in theorisations of space offered by key geographers and phenomenologists, but also draws on how space has been constructed within the nursing literature that refers specifically to acute care. We argue that space, once created, can be created and that nursing has a significant role to play in the process of its recreation in the pursuit of care that is person‐centred. We conclude by introducing an alternative logic of space aimed at promoting the creation of more salutogenic spaces that invokes a sense of sanctuary, safeness, and inclusion, all of which are essential if the care provided to the older person with cognitive impairment is apposite to their needs. The concept of ‘person‐centred space’ helps to crystallize the relationship between space and person‐centred care and implies more intentional manipulation of space that is more conducive to caring and healing. Significantly, it marks a return to Nightingale's wisdom, that is, to put the person in the best possible conditions for nature to act upon them.
Sensitivity of simulated hillslope subsurface flow to rainfall patterns, soil texture and land use
Authors: Liao K.‐H. , Lv L.‐G. , Yang G.‐S. , Zhu Q.
Published: July 2016

Knowledge of the generation of subsurface flow for hillslopes is important for controlling agricultural nonpoint nutrient losses. This study used a physically based hillslope hydrologic model HYDRUS‐2D to assess the sensitivity of simulated subsurface flow to the interactions between precipitation, soil texture and land use. Soil moisture data from 1 January 2013 to 23 August 2014 at two monitoring sites on a tea plantation hillslope were used to calibrate the van Genuchten–Mualem hydraulic parameters for this model. For six different textural classes (loamy sand, loam, silt, silt loam, clay loam and clay) and four land‐use types (tea garden, forest, grassland and bare soil), scenario‐based simulations were carried out for varied precipitation intensities (6.0, 15.0, 30.0, 45.0, 60.0 and 76.0 mm/day) and frequencies (time intervals of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days). Results indicated that the hillslope run‐off was dominated by subsurface flow, which was influenced by precipitation and antecedent moisture conditions. A threshold value of 0.18 m3/m3 of mean hillslope soil moisture was observed for the initiation of subsurface flow. High precipitation intensity (i.e. 75.0 mm/day) substantially increased subsurface flow for all soil textures. In addition, the sensitivity of the bare soil hillslope to rainfall patterns was more than two times higher than that of the vegetated (i.e. grassland, tea garden and forest) hillslope. These findings suggest that extreme precipitation events and land‐use change will increase the risks of subsurface flow on hillslopes. Therefore, optimal fertilizer application strategy and land‐use planning should be proposed for controlling the hillslope nonpoint nutrient losses.
Lingual palpation for porcine cysticercosis: a rapid epidemiological tool for estimating prevalence and community risk in Africa
Authors: Guyatt Helen L. , Fèvre Eric M.
Published: July 2016

Objective

To assess the association between the prevalence of tongue cyst‐positive and antigen‐positive pigs across different settings in Africa, to evaluate whether examining pigs for cysts could be used as a rapid surveillance tool for identifying geographical areas with a higher probability of high transmission of cysticercosis.

Methods

Published data were collated from 26 study sites across Africa that reported the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis by both lingual and serological examinations. The study sites were located in 10 countries across Africa.

Results

Seroprevalence rates ranged from 4% to 41%. Despite the varied study sites, the relationship between the two variables was highly consistent and suggests identification of tongue cysts may be useful for cysticercosis surveillance. We found that all areas with more than 10% of pigs having cysts in their tongues had at least 30% seroprevalence (PPV of 100%), although this cut‐off is less reliable at predicting that an area is of low transmission (NPV of 84%).

Conclusion

Assessing the prevalence of tongue cyst‐positive pigs is a potential rapid epidemiological tool for identifying areas at high risk of cysticercosis, although further refinement and validation is required using standardised data sets.
Functional conservation and divergence of GmCHLI genes in polyploid soybean
Authors: Li Qing , Fang Chao , Duan Zongbiao , Liu Yucheng , Qin Hao , Zhang Jixiang , Sun Peng , Li Wenbin , Wang Guodong , Tian Zhixi
Published: July 2016

Polyploidy is prevalent in nature. As the fate of duplicated genes becomes more complicated when the encoded proteins function as oligomers, functional investigations into duplicated oligomer‐encoding genes in polyploid genomes will facilitate our understanding of how traits are expressed. In this study, we identified GmCHLI1, a gene encoding the I subunit of magnesium (Mg)‐chelatase, which functions in hexamers as responsible for the semi‐dominant etiolation phenotype in soybean. Four GmCHLI copies derived from two polyploidy events were identified in the soybean genome. Further investigation with regard to expression patterns indicated that these four copies have diverged into two pairs; mutation in the other copy of the pair that includes GmCHLI1 also resulted in a chlorophyll‐deficient phenotype. Protein interaction assays showed that these four GmCHLIs can interact with each other, but stronger interactions were found with mutated subunits. The results indicate that, in polyploidy, deficiency in each copy of duplicated oligomer‐encoding genes could result in a mutant phenotype due to hetero‐oligomer formation, which is different from the model of allelic dosage or functional redundancy. In addition, we interestingly found an increase in isoflavonoids in the heterozygous etiolated plants, which might be useful for improving soybean seed quality.
Extracellular K+ rapidly controls NaCl cotransporter phosphorylation in the native distal convoluted tubule by Cl−‐dependent and independent mechanisms
Authors: Penton David , Czogalla Jan , Wengi Agnieszka , Himmerkus Nina , Loffing‐Cueni Dominique , Carrel Monique , Rajaram Renuga Devi , Staub Olivier , Bleich Markus , Schweda Frank , Loffing Johannes
Published: July 2016

Key points

High dietary potassium (K+) intake dephosphorylates and inactivates the NaCl cotransporter (NCC) in the renal distal convoluted tubule (DCT).

Using several ex vivo models, we show that physiological changes in extracellular K+, similar to those occurring after a K+ rich diet, are sufficient to promote a very rapid dephosphorylation of NCC in native DCT cells.

Although the increase of NCC phosphorylation upon decreased extracellular K+ appears to depend on cellular Cl− fluxes, the rapid NCC dephosphorylation in response to increased extracellular K+ is not Cl−‐dependent.

The Cl−‐dependent pathway involves the SPAK/OSR1 kinases, whereas the Cl− independent pathway may include additional signalling cascades.

A high dietary potassium (K+) intake causes a rapid dephosphorylation, and hence inactivation, of the thiazide‐sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCC) in the renal distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Based on experiments in heterologous expression systems, it was proposed that changes in extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]ex) modulate NCC phosphorylation via a Cl−‐dependent modulation of the with no lysine (K) kinases (WNK)‐STE20/SPS‐1‐44 related proline‐alanine‐rich protein kinase (SPAK)/oxidative stress‐related kinase (OSR1) kinase pathway. We used the isolated perfused mouse kidney technique and ex vivo preparations of mouse kidney slices to test the physiological relevance of this model on native DCT. We demonstrate that NCC phosphorylation inversely correlates with [K+]ex, with the most prominent effects occurring around physiological plasma [K+]. Cellular Cl− conductances and the kinases SPAK/OSR1 are involved in the phosphorylation of NCC under low [K+]ex. However, NCC dephosphorylation triggered by high [K+]ex is neither blocked by removing extracellular Cl−, nor by the Cl− channel blocker 4,4′‐diisothiocyano‐2,2′‐stilbenedisulphonic acid. The response to [K+]ex on a low extracellular chloride concentration is also independent of significant changes in SPAK/OSR1 phosphorylation. Thus, in the native DCT, [K+]ex directly and rapidly controls NCC phosphorylation by Cl−‐dependent and independent pathways that involve the kinases SPAK/OSR1 and a yet unidentified additional signalling mechanism.
Kinematics of Origami Structures With Smooth Folds
Authors: Peraza Hernandez Edwin A. , Hartl Darren J. , Lagoudas Dimitris C.
Published: July 2016

Origami provides both inspiration and potential solutions to the fabrication, assembly, and functionality of various structures and devices. Kinematic modeling of origami-based objects is essential to their analysis and design. Models for rigid origami, in which all planar faces of the sheet are rigid and folds are limited to straight creases having only zeroth-order geometric continuity, are available in the literature. Many of these models include constraints on the fold angles to ensure that any initially closed strip of faces is not torn during folding. However, these previous models are not intended for structures with non-negligible fold thickness or with maximum curvature at the folds restricted by material or structural limitations. Thus, for general structures, creased folds of merely zeroth-order geometric continuity are not appropriate idealizations of structural response, and a new approach is needed. In this work, a novel model analogous to those for rigid origami with creased folds is presented for sheets having realistic folds of nonzero surface area and exhibiting higher-order geometric continuity, here termed smooth folds. The geometry of smooth folds and constraints on their associated shape variables are presented. A numerical implementation of the model allowing for kinematic simulation of sheets having arbitrary fold patterns is also described. Simulation results are provided showing the capability of the model to capture realistic kinematic response of origami sheets with diverse fold patterns.
Energy Consumption Modeling and Analyses in Automotive Manufacturing Plant
Authors: Feng Lujia , Mears Laine
Published: July 2016

Manufacturing plants energy consumption accounts for a large share in world energy usage. Energy consumption modeling and analyses are widely studied to understand how and where the energy is used inside of the plants. However, a systematic energy modeling approach is seldom studied to describe the holistic energy in the plants. Especially using layers of models to share information and guide the next step modeling is rarely studied. In this paper, a manufacturing system temporal and organizational framework was used to guide the systematic energy modeling approach. Various levels of models were established and tested in an automotive manufacturing plant to illustrate how the approach can be implemented. A detail paint spray booth air unit was described to demonstrate how to investigate the most sensitive variables in affecting energy consumption. While considering the current plant metering status, the proposed approach is advanced in information sharing and improvement suggestion determination.
Tolerability and Plasma Drug Level Monitoring of Prolonged Subcutaneous Teicoplanin Treatment for Bone and Joint Infections
Authors: El Samad Youssef , Lanoix Jean-Philippe , Bennis Youssef , Diouf Momar , Saroufim Carlo , Brunschweiler Benoit , Rousseau Florence , Joseph Cédric , Hamdad Farida , Ait Amer Meziane Mohamed , Routier Simon , Schmit Jean-Luc
Published: July 2016

Teicoplanin is a key drug for the treatment of multiresistant staphylococcal bone and joint infections (BJI), yet can only be administered via a parenteral route. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of subcutaneous (s.c.) teicoplanin for that indication over 42 days. Thirty patients with Gram-positive cocci BJI were included. Once the target of 25 to 40 mg/liter trough serum concentration was achieved, treatment was switched from an intravenous to an s.c. route. No discontinuation of teicoplanin related to injection site reaction and no severe local adverse event were observed. On multivariate analysis, better tolerability was observed at the beginning of treatment, in patients over 70 years old, and for dosages less than 600 mg. In conclusion, we recommend s.c. administration of teicoplanin when needed.
In Vitro
Activity of Delafloxacin Tested against Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis
Authors: Flamm Robert K. , Rhomberg Paul R. , Huband Michael D. , Farrell David J.
Published: July 2016

Delafloxacin, an investigational anionic fluoroquinolone, is active against a broad range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, 200
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(plus 30 levofloxacin-resistant isolates), 200
Haemophilus influenzae
, and 100
Moraxella catarrhalis
isolates selected primarily from the United States (2014) were tested against delafloxacin and comparator agents. Delafloxacin was the most potent agent tested. MIC
50
and MIC
90
values against all
S. pneumoniae
isolates were 0.008 and 0.015 μg/ml. Delafloxacin susceptibility was not affected by β-lactamase status against
H. influenzae
and
M. catarrhalis
.
Rearing strategies alter patterns of size-selective mortality and heritable size variation in steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Berejikian Barry A. , Hard Jeffrey J. , Tatara Christopher P. , Van Doornik Donald M. , Swanson Penny , Larsen Donald A.
Published: July 2016

Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared under two different regimes: high food ration for 1 year (S1; typical strategy) or low ration for 2 years (S2) were subjected to a seawater challenge during the corresponding spring outmigration period. The S1smolts were smaller and suffered greater seawater challenge mortality (23.9% compared with 0.7% for the S2smolts) that was significantly and negatively related to body size. Heritability of body size was similar for the two treatments during the parr stage (fork length: S1= 0.181, S2= 0.245; mass: S1= 0.372; S2= 0.447), but higher for the S1treatment during the smolt stage for length (S1= 0.212, S2= 0.002) and body mass (S1= 0.145, S2= 0.015). Strong family effects for both traits and significant family by environment interactions for parr mass and smolt length indicated significant phenotypic plasticity. A genetic response to size-selective mortality caused by insufficient growth opportunity in the S1treatment is plausible and may affect fitness in the natural environment through effects on correlated traits.
Solvent effects in the nonlinear optical properties using the Voigt function
Authors: Paz J. L. , Rodríguez Luis G. , Cárdenas Juan F. , Costa-Vera Cesar
Published: July 2016

Nonlinear optical properties of a two-level molecular system immersed in a thermal bath have been studied in the present work. Solvent effects were explicitly considered by modeling the non-radiative interaction with the solute as a random variable. The innovation of this treatment is that it allows us to take into account the environment, inducing quantum effects not considered by classical treatment. The major contribution of the methodology proposed in this work, is the implementation of an approximant to the Voigt function as a probability distribution, because it allow us to cover a wider range of possible interactions among the solvent and the molecular system by simple changing the parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], associated to the variances of the Lorentzian and Gaussian distributions, respectively.
DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PLANTAR PLATE TEAR IN AN ELITE 400m HURDLER
Authors: Chatterjee Robin , Malliaropoulos Nikos , Padhiar Nat
Published: July 2016

The plantar plate is a fibrocartilaginous structure that lies deep to the metatarsal heads and provides stability to the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints. Repetitive motion may lead to irritation, inflammation and tear of the plate. In this case, a 400m hurdler reported metatarsalgia, swelling and misalignment of the second[Formula: see text]toe, in the absence of trauma. Pain was experienced during the toe off phase of hurdling. The patient had a hammer toe and a positive Lachman’s Test on examination. Fluoroscopy guided second MTP joint arthrogram confirmed the diagnosis of plantar plate tear. Complete Plantar Plate Repair and Weil’s Osteotomy were then carried out for definitive management after physiotherapy and analgesia failed to provide relief. Although there are numerous conservative measures to treat this ailment, surgical management remains the most effective.
Open packing saturation number of a graph
Authors: Hamid I. Sahul , Saravanakumar S.
Published: July 2016

In a graph [Formula: see text], a non-empty set [Formula: see text] is said to be an open packing set if no two vertices of [Formula: see text] have a common neighbor in [Formula: see text] Let [Formula: see text] and let [Formula: see text] denote the maximum cardinality of an open packing set in [Formula: see text] which contains [Formula: see text]. Then [Formula: see text] is called the open packing saturation number of [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we initiate a study on this parameter.
Consensus-Aware Sociopsychological Trust Model for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Rathore Heena , Badarla Venkataramana , Shit Supratim
Published: July 2016

Security plays a vital role in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for providing reliability to the network. In WSN, where nodes, in addition to having their inbuilt capability of sensing, processing, and communicating data, also possess certain risks. These risks expose them to attacks and bring in many security challenges. Many researchers are engaged in developing innovative design paradigms to address security issues by developing trust management systems. In WSN, trust is important for the establishment of cooperation among the sensor nodes. The article presents a sociopsychological model for detecting fraudulent nodes in WSN. The three factors, viz. ability, benevolence, and integrity, are used for the computation of trust. Furthermore, the article provides a novel consensus-aware sociopsychological approach to deal even in the presence of higher number of fraudulent nodes than benevolent nodes. The proposed work has been implemented in the LabVIEW platform and extensive simulations were carried out to study its performance. Additionally, it is experimentally evaluated on a testbed of size 16 nodes to obtain results that demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed model.
Metric Identification of the Same People from Images: How Reliable Is It?
Authors: Lucas Teghan , Kumaratilake Jaliya , Henneberg Maciej
Published: July 2016

Ratios have been applied to humans to identify individuals from images. These attempts have been proven unsuccessful, as camera angle, height, and distortions of the image affected the results. The anharmonic ratio is a ratio of ratios; it has proved successful in the identification of objects from images, as it is not affected by any distortions. The anharmonic ratio was applied to the human body and face to identify individuals from their images. Faces and bodies of twenty South Australian males aged 16–65 years were measured using standard anthropometric techniques. Participants were photographed in high quality images and recorded by standard surveillance camera (low quality images). Ten ratios were calculated from manual measurements and from all images. An Euclidean distance showed ratios incorrectly identified individuals 64.3% of the time between images of different quality. Variation of ratios between individuals is low so that standard deviations of ratios are of the magnitude similar to technical errors of measurements. Therefore participants cannot be isolated based on ratios. Ratios are an unreliable method for identification.
Pentobarbital-Induced Myocardial Stunning in Status Epilepticus Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Kavi Tapan , Molaie Donna , Nurok Michael , Rosengart Axel , Lahiri Shouri
Published: July 2016

Introduction. Mild hypotension is a well-recognized complication of intravenous pentobarbital; however fulminant cardiopulmonary failure has not been previously reported.Case Report. A 28-year-old woman developed pentobarbital-induced cardiopulmonary failure that was successfully treated with maximal medical management including arteriovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. She made an excellent cardiopulmonary and neurological recovery.Discussion and Conclusion. Pentobarbital is underrecognized as a potential cause of myocardial stunning. The mechanism involves direct myocardial depression and inhibition of autonomic neuroanatomical structures including the medulla and hypothalamus. Early recognition and implementation of aggressive cardiopulmonary support are essential to optimize the likelihood of a favorable outcome.
Bus Based Synchronization Method for CHIPPER Based NoC
Authors: Muralidharan D. , Muthaiah R.
Published: July 2016

Network on Chip (NoC) reduces the communication delay of System on Chip (SoC). The main limitation of NoC is power consumption and area overhead. Bufferless NoC reduces the area complexity and power consumption by eliminating buffers in the traditional routers. The bufferless NoC design should include live lock freeness since they use hot potato routing. This increases the complexity of bufferless NoC design. Among the available propositions to reduce this complexity, CHIPPER based bufferless NoC is considered as one of the best options. Live lock freeness is provided in CHIPPER through golden epoch and golden packet. All routers follow some synchronization method to identify a golden packet. Clock based method is intuitively followed for synchronization in CHIPPER based NoCs. It is shown in this work that the worst-case latency of packets is unbearably high when the above synchronization is followed. To alleviate this problem, broadcast bus NoC (BBus NoC) approach is proposed in this work. The proposed method decreases the worst-case latency of packets by increasing the golden epoch rate of CHIPPER.
Influence of Vinasse Application in the Structure and Composition of the Bacterial Community of the Soil under Sugarcane Cultivation
Authors: Omori Wellington Pine , Camargo André Ferreira de , Goulart Karla Cristina Stropa , Lemos Eliana Gertrudes de Macedo , Souza Jackson Antônio Marcondes de
Published: July 2016

Although the use of vinasse as a waste helps replenish soil nutrients and improves the quality of the sugarcane crop, it is known that vinasse residues alter the diversity of bacteria naturally present in the soil. The actual impacts of vinasse application on the selection of bacterial taxa are not understood because no studies have addressed this phenomenon directly. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone sequences from four soil types showed that the soil planted with sugarcane and fertilized with vinasse has a high diversity of bacteria compared to other biomes, where Acidobacteria were the second most abundant phylum. Although the composition and structure of bacterial communities differ significantly in the four environments (Libshuff’s test), forest soils and soil planted with sugarcane without vinasse fertilizer were similar to each other because they share at least 28 OTUs related to Rhizobiales, which are important agents involved in nitrogen fixation. OTUs belonging to Actinomycetales were detected more often in the soil that had vinasse applied, indicating that these groups are more favored by this type of land management.
The Influence of Crown Ether and Alcohol on Unsaturation and Molar Mass of Poly(propylene oxide)s Prepared by Use of Potassiumt-Butoxide: Reinvestigation of Chain Transfer Reactions
Authors: Grobelny Zbigniew , Swinarew Andrzej , Jurek-Suliga Justyna , Skrzeczyna Kinga , Gabor Jadwiga , Łężniak Marta
Published: July 2016

Potassiumt-butoxide dissolved in tetrahydrofuran effectively initiates homogeneous polymerization of propylene oxide at room temperature. Unsaturation and molar mass (Mn) of the polymers prepared depend on the presence of additives, such as macrocyclic ligand 18-crown-6 (L) andt-butanol. Application of the ligand alone results in distinct increase of unsaturation and decrease ofMn, whereas use oft-BuOH leads to simultaneous decrease of unsaturation andMn. Activation oft-BuOK/t-BuOH system with the ligand causes further decrease of unsaturation, that is, from 12.0 to 3.5 mol % for OK/OH (1/3) and OK/OH/L (1/3/2) systems, respectively. Unexpectedly,Mnof the polymers obtained does not practically change (~4800). This result differs from that reported earlier for neat PO polymerization initiated potassium 1-methoxy-2-propoxide/1-methoxy-2-propanol, in which in the presence of the same ligandMnincreases to ~12 400 for the same ratio of reagents. The mechanism of studied processes was discussed.
Evaluation of the Effect of Irrigation and Fertilization by Drip Fertigation on Tomato Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Greenhouse
Authors: Xiukang Wang , Yingying Xing
Published: July 2016

The water shortage in China, particularly in Northwest China, is very serious. There is, therefore, great potential for improving the water use efficiency (WUE) in agriculture, particularly in areas where the need for water is greatest. A two-season (2012 and 2013) study evaluated the effects of irrigation and fertilizer rate on tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill., cv. “Jinpeng 10”) growth, yield, and WUE. The fertilizer treatment significantly influenced plant height and stem diameter at 23 and 20 days after transplanting in 2012 and 2013, respectively. As individual factors, irrigation and fertilizer significantly affected the leaf expansion rate, but irrigation × fertilizer had no statistically significant effect on the leaf growth rate at 23 days after transplanting in 2012. Dry biomass accumulation was significantly influenced by fertilizer in both years, but there was no significant difference in irrigation treatment in 2012. Our study showed that an increased irrigation level increased the fruit yield of tomatoes and decreased the WUE. The fruit yield and WUE increased with the increased fertilizer rate. WUE was more sensitive to irrigation than to fertilization. An irrigation amount of 151 to 208 mm and a fertilizer amount of 454 to 461 kg·ha−1(nitrogen fertilizer, 213.5–217 kg·ha−1; phosphate fertilizer, 106.7–108 kg·ha−1; and potassium fertilizer, 133.4–135.6 kg·ha−1) were recommended for the drip fertigation of tomatoes in greenhouse.
VR-Cluster: Dynamic Migration for Resource Fragmentation Problem in Virtual Router Platform
Authors: Gao Xianming , Wang Baosheng , Zhang Xiaozhe
Published: July 2016

Network virtualization technology is regarded as one of gradual schemes to network architecture evolution. With the development of network functions virtualization, operators make lots of effort to achieve router virtualization by using general servers. In order to ensure high performance, virtual router platform usually adopts a cluster of general servers, which can be also regarded as a special cloud computing environment. However, due to frequent creation and deletion of router instances, it may generate lots of resource fragmentation to prevent platform from establishing new router instances. In order to solve “resource fragmentation problem,” we firstly propose VR-Cluster, which introduces two extra function planes including switching plane and resource management plane. Switching plane is mainly used to support seamless migration of router instances without packet loss; resource management plane can dynamically move router instances from one server to another server by using VR-mapping algorithms. Besides, three VR-mapping algorithms including first-fit mapping algorithm, best-fit mapping algorithm, and worst-fit mapping algorithm are proposed based on VR-Cluster. At last, we establish VR-Cluster protosystem by using general X86 servers, evaluate its migration time, and further analyze advantages and disadvantages of our proposed VR-mapping algorithms to solve resource fragmentation problem.
Effect of Rubberized Bitumen Blending Methods on Permanent Deformation of SMA Rubberized Asphalt Mixtures
Authors: Katman Herda Yati , Ibrahim Mohd Rasdan , Karim Mohamed Rehan , Koting Suhana , Mashaan Nuha Salim
Published: July 2016

This study aims at comparing the permanent deformation of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) rubberized asphalt mixtures produced by the wet process. In this study, rubberized binders were prepared using two different blending methods, namely, continuous blend and terminal blend. To study the creep behaviour of control and rubberized asphalt mixtures, the dynamic creep test was performed using Universal Materials Testing Apparatus (UMATTA) at different temperatures and stress levels. Zhou three-stage creep model was utilized to evaluate the deformation characteristics of the mixtures. In all test conditions, the highest resistance to permanent deformation is showed by the rubberized mixtures produced with continuous blend binders. This study also reveals that the permanent deformation of rubberized mixtures cannot be predicted based on the characteristics of the rubberized binders.
Analysis of Flavonoid in Medicinal Plant Extract Using Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics
Authors: Wulandari Lestyo , Retnaningtyas Yuni , Nuri  , Lukman Hilmia
Published: July 2016

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics has been developed for simple analysis of flavonoid in the medicinal plant extract. Flavonoid was extracted from medicinal plant leaves by ultrasonication and maceration. IR spectra of selected medicinal plant extract were correlated with flavonoid content using chemometrics. The chemometric method used for calibration analysis was Partial Last Square (PLS) and the methods used for classification analysis were Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogies (SIMCA), and Support Vector Machines (SVM). In this study, the calibration of NIR model that showed best calibration withR2and RMSEC value was 0.9916499 and 2.1521897, respectively, while the accuracy of all classification models (LDA, SIMCA, and SVM) was 100%.R2and RMSEC of calibration of FTIR model were 0.8653689 and 8.8958149, respectively, while the accuracy of LDA, SIMCA, and SVM was 86.0%, 91.2%, and 77.3%, respectively. PLS and LDA of NIR models were further used to predict unknown flavonoid content in commercial samples. Using these models, the significance of flavonoid content that has been measured by NIR and UV-Vis spectrophotometry was evaluated with paired samplest-test. The flavonoid content that has been measured with both methods gave no significant difference.
Nanodeserts: A Conjecture in Nanotechnology to Enhance Quasi-Photosynthetic CO2Absorption
Authors: Wang Wenfeng , Chen Xi , Zhang Yifan , Yu Jianjun , Ma Tianyi , Lv Zhihan , Zhang Jing , Zeng Fanyu , Zou Hui
Published: July 2016

This paper advances “nanodeserts” as a conjecture on the possibility of developing the hierarchical structured polymeric nanomaterials for enhancing abiotic CO2fixation in the soil-groundwater system beneath deserts (termed as quasi-photosynthetic CO2absorption). Arid and semiarid deserts ecosystems approximately characterize one-third of the Earth’s land surface but play an unsung role in the carbon cycling, considering the huge potentials of such CO2absorption to expand insights to the long-sought missing CO2sink and the naturally unneglectable turbulence in temperature sensitivities of soil respiration it produced. “Nanodeserts” as a reconciled concept not only indicate a conjecture in nanotechnology to enhance quasi-photosynthetic CO2absorption, but also aim to present to the desert researchers a better understanding of the footprints of abiotic CO2transport, conversion, and assignment in the soil-groundwater system beneath deserts. Meanwhile, nanodeserts allow a stable temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in deserts by largely reducing the CO2release above the deserts surface and highlighting the abiotic CO2fixation beneath deserts. This may be no longer a novelty in the future.
A Survey of Channel Measurements and Models for Current and Future Railway Communication Systems
Authors: Unterhuber Paul , Pfletschinger Stephan , Sand Stephan , Soliman Mohammad , Jost Thomas , Arriola Aitor , Val Iñaki , Cruces Cristina , Moreno Juan , García-Nieto Juan Pablo , Rodríguez Carlos , Berbineau Marion , Echeverría Eneko , Baz Imanol
Published: July 2016

Modern society demands cheap, more efficient, and safer public transport. These enhancements, especially an increase in efficiency and safety, are accompanied by huge amounts of data traffic that need to be handled by wireless communication systems. Hence, wireless communications inside and outside trains are key technologies to achieve these efficiency and safety goals for railway operators in a cost-efficient manner. This paper briefly describes nowadays used wireless technologies in the railway domain and points out possible directions for future wireless systems. Channel measurements and models for wireless propagation are surveyed and their suitability in railway environments is investigated. Identified gaps are pointed out and solutions to fill those gaps for wireless communication links in railway environments are proposed.
Extended Prey-Predator Algorithm with a Group Hunting Scenario
Authors: Tilahun Surafel Luleseged , Ong Hong Choon , Ngnotchouye Jean Medard T.
Published: July 2016

Prey-predator algorithm (PPA) is a metaheuristic algorithm inspired by the interaction between a predator and its prey. In the algorithm, the worst performing solution, called the predator, works as an agent for exploration whereas the better performing solution, called the best prey, works as an agent for exploitation. In this paper, PPA is extended to a new version callednm-PPA by modifying the number of predators and also best preys. Innm-PPA, there will benbest preys andmpredators. Increasing the value ofnincreases the exploitation and increasing the value ofmincreases the exploration property of the algorithm. Hence, it is possible to adjust the degree of exploration and exploitation as needed by adjusting the values ofnandm. A guideline on setting parameter values will also be discussed along with a new way of measuring performance of an algorithm for multimodal problems. A simulation is also done to test the algorithm using well known eight benchmark problems of different properties and different dimensions ranging from two to twelve showing thatnm-PPA is found to be effective in achieving multiple solutions in multimodal problems and also has better ability to overcome being trapped in local optimal solutions.