bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute administration of IL-6 improves indices of hepatic glucose and insulin homeostasis in lean and obese mice
Authors: Peppler Willem T. , Townsend Logan K. , Meers Grace M. , Panasevich Matthew R. , MacPherson Rebecca E. K. , Rector R. Scott , Wright David C.
Published: November 2018

Obesity can lead to impairments in hepatic glucose and insulin homeostasis, and although exercise is an effective treatment, the molecular targets remain incompletely understood. As IL-6 is an exercise-inducible cytokine, we aimed to identify whether IL-6 itself influences hepatic glucose and insulin homeostasis and whether this response differs during obesity. In vivo, male mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD; 10% kcal) or a high-fat diet (HFD; 60% kcal) for 7 wk, which induced obesity and hepatic lipid accumulation. LFD- and HFD-fed mice were injected with IL-6 (400 ng, 75 min) or PBS and then with insulin (1 U/kg; ~15 min) or saline, at which point livers were collected. In both LFD- and HFD-fed mice, IL-6 decreased blood glucose and mRNA expression of gluconeogenic genes alongside increased phosphorylation of AKT in comparison to PBS controls, and this occurred without changes in circulating insulin. To determine whether this effect of IL-6 was directly on the liver, we completed in vitro isolated primary hepatocyte experiments from chow-fed mice and cultured with or without exposure to free fatty acid (250 μm palmitate and 250 μm oleate, 24 h) to induce lipid accumulation. In both control and free fatty acid-treated hepatocytes, IL-6 (20 ng/ml, 75 min) slightly attenuated insulin-stimulated (10 nM; ~15 min) AKT phosphorylation. Together, these data suggest that IL-6 may lead to improvements in indices of hepatic glucose and insulin homeostasis in vivo; however, this is likely due to an indirect effect on the hepatocyte.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we used lean and obese mice and found that a single injection of IL-6 improved glucose tolerance, decreased hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression, and increased hepatic phosphorylation of AKT. In primary hepatocytes cultured under control and lipid-laden conditions, IL-6 had a mild, but deleterious, effect on phosphorylation of AKT. Our results show that the beneficial effects of IL-6 on glucose and insulin homeostasis, in vivo, are maintained in obesity.
Epithelial SERPINB10, a novel marker of airway eosinophilia in asthma, contributes to allergic airway inflammation
Authors: Mo Yuqing , Zhang Kan , Feng Yuchen , Yi Lingling , Liang Yuxia , Wu Wenliang , Zhao Jianping , Zhang Zhenxiang , Xu Yongjian , Hu Qinghua , He Jianguo , Zhen Guohua
Published: November 2018

Serine peptidase inhibitor, clade B, member 10 (SERPINB10) expression is increased in IL-13-stimulated human bronchial epithelial cells and in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. However, the role of SERPINB10 in asthma remains unknown. We examined the association between epithelial SERPINB10 expression and airway eosinophilia in subjects with asthma and the role of Serpinb10 in allergic airway inflammation in an animal model. Epithelial SERPINB10 mRNA and protein expression were markedly increased in subjects with asthma ( n = 60) compared with healthy controls ( n = 25). Epithelial SERPINB10 mRNA levels were significantly correlated with airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and three parameters reflecting airway eosinophilia including the percentage of sputum eosinophils, the number of eosinophils in bronchial submucosa, and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide in subjects with asthma. Moreover, epithelial SERPINB10 expression was strongly correlated with the epithelial gene signature ( CLCA1, POSTN, and SERPINB2) for type 2 status. In normal human bronchial epithelial cells cultured at air-liquid interface, knockdown of SERPINB10 suppressed IL-13-stimulated periostin (encoded by POSTN) and CCL26 (eotaxin-3) expression by inhibiting the activation of p38 MAPK. Epithelial CCL26 mRNA levels were correlated with SERPINB10 expression in subjects with asthma. Airway knockdown of Serpinb10 alleviated AHR, airway eosinophilia and the expression of periostin and Ccl26 in a murine model of allergic airway disease. Taken together, epithelial SERPINB10 is a novel marker for airway eosinophilia in asthma. Epithelial SERPINB10 contributes to allergic airway eosinophilic inflammation, at least in part, by regulating the expression of periostin and CCL26.
MicroRNA-30a as a candidate underlying sex-specific differences in neonatal hyperoxic lung injury: implications for BPD
Authors: Zhang Yuhao , Coarfa Cristian , Dong Xiaoyu , Jiang Weiwu , Hayward-Piatkovskyi Brielle , Gleghorn Jason P. , Lingappan Krithika
Published: November 2018

Premature male neonates are at a greater risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The reasons underlying sexually dimorphic outcomes in premature neonates are not known. The role of miRNAs in mediating sex biases in BPD is understudied. Analysis of the pulmonary transcriptome revealed that a large percentage of angiogenesis-related differentially expressed genes are miR-30a targets. We tested the hypothesis that there is differential expression of miR-30a in vivo and in vitro in neonatal human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) upon exposure to hyperoxia. Neonatal male and female mice (C57BL/6) were exposed to hyperoxia [95% fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), postnatal day ( PND) 1–5] and euthanized on PND 7 and 21. HPMECs (18–24-wk gestation donors) were subjected to hyperoxia (95% O2 and 5% CO2) or normoxia (air and 5% CO2) up to 72 h. miR-30a expression was increased in both males and females in the acute phase ( PND 7) after hyperoxia exposure. However, at PND 21 (recovery phase), female mice showed significantly higher miR-30a expression in the lungs compared with male mice. Female HPMECs showed greater expression of miR-30a in vitro upon exposure to hyperoxia. Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4) was an miR-30a target in HPMECs and showed sex-specific differential expression. miR-30a increased angiogenic sprouting in vitro in female HPMECs. Lastly, we show decreased expression of miR-30a and increased expression of DLL4 in human BPD lung samples compared with controls. These results support the hypothesis that miR-30a could, in part, contribute to the sex-specific molecular mechanisms in play that lead to the sexual dimorphism in BPD.
Evidence of sex differences in the acute impact of oscillatory shear stress on endothelial function
Authors: Tremblay Joshua C. , Stimpson Taylor V. , Pyke Kyra E.
Published: November 2018

Acutely imposed oscillatory shear stress (OSS) reduces reactive hyperemia flow-mediated dilation (RH-FMD) in conduit arteries of men; however, whether a similar impairment occurs in women or with FMD in response to a controlled, sustained shear stress stimulus (SS-FMD) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of OSS on RH-FMD and SS-FMD in men and women. OSS was provoked in the brachial artery using a 30-min forearm cuff inflation (70 mmHg). Healthy men [ n = 16, 25 yr (SD 3)] and women [ n = 16, 21 yr (SD 2)] completed the OSS intervention twice (separate days). Brachial artery endothelial function was assessed pre- and postintervention via either RH-FMD or 6 min of handgrip SS-FMD using Duplex ultrasound. The RH-FMD stimulus was calculated as shear rate area under the curve 60 s postdeflation (SRAUC60), whereas SS-FMD shear rate was targeted to produce a similar stimulus pre- and postintervention. The OSS intervention decreased RH-FMD in both sexes [men: 6.2% (SD 3.4) to 5.2% (SD 3.0); women: 5.4% (SD 2.0) to 3.1% (SD 1.8), P < 0.001), although this was accompanied by a reduced SRAUC60. There was no significant effect of the intervention on RH-FMD with SRAUC60 as a covariate ( P = 0.310). Handgrip exercise elicited a similar stimulus before and after the intervention ( P = 0.287) in men and women ( P = 0.873). Men demonstrated blunted SS-FMD [4.8% (SD 1.9) to 3.2% (SD 1.9), P < 0.001], whereas women displayed preserved SS-FMD following the intervention [3.5% (SD 1.9) to 4.0% (SD 1.9), P = 0.061]. The lower SS-FMD in men but not women following OSS provides evidence of sex differences in the effects of OSS on conduit artery endothelial function.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Acute exposure to oscillatory shear stress induces transient endothelial dysfunction in men; however, whether women experience similar impairments is unknown. Following acutely imposed oscillatory shear stress, there was a decrease in flow-mediated dilation stimulated by a physiologically relevant sustained increase in shear stress in men but not in premenopausal women. These findings demonstrate, for the first time in humans that there are sex differences in the impact of oscillatory shear stress on endothelial function.
X-Ray-Induced Changes to Passivation Layers of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes
Authors: Young Benjamin T. , Heskett David R. , Woicik Joseph C. , Lucht Brett L.
Published: November 2018

The surface sensitivity available to photoelectron spectroscopies (PESs) makes them popular techniques for characterization of chemical environments at shallower depths than other, more bulk-sensitive techniques and because they are generally thought to be nondestructive. Variable energy, synchrotron radiation (SR), permits access to information not available to common lab-based radiation sources, making high-energy PES studies extremely useful for understanding thin films and interfaces. High-SR photon flux has been useful for developing models of soft X-ray-induced effects, but hard X-ray SR-induced effects are less well studied and will be increasingly important as popularity and availability of SR for thin film analysis continues to grow. We report here on observed modification of the solid electrolyte interphase of a lithium-ion battery electrode during prolonged exposure to 4 keV SR. The effects can be summarized by desorption of oxygen-containing species from the sample surface and by reactions within the film. Also presented is an estimate of the layer thickness’ time evolution during the prolonged SR exposure.
Storage Capacities of Twin-Multistate Quaternion Hopfield Neural Networks
Authors: Kobayashi Masaki
Published: November 2018

A twin-multistate quaternion Hopfield neural network (TMQHNN) is a multistate Hopfield model and can store multilevel information, such as image data. Storage capacity is an important problem of Hopfield neural networks. Jankowski et al. approximated the crosstalk terms of complex-valued Hopfield neural networks (CHNNs) by the 2-dimensional normal distributions and evaluated their storage capacities. In this work, we evaluate the storage capacities of TMQHNNs based on their idea.
A Study on the Fundamental Quality of Magnesia‐Phosphate‐Formed Mortar Composites Using Superabsorbent Polymer for Development of Concrete for Biological Panel
Authors: Choi Yun-Wang , Oh Sung-Rok , Kim Cheol-Gyu , Lee Jae-Heun
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the base material of the biological panel as one of the researches for developing the biological panel using (micro)organisms. In order to select the base material for the biological panel, the applicability of the magnesia‐potassium‐phosphate‐foamed mortar composites material using the superabsorbent polymer was evaluated through the evaluation of basic quality and characteristics. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the fluidity, compressive strength, pH, roughness (porosity distribution), and moisture retention (absorbency) of the magnesia‐phosphate‐foamed mortar composites according to the additional amount of the superabsorbent polymer. Experimental results showed that the addition of a suitable superabsorbent polymer can provide good results in terms of compressive strength, workability, and moisturizing properties (absorbency). As a result, it can be used as a basic quality study data of the biological panel design.
Respiratory Complications of Adenotonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Pediatric Population
Authors: Marrugo Pardo G. , Romero Moreno L. F. , Beltrán Erazo P. , Villalobos Aguirre C.
Published: November 2018

Objective. To determine the prevalence of respiratory complications in the early postoperative period of children with sleep apnea who required adenotonsillectomy at a tertiary pediatric hospital and to establish recommendations for postoperative monitoring. Methods. Retrospective cohort study of children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosed by polysomnogram (PSG), who underwent adenotonsillectomy for treatment of OSA. The prevalence of respiratory complications in the first 24 postoperative hours was measured. Patients with craniofacial malformations, obesity, and severe cardiovascular comorbidities were excluded. The prevalence of postoperative respiratory complications was compared with the severity of OSA according to the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) and NADIR. All data were taken in patients residing in Bogotá city, Colombia, at 2.640 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l). Results. Between May 2014 and February 2017, 167 patients (108 males) required adenotonsillectomy for OSA, with an age range of 1 and 15 years (mean 5.3 years +/- 2.7). The prevalence of postoperative respiratory complications was 3.59% (6/167). There was a statistically significant relationship between the presence of respiratory complication and AHI greater than 44/h (p <0.04). There was an inverse correlation between the AHI and NADIR values. Risk groups of patients younger than 3 years and NADIR less than 70% had a higher prevalence of respiratory complications; however, this correlation was not statistically significant (p <0.08 and 0.89, respectively). Conclusions. The prevalence of respiratory complications in OSA patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy in high altitudes is similar to that reported in other heights. Preoperative AHI greater than 44/h could be considered a risk factor for early respiratory complication. We suggest ambulatory management after 6 hours in Postanesthetic Care Unit (PACU) observation in patients older than 3 years, with AHI less than 44/h and NADIR greater than 70% in altitudes higher than 2.500 m.a.s.l. Further research must be done to confirm this hypothesis.
Green and Efficient PEG-Based Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Polysaccharides from Tree Peony Pods and the Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity In Vitro
Authors: Zhang Xiaonan , Ban Qingfeng , Wang Xibo , Wang Zhongjiang
Published: November 2018

We adopted and developed an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method to obtain polysaccharides from tree peony pods using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the solvent. The technological parameters have been designed as a single factor to enhance the tree peony pod polysaccharide extraction yield. Specific conditions (ultrasound irradiation power, 250 W; ultrasound irradiation time, 30 min; reaction temperature 50°C; liquid-solid ratio, 25 mL/g; and concentration of PEG, 0.2 g/mL) generated an experimental yield of 14.14%  ± 0.44%. Subsequently, the monosaccharide composition of the tree peony pod polysaccharides was determined by HPLC using a 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone precolumn derivatization method. The results indicated that tree peony pod polysaccharides contained mannoses, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, arabinose, and fucose with a molar ratio of 1.44 : 2.87 : 0.32 : 18.99 : 3.99 : 10.21 : 0.96 : 1.85 : 0.21. The tree peony pod polysaccharides obtained are mainly galacturonic acid and galactose, which are acidic polysaccharides. Finally, the antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP) of the tree peony pod polysaccharides were assessed, and the compounds exhibited moderate antioxidant activities.
Solutions for Integral Boundary Value Problems of Nonlinear Hadamard Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Zhang Keyu , Wang Jianguo , Ma Wenjie
Published: November 2018

In this paper using fixed point methods we establish some existence theorems of positive (nontrivial) solutions for integral boundary value problems of nonlinear Hadamard fractional differential equations.
A Symmetric Key Based Deduplicatable Proof of Storage for Encrypted Data in Cloud Storage Environments
Authors: Park Cheolhee , Kim Hyunil , Hong Dowon , Seo Changho
Published: November 2018

Over the recent years, cloud storage services have become increasingly popular, where users can outsource data and access the outsourced data anywhere, anytime. Accordingly, the data in the cloud is growing explosively. Among the outsourced data, most of them are duplicated. Cloud storage service providers can save huge amounts of resources via client-side deduplication. On the other hand, for safe outsourcing, clients who use the cloud storage service desire data integrity and confidentiality of the outsourced data. However, ensuring confidentiality and integrity in the cloud storage environment can be difficult. Recently, in order to achieve integrity with deduplication, the notion of deduplicatable proof of storage has emerged, and various schemes have been proposed. However, previous schemes are still inefficient and insecure. In this paper, we propose a symmetric key based deduplicatable proof of storage scheme, which ensures confidentiality with dictionary attack resilience and supports integrity auditing based on symmetric key cryptography. In our proposal, we introduce a bit-level challenge in a deduplicatable proof of storage protocol to minimize data access. In addition, we prove the security of our proposal in the random oracle model with information theory. Implementation results show that our scheme has the best performance.
The Rising Era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Authors: Chokr Nora , Patel Rima , Wattamwar Kapil , Chokr Samer
Published: November 2018

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and a wide spectrum of manifestations ranging from indolent and asymptomatic cytopenias to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS result from genetic and epigenetic derangements in clonal cells and their surrounding microenvironments. Studies have shown associations between MDS and other autoimmune diseases. Several immune mechanisms have been identified in MDS, suggesting that immune dysregulation might be at least partially implicated in its pathogenesis. This has led to rigorous investigations on the role of immunomodulatory drugs as potential treatment options. Epigenetic modification via immune check point inhibition, while well established as a treatment method for advanced solid tumors, is a new approach being considered in hematologic malignancies including high risk MDS. Several trials are looking at the efficacy of these agents in MDS, as frontline therapy and in relapse, both as monotherapy and in combination with other drugs. In this review, we explore the utility of immune checkpoint inhibitors in MDS and current research evaluating their efficacy.
Underwater Acoustic Communication by a Single‐Vector Sensor: Performance Comparison Using Three Different Algorithms
Authors: Guo Long-xiang , Han Xiao , Yin Jing-wei , Yu Xue-song
Published: November 2018

In November, 2014, the underwater acoustic (UWA) communication experiment by a single‐vector sensor was conducted in shallow water environment. In this paper, three different algorithms are used to process the experimental data and their performance are compared in terms of equalized output signal to noise ratio (OSNR) and bit error rate (BER). The three algorithms are P‐DFE, B‐DFE, and T‐DFE, respectively. P‐DFE uses only the pressure channel of the vector sensor to realize the decision feedback equalizer (DFE). B‐DFE linearly combines the pressure channel and velocity channel first and then uses DFE to equalize the combined signal. T‐DFE adopts time reversal to combine all the channels of the vector sensor and then is followed by a single‐channel DFE to remove residual intersymbol interference (ISI). According to the data processing results, both B‐DFE and T‐DFE can achieve better performance compared with P‐DFE. This paper also finds that the performance of B‐DFE depends on the beam pattern of the combined signal while the performance of T‐DFE depends on the q function of the combined signal. Which algorithm should be used to process real data, B‐DFE or T‐DFE, depends on the degree of coherence between different channels of the vector sensor.
The Synergistic Antiwear Performances of Organic Titanium Compounds Containing Sulfur with Borate Ester Additive
Authors: Xu Xin , Hu Jian-Qiang , Xie Feng , Guo Li , Ma Jun , Yang Shi-Zhao
Published: November 2018

Two oil-soluble organic titanium compounds (OTCs) such as titanium dialkyldithiocarbamate (TiDDC) and sulfurized titanate (TiS) were synthesized and identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The antiwear and extreme pressure properties of TiDDC or TiS with borate ester containing nitrogen (BNO) additive in mineral base oils were evaluated by four ball tester. The results show that TiDDC and TiS not only possess good antiwear and load-carrying properties, respectively, but also exhibit good antiwear synergism with BNO additive without impairing extreme pressure performances. Moreover, the synergistic antiwear properties of the said additives are improved significantly under the optimum additives ratios. The topography of wear scar and the composition and chemical states of typical elements on the rubbing surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The proposed synergistic antiwear mechanism involves an effective interaction between TiDDC or TiS and BNO additive, respectively.
Optimization of Vehicle Routing with Pickup Based on Multibatch Production
Authors: Hu Hongtao , Mo Jiao , Ma Chengle
Published: November 2018

To reduce the inventory cost and ensure product quality while meeting the diverse demands of customers, manufacturers yield products in batches. However, the raw materials required for manufacturing need to be obtained from suppliers in advance, making it necessary to understand beforehand how to best structure the pickup routes so as to reduce the cost of picking up and stocking while also ensuring the supply of raw materials required for each batch of production. To reduce the transportation and inventory costs, therefore, this paper establishes a mixed integer programming model for the joint optimization of multibatch production and vehicle routing problems involving a pickup. Following this, a two-stage hybrid heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve this model. In the first stage, an integrated algorithm, combining the Clarke-Wright (CW) algorithm and the Record to Record (RTR) travel algorithm, was used to solve vehicle routing problem. In the second stage, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm was used to allocate vehicles to each production batch. Multiple sets of numerical experiments were then performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the performance efficiency of the two-stage hybrid heuristic algorithm.
ID-Based Public Auditing Protocol for Cloud Data Integrity Checking with Privacy-Preserving and Effective Aggregation Verification
Authors: Kang Baoyuan , Si Lin , Jiang Hong , Li Chunqing , Xie Mingming
Published: November 2018

With the rapid development of cloud service, people with limited storage space can store their data files to the cloud and delete the file in their memory. However, the cloud service provider may change or partly delete user’s file for his benefit. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to periodically check the data file integrity. Public auditing protocols are just designated for checking the data file integrity by an auditor on behalf of the user. Recently, based on ID-based cryptography many ID-based public auditing protocols for cloud data integrity checking are proposed. However, some existing protocols are subjected to forgery attack. Other existing protocols cannot preserve the privacy of the user, as the auditor can obtain user’s file content through times of auditing the same file blocks. In this paper, we propose a new ID-based public auditing protocol for cloud data integrity checking with optimized structure, privacy-preserving, and effective aggregation verification. We also prove that the proposed protocol can resist forgery attack under the assumption that the Diffie-Hellman problem is hard. Furthermore, we compare our protocol with other ID-based auditing protocols.
A Note on Strategic Stability of Cooperative Solutions for Multistage Games
Authors: Wang Lei , Liu Cui , Xue Juan , Gao Hongwei
Published: November 2018

The problem of strategic stability of cooperative solutions for multistage games is studied. The sufficient conditions related to discount factors are presented, which guarantee the existence of Nash or strong Nash equilibria in such games and therefore guarantee the strategic stability of cooperative solutions. The deviating payoffs of players are given directly, which are related closely to these conditions and avoid the loss of super-additivity of a class of general characteristic functions. As an illustration, Nash and strong Nash equilibria are found for the repeated infinite stage Prisoner’s dilemma game.
On the Memristances, Parameters, and Analysis of the Fractional Order Memristor
Authors: Banchuin Rawid
Published: November 2018

In this work, the analytical expressions of memristances, related parameters, and time domain behavioral analysis of the fractional order memristor have been proposed. Both DC with arbitrary delay and many AC waveforms including arbitrary phase sinusoidal and cosinusoidal waveform along with arbitrary periodic waveform have been taken into account. Unlike the previous works, the formerly ignored dimensional consistency has been taken into account and the analytical modelling of the boundary effect has been performed. Moreover, both transient and asymptotic behaviors of the fractional order memristor excited by AC waveform have been distinguished and analyzed. The effect of phase of AC waveform has also been studied. The influence of the fractional order to the areas of voltage-current hysteresis loop and memristance-current lissajous curve has also been clearly discussed and the usage of fractional order memristor in the memristor based circuit has also been demonstrated.
Structure-Property Relationships for a Series of Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes Elucidated through Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: O’Neill Luke , Perdisatt Laura , O’Connor Christine
Published: November 2018

A series of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes were studied using Raman spectroscopy supported by UV/Vis absorption, luminescence spectroscopy, and luminescence lifetime determination by time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC). The complexes were characterised to determine the influence of the variation of the conjugation across the main polypyridyl ligand. The systematic and sequential variation of the main polypyridyl ligand, 2-(4-formylphenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (FPIP), 2-(4-cyanophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (CPIP), 2-(4-bromophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (BPIP), and 2-(4-nitrophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (NPIP) ligands, allowed the monitoring of very small changes in the ligands electronic nature. Complexes containing a systematic variation of the position (para, meta, and ortho) of the nitrile terminal group on the ligand (the para being 2-(4-cyanophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (p-CPIP), the meta 2-(3-cyanophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (m-CPIP) and 2-(2-cyanophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (o-CPIP)) were also characterised. Absorption, emission characteristics, and luminescence yields were calculated and correlated with structural variation. It was found that both the electronic changes in the aforementioned ligands showed very small spectral changes with an accompanying complex relationship when examined with traditional electronic methods. Stokes shift and Raman spectroscopy were then employed as a means to directly gauge the effect of polypyridyl ligand change on the conjugation and vibrational characteristics of the complexes. Vibrational coherence as measured as a function of the shifted frequency of the imizodale bridge was shown to accurately describe the electronic coherence and hence vibrational cooperation from the ruthenium centre to the main polypyridyl ligand. The well-defined trends established and elucidated though Raman spectroscopy show that the variation of the polypyridyl ligand can be monitored and tailored. This allows for a greater understanding of the electronic and excited state characteristics of the ruthenium systems when traditional electronic spectroscopy lacks the sensitivity.
Characteristics ofEscherichia coliIsolated from Bovine Mastitis Exposed to Subminimum Inhibitory Concentrations of Cefalotin or Ceftazidime
Authors: Liu Gang , Ding Laidi , Han Bo , Piepers Sofie , Naqvi S. Ali , Barkema Herman W. , Ali Tariq , De Vliegher Sarne , Xu Siyu , Gao Jian
Published: November 2018

Escherichia coliis a major udder pathogen causing clinical mastitis in dairy cattle and its heat stable endotoxin in powdered infant formula milk is a potential risk factor in neonatal infections. Cephalosporins are frequently used for treatment of mastitis caused by mastitis; however, use of these antimicrobials may induce antimicrobial resistance inE. coli. The objective of this study was to explore thein vitroeffect of subminimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) of cefalotin (CF) and ceftazidime (CAZ) on the morphology, antimicrobial resistance, and endotoxin releasing characteristics of 3E. coliisolates recovered from bovine clinical mastitis. The parentE. coliisolates, which were susceptible to CF and CAZ, were exposed to CF or CAZ separately at sub-MIC levels to produce 9 generations of induced isolates. Colonies of the CAZ-induced isolates from all 3 parentE. coliwere smaller on blood agar and the bacteria became filamentous, whereas the CF-induced isolates did not demonstrate prominent morphological changes. After induction by CF or CAZ, many induced isolates showed resistance to cefoxitin, CAZ, CF, kanamycin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid while their parent isolates were susceptible to these antimicrobials. Notably, 5 CAZ-induced isolates from the same parent isolate were found to produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) though none of the tested ESBL related genes could be detected. All CAZ-induced isolates released more endotoxin with a higher release rate, whereas endotoxin release of CF-inducedE. coliisolates was not different from parent isolates. The exposure of cephalosporins at sub-MIC levels induced resistantEscherichia coli.We inferred that cephalosporins, especially CAZ, should be used prudently for treatment of clinicalE. colimastitis.
The Method of Quantitative Trend Diagnosis of Rolling Bearing Fault Based on Protrugram and Lempel–Ziv
Authors: Du Jianxi , Cui Lingli , Zhang Jianyu , Li Jin , Huang Jinfeng
Published: November 2018

This paper proposes a new method to realize the quantitative trend diagnosis of bearings based on Protrugram and Lempel–Ziv. Firstly, the fault features of original fault signals of bearing inner and outer race with different severity are extracted using Protrugram algorithm, and the optimal analysis frequency band is selected which reflects the fault characteristic. Then, the Lempel–Ziv complexity of the frequency band is calculated. Finally, the relationship between Lempel–Ziv complexity and fault size is obtained. Analysis results show that the severity of fault is proportional to the Lempel–Ziv complexity index value under different fault types. The Lempel–Ziv complexity showed different trend rules, respectively, in the inner and outer race, which realized the quantitative trend diagnosis of bearing faults.
On the Convex and Convex-Concave Solutions of Opposing Mixed Convection Boundary Layer Flow in a Porous Medium
Authors: Aïboudi M. , Boudjema Djeffal K. , Brighi B.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we are concerned with the solution of the third-order nonlinear differential equation f″′+ff″+βf′(f′-1)=0, satisfying the boundary conditions f(0)=a∈R, f′(0)=b<0, and f′(t)→λ, as t→+∞, where λ∈{0,1} and 0<β<1. The problem arises in the study of the opposing mixed convection approximation in a porous medium. We prove the existence, nonexistence, and the sign of convex and convex-concave solutions of the problem above according to the mixed convection parameter b<0 and the temperature parameter 0<β<1.
Attitude towards Mental Illness among Secondary School Students in Asmara, Eritrea: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tesfamariam Eyasu H. , Tekie Medhane M. , Tesfa Amos Y. , Hadgu Dawit H. , Awalom Eyob A. , Ghebremedhin Eyob B. , Tquabo Nebay A.
Published: November 2018

Secondary School students (SSs) are important members of the community; hence their attitude towards mental illness can be highly influential. Mentally ill individuals are not only suffering from the illness but also suffering from the stigmatizing attitude generated by the community. The objectives of this study were to determine attitude of SSs towards mental illness and its associated factors. A cross-sectional study design employing stratified random sampling was applied to select a sample of 402 students. Data was obtained using a self-administered Belief towards Mental Illness (BMI) questionnaire. Independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to determine possible differences in scores of attitude. From a total of 21 BMI scale items, positive attitudes were found in eight items and negative attitudes were found in the remaining thirteen. The mean score of the full BMI scale was 2.47 (95% CI: 2.41, 2.54). The mean (95% CI) scores of dangerousness, poor social relations and incurability, and shame subscales were 2.68 (2.60, 2.76), 2.55 (2.48, 2.62), and 1.22 (1.09, 1.34), respectively. A significant negative correlation was found between attitude scores and the average mark of students (r = -0.257, p<0.0001). Moreover, significant differences in attitude scores were observed between students with a relative of mental illness and those without such a relative (p=0.004). There was an increasing trend of positive attitudes with increased educational level among 9th, 10th, and 11th graders (p-trend<0.0001) and with an increase in the educational level of the students father (p-trend=0.028). However, no significant difference in attitude score was found across categories of sex, religion, living condition of father, presence of a mentally ill neighbor, educational level of mother, or ethnicity. In conclusion, considerable numbers of SSs have negative attitudes towards mental illness. Implementation of programs that enhance positive attitudes towards mentally ill individuals is recommended.
Numerical and Analytical Calculations for Modeling and Designing Drilling Wicks or Rotary Cutters Based of Functionally Graded Materials
Authors: Ngueyep Luc Leroy Mambou , Ndop Joseph , Nkene Elise Rose Atangana , Ndjaka Jean-Marie Bienvenu
Published: November 2018

Drilling tools or drilling pipes, such as drill bit and mill drill, are often subjected to various forces, including essentially tangential forces, centered on their axis of rotation. The main objective of this work is to find analytical and numerical solutions of the distribution of stress field, deformation, and displacement, when such tools are subjected to such forces. It will be assumed that the instrument in the chosen model in this work is a rotating hollow cylinder constructed from a Functional Graded Material (FGM). Because of the graduation of the FGM, the mechanical and elastic properties such as Young’s modulus, density, and Poisson’s ratio vary in the radial direction according to a power law function. By choosing that the inhomogeneity parameter is between -0.5 and 0.5, we have established the differential equation which describes the equilibrium of the hollow cylinder in rotation under an axial load. The calculations performed have allowed finding an analytical solution which was compared with numerical solutions obtained by using the shooting method and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm. These analytical and numerical results have shown that the values of tangential stresses are greater than the radial stresses. The radial stresses and tangential and vertical stresses progressively increase with the axial force Fz. The force Fz affects more tangential stresses that the radial stresses. The tangential stress, tangential deformations, and displacements are higher on the inner walls of the cylinder than on the exterior surfaces. The results obtained are very important and can be applied in the modeling and designing wicks and drilling strawberries in order to reduce their rapid wear and damage.
Making More of IT: Enabling Intensive Motor Cognitive Rehabilitation Exercises in Geriatrics Using Information Technology Solutions
Authors: McCaskey M. A. , Schättin A. , Martin-Niedecken A. L. , de Bruin E. D.
Published: November 2018

Although the health benefits of physical activity and exercise for older people are well established, a largely sedentary lifestyle still prevails in ageing western societies. Finding new ways to make exercise more accessible and acceptable for older adults must be developed to fully unleash its potential in preventing and weakening age-related physical and cognitive decline. Existing barriers to implement effective exercise-based treatment plans include motivational reservations on both the clinician’s and patient’s side, but also physical limitations caused by disease or deconditioning. Particularly in the more senior population, debilitating conditions do not allow adherence to currently recommended exercise regimes. A major rethinking of age- and user-adapted exercise is overdue. The high intensities required for physical and mental adaptations must be modifiable and personalized according to the functional status of each patient. Emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) have brought forward a plethora of attractive solutions for smart and adapted exercise, but there remains a vast gap between technological advancement and clinical relevance. Where in the beginning ICT for active ageing mainly focussed on aspects of usability and user experience, the current status of IT as applied in ageing populations noticeably shifted toward new services, applications, and devices that can be offered with the aim to prevent, compensate, care, and/or enhance daily life functioning of senior citizens. In this perspective paper, we aim to summarize the current state of the art in ICT-based interventions aimed at improved motor-cognitive control and make suggestions about how these could be combined with high-intensive interval exercise regimes to make rehabilitation for the impaired older adults more effective, and more fun.
Response of Sclerostin and Bone Turnover Markers to High Intensity Interval Exercise in Young Women: Does Impact Matter?
Authors: Kouvelioti R. , Kurgan N. , Falk B. , Ward W. E. , Josse A. R. , Klentrou P.
Published: November 2018

This study examined potential exercise-induced changes in sclerostin and in bone turnover markers in young women following two modes of high intensity interval exercise that involve impact (running) or no-impact (cycling). Healthy, recreationally active, females (n=20; 22.5±2.7 years) performed two exercise trials in random order: high intensity interval running (HIIR) on a treadmill and high intensity interval cycling (HIIC) on a cycle ergometer. Trials consisted of eight 1 min running or cycling intervals at ≥90% of maximal heart rate, separated by 1 min passive recovery intervals. Blood samples were collected at rest (pre-exercise) and 5 min, 1h, 24h, and 48h following each exercise trial. Serum was analyzed for sclerostin, cross linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTXI), and procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP). A significant time effect was found for sclerostin, which increased from pre-exercise to 5 min after exercise in both trials (100.2 to 131.6 pg/ml in HIIR; 102.3 to 135.8 pg/ml in HIIC, p<0.001) and returned to baseline levels by 1h, with no difference between exercise modes and no exercise mode-by-time interaction. CTXI did not significantly change following either trial. PINP showed an overall time effect following HIIR, but none of the post hoc pairwise comparisons were statistically significant. In young women, a single bout of high intensity exercise induces an increase in serum sclerostin, irrespective of exercise mode (impact versus no-impact), but this response is not accompanied by a response in either bone formation or resorption markers.
An Outbreak of Serratia marcescens in a Moroccan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Daoudi Abdellatif , Benaoui Fatiha , El Idrissi Slitine Nadia , Soraa Nabila , Rabou Maoulainine Fadl Mrabih
Published: November 2018

Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) is an Enterobacteriaceae microorganism that is widespread in the environment, which may be the source of nosocomial infections, rare in the newborn but severe, and often in the form of outbreaks. The aim of our study is to report our experience, during an outbreak of S. marcescens, to show the severity of this germ, with review of the literature. Our study was retrospective, including 8 newborns with S. marcescens nosocomial infection, collected in the neonatal intensive care unit of Mohammed VI University Medical Hospital, during the epidemic period, over a period of 2 months (July and August 2016). The mean gestational age of the cases was 36 weeks of amenorrhea. Boys accounted for 75% of the cases. The average weight was 1853 grams. All the patients were initially placed under empiric antibiotic therapy based on ceftriaxone and gentamicin. The mean duration of nosocomial infection, diagnosed in all cases by blood cultures, was 7 days. The strains of S. marcescens were in 75% of the cases sensitive to the cephalosporins, intermediate sensitivity in 12.5% of cases and resistant in 12.5% of cases. The outcome was fatal in 62.5% of cases. S. marcescens nosocomial infections are often reported on epidemic series, and their eradication is not always easy.
Peripheral Lymphocytes of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Have Altered Concentrations of Key Apoptosis Players: Preliminary Results
Authors: Neubauer Katarzyna , Woźniak-Stolarska Barbara , Krzystek-Korpacka Małgorzata
Published: November 2018

Notwithstanding uncertain pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), deregulation of adaptive immunity is paramount for the development of inflammation. Essential role in the resolution of inflammation is played by apoptosis, deregulated in lymphocytes isolated from inflamed intestine. Despite IBD being a systemic disease, little is known about apoptosis of peripheral lymphocytes. The concentrations of Bcl-2, cytochrome c, p53, and caspase-9 were determined (ELISA) in lymphocyte-enriched fractions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (LE-PBMCs) from 64 individuals (42 with IBD) and related to IBD phenotype and activity, treatment, and inflammatory and hematological indices. The diagnostic potential of evaluated markers was determined as well. All evaluated molecules were significantly lower in IBD patients, of which cytochrome c and p53 were significantly lower exclusively in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and cytochrome c differed significantly between CD and ulcerative colitis (UC). Caspase 9 was significantly lower in active IBD and Bcl-2 in active UC whereas cytochrome c was higher in active CD. Treatment with corticosteroids affected the concentrations of cytochrome c and p53. Both positively correlated with hsCRP and the concentrations of all markers were interrelated. As IBD markers, Bcl-2 and caspase-9 displayed good accuracy and, as a panel of markers with cytochrome c, their accuracy was excellent (92%). As CD markers Bcl-2, cytochrome c, and p53 displayed fair accuracy but combined determination of Bcl-2 and cytochrome c improved the accuracy to 85%. Taken together, our results imply diminished intrinsic apoptotic capacity of LE-PBMCs in IBD but an upregulation of proapoptotic features parallel to increasing severity of inflammation. Observed abnormalities in intrinsic pathway of apoptosis are more pronounced in CD. Upon positive validation on a larger set of patients, combined quantification of Bcl-2 and cytochrome c might be considered as an adjunct in differential diagnosis of UC and CD of colon and rectum.
Prediction and Analysis of Polished Rod Dynamometer Card in Sucker Rod Pumping System with Wear
Authors: Wang Dongyu , Liu Hongzhao
Published: November 2018

In the oil production process, the wear of friction pairs in sucker rod pumping installations will increase over time, which leads to the failure of the sucker rod pumping system. In order to study the effect of wear on the sucker rod pumping system, a wear model between the plunger and pump barrel was established. By analyzing the wear law, the wear volume and wear time of the pump barrel were calculated under abrasive wear. The forces of the sucker rod microunit were analyzed, and the wave equation of the sucker rod was established. Based on the given boundary and initial conditions, a mixed difference method was used to solve the equation. Taking the no. L2111 well of an oilfield as an example, the change curves of the wear volume and wear time with abrasive particle diameter were plotted, and the polished rod dynamometer card considering wear was predicted. The results showed that the increased clearance caused by wear will reduce the polished rod load on upstroke of the sucker rod pumping system, which could provide a theoretical basis for the next fault diagnosis.
Investigations on the Wear Rate of Sintering Diamond Core Bit during the Hole Drilling Process of Al2O3 Bulletproof Ceramics
Authors: Zheng Lei , Zhang Chen , Dong Xianglong , Zhao Shitian , Wu Weidong , Cui Zhi , Ren Yaoqing
Published: November 2018

Bulletproof ceramics are usually hard and brittle with high elastic modulus, high compressive strength, and low tensile strength. While machining bulletproof ceramics, severe tool wear makes it difficult to obtain desired machining quality and efficiency, especially in hole drilling. In this work, an intensive experimental study on the overall wear rate of the sintering diamond thin‐wall core bit during the hole drilling of Al2O3 bulletproof ceramics (99 wt.%) has been carried out. The quality loss of the bit after each hole drilled was selected for representing the overall wear rate of the bit. Based on experimental data, the influences of the main bit performance and machining process parameters on the overall wear rate of the bit have been analyzed. According to the results discussed, under the test conditions, finer diamond grit, higher diamond concentration, lower number of water gaps, thinner wall thickness, or lower bit load all can decrease the wear rate of the bit. However, within a certain range, the spindle speed has little influence on the overall wear resistance of the bit, but when the spindle speed increases, the machining efficiency can be significantly improved. The results obtained in this work can offer a valuable reference for the use of sintering diamond thin‐wall core bits in the hole drilling of bulletproof ceramics.