bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultraviolet light A irradiation induces immunosuppression associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species in human neutrophils
Authors: Li Cunbo , Shi Xuechen , Chen Mincai , Xu Guangxue , Su Xinglei , Jiang Pengchong , Pan Leiting
Published: April 2015

Ultraviolet blood irradiation has been used as a physical therapy to treat many nonspecific diseases in clinics; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Neutrophils, the first line of host defense, play a crucial role in a variety of inflammatory responses. In the present work, we investigated the effects of ultraviolet light A (UVA) on the immune functions of human neutrophils at the single-cell level by using an inverted fluorescence microscope. N-Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), a classic physiological chemotactic peptide, was used to induce a series of immune responses in neutrophils in vitro. FMLP-induced calcium mobilization, migration, and phagocytosis in human neutrophils was significantly blocked after treatment with 365[Formula: see text]nm UVA irradiation, demonstrating the immunosuppressive effects of UVA irradiation on neutrophils. Similar responses were also observed when the cells were pretreated with H2O2, a type of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, UVA irradiation resulted in an increase in NAD(P)H, a member of host oxidative stress in cells. Taken together, our data indicate that UVA irradiation results in immunosuppression associated with the production of ROS in human neutrophils.
Bone-Immune Cell Crosstalk: Bone Diseases
Authors: Mori Giorgio , D’Amelio Patrizia , Faccio Roberta , Brunetti Giacomina
Published: April 2015

Bone diseases are associated with great morbidity; thus, the understanding of the mechanisms leading to their development represents a great challenge to improve bone health. Recent reports suggest that a large number of molecules produced by immune cells affect bone cell activity. However, the mechanisms are incompletely understood. This review aims to shed new lights into the mechanisms of bone diseases involving immune cells. In particular, we focused our attention on the major pathogenic mechanism underlying periodontal disease, psoriatic arthritis, postmenopausal osteoporosis, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, metastatic solid tumors, and multiple myeloma.
Links between Vitamin D Deficiency and Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Mozos Ioana , Marginean Otilia
Published: April 2015

The aim of the present paper was to review the most important mechanisms explaining the possible association of vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular diseases, focusing on recent experimental and clinical data. Low vitamin D levels favor atherosclerosis enabling vascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, formation of foam cells, and proliferation of smooth muscle cells. The antihypertensive properties of vitamin D include suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, renoprotective effects, direct effects on endothelial cells and calcium metabolism, inhibition of growth of vascular smooth muscle cells, prevention of secondary hyperparathyroidism, and beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors. Vitamin D is also involved in glycemic control, lipid metabolism, insulin secretion, and sensitivity, explaining the association between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficit was associated in some studies with the number of affected coronary arteries, postinfarction complications, inflammatory cytokines and cardiac remodeling in patients with myocardial infarction, direct electromechanical effects and inflammation in atrial fibrillation, and neuroprotective effects in stroke. In peripheral arterial disease, vitamin D status was related to the decline of the functional performance, severity, atherosclerosis and inflammatory markers, arterial stiffness, vascular calcifications, and arterial aging. Vitamin D supplementation should further consider additional factors, such as phosphates, parathormone, renin, and fibroblast growth factor 23 levels.
Analyzing How the ZrO2 Far Infrared Material Affects the Performance of Smooth Tube Heat Exchangers
Authors: Chen T. Y. , Cho H. P. , Jwo C. S. , Hung M. H. , Lee W. S.
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the 100 nm ZrO2 far infrared material on the heat exchange efficiency of smooth tube heat exchangers. In the experiments designed for this purpose, the ZrO2 powder and water based acrylic paint were mixed separately using a two‐step mixing method and the mixture samples were sprayed, respectively, onto heat exchangers for testing their heat exchange efficiency under stable ambient conditions. Results from the experiments showed 31.8% and 21.5% increases in heat transfer in the heat exchanger sprayed with 7.5 wt.% ZrO2 powder and with inlet water temperatures at 45°C and 55°C relative to the heat exchanger sprayed with 0 wt.% acrylic paint and 26.4% and 18.9% increases in heat transfer relative to the heat exchanger not sprayed with acrylic paint. The experiments also verified that heat could be transferred through radiation. The additive ZrO2 nanopowder in these experiments is proven to be able to improve the efficiency of heat exchangers through radiation, thereby increasing the feasibility of its application in practice.
Interplay of Vitamin D, Erythropoiesis, and the Renin-Angiotensin System
Authors: Santoro Domenico , Caccamo Daniela , Lucisano Silvia , Buemi Michele , Sebekova Katerina , Teta Daniel , De Nicola Luca
Published: April 2015

For many years deficiency of vitamin D was merely identified and assimilated to the presence of bone rickets. It is now clear that suboptimal vitamin D status may be correlated with several disorders and that the expression of 1-α-hydroxylase in tissues other than the kidney is widespread and of clinical relevance. Recently, evidence has been collected to suggest that, beyond the traditional involvement in mineral metabolism, vitamin D may interact with other kidney hormones such as renin and erythropoietin. This interaction would be responsible for some of the systemic and renal effects evoked for the therapy with vitamin D. The administration of analogues of vitamin D has been associated with an improvement of anaemia and reduction in ESA requirements. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency could contribute to an inappropriately activated or unsuppressed RAS, as a mechanism for progression of CKD and/or cardiovascular disease. Experimental data on the anti-RAS and anti-inflammatory effects treatment with active vitamin D analogues suggest a therapeutic option particularly in proteinuric CKD patients. This option should be considered for those subjects that are intolerant to anti-RAS agents or, as add-on therapy, in those already treated with anti-RAS but not reaching the safe threshold level of proteinuria.
Parallel Piezoelectric Shunt Damping of Rotationally Periodic Structures
Authors: Mokrani Bilal , Bastaits Renaud , Horodinca Mihaita , Romanescu Iulian , Burda Ioanica , Viguié Régis , Preumont André
Published: April 2015

This paper considers the RL shunt damping of rotationally periodic structures with an array of regularly spaced piezoelectric patches. The technique is targeted to the damping of a specific mode withnnodal diameters. For this particular case, one can take advantage of the shape of the targeted mode to organize the piezoelectric patches as a modal filter (in parallel loops) which reduces the demand on the inductors of the tuned inductive shunt. In the case of a perfectly rotationally periodic structure, it is possible to organize 4npiezoelectric transducers (PZT patches) in two parallel loops of 2npatches each. In this way, the demand on the inductors is reduced by4n2as compared to independent loops, which may allow a fully passive integration of the RL shunt in a turbomachinery application. The method is first illustrated experimentally on a circular plate; it is then applied to a prototype of an industrial bladed drum. The influence of blade mistuning is investigated.
Optimizing Unsatisfactory Handover Trigger in Heterogeneous Vehicular Networks
Authors: Tao Ming , Liu Fagui , Qu Chao
Published: April 2015

In heterogeneous vehicular networks, the communications among moving vehicles (MV) and between vehicles and the roadside infrastructures have posed a challenge for providing continuous mobility services. FMIPv6 looking toward the support of a timely and precise link layer (L2) trigger provides a fundamental mobility management approach. The time stamp of L2 trigger hence is crucial for guaranteeing the handover performance but is difficult to be obtained in the practical application scenarios. The unsatisfactory handover trigger includes the late L2 trigger and the premature L2 trigger. The former would cause a missed detection deteriorating the perceived quality of service, and the latter would cause a false alarm with serious performance loss and resources waste. To address this issue, we propose a solution to optimize the unsatisfactory handover trigger (O-UHT), including promptly determining the unsatisfactory handover trigger and elaborately developing the specific measures to reduce the performance loss caused by the above two cases. The simulations conducted on NS-2 platform have verified the efficiency.
Effect of the Aggressive Environment on the Damage of a Glass Polyester Composite Developed by Hand Layup Process
Authors: Belloul Nabila , Hamadache Hassiba , Ahmed Benyahia Ali , Serier Aîcha
Published: April 2015

This work treats the behavior of a glass fibre/unsaturated polyester (UP) composite with structural defects subjected to the attack of two corrosive solutions: H2SO4and NaOH. The gravimetric analysis, the uptake mass of the resin, and the interfaces in the composite are established according to the proportion of the matrix/composite. The obtained results showed that, in the acidic solution, the glass fibre and the fibre/matrix interface absorption share is more significant than the alkaline solution. While the Fourier transform infrared analysis (FT-IR) of the UP resin revealed the presence of chemical degradation phenomenon (hydrolysis), the fibre corrosion was characterized by the atomic absorption analysis (AAS). The fibres/matrix interfaces degradation was confirmed by microscopic observations (SEM). The diffusion kinetics of the both acid and alkaline solutions and chemical and mechanical degradation are affected by the presence of the pores in elaborated material.
CHF Enhancement of Advanced 37-Element Fuel Bundles
Authors: Park Joo Hwan , Jung Jong Yoeb , Ryu Eun Hyun
Published: April 2015

A standard 37-element fuel bundle (37S fuel bundle) has been used in commercial CANDU reactors for over 40 years as a reference fuel bundle. Most CHF of a 37S fuel bundle have occurred at the elements arranged in the inner pitch circle for high flows and at the elements arranged in the outer pitch circle for low flows. It should be noted that a 37S fuel bundle has a relatively small flow area and high flow resistance at the peripheral subchannels of its center element compared to the other subchannels. The configuration of a fuel bundle is one of the important factors affecting the local CHF occurrence. Considering the CHF characteristics of a 37S fuel bundle in terms of CHF enhancement, there can be two approaches to enlarge the flow areas of the peripheral subchannels of a center element in order to enhance CHF of a 37S fuel bundle. To increase the center subchannel areas, one approach is the reduction of the diameter of a center element, and the other is an increase of the inner pitch circle. The former can increase the total flow area of a fuel bundle and redistributes the power density of all fuel elements as well as the CHF. On the other hand, the latter can reduce the gap between the elements located in the middle and inner pitch circles owing to the increasing inner pitch circle. This can also affect the enthalpy redistribution of the fuel bundle and finally enhance CHF or dry-out power. In this study, the above two approaches, which are proposed to enlarge the flow areas of the center subchannels, were considered to investigate the impact of the flow area changes of the center subchannels on the CHF enhancement as well as the thermal characteristics by applying a subchannel analysis method.
Statistical and Physical Descriptions of Raindrop Size Distributions in Equatorial Malaysia from Disdrometer Observations
Authors: Lam Hong Yin , Din Jafri , Jong Siat Ling
Published: April 2015

This work investigates the physical characteristics of raindrop size distribution (DSD) in an equatorial heavy rain region based on three years of disdrometer observations carried out at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM’s) campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The natural characteristics of DSD are deduced, and the statistical results are found to be in accordance with the findings obtained from others disdrometer measurements. Moreover, the parameters of the Gamma distribution and the normalized Gamma model are also derived by means of method of moment (MoM) and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). Their performances are subsequently validated using the rain rate estimation accuracy: the normalized Gamma model with the MLE-generated shape parameterµwas found to provide better accuracy in terms of long-term rainfall rate statistics, which reflects the peculiarities of the local climatology in this heavy rain region. These results not only offer a better understanding of the microphysical nature of precipitation in this heavy rain region but also provide essential information that may be useful for the scientific community regarding remote sensing and radio propagation.
An Improved Method for Completely Uncertain Biological Network Alignment
Authors: Shen Bin , Zhao Muwei , Zhong Wei , He Jieyue
Published: April 2015

With the continuous development of biological experiment technology, more and more data related to uncertain biological networks needs to be analyzed. However, most of current alignment methods are designed for the deterministic biological network. Only a few can solve the probabilistic network alignment problem. However, these approaches only use the part of probabilistic data in the original networks allowing only one of the two networks to be probabilistic. To overcome the weakness of current approaches, an improved method called completely probabilistic biological network comparison alignment (C_PBNA) is proposed in this paper. This new method is designed for complete probabilistic biological network alignment based on probabilistic biological network alignment (PBNA) in order to take full advantage of the uncertain information of biological network. The degree of consistency (agreement) indicates that C_PBNA can find the results neglected by PBNA algorithm. Furthermore, the GO consistency (GOC) and global network alignment score (GNAS) have been selected as evaluation criteria, and all of them proved that C_PBNA can obtain more biologically significant results than those of PBNA algorithm.
Is the Free Vacuum Energy Infinite?
Authors: Razmi H. , Shirazi S. M.
Published: April 2015

Considering the fundamental cutoff applied by the uncertainty relations’ limit on virtual particles’ frequency in the quantum vacuum, it is shown that the vacuum energy density is proportional to the inverse of the fourth power of the dimensional distance of the space under consideration and thus the corresponding vacuum energy automatically regularized to zero value for an infinitely large free space. This can be used in regularizing a number of unwanted infinities that happen in the Casimir effect, the cosmological constant problem, and so on without using already known mathematical (not so reasonable) techniques and tricks.
Traumatic Displacement of Maxillary Permanent Canine into the Vestibule of the Mouth
Authors: Iwase Masayasu , Ito Michiko , Katayama Hanon , Nishijima Hiroaki , Shimotori Hirokazu , Fukuoka Airi , Tanaka Yoko
Published: April 2015

Dentoalveolar injuries are common and are caused by many factors. Dental trauma requires special consideration when a missing tooth or tooth fracture accompanies soft tissue laceration. A tooth or its fragment occasionally penetrates into soft tissue and may cause severe complications. This report presents a case of delayed diagnosis and management of a displaced tooth in the vestibule of the mouth following dentoalveolar injury. This report suggests that radiography can lead to an early diagnosis and surgical removal of an embedded tooth in the soft tissue.
Predicting Flavin and Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide-Binding Sites in Proteins Using the Fragment Transformation Method
Authors: Lu Chih-Hao , Yu Chin-Sheng , Lin Yu-Feng , Chen Jin-Yi
Published: April 2015

We developed a computational method to identify NAD- and FAD-binding sites in proteins. First, we extracted from the Protein Data Bank structures of proteins that bind to at least one of these ligands. NAD-/FAD-binding residue templates were then constructed by identifying binding residues through the ligand-binding database BioLiP. The fragment transformation method was used to identify structures within query proteins that resembled the ligand-binding templates. By comparing residue types and their relative spatial positions, potential binding sites were identified and a ligand-binding potential for each residue was calculated. Setting the false positive rate at 5%, our method predicted NAD- and FAD-binding sites at true positive rates of 67.1% and 68.4%, respectively. Our method provides excellent results for identifying FAD- and NAD-binding sites in proteins, and the most important is that the requirement of conservation of residue types and local structures in the FAD- and NAD-binding sites can be verified.
The Alteration and Clinical Significance of Th22/Th17/Th1 Cells in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Chen Ping , Wang Min , Li Daqi , Jia Yan , He Na , Li Wei , Ma Daoxin , Ji Chunyan
Published: April 2015

T helper- (Th-) cell immunodeficiency plays important roles in tumor development and their effects in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) remain unclear. In the present study, we mainly investigated the role of Th22, Th17, and Th1 cell and their related cytokines (IL-22, IL-17, and IFN-r) in the pathophysiology of CML. Bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) were extracted from newly diagnosed (ND), chronic phase- (CP-) CML patients, and controls. Th subsets were examined by flow cytometry. Plasma IL-22, IL-17, and IFN-r concentrations were measured by ELISA. AHR and RORC mRNA expressions were examined by RT-PCR. The frequencies of Th22, Th17, and Th1 cells, along with the expression of specific transcription factors RORC and AHR, were significantly decreased in ND patients compared with healthy controls, while all these abnormality recovered in CP patients. In addition, there existed a significantly positive relationship between Th22 and Th17 cells in PB or BM. A significantly negative relationship was found between Th cells (Th22, Th17, or Th1) and BCR-ABL (%) IS or the number of PB white blood cells. All these results demonstrated that Th22, Th17, and Th1 cells might be important therapeutic targets in CML and could facilitate a better outcome for tumor immunotherapy.
Synergistic Activity of Carfilzomib and Panobinostat in Multiple Myeloma Cells via Modulation of ROS Generation and ERK1/2
Authors: Gao Lu , Gao Minjie , Yang Guang , Tao Yi , Kong Yuanyuan , Yang Ruixue , Meng Xiuqin , Ai Gongwen , Wei Rong , Wu Huiqun , Wu Xiaosong , Shi Jumei
Published: April 2015

Relapse of disease and subsequent resistance to established therapies remain as major challenges in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). New therapeutic options are needed for these extensively pretreated patients. To explore an optimized combinational therapy, interactions between the irreversible proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib exhibiting a well-tolerated side-effect profile and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) panobinostat (LBH589) were examined in MM cells. Coadministration of carfilzomib and LBH589 led to a synergistic inhibition of proliferation in MM cells. Further studies showed that the combined treatment synergistically increased mitochondrial injury, caspase activation, and apoptosis in MM cells. Lethality of the carfilzomib/LBH589 combination was associated with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and ERK1/2 inactivation. In addition, the free radical scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could block carfilzomib and LBH589-induced oxidative stress and the subsequent apoptosis. Together, these findings argue that the strategy of combining carfilzomib and LBH589 warrants attention in MM.
Intravenous Iron Administration and Hypophosphatemia in Clinical Practice
Authors: Hardy S. , Vandemergel X.
Published: April 2015

Introduction. Parenteral iron formulations are frequently used to correct iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and iron deficiency (ID). Intravenous formulation efficacy on ferritin and hemoglobin level improvement is greater than that of oral formulations while they are associated with lower gastrointestinal side effects. Ferric carboxymaltose- (FCM-) related hypophosphatemia is frequent and appears without clinical significance. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, duration, and potential consequences of hypophosphatemia after iron injection.Patients and Methods. The medical records of all patients who underwent parenteral iron injection between 2012 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Pre- and postinjection hemoglobin, ferritin, plasma phosphate, creatinine, and vitamin D levels were assessed. Patients who developed moderate (range: 0.32–0.80 mmol/L) or severe (<0.32 mmol/L) hypophosphatemia were questioned for symptoms.Results. During the study period, 234 patients received iron preparations but 104 were excluded because of missing data. Among the 130 patients included, 52 received iron sucrose (FS) and 78 FCM formulations. Among FS-treated patients, 22% developed hypophosphatemia versus 51% of FCM-treated patients, including 13% who developed profound hypophosphatemia. Hypophosphatemia severity correlated with the dose of FCM (p=0.04) but not with the initial ferritin, hemoglobin, or vitamin D level. Mean hypophosphatemia duration was 6 months. No immediate clinical consequence was found except for persistent fatigue despite anemia correction in some patients.Conclusions. Hypophosphatemia is frequent after parenteral FCM injection and may have clinical consequences, including persistent fatigue. Further studies of chronic hypophosphatemia long-term consequences, especially bone assessments, are needed.
Interleukin‐17 and Its Implication in the Regulation of Differentiation and Function of Hematopoietic and Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Mojsilović Slavko , Jauković Aleksandra , Santibañez Juan F. , Bugarski Diana
Published: April 2015

Adult stem cells have a great potential applicability in regenerative medicine and cell‐based therapies. However, there are still many unresolved issues concerning their biology, and the influence of the local microenvironment on properties of stem cells has been increasingly recognized. Interleukin (IL‐) 17, as a cytokine implicated in many physiological and pathological processes, should be taken into consideration as a part of a regulatory network governing tissue‐associated stem cells’ fate. This review is focusing on the published data on the effects of IL‐17 on the properties and function of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells and trying to discuss that IL‐17 achieves many of its roles by acting on adult stem cells.
A Large-Scale Structural Classification of Antimicrobial Peptides
Authors: Lee Hao-Ting , Lee Chen-Che , Yang Je-Ruei , Lai Jim Z. C. , Chang Kuan Y.
Published: April 2015

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potent drug candidates against microbial organisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. AMPs have abundant sequences and structures, two fundamental resources for bioinformatics researches, but analyses on how they associate with each other are either nonexistent or limited to partial classification and data. We thus present A Database of Anti-Microbial peptides (ADAM), which contains 7,007 unique sequences and 759 structures, to systematically establish comprehensive associations between AMP sequences and structures through structural folds and to provide an easy access to view their relationships. 30 distinct AMP structural fold clusters with more than one structure are detected and about a thousand AMPs are associated with at least one structural fold cluster. According to ADAM, AMP structural folds are limited—AMPs only cover about 3% of the overall protein fold space.
The Effect of Stoichiometry on Hydrogen Embrittlement of Ordered Ni3Fe Intermetallics
Authors: Chen Y. X. , Chen Tao , Qian Haiyan
Published: April 2015

The effects of Fe stoichiometry on hydrogen embrittlement and hydrogen diffusion in ordered Ni3Fe intermetallics were investigated. The experimental results show that the ordered Ni3Fe alloy with the normal stoichiometry has the lowest mechanical property, the highest susceptibility to hydrogen, and the highest ability of catalytic reaction. The mechanical properties, the susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement, and the amount of adsorbed hydrogen of the ordered Ni3Fe alloy are dependent of degree of order of the alloy. The apparent hydrogen diffusion coefficient of the ordered Ni3Fe alloy is independent on degree of order of the alloy but depends on Fe stoichiometry. The activation energy of hydrogen diffusion decreased linearly with Fe stoichiometry for the ordered Ni3Fe alloy.
Development of Simultaneous Derivative Spectrophotometric and HPLC Methods for Determination of 17-Beta-Estradiol and Drospirenone in Combined Dosage Form
Authors: Aydoğmuş Zeynep , Yılmaz Ece Merve , Yörüsün Sevgi , Akpınar Samet
Published: April 2015

Simple, rapid spectrophotometric, and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic methods were developed for the concurrent analysis of 17-beta-estradiol (ESR) and drospirenone (DRS). The spectrophotometric method was based on the determination of first derivative spectra and determined ESR and DRS using the zero-crossing technique at 208 and 282 nm, respectively, in methanol. The linear range was 0.5–32.0 µg·mL−1 for DRS and 0.5–8.0 µg·mL−1 for EST. The limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.14 µg·mL−1 and 0.10 µg·mL−1 and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were 0.42 µg·mL−1 and 0.29 µg·mL−1 for ESR and DRS, respectively. The chromatographic method was based on the separation of both analytes on a C18 column with a mobile phase containing acetonitrile and water (70 : 30, v/v). Detection was performed with a UV-photodiode array detector at 279 nm. The linear range was 0.08–2.5 µg·mL−1 for DRS and 0.23–7.5 µg·mL−1 for EST. LOD values were 0.05 µg·mL−1 and 0.02 µg·mL−1 and LOQ values were 0.15 µg·mL−1 and 0.05 µg·mL−1 for ESR and DRS, respectively. These recommended methods have been applied for the simultaneous determination of ESR and DRS in their tablets.
Influence of Preoperative Peripheral Parenteral Nutrition with Micronutrients after Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Liu Ming-Yi , Tang Hsiu-Chih , Hu Shu-Hui , Yang Hui-Lan , Chang Sue-Joan
Published: April 2015

Background. The inflammatory reactions are stronger after surgery of malnourished preoperative patients. Many studies have shown vitamin and trace element deficiencies appear to affect the functioning of immune cells. Enteral nutrition is often inadequate for malnourished patients. Therefore, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is considered an effective method for providing preoperative nutritional support. TPN needs a central vein catheter, and there are more risks associated with TPN. However, peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) often does not provide enough energy or nutrients.Purpose. This study investigated the inflammatory response and prognosis for patients receiving a modified form of PPN with added fat emulsion infusion, multiple vitamins (MTV), and trace elements (TE) to assess the feasibility of preoperative nutritional support.Methods. A cross-sectional design was used to compare the influence of PPN with or without adding MTV and TE on malnourished abdominal surgery patients.Results. Both preoperative groups received equal calories and protein, but due to the lack of micronutrients, patients in preoperative Group B exhibited higher inflammation, lower serum albumin levels, and higher anastomotic leak rates and also required prolonged hospital stays.Conclusion. Malnourished patients who receive micronutrient supplementation preoperatively have lower postoperative inflammatory responses and better prognoses. PPN with added fat emulsion, MTV, and TE provides valid and effective preoperative nutritional support.
Expression Pattern of Transcription Factors and Intracellular Cytokines Reveals That Clinically Cured Tuberculosis Is Accompanied by an Increase inMycobacterium-Specific Th1, Th2, and Th17 Cells
Authors: da Silva Marcos V. , Massaro Junior Vladimir J. , Machado Juliana R. , Silva Djalma A. A. , Castellano Lúcio R. , Alexandre Patricia B. D. , Rodrigues Denise B. R. , Rodrigues Virmondes
Published: April 2015

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem and is the second biggest cause of death by infectious disease worldwide. Here, we investigate in vitro the Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cytokines and transcriptional factors produced afterMycobacterium-specific antigen stimulation in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, clinically cured pulmonary tuberculosis, and healthy donors with a positive tuberculin skin test (TST+). Together, our data indicate that clinical cure after treatment increases the percentages ofMycobacterium-specific Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells compared with those found in active-TB and TST+ healthy donors. These results show that the host-parasite equilibrium in latent TB breaks in favor of the microorganism and that the subsequent clinical recovery posttreatment does not return the percentage levels of such cells to those observed in latent tuberculosis. Additionally, our results indicate that rather than showing an increase in the percentage ofMycobacterium-specific Tregs, active-TB patients display lower Th1 : Treg and Th17 : Treg ratios. These data, together with lower Th1 : Th2 and Th17 : Th2 ratios, may indicate a mechanism by which the breakdown of the host-parasite equilibrium leads to active-TB and changes in the repertoire ofMycobacterium-specific Th cells that are associated with clinical cure after treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Study of Osteoarthritis Treatment with Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor and Steroids
Authors: Cho Hongsik , Walker Andrew , Williams Jeb , Hasty Karen A.
Published: April 2015

Patients with osteoarthritis (OA), a condition characterized by cartilage degradation, are often treated with steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective NSAIDs. Due to their inhibition of the inflammatory cascade, the drugs affect the balance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inflammatory cytokines, resulting in preservation of extracellular matrix (ECM). To compare the effects of these treatments on chondrocyte metabolism, TNF-αwas incubated with cultured chondrocytes to mimic a proinflammatory environment with increasing production of MMP-1 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The chondrocytes were then treated with either a steroid (prednisone), a nonspecific COX inhibitor NSAID (piroxicam), or a COX-2 selective NSAID (celecoxib). Both prednisone and celecoxib decreased MMP-1 and PGE-2 production while the nonspecific piroxicam decreased only the latter. Both prednisone and celecoxib decreased gene expression of MMP-1 and increased expression of aggrecan. Increased gene expression of type II collagen was also noted with celecoxib. The nonspecific piroxicam did not show these effects. The efficacy of celecoxibin vivowas investigated using a posttraumatic OA (PTOA) mouse model.In vivo, celecoxib increases aggrecan synthesis and suppresses MMP-1. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that celecoxib and steroids exert similar effects on MMP-1 and PGE2 productionin vitroand that celecoxib may demonstrate beneficial effects on anabolic metabolismin vivo.
Hair Follicle Dermal Sheath Derived Cells Improve Islet Allograft Survival without Systemic Immunosuppression
Authors: Wang Xiaojie , Hao Jianqiang , Leung Gigi , Breitkopf Trisia , Wang Eddy , Kwong Nicole , Akhoundsadegh Noushin , Warnock Garth L. , Shapiro Jerry , McElwee Kevin J.
Published: April 2015

Immunosuppressive drugs successfully prevent rejection of islet allografts in the treatment of type I diabetes. However, the drugs also suppress systemic immunity increasing the risk of opportunistic infection and cancer development in allograft recipients. In this study, we investigated a new treatment for autoimmune diabetes using naturally immune privileged, hair follicle derived, autologous cells to provide localized immune protection of islet allotransplants. Islets from Balb/c mouse donors were cotransplanted with syngeneic hair follicle dermal sheath cup cells (DSCC, group 1) or fibroblasts (FB, group 2) under the kidney capsule of immune-competent, streptozotocin induced, diabetic C57BL/6 recipients. Group 1 allografts survived significantly longer than group 2 (32.2 ± 12.2 versus 14.1 ± 3.3 days,P<0.001) without administration of any systemic immunosuppressive agents. DSCC reduced T cell activation in the renal lymph node, prevented graft infiltrates, modulated inflammatory chemokine and cytokine profiles, and preserved better beta cell function in the islet allografts, but no systemic immunosuppression was observed. In summary, DSCC prolong islet allograft survival without systemic immunosuppression by local modulation of alloimmune responses, enhancing of beta cell survival, and promoting of graft revascularization. This novel finding demonstrates the capacity of easily accessible hair follicle cells to be used as local immunosuppression agents in islet transplantation.
Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of Recombinant Guinea Pig Tumor Necrosis Factor‐Alpha
Authors: Dirisala Vijaya R. , Jeevan Amminikutty , Ly Lan H. , McMurray David N.
Published: April 2015

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) is a cytokine which plays opposing roles in the context of infectious disease pathogenesis. TNF‐α is essential for the development of a protective immune response to some pathogens, for example, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by synergizing with other cytokines. However, exorbitant or uncontrolled TNF‐α activity may also drive pathology and disease symptoms in many infectious diseases. In order to elucidate the beneficial and detrimental roles of TNF‐α in tuberculosis (TB) and other diseases for which the guinea pig is the small animal model of choice, recombinant guinea pig (rgp)TNF‐α has been produced using prokaryotic expression systems. However, it is unknown whether posttranslational modifications which cannot be made in the prokaryotic expression systems may be important for rgpTNF‐α structure and function. Therefore, we carried out a comparative study by expressing rgpTNF‐α in prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems and analyzed the eukaryotic‐expressed rgpTNF‐α for the presence of posttranslational modifications by subjecting it to NanoLC‐MS/MS. We conclude that the eukaryotic‐expressed rgpTNF‐α lacks posttranslational modifications, and we found no significant difference in terms of the biological activity between prokaryotic‐ and eukaryotic‐expressed rgpTNF‐α. Taken together, results from our study show that a prokaryotic expression system can be used for generating large amounts of rgpTNF‐α without concern for the biological integrity.
Effect of Four Approaches to Oral Feeding Progression on Clinical Outcomes in Preterm Infants
Authors: Pickler Rita H. , Reyna Barbara A. , Wetzel Paul A. , Lewis Mary
Published: April 2015

Background. The purpose of this study of preterm infants was to test the effect of four approaches to the time of transition from gavage to full oral feedings, time to discharge, and weight gain during the transition.Methods. A randomized experimental design was used with four intervention groups: early start (32 weeks’ postmenstrual age)/slow progressing experience (gradually increasing oral feedings offered per day); early start/maximum experience (oral feedings offered at every feeding opportunity); late start (34 weeks’ postmenstrual age)/slow progressing experience; and late start/maximum experience.Results. The analysis included 86 preterm infants. Once oral feedings were initiated, infants in the late start/maximum experience group achieved full oral feeding and were discharged to home significantly sooner than infants in either early start group. Although not significantly different, these infants also achieved these outcomes sooner than infants in the late start/slow progressing experience group. There were no differences in weight gain across groups.Conclusions. Results suggest starting oral feedings later in preterm infants may result in more rapid transition to full oral feedings and discharge although not at early postnatal ages. Provision of a more consistent approach to oral feeding may support infant neurodevelopment and reduce length of hospitalization.
Micromechanical Behavior of Single‐Crystal Superalloy with Different Crystal Orientations by Microindentation
Authors: Li Jinghui , Li Fuguo , Dong Junzhe , Yuan Zhanwei , Zhang Shuo
Published: April 2015

In order to investigate the anisotropic micromechanical properties of single‐crystal nickel‐based superalloy DD99 of four crystallographic orientations, (001), (215), (405), and (605), microindentation test (MIT) was conducted with different loads and loading velocities by a sharp Berkovich indenter. Some material parameters reflecting the micromechanical behavior of DD99, such as microhardness H, Young’s modulus E, yield stress σy, strain hardening component n, and tensile strength σb, can be obtained from load‐displacement relations. H and E of four different crystal planes evidently decrease with the increase of h. The reduction of H is due to dislocation hardening while E is related to interplanar spacing and crystal variable. σy of (215) is the largest among four crystal planes, followed by (605), and (001) has the lowest value. n of (215) is the lowest, followed by (605), and that of (001) is the largest. Subsequently, a simplified elastic‐plastic material model was employed for 3D microindentation simulation of DD99 with various crystal orientations. The simulation results agreed well with experimental, which confirmed the accuracy of the simplified material model.
Firing Control Optimization of Impulse Thrusters for Trajectory Correction Projectiles
Authors: Gao Min , Zhang Yongwei , Yang Suochang
Published: April 2015

This paper presents an optimum control scheme of firing time and firing phase angle by taking impact point deviation as optimum objective function which takes account of the difference of longitudinal and horizontal correction efficiency, firing delay, roll rate, flight stability, and so forth. Simulations indicate that this control scheme can assure lateral impulse thrusters are activated at time and phase angle when the correction efficiency is higher. Further simulations show that the impact point dispersion is mainly influenced by the total impulse deployed, and the impulse, number, and firing interval need to be optimized to reduce the impact point dispersion of rockets. Live firing experiments with two trajectory correction rockets indicate that the firing control scheme works effectively.
Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Tumor Angiogenesis: Another Brick in the Wall
Authors: Marçola Marina , Rodrigues Camila Eleuterio
Published: April 2015

Until 15 years ago, vasculogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from undifferentiated cells, was thought to occur only during embryonic development. The discovery of circulating cells that are able to promote vascular regeneration and repair—the so-called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)—changed that, and EPCs have since been studied extensively. It is already known that EPCs include many subtypes of cells that play a variety of roles in promoting vascular growth. Some EPCs are destined to differentiate into endothelial cells, whereas others are capable of promoting and sustaining angiogenesis through paracrine mechanisms. Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis might constitute complementary mechanisms for postnatal neovascularization, and EPCs could be at the core of this process. Although the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting vasculature plays a beneficial role in many physiological processes, such as wound healing, it also contributes to tumor growth and metastasis. However, many aspects of the role played by EPCs in tumor angiogenesis remain unclear. This review aims to address the main aspects of EPCs differentiation and certain characteristics of their main function, especially in tumor angiogenesis, as well as the potential clinical applications.
Detecting Protein-Protein Interactions with a Novel Matrix-Based Protein Sequence Representation and Support Vector Machines
Authors: You Zhu-Hong , Li Jianqiang , Gao Xin , He Zhou , Zhu Lin , Lei Ying-Ke , Ji Zhiwei
Published: April 2015

Proteins and their interactions lie at the heart of most underlying biological processes. Consequently, correct detection of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is of fundamental importance to understand the molecular mechanisms in biological systems. Although the convenience brought by high-throughput experiment in technological advances makes it possible to detect a large amount of PPIs, the data generated through these methods is unreliable and may not be completely inclusive of all possible PPIs. Targeting at this problem, this study develops a novel computational approach to effectively detect the protein interactions. This approach is proposed based on a novel matrix-based representation of protein sequence combined with the algorithm of support vector machine (SVM), which fully considers the sequence order and dipeptide information of the protein primary sequence. When performed on yeast PPIs datasets, the proposed method can reach 90.06% prediction accuracy with 94.37% specificity at the sensitivity of 85.74%, indicating that this predictor is a useful tool to predict PPIs. Achieved results also demonstrate that our approach can be a helpful supplement for the interactions that have been detected experimentally.
Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance of Nano‐TiO2 Codoped with Iron III and Lanthanum III
Authors: Guan Wei , Ji Fangying , Xie Zhigang , Li Rongan , Mei Nan
Published: April 2015

Nanoscale titanium dioxide (nano‐TiO2) was modified via metal doping to improve its photocatalytic activity and utilization of visible light. Nano‐TiO2 doped with iron III (Fe3+) only, lanthanum III (La3+) only, and both Fe3+/La3+ was prepared using the sol‐gel method. The photocatalytic activities of the three forms of doped nano‐TiO2 were evaluated. Metal codoping limited crystal growth of crystal, and the sol‐gel method was shown to be an effective technique for doping the lattice of TiO2 with Fe3+ and La3+. Codoping of nano‐TiO2 with the tombarthite metal mixture had a synergistic effect of the photocatalytic performance, with the codoped nano‐TiO2 exhibiting a performance greater than the sum of those of the single‐doped nano‐TiO2 samples. Kinetic studies showed that the photodegradation reaction of methyl orange by nano‐TiO2 follows the Langmuir‐Hinshelwood first order mechanism.
The Immunomodulatory Effect of Acupoint Application for Childhood Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Xiao Cun , Yin Tao , Gao Qian , Kong Ling Jun
Published: April 2015

Objective. To evaluate the evidence on the immunomodulatory effect of acupoint application for childhood asthma.Methods. Five electronic databases through October 2014 were searched. The risk of bias in eligible studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of random-effects model were calculated. And heterogeneity was assessed using the CochranQstatistic and quantified with theI2index.Results. Six studies were included in our review. The aggregated results suggested that acupoint application showed the beneficial effect for childhood asthma in improving IgA (SMD, −0.83; 95% CI −1.14 to −0.52;P<0.00001), IgE (SMD, −0.52; 95% CI −0.76 to −0.29;P<0.001), IgG (SMD, −1.17; 95% CI −1.61 to −0.74;P<0.0001), IL-4 (SMD, −0.57; 95% CI −0.91 to −0.23;P=0.0009), and IFN-γ(SMD, −0.38; 95% CI −0.71 to −0.04;P=0.03) but not IgM (SMD, −0.40; 95% CI −0.98 to 0.18;P=0.18). And the effective dose of acupoint application may be 2–6 hours/time and a total of 3 times within 4 weeks.Conclusions. This review showed the positive evidence that acupoint application had the favorable immunomodulatory effect for childhood asthma. However, more studies with long follow-up are warrant to confirm the current findings.
Ruptured Arteriovenous Malformation Presenting with Kernohan’s Notch
Authors: Dibble Christopher F. , Wemhoff Michael P. , Ibrahim Tarik , Sasaki-Adams Deanna , Solander Sten , Germanwala Anand V.
Published: April 2015

AVMs are congenital lesions that predispose patients to intracranial hemorrhage and resultant neurological deficits. These deficits are often focal and due to the presence of local neurologic disruption from hemorrhage in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere. We present a rare case of a patient with ipsilateral neurological deficits due to Kernohan’s Notch phenomenon resulting from hemorrhage from an AVM. A 31-year-old woman with seizures underwent MR and angiographic imaging which confirmed an unruptured left parietal AVM. The patient declined treatment and presented with obtundation 4 years later. Imaging revealed an acute left parietal ICH and SDH with significant mass effect. The patient underwent emergent hemicraniectomy and hematoma evacuation. Postoperatively, she made significant improvement and was following commands contralaterally with ipsilateral hemiplegia. MR imaging revealed right Kernohan’s Notch. The patient had significant rehabilitation with neurological improvement. She eventually underwent elective embolization followed by subsequent surgical resection and bone replacement. Three years from the initial hemorrhage, the patient had only mild left-sided weakness and ambulates without assistance. A false localizing sign, Kernohan’s Notch phenomenon, should be considered in the setting of AVM hemorrhage with paradoxical motor impairment and can be identified through MRI.
A Novel Composite Material Designed from FeSi Powder and Mn0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4Ferrite
Authors: Streckova Magdalena , Bures Radovan , Faberova Maria , Kurek Pavel , Roupcova Pavla , Hadraba Hynek , Girman Vladimir , Strecka Jozef
Published: April 2015

A design of the novel microcomposite material composed of spherical FeSi particles and Mn0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4ferrite is reported together with a characterization of basic mechanical and electrical properties. The sol-gel autocombustion method was used for a preparation of Mn0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4ferrite, which has a spinel-type crystal structure as verified by XRD and TEM analysis. The final microcomposite samples were prepared by a combination of the traditional PM compaction technique supplemented with unconventional microwave sintering process of the prepared green compacts. The composition and distribution of the secondary phase formed by the spinel ferrite were examined by SEM. It is demonstrated that the prepared composite material has a tight arrangement without any significant porosity, which manifests itself through superior mechanical properties (high mechanical hardness, Young modulus, and transverse rupture strength) and specific electric resistivity compared to the related composite materials including resin as the organic binder.