bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing peak summer surface water temperature in Canada’s large lakes
Authors: Minns Charles K. , Shuter Brian J. , Davidson Andrew , Wang Shusen
Published: August 2017

Seasonal water temperature data from 388 large Canadian lakes (area ≥ 100 km2) were used to develop improved empirical tools for forecasting the impacts of climate change on the magnitude (TP) and time of occurrence (JP) of annual peak surface water temperatures. Analyses of remotely sensed open-water temperatures with sinusoidal models produced estimates of TP and JP predominately better than other models. Those estimates were analyzed for lake and climate patterns. Linear mixed effects regression produced a significant model of TP with fixed positive effects for mean July and annual air temperatures and lake perimeter, but negative effects with mean July and annual percent cloud cover, mean annual precipitation, range of monthly mean global clear sky radiation, area, and elevation. Subsets of the estimates with mean, maximum, or Secchi depth values produced similarly significant models with negative depth coefficients. JP was relatively invariant but small, significant lake and climate effects were detected. The best models identified in our analyses will be useful tools for forecasting how climate change will alter aspects of the limnetic seasonal water temperature cycle that strongly influences the species composition and productivity of their fisheries.
Measurement of the enthalpy of formation of an iron pico-hydride and of its main properties
Authors: Dufour Jacques , Dufour Xavier , Dioury Fabienne , Vinko Jenny D.
Published: August 2017

Chemical reactions result from the outside shell electrons of the reacting species being shared in various types of combinations. Typical distances involved are tenths of nm, resulting in binding energies typically in the order of hundreds of kJ/mole (eV/atom). The synthesis of a novel “atomic system” formed from Iron and di-Hydrogen has been achieved. The measured enthalpy of formation is some 40 MJ/moleFe and the distance between the hydrogen proton and the iron nucleus is some 8 pm, hence the proposed name: Iron Pico-Hydride. This compound is a permanent electric dipole of atomic size. Pico-Hydrides could, thus, play a significant role in HT superconductivity and in super-capacitors. The synthesis is compatible with the standard model.
Hydrogenic impurity bound polaron in an anisotropic quantum dot
Authors: Chen Shi-Hua
Published: August 2017

The effect of the electron–phonon interaction on an electron bound to a hydrogenic impurity in a three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic quantum dot (QD) is studied theoretically. We use the Landau–Pekar variational approach to calculate the binding energy of ground state (GS) and first-excited state (ES) with considering electron–phonon interaction. The expressions of the GS and ES energies under investigation depict a rich variety of dependent relationship with the variational parameters in three different limiting cases. Numerical calculations were performed for ZnSe QDs with different confinement lengths in the xy-plane and the z-direction, respectively. It is illustrated that binding energies of impurity polarons corresponding to each level are larger in small QDs. Furthermore, the contribution to binding energy from phonon is about 15% of the total binding energy.
A Compact Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm for Large Scale Instance Matching in Linked Open Data Cloud
Authors: Xue Xingsi , Liu Jianhua
Published: August 2017

Establishing correct links among the coreference ontology instances is critical to the success of Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud. However, because of the high level heterogeneity and large scale instance set, matching the coreference instances in LOD cloud is an error prone and time consuming task. To this end, in this work, we present an asymmetrical profile-based similarity measure for instance matching task, construct new optimal models for schema-level and instance-level matching problems, and propose a compact hybrid evolutionary algorithm based ontology matching approach to solve the large scale instance matching problem in LOD cloud. Finally, the experimental results of comprising our approach with the states of the art systems on the instance matching track of OAEI 2015 and real-world datasets show the effectiveness of our approach.
Video Object Segmentation Through Deep Convolutional Networks
Authors: Zhang Yinhui , He Zifen
Published: August 2017

Video object segmentation of real-world scenes is a challenging task due to the dynamic environment change such as uneven illumination, object articulation, as well as camera motion. In this paper, we proposed a method to combine semantic regions by trained deep convolutional neural networks with saliency map and motion cues to segment foreground objects in video sequences. Firstly, the parameters of the deep convolutional networks are trained using PASCAL VOC dataset with human annotations. The training process consists of forward inference and background learning stages. The learning process employs the standard stochastic gradient descending algorithm. The number of epochs during training process is fixed at 7. Secondly, the trained convolutional networks are used to predict the semantic labels of a real-world video sequence at per-frame level. The inferenced semantic region is combined with the saliency map through Markov random field to derive foreground objects at each frame of the video. To access the segmentation performance of the proposed algorithm, we test the proposed algorithm using a video sequence from FBMS motion segmentation benchmarks and compare the segmentation accuracy with state-of-the-art video object segmentation algorithms.
Robust Facial Expression Recognition with Low-Rank Sparse Error Dictionary Based Probabilistic Collaborative Representation Classification
Authors: Sun Zhe , Hu Zheng-Ping , Wang Meng , Bai Fan , Sun Bo
Published: August 2017

The performance of facial expression recognition (FER) would be degraded due to some factors such as individual differences, Gaussian random noise and so on. Prior feature extraction methods like Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Gabor filters require explicit expression components, which are always unavailable and difficult to obtain. To make the facial expression recognition (FER) more robust, we propose a novel FER approach based on low-rank sparse error dictionary (LRSE) to remit the side-effect caused by the problems above. Then the query samples can be represented and classified by a probabilistic collaborative representation based classifier (ProCRC), which exploits the maximum likelihood that the query sample belonging to the collaborative subspace of all classes can be better computed. The final classification is performed by seeking which class has the maximum probability. The proposed approach which exploits ProCRC associated with the LRSE features (LRSE ProCRC) for robust FER reaches higher average accuracies on the different databases (i.e., 79.39% on KDEF database, 89.54% on CAS-PEAL database, 84.45% on CK+ database etc.). In addition, our method also leads to state-of-the-art classification results from the aspect of feature extraction methods, training samples, Gaussian noise variances and classification based methods on benchmark databases.
Consensus-Driven Cluster Analysis: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Based Split-and-Merge Classifiers
Authors: Zoghlami Mohamed Ali , Hidri Minyar Sassi , Ayed Rahma Ben
Published: August 2017

Consensus clustering is used in data analysis to generate stable results out of a set of partitions delivered by stochastic methods. Typically, the goal is searching for the socalled median (or consensus) partition, i.e. the partition that is most similar, on average, to all the input partitions. In this paper we address the problem of combining multiple fuzzy clusterings without access to the underlying features of the data while basing on inter-clusters similarity. We are concerned of top-down and bottom-up based consensus-driven fuzzy clustering while splitting and merging worst clusters. The objective is to reconcile a structure, developed for patterns in some dataset with the structural findings already available for other related ones. The proposed classifiers consider dispersion and dissimilarity between the partitions as well as the corresponding fuzzy proximity matrices. Several illustrative numerical examples, using both synthetic data and those coming from available machine learning repositories, are also included. The experimental component of the study shows the efficiency of the proposed classifiers in terms of quality and runtime.
Face cooling increases blood pressure during central hypovolemia
Authors: Johnson Blair D. , Sackett James R. , Sarker Suman , Schlader Zachary J.
Published: August 2017

A reduction in central blood volume can lead to cardiovascular decompensation (i.e., failure to maintain blood pressure). Cooling the forehead and cheeks using ice water raises blood pressure. Therefore, face cooling (FC) could be used to mitigate decreases in blood pressure during central hypovolemia. We tested the hypothesis that FC during central hypovolemia induced by lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) would increase blood pressure. Ten healthy participants (22 ± 2 yr, three women, seven men) completed two randomized LBNP trials on separate days. Trials began with 30 mmHg of LBNP for 6 min. Then, a 2.5-liter plastic bag of ice water (0 ± 0°C) (LBNP+FC) or thermoneutral water (34 ± 1°C) (LBNP+Sham) was placed on the forehead, eyes, and cheeks during 15 min of LBNP at 30 mmHg. Forehead temperature was lower during LBNP+FC than LBNP+Sham, with the greatest difference at 21 min of LBNP (11.1 ± 1.6 vs. 33.9 ± 1.4°C, P < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure was greater during LBNP+FC than LBNP+Sham, with the greatest difference at 8 min of LBNP (98 ± 15 vs. 80 ± 8 mmHg, P < 0.001). Cardiac output was higher during LBNP+FC than LBNP+Sham with the greatest difference at 18 min of LBNP (5.9 ± 1.4 vs. 4.9 ± 1.0 liter/min, P = 0.005). Forearm cutaneous vascular resistance was greater during LBNP+FC than LBNP+Sham, with the greatest difference at 15 min of LBNP (7.2 ± 3.4 vs. 4.9 ± 2.7 mmHg/perfusion units (PU), P < 0.001). Face cooling during LBNP increases blood pressure through increases in cardiac output and vascular resistance.
Inhibition of smooth muscle contraction and ARF6 activity by the inhibitor for cytohesin GEFs, secinH3, in the human prostate
Authors: Herlemann Annika , Keller Patrick , Schott Melanie , Tamalunas Alexander , Ciotkowska Anna , Rutz Beata , Wang Yiming , Yu Qingfeng , Waidelich Raphaela , Strittmatter Frank , Stief Christian G. , Gratzke Christian , Hennenberg Martin
Published: August 2017

Prostate smooth muscle contraction is critical for etiology and treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and is promoted by small monomeric GTPases (RhoA and Rac). GTPases may be activated by guanosine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). GEFs of the cytohesin family may indirectly activate Rac, or ADP ribosylation factor (ARF) GTPases directly. Here we investigated the expression of cytohesin family GEFs and effects of the cytohesin inhibitor Sec7 inhibitor H3 (secinH3) on smooth muscle contraction and GTPase activities in human prostate tissues. Of all four cytohesin isoforms, cytohesin-1 and -2 showed the highest expression in real-time PCR. Western blot and fluorescence staining suggested that cytohesin-2 may be the predominant isoform in prostate smooth muscle cells. Contractions induced by norepinephrine, the α1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine, the thromboxane A2 analog U-46619 , and endothelin-1 and -3, as well as neurogenic contractions induced by electric field stimulation (EFS), were reduced by secinH3 (30 µM). Inhibition of EFS-induced contractions appeared to have efficacy similar to that of inhibition by the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist tamsulosin (300 nM). Combined application of secinH3 plus tamsulosin caused larger inhibition of EFS-induced contractions than tamsulosin alone. Pull-down assays demonstrated inhibition of the small monomeric GTPase ARF6 by secinH3, but no inhibition of RhoA or Rac1. In conclusion, we suggest that a cytohesin-ARF6 pathway takes part in smooth muscle contraction. This may open attractive new possibilities in medical treatment of male LUTS.
Collaborative Power of Nrf2 and PPARγ Activators against Metabolic and Drug‐Induced Oxidative Injury
Authors: Lee Choongho
Published: August 2017

Mammalian cells have evolved a unique strategy to protect themselves against oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Especially, two transcription factors, nuclear factor erythroid 2p45‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ), have been shown to play key roles in establishing this cellular antioxidative defense system. Recently, several researchers reported ameliorating effects of pharmacological activators for these Nrf2 and PPARγ pathways on the progression of various metabolic disorders and drug‐induced organ injuries by oxidative stress. In this review, general features of Nrf2 and PPARγ pathways in the context of oxidative protection will be summarized first. Then, a number of successful applications of natural and synthetic Nrf2 and PPARγ activators to the alleviation of pathological and drug‐related oxidative damage will be discussed later.
The Effect of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae) Bark Extract on Histamine‐Induced Paw Edema and Ileum Smooth Muscle Contraction
Authors: Nunes-Neto Paulo Alexandre , Peixoto-Sobrinho Tadeu José da Silva , da Silva Júnior Edilson Dantas , Leopoldina da Silva Jamilka , Rodrigo da Silva Oliveira Alisson , Pupo André Sampaio , Araújo Alice Valença , Costa-Silva João Henrique da , Wanderley Almir Gonçalves
Published: August 2017

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae), popularly known as red aroeira, is used in traditional medicine to treat inflammatory, gastric, and respiratory disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihistaminic activity of S. terebinthifolius (St) bark extract by using in vivo and in vitro experimental models. The effects of St were investigated on contractions induced by histamine, carbachol, and potassium chloride in isolated guinea pig ileum. St was also studied in response to hind paw edema induced by histamine in rats. Experiments revealed that although St (250, 500, and 1,000 µg/mL) reduced the histamine‐induced contractions by 9.1 ± 1.8, 50.2 ± 2.0, and 68.9 ± 2.0%, respectively, it did not inhibit contractions induced by carbachol or KCl. The association of St (250 and 500 µg/mL) with hydroxyzine, an H1‐antihistamine (0.125 and 0.250 µM), increased the inhibitory effect to 67.0 ± 3.2 and 85.1 ± 2.1%, respectively. Moreover, St (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) decreased paw edema from its peak by 33.9, 48.4, and 54.8%, respectively, whereas hydroxyzine (70 mg/kg) inhibited the peak edema by 56.5%. Altogether, the results suggest that the bark extract of S. terebinthifolius has an antihistaminic effect (H1).
Breast Abscessed Cancer in Nonlactating Women in Tropical Environment: Radiological, Bacteriological, and Anatomopathological Features about 3 Cases
Authors: Tchaou Mazamaesso , Darre Tchin , Amavi Ayi Kossi , Kanassoua Kokou Kouliwa , N’Timon Bidamin , Sonhaye Lantam , Agoda-Koussema Lama-Kegdigoma , Adjenou Komlavi
Published: August 2017

The association of breast cancer and abscess is rare in daily practice. The authors report a short series of 3 cases of cancer of the breast in nonlactating women presented as breast abscess, reviewing aspects in radiology (ultrasound and mammography), correlating them with the histopathology findings and the bacteriological profile of the isolated germs.
Tissue Engineering to Repair Diaphragmatic Defect in a Rat Model
Authors: Liao G. P. , Choi Y. , Vojnits K. , Xue H. , Aroom K. , Meng F. , Pan H. Y. , Hetz R. A. , Corkins C. J. , Hughes T. G. , Triolo F. , Johnson A. , Moise Kenneth J. , Lally K. P. , Cox C. S. , Li Y.
Published: August 2017

Tissue engineering is an emerging strategy for repairing damaged tissues or organs. The current study explored using decellularized rat diaphragm scaffolds combined with human amniotic fluid-derived multipotent stromal cells (hAFMSC) to provide a scaffold, stem cell construct that would allow structural barrier function during tissue ingrowth/regeneration. We created an innovative cell infusion system that allowed hAFMSC to embed into scaffolds and then implanted the composite tissues into rats with surgically created left-sided diaphragmatic defects. Control rats received decellularized diaphragm scaffolds alone. We found that the composite tissues that combined hAFMSCs demonstrated improved physiological function as well as the muscular-tendon structure, compared with the native contralateral hemidiaphragm of the same rat. Our results indicate that the decellularized diaphragm scaffolds are a potential support material for diaphragmatic hernia repair and the composite grafts with hAFMSC are able to accelerate the functional recovery of diaphragmatic hernia.
Gas Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry Analysis and Vasorelaxant Effect of Essential Oil fromProtium heptaphyllum(Aubl.) March.
Authors: Mobin Mitra , de Lima Sidney G. , Almeida Lorena T. G. , Silva Filho José C. , Rocha Márcio S. , Oliveira Aldeídia P. , Mendes Marcelo B. , Carvalho Fernando A. A. , Melhem Marcia S. C. , Costa José G. M.
Published: August 2017

TheProtium heptaphyllumspecies, also known as Almécega, produces an oily resin, used in folk medicine as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent, in healing, and as an expectorant, which is rich in pentacyclic triterpenes and essential oils. In this study, the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of Almécega’s resin was analyzed by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and evaluated for chemical composition and vasorelaxant activity in rat superior mesenteric artery. The main constituents determined by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry were limonene,p-cineole, ando-cymene. In intact rings precontracted with phenylephrine (Phe 1 μM), EOPh (3–750 μg/mL) induced relaxation, and the essential oil had a concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effect, without involvement of endothelial mediators.
Longitudinal Study of Sensory Features in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Perez Repetto Lucia , Jasmin Emmanuelle , Fombonne Eric , Gisel Erika , Couture Mélanie
Published: August 2017

Background. Between 45 and 95% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present sensory features that affect their daily functioning. However, the data in the scientific literature are not conclusive regarding the evolution of sensory features in children with ASD. The main objective of this study was to analyze the sensory features of children within the age of 3-4 (T1) when they received their ASD diagnosis and two years later (T2) when they started school. Methods. We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess sensory features in 34 children with ASD over time. The data were collected using a standardized assessment tool, the Sensory Profile. Results. Our analyses show that sensory features in children with ASD are stable from the age of three to six years. The stability of sensory scores is independent of correction by covariates, such as cognitive level and autism severity scores. Conclusions. Children with ASD have sensory features that persist from the time of diagnosis at the age of 3 to 4 years to school age. This persistence of sensory features from an early age underscores the need to support these children and their parents. Sensory features should be detected early and managed to improve functional and psychosocial outcomes.
MicroRNA-195 Activates Hepatic Stellate Cells In Vitro by Targeting Smad7
Authors: Song Li-Ying , Ma Yu-Tao , Wu Cui-Fang , Wang Chun-Jiang , Fang Wei-Jin , Liu Shi-Kun
Published: August 2017

Background and Aim. Aberrant activation of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway contributes to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). MicroRNA-195 has been shown to regulate the activation of HSCs. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miRNA-195 in HSCs activation. Methods. A liver fibrotic rat model induced by diethylnitrosamine was established. Dual luciferase reporter assays were performed to verify that Smad7 was the target of miRNA-195. The expression levels of miR-195, Smad7, and α-SMA in HSC-T6 transfected, respectively, with miR-195 mimic, inhibitor, or control were measured by qRT-PCR. The protein expression of Smad7 was detected by Western blot analysis. Results. Enhanced miR-195 and decreased Smad7 were observed in diethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrotic rats (P<0.05). Dual luciferase reporter assays showed that the miR-195 mimic significantly suppressed the luciferase activity of a reporter plasmid carrying the binding site of miR-195 on the 3′UTR of Smad7 (P<0.05). The miR-195 mimics activated HSCs, further elevated miR-195 and α-SMA (P<0.01), and reduced the Smad7 level (P<0.05). The miR-195 inhibitors blocked the activation of HSCs, reduced the expression of miR-195 and α-SMA (P<0.01), and upregulated the expression of Smad7 (P<0.05). Conclusion. Collectively, we demonstrated that miRNA-195 activated HSCs by targeting Smad7.
Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure, Phase Distribution, and Mechanical Properties of AlCoCuFeMnNi High Entropy Alloy
Authors: Cakmak Gulhan
Published: August 2017

The present paper reports the synthesis of AlCoCuFeMnNi high entropy alloy (HEA) with arc melting process. The as-cast alloy was heat treated at 900°C for 8 hours to investigate the effect of heat treatment on the structure and properties. Microstructural and mechanical properties of the alloy were analyzed together with the detailed phase analysis of the samples. The initially as-cast sample was composed of two separate phases with BCC and FCC structures having lattice parameters of 2.901 Å and 3.651 Å, respectively. The heat-treated alloy displays microsized rod-shaped precipitates both in the matrix and within the second phase. Rietveld refinement has shown that the structure was having three phases with lattice parameters of 2.901 Å (BCC), 3.605 Å (FCC1), and 3.667 Å (FCC2). The resulting phases and distribution of phases were also confirmed with the TEM methods. The alloys were characterized mechanically with the compression and hardness tests. The yield strength, compressive strength, and Vickers hardness of the as-cast alloy are 1317 ± 34 MPa, 1833 ± 45 MPa, and 448 ± 25 Hv, respectively. Heat treatment decreases the hardness values to 419 ± 26 Hv. The maximum compressive stress of the alloy increased to 2123 + 41 MPa while yield strength decreased to 1095 ± 45 with the treatment.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Restoration of Fertility at Experimental Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Volkova Nataliia , Yukhta Mariia , Goltsev Anatoliy
Published: August 2017

Inflammatory disorders account for a significant percentage of gynecologic diseases, particularly in women of reproductive age. It is known that stem cells have anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. Based on this, we investigated the effect of intravenous administration of cryopreserved mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs) of bone marrow on experimental chronic inflammation of the ovaries. The paper shows that on the 21st day after cMSC therapy, leukocyte infiltration of ovaries was slightly relative to the control group without treatment, and the ratio of developing and atretic follicles in the animals with cMSC injection dramatically increased, while in the control, it still remained on the side of atretic forms. The number of apoptotic oocytes after stimulation of superovulation in the control group was significantly higher (85.3 ± 5.2%) than that in the animals with therapy (5.7 ± 0.8%). Relative number of fertilized eggs in the group with cMSC therapy was higher by 40% compare to that in the control. Pregnancy rate in natural estrous cycle after cell administration increased by 20%, and average number of litters in this group was two times significantly higher than that in the control. So the intravenous injection of cMSCs has the restorative effect on the fertility at experimental pelvic inflammatory disease.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Asthma, Rhinitis, and Eczema and Their Multimorbidity among Young Adults in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Ziyab Ali H.
Published: August 2017

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of allergic diseases and allergic multimorbidity (coexistence) among young adults in Kuwait and to examine associations between risk factors with allergic diseases and allergic multimorbidity. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling 1,154 students, aged 18–26 years, attending Kuwait University. Participants self-completed a questionnaire on symptoms and clinical history of allergic diseases. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by applying Poisson regression with robust variance estimation. Results. The prevalence of current asthma, rhinitis, and eczema was estimated to be 11.9% (135/1135), 20.4% (232/1138), and 9.2% (105/1143), respectively. The coexistence of “asthma and rhinitis” (5.1%, 57/1125) was the most frequent allergic multimorbidity. Both maternal history (PR = 3.97, 95% CI: 2.32–6.80) and paternal history (PR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.10–2.68) of allergy were independently associated with having two or more coexisting allergic diseases. The joint effect of having both maternal and paternal history of allergy was associated with 8.16 times (95% CI: 4.19–15.90) higher risk of allergic multimorbidity. Conclusion. Allergic diseases and allergic multimorbidity are common among young adults in Kuwait and their burden mirrors that of westernized countries. Parental history of allergy is a strong predisposing factor for allergic multimorbidity.
Perspectives on Peripheral Neuropathy as a Consequence of Metformin-Induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency in T2DM
Authors: Ahmed Marwan A. , Muntingh George L. , Rheeder Paul
Published: August 2017

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a primary complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a direct manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency. Examining the effects of metformin use on PN status became imperative following clinical studies that showed the vitamin B12-lowering effect of the medication. The complexity of the topic and the inconsistency of the results warrant consideration of topic-specific perspectives for better understanding of the available evidence and more appropriate design of future studies.
Genetic Variants in the Hedgehog Interacting Protein Gene Are Associated with the FEV1/FVC Ratio in Southern Han Chinese Subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Zhang Zili , Wang Jian , Zheng Zeguang , Chen Xindong , Zeng Xiansheng , Zhang Yi , Li Defu , Shu Jiaze , Yang Kai , Lai Ning , Dong Lian , Lu Wenju
Published: August 2017

Background. Convincing evidences have demonstrated the associations between HHIP and FAM13a polymorphisms and COPD in non-Asian populations. Here genetic variants in HHIP and FAM13a were investigated in Southern Han Chinese COPD. Methods. A case-control study was conducted, including 989 cases and 999 controls. The associations between SNPs genotypes and COPD were performed by a logistic regression model; for SNPs and COPD-related phenotypes such as lung function, COPD severity, pack-year of smoking, and smoking status, a linear regression model was employed. Effects of risk alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes of the 3 significant SNPs in the HHIP gene on FEV1/FVC were also assessed in a linear regression model in COPD. Results. The mean FEV1/FVC% value was 46.8 in combined COPD population. None of the 8 selected SNPs apparently related to COPD susceptibility. However, three SNPs (rs12509311, rs13118928, and rs182859) in HHIP were associated significantly with the FEV1/FVC% (Pmax = 4.1 × 10−4) in COPD adjusting for gender, age, and smoking pack-years. Moreover, statistical significance between risk alleles and the FEV1/FVC% (P = 2.3 × 10−4), risk genotypes, and the FEV1/FVC% (P = 3.5 × 10−4) was also observed in COPD. Conclusions. Genetic variants in HHIP were related with FEV1/FVC in COPD. Significant relationships between risk alleles and risk genotypes and FEV1/FVC in COPD were also identified.
Numerical Research on the Pullout Failure of GFRP Bolt
Authors: Wang Yanqing , Wu Beicheng , Guo Yu , Yang Haifeng
Published: August 2017

The fiber pullout is a main failure after the fiber is broken in the tension of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bolt. In this paper, the numerical analysis is done on the distribution of both fiber normal force and interface shear stress. The results show that, on the ideal interface, the fiber pullout occurs from the lower end to the upper end of the matrix gradually, and both the normal stress of the fiber and the shear stress of the ideal interface gradually increase from the lower end to the upper end. With the increase of the interface layer thickness, the shear stress concentration area on the interface is enlarged while the stress applied is reduced, and the displacement of GFRP deformation is increasing sharply. This means that the capacity of GFRP deformation is enhanced. As a soft elastic body, the interface layer with a smaller elastic modulus can make the fiber stress and the interface shear stress sharply small and well dispersed. In addition, the load can be effectively transferred to the reinforced phase fibers in a bigger interfacial layer elastic modulus with a certain strength.
In VitroImmunomodulatory Activity of a Transition-State Analog Inhibitor of Human Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Carvalho Natália Barbosa , Oliveira Prates Fernanda Ventin de , Silva Rafael de Castro da , Dourado Mayra Elizabeth Ferreira , Amorim Camila Farias , Machado Paulo Roberto Lima , Pacheco Fernanda Grendene , Corte Temis Weber Furlanetto , Machado Pablo , Santos Diógenes Santiago , Carvalho Edgar Marcelino de
Published: August 2017

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common clinical form of American tegumentary leishmaniasis caused byLeishmania(Viannia)braziliensis. CL is associated with a strong Th1 immune response. This exacerbated inflammatory response is correlated with severity of disease and delays the healing time of the ulcer. The fourth-generation immucillin derivative (DI4G), a potent inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase, has been proposed as a promising agent in the treatment of diseases associated with T cell activation. Herein, we evaluated thein vitroimmunomodulatory activity of DI4G in cells of patients presenting with CL. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from CL patients were stimulated with soluble leishmania antigen (SLA), in the presence or absence of DI4G, and IFN-γ, TNF, CXCL9, and CXCL10 levels were determined by ELISA. Lymphocyte proliferation in the presence or absence of DI4G was also evaluated, using flow cytometry. DI4G was able to decrease (p<0.05) IFN-γproduction but did not change the TNF, CXCL9, and CXCL10 levels. DI4G decreased (p<0.05) the lymphoproliferative response mediated by CD8+T cells, but not that by CD4+T cells. DI4G is able to attenuate the exaggerated immune response in CL, exhibiting immunomodulatory activity in IFN-γproduction and in CD8+T cell proliferation.
Inverse Commutativity Conditions for Second-Order Linear Time-Varying Systems
Authors: Koksal Mehmet Emir
Published: August 2017

The necessary and sufficient conditions where a second-order linear time-varying system A is commutative with another system B of the same type have been given in the literature for both zero initial states and nonzero initial states. These conditions are mainly expressed in terms of the coefficients of the differential equation describing system A. In this contribution, the inverse conditions expressed in terms of the coefficients of the differential equation describing system B have been derived and shown to be of the same form of the original equations appearing in the literature.
Laboratory Evaluation of Aging Behaviour of SBS Modified Asphalt
Authors: Wang Jie , Qin Yongchun , Huang Songchang , Xu Jian
Published: August 2017

To study the effect of aging SBS modified asphalt on the performance of asphalt pavement, aging at various times and temperatures was conducted with thin film oven, and then tests were made about the penetration, softening point, ductility, viscosity, toughness, and fluorescence microscopy of modified asphalt with different aging levels. The results show that, with the increasing of aging time, the penetration and ductility of modified asphalt decrease while its softening point and viscosity increase, and the variation trend of the toughness and tenacity is related to the aging temperature; the aging dynamic model with viscosity as parameter can well characterize the aging process of modified asphalt; at microlevel, with the decreasing of SBS particle size, the uniformity of particle size is better. Analysis of macroscopic properties, microscopic characteristics, and significance shows that the SBS particle area ratio has a significant correlation with tenacity as the aging temperature changes. When the aging temperature is 163°C, the SBS particle area ratio still has a significant correlation with tenacity as the aging time changes.
Acute Unilateral Renal Infarction in the Setting of an Inherited Thrombophilia and Atrial Septal Defect
Authors: Piran Siavash , Schulman Sam
Published: August 2017

We present a case of renal infarction in a 43-year-old female with history of stroke at age 14. She was found to be heterozygous for the prothrombin G20210A gene mutation. Loop monitoring revealed no atrial fibrillation. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms showed no thrombus. However, there was a small shunt due to an atrial septal defect (ASD). She was treated with warfarin and had device closure of her ASD. This was a suspected case of paradoxical embolism through an ASD leading to renal infarction.
Estimating Actual 2D Ground Deformations Induced by Underground Activities with Cross-Heading InSAR Measurements
Authors: Yu Xiaoying , Hu Jun , Sun Qian
Published: August 2017

InSAR can only monitor relative ground deformations with respect to a reference area. In order to obtain actual deformations, GCPs or stable area is required in the study area, which, however, may be unavailable in the investigating of geohazards associated with underground activities (i.e., groundwater pumping, underground mining, and oil/gas exploitation). We propose a novel approach to estimate actual 2D deformations based on the InSAR relative LOS measurements acquired from cross-heading datasets. The errors induced by the arbitrary selection of reference areas can thus be avoided. The performance of the proposed approach is validated by a series of simulations. By providing the ascending and descending measurements with errors of 2 and 1.5 mm/year STDs, respectively, the RMSEs are 2.1 and 2.6 mm/year for the estimated vertical and east deformations, respectively. A case study is carried out in Cangzhou, China, for estimating the actual 2D ground deformations associated with groundwater pumping. By integrating ALOS ascending and ENVISAT descending datasets acquired between 2007 and 2010, we found that the Cangzhou area experienced ground subsidence of up to 23.4 mm/year in the suburbs but ground uplift of up to 20.9 mm/year in the urban area, both of which are accompanied by considerable lateral deformations.
Experimental Study of the Swirling Oxidizer Flow in HTPB/N2O Hybrid Rocket Motor
Authors: Heydari Mohammad Mahdi , Ghadiri Massoom Nooredin
Published: August 2017

Effects of swirling oxidizer flow on the performance of a HTPB/N2O Hybrid rocket motor were studied. A hybrid propulsion laboratory has been developed, to characterize internal ballistics characteristics of swirl flow hybrid motors and to define the operating parameters, like fuel regression rate, specific impulse, and characteristics velocity and combustion efficiency. Primitive variables, like pressure, thrust, temperature, and the oxidizer mass flow rate, were logged. A modular motor with 70 mm outer diameter and variable chamber length is designed for experimental analysis. The injector module has four tangential injectors and one axial injector. Liquid nitrous oxide (N2O) as an oxidizer is injected at the head of combustion chamber into the motor. The feed system uses pressurized air as the pressurant. Two sets of tests have been performed. Some tests with axial and tangential oxidizer injection and a test with axial oxidizer injection were done. The test results show that the fuel grain regression rate has been improved by applying tangential oxidizer injection at the head of the motor. Besides, it was seen that combustion efficiency of motors with the swirl flow was about 10 percent more than motors with axial flow.
Preparing Students for Global Citizenship: The Effects of a Dutch Undergraduate Honors Course
Authors: Schutte Ingrid W. , Kamans Elanor , Wolfensberger Marca V. C. , Veugelers Wiel
Published: August 2017

Using a mixed method approach, this case study investigates effects on the participating students (N = 25) of an undergraduate honors course in the Netherlands, aimed at global justice citizenship. Knowledge about effects of global citizenship courses is still limited. The Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire and the Global Citizenship Scale were used in a pre‐ and posttest design to measure possible development in the moral and civic domain among the participants of the course. In the qualitative part, deductive content analyses of students’ work and students’ written reflection on the course, utilizing the theory‐based curriculum guidelines Global Justice Citizenship Education, were performed. In addition, a follow‐up blog and interview were analyzed to learn students’ perception on the effects of the course after half a year. Quantitative results show increased ethical sensitivity as well as global civic engagement and global competence among the participants. Qualitative results point in the same direction and provide deeper insights in the content of students’ learning and the perceived impact of the course on their attitudes and behavior. Results are discussed in relation to theory on justice‐oriented global citizenship and honors pedagogies.
Mechanistic Model for Cancer Growth and Response to Chemotherapy
Authors: Simbawa Eman
Published: August 2017

Cancer treatment has developed over the years; however not all patients respond to this treatment, and therefore further research is needed. In this paper, we employ mathematical modeling to understand the behavior of cancer and its interaction with therapy. We study a drug delivery and drug-cell interaction model along with cell proliferation. Due to the fact that cancer cells grow when there are enough nutrients and oxygen, proliferation can be a barrier against a response to therapy. To understand the effect of this factor, we perform numerical simulations of the model for different values of the parameters with a continuous delivery of the drug. The numerical results showed that cancer dies after short apoptotic cycles if the cancer is highly vascularized or if the penetration of the drug is high. This suggests promoting angiogenesis or perfusion of the drug. This result is similar to the situation where proliferation is not considered since the constant release of drug overcomes the growth of the cells and thus the effect of proliferation can be neglected.
Stress Cardiomyopathy Managed with Extracorporeal Support after Self-Injection of Epinephrine
Authors: Jeremy Bourenne , Raphaëlle Fresco , François Kerbaul , Pierre Michelet , Marc Gainnier
Published: August 2017

A 28-year-old man was admitted to the ICU for self-injection of Epinephrine. This injection resulted in the rapid development of a catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy (inverted Takotsubo) with a severe cardiogenic shock. The importance of ventricular dysfunction required the implementation of a temporary arteriovenous circulatory support until the recovery of myocardial stunning. This case allows redefining the role of circulatory assistance during cardiotropic agents intoxication.
A Regularity Criterion for the 3D Incompressible Magnetohydrodynamics Equations in the Multiplier Spaces
Authors: Tian Chunhong
Published: August 2017

We are concerned with the regularity criterion for weak solutions to the 3D incompressible MHD equations in this paper. We show that if some partial derivatives of the velocity components and magnetic components belong to the multiplier spaces, then the solution actually is smooth on (0,T).
Monitoring Leiomyoma Response to Uterine Artery Embolization Using Diffusion and Perfusion Indices from Diffusion-Weighted Imaging
Authors: Cao Mengqiu , Qian Lijun , Zhang Xuebin , Suo Xinjun , Lu Qing , Zhao Huilin , Liu Jialin , Qu Jianxun , Zhou Yan , Xu Jianrong , Suo Shiteng
Published: August 2017

Purpose. To investigate the potential of diffusion and perfusion indices (ADC and perfusion fraction f) from DWI at 3.0 T in monitoring treatment response to uterine artery embolization (UAE) at 6-month follow-up. Methods. Twelve female patients with uterine fibroids who underwent 3.0-T pelvic DWI before and 6 months after UAE were included. ADC and perfusion fraction f were calculated from DWI. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman rank correlation test were used for statistics. Results. Seventeen fibroids were studied. The median ADCs showed a significant increase from 1.20 × 10−3 mm2/s (range, 0.86–1.66 × 10−3 mm2/s) at baseline to 1.56 × 10−3 mm2/s (range, 1.00–1.86 × 10−3 mm2/s) at 6-month follow-up (P=0.0003). Conversely, the median perfusion fraction f was significantly decreased after UAE (P=0.0001), with a median pre-UAE value of 14.2% (range, 6.7%–17.6%) and a median post-UAE value of 9.2% (range, 3.2%–14.6%). Significant correlations were found between fibroid volume reduction rate and percentage changes in ADC and perfusion fraction f at 6-month follow-up relative to baseline, with ρ values of −0.50 (P=0.04) and 0.55 (P=0.02), respectively. Conclusion. ADC and perfusion fraction f obtained from DWI at 3.0 T may help to evaluate treatment response to UAE.
Imaging Diagnosis of Right Ventricle Involvement in Chagas Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Romano Minna M. D. , Moreira Henrique T. , Schmidt André , Maciel Benedito Carlos , Marin-Neto José Antônio
Published: August 2017

Right ventricle (RV) is considered a neglected chamber in cardiology and knowledge about its role in cardiac function was mostly focused on ventricular interdependence. However, progress on the understanding of myocardium diseases primarily involving the RV led to a better comprehension of its role in health and disease. In Chagas disease (CD), there is direct evidence from both basic and clinical research of profound structural RV abnormalities. However, clinical detection of these abnormalities is hindered by technical limitations of imaging diagnostic tools. Echocardiography has been a widespread and low-cost option for the study of patients with CD but, when applied to the RV assessment, faces difficulties such as the absence of a geometrical shape to represent this cavity. More recently, the technique has evolved to a focused guided RV imaging and myocardial deformation analysis. Also, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been introduced as a gold standard method to evaluate RV cavity volumes. CMR advantages include precise quantitative analyses of both LV and RV volumes and its ability to perform myocardium tissue characterization to identify areas of scar and edema. Evolution of these cardiac diagnostic techniques opened a new path to explore the pathophysiology of RV dysfunction in CD.
Neurosyphilis with Concomitant Cryptococcal and Tuberculous Meningitis in a Patient with AIDS: Report of a Unique Case
Authors: Gonzales Zamora Jose Armando , Espinoza Luis Alberto , Nwanyanwu Rita N.
Published: August 2017

Meningitis in individuals living with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is most frequently infectious in origin and usually due to opportunistic infections. The most common pathogens are Cryptococcus neoformans and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Treponema pallidum causes neurosyphilis and can complicate HIV infections at any time after the initial infection. Simultaneous infections of the central nervous system caused by these pathogens are very uncommon even in the setting of severe immunosuppression. We report the case of a newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS young man who was found to have neurosyphilis with Cryptococcus meningitis. After a few weeks of treatment and initiation of antiretroviral therapy, he was also diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis, which was probably unmasked by the development of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case of reported neurosyphilis and meningitis caused concomitantly by Cryptococcus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Acquired Vitamin K Deficiency as Unusual Cause of Bleeding Tendency in Adults: A Case Report of a Nonhospitalized Student Presenting with Severe Menorrhagia
Authors: Zekavat Omid Reza , Fathpour Gholamreza , Haghpanah Sezaneh , Dehghani Seyed Javad , Zekavat Maryam , Shakibazad Nader
Published: August 2017

We report a rare case of acquired vitamin K deficiency presenting with severe menorrhagia and without any gynecological problem. Partial thromboplastin time (59.2 seconds) and prothrombin time (33.1 seconds, INR: 5.97) were considerably prolonged in laboratory evaluations. A complete coagulation factor assay test was performed for the patient: factor IX, 24%; factor II, 41%; factor VII, 3%; and factor X, 52%. She had been taking many high-energy drinks and she had inadequate dietary intake for the past 6 months. Given that she had vitamin K deficiency (VKD), a course of vitamin K therapy was started for her in the hospital. This case showed the potential for menorrhagia due to VKD with use of high-energy drinks and the value of a complete and detailed history in early diagnosis.
Hamilton-Poisson Realizations of the Integrable Deformations of the Rikitake System
Authors: Lăzureanu Cristian
Published: August 2017

Integrable deformations of an integrable case of the Rikitake system are constructed by modifying its constants of motions. Hamilton-Poisson realizations of these integrable deformations are given. Considering two concrete deformation functions, a Hamilton-Poisson approach of the obtained system is presented. More precisely, the stability of the equilibrium points and the existence of the periodic orbits are proved. Furthermore, the image of the energy-Casimir mapping is determined and its connections with the dynamical elements of the considered system are pointed out.
Are the Symptoms of an NSAID-Induced Ulcer Truly Milder Than Those of an Ordinary Ulcer?
Authors: Tomita Toshihiko , Mori Sumire , Tozawa Katsuyuki , Arai Eitatsu , Tano Nobuo , Oka Hideo , Kim Yongmin , Abe Takashi , Ohda Yoshio , Oshima Tadayuki , Fukui Hirokazu , Watari Jiro , Miwa Hiroto
Published: August 2017

Objective. The percentage of patients with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and low-dose aspirin- (LDA-) induced ulcers who complain of gastrointestinal symptoms has generally been considered to be low. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the symptoms and quality of life (QOL) at peptic ulcer onset. Methods. This study involved 200 patients who were confirmed by endoscopy to be in the acute stage of gastroduodenal ulcer (A1-H1). Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire (Global Overall Symptom score and SF-8) at ulcer onset, and data were compared between NSAIDs/LDA ulcers and non-NSAIDs/LDA ulcers. Results. The upper gastrointestinal symptoms score was significantly lower for patients using LDA only (20.5 ± 9.4 in the nonusing group, 19.6 ± 8.6 in the NSAIDs-only group, 16.7 ± 11.6 in the LDA-only group, and 18.5 ± 7.2 in the NSAIDs/LDA group, P<0.05). The QOL score (physical summary) was significantly lower in the NSAID group (42.1 ± 9.9) than in the nonusing group (47.6 ± 7.6) (P<0.05). Patients’ characteristics showed no significant differences among the groups, with the exception of age. Conclusion. The severity of upper abdominal symptoms at peptic ulcer onset was similar between NSAID users and nonusers.