bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcome of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in the treatment of mid ureteric stones
Authors: Rahman Mohammed Mizanur , Shamim Isteaq Ahmed , Kormokar Uttom , Chowdhury Shafiqul Alam , Gupta Sudip Das
Published: December 2014

Urinary stone disease is a major problem due to its high prevalence and incidence and recurrence. The present study aimed to determine the outcome of in situ Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) for mid-ureteric stone in terms of stone clearance, per operative and post operative complications involving 30 patients with mid ureteric stone with less than 10 mm in diameter in the Department of Urology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka between September 2011 and August 2012. Seventeen (56.7%) patients had stone in the right ureter and 13(43.3%) had stone in the left ureter. Mean of stone size was 8.07 mm with a range of 6-10 mm. Most of the patients (96.7%) had post procedure pain, 15(50.0%) had haematuria and 9(30.0%) had fever. Final outcome of treatment showed that complete stone clearance was seen in 83.3% patients after one month. Mid ureteric stone clearance with ESWL was more than eighty percent with a very low rate of complications. ESWL may be recommended as safe and first line therapy for mid ureteric stones. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i2.21386 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 May; 43 (2): 72-78
Oral health status among tobacco users in the selected rural population
Authors: Jabeen Suraiya , Manni Umme Jamila Akther , Shakil Shiblee Sadeque
Published: December 2014

This cross sectional study was carried out to asses the oral health status among tobacco users in the selected rural population of Gazipur district in 2011. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 349 respondents, aged 18 years and above. Their mean age was 36.39 (SD±13.666) years. Among them, 173 (49.6%) were male and 176 (50.4%) were female. Their educational status shows that, majority (35.8%) was illiterate, 32% were from secondary level and only 6.6% from higher secondary & above level. Majority (51%) of the males were either businessman or agricultural worker, where as most of the females (84%) were house wives. The tobacco smoking habit of the respondents showed that 33.2% were current tobacco smokers and rest (66.8%) were currently non smokers. Among the currently non-smokers, 91% were never smokers and rest (9%) were ever smokers. Among current tobacco smokers, almost all were male (98.3%), and among tobacco chewers (46%) majority was female. Seventy one percent respondents had knowledge about health problems due to tobacco intake. The oral health status among the current tobacco consumers (233) showed that 95% had dental stain, 73% had dental plague, 66% had dental calculus, 59% had dental carries, 27% had soft tissue swelling, 15% had leukoplakia, 4% had erythroplakia and 5% had ulceration in their oral cavity. Among the current tobacco non-consumers (116), oral health status showed that 53% had dental stain, 52% had dental plague, 46% had dental calculus, 36% had dental carries, 12% had soft tissue swelling, 5% had leukoplakia and 5% had ulceration in their oral cavity. The study findings showed that oral health status is better among the respondents who were not tobacco consumers. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i2.21387 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 May; 43 (2): 79-83
A study on healing of peptic ulcer disease after eradication of helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Alam Md Razibul , Ahmed Ershad Uddin , Rahman Md Zahidur , Islam ASM Nazmul , Khan Md Masudur Rahman , Ahmed Dewan Saifuddin , Masud Hasan , Raihan ASMA
Published: December 2014

There is intimate connection between peptic ulcer & Helicobacter pylori infection. But some uncertainties still surround the relationship between status of H. pylori infection and extent & time required for ulcer healing. This prospective observational study was carried out in the department of Gastroenterology, BSMMU, Dhaka from January 2007 to January 2008 to determine whether the successful eradication of H. pylori leads to adequate ulcer healing. To see the pattern of endoscopic findings in patients still having H. pylori infection after standard triple therapy for H. pylori were also a objective. Eighty nine consecutive patients, aged 15-60 years and of both genders, coming to the gastroenterology outpatient department with the symptoms suggestive of peptic ulcer disease and dyspepsia were included and H. pylori status was defined as positive if both rapid urease test & histopathology were positive. As found in this study, H. pylori was associated with 90% of duodenal ulcers and 80% of gastric ulcers. H. pylori eradication rate was 69%. Healing rate of duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer after standard triple therapy for 14 days were 80% and 78% respectively. Adequate ulcer healing was achieved in this study despite relatively low eradication rate. Follow-up for additional period is required for recurrence of ulcer in 84 patients whose peptic ulcer disease had resolved but could not attain H. pylori eradication and H. pylori eradicated patients who are still having ulcer at endoscopy DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i2.21388 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 May; 43 (2): 84-89
Decompressive craniectomy in severe traumatic brain injury - a study of 20 cases
Authors: Das Sukriti , Alam Md Jahangir , Islam KM Tarikul , Elahi Fazle , Mahmud Ehsan
Published: December 2014

Severe traumatic brain injury is common in all developing countries like Bangladesh. These patients are commonly managed conservatively in the most of the hospitals of our country where immediate surgical intervention and perioperative ICU facilities are not available.This cross sectional interventional study was aimed at evaluating and comparing the post operative surgical outcome of decompressive craniectomy in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with conservatively treated patients.This study was done in Dhaka Medical College Hospital from January 2010 to December 2012. Twenty clinically suspected patients who sustained severe head injury with a GCS of 3-8 with neurological deterioration and evidence of brain contusion, laceration or evidence of brain swelling on CT Scan were included. Patient with primary fatal brain stem injury, an initial and persisting GCS score of 3, or bilaterally dilated and fixed pupil are not candidate for operative management. Outcome was assessed by Glasgow outcome scale (GOS). Follow up was given for a period of six to twelve months. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i2.21392 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 May; 43 (2): 100-102
I started my motorbike and set for the house call at night
Authors: Habib Ahsan
Published: December 2014

Abstract not available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i2.21396 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 May; 43 (2): 118
Swimming through the blood stream: Stanford engineers create wireless, self-propelled medical device
Authors: Mueed Khandaker Md Abdul
Published: December 2014

Abstract not available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i2.21397 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 May; 43 (2): 119-120
Experimental investigations on tension based tension leg platform (TBTLP)
Authors: Rao D. S. Bhaskara , Selvam R. Panneer , Srinivasan Nagan
Published: December 2014

Tension Leg Platforms (TLPs) are one of the reliable structures for offshore industry in deep waters because of its motion characteristics in heave, roll and pitch degrees of freedom. Heave motion is very important in offshore facilities and have to kept as minimum as possible. As the water depth increases TLPs suffers from some limitations and hence has to be modified to cater to deeper waters. One such concept proposed is Tension Based Tension Leg Platform (TBTLP). In this paper, experimental investigations carried out on a scaled model of a Tension Based Tension Leg Platform in regular waves are reported. This is the first ever experiments that was carried out on a scaled model of the new concept. To investigate the effect of Tension Base, experiments were also conducted on the TLP (without Tension Base) in two different water depths. RAOs have been compared for surge and heave dof of TLP and TBTLP. Numerical modeling of the TLP and TBTLP responses using ANSYS AQWA software are included as well for comparisons.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i2.17341
Similarity transformations of heat and mass transfer effects on steady MHD free convection dissipative fluid flow past an inclined porous surface with chemical reaction
Authors: Gurrampati Venkata Ramana Reddy , Ibrahim S Mohammed , Bhagavan V S
Published: December 2014

This paper concerns with a steady two-dimensional flow of an electrically conducting incompressible dissipating fluid over an inclined semi-infinite porous surface with heat and mass transfer in presence of chemical reaction. The flow is permeated by a uniform transverse magnetic field. A scaling group of transformations is applied to the governing equations. The system remains invariant due to some relations among the parameters of the transformations. After finding three absolute invariants, a third-order ordinary differential equation corresponding to the momentum equation, and two second-order ordinary differential equations corresponding to energy and diffusion equations are derived. The coupled ordinary differential equations along with the boundary conditions are solved numerically. The effects of various parameters on velocity, temperature and concentration fields as well as skin-friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are presented graphically and in tabulated form. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i2.18313
Structural response of a floating runway excited by the taking off of an airplane
Authors: Agarwala Nitin , Nair E M Somashekharan
Published: December 2014

When designing a floating airport we need to address the structural response both by ocean waves and dynamic loads such as the landing / take off of an airplane. Since such problems are not conducive to physical modeling and experimental validation due to their size and speeds involved, numerical analysis is an accepted norm. However conventional means to study structural responses using a three dimensional runway with time varying dynamic loads is numerically difficult and time consuming. The analysis is made simpler by assuming the airport to be a simple, infinitely long beam, given by a one dimensional Timoshenko-Mindlin plate equation, in contact with the water surface. In developing this expression, a Fourier transformation in space in wave number domain is utilized rather than using the wave propagation method to reduce the analysis to a substructure. On analyzing, the structural response is seen as local peaks emanating from the point of load application which moves in a curvilinear path with increasing speed of the airplane. The location of these peaks a priori is however not feasible.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i2.19167
Unsteady MHD mixed convection flow past an oscillating plate with heat source/sink
Authors: Okedoye Akindele Michael
Published: December 2014

This paper to study unsteady MHD mixed convection flow past an infinite vertical oscillating plate through porous medium, taking account of the presence of free/forced convection and mass transfer.  Using similarity transformation, the coupled non  linear governing equations are solved numerically by applying the combination of the base scheme submethods  midpoint, and a method enhancement scheme Richardson extrapolation technique together with Fehlberg fourth-fifth order Runge-Kutta shooting iteration method with degree four interpolant. The results are obtained for velocity, temperature, concentration. The effects of various material parameters are discussed on flow variables and presented by graphs.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i2.6477
Loading and Unloading Finishing Pigs: Effects of Bedding Types, Ramp Angle, and Bedding Moisture
Authors: Garcia Arlene , McGlone John
Published: December 2014

The use of non-slip surfaces during loading and unloading of finishing pigs plays an important role in animal welfare and economics of the pork industry. Currently, the guidelines available only suggest the use of ramps with a slope below 20 degrees to load and unload pigs. However, the total time it takes to load and unload animals and slips, falls, and vocalizations are a welfare concern. Three ramp angles (0, 10 or 20 degrees), five bedding materials (nothing, sand, feed, wood shavings or wheat straw hay), two moistures (dry or wet bedding, >50% moisture) over two seasons (>23.9 °C summer, <23.9 °C winter) were assessed for slips/falls/vocalizations (n = 2400 pig observations) and analyzed with a scoring system. The use of bedding during summer or winter played a role in the total time it took to load and unload the ramp (p < 0.05). Bedding, bedding moisture, season, and slope significantly interacted to impact the total time to load and unload finishing pigs (p < 0.05). Heart rate and the total time it took to load and unload the ramp increased as the slope of the ramp increased (p < 0.05). Heart rates were higher during the summer than winter, and summer heart rates increased as the slope increased (p < 0.05). The current study suggests that several factors should be considered in combination to identify the appropriate bedding for the specific occasion.
Physiological Signaling and Structure of the HGF Receptor MET
Authors: Baldanzi Gianluca , Graziani Andrea
Published: December 2014

The “hepatocyte growth factor” also known as “scatter factor”, is a multifunctional cytokine with the peculiar ability of simultaneously triggering epithelial cell proliferation, movement and survival. The combination of those proprieties results in the induction of an epithelial to mesenchymal transition in target cells, fundamental for embryogenesis but also exploited by tumor cells during metastatization. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor, MET, is a proto-oncogene and a prototypical transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor. Inhere we discuss the MET molecular structure and the hepatocyte growth factor driven physiological signaling which coordinates epithelial proliferation, motility and morphogenesis.
Entropy-Based Characterization of Internet Background Radiation
Authors: Iglesias Félix , Zseby Tanja
Published: December 2014

Network security requires real-time monitoring of network traffic in order to detect new and unexpected attacks. Attack detection methods based on deep packet inspection are time consuming and costly, due to their high computational demands. This paper proposes a fast, lightweight method to distinguish different attack types observed in an IP darkspace monitor. The method is based on entropy measures of traffic-flow features and machine learning techniques. The explored data belongs to a portion of the Internet background radiation from a large IP darkspace, i.e., real traffic captures that exclusively contain unsolicited traffic, ongoing attacks, attack preparation activities and attack aftermaths. Results from an in-depth traffic analysis based on packet headers and content are used as a reference to label data and to evaluate the quality of the entropy-based classification. Full IP darkspace traffic captures from a three-week observation period in April, 2012, are used to compare the entropy-based classification with the in-depth traffic analysis. Results show that several traffic types present a high correlation to the respective traffic-flow entropy signals and can even fit polynomial regression models. Therefore, sudden changes in traffic types caused by new attacks or attack preparation activities can be identified based on entropy variations.
Crop Management Effects on the Energy and Carbon Balances of Maize Stover-Based Ethanol Production
Authors: Woli Prem , Paz Joel
Published: December 2014

This study was conducted to identify the crop management options—the combinations of various cultivars, irrigation amounts, planting dates, and soils—that would maximize the energy sustainability and eco-friendliness of maize (Zea mays L.) stover-based ethanol production systems in the Mississippi Delta. Stover yields simulated with CERES-Maize were used to compute net energy value (NEV) and carbon credit balance (CCB), the indicators of sustainability and eco-friendliness of ethanol production, respectively, for various scenarios. As the results showed, deeper soils with higher water holding capacities had larger NEV and CCB values. Both NEV and CCB had sigmoid relationships with irrigation amount and planting date and could be maximized by planting the crop during the optimum planting window. Stover yield had positive effects on NEV and CCB, whereas travel distance had negative. The influence of stover yield was larger than that of travel distance, indicating that increasing feedstock yields should be emphasized over reducing travel distance. The NEV and CCB values indicated that stover-based ethanol production in the Mississippi Delta is sustainable and environmentally friendly. The study demonstrated that the energy sustainability and eco-friendliness of maize stover-based ethanol production could be increased with alternative crop management options.
Characterization of Anaerobic Degradability and Kinetics of Harvested Submerged Aquatic Weeds Used for Nutrient Phytoremediation
Authors: Kobayashi Takuro , Wu Ya-Peng , Lu Zhi-Jiang , Xu Kai-Qin
Published: December 2014

In this study, eight different submerged aquatic species were screened by batch biochemical methane potential and anaerobic degradability tests to identify a promising/suitable feedstock. Kinetics of the best-screened substrate were studied in a mesophilic semi-continuous experiment. The aquatic species Myriophyllum aquaticum, Egeria densa and Potamogeton perfoliatus showed relatively higher methane yields of over 400 NmL/g-VS (volatile solids). Semi-continuous operation was carried out by feeding E. densa for over 400 days. The achieved results were 33%–53% chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction and methane yield of 126–231 NmL/g-VS with a short hydraulic retention time (HRT). Additionally, the NH4+ and PO43− releases from the biomass to water were found to be low (18%–27% and 2.5%–3.9%) throughout the experiment. Hydrolysis was the limiting step in the digestion of E. densa, regardless of changes in HRT (15–45 days). The acid-phase model indicated that the hydrolysis rate constant (kh) of E. densa was 0.058 one/day, which was one third lower the kh value of food waste, but quite similar to cow manure.
Hydrogen Storage in Boron Nitride and Carbon Nanomaterials
Authors: Oku Takeo
Published: December 2014

Boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials were synthesized from LaB6 and Pd/boron powder, and the hydrogen storage was investigated by differential thermogravimetric analysis, which showed possibility of hydrogen storage of 1–3 wt%. The hydrogen gas storage in BN and carbon (C) clusters was also investigated by molecular orbital calculations, which indicated possible hydrogen storage of 6.5 and 4.9 wt%, respectively. Chemisorption calculation was also carried out for B24N24 cluster with changing endohedral elements in BN cluster to compare the bonding energy at nitrogen and boron, which showed that Li is a suitable element for hydrogenation to the BN cluster. The BN cluster materials would store H2 molecule easier than carbon fullerene materials, and its stability for high temperature would be good. Molecular dynamics calculations showed that a H2 molecule remains stable in a C60 cage at 298 K and 0.1 MPa, and that pressures over 5 MPa are needed to store H2 molecules in the C60 cage.
Motor, Visual and Emotional Deficits in Mice after Closed-Head Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Are Alleviated by the Novel CB2 Inverse Agonist SMM-189
Authors: Reiner Anton , Heldt Scott , Presley Chaela , Guley Natalie , Elberger Andrea , Deng Yunping , D'Surney Lauren , Rogers Joshua , Ferrell Jessica , Bu Wei , Del Mar Nobel , Honig Marcia , Gurley Steven , II Bob
Published: December 2014

We have developed a focal blast model of closed-head mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. As true for individuals that have experienced mild TBI, mice subjected to 50–60 psi blast show motor, visual and emotional deficits, diffuse axonal injury and microglial activation, but no overt neuron loss. Because microglial activation can worsen brain damage after a concussive event and because microglia can be modulated by their cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2), we evaluated the effectiveness of the novel CB2 receptor inverse agonist SMM-189 in altering microglial activation and mitigating deficits after mild TBI. In vitro analysis indicated that SMM-189 converted human microglia from the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype to the pro-healing M2 phenotype. Studies in mice showed that daily administration of SMM-189 for two weeks beginning shortly after blast greatly reduced the motor, visual, and emotional deficits otherwise evident after 50–60 psi blasts, and prevented brain injury that may contribute to these deficits. Our results suggest that treatment with the CB2 inverse agonist SMM-189 after a mild TBI event can reduce its adverse consequences by beneficially modulating microglial activation. These findings recommend further evaluation of CB2 inverse agonists as a novel therapeutic approach for treating mild TBI.
Improvement of the Fluorescence Intensity during a Flow Cytometric Analysis for Rice Protoplasts by Localization of a Green Fluorescent Protein into Chloroplasts
Authors: You Min , Lim Sun-Hyung , Kim Min-Jin , Jeong Ye , Lee Mi-Gi , Ha Sun-Hwa
Published: December 2014

Protoplasts have been a useful unicellular system for various molecular biological analyses based on transient expression and single cell analysis using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), widely used as a powerful method in functional genomics. Despite the versatility of these methods, some limits based on low fluorescence intensity of a flow cytometric analysis (FCA) using protoplasts have been reported. In this study, the chloroplast targeting of fluorescent proteins (FPs) led to an eight-fold increase in fluorescence intensity and a 4.5-fold increase of transfection ratio from 14.7% to 65.7% as compared with their targeting into the cytoplasm. Moreover, the plot data of FCA shows that 83.3% of the K-sGFP population is under the threshold level, regarded as a non-transgenic population with background signals, while 65.7% of the K-sGFP population is spread on overall intervals. To investigate the reason underlying this finding, mRNA/protein levels and transfection efficiency were analyzed, and results suggest that mRNA/protein levels and transfection ratio are not much different between K-sGFP and KR-sGFP. From those results, we hypothesized that the difference of fluorescence intensity is not only derived from cellular events such as molecular level or transfection efficiency. Taken together, we suggest that the translocation of FPs into chloroplasts contributes to the improvement of fluorescence intensity in FCA and, apparently, plays an important role in minimizing the loss of the transfected population. Our study could be usefully applicable for highly sensitive FACS and FCA-investigations of green tissue.
Identification of Retinopathy of Prematurity Related miRNAs in Hyperoxia-Induced Neonatal Rats by Deep Sequencing
Authors: Zhao Ruibin , Qian Lijuan , Jiang Li
Published: December 2014

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a major problem for many preterm infants. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and have been studied in many diseases. To understand the roles of miRNAs in ROP model rats, we constructed two small RNA libraries from the plasma of hyperoxia-induced rats and normal controls. Sequencing data revealed that 44 down-regulated microRNAs and 22 up-regulated microRNAs from the hyperoxia-induced rats were identified by deep sequencing technology. Some of the differentially expressed miRNAs were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). A total of 594 target genes of the differentially expressed microRNAs were identified using a bioinformatics approach. Functional annotation analysis indicated that a number of pathways might be involved in angiogenesis, cell proliferation and cell differentiation, which might be involved in the genesis and development of ROP. The elevated expression level of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein in the hyperoxia-induced neonatal rats was also confirmed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study provides some insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie ROP development, thereby aiding the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Exploring the Arabidopsis Proteome: Influence of Protein Solubilization Buffers on Proteome Coverage
Authors: Marondedze Claudius , Wong Aloysius , Groen Arnoud , Serrano Natalia , Jankovic Boris , Lilley Kathryn , Gehring Christoph , Thomas Ludivine
Published: December 2014

The study of proteomes provides new insights into stimulus-specific responses of protein synthesis and turnover, and the role of post-translational modifications at the systems level. Due to the diverse chemical nature of proteins and shortcomings in the analytical techniques used in their study, only a partial display of the proteome is achieved in any study, and this holds particularly true for plant proteomes. Here we show that different solubilization and separation methods have profound effects on the resulting proteome. In particular, we observed that the type of detergents employed in the solubilization buffer preferentially enriches proteins in different functional categories. These include proteins with a role in signaling, transport, response to temperature stimuli and metabolism. This data may offer a functional bias on comparative analysis studies. In order to obtain a broader coverage, we propose a two-step solubilization protocol with first a detergent-free buffer and then a second step utilizing a combination of two detergents to solubilize proteins.
Welcome to the International Journal of Neonatal Screening
Authors: Fingerhut Ralph
Published: December 2014

“Third time is a charm”, with this adage I would like to introduce the International Journal of Neonatal Screening (IJNS). Why three times? Well, this is the third time that the International Society for Neonatal Screening (ISNS) has launched its official journal. The first one, Screening, began in 1992, one year after the constitution of ISNS. In 1996, after Vol. 4 No.4 was printed, the publication of Screening had to be stopped. It was too expensive for the small number of members, and there were not enough institutional subscriptions (if any at all), that could compensate for the deficit. Since Screening was never indexed, the large number of high quality articles dealing with newborn screening aspects that were published in the four volumes have stayed invisible for most of the scientific community. In 1996 ISNS and the Journal of Medical Screening (JMS) agreed to have JMS as the society’s journal, but unfortunately over the years only a few manuscripts from ISNS members were submitted to JMS. Despite the efforts of ISNS council members, the situation did not change and JMS and the ISNS council decided to discontinue the collaboration from 2002. Since then, ISNS has had no official journal, and the ISNS newsletter has been until now the only forum for information exchange between members. But now, after 13 years of abstinence, ISNS makes a new attempt—the third one.[...]
Supramolecular Gold Metallogelators: The Key Role of Metallophilic Interactions
Authors: Lima João , Rodríguez Laura
Published: December 2014

Gold metallogelators is an emerging area of research. The number of results published in the literature is still scarce. The majority of these gels is observed in organic solvents, and the potential applications are still to be explored. In this work, we present an overview about gold metallogelators divided in two different groups depending on the type of solvent used in the gelation process (organogelators and hydrogelators). A careful analysis of the data shows that aurophilic interactions are a common motif directly involved in gelation involving Au(I) complexes. There are also some Au(III) derivatives able to produce gels but in this case the organic ligands determine the aggregation process. A last section is included about the potential applications that have been reported until now with this new and amazing class of supramolecular assemblies.
Hyponatremia in Patients with Cirrhosis of the Liver
Authors: Bernardi Mauro , Ricci Carmen , Santi Luca
Published: December 2014

Hyponatremia is common in cirrhosis. It mostly occurs in an advanced stage of the disease and is associated with complications and increased mortality. Either hypovolemic or, more commonly, hypervolemic hyponatremia can be seen in cirrhosis. Impaired renal sodium handling due to renal hypoperfusion and increased arginine-vasopressin secretion secondary to reduced effective volemia due to peripheral arterial vasodilation represent the main mechanisms leading to dilutional hyponatremia in this setting. Patients with cirrhosis usually develop slowly progressing hyponatremia. In different clinical contexts, it is associated with neurological manifestations due to increased brain water content, where the intensity is often magnified by concomitant hyperammonemia leading to hepatic encephalopathy. Severe hyponatremia requiring hypertonic saline infusion is rare in cirrhosis. The management of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic hyponatremia mainly rely on the identification and treatment of precipitating factors. However, sustained resolution of hyponatremia is often difficult to achieve. V2 receptor blockade by Vaptans is certainly effective, but their long-term safety, especially when associated to diuretics given to control ascites, has not been established as yet. As in other conditions, a rapid correction of long-standing hyponatremia can lead to irreversible brain damage. The liver transplant setting represents a condition at high risk for the occurrence of such complications.
Optimisation Design of Coupling Region Based on SOI Micro-Ring Resonator
Authors: Yan Shubin , Li Minghui , Luo Liang , Ma Kezhen , Xue Chenyang , Zhang Wendong
Published: December 2014

Design optimization of the coupling region is conducted in order to solve the difficulty of achieving a higher quality factor (Q) for large size resonators based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI). Relations among coupling length, coupling ratio and quality factor of the optical cavities are theoretically analyzed. Resonators (R = 100 μm) with different coupling styles, concentric, straight, and butterfly, are prepared by the micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) process. Coupling experimental results show that micro-cavity of butterfly-coupled style obtains the narrowest (3 dB) bandwidth, and the quality factor has been greatly improved. The results provide the foundation for realization of a large size, high-Q resonator, and its development and application in the integrated optical gyroscopes, filters, sensors, and other related fields.
An Effective Vacuum Assisted Extraction Method for the Optimization of Labdane Diterpenoids from Andrographis paniculata by Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Wang Ya-Qi , Wu Zhen-Feng , Ke Gang , Yang Ming
Published: December 2014

An effective vacuum assisted extraction (VAE) technique was proposed for the first time and applied to extract bioactive components from Andrographis paniculata. The process was carefully optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Under the optimized experimental conditions, the best results were obtained using a boiling temperature of 65 °C, 50% ethanol concentration, 16 min of extraction time, one extraction cycles and a 12:1 liquid-solid ratio. Compared with conventional ultrasonic assisted extraction and heat reflux extraction, the VAE technique gave shorter extraction times and remarkable higher extraction efficiency, which indicated that a certain degree of vacuum gave the solvent a better penetration of the solvent into the pores and between the matrix particles, and enhanced the process of mass transfer. The present results demonstrated that VAE is an efficient, simple and fast method for extracting bioactive components from A. paniculata, which shows great potential for becoming an alternative technique for industrial scale-up applications.
Lectins from Edible Mushrooms
Authors: Singh Senjam , Wang Hexiang , Chan Yau , Pan Wenliang , Dan Xiuli , Yin Cui , Akkouh Ouafae , Ng Tzi
Published: December 2014

Mushrooms are famous for their nutritional and medicinal values and also for the diversity of bioactive compounds they contain including lectins. The present review is an attempt to summarize and discuss data available on molecular weights, structures, biological properties, N-terminal sequences and possible applications of lectins from edible mushrooms. It further aims to update and discuss/examine the recent advancements in the study of these lectins regarding their structures, functions, and exploitable properties. A detailed tabling of all the available data for N-terminal sequences of these lectins is also presented here.
4-[18F]Fluorophenylpiperazines by Improved Hartwig-Buchwald N-Arylation of 4-[18F]fluoroiodobenzene, Formed via Hypervalent λ3-Iodane Precursors: Application to Build-Up of the Dopamine D4 Ligand [18F]FAUC 316
Authors: Kügler Fabian , Ermert Johannes , Kaufholz Peter , Coenen Heinz
Published: December 2014

Substituted phenylpiperazines are often neuropharmacologically active compounds and in many cases are essential pharmacophores of neuroligands for different receptors such as D2-like dopaminergic, serotoninergic and other receptors. Nucleophilic, no-carrier-added (n.c.a.) 18F-labelling of these ligands in an aromatic position is desirable for studying receptors with in vivo molecular imaging. 1-(4-[18F]Fluorophenyl)piperazine was synthesized in two reaction steps starting by 18F-labelling of a iodobenzene-iodonium precursor, followed by Pd-catalyzed N-arylation of the intermediate 4-[18F]fluoro-iodobenzene. Different palladium catalysts and solvents were tested with particular attention to the polar solvents dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Weak inorganic bases like potassium phosphate or cesium carbonate seem to be essential for the arylation step and lead to conversation rates above 70% in DMF which is comparable to those in typically used toluene. In DMSO even quantitative conversation was observed. Overall radiochemical yields of up to 40% and 60% in DMF and DMSO, respectively, were reached depending on the labelling yield of the first step. The fluorophenylpiperazine obtained was coupled in a third reaction step with 2-formyl-1H-indole-5-carbonitrile to yield the highly selective dopamine D4 ligand [18F]FAUC 316.
Synthesis and X-ray Structural Studies of a Substituted 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazonine and a 1,2,3,5-Tetrahydro-4,3-benzoxazonine
Authors: Bailey Timothy , Bremner John , Skelton Brian , White Allan
Published: December 2014

Using a common 1-(1-phenylethenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline precursor to the required ylide or N-oxide intermediate, the Stevens [2,3] and analogous Meisenheimer [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangements have been applied to afford concise syntheses of phenyl -substituted representatives of each of the reduced 1H-3-benzazonine and 4,3-benzoxazonine systems, respectively. Single crystal X-ray structure determinations were employed to define the conformational characteristics for each ring type.
Optical Characterization of the Hole Polaron in a Series of Diketopyrrolopyrrole Polymers Used for Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Williams Evan , Ang Ter , Ooi Zien , Sonar Prashant , Lin Ting , Neo Wei , Song Jing , Hobley Jonathan
Published: December 2014

A strategy that is often used for designing low band gap polymers involves the incorporation of electron-rich (donor) and electron-deficient (acceptor) conjugated segments within the polymer backbone. In this paper we investigate such a series of Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based co-polymers. The co-polymers consisted of a DPP unit attached to a phenylene, naphthalene, or anthracene unit. Additionally, polymers utilizing either the thiophene-flanked DPP or the furan-flanked DPP units paired with the naphthalene comonomer were compared. As these polymers have been used as donor materials and subsequent hole transporting materials in organic solar cells, we are specifically interested in characterizing the optical absorption of the hole polaron of these DPP based copolymers. We employ chemical doping, electrochemical doping, and photoinduced absorption (PIA) studies to probe the hole polaron absorption spectra. While some donor-acceptor polymers have shown an appreciable capacity to generate free charge carriers upon photoexcitation, no polaron signal was observed in the PIA spectrum of the polymers in this study. The relations between molecular structure and optical properties are discussed.
Performance Comparison of Cross-Like Hall Plates with Different Covering Layers
Authors: Lyu Fei , Zhang Zhenyan , Toh Eng-Huat , Liu Xinfu , Ding Yinjie , Pan Yifan , Li Chengjie , Li Li , Sha Jin , Pan Hongbing
Published: December 2014

This paper studies the effects of the covering layers on the performance of a cross-like Hall plate. Three different structures of a cross-like Hall plate in various sizes are designed and analyzed. The Hall plate sensitivity and offset are characterized using a self-built measurement system. The effect of the P-type region over the active area on the current-related sensitivity is studied for different Hall plate designs. In addition, the correlation between the P-type covering layer and offset is analyzed. The best structure out of three designs is determined. Besides, a modified eight-resistor circuit model for the Hall plate is presented with improved accuracy by taking the offset into account.
Soil Degradation and Soil Quality in Western Europe: Current Situation and Future Perspectives
Authors: Virto Iñigo , Imaz María , Fernández-Ugalde Oihane , Gartzia-Bengoetxea Nahia , Enrique Alberto , Bescansa Paloma
Published: December 2014

The extent and causes of chemical, physical and biological degradation of soil, and of soil loss, vary greatly in different countries in Western Europe. The objective of this review paper is to examine these issues and also strategies for soil protection and future perspectives for soil quality evaluation, in light of present legislation aimed at soil protection. Agriculture and forestry are the main causes of many of the above problems, especially physical degradation, erosion and organic matter loss. Land take and soil sealing have increased in recent decades, further enhancing the problems. In agricultural land, conservation farming, organic farming and other soil-friendly practices have been seen to have site-specific effects, depending on the soil characteristics and the particular types of land use and land users. No single soil management strategy is suitable for all regions, soil types and soil uses. Except for soil contamination, specific legislation for soil protection is lacking in Western Europe. The Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection in the European Union has produced valuable information and has encouraged the development of networks and databases. However, soil degradation is addressed only indirectly in environmental policies and through the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, which promotes farming practices that support soil conservation. Despite these efforts, there remains a need for soil monitoring networks and decision-support systems aimed at optimization of soil quality in the region. The pressure on European soils will continue in the future, and a clearly defined regulatory framework is needed.
Place, Capital Flows and Property Regimes: The Elites’ Former Houses in Beijing’s South Luogu Lane
Authors: Cheng Zhifen , Zhou Shangyi , Young Stephen
Published: December 2014

Place is seen as a process whereby social and cultural forms are reproduced. This process is closely linked to capital flows, which are, in turn, shaped by changing property regimes. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the relationship between property regimes, capital flows and place-making. The goal of this paper is to highlight the role of changing property regimes in the production of place. Our research area is South Luogu Lane (SLL) in Central Beijing. We take elites’ former houses in SLL as the main unit of analysis in this study. From studying this changing landscape, we draw four main conclusions. First, the location of SSL was critical in enabling it to emerge as a high-status residential community near the imperial city. Second, historical patterns of capital accumulation influenced subsequent rounds of private investment into particular areas of SLL. Third, as laws relating to the ownership of land and real estate changed fundamentally in the early 1950s and again in the 1980s, the target and intensity of capital flows into housing in SLL changed too. Fourth, these changes in capital flow are linked to ongoing changes in the place image of SLL.
Residential Solar PV Planning in Santiago, Chile: Incorporating the PM10 Parameter
Authors: Cáceres Gustavo , Nasirov Shahriyar , Zhang Huili , Araya-Letelier Gerardo
Published: December 2014

This paper addresses an economic study of the installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels for residential power generation in Santiago, Chile, based on the different parameters of a PV system, such as efficiency. As a performance indicator, the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) was used, which indicates the benefit of the facility vs. the current cost of electrical energy. In addition, due to a high level of airborne dusts typically associated with PM10, the effect of the dust deposition on PV panels’ surfaces and the effect on panel performance are examined. Two different scenarios are analyzed: on-grid PV plants and off-grid PV plants.
Disorder-to-Order Transition in the CyaA Toxin RTX Domain: Implications for Toxin Secretion
Authors: Sotomayor-Pérez Ana-Cristina , Ladant Daniel , Chenal Alexandre
Published: December 2014

The past decade has seen a fundamental reappraisal of the protein structure-to-function paradigm because it became evident that a significant fraction of polypeptides are lacking ordered structures under physiological conditions. Ligand-induced disorder-to-order transition plays a key role in the biological functions of many proteins that contain intrinsically disordered regions. This trait is exhibited by RTX (Repeat in ToXin) motifs found in more than 250 virulence factors secreted by Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. We have investigated several RTX-containing polypeptides of different lengths, all derived from the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin, CyaA. Using a combination of experimental approaches, we showed that the RTX proteins exhibit the hallmarks of intrinsically disordered proteins in the absence of calcium. This intrinsic disorder mainly results from internal electrostatic repulsions between negatively charged residues of the RTX motifs. Calcium binding triggers a strong reduction of the mean net charge, dehydration and compaction, folding and stabilization of secondary and tertiary structures of the RTX proteins. We propose that the intrinsically disordered character of the RTX proteins may facilitate the uptake and secretion of virulence factors through the bacterial secretion machinery. These results support the hypothesis that the folding reaction is achieved upon protein secretion and, in the case of proteins containing RTX motifs, could be finely regulated by the calcium gradient across bacterial cell wall.
Tracing the Nitrate Sources of the Yili River in the Taihu Lake Watershed: A Dual Isotope Approach
Authors: Zeng Haiao , Wu Jinglu
Published: December 2014

As the third largest freshwater lake in China, Taihu Lake has experienced severe cyanobacterial blooms and associated water quality degradation in recent decades, threatening the human health and sustainable development of cities in the watershed. The Yili River is a main river of Taihu Lake, contributing about 30% of the total nitrogen load entering the lake. Tracing the nitrate sources of Yili River can inform the origin of eutrophication in Taihu Lake and provide hints for effective control measures. This paper explored the nitrate sources and cycling of the Yili River based on dual nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic compositions. Water samples collected during both the wet and dry seasons from different parts of the Yili River permitted the analysis of the seasonal and spatial variations of nitrate concentrations and sources. Results indicated that the wet season has higher nitrate concentrations than the dry season despite the stronger dilution effects, suggesting a greater potential of cyanobacterial blooms in summer. The δ15N-NO3− values were in the range of 4.0‰–14.0‰ in the wet season and 4.8‰–16.9‰ in dry, while the equivalent values of δ18O were 0.5‰–17.8‰ and 3.5‰–15.6‰, respectively. The distribution of δ15N-NO3− and δ18O-NO3− indicated that sewage and manure as well as fertilizer and soil organic matter were the major nitrate sources of the Yili River. Atmospheric deposition was an important nitrate source in the upper part of Yili River but less so in the middle and lower reaches due to increasing anthropogenic contamination. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between δ18O-NO3− and δ15N-NO3− in the wet season, indicating a certain extent of denitrification. In contrast, the δ18O-δ15N relationship in the dry season was significantly negative, suggesting that the δ15N and δ18O values were determined by a mixing of different nitrate sources.
Plastic responses of native plant root systems to the presence of an invasive annual grass
Authors: Phillips Allison J. , Leger Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2014

• Premise of the study: The ability to respond to environmental change via phenotypic plasticity may be important for plants experiencing disturbances such as climate change and plant invasion. Responding to belowground competition through root plasticity may allow native plants to persist in highly invaded systems such as the cold deserts of the Intermountain West, USA.

• Methods: We investigated whether Poa secunda, a native bunchgrass, could alter root morphology in response to nutrient availability and the presence of a competitive annual grass. Seeds from 20 families were grown with high and low nutrients and harvested after 50 d, and seeds from 48 families, grown with and without Bromus tectorum, were harvested after ∼2 or 6 mo. We measured total biomass, root mass fraction, specific root length (SRL), root tips, allocation to roots of varying diameter, and plasticity in allocation.

• Key results: Plants had many parallel responses to low nutrients and competition, including increased root tip production, a trait associated with tolerance to reduced resources, though families differed in almost every trait and correlations among trait changes varied among experiments, indicating flexibility in plant responses. Seedlings actively increased SRL and fine root allocation under competition, while older seedlings also increased coarse root allocation, a trait associated with increased tolerance, and increased root mass fraction.

• Conclusions: The high degree of genetic variation for root plasticity within natural populations could aid in the long‐term persistence of P. secunda because phenotypic plasticity may allow native species to persist in invaded and fluctuating resource environments.