bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Split-belt walking adaptation recalibrates sensorimotor estimates of leg speed but not position or force
Authors: Vazquez Alejandro , Statton Matthew A. , Busgang Stefanie A. , Bastian Amy J.
Published: October 2015

Motor learning during reaching not only recalibrates movement but can also lead to small but consistent changes in the sense of arm position. Studies have suggested that this sensory effect may be the result of recalibration of a forward model that associates motor commands with their sensory consequences. Here we investigated whether similar perceptual changes occur in the lower limbs after learning a new walking pattern on a split-belt treadmill—a task that critically involves proprioception. Specifically, we studied how this motor learning task affects perception of leg speed during walking, perception of leg position during standing or walking, and perception of contact force during stepping. Our results show that split-belt adaptation leads to robust motor aftereffects and alters the perception of leg speed during walking. This is specific to the direction of walking that was trained during adaptation (i.e., backward or forward). The change in leg speed perception accounts for roughly half of the observed motor aftereffect. In contrast, split-belt adaptation does not alter the perception of leg position during standing or walking and does not change the perception of stepping force. Our results demonstrate that there is a recalibration of a sensory percept specific to the domain of the perturbation that was applied during walking (i.e., speed but not position or force). Furthermore, the motor and sensory consequences of locomotor adaptation may be linked, suggesting overlapping mechanisms driving changes in the motor and sensory domains.
Nonsynonymous Single-Nucleotide Variations on Some Posttranslational Modifications of Human Proteins and the Association with Diseases
Authors: Sun Bo , Zhang Menghuan , Cui Peng , Li Hong , Jia Jia , Li Yixue , Xie Lu
Published: October 2015

Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) play key roles in a variety of protein activities and cellular processes. Different PTMs show distinct impacts on protein functions, and normal protein activities are consequences of all kinds of PTMs working together. With the development of high throughput technologies such as tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and next generation sequencing, more and more nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variations (nsSNVs) that cause variation of amino acids have been identified, some of which result in the damage of PTMs. The damaged PTMs could be the reason of the development of some human diseases. In this study, we elucidated the proteome wide relationship of eight damaged PTMs to human inherited diseases and cancers. Some human inherited diseases or cancers may be the consequences of the interactions of damaged PTMs, rather than the result of single damaged PTM site.
A Simple Quantitative Inversion Approach for Microwave Imaging in Embedded Systems
Authors: Ambrosanio M. , Scapaticci R. , Crocco L.
Published: October 2015

In many applications of microwave imaging, there is the need of confining the device in order to shield it from environmental noise as well as to host the targets and the medium used for impedance matching purposes. For instance, in MWI for biomedical diagnostics a coupling medium is typically adopted to improve the penetration of the probing wave into the tissues. From the point of view of quantitative imaging procedures, that is aimed at retrieving the values of the complex permittivity in the domain under test, the presence of a confining structure entails an increase of complexity of the underlying modelling. This entails a further difficulty in achieving real-time imaging results, which are obviously of interest in practice. To address this challenge, we propose the application of a recently proposed inversion method that, making use of a suitable preprocessing of the data and a scenario-oriented field approximation, allows obtaining quantitative imaging results by means of quasi-real-time linear inversion, in a range of cases which is much broader than usual linearized approximations. The assessment of the method is carried out in the scalar 2D configuration and taking into account enclosures of different shapes and, to show the method’s flexibility different shapes, embedding nonweak targets.
KIR Genes and Patterns Given by the A Priori Algorithm: Immunity for Haematological Malignancies
Authors: Rodríguez-Escobedo J. Gilberto , García-Sepúlveda Christian A. , Cuevas-Tello Juan C.
Published: October 2015

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are membrane proteins expressed by cells of innate and adaptive immunity. The KIR system consists of 17 genes and 614 alleles arranged into different haplotypes. KIR genes modulate susceptibility to haematological malignancies, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases. Molecular epidemiology studies rely on traditional statistical methods to identify associations between KIR genes and disease. We have previously described our results by applying support vector machines to identify associations between KIR genes and disease. However, rules specifying which haplotypes are associated with greater susceptibility to malignancies are lacking. Here we present the results of our investigation into the rules governing haematological malignancy susceptibility. We have studied the different haplotypic combinations of 17 KIR genes in 300 healthy individuals and 43 patients with haematological malignancies (25 with leukaemia and 18 with lymphomas). We compare two machine learning algorithms against traditional statistical analysis and show that the “a priori” algorithm is capable of discovering patterns unrevealed by previous algorithms and statistical approaches.
Water Properties Influencing the Abundance and Diversity of Denitrifiers onEichhornia crassipesRoots: A Comparative Study from Different Effluents around Dianchi Lake, China
Authors: Yi Neng , Gao Yan , Zhang Zhenhua , Shao Hongbo , Yan Shaohua
Published: October 2015

To evaluate effects of environmental conditions on the abundance and communities of three denitrifying genes coding for nitrite (nirK, nirS) reductase and nitrous oxide (nosZ) reductase on the roots ofEichhornia crassipesfrom 11 rivers flowing into the northern part of Dianchi Lake. The results showed that the abundance and community composition of denitrifying genes onE. crassipesroot varied with different rivers. ThenirKgene copies abundance was always greater than that ofnirSgene on the roots ofE. crassipes, suggesting that the surface ofE. crassipesroots growth in Dianchi Lake was more suitable for the growth ofnirK-type denitrifying bacteria. The DGGE results showed significant differences in diversity of denitrifying genes on the roots ofE. crassipesamong the 11 rivers. Using redundancy analysis (RDA), the correlations of denitrifying microbial community compositions with environmental factors revealed that water temperature (T), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH were relatively important environmental factors to modifying the community structure of the denitrifying genes attached to the root ofE. crassipes. The results indicated that the specific environmental conditions related to different source of rivers would have a stronger impact on the development of denitrifier communities onE. crassipesroots.
Discovering Distinct Functional Modules of Specific Cancer Types Using Protein-Protein Interaction Networks
Authors: Shen Ru , Wang Xiaosheng , Guda Chittibabu
Published: October 2015

Background. The molecular profiles exhibited in different cancer types are very different; hence, discovering distinct functional modules associated with specific cancer types is very important to understand the distinct functions associated with them. Protein-protein interaction networks carry vital information about molecular interactions in cellular systems, and identification of functional modules (subgraphs) in these networks is one of the most important applications of biological network analysis.Results. In this study, we developed a new graph theory based method to identify distinct functional modules from nine different cancer protein-protein interaction networks. The method is composed of three major steps: (i) extracting modules from protein-protein interaction networks using network clustering algorithms; (ii) identifying distinct subgraphs from the derived modules; and (iii) identifying distinct subgraph patterns from distinct subgraphs. The subgraph patterns were evaluated using experimentally determined cancer-specific protein-protein interaction data from the Ingenuity knowledgebase, to identify distinct functional modules that are specific to each cancer type.Conclusion. We identified cancer-type specific subgraph patterns that may represent the functional modules involved in the molecular pathogenesis of different cancer types. Our method can serve as an effective tool to discover cancer-type specific functional modules from large protein-protein interaction networks.
A Miniaturized Triple Band Monopole Antenna for WLAN and WiMAX Applications
Authors: Li Yingsong , Yu Wenhua
Published: October 2015

A miniaturized triple band monopole antenna with a small size is proposed and its performance is investigated both numerically and experimentally for worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) and wireless local area network (WLAN) applications. The three resonance frequencies are realized by using a toothbrush-shaped patch (TSP), a meander line (ML), and an inverted U-shaped patch (IUSP). The center frequencies of the triple bands can be controlled by adjusting the dimensions of the TSP, ML, and IUSP. Simulated and measured results are presented to demonstrate that the proposed triband monopole antenna with a good impedance bandwidth and omnidirectional radiation patterns is well suitable for WLAN and WiMAX communication applications.
Structure and Antioxidant Activity of Soy Protein Isolate-Dextran Conjugates Obtained by TiO2Photocatalysis
Authors: Jin Bei , Zhou Xiaosong , Li Bing , Chen Caiyan , Zhang Xiaosa , Chen Siqiao
Published: October 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of soy protein isolate- (SPI-) dextran conjugates obtained by TiO2photocatalysis treatment. Results revealed that the UV-vis absorption and the fluorescence intensity increased as the photocatalytic power increased (P<0.05). Higher photocatalytic power could promote the extent of glycation and the formation of high molecular weight SPI-dextran conjugates, which were evidenced by free amino group content and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra suggested that the amide I, II, and III bands of SPI were altered by the glycation induced by TiO2photocatalysis. Moreover, significant changes of secondary structure occurred in SPI-dextran conjugates. Theα-helix,β-sheet,β-turns, and random coil were changed from approximately 10.6%, 37.9%, 12.9%, and 38.6% to 3.8%, 10.4%, 17.7%, and 68.8%, respectively, after treatment at photocatalytic power of 1000 W. In addition, SPI-dextran conjugates obtained by TiO2photocatalysis treatment exhibited high hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and possessed increased reducing power. All data indicated that TiO2photocatalysis was an efficient method for promoting protein-polysaccharide copolymerisation.
Potential Use of Interleukin-10 Blockade as a Therapeutic Strategy in Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Castellano Lucio Roberto , Argiro Laurent , Dessein Helia , Dessein Alain , da Silva Marcos Vinícius , Correia Dalmo , Rodrigues Virmondes
Published: October 2015

Interleukin-10 overproduction has been associated with worse prognosis in human cutaneous leishmaniasis, while IFN-γ-dependent responses are associated with parasite killing and host protection. Innovative strategies are needed to overcome therapeutic failure observed in endemic areas. The use of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy targeting IL-10 cytokine was evaluated here. Partial IL-10 blockade inLeishmania braziliensiswhole soluble antigen-stimulated cells from endemic area CL patients with active or healed lesions and asymptomatic controls was evaluated. Overall decrease in IL-10, IL-4, and TNF-αproduction was observed in all groups of subjects. Only patients with active lesions still produced some levels of TNF-αafter anti-IL-10 stimulation in association withLeishmaniaantigens. Moreover, this strategy showed limited modulatory effects on IFN-γ-dependent chemokine CXCL10 production. Results suggest the potential immunotherapeutic use of partial IL-10 blockade in localized cutaneous leishmaniasis.
End-to-End Delay Analysis in Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks with Different Traffic Models
Authors: Gao Jing , Yin Changchuan , Han Xi
Published: October 2015

Delay and throughput are important metrics for network performance. We analyze the end-to-end delay of cognitive radio ad hoc networks for two traffic models: backlogged and geometric, respectively. By modelling the primary users as a Poisson point process and the secondary network deploying multihop transmissions, we derive the closed-form expression for the end-to-end delay in secondary networks. Furthermore, we optimize the end-to-end delay in terms of the hop number and the secondary transmission probability, respectively. The range of the optimal hop number and the equation satisfied by the optimal transmission probability are obtained for backlogged source models. The equation met by the optimal hop number is presented for geometric source models.
The Potential of GMP-Compliant Platelet Lysate to Induce a Permissive State for Cardiovascular Transdifferentiation in Human Mediastinal Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Siciliano Camilla , Chimenti Isotta , Bordin Antonella , Ponti Donatella , Iudicone Paola , Peruzzi Mariangela , Rendina Erino Angelo , Calogero Antonella , Pierelli Luca , Ibrahim Mohsen , De Falco Elena
Published: October 2015

Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) are considered eligible candidates for cardiovascular stem cell therapy applications due to their cardiac transdifferentiation potential and immunotolerance. Over the years, the in vitro culture of ADMSCs by platelet lysate (PL), a hemoderivate containing numerous growth factors and cytokines derived from platelet pools, has allowed achieving a safe and reproducible methodology to obtain high cell yield prior to clinical administration. Nevertheless, the biological properties of PL are still to be fully elucidated. In this brief report we show the potential ability of PL to induce a permissive state of cardiac-like transdifferentiation and to cause epigenetic modifications. RTPCR results indicate an upregulation of Cx43, SMA, c-kit, and Thy-1 confirmed by immunofluorescence staining, compared to standard cultures with foetal bovine serum. Moreover, PL-cultured ADMSCs exhibit a remarkable increase of both acetylated histones 3 and 4, with a patient-dependent time trend, and methylation at lysine 9 on histone 3 preceding the acetylation. Expression levels of p300 and SIRT-1, two major regulators of histone 3, are also upregulated after treatment with PL. In conclusion, PL could unravel novel biological properties beyond its routine employment in noncardiac applications, providing new insights into the plasticity of human ADMSCs.
Does Defensive Medicine Change the Behaviors of Vascular Surgeons? A Qualitative Review
Authors: Frati Paola , Busardò Francesco Paolo , Sirignano Pasqualino , Gulino Matteo , Zaami Simona , Fineschi Vittorio
Published: October 2015

Although in literature few successful claims have been shown in comparison with other medical specialties such as gynaecology and orthopaedics, vascular surgery is included among high-risk specialties. The high-risk of receiving medical claims may lead vascular surgeons to practice defensive medicine, as is normal in several other areas of clinical practice. No studies are available to our knowledge of the incidence of defensive medicine in the field of vascular surgery. Taking into consideration the scarce amount of information, the authors provide a critical discussion regarding the application of defensive medicine behaviour among vascular surgeons.
Inhibitory Effects of 4-(4-Methylbenzamino)benzoate on Adipocyte Differentiation
Authors: Hwang Jin Taek , Kim Sanghee , Yoon Bo-ra , Choi Inwook , Choi Sang Yoon
Published: October 2015

The potent suppression of adipocyte differentiation by 4-(4-methylbenzamino)benzoate was discovered during the search for new antiobesity compounds. 4-(4-methylbenzamino)benzoate was observed to suppress adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells by 96.8% at 50 μM without cytotoxicity. In addition, 4-(4-methylbenzamino)benzoate reduced the cellular expression of fatty acid synthase in a concentration-dependent manner, as well as suppressing PPAR-gamma activity, which controls fatty acid storage and glucose metabolism. Based on these results, 4-(4-methylbenzamino)benzoate shows potential as an antiobesity material.
Dissemination of Health-Related Research among Scientists in Three Countries: Access to Resources and Current Practices
Authors: Tabak Rachel G. , Reis Rodrigo S. , Wilson Paul , Brownson Ross C.
Published: October 2015

Objectives. In public health and clinical settings insufficient dissemination of evidence-based practices limits the reach of new discoveries to broad populations. This study aimed to describe characteristics of the dissemination process by researchers across three countries (Brazil, United Kingdom, and United States), explore how designing for dissemination practices has been used, and analyze factors associated with dissemination.Methods. A similar online survey was used to query researchers across the three countries; data were pooled to draw cross-country conclusions.Findings. This study identified similarities and differences between countries. Importance of dissemination to nonresearcher audiences was widely recognized as important; however, traditional academic venues were the main dissemination method. Several factors were associated with self-rated dissemination effort in the pooled sample, but these predictive factors (e.g., support and resources for dissemination) had low prevalence. Less than one-third of researchers rated their level of effort for dissemination as excellent. Respondents reported limited support and resources to make it easier for researchers who might want to disseminate their findings.Conclusion. Though intentions show the importance of dissemination, researchers across countries lack supports to increase dissemination efforts. Additional resources and training in designing for dissemination along with improved partnerships could help bridge the research-practice gap.
[Retracted] An Automatic Web Service Composition Framework Using QoS‐Based Web Service Ranking Algorithm
Authors: Mallayya Deivamani , Ramachandran Baskaran , Viswanathan Suganya
Published: October 2015

Web service has become the technology of choice for service oriented computing to meet the interoperability demands in web applications. In the Internet era, the exponential addition of web services nominates the “quality of service” as essential parameter in discriminating the web services. In this paper, a user preference based web service ranking (UPWSR) algorithm is proposed to rank web services based on user preferences and QoS aspect of the web service. When the user’s request cannot be fulfilled by a single atomic service, several existing services should be composed and delivered as a composition. The proposed framework allows the user to specify the local and global constraints for composite web services which improves flexibility. UPWSR algorithm identifies best fit services for each task in the user request and, by choosing the number of candidate services for each task, reduces the time to generate the composition plans. To tackle the problem of web service composition, QoS aware automatic web service composition (QAWSC) algorithm proposed in this paper is based on the QoS aspects of the web services and user preferences. The proposed framework allows user to provide feedback about the composite service which improves the reputation of the services.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Polyphenols Promote Cholesterol Efflux and Improve HDL Functionality
Authors: Berrougui Hicham , Ikhlef Souad , Khalil Abdelouahed
Published: October 2015

Results of the present work give evidence from the beneficial role of extra virgin olive of oil (EVOO) consumption towards oxidative stress and cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenols contained in EVOO are responsible for inhibiting lipoproteins oxidative damages and promoting reverse cholesterol transport process via ABCA1 pathway.
[Retracted] An Improved Differential Evolution Solution for Software Project Scheduling Problem
Authors: Biju A. C. , Victoire T. Aruldoss Albert , Mohanasundaram Kumaresan
Published: October 2015

This paper proposes a differential evolution (DE) method for the software project scheduling problem (SPSP). The interest on finding a more efficient solution technique for SPSP is always a topic of interest due to the fact of ever growing challenges faced by the software industry. The curse of dimensionality is introduced in the scheduling problem by ever increasing software assignments and the number of staff who handles it. Thus the SPSP is a class of NP‐hard problem, which requires a rigorous solution procedure which guarantees a reasonably better solution. Differential evolution is a direct search stochastic optimization technique that is fairly fast and reasonably robust. It is also capable of handling nondifferentiable, nonlinear, and multimodal objective functions like SPSP. This paper proposes a refined DE where a new mutation mechanism is introduced. The superiority of the proposed method is experimented and demonstrated by solving the SPSP on 50 random instances and the results are compared with some of the techniques in the literature.
Sesquiterpene Lactones fromArtemisiaGenus: Biological Activities and Methods of Analysis
Authors: Ivanescu Bianca , Miron Anca , Corciova Andreia
Published: October 2015

Sesquiterpene lactones are a large group of natural compounds, found primarily in plants ofAsteraceaefamily, with over 5000 structures reported to date. Within this family, genusArtemisiais very well represented, having approximately 500 species characterized by the presence of eudesmanolides and guaianolides, especially highly oxygenated ones, and rarely of germacranolides. Sesquiterpene lactones exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiulcer, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, and insect deterrent. Many of the biological activities are attributed to theα-methylene-γ-lactone group in their molecule which reacts through a Michael-addition with free sulfhydryl or amino groups in proteins and alkylates them. Due to the fact that most sesquiterpene lactones are thermolabile, less volatile compounds, they present no specific chromophores in the molecule and are sensitive to acidic and basic mediums, and their identification and quantification represent a difficult task for the analyst. Another problematic aspect is represented by the complexity of vegetal samples, which may contain compounds that can interfere with the analysis. Therefore, this paper proposes an overview of the methods used for the identification and quantification of sesquiterpene lactones found inArtemisiagenus, as well as the optimal conditions for their extraction and separation.
Hollow Mesoporous Silica Supported Ruthenium Nanoparticles: A Highly Active and Reusable Catalyst for H2 Generation from the Hydrolysis of NaBH4
Authors: Peng Shuge , Pan Bingli , Hao Haijiao , Zhang Jun
Published: October 2015

Ru nanoparticles supported on hollow mesoporous silica (HMS), which are prepared via in situ wet chemical reduction, have been investigated as the highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for H2 generation from the hydrolysis of an alkaline NaBH4 solution. Many techniques, including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), are used to characterize the as‐prepared nanocatalyst (Ru/HMS). Factors, such as Ru loadings in HMS, catalyst concentration, and solution temperature, on catalytic property and reutilization are investigated in this work. A rate of H2 generation as high as 18.6 L min−1 g−1 (Ru) using 1 wt% NaBH4 solution containing 3 wt% NaOH and 40 mg of Ru/HMS catalyst can be reached at room temperature. The minimum apparent activation energy (Ea) of H2 generation, obtained by fitting the curve of Ea values versus catalyst amount, is determined to be 46.7 ± 1 kJ/mol. The residual catalytic activity of the repeated Ru/HMS still remains 47.7% after 15 runs, which perhaps results from the incorporation of the residual by‐product (NaBO2) in the pores of HMS based on the analysis of XPS.
Anti-AMPA-Receptor Encephalitis Presenting as a Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder in a Young Woman with Turner Syndrome
Authors: Quaranta Giuseppe , Maremmani Angelo Giovanni Icro , Perugi Giulio
Published: October 2015

Background.Autoimmune encephalitis is a disorder characterised by the subacute onset of seizures, short-term memory loss, and psychiatric and behavioural symptoms. Initially, it was recognised as a paraneoplastic disorder, but recently a subgroup of patients without systemic cancer was identified.Case Description.We describe a 20-year-old woman with Turner syndrome presenting with a treatment-resistant rapid cycling bipolar disorder with cognitive impairment. She was diagnosed with anti-AMPA-receptor encephalitis. She showed marked improvement after starting memantine and valproic acid.Conclusion.This case description emphasises the importance of timely recognition of autoimmune limbic encephalitis in patients with psychiatric manifestations and a possible predisposition to autoimmune conditions, in order to rule out malignancy and to quickly initiate treatment.
A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study of the Brain of University Students Majoring in Music and Nonmusic Disciplines
Authors: Sato Kanako , Kirino Eiji , Tanaka Shoji
Published: October 2015

The brain changes flexibly due to various experiences during the developmental stages of life. Previous voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies have shown volumetric differences between musicians and nonmusicians in several brain regions including the superior temporal gyrus, sensorimotor areas, and superior parietal cortex. However, the reported brain regions depend on the study and are not necessarily consistent. By VBM, we investigated the effect of musical training on the brain structure by comparing university students majoring in music with those majoring in nonmusic disciplines. All participants were right-handed healthy Japanese females. We divided the nonmusic students into two groups and therefore examined three groups: music expert (ME), music hobby (MH), and nonmusic (NM) group. VBM showed that the ME group had the largest gray matter volumes in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; BA 44), left middle occipital gyrus (BA 18), and bilateral lingual gyrus. These differences are considered to be caused by neuroplasticity during long and continuous musical training periods because the MH group showed intermediate volumes in these regions.
Study of the Electroless Deposition of Ni for Betavoltaic Battery Using PN Junction without Seed Layer
Authors: Kim Jin Joo , Uhm Young Rang , Choi Byoung Gun , Son Kwang Jae
Published: October 2015

The method and conditions of Ni plating were optimized to maximize the output of a betavoltaic battery using radioactive 63Ni. The difference of the short circuit currents between the pre‐ and postdeposition of 63Ni on the PN junction was 90 nA at the I‐V characteristics. It is suspected that the beta rays emitted from 63Ni did not deeply penetrate into the PN junction due to a Ni seed layer with a thickness of 500 Å. To increase the penetration of the beta rays, electroless Ni plating was carried out on the PN junction without a seed layer. To establish the electroless coating conditions for 63Ni, nonradioactive Ni was deposited onto a Si wafer without flaws on the surface. This process can be applied for electroless Ni plating on a PN junction semiconductor using radioactive 63Ni in further studies.
Development and Evaluation of Compact Robot Imitating a Hermit Crab for Inspecting the Outer Surface of Pipes
Authors: Imajo Naoto , Takada Yogo , Kashinoki Mikiji
Published: October 2015

Terrestrial hermit crabs which are a type of hermit crabs live on land, whereas typical hermit crabs inhabit the sea. They have an ability of climbing a tree vertically. Their claws allow them to hang on the tree. In this study, an outer-pipe inspection robot was developed. Its locomotion mechanism was developed in imitation of the terrestrial hermit crab’s claws. It is equipped with two rimless wheels. Each of the spokes is tipped with a neodymium magnet, which allows the robot to remain attached to even a vertical steel pipe. Moreover, the robot has a mechanism for adjusting the camber angle of the right and left wheels, allowing it to tightly grip pipes with different diameters. Experiments were conducted to check the performance of the robot using steel pipes with different diameters, placed horizontally, vertically, or obliquely. The robot attempted to move a certain distance along a pipe, and its success rate was measured. It was found that the robot could successfully travel along pipes with vertical orientations, although it sometimes fell from oblique or horizontal pipes. The most likely reason for this is identified and discussed. Certain results were obtained in laboratory. Further experiments in actual environment are required.
Integrated Evaluation of Urban Water Bodies for Pollution Abatement Based on Fuzzy Multicriteria Decision Approach
Authors: Hashim Sarfraz , Yuebo Xie , Saifullah Muhammad , Nabi Jan Ramila , Muhetaer Adila
Published: October 2015

Today’s ecology is erected with miscellaneous framework. However, numerous sources deteriorate it, such as urban rivers that directly cause the environmental pollution. For chemical pollution abatement from urban water bodies, many techniques were introduced to rehabilitate the water quality of these water bodies. In this research, Bacterial Technology (BT) was applied to urban rivers escalating the necessity to control the water pollution in different places (Xuxi River (XXU); Gankeng River (GKS); Xia Zhang River (XZY); Fenghu and Song Yang Rivers (FSR); Jiu Haogang River (JHH)) in China. For data analysis, the physiochemical parameters such as temperature, chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), total phosphorus (TP), and ammonia nitrogen (NH3N) were determined before and after the treatment. Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) method was used for relative significance of different water quality on each station, based on fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). The overall results revealed that the pollution is exceeding at “JHH” due to the limit of “COD” as critical water quality parameter and after treatment, an abrupt recovery of the rivers compared with the average improved efficiency of nutrients was 79%, 74%, 68%, and 70% of COD, DO, TP, and NH3N, respectively. The color of the river’s water changed to its original form and aquatic living organism appeared with clear effluents from them.
Cellular Metabolic Network Analysis: Discovering Important Reactions inTreponema pallidum
Authors: Chen Xueying , Zhao Min , Qu Hong
Published: October 2015

T. pallidum, the syphilis-causing pathogen, performs very differently in metabolism compared with other bacterial pathogens. The desire for safe and effective vaccine of syphilis requests identification of important steps inT. pallidum’s metabolism. Here, we apply Flux Balance Analysis to represent the reactions quantitatively. Thus, it is possible to cluster all reactions inT. pallidum. By calculating minimal cut sets and analyzing topological structure for the metabolic network ofT. pallidum, critical reactions are identified. As a comparison, we also apply the analytical approaches to the metabolic network ofH. pylorito find coregulated drug targets and unique drug targets for different microorganisms. Based on the clustering results, all reactions are further classified into various roles. Therefore, the general picture of their metabolic network is obtained and two types of reactions, both of which are involved in nucleic acid metabolism, are found to be essential forT. pallidum. It is also discovered that both hubs of reactions and the isolated reactions in purine and pyrimidine metabolisms play important roles inT. pallidum. These reactions could be potential drug targets for treating syphilis.
Exposure Factors Influence Stone Deterioration by Crystallization of Soluble Salts
Authors: Gil Enrique , Mas Ángeles , Lerma Carlos , Vercher Jose
Published: October 2015

The present work tries to determine the factors that influence the crystallization of soluble salts in the stone material used in the construction of buildings in Valencia (Spain). Samples are obtained from a building which has served to accomplish observations and laboratory experiments necessary in order to determine the pathology of deterioration of the material. It was particularized in the exposition conditions of the material as a base for determining the morphologies of deterioration caused by salts in the same lithotype. The main contribution is the petrological study from the architectural point of view considering its orientation, sunlight in façade, and so forth. This study proves that both material petrology (its mineralogy and texture) and the properties related to the movement of water inside rocks play a decisive role in the conservation and development of elements in the alteration.
Coupled Analysis of the Film-Cooling and Infrared Characteristics of an Axisymmetric Vectored Nozzle
Authors: Zhang Xiaoying , Li Rui
Published: October 2015

This study adopts a narrow band model to investigate the cooling and radiation of a vectoring nozzle and to compute the gas spectral characteristic in infrared band. The radiative heat transfer between the hot gas and the wall is considered with an enclosure model. The calculation of film cooling is performed through a cooling effectiveness method. A coupled heat balance equation of heat flux and wall temperature is established on the multilayer structure of the nozzle, including the wall, heat shield, and outer shield, and a Newton-Raphson scheme is taken for solution. Temperature on the expansion part of an experimental nozzle in NASA TN D-1988 is investigated for verification. Another vectoring nozzle with a multirow of film cooling is also investigated. This study shows that the film in the heat shield remarkably cools the convergent part of the nozzle, thereby increasing the temperature on the expansion part of the nozzle. The deflection of the nozzle can change the distribution of the wall temperature and the radiation on the expansion part, which is lower on the deflection side than on the opposite side. The radiation from the nozzle outlet is high, particularly along the deflection direction in the rear hemisphere.
Cloud Platform Based on Mobile Internet Service Opportunistic Drive and Application Aware Data Mining
Authors: Zhou Ge
Published: October 2015

Because the static cloud platform cannot satisfy the diversity of mobile Internet service and inefficient data mining problems, we presented a reliable and efficient data mining cloud platform construction scheme based on the mobile Internet service opportunistic driving and application perception. In this scheme, first of all data selection mechanism was established based on mobile Internet service opportunistic drive. Secondly, through the cloud platform different cloud and channel aware, nonlinear mapping from the service to a data set of proposed perceptual model is applied. Finally, on the basis of the driving characteristics and extraction of perceptual features, the cloud platform would be constructed through the service opportunities of mobile Internet applications, which could provide robust and efficient data mining services. The experimental results show that the proposed mechanism, compared to the cloud platform based on distributed data mining, has obvious advantages in system running time, memory usage, and data clustering required time, as well as average clustering quality.
Characterization ofStaphylococcus aureusIsolates That Colonize Medical Students in a Hospital of the City of Cali, Colombia
Authors: Collazos Marín Luis Fernando , Estupiñan Arciniegas Gina , Chavez Vivas Monica
Published: October 2015

Introduction. Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) represents a risk for the spread of bacteria. This study characterized theS. aureusisolated from medical students, who were in their clinical rotation at a hospital in the city of Cali.Materials and Methods. 216 students participated in the study and 63 isolates ofS. aureuswere evaluated for susceptibility and PCR amplification ofagrandmecA genes. The origin of MRSA isolates was established by analyzingagrpolymorphisms.Results. A total of 29.2% of students were colonized byS. aureusand nasal carriage rate was 23.6% and 14.3% MRSA. Threeagrgroups (agrII, andagrIII) were identified; theagrI group was the most common, with a 35% prevalence; this group is from community origin.Conclusion. The present study demonstrates that medical students carryS. aureusstrains, with the threat of spreading them both to community and hospital environments.
Changes in the Physiological Parameters ofSbPIP1-Transformed Wheat Plants under Salt Stress
Authors: Yu G. H. , Zhang X. , Ma H. X.
Published: October 2015

The SbPIP1 gene is a new member of the plasma membrane major intrinsic gene family cloned from the euhalophyteSalicornia bigeloviiTorr. In order to understand the physiological responses in plants that are mediated by the SbPIP1 gene, SbPIP1-overexpressing wheat lines and WT plants of the wheat cv. Ningmai 13 were treated with salt stress. Several physiological parameters, such as the proline content, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the content of soluble sugars and proteins, were compared between SbPIP1-transformed lines and WT plants under normal growth or salt stress conditions. The results indicate that overexpression of the SbPIP1 gene can increase the accumulation of the osmolyte proline, decrease the MDA content, and enhance the soluble sugar biosynthesis in the early period but has no influence on the regulation of soluble protein biosynthesis in wheat. The results suggest that SbPIP1 contributes to salt tolerance by facilitating the accumulation of the osmolyte proline, increasing the antioxidant response, and increasing the biosynthesis of soluble sugar in the early period. These results indicate SbPIP1 plays an important role in the salt stress response. Overexpression of SbPIP1 might be used to improve the salt tolerance of important crop plants.
The Improved Algorithm of Fast Panorama Stitching for Image Sequence and Reducing the Distortion Errors
Authors: Qu Zhong , Lin Si-Peng , Ju Fang-Rong , Liu Ling
Published: October 2015

The traditional image stitching result based on the SIFT feature points extraction, to a certain extent, has distortion errors. The panorama, especially, would get more seriously distorted when compositing a panoramic result using a long image sequence. To achieve the goal of creating a high-quality panorama, the improved algorithm is proposed in this paper, including altering the way of selecting the reference image and putting forward a method that can compute the transformation matrix for any image of the sequence to align with the reference image in the same coordinate space. Additionally, the improved stitching method dynamically selects the next input image based on the number of SIFT matching points. Compared with the traditional stitching process, the improved method increases the number of matching feature points and reduces SIFT feature detection area of the reference image. The experimental results show that the improved method can not only accelerate the efficiency of image stitching processing, but also reduce the panoramic distortion errors, and finally we can obtain a pleasing panoramic result.
On a Theorem of Ziv Ran concerning Abelian Varieties Which Are Product of Jacobians
Authors: Anghel Cristian , Buruiana Nicolae
Published: October 2015

We give a new proof for a theorem of Ziv Ran which generalizes some results of Matsusaka and Hoyt. These results provide criteria for an Abelian variety to be a Jacobian or a product of Jacobians. The advantage of our method is that it works in arbitrary characteristic.
Suppression ofPropionibacterium acnes-Induced Dermatitis by a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Jumihaidokuto, Modifying Macrophage Functions
Authors: Sekiguchi Kyoji , Koseki Junichi , Tsuchiya Kazuaki , Matsubara Yosuke , Iizuka Seiichi , Imamura Sachiko , Matsumoto Takashi , Watanabe Junko , Kaneko Atsushi , Aiba Setsuya , Yamasaki Kenshi
Published: October 2015

Purpose. Macrophages serve as sweepers of microbes and inflammation-derived wastes and regulators of inflammation. Some traditional Japanese medicines are reported to have adjuvant effects by modifying macrophages. Our aim was to characterize the actions of jumihaidokuto (JHT) for treatment of skin inflammations including acne vulgaris, in whichPropionibacterium acneshas pathogenic roles.Methods. Dermatitis was induced in rat ears by intradermal injection ofP. acnes. JHT or prednisolone (PDN) was given orally, and ear thickness and histology were evaluated. The effects of constituents and metabolites of JHT on monocytes were tested by cell-based assays using the human monocytic THP-1 cell.Results. JHT and PDN suppressed the ear thickness induced byP. acnesinjection. Histological examinations revealed that JHT, but not PDN, promoted macrophage accumulation at 24 h after the injection. PDN suppressed the macrophage chemokine MCP-1 in the inflamed ears, while JHT did not affect it. The JHT constituents liquiritigenin and isoliquiritin increased expression of CD86 (type-1 macrophage marker) and CD192 (MCP-1 receptor) and enhanced phagocytosis by THP-1.Conclusions. JHT suppressed dermatitis, probably by enhancing type-1 macrophage functions, with an action different from PDN. JHT may be a beneficial drug in treatment of skin inflammation induced byP. acnes.
Antitumor Activity of Tenacissoside H on Esophageal Cancer through Arresting Cell Cycle and Regulating PI3K/Akt-NF-κB Transduction Cascade
Authors: Jia Yong-sen , Hu Xue-qin , Gabriella Hegyi , Qin Li-juan , Meggyeshazi Nora
Published: October 2015

Objective. The purpose of the study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of tenacissoside H (TDH) inhibiting esophageal carcinoma infiltration and proliferation.Methods.In vitro, EC9706 cells were treated with TDH. Cells proliferation and cell cycle were assayed. PI3K and NF-κB mRNAs expression were determined by real time PCR.In vivo, model of nude mice with tumor was established. Mice were treated with TDH. Inhibition ratio of tumor volume was calculated. PCNA expression was examined. Protein expression in PI3K/Akt-NF-κB signaling pathway was determined.Results.In vitro, TDH significantly inhibited cells proliferation in a time-and-dose-dependent manner. TDH arrested the cell cycle in S phase and significantly inhibited PI3K and NF-κB mRNA expression, compared with blank controlled group (P<0.05). In vivo, TDH strongly inhibits tumor growth and volume. PCNA expression was significantly decreased after treatment of TDH. TDH downregulated proteins expression in PI3K/Akt-NF-κB transduction cascade (P<0.05).Conclusion. TDH inhibited esophageal carcinoma infiltration and proliferation bothin vitroandin vivo. The anticancer activity has relation to arresting the cell cycle at the S phase, inhibited the PCNA expression of transplanted tumors in nude mice, and regulated the protein expression in the PI3K/Akt-NF-κB transduction cascade.
The Effect of Xuefuzhuyu Oral Liquid on Aspirin Resistance and Its Association with rs5911, rs5787, and rs3842788 Gene Polymorphisms
Authors: Xue Mei , Yang Lin , Kou Na , Miao Yu , Wang Mingming , Zhao Quanli , Ren Junhua , Zhang Shaoyan , Shi Dazhuo , Chen Keji
Published: October 2015

Aspirin should be continued indefinitely in patients after interventional therapy, but 10% to 40% of patients experience recurrent vascular events despite adequate aspirin therapy, a condition known as aspirin resistance (AR). Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid, derived from the classic recipe Xuefuzhuyu decoction, has been well documented to inhibit platelet aggregation and to improve hemorheology. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid on AR in patients with chronic stable angina after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the possible genetic markers related to the drug response. 43 patients diagnosed as having aspirin resistance or semi-resistance were randomly divided into control and treatment groups after screening 207 stable CHD patients. Platelet aggregation rate was determined using turbidimetry. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms in COX-1 (rs5787, rs3842788) and GP IIb (rs5911) were genotyped in whole blood samples using ABI PRISM 7900 HT Fast Real-Time instrument and ABI PRISM 3730 DNA Sequencer. The results showed that Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid could effectively improve blood stasis syndrome and AR by inhibiting ADP-induced platelet aggregation and that patients with the rs5911 genetic variant exhibited better drug response upon treatment with Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid, which suggests Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid as a new possible drug for the prevention of AR.
An Ensemble Learning Based Framework for Traditional Chinese Medicine Data Analysis with ICD‐10 Labels
Authors: Zhang Gang , Huang Yonghui , Zhong Ling , Ou Shanxing , Zhang Yi , Li Ziping
Published: October 2015

Objective. This study aims to establish a model to analyze clinical experience of TCM veteran doctors. We propose an ensemble learning based framework to analyze clinical records with ICD‐10 labels information for effective diagnosis and acupoints recommendation. Methods. We propose an ensemble learning framework for the analysis task. A set of base learners composed of decision tree (DT) and support vector machine (SVM) are trained by bootstrapping the training dataset. The base learners are sorted by accuracy and diversity through nondominated sort (NDS) algorithm and combined through a deep ensemble learning strategy. Results. We evaluate the proposed method with comparison to two currently successful methods on a clinical diagnosis dataset with manually labeled ICD‐10 information. ICD‐10 label annotation and acupoints recommendation are evaluated for three methods. The proposed method achieves an accuracy rate of 88.2%  ±  2.8% measured by zero‐one loss for the first evaluation session and 79.6%  ±  3.6% measured by Hamming loss, which are superior to the other two methods. Conclusion. The proposed ensemble model can effectively model the implied knowledge and experience in historic clinical data records. The computational cost of training a set of base learners is relatively low.