bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Behaviors in Coupled Neuron System with the Excitatory and Inhibitory Autapse under Electromagnetic Induction
Authors: Xu Ying , Jia Ya , Kirunda John Billy , Shen Jian , Ge Mengyan , Lu Lulu , Pei Qiming
Published: July 2018

The induced current produced by electromagnetic induction can adjust the membrane potential of neuron through the feedback of a magnetic flux‐controlled memristor. We adopt the numerical simulation method with the aim of investigating the synchronous behavior in the neuronal system that is coupled by chemical and electrical synapses under electromagnetic induction. Within the improved model, the effects of electromagnetic induction on neurons are described with additive memristive current on the membrane variable, and the memristive current is dependent on the variation of magnetic flow. The simulation results show that the two coupling modes play an important role in the synchronization of the system. By increasing the chemical synaptic feedback gain, we observe a transition from mixed oscillatory to periodic state at a critical value. In addition, two Hopf bifurcation points are found with the change of the external stimuli, and the state of neuron discharge is influenced by initial values. Furthermore, there is a domain of coupling strength and feedback gain values, in which the two coupled neuron system is synchronized and longer time lag is not conducive to the system synchronization.
Gypsum-Based Material for Dental Pulp Capping: Effect of Chitosan and BMP-2 on Physical, Mechanical, and Cellular Properties
Authors: Subhi Hasan , Reza Fazal , Husein Adam , Al Shehadat Saaid Ayesh , Nurul Asma-Abdullah
Published: July 2018

Effective pulp capping material must be biocompatible and have the ability to induce dentin bridge formation as well as having suitable physical and mechanical properties; however, many current materials do not satisfy the clinical requirements. This study aimed to assess the physical and mechanical properties of gypsum-based chitosan material (Gp-CT) and to evaluate its effects on cellular properties of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED). The experimental material was prepared with different concentrations of chitosan (CT) with or without BMP-2. Then, setting time, compressive strength, and pH were determined. In addition, cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and cell attachment were assessed. The setting time, compressive strength, and pH obtained were 4.1–6.6 min, 2.63–5.83 MPa, and 6.5–5.7, respectively. The cell viability to gypsum (Gp) with different CT concentrations was similar to that of the control on day 1 but statistically different from that of Gp alone on day 3. The ALP activity of SHED was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in CT- and BMP-2-containing materials than those in the control and Dycal at days 3 and 14. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image revealed that flattened cells were distributed across and adhered to the material surface. In conclusion, Gp-CT material shows promise as a potential material for direct pulp capping.
Possible Involvement of Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in a Cellular Model of NAFLD Progression Induced by Benzo[a]pyrene/Ethanol CoExposure
Authors: Bucher Simon , Le Guillou Dounia , Allard Julien , Pinon Grégory , Begriche Karima , Tête Arnaud , Sergent Odile , Lagadic-Gossmann Dominique , Fromenty Bernard
Published: July 2018

Exposure to xenobiotics could favor the transition of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in obese patients. Recently, we showed in different models of NAFL that benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and ethanol coexposure induced a steatohepatitis‐like state. One model was HepaRG cells incubated with stearate and oleate for 2 weeks. In the present study, we wished to determine in this model whether mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction could be involved in the occurrence of this steatohepatitis‐like state. CRISPR/Cas9‐modified cells were also used to specify the role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which is potently activated by B[a]P. Thus, nonsteatotic and steatotic HepaRG cells were treated with B[a]P, ethanol, or both molecules for 2 weeks. B[a]P/ethanol coexposure reduced mitochondrial respiratory chain activity, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial DNA levels and induced ROS overproduction in steatotic HepaRG cells. These deleterious effects were less marked or absent in steatotic cells treated with B[a]P alone or ethanol alone and in nonsteatotic cells treated with B[a]P/ethanol. Our study also disclosed that B[a]P/ethanol‐induced impairment of mitochondrial respiration was dependent on AhR activation. Hence, mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS generation could explain the occurrence of a steatohepatitis‐like state in steatotic HepaRG cells exposed to B[a]P and ethanol.
Orbital and Pulmonary Actinomycosis: The First Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Payoong Paruspak , Saetiew Natcha , Putcharoen Opass , Suankratay Chusana
Published: July 2018

Orbital actinomycosis is a very rare clinical manifestation of orbital infection caused by Actinomyces species, anaerobic Gram-positive filamentous bacteria. We report herein a case of a 58-year-old man who presented with chronic progressive course of total ophthalmoparesis in association with productive cough, leading to the diagnosis after extensive investigation. In addition, all reported cases of orbital actinomycosis in the literature are reviewed.
Lycopene: Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effects toward Bisphenol A‐Induced Toxicity in Female Wistar Rats
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Haidy G. , Abdelrazek Heba M. A. , Zeidan Dalia W. , Mohamed Rasha M. , Abdelazim Aaser M.
Published: July 2018

Bisphenol A (BPA)—an endocrine disruptor xenoestrogen—is widely spread in the environment. Lycopene (LYC) is an antioxidant phytochemical carotenoid. The hereby study was designed to verify the deleterious effect of BPA on cyclic female rats’ hepatic tissue as well as evaluation of the effect of LYC toward BPA hepatic perturbation. Twenty‐eight female Wistar rats were allocated equally into four groups: control group, LYC group (10 mg/kg B.wt), BPA group (10 mg/kg B.wt), and BPA + LYC group (the same doses as former groups). The treatments were given daily via gavage to the rats for 30 days. The rats in BPA displayed high activities of serum liver enzymes with low levels of total proteins (TP) and albumin. Moreover, BPA induced hepatic oxidative stress via depletion of antioxidant enzymes concomitant with augmentation of lipid peroxidation, increased comet tail DNA %, and overexpression of caspase‐3. Meanwhile, LYC administration reduced the cytotoxic effects of BPA on hepatic tissue, through improving the liver function biomarkers and oxidant‐antioxidant state as well as DNA damage around the control values. These findings were confirmed by hepatic histopathological examination. Finally, LYC credited to have a noticeable protective effect versus BPA provoked oxidative injury and apoptosis of the liver tissue.
Applicability of Plant Extracts in Preclinical Studies of Melanoma: A Systematic Review
Authors: Albuquerque Kamylla Rafaella Sena , Pacheco Nívea Maria , del Rosario Loyo Casao Thalia , de Melo Fabiana Cristina Silveira Alves , Novaes Rômulo Dias , Gonçalves Reggiani Vilela
Published: July 2018

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and arises from melanocyte gene mutation. This disease is multifactorial, but its main cause is the excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Currently, available chemotherapy has shown little expressive results, which may justify the high use of natural products to treat this cancer. We performed a systematic review to compile the results of studies carried out in murine models and investigated the effect of plant extracts on melanoma treatment. Papers were selected in MEDLINE/Pubmed and Scopus according to the PRISM statement. Search filters were developed using three parameters: plant extract, melanoma, and animal model. The 35 identified studies were all submitted to the criteria described in the ARRIVE guidelines. The different extracts showed antiangiogenic, antimetastatic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity, and also proved to be effective in cell cycle modulation and apoptosis evasion. Bias analysis evidenced the absence of standardized experimental designs, as well as failures in statistical tests and in the presentation of results. The analysis of the studies suggests that the use of plant extracts is effective for the treatment of melanoma in murine models.
The EndoBarrier: Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass Liner for Diabetes and Weight Loss
Authors: Ruban Aruchuna , Ashrafian Hutan , Teare Julian P.
Published: July 2018

The rapid rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes poses a global threat to healthcare and is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Bariatric surgery has revolutionised the treatment of both these conditions but is invasive and associated with an increased risk of complications. The EndoBarrier is a device placed endoscopically in the duodenum, which is designed to mimic the effects of gastric bypass surgery with the aim of inducing weight loss and improving glycaemic control. This review outlines the current clinical evidence of the device, its efficacy, potential mechanisms of action, and utility in clinical practice.
Intrinsic Mode Chirp Multicomponent Decomposition with Kernel Sparse Learning for Overlapped Nonstationary Signals Involving Big Data
Authors: Sun Haixin , Miao Yongchun , Qi Jie
Published: July 2018

We focus on the decomposition problem for nonstationary multicomponent signals involving Big Data. We propose the kernel sparse learning (KSL), developed for the T‐F reassignment algorithm by the path penalty function, to decompose the instantaneous frequencies (IFs) ridges of the overlapped multicomponent from a time‐frequency representation (TFR). The main objective of KSL is to minimize the error of the prediction process while minimizing the amount of training samples used and thus to cut the costs interrelated with the training sample collection. The IFs first extraction is decided using the framework of the intrinsic mode polynomial chirp transform (IMPCT), which obtains a brief local orthogonal TFR of signals. Then, the IFs curves of the multicomponent signal can be easily reconstructed by the T‐F reassignment. After the IFs are extracted, component decomposition is performed through KSL. Finally, the performance of the method is compared when applied to several simulated micro‐Doppler signals, which shows its effectiveness in various applications.
Ascorbate Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Increased Blood Pressure Induced by 2‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl) Amino‐1,4‐naphthoquinone in Rats
Authors: Palacios Javier , Fonseca José Miguel , Ayavire Fernando , Salas Felipe , Ortiz Mirko , Sandoval Juan Marcelo , Benites Julio , Nwokocha Chukwuemeka R. , Zavala Ewaldo , Paredes Adrián , Barría Iván , Vega José Luis , Cifuentes Fredi
Published: July 2018

Quinone derivatives like 2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl) amino‐1,4‐naphthoquinone (Q7) are used as antitumor agents usually associated with adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of ascorbate on Q7‐induced cardiovascular response in Wistar rats. In this study, blood pressure, vascular reactivity, and intracellular calcium fluxes were evaluated in cardiomyocytes and the rat aorta. We also measured oxidative stress through lipid peroxidation (TBARS), superoxide dismutase‐ (SOD‐) like activity, and H2O2 generation. Oral treatment of rats with ascorbate (500 mg/kg) for 20 days significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the Q7‐induced increase (10 mg/kg) in blood pressure and heart rate. The preincubation with ascorbate (2 mM) significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated the irregular beating of the atrium induced by Q7 (10−5 M). In addition, ascorbate induced endothelial vasodilation in the presence of Q7 in the intact aortic rings of a rat and reduced the cytosolic calcium levels in vascular smooth muscle cells. Ascorbate also reduced the Q7‐induced oxidative stress in vivo. Ascorbate also attenuated Q7‐induced SOD‐like activity and increased TBARS levels. These results suggest a cardioprotective effect in vivo of ascorbate in animals treated orally with a naphthoquinone derivative by a mechanism involving oxidative stress.
Acute Hepatitis due to Garcinia Cambogia Extract, an Herbal Weight Loss Supplement
Authors: Sharma Akshay , Akagi Elisa , Njie Aji , Goyal Sachin , Arsene Camelia , Krishnamoorthy Geetha , Ehrinpreis Murray
Published: July 2018

The Drug Induced Liver Injury Network reports dietary supplements as one of the most important causes of drug induced hepatotoxicity, yet millions of people use these supplements without being aware of their potential life-threatening side effects. Garcinia cambogia (GC) extract is an herbal weight loss supplement, reported to cause fulminant hepatic failure. We present a case of a 57-year-old female with no previous history of liver disease, who presented with acute hepatitis due to GC extract taken for weight loss, which resolved after stopping it and got reaggravated on retaking it. Obtaining a history of herbal supplement use is critical in the evaluation of acute hepatitis.
Next-Generation Sequencing Identifies a Highly Accurate miRNA Panel That Distinguishes Well-Differentiated Thyroid Cancer from Benign Thyroid Nodules
Authors: Mazeh Haggi , Deutch Tova , Karas Adi , Bogardus Kimberly A. , Mizrahi Ido , Gur-Wahnon Devorah , Ben-Dov Iddo Z.
Published: July 2018

Background: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the gold-standard procedure for diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules. Indeterminate cytology is identified in 10% to 40% of cases, and molecular testing may guide management in this setting. Current commercial options are expensive, and are either sensitive or specific. The aim of this study was to utilize next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to identify informative diversities in the miRNA expression profile of benign versus malignant thyroid nodules.

Methods: Ex vivo FNAB samples were obtained from thyroid specimens of patients who underwent thyroidectomy at a referral center. miRNA levels were determined using NGS and multiplexing technologies. Statistical analyses identified differences between normal and malignant samples and miRNA expression profiles that associate with malignancy were established. The accuracy of the miRNA signature in predicting histologic malignancy was validated using a group of patient specimens with indeterminate cytology results.

Results: A total of 274 samples were obtained from 102 patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Of these samples, 71% were benign and 29% were malignant. Nineteen miRNAs were identified as statistically different between benign and malignant samples and were used to classify 35 additional nodules with indeterminate cytology (validation). The miRNA panel's sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and overall accuracy were 91%, 100%, 87%, 100%, and 94%, respectively.

Conclusions: Using NGS technology, we identified a panel of 19 miRNAs that may be utilized to distinguish benign from malignant thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology.

Impact: Our panel may classify indeterminate thyroid nodules at higher accuracy than commercially available molecular tests. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(8); 858–63. ©2018 AACR.
Sex Differences in Using Systemic Inflammatory Markers to Prognosticate Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lin Ching Ying , Kwon Hyunwoo , Rangel Rivera Guillermo O. , Li Xue , Chung Dongjun , Li Zihai
Published: July 2018

Background: Remarkable discrepancy exists in outcomes between men and women for multiple malignancies. We sought to expose sex differences in using platelet count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict overall survival for select cancer types with focus on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: Peripheral blood samples from 9,365 patients seen in a tertiary teaching hospital with nine different primary tumors were retrospectively examined. HNSCC RNA-sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were analyzed by two computational means [Cell-type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets Of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) and Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE)] to extend our observations to the tumor microenvironment.

Results: For HNSCC, platelet count was more predictive of overall survival for males [log-rank test: HR = 1.809; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.461–2.239 vs. HR = 1.287; 95% CI, 0.8901–1.861], whereas NLR was more predictive for females (HR = 2.627; 95% CI, 1.716–4.02 vs. HR = 1.261; 95% CI, 0.998–1.593). For females, lymphocyte count was more associated with survival than neutrophil count (multivariate Cox regression: P = 0.0015 vs. P = 0.7476). Both CIBERSORT (P = 0.0061) and ESTIMATE (P = 0.022) revealed greater immune infiltration in females. High tumor infiltration by T lymphocytes was more strikingly associated with survival in females (HR = 0.20, P = 0.0281) than in males (HR = 0.49, P = 0.0147).

Conclusions: This is the first study to comprehensively demonstrate sex bias in the clinical utility of platelet, granulocyte, and lymphocyte counts as biomarkers to prognosticate HNSCC patients.

Impact: This work emphasizes the necessity to consider sex in appraising inflammatory markers for cancer risk stratification. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(10); 1176–85. ©2018 AACR.
Does the Blood Pump Flow Rate have an Impact on the Dialysis Dose During Low Dialysate Flow Rate Hemodialysis?
Authors: Leclerc Maxime , Bechade Clémence , Henri Patrick , Zagdoun Elie , Cardineau Erick , Lobbedez Thierry , Ficheux Maxence
Published: July 2018

We conducted a prospective study to assess the impact of the blood pump flow rate (BFR) on the dialysis dose with a low dialysate flow rate. Seventeen patients were observed for 3 short hemodialysis sessions in which only the BFR was altered (300,350 and 450 mL/min). Kt/V urea increased from 0.54 ± 0.10 to 0.58 ± 0.08 and 0.61 ± 0.09 for BFR of 300, 400 and 450 mL/min. For the same BFR variations, the reduction ratio (RR) of β2microglobulin increased from 0.40 ± 0.07 to 0.45 ± 0.06 and 0.48 ± 0.06 and the RR phosphorus increased from 0.46 ± 0.1 to 0.48 ± 0.08 and 0.49 ± 0.07. In bivariate analysis accounting for repeated observations, an increasing BFR resulted in an increase in spKt/V (0.048 per 100 mL/min increment in BPR [p < 0.05, 95% CI (0.03–0.06)]) and an increase in the RR β2m (5% per 100 mL/min increment in BPR [p < 0.05, 95% CI (0.03–0.07)]). An increasing BFR with low dialysate improves the removal of urea and β2m but with a potentially limited clinical impact.
Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma: A Rare Case Arising in Phthisis Bulbi with a Review of the Literature
Authors: Salomão Diva R. , Schmitt Nicholas J. , Wenger Doris E. , Schlafmann Sue , Fritchie Karen
Published: July 2018

A 60-year-old male presented with an increasingly painful and swollen phthisical eye. Enucleation revealed a large mass obliterating the eye with extension into the adjacent extraocular muscle. Histologic examination showed high-grade osteosarcoma. Systemic work-up showed no disease elsewhere, and a diagnosis of orbital extraskeletal osteosarcoma was rendered. Complete resection was not possible, and neoadjuvant radiation was given. The patient subsequently developed pulmonary metastasis and died of disease 5 months after initial diagnosis. Given the highly aggressive nature of this malignancy, raising awareness that extraskeletal osteosarcoma may arise in the background of phthisis bulbi will facilitate timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Microbiota Quality and Mitochondrial Activity Link with Occurrence of Muscle Cramps in Hemodialysis Patients using Citrate Dialysate: A Pilot Study
Authors: Durand Pierre-Yves , Nicco Carole , Serteyn Didier , Attaf David , Edeas Marvin
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: Hemodialysis-associated muscle cramp (HAMC) is a common complication under citrate dialysate (CD) occurring in 30% of cases. Our objectives were to assess the gut microbiota quality, mitochondrial activity, and to investigate their possible relationship with HAMC. Methods: Ten end-stage renal disease patients (78.9 ± 2.1 years) treated by hemodialysis (HD) with CD were enrolled and then classified according to the frequency of HAMCs: “frequent HAMCs group” (n = 5) and “absence of HAMCs group” (n = 5). Gut microbiota quality, mitochondrial activity, and some markers of oxidative stress (OS) were investigated. Results: In patients with cramps, gut microbiota diversity seemed lower and some genera including Helicobacter, Lachnospira, Roseburia, and Haemophilus seemed over-expressed, a significant increase of citratemia and significant lowering mitochondrial function were observed. No difference was observed on the OS markers. Conclusion: This first clinical study revealed a possible dysbiosis of microbiota and a mitochondrial dysfunction into HD patients with cramps under CD compared to patients without cramp.
MicroRNA-126 Deficiency Affects the Development of Thymus CD4+ Single-Positive Cells through Elevating IRS-1
Authors: Hu Lin , Xu Hualin , Lu Jia , Zhou Ya , Chu Fengyun , Zheng Wen , Lei Liangyu , Zhao Juanjuan , Wang Hairong , Guo Mengmeng , Chen Chao , Xu Lin
Published: July 2018

Background: MicroRNA-126 (miR-126), a distinct miRNA family member, has been reported to be involved in the development and function of some types of immune cells. However, the potential role of miR-126 in the development of CD4+ T cells remains to be elucidated. Objectives: To investigate the potential role of miR-126 in the development of CD4+ T cells in the thymus and explore its significance. Methods: The relative expression level of miR-126 in thymus CD4+ single-positive (SP) cells was detected by Real-Time PCR assay. The possible change in thymus tissue was assessed by histopathology. The total cell number of thymocytes and the expression of activation-associated molecules including CD62L, CD69, and CD44, as well as proliferation-associated nuclear antigen Ki-67, in CD4+ SP cells were assessed by flow cytometric analysis. The expression of IRS-1 and related signaling pathways including Akt and Erk were determined by flow cytometric analysis. Results: Compared with that in wild-type (WT) mice, the total cell number of thymocytes in miR-126 knockdown (KD) mice increased significantly. Moreover, the proportion and absolute cell number of thymic CD4+ SP cells decreased significantly in miR-126 KD mice. Further analysis showed that the frequencies of activation-associated molecules including CD62L, CD69, and CD44, as well as proliferation-associated nuclear antigen Ki-67 in CD4+ SP cells also changed significantly, respectively. Mechanism aspect, the expression level of IRS-1, a putative target of miR-126, increased significantly in CD4+ SP cells in miR-126 KD mice. Moreover, the expression levels of the signaling molecules phosphorylated (p)-Akt and p-Erk also changed significantly. Conclusions: Our work is the first to reveal a previously unknown role of miR-126 in the development of CD4+ SP cells in the thymus, which might ultimately benefit studies on development of thymocytes.
Sarcopenia Contributes to the Progression of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease- Related Fibrosis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pan Xiaoyan , Han Yijing , Zou Tiantian , Zhu Guiqi , Xu Ke , Zheng Jina , Zheng Minghua , Cheng Xingbo
Published: July 2018

Backgrounds and Aims: Previous studies have investigated that sarcopenia is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and fibrosis in NAFLD. The study aims to investigate the risk for NAFLD, especially NAFLD-related significant fibrosis among subjects with sarcopenia. Methods: We searched electronic databases until 30, September 2017 and reviewed literature extensively. Effect estimates were pooled using random effect models regarding the risk for NAFLD and fixed effect models concerning the risk for significant fibrosis among sarcopenia patients. Sensitivity analysis was performed for the risk of NAFLD. Results: We identified 6 studies. Our results showed that subjects with sarcopenia exhibited an increased risk for NAFLD compared to those without sarcopenia (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12–1.49) with heterogeneity among the individual studies (I2 = 61%). And the risk for NAFLD-related significant fibrosis appeared to be more pronounced in sarcopenia patients (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.29–1.90) with an I2 of 0%. Sensitivity analysis revealed that neither the direction nor the magnitude of the estimated pooled results for NAFLD was obviously affected. Furthermore, the pooled ORs were both close to initial analysis when omitting the study by Hong et al. [Hepatology 2014; 59: 1772–1778] (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11–1.39, I2 = 47%) or by Hashimoto et al. [Endocr J 2016; 63: 877–884] (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.11–1.59, I2 = 67%), which were considered sources of heterogeneity. Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrated that sarcopenia served not only as a risk factor for the onset of NAFLD but also related to the progression of NAFLD-related significant fibrosis.
Lnc-SNHG1 Activates the TGFBR2/SMAD3 and RAB11A/Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway by Sponging MiR-302/372/373/520 in Invasive Pituitary Tumors
Authors: Wang Heyuan , Wang Guixia , Gao Yufei , Zhao Conghai , Li Xiaoping , Zhang Fuqiang , Jiang Chunyan , Wu Bing
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical regulators in various diseases including human cancer and could function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to regulate microRNAs (miRNAs). Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of lnc-SNHG1 and miR-302/372/373/520 in pituitary tumor tissues and cell lines. Cell proliferation was investigated using MTT and cell count assays. The mechanisms by which lnc-SNHG1 affects pituitary tumor progression were investigated using Western blot assays, transwell migration assays, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, luciferase reporter assays, tumor xenografts, and flow cytometry Results: We found that lnc-SNHG1 was overexpressed in invasive pituitary tumor tissues and cell lines. Ectopic expression of lnc-SNHG1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), by affecting the cell cycle and cell apoptosis in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Further study indicated that overexpression of lnc-SNHG1 markedly inhibited the expression of miR-302/372/373/520 (miRNA-pool) which is down-regulated in invasive pituitary tumor cells. Moreover, overexpression of lnc-SNHG1 significantly promoted the expression of TGFBR2 and RAB11A, the direct targets of miR-302/372/373/520. Finally, lnc-SNHG1 activates the TGFBR2/SMAD3 and RAB11A/Wnt/β-catenin pathways in pituitary tumor cells via sponging miR-302/372/373/520. Conclusions: Our data suggest that lnc-SNHG1 promotes the progression of pituitary tumors and is a potential therapeutic target for invasive pituitary tumor.
Effects of Fibronectin 1 on Cell Proliferation, Senescence and Apoptosis of Human Glioma Cells Through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liao Yu-Xiang , Zhang Zhi-Ping , Zhao Jie , Liu Jing-Ping
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: The current study aimed to investigate the role by which fibronectin 1 (FN1) influences the cell cycle, senescence and apoptosis in human glioma cells through the PI3K/ AKT signaling pathway. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified based on gene expression data (GSE12657, GSE15824 and GSE45921 datasets) and probe annotation files from Gene Expression Omnibus. The DEGs were identified in connection with gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The positive expression of the FN1 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry. The glioma cell lines U251 and T98G were selected and assigned into blank, negative control (NC) and siRNA-FN1 groups. A dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to investigate the effects of FN1 on transcriptional activity through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. An MTT assay was applied for the detection of cell proliferation, while flow cytometry was employed for cell cycle stage and cellular apoptosis detection. β-galactosidase staining was utilized to detect cellular senescence, a scratch test was applied to evaluate cell migration, and a transwell assay was used to analyze cell invasion. Western blotting and qRT-PCR methods were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression levels, respectively, of the FN1 gene and the related genes in the PI3K/AKT pathway (PI3K, AKT and PTEN), the cell cycle (pRb, CDK4 and Cyclin D1) and cell senescence (p16 and p21) among the collected tissues and cells. Results: GSE12657 profiling revealed FN1 to be the most upregulated gene in glioma. Regarding the GSE12657 and GSE15824 datasets, FN1 gene expression was higher in glioma tissues than in normal tissues. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that FN1 is involved in the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Verification was provided, indicating the role played by the FN1 gene in the regulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, as silencing the FN1 gene was found to inhibit cell proliferation, promote cell apoptosis and senescence, and reduce migration and invasion through the down-regulation of FN1 gene expression and disruption of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide evidence highlighting the prominent role played by FN1 in stimulating glioma growth, invasion, and survival through the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Modeling, Control and Power Management Strategy of a Grid connected Hybrid Energy System
Authors: Bhuyan Sujit Kumar , Hota Prakash Kumar , Panda Bhagabat
Published: July 2018

This paper presents the detailed modeling of various components of a grid connected hybrid energy system (HES) consisting of a photovoltaic (PV) system, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), an electrolyzer and a hydrogen storage tank with a power flow controller. Also, a valve controlled by the proposed controller decides how much amount of fuel is consumed by fuel cell according to the load demand. In this paper fuel cell is used instead of battery bank because fuel cell is free from pollution. The control and power management strategies are also developed. When the PV power is sufficient then it can fulfill the load demand as well as feeds the extra power to the electrolyzer. By using the electrolyzer, the hydrogen is generated from the water and stored in storage tank and this hydrogen act as a fuel to SOFC. If the availability of the power from the PV system cannot fulfill the load demand, then the fuel cell fulfills the required load demand. The SOFC takes required amount of hydrogen as fuel, which is controlled by the PID controller through a valve. Effectiveness of this technology is verified by the help of computer simulations in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment under various loading conditions and promising results are obtained.
A Novel Multi-Functional DSTATCOM with Distribution Generation using FRC Controller
Authors: Prakash CH. Sri , Rao G. Kesava , Chandrasekhar Obbu , Satyaramesh P. V.
Published: July 2018

Distribution Generation plays a significant role in remote areas where the utility grid is affected and initializing by renewable energy sources to acquire the sufficient power demand. In distribution system, it is very exigent consumer related concern which is confronted due to mis-operation of massive non-linear load apparatus. A multi-functional distributed static compensator incorporates the best choice for enhancing the power quality features with effective control scheme under rambled non-linear loads. Conventional control schemes are more adversed with greater switching losses due to extreme harmonic frequencies in a refernce current component. This paper proposes, a novel multi-objective fundamental reference current control scheme based multi-functional DSTATCOM furnishes the current harmonic compensation at PCC, reactive power compensation, power factor correction, active power exchanging, minimizing the switching losses, incredible efficiency and power factor correction. The validation of proposed multi-functional DSTATCOM with proposed control strategy under rated capacity of distribution generation is evaluated by using Matlab/Simulink platform and simulation results are presented.
Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch using Crow Search Algorithm
Authors: M Lakshmi , A Ramesh Kumar
Published: July 2018

The optimal reactive power dispatch is a kind of optimization problem that plays a very important role in the operation and control of the power system. This work presents a meta-heuristic based approach to solve the optimal reactive power dispatch problem. The proposed approach employs Crow Search algorithm to find the values for optimal setting of optimal reactive power dispatch control variables. The proposed way of approach is scrutinized and further being tested on the standard IEEE 30-bus, 57-bus and 118-bus test system with different objectives which includes the minimization of real power losses, total voltage deviation and also the enhancement of voltage stability. The simulation results procured thus indicates the supremacy of the proposed approach over the other approaches cited in the literature.
Detecting and Shadows in the HSV Color Space using Dynamic Thresholds
Authors: Hdioud Boutaina , Haj Tirari Mohammed El , Haj Thami Rachid Oulad , Faizi Rdouan
Published: July 2018

The detection of moving objects in a video sequence is an essential step in almost all the systems of vision by computer. However, because of the dynamic change in natural scenes, the detection of movement becomes a more difficult task. In this work, we propose a new method for the detection moving objects that is robust to shadows, noise and illumination changes. For this purpose, the detection phase of the proposed method is an adaptation of the MOG approach where the foreground is extracted by considering the HSV color space. To allow the method not to take shadows into consideration during the detection process, we developed a new shade removal technique based on a dynamic thresholding of detected pixels of the foreground. The calculation model of the threshold is established by two statistical analysis tools that take into account the degree of the shadow in the scene and the robustness to noise.  Experiments undertaken on a set of video sequences showed that the method put forward provides better results compared to existing methods that are limited to using static thresholds.
Soft Frequency Reuse (SFR) in LTE-A Heterogeneous Networks based upon Power Ratio Evaluation
Authors: Maurizka Alvita , Hamdani F. , Ulfah M. M. , Iskandar Iskandar
Published: July 2018

As the traffic demand grows and the RF environment changes, the mobile network relies on techniques such as SFR in Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) to overcome capacity and link budget limitation to maintain user experience. Inter-Cell Interference (ICI) strongly affecting Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) of active UEs, especially cell-edge users, which leads to a significant degradation in the total throughput. In this paper we evaluate the performance of SFR with HetNet system in order dealing with interferences. Simulation result shows that the power ratio control in SFR HetNet system doesn’t have much effect on total achieved capacity for overall cell.
A Compact Dual Band Elliptical Microstrip Antenna for Ku/K Band Satellite Applications
Authors: Harane Mohamed Mahfoudh , Ammor Hassan
Published: July 2018

This paper presents an original elliptical microstrip patch antenna is proposed for Ku/K band satellite applications. The proposed antenna has a simple structure, small size with dimensions of about 10×12×1.58 mm³. The antenna has been designed and simulated on an FR4 substrate with dielectric constant 4.4 and thickness of 1.58 mm. The design is simulated by two different electromagnetic solvers. The results from the measured data show that the antenna has two resonant frequencies that define 2 bandwidths, defined by a return loss of less than -10 dB, and are: (14.44 GHz, 829 MHz) and (21.05 GHz, 5126 MHz),with the gain 5.59 dB and 5.048 dB respectively. The proposed antenna can be used in many applications such as in satellite, and wireless communications.
Exponential MLWDF (EXP-MLWDF) Downlink Scheduling Algorithm Evaluated in LTE for High Mobility and Dense Area Scenario
Authors: Angri Ismail , Mahfoudi Mohammed , Najid Abdellah , Bekkali Moulhime El
Published: July 2018

Nowadays, with the advent of smartphones, most of people started to make voice and video conference calls continuously even in a high mobility scenario, the bandwidth requirements have increased considerably, which can cause network congestion phenomena. To avoid network congestion problems and to support high mobility scenario, 3GPP has developed a new cellular standard based packet switching, termed LTE (Long Term Evolution). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the new proposed algorithm, named Exponential Modified Largest Weighted Delay First ‘EXP-MLWDF’, for high mobility scenario and with the presence of a large number of active users, in comparison with the well-known algorithms such as a proportional fair algorithm (PF), Exponential Proportional Fairness (EXP/PF), Logarithm Rule (LOG-Rule), Exponential Rule (EXP-Rule) and Modified Largest Weighted Delay First (MLWDF). The performance evaluation is conducted in terms of system throughput, delay and PLR. Finally, it will be concluded that the proposed scheduler satisfies the quality of service (QoS) requirements of the real-time traffic in terms of packet loss ratio (PLR), average throughput and packet delay. Because of the traffic evolution, some key issues related to scheduling strategies that will be considered in the future requirements are discussed in this article.
A Novel Design of a Microstrip Microwave Power Amplifier for DCS Application using Collector-Feedback Bias
Authors: Rachakh Amine , Abdellaoui Larbi El , Zbitou Jamal , Errkik Ahmed , Tajmouati Abdelali , Latrach Mohamed
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a 1.80GHz class-A Microwave power amplifier (PA). The proposed power amplifier is designed with single-stage architecture. This power amplifier consists of a bipolar transistor and improved by Collector-Feedback Biasing fed with a single power supply. The aim of this work is to improve the performance of this amplifier by using simple stubs with 50Ω microstrip transmissions lines. The proposed PA is investigated and optimized by utilizing Advanced Design System (ADS) software. The simulation results show that the amplifier achieves a high power gain of 13dB, output power rise up to 21dBm and good impedances matching ;For the input reflection coefficient (S11) is below than - 46.39dB. Regarding the output reflection coefficient (S22) is below than -29.898dB, with an overall size of about 93 x 59mm². By the end; we find that this power amplifier offers an excellent performance for DCS applications.
Computationally Efficient Multi-Antenna Techniques for Multi-User Two-Way Wireless Relay Networks
Authors: Alabed Samer
Published: July 2018

In this work, we are interested in implementing, developing and evaluating multi-antenna techniques used for multi-user two-way wireless relay networks that provide a good tradeoff between the computational complexity and performance in terms of symbol error rate and achievable data rate. In particular, a variety of newly multi-antenna techniques is proposed and studied. Some techniques based on orthogonal projection enjoy low computational complexity. However, the performance penalty associated with them is high. Other techniques based on maximum likelihood strategy enjoy high performance, however, they suffer from very high computational complexity. The Other techniques based on randomization strategy provide a good trade-off between the computational complexity and performance where they enjoy low computational complexity with almost the same performance as compared to the techniques based on maximum likelihood strategy.
Anaphora Resolution in Business Process Requirement Engineering
Authors: Sonbol Riad , Rebdawi Ghaida , Ghneim Nada
Published: July 2018

Anaphora resolution (AR) is one of the most important tasks in natural language processing which focuses on the problem of resolving what a pronoun, or a noun phrase refers to. Moreover, AR plays an essential role when dealing with business process textual description, either when trying to discover the process model from the text, or when validating an existing model. It helps these systems in discovering the core components in any process model (actors and objects).In this paper, we propose a domain specific AR system. The approach starts by automatically generating the concept map of the text, then the system uses this map to resolve references using the syntactic and semantic relations in the concept map. The approach outperforms the state-of-the art performance in the domain of business process texts with more than 73% accuracy. In addition, this approach could be easily adopted to resolve references in other domains.
Accuracy Analysis of Latin-to-Balinese Script Transliteration Method
Authors: Jampel I N. , Indrawan Gede , Widiana I W.
Published: July 2018

Balinese script writing, as one of Balinese cultural richness, is going to extinct because of its decreasing use. This research is one of the ways to preserve Balinese script writing using technological approach. This research focused on accuracy analysis of Latin-to-Balinese script transliteration method on mobile application since mobile computing becomes more important way on preservation effort. This analysis used an existing method from few research in this area, i.e. method on mobile application that was called Transliterasi Aksara Bali (TAB). The analysis was based on certain document of Balinese script writing rules and examples. Through the experiment, TAB was considered has accuracy over 68% (103 of 151) cases and improvement recommendation on thirteen kind of special words. This research contributes on the accuracy analysis and that recommendation for future development of Latin-to-Balinese script transliteration method.
Dynamic Frequency Scaling Regarding Memory for Energy Efficiency of Embedded Systems
Authors: Kim Junha , Park Moonju
Published: July 2018

Memory significantly affects the power consumption of embedded systems as well as performance. CPU frequency scaling for power management could fail in optimizing the energy efficiency without considering the memory access. In this paper, we analyze the power consumption and energy efficiency of an embedded system that supports dynamic scaling of frequency for both CPU and memory access. The power consumption of the CPU and the memory is modeled to show that the memory access rate affects the energy efficiency and the CPU frequency selection. Based on the power model, a method for frequency selection is presented to optimize the power efficiency which is measured using Energy-Delay Product (EDP). The proposed method is implemented and tested on a commercial smartphone to achieve about 3.3% - 7.6% enhancement comparing with the power management policy provided by the manufacturer in terms of EDP.
A Preference Model on Adaptive Affinity Propagation
Authors: Refianti Rina , Mutiara Achmad Benny , Juarna Asep , Suhendra Adang
Published: July 2018

In recent years, two new data clustering algorithms have been proposed. One of them isAffinity Propagation (AP). AP is a new data clustering technique that use iterative message passing and consider all data points as potential exemplars. Two important inputs of AP are a similarity matrix (SM) of the data and the parameter ”preference” p. Although the original AP algorithm has shown much success in data clustering, it still suffer from one limitation: it is not easy to determine the value of the parameter ”preference” p which can result an optimal clustering solution. To resolve this limitation, we propose a new model of the parameter ”preference” p, i.e. it is modeled based on the similarity distribution. Having the SM and p, Modified Adaptive AP (MAAP) procedure is running. MAAP procedure means that we omit the adaptive p-scanning algorithm as in original Adaptive-AP (AAP) procedure. Experimental results on random non-partition and partition data sets show that (i) the proposed algorithm, MAAP-DDP, is slower than original AP for random non-partition dataset, (ii) for random 4-partition dataset and real datasets the proposed algorithm has succeeded to identify clusters according to the number of dataset’s true labels with the execution times that are comparable with those original AP. Beside that the MAAP-DDP algorithm demonstrates more feasible and effective than original AAP procedure.
Mutual Coupling Reduction between Asymmetric Reflectarray Resonant Elements
Authors: Dahri M. Hashim , Jamaluddin M. H. , Inam M. , Kamarudin M. R.
Published: July 2018

A physically asymmetric reflectarray element has been proposed for wide band operations. The dual resonant response has been introduced by tilting one side of the square path element. The numerical results have been analyzed in the frequency band between 24GHz to 28GHz where a reflection phase range of more than 600° has been achieved. The proposed asymmetric element can produce mutual coupling with adjacent elements on a reflectarray. This effect has been monitored by placing the elements in a mirror configuration on the surface of reflectarray. The single unit cell element results have been compared with conventional 4 element unit cell and proposed mirroring element configuration. The proposed mirroring element technique can be used to design a broadband reflectarray for high gain applications.
Content-based Image Retrieval System for an Image Gallery Search Application
Authors: Mai Nicole Tham Ley , Ridzuan Syahmi Syahiran Bin Ahmad , Omar Zaid Bin
Published: July 2018

Content-based image retrieval is a process framework that applies computer vision techniques for searching and managing large image collections more efficiently. With the growth of large digital image collections triggered by rapid advances in electronic storage capacity and computing power, there is a growing need for devices and computer systems to support efficient browsing, searching, and retrieval for image collections. Hence, the aim of this project is to develop a content-based image retrieval system that can be implemented in an image gallery desktop application to allow efficient browsing through three different search modes: retrieval by image query, retrieval by facial recognition, and retrieval by text or tags. In this project, the MPEG-7-like Powered Localized Color and Edge Directivity Descriptor is used to extract the feature vectors of the image database and the facial recognition system is built around the Eigenfaces concept. A graphical user interface with the basic functionality of an image gallery application is also developed to implement the three search modes. Results show that the application is able to retrieve and display images in a collection as thumbnail previews with high retrieval accuracy and medium relevance and the computational requirements for subsequent searches were significantly reduced through the incorporation of text-based image retrieval as one of the search modes. All in all, this study introduces a simple and convenient way of offline image searches on desktop computers and provides a stepping stone to future content-based image retrieval systems built for similar purposes.