bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Longitudinal Assessment of Osteomyelitis Development by Molecular Imaging in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Odekerken Jim C. E. , Walenkamp Geert H. I. M. , Brans Boudewijn T. , Welting Tim J. M. , Arts Jacobus J. C.
Published: September 2014

Introduction. Osteomyelitis is a severe orthopaedic complication which is difficult to diagnose and treat. Previous experimental studies mainly focussed on evaluating osteomyelitis in the presence of an implant or used a sclerosing agent to promote infection onset. In contrast, we focused on the longitudinal assessment of a nonimplant related osteomyelitis.Methods. An intramedullary tibial infection withS. aureuswas established in NZW rabbits. Clinical and haematological infection status was evaluated weekly, combined with X-ray radiographs, biweekly injections of calcium binding fluorophores, and postmortem micro-CT. The development of the infection was assessed by micro-PET at consecutive time points using18F-FDG as an infection tracer.Results. The intramedullary contamination of the rabbit tibia resulted in an osteomyelitis. Haematological parameters confirmed infection in mainly the first postoperative weeks (CRP at the first 5 postoperative weeks, leucocyte differentiation at the second and sixth postoperative weeks, and ESR on the second postoperative week only), while micro-PET was able to detect the infection from the first post-operative week onward until the end of the study.Conclusions. This study shows that osteomyelitis in the rabbit can be induced without use of an implant or sclerosing agent. The sequential follow-up indicates that the diagnostic value of each infection parameter is time point dependant. Furthermore, from all parameters used, the diagnostic value of  18F-FDG micro-PET is the most versatile to assess the presence of an orthopaedic infection in this model.
Ureteral Stent Placement Increases the Risk for Developing BK Viremia after Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Hashim Faris , Rehman Shehzad , Gregg Jon A. , Dharnidharka Vikas R.
Published: September 2014

The placement of ureteral stent (UrSt) at kidney transplantation reduces major urological complications but increases the risk for developing nephropathy from the BK virus. It is unclear whether UrSt placement increases nephropathy risk by increasing risk of precursor viral replication or by other mechanisms. We retrospectively investigated whether UrSt placement increased the risk for developing BK Viremia (BKVM) in adult and pediatric kidney transplants performed at the University of Florida between July 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010. In this period all recipients underwent prospective BKV PCR monitoring and were maintained on similar immunosuppression. Stent placement or not was based on surgeon preference. In 621 transplants, UrSt were placed in 295 (47.5%). BKVM was seen in 22% versus 16% without UrSt (P=0.05). In multivariate analyses, adjusting for multiple transplant covariates, only UrSt placement remained significantly associated with BKVM (P=0.04). UrSt placement significantly increased the risk for BKVM. Routine UrSt placement needs to be revaluated, since benefits may be negated by the need for more BK PCR testing and potential for graft survival-affecting nephritis.
Ion Slip Effect on Viscoelastic Fluid Flow past an Impulsively Started Infinite Vertical Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium with Chemical Reaction
Authors: Choudhury Rita , Dhar Paban
Published: September 2014

This paper presents the study of convective heat and mass transfer characteristics of an incompressible MHD viscoelastic fluid past an infinite vertical plate immersed in a porous medium with chemical reaction
and ion slip effects. Highly nondimensional governing equations are solved analytically by perturbation scheme. The analytical expressions for velocity, shearing stress, temperature, concentration, rate of heat transfer,
and mass transfer are obtained. Also, graphical representations have been carried out for velocity field and shearing stress to investigate the effects of viscoelasticity and the effects of ion slip on the fluid flow in combination with other physical parameters involved in the solution.
The Role of Inflammatory, Anti-Inflammatory, and Regulatory Cytokines in Patients Infected with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Amazonas State, Brazil
Authors: Espir Thaís Tibery , Figueira Luanda de Paula , Naiff Maricleide de Farias , da Costa Allyson Guimarães , Ramalho-Ortigão Marcelo , Malheiro Adriana , Franco Antonia Maria Ramos
Published: September 2014

The authors discuss in this paper the role of inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and regulatory cytokines in patients infected with different species ofLeishmaniain Amazonas State, Brazil. A comparative analysis was made of serum concentrations of these cytokines in the peripheral blood of 33 patients infected with cutaneous leishmaniasis. The isolates were identified asLeishmania guyanensis,L. naiffi, andL. amazonensis. Most (64%) of the patients were male ranging in age from 18 to 58 years. Protein expression profiles of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17 cytokines were shown to vary significantly between infected and noninfected (control group) individuals and according to theLeishmaniaspecies. Infection caused byL. guyanensisaccounted for 73% of the cases and patients with this parasite also showed higher concentrations of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 when compared to infection byL. amazonensis. Patients with infection caused byL. naiffishowed higher concentration of the cytokines analyzed when compared to uninfected patients; however, there was no statistically significant difference with the other species analyzed.
Potential Risk Factors for Varicose Veins with Superficial Venous Reflux
Authors: Selçuk Kapısız Nazmiye , Uzun Kulaoğlu Tülin , Fen Turgay , Kapısız Hasan Fahri
Published: September 2014

The objective of the study is to evaluate a range of potential risk factors in the etiology of varicose veins with superficial venous reflux. Forty-nine patients attending a cardiovascular surgery clinic for the management of varicose disease between 2009 and 2010 were enrolled for the study. The age range of the patient group was 44,04 ± 15,05 years and female/male (F/M) ratio was 30/19. Twenty-six normal, healthy volunteers with the age of 40,94 ± 13,60 years and with the female/male ratio of 15/11 acted as control subjects. We investigated several parameters including body mass index, age, birth number > 1, standing for a long time (standing for 8 or more hours without taking a break), systemic diseases, family history, venous Doppler fındings, the levels of homocysteine, ferritin, vitamin B12, and hemoglobin, sedimentation rate, mean corpuscular volume, low density lipoprotein, and rheumatoid factor of the patient group and the control group. We also determined the contribution of the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C>T and 1298 A>C gene polymorphisms and FV Leiden in both groups. In this small study, there appears to be no association between varicose veins and body mass index, smoking, type 2 DM, hypertension, family history, and birth number. A history of increased standing duration period (>8 hours) and rheumatoid factor positivity have association with varicose veins with superficial venous reflux.
Corrosion and Corrosion Inhibition of High Strength Low Alloy Steel in 2.0 M Sulfuric Acid Solutions by 3-Amino-1,2,3-triazole as a Corrosion Inhibitor
Authors: Sherif El-Sayed M. , Abbas Adel Taha , Gopi D. , El-Shamy A. M.
Published: September 2014

The corrosion and corrosion inhibition of high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel after 10 min and 60 min immersion in 2.0 M H2SO4solution by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATA) were reported. Several electrochemical techniques along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) were employed. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated that the increase of immersion time from 10 min to 60 min significantly decreased both the solution and polarization resistance for the steel in the sulfuric acid solution. The increase of immersion time increased the anodic, cathodic, and corrosion currents, while it decreased the polarization resistance as indicated by the potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The addition of 1.0 mM ATA remarkably decreased the corrosion of the steel and this effect was found to increase with increasing its concentration to 5.0 mM. SEM and EDS investigations confirmed that the inhibition of the HSLA steel in the 2.0 M H2SO4solutions is achieved via the adsorption of the ATA molecules onto the steel protecting its surface from being dissolved easily.
Comparisons of CVID and IgGSD: Referring Physicians, Autoimmune Conditions, Pneumovax Reactivity, Immunoglobulin Levels, Blood Lymphocyte Subsets, and HLA-A and -B Typing in 432 Adult Index Patients
Authors: Barton James C. , Bertoli Luigi F. , Barton J. Clayborn
Published: September 2014

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and immunoglobulin (Ig) G subclass deficiency (IgGSD) are heterogeneous disorders characterized by respiratory tract infections, selective Ig isotype deficiencies, and impaired antibody responses to polysaccharide antigens. Using univariable analyses, we compared observations in 34 CVID and 398 IgGSD adult index patients (81.9% women) referred to a hematology/oncology practice. Similarities included specialties of referring physicians, mean ages, proportions of women, reactivity to Pneumovax, median serum IgG3 and IgG4 levels, median blood CD56+/CD16+ lymphocyte levels, positivity for HLA-A and -B types, and frequencies of selected HLA-A, -B haplotypes. Dissimilarities included greater prevalence of autoimmune conditions, lower median IgG, IgA, and IgM, and lower median CD19+, CD3+/CD4+, and CD3+/CD8+ blood lymphocytes in CVID patients. Prevalence of Sjögren’s syndrome and hypothyroidism was significantly greater in CVID patients. Combined subnormal IgG1/IgG3 occurred in 59% and 29% of CVID and IgGSD patients, respectively. Isolated subnormal IgG3 occurred in 121 IgGSD patients (88% women). Logistic regression on CVID (versus IgGSD) revealed a significant positive association with autoimmune conditions and significant negative associations with IgG1, IgG3, and IgA and CD56+/CD16+ lymphocyte levels, but the odds ratio was increased for autoimmune conditions alone (6.9 (95% CI 1.3, 35.5)).
Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Human Herpesvirus-6-Associated Acute Encephalopathy/Febrile Seizures
Authors: Tanuma Naoyuki , Miyata Rie , Nakajima Keisuke , Okumura Akihisa , Kubota Masaya , Hamano Shin-ichiro , Hayashi Masaharu
Published: September 2014

To determine the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of acute encephalopathy associated with human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection, we measured the levels of oxidative stress markers 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and hexanoyl-lysine adduct (HEL), tau protein, and cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from patients with HHV-6-associated acute encephalopathy (HHV-6 encephalopathy)(n=16)and complex febrile seizures associated with HHV-6 (HHV-6 complex FS)(n=10). We also examined changes in CSF-8OHdG and CSF-HEL levels in patients with HHV-6 encephalopathy before and after treatment with edaravone, a free radical scavenger. CSF-8-OHdG levels in HHV-6 encephalopathy and HHV-6 complex FS were significantly higher than in control subjects. In contrast, CSF-HEL levels showed no significant difference between groups. The levels of total tau protein in HHV-6 encephalopathy were significantly higher than in control subjects. In six patients with HHV-6 infection (5 encephalopathy and 1 febrile seizure), the CSF-8-OHdG levels of five patients decreased after edaravone treatment. Our results suggest that oxidative DNA damage is involved in acute encephalopathy associated with HHV-6 infection.
Can Pin-on-Disk Testing Be Used to Assess the Wear Performance of Retrieved UHMWPE Components for Total Joint Arthroplasty?
Authors: Kurtz Steven M. , MacDonald Daniel W. , Kocagöz Sevi , Tohfafarosh Mariya , Baykal Doruk
Published: September 2014

The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of using multidirectional pin-on-disk (POD) testing to characterize wear behavior of retrieved ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The POD wear behavior of 25 UHMWPE components, retrieved after 10 yearsin vivo, was compared with 25 that were shelf aged for 10–15 years in their original packaging. Components were gamma sterilized (25–40 kGy) in an air or reduced oxygen (inert) package. 9 mm diameter pins were fabricated from each component and evaluated against CoCr disks using a super-CTPOD with 100 stations under physiologically relevant, multidirectional loading conditions. Bovine serum (20 g/L protein concentration) was used as lubricant. Volumetric wear rates were found to vary based on the aging environment, as well as sterilization environment. Volumetric wear rates were the lowest for the pins in the gamma inert, shelf aged cohort. These results support the utility of using modern, multidirectional POD testing with a physiologic lubricant as a novel method for evaluating wear properties of retrieved UHMWPE components. The data also supported the hypothesis that wear rates of gamma-inert liners were lower than gamma-air liners for both retrieved and shelf aging conditions. However, this difference was not statistically significant for the retrieved condition.
Pancoast’s Syndrome due to Fungal Abscess in the Apex of Lung in an Immunocompetent Individual: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Das Anirban , Choudhury Sabyasachi , Basuthakur Sumitra , Das Sibes Kumar , Mukhopadhyay Angshuman
Published: September 2014

Malignant tumours in the apices of the lungs, especially bronchogenic carcinoma (Pancoast tumours), are the most common cause of Pancoast’ syndrome which presents with shoulder or arm pain radiating along the medial aspect of forearm and weakness of small muscles of hand with wasting of hypothenar eminence due to neoplastic involvement of C8 and T1 and T2 nerve roots of brachial plexus. There are a number of benign conditions which may lead to Pancoast’s syndrome; fungal abscess located in the apex of lung is one of them. Oral or intravenous antifungals are the treatment of choice in this case and complete recovery is usual, whereas, surgical resection followed by chemoradiotherapy is the treatment of choice in case of Pancoast’s syndrome due to lung cancers. Hence, tissue diagnosis is mandatory. Here, we report a case of apical fungal abscess causing Pancoast’s syndrome in an immunocompetent individual of 35 years of age to raise the awareness among the clinicians regarding this rare clinical entity.
Evaluation Technique of Chloride Penetration Using Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Neural Network Algorithm
Authors: Kim Yun-Yong , Lee Byung-Jae , Kwon Seung-Jun
Published: September 2014

Diffusion coefficient from chloride migration test is currently used; however this cannot provide a conventional solution like total chloride contents since it depicts only ion migration velocity in electrical field. This paper proposes a simple analysis technique for chloride behavior using apparent diffusion coefficient from neural network algorithm with time-dependent diffusion phenomena. For this work, thirty mix proportions of high performance concrete are prepared and their diffusion coefficients are obtained after long term-NaCl submerged test. Considering time-dependent diffusion coefficient based on Fick’s 2nd Law and NNA (neural network algorithm), analysis technique for chloride penetration is proposed. The applicability of the proposed technique is verified through the results from accelerated test, long term submerged test, and field investigation results.
IGF-1 and ADMA Levels Are Inversely Correlated in Nondiabetic Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Undergoing Anti-TNF-Alpha Therapy
Authors: Genre Fernanda , López-Mejías Raquel , Rueda-Gotor Javier , Miranda-Filloy José A. , Ubilla Begoña , Villar-Bonet Aurelia , Carnero-López Beatriz , Gómez-Acebo Inés , Blanco Ricardo , Pina Trinitario , González-Juanatey Carlos , Llorca Javier , González-Gay Miguel A.
Published: September 2014

Like rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is also an inflammatory disease associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and the presence of metabolic syndrome (MeS) features. AS patients often display osteoporosis as well as new bone formation. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a protein involved in both inflammation and bone metabolism. In the present study we assessed whether disease activity, systemic inflammation, MeS features, adipokines, and biomarkers of endothelial activation were associated with IGF-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels in a series of 30 nondiabetic AS patients without CV disease undergoing TNF-αantagonist-infliximab therapy. All determinations were made in the fasting state, immediately before an infliximab infusion. Although no association of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels with angiopoietin-2 or osteopontin was found, an inverse correlation between IGF-1 levels and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor that impairs nitric oxide production and secretion promoting endothelial dysfunction, was found (r=-0.397;P=0.04). However, no significant association was found between IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels and disease activity, systemic inflammation, metabolic syndrome features, or adipokines. In conclusion, in nondiabetic patients with AS undergoing periodic anti-TNF-αtherapy, IGF-1 and ADMA are inversely correlated.
Security Analysis and Improvement of an Anonymous Authentication Scheme for Roaming Services
Authors: Lee Youngsook , Paik Juryon
Published: September 2014

An anonymous authentication scheme for roaming services in global mobility networks allows a mobile user visiting a foreign network to achieve mutual authentication and session key establishment with the foreign-network operator in an anonymous manner. In this work, we revisit He et al.’s anonymous authentication scheme for roaming services and present previously unpublished security weaknesses in the scheme: (1) it fails to provide user anonymity against any third party as well as the foreign agent, (2) it cannot protect the passwords of mobile users due to its vulnerability to an offline dictionary attack, and (3) it does not achieve session-key security against a man-in-the-middle attack. We also show how the security weaknesses of He et al.’s scheme can be addressed without degrading the efficiency of the scheme.
Bilateral, Simultaneous Medial Meniscus Bucket Handle Tears in a 23-Year-Old Female
Authors: Walker Brett , Limbert Andrew
Published: September 2014

Traumatic tears of the meniscus are well reported in the literature. Rarely, bilateral meniscal tears occur. A PubMed search found that only three cases of bilateral medial meniscus bucket handle type tears have been reported. Treatment options range from partial meniscectomy to repair of the meniscal tear. Repair is reported to be more successful in the vascular red-red or red-white zones. We present the case of a 23-year-old female who sustained simultaneous bilateral medial meniscus bucket handle type tears in an automobile accident. She was treated in a staged fashion with knee arthroscopy. Her meniscus tears were both found to be in the vascularized zone and meniscal tear repair was conducted. At two weeks postoperatively, she had excellent resolution of her symptoms and has returned to pain-free weight-bearing. She has remained pain-free at six-month follow-up.
A Note on the Use of Generalized Sundman Anomalies in the Numerical Integration of the Elliptical Orbital Motion
Authors: López Ortí José Antonio , Marco Castillo Francisco José , Martínez Usó María José
Published: September 2014

The orbital motion around a central body is an interesting problem that involves the theory of artificial satellites and the planetary theories in the solar system. Nevertheless some difficult situations appear while studying this apparently simple problem, depending on each particular case. The real problem consists of searching the perturbed solution from a basic two-body motion problem. In addition, the perturbed problem must be solved using a numerical method and its efficiency depends on the selected coordinate system and the corresponding time. In fact, local and global errors are not necessarily homogeneously distributed over the orbit. In other words, there is a strong relationship between the spatial distribution of the selected points and the temporal independent variable. This is particularly dramatic in specially difficult cases. This issue leads us to consider different anomalies as temporal variables, searching for both precision and efficiency. Therefore, we are interested in the study of techniques to integrate the orbital motion equations using different anomalies as temporal variables which are functions of one or more parameters. The final aim of this paper is the minimization of the integration errors using an appropriate choice of the parameter depending on the eccentricity value in the family of the generalized Sundman anomalies.
Comparison of Proton Pump Inhibitor and Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonist in the Prevention of Recurrent Peptic Ulcers/Erosions in Long-Term Low-Dose Aspirin Users: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Wen-Chi , Li Yun-Da , Chiang Po-Hung , Tsay Feng-Woei , Chan Hoi-Hung , Tsai Wei-Lun , Tsai Tzung-Jiun , Wang E-Ming , Cheng Jin-Shiung , Lai Kwok-Hung
Published: September 2014

Background. Proton pump inhibitor and histamine-2 receptor antagonist can prevent aspirin-related ulcers/erosions but few studies compare the efficacy of these two agents.Aims. We evaluated the efficacy of omeprazole and famotidine in preventing recurrent ulcers/erosions in low-dose aspirin users.Methods. The 24-week clinical outcomes of the patients using low-dose aspirin for cardiovascular protection with a history of ulcers/erosions and cotherapy of omeprazole or famotidine were retrospectively reviewed. The incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms, recurrent ulcers/erosions, erosive esophagitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and thromboembolic events was analyzed.Results. A total of 104 patients (famotidine group, 49 patients; omeprazole group, 55 patients) were evaluated. Famotidine group had more gastrointestinal symptoms episodes than omeprazole group (46.9% versus 23.6%,P=0.01). Fifteen famotidine group patients and 5 omeprazole group patients had recurrent ulcers/erosions (30.6% versus 9.1%,P=0.005). Lanza scale was significantly lower in omeprazole group than in famotidine group(1.2±0.7versus1.7±1.1, P=0.008). Only 1 famotidine group patient had ulcer bleeding. The incidences of erosive esophagitis and thromboembolic events were comparable between both groups.Conclusions. Omeprazole was superior to famotidine with less gastrointestinal symptoms and recurrent ulcers/erosions in patients using 24-week low-dose aspirin. The risk of erosive esophagitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and thromboembolic events was similar between both groups.
Determination of Haloacetic Acids in Bottled and Tap Water Sources by Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction and GC-MS Analysis
Authors: Al-shatri Mohsen A. , Nuhu Abdulmumin A. , Basheer Chanbasha
Published: September 2014

Haloacetic acids are toxic organic pollutants that can be formed as by-products of disinfection of water by chlorination. In this study, we developed a fast and efficient method for the determination of six species of these compounds in water using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by GC-MS analysis. To be suitable for GC analysis, the acidic analytes were derivatized usingn-octanol. One-factor-at-a-time optimization was carried out on several factors including temperature, extraction time, amount of catalyst, and dispersive solvent. The optimized conditions were then used to determine calibration parameters. Linearity, as demonstrated by coefficient of determination, ranged between 0.9900 and 0.9966 for the concentration range of 0.05–0.57 µg/L. The proposed method has good repeatability; intraday precision was calculated as %RSD of 2.38–9.34%, while interday precision was 4.69–8.06%. The method was applied to real samples in bottled water and tap water sources. Results indicated that the total concentrations of the analytes in these sources (2.97–5.30 µg/L) were far below the maximum contaminant levels set by both the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed method compared favorably with methods reported in the literature.
Balance Performance in Irradiated Survivors of Nasopharyngeal Cancer with and without Tai Chi Qigong Training
Authors: Fong Shirley S. M. , Chung Louisa M. Y. , Tsang William W. N. , Leung Joyce C. Y. , Charm Caroline Y. C. , Luk W. S. , Chow Lina P. Y. , Ng Shamay S. M.
Published: September 2014

This cross‐sectional exploratory study aimed to compare the one‐leg‐stance time and the six‐minute walk distance among TC Qigong‐trained NPC survivors, untrained NPC survivors, and healthy individuals. Twenty‐five survivors of NPC with TC Qigong experience, 27 survivors of NPC without TC Qigong experience, and 68 healthy individuals formed the NPC‐TC Qigong group, NPC‐control group, and healthy‐control group, respectively. The one‐leg‐stance (OLS) timed test was conducted to assess the single‐leg standing balance performance of the participants in four conditions: (1) standing on a stable surface with eyes open, (2) standing on a compliant surface with eyes open, (3) standing on a stable surface with eyes closed, and (4) standing on a compliant surface with eyes closed. The six‐minute walk test (6MWT) was used to determine the functional balance performance of the participants. Results showed that the NPC‐control group had a shorter OLS time in all of the visual and supporting surface conditions than the healthy control group (P < 0.05). The OLS time of the TC Qigong‐NPC group was comparable to that of the healthy control group in the somatosensory‐challenging condition (condition 3) (P = 0.168) only. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the 6MWT distance among the three groups (P > 0.05). TC Qigong may be a rehabilitation exercise that improves somatosensory function and OLS balance performance among survivors of NPC.
Genetic Networks Lead and Follow Tumor Development: MicroRNA Regulation of Cell Cycle and Apoptosis in the p53 Pathways
Authors: Otsuka Kurataka , Ochiya Takahiro
Published: September 2014

During the past ten years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a more significant role in the formation and progression of cancer diseases than previously thought. With an increase in reports about the dysregulation of miRNAs in diverse tumor types, it becomes more obvious that classic tumor-suppressive molecules enter deep into the world of miRNAs. Recently, it has been demonstrated that a typical tumor suppressor p53, known as the guardian of the genome, regulates some kinds of miRNAs to contribute to tumor suppression by the induction of cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Meanwhile, miRNAs directly/indirectly control the expression level and activity of p53 to fine-tune its functions or to render p53 inactive, indicating that the interplay between p53 and miRNA is overly complicated. The findings, along with current studies, will underline the continuing importance of understanding this interlocking control system for future therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment and prevention.
Pharmacokinetic Study and Bioavailability of a Novel Synthetic Trioxane Antimalarial Compound 97/63 in Rats
Authors: Kushwaha Hari Narayan , Mohan Neel Kamal , Sharma Ashok Kumar , Singh Shio Kumar
Published: September 2014

Single dose pharmacokinetics study of 97/63 (IND191710, 2004), a trioxane antimalarial developed by Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India, was studied in rats following intravenous and oral administration. Serum samples were analysed by HPLC-UV assay. Separation was achieved on a RP-18 column attached with a guard using acetonitrile : phosphate buffer (70 : 30% v/v) with UV detector at wavelength 244 nm. Serum samples were extracted with n-hexane. Two-compartment model without lag time and first-order elimination rate was considered to be the best fit to explain the generated oral and intravenous data. Method was sensitive with limit of quantification of 10 ng mL−1. Recovery was >74%. Terminal half-life and area under curve (AUC) after administering single oral (72 mg kg−1) and intravenous (18 mg kg−1) doses were 10.61 h, 10.57 h, and 1268.97 ng h mL−1, 2025.75 ng h mL−1, respectively. After oral dose, 97/63 was rapidly absorbed attaining maximum concentration 229.24 ng mL−1 at 1 h. Bioavailability of 97/63 was ~16%. The lower bioavailability of drug may be due to poor solubility and first-pass metabolism and can be improved by prodrug formation of 97/63.
Effect of a Comprehensive Health Care Program by Korean Medicine Doctors on Medical Care Utilization for Common Infectious Diseases in Child‐Care Centers
Authors: Park Minjung , Park Jimin , Kwon Soonman
Published: September 2014

As the role of traditional medicine in community health improvement increases, a comprehensive health care program for infectious diseases management in child‐care centers by Korean medicine doctors was developed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the program intervention on infection‐related medical care utilization among children. The study used a quasi‐experimental design with nonequivalent control group, comparing pre‐ and post‐intervention data of the same children. The program implemented interventions in terms of management, education, and medical examination for the teachers, parents, and children in 12‐week period. The frequency of utilization, cost, and prescription days of drugs and antibiotics due to infectious diseases prior to the intervention were compared with those during the 3‐month intervention, using health insurance claim data. A panel analysis was also conducted to support the findings. A significant reduction (12%) in infection‐related visit days of hospitals was observed with the intervention (incident rate ratio = 0.88, P = 0.01). And medical cost, drug prescription days, and antibiotics prescription days were decreased, although not statistically significant. A further cost‐effectiveness analysis in terms of social perspectives, considering the opportunity costs for guardians to take children to medical institutions, would be needed.
Phosphate-Mediated Remediation of Metals and Radionuclides
Authors: Martinez Robert J. , Beazley Melanie J. , Sobecky Patricia A.
Published: September 2014

Worldwide industrialization activities create vast amounts of organic and inorganic waste streams that frequently result in significant soil and groundwater contamination. Metals and radionuclides are of particular concern due to their mobility and long-term persistence in aquatic and terrestrial environments. As the global population increases, the demand for safe, contaminant-free soil and groundwater will increase as will the need for effective and inexpensive remediation strategies. Remediation strategies that include physical and chemical methods (i.e., abiotic) or biological activities have been shown to impede the migration of radionuclide and metal contaminants within soil and groundwater. However, abiotic remediation methods are often too costly owing to the quantities and volumes of soils and/or groundwater requiring treatment. The in situ sequestration of metals and radionuclides mediated by biological activities associated with microbial phosphorus metabolism is a promising and less costly addition to our existing remediation methods. This review highlights the current strategies for abiotic and microbial phosphate-mediated techniques for uranium and metal remediation.
The Integration of Group Technology and Simulation Optimization to Solve the Flow Shop with Highly Variable Cycle Time Process: A Surgery Scheduling Case Study
Authors: Wang T. K. , Chan F. T. S. , Yang T.
Published: September 2014

Surgery scheduling must balance capacity utilization and demand so that the arrival rate does not exceed the effective production rate. However, authorized overtime increases because of random patient arrivals and cycle times. This paper proposes an algorithm that allows the estimation of the mean effective process time and the coefficient of variation. The algorithm quantifies patient flow variability. When the parameters are identified, takt time approach gives a solution that minimizes the variability in production rates and workload, as mentioned in the literature. However, this approach has limitations for the problem of a flow shop with an unbalanced, highly variable cycle time process. The main contribution of the paper is to develop a method called takt time, which is based on group technology. A simulation model is combined with the case study, and the capacity buffers are optimized against the remaining variability for each group. The proposed methodology results in a decrease in the waiting time for each operating room from 46 minutes to 5 minutes and a decrease in overtime from 139 minutes to 75 minutes, which represents an improvement of 89% and 46%, respectively.
Existence of Solutions for G-SFDEs with Cauchy-Maruyama Approximation Scheme
Authors: Faizullah Faiz
Published: September 2014

We present the Cauchy-Maruyama (CM) approximation scheme and establish the existence theory of stochastic functional differential equations driven by G-Brownian motion (G-SFDEs). Several useful properties of Cauchy-Maruyama (CM) approximate solutionsXkof G-SFDEs are given. We show that the unique solution of G-SFDEs gets convergence from Cauchy-Maruyama (CM) approximate solutions. The existence theorem for G-SFDEs is developed with the above mentioned scheme.
Influence of Compression Ratio on the Performance and Emission Characteristics of Annona Methyl Ester Operated DI Diesel Engine
Authors: Ramalingam Senthil , Chinnaia Paramasivam , Rajendran Silambarasan
Published: September 2014

This study aims to find the optimum performance and emission characteristics of single cylinder variable compression ratio (VCR) engine with different blends of Annona methyl ester (AME) as fuel. The performance parameters such as specific fuel consumption (SFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and emission levels of HC, CO, Smoke, and NO x were compared with the diesel fuel. It is found that, at compression ratio of 17: 1 for A20 blended fuel (20% AME + 80% Diesel) shows better performance and lower emission level which is very close to neat diesel fuel. The engine was operated with different values of compression ratio (15, 16, and 17) to find out best possible combination for operating engine with blends of AME. It is also found that the increase of compression ratio increases the BTE and reduces SFC and has lower emission without any engine in design modifications.
Analytical Model for High Impedance Fault Analysis in Transmission Lines
Authors: Maximov S. , Torres V. , Ruiz H. F. , Guardado J. L.
Published: September 2014

A high impedance fault (HIF) normally occurs when an overhead power line physically breaks and falls to the ground. Such faults are difficult to detect because they often draw small currents which cannot be detected by conventional overcurrent protection. Furthermore, an electric arc accompanies HIFs, resulting in fire hazard, damage to electrical devices, and risk with human life. This paper presents an analytical model to analyze the interaction between the electric arc associated to HIFs and a transmission line. A joint analytical solution to the wave equation for a transmission line and a nonlinear equation for the arc model is presented. The analytical model is validated by means of comparisons between measured and calculated results. Several cases of study are presented which support the foundation and accuracy of the proposed model.
Pattern Formation inside a Rotating Cylinder Partially Filled with Liquid and Granular Medium
Authors: Dyakova Veronika , Kozlov Victor , Polezhaev Denis
Published: September 2014

The paper focuses on the experimental study of the dynamics of liquid and granular medium in a rapidly rotating horizontal cylinder. In the cavity frame gravity field performs rotation and produces oscillatory liquid flow, which is responsible for the series of novel effects; the problem corresponds to “vibrational mechanics”—generation of steady flows and patterns by oscillating force field. The paper presents the initial results of experimental study of a novel pattern formation effect which is observed at the interface between fluid and sand and which takes the form of ripples extended along the axis of rotation. The initial results of experimental research of a novel effect of pattern formation at the interface between fluid and sand in the form of ripples extended along the axis of rotation are presented. The spatial period of the patterns is studied in dependence on liquid volume, viscosity, and rotation rate. The experimental study of long time dynamics of pattern formation manifests that regular ripples transform into a series of dunes within a few minutes or dozens of minutes. The variety of patterns is determined by the interaction of two types of liquid flows induced by gravity: oscillatory and steady azimuthal flows near the sand surface.
Accelerated Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking in Pediatric Patients: Two-Year Follow-Up Results
Authors: Shetty Rohit , Nagaraja Harsha , Jayadev Chaitra , Pahuja Natasha Kishore , Kurian Kummelil Mathew , Nuijts Rudy M. M. A.
Published: September 2014

Purpose.To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking (ACXL) in patients below 14 years of age with progressive keratoconus.Materials and Methods. Thirty eyes of 18 patients with established progressive keratoconus underwent preoperative and postoperative visual acuity assessment, topography, and specular microscopy prior to ACXL and were followed up for 24 months.Results.Mean age of the patients was 12.7 years with ten males and eight females. There was an improvement in the mean postoperative uncorrected distant visual acuity (from0.76±0.26to0.61±0.25;P=0.005), mean corrected distant visual acuity (from0.24±0.19to0.12±0.12;P<0.001), mean spherical refraction (from-3.04 DS±3.60to-2.38 DS±3.37;P=0.28), mean cylinder (from-3.63 DC±1.82to-2.80 DC±1.48;P=0.008), and spherical equivalent (from-4.70 D±3.86to-3.75 D±3.49;P=0.15). Three eyes of two patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) showed progression. There were no intra- or postoperative complications.Conclusion.In pediatric patients ACXL is an effective and safe procedure for the management of keratoconus. Optimal management of VKC is important to arrest the progression of keratoconus.
A New QIM-Based Watermarking Method Robust to Gain Attack
Authors: Zolotavkin Yevhen , Juhola Martti
Published: September 2014

We propose a new watermarking method based on quantization index modulation. A concept of initial data loss is introduced in order to increase capacity of the watermarking channel under high intensity additive white Gaussian noise. According to the concept some samples in predefined positions are ignored even though this produces errors in the initial stage of watermark embedding. The proposed method also exploits a new form of distribution of quantized samples where samples that interpret “0” and “1” have differently shaped probability density functions. Compared to well-known watermarking schemes, this provides an increase of capacity under noise attack and introduces a distinctive feature. Two criteria are proposed that express the feature numerically. The criteria are utilized by a procedure for estimation of a gain factor after possible gain attack. Several state-of-the-art quantization-based watermarking methods were used for comparison on a set of natural grayscale images. The superiority of the proposed method has been confirmed for different types of popular attacks.
Highlight on Advances in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease in North America
Authors: Mirsaeidi Mehdi , Farshidpour Maham , Allen Mary Beth , Ebrahimi Golnaz , Falkinham Joseph O.
Published: September 2014

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous in the environment and exist as an important cause of pulmonary infections in humans. Pulmonary involvement is the most common disease manifestation of NTM and the incidence of NTM is growing in North America. Susceptibility to NTM infection is incompletely understood; therefore preventative tools are not well defined. Treatment of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is difficult and entails multiple antibiotics and an extended treatment course. Also, there is a considerable variation in treatment management that should be considered before initiating treatment. We highlight the new findings in the epidemiology diagnosis and treatment of mycobacterial infections. We debate new advances regarding NTM infection in cystic fibrosis patients and solid organ transplant recipients. Finally, we introduce a new epidemiologic model for NTM disease based on virulence-exposure-host factors.
Effect of Some Substituents Increasing the Solubility of Zn(II) and Al(III) Phthalocyanines on Their Photophysical Properties
Authors: Chernonosov A. A. , Ermilov E. A. , Röder B. , Solovyova L. I. , Fedorova O. S.
Published: September 2014

Water solubility of phthalocyanines (Pcs) usually increases by the introduction of charged or carboxy substituents in the peripheral positions of the macrocycle. As a result, such structural changes influence their photophysical and photochemical properties as photosensitizers. Phthalocyanines substituted with four or eight terminal carboxyl groups and having in some cases additional eight positive charges (water soluble phthalocyanines) were studied in order to evaluate the spectroscopic and photophysical effects of these side residues on the chromophore properties. The quantum yield of singlet oxygen (O12) generation, the triplet-triplet absorption, and the transient absorption spectra were measured and linked to the structure of the substituents. It was shown that charged substituents did not change the quantum yields ofO12generation but decrease its lifetimes. The introduction of the charged substituents not only increases the water solubility but also significantly changes absorption, fluorescence, and transient absorption spectra of water soluble Pcs.
L2ER: Low-Latency and Energy-Based Routing Protocol for Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Rehman Rana Asif , Kim Byung-Seo
Published: September 2014

Cognitive radio ad hoc networks (CRAHNs) are active, self-organized, and dynamic networks, in which cognitive users can communicate with each other in an ad hoc fashion. Various delay and energy-based routing protocols have been proposed for CRAHNs. However, these protocols do not consider the delay and node energy in the routing process, which can significantly affect performance. Delay and node energy are important factors in ad hoc networks in which devices have limited power. In this paper, we propose a new routing protocol, named low-latency and energy-based routing (L2ER) protocol; it considers both delay and energy for the routing decisions in CRAHNs. The performances of the proposed protocol are evaluated comparing to two other protocols in terms of average throughput, end-to-end delay, packet delivery ratio, and network lifetime. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol performs better than the existing protocols in many aspects.
A Hybrid Approach of Stepwise Regression, Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, and Decision Tree for Forecasting Fraudulent Financial Statements
Authors: Chen Suduan , Goo Yeong-Jia James , Shen Zone-De
Published: September 2014

As the fraudulent financial statement of an enterprise is increasingly serious with each passing day, establishing a valid forecasting fraudulent financial statement model of an enterprise has become an important question for academic research and financial practice. After screening the important variables using the stepwise regression, the study also matches the logistic regression, support vector machine, and decision tree to construct the classification models to make a comparison. The study adopts financial and nonfinancial variables to assist in establishment of the forecasting fraudulent financial statement model. Research objects are the companies to which the fraudulent and nonfraudulent financial statement happened between years 1998 to 2012. The findings are that financial and nonfinancial information are effectively used to distinguish the fraudulent financial statement, and decision tree C5.0 has the best classification effect 85.71%.
Effect of a Mediterranean Diet Intervention on Dietary Glycemic Load and Dietary Glycemic Index: The PREDIMED Study
Authors: Rodríguez-Rejón Ana Isabel , Castro-Quezada Itandehui , Ruano-Rodríguez Cristina , Ruiz-López María Dolores , Sánchez-Villegas Almudena , Toledo Estefanía , Artacho Reyes , Estruch Ramón , Salas-Salvadó Jordi , Covas María Isabel , Corella Dolores , Gómez-Gracia Enrique , Lapetra José , Pintó Xavier , Arós Fernando , Fiol Miquel , Lamuela-Raventós Rosa María , Ruiz-Gutierrez Valentina , Schröder Helmut , Ros Emilio , Martínez-González Miguel Ángel , Serra-Majem Lluis
Published: September 2014

Objective. To compare the one year effect of two dietary interventions with MeDiet on GL and GI in the PREDIMED trial.Methods. Participants were older subjects at high risk for cardiovascular disease. This analysis included 2866 nondiabetic subjects. Diet was assessed with a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The GI of each FFQ item was assigned by a 5-step methodology using the International Tables of GI and GL Values. Generalized linear models were fitted to assess the relationship between the intervention group and dietary GL and GI at one year of follow-up, using control group as reference.Results. Multivariate-adjusted models showed an inverse association between GL and MeDiet + extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) group:β= −8.52 (95% CI: −10.83 to −6.20) and MeDiet + Nuts group:β= −10.34 (95% CI: −12.69 to −8.00), when comparing with control group. Regarding GI,β= −0.93 (95% CI: −1.38 to −0.49) for MeDiet + EVOO,β= −1.06 (95% CI: −1.51 to −0.62) for MeDiet + Nuts when comparing with control group.Conclusion. Dietary intervention with MeDiet supplemented with EVOO or nuts lowers dietary GL and GI.
Adverse Immunoregulatory Effects of 5FU and CPT11 Chemotherapy on Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Colorectal Cancer Outcomes
Authors: Kanterman Julia , Sade-Feldman Moshe , Biton Moshe , Ish-Shalom Eliran , Lasry Audrey , Goldshtein Aviya , Hubert Ayala , Baniyash Michal
Published: September 2014

Colorectal cancer is associated with chronic inflammation and immunosuppression mediated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Although chemotherapy reduces tumor burden at early stages, it tends to have limited effect on a progressive disease, possibly due to adverse effects on the immune system in dictating disease outcome. Here, we show that patients with advanced colorectal cancer display enhanced MDSC levels and reduced CD247 expression and that some conventional colorectal cancer chemotherapy supports the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. A FOLFOX combined therapy reduced immunosuppression, whereas a FOLFIRI combined therapy enhanced immunosuppression. Mechanistic studies in a colorectal cancer mouse model revealed that FOLFIRI-like therapy including the drugs CPT11 and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) damaged host immunocompetence in a manner that limits treatment outcomes. CPT11 blocked MDSC apoptosis and myeloid cell differentiation, increasing MDSC immunosuppressive features and mouse mortality. In contrast, 5FU promoted immune recovery and tumor regression. Thus, CPT11 exhibited detrimental immunoregulatory effects that offset 5FU benefits when administered in combination. Our results highlight the importance of developing therapeutic regimens that can target both the immune system and tumor towards improved personalized treatments for colorectal cancer. Cancer Res; 74(21); 6022–35. ©2014 AACR.