bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Tenofovir on Cytokines and Nucleotidases in HIV-1 Target Cells and the Mucosal Tissue Environment in the Female Reproductive Tract
Authors: Biswas Nabanita , Rodriguez-Garcia Marta , Shen Zheng , Crist Sarah G. , Bodwell Jack E. , Fahey John V. , Wira Charles R.
Published: August 2014

Tenofovir (TFV) is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor used in microbicide preexposure prophylaxis trials to prevent HIV infection. Recognizing that changes in cytokine/chemokine secretion and nucleotidase biological activity can influence female reproductive tract (FRT) immune protection against HIV infection, we tested the hypothesis that TFV regulates immune protection in the FRT. Epithelial cells, fibroblasts, CD4
+
T cells, and CD14
+
cells were isolated from the endometrium (Em), endocervix (Cx), and ectocervix (Ecx) following hysterectomy. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (macrophage inflammatory protein 3α [MIP-3α], interleukin 8 [IL-8], and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]), the expression levels of specific nucleotidases, and nucleotidase biological activities were analyzed in the presence or absence of TFV. TFV influenced mRNA and/or protein cytokines and nucleotidases in a cell- and site-specific manner. TFV significantly enhanced IL-8 and TNF-α secretion by epithelial cells from the Em and Ecx but not from the Cx. In contrast, in response to TFV, IL-8 secretion was significantly decreased in Em and Cx fibroblasts but increased with fibroblasts from the Ecx. When incubated with CD4
+
T cells from the FRT, TFV increased IL-8 (Em and Ecx) and TNF-α (Cx and Ecx) secretion levels. Moreover, when incubated with Em CD14
+
cells, TFV significantly increased MIP-3α, IL-8, and TNF-α secretion levels relative to those of the controls. In contrast, nucleotidase biological activities were significantly decreased by TFV in epithelial (Cx) and CD4
+
T cells (Em) but increased in fibroblasts (Em). Our findings indicate that TFV modulates proinflammatory cytokines, nucleotidase gene expression, and nucleotidase biological activity in epithelial cells, fibroblasts, CD4
+
T cells, and CD14
+
cells at distinct sites within the FRT.
Use of Microdosing and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry To Evaluate the Pharmacokinetic Linearity of a Novel Tricyclic GyrB/ParE Inhibitor in Rats
Authors: Malfatti Michael A. , Lao Victoria , Ramos Courtney L. , Ong Voon S. , Turteltaub Kenneth W.
Published: August 2014

Determining the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of drug candidates is essential for understanding their biological fate. The ability to obtain human PK information early in the drug development process can help determine if future development is warranted. Microdosing was developed to assess human PKs, at ultra-low doses, early in the drug development process. Microdosing has also been used in animals to confirm PK linearity across subpharmacological and pharmacological dose ranges. The current study assessed the PKs of a novel antimicrobial preclinical drug candidate (GP-4) in rats as a step toward human microdosing studies. Dose proportionality was determined at 3 proposed therapeutic doses (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg of body weight), and PK linearity between a microdose and a pharmacological dose was assessed in Sprague-Dawley rats. Plasma PKs over the 3 pharmacological doses were proportional. Over the 10-fold dose range, the maximum concentration in plasma and area under the curve (AUC) increased 9.5- and 15.8-fold, respectively. PKs from rats dosed with a
14
C-labeled microdose versus a
14
C-labeled pharmacological dose displayed dose linearity. In the animals receiving a microdose and the therapeutically dosed animals, the AUCs from time zero to infinity were 2.6 ng · h/ml and 1,336 ng · h/ml, respectively, and the terminal half-lives were 5.6 h and 1.4 h, respectively. When the AUC values were normalized to a dose of 1.0 mg/kg, the AUC values were 277.5 ng · h/ml for the microdose and 418.2 ng · h/ml for the pharmacological dose. This 1.5-fold difference in AUC following a 300-fold difference in dose is considered linear across the dose range. On the basis of the results, the PKs from the microdosed animals were considered to be predictive of the PKs from the therapeutically dosed animals.
Molecular Features of Community-Associated Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Strains in the United States
Authors: Hu Fupin , O'Hara Jessica A. , Rivera Jesabel I. , Doi Yohei
Published: August 2014

We characterized 30 community-associated extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing
Escherichia coli
isolates collected from five hospitals in the United States. Nineteen sequence types were identified. All sequence type 131 (ST131) isolates had the
fimH
30 allele. IncFII-FIA-FIB was the most common replicon type among the
bla
CTX-M
-carrying plasmids, followed by IncFII-FIA and IncA/C. Restriction analysis of the IncFII-FIA-FIB and IncFII-FIA plasmids yielded related profiles for plasmids originating from different hospitals. The plasmids containing
bla
CTX-M
or
bla
SHV
were stably maintained after serial passages.
Tedizolid Population Pharmacokinetics, Exposure Response, and Target Attainment
Authors: Flanagan S. , Passarell J. , Lu Q. , Fiedler-Kelly J. , Ludwig E. , Prokocimer P.
Published: August 2014

Tedizolid phosphate is a novel antibacterial prodrug that is rapidly and extensively converted to its active moiety, tedizolid. We developed a population pharmacokinetics (PK) model for tedizolid using pooled data from seven densely and sparsely sampled clinical trials evaluating oral and intravenous tedizolid. Model-derived exposure estimates were evaluated for relationships to select efficacy and safety outcomes. A two-compartment model with sigmoidal absorption, absolute bioavailability, and linear elimination described the PK data well. Variability was small (clearance, 31% coefficient of variation; volume, 13.4% coefficient of variation), and absolute bioavailability was high (86%). No clinically significant covariate effects on tedizolid PK were found. Based on phase 3 data evaluating 200-mg once-daily tedizolid for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), no relationships were seen between various efficacy outcomes and estimated tedizolid exposure; the estimated exposure range (free-drug area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h at steady state [AUC
ss(0–24)
], 7 to 50 μg · h/ml) in these patients was modest. Safety data modeling, using once-daily doses of up to 400 mg, showed a small increase in the probability of an adverse event with increasing model-estimated tedizolid exposure; no such relationship was observed when specifically evaluating the 200-mg dose. There were no trends in neutrophil or platelet counts with increasing tedizolid exposure. Target attainment simulations for 200-mg tedizolid indicated a 98.31% probability of attaining the target measure (AUC for the free, unbound fraction of a drug [
f
AUC]/MIC = 3) against a
Staphylococcus aureus
strain for which the MIC was ≤0.5 μg/ml. These findings support 200-mg tedizolid once daily as the optimum dose for treatment of ABSSSI.
Acquisition and Evolution of SXT-R391 Integrative Conjugative Elements in the Seventh-Pandemic Vibrio cholerae Lineage
Authors: Spagnoletti Matteo , Ceccarelli Daniela , Rieux Adrien , Fondi Marco , Taviani Elisa , Fani Renato , Colombo Mauro M. , Colwell Rita R. , Balloux François
Published: August 2014

SXT-R391 Integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) are self-transmissible mobile genetic elements able to confer multidrug resistance and other adaptive features to bacterial hosts, including
Vibrio cholerae
, the causative agent of cholera. ICEs are arranged in a mosaic genetic structure composed of a conserved backbone interspersed with variable DNA clusters located in conserved hot spots. In this study, we investigated ICE acquisition and subsequent microevolution in pandemic
V. cholerae
. Ninety-six ICEs were retrieved from publicly available sequence databases from
V. cholerae
clinical strains and were compared to a set of reference ICEs. Comparative genomics highlighted the existence of five main ICE groups with a distinct genetic makeup, exemplified by ICE
Vch
Ind5, ICE
Vch
Moz10, SXT, ICE
Vch
Ind6, and ICE
Vch
Ban11. ICE
Vch
Ind5 (the most frequent element, represented by 70 of 96 elements analyzed) displayed no sequence rearrangements and was characterized by 46 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNP analysis revealed that recent inter-ICE homologous recombination between ICE
Vch
Ind5 and other ICEs circulating in gammaproteobacteria generated ICE
Vch
Moz10, ICE
Vch
Ind6, and ICE
Vch
Ban11. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses indicated that ICE
Vch
Ind5 and SXT were independently acquired by the current pandemic
V. cholerae
O1 and O139 lineages, respectively, within a period of only a few years.

IMPORTANCE
SXT-R391 ICEs have been recognized as key vectors of antibiotic resistance in the seventh-pandemic lineage of
V. cholerae
, which remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity on a global scale. ICEs were acquired only recently in this clade and are acknowledged to be major contributors to horizontal gene transfer and the acquisition of new traits in bacterial species. We have reconstructed the temporal dynamics of SXT-R391 ICE acquisition and spread and have identified subsequent recombination events generating significant diversity in ICEs currently circulating among
V. cholerae
clinical strains. Our results showed that acquisition of SXT-R391 ICEs provided the
V. cholerae
seventh-pandemic lineage not only with a multidrug resistance phenotype but also with a powerful molecular tool for rapidly accessing the pan-genome of a large number of gammaproteobacteria.
Gingival squamous cell carcinoma presenting as periodontal lesion in the mandibular posterior region
Authors: Gupta Renu , Debnath Nitai , Nayak Prathibha Anand , Khandelwal Vishal
Published: August 2014

Gingival squamous cell carcinoma (GSCC) is a relatively rare malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity. It represents less than 10% of diagnosed intraoral carcinoma. Because of its close proximity to the teeth and periodontium, the tumour can mimic tooth-related benign inflammatory conditions. This case report describes a patient diagnosed with GSCC presenting as localised periodontitis.
Disseminated histoplasmosis in an HIV patient with CD4 count of 1 cell/µL
Authors: Tella Sri Harsha , Abuzaid Ahmed
Published: August 2014

We report a case of a young woman with advanced HIV/AIDS who presented with a short duration of fever and shortness of breath, with no recent travel history or previous hospitalisation, accompanied by non-specific abdominal symptoms and suspicious upper gastrointestinal bleed. Her CD4 count was 1 cell/μL raising the suspicious for various opportunistic aetiologies. The initial suspicion was for pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and the patient was treated empirically with antimicrobials. Peripheral smear findings, urinary antigen tests and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were suggestive of disseminated histoplasmosis. PCP was ruled out in BAL. Transabdominal imaging was concerning for periaortic lymphadenopathy raising the suspicion of occult malignancy. Endoscopic evaluation of her digestive tract was unrevealing. Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) confirmed histoplasmosis. She received a liposomal amphotericin B for 10 days followed by itraconazole with significant improvement. Her CD4 count was found to be the lowest reported count with a single opportunistic pathogen.
Quality of life in relation to the traffic pollution indicators NO2and NOx: results from the Swedish GA2LEN survey
Authors: Sommar Johan Nilsson , Ek Alexandra , Middelveld Roelinde , Bjerg Anders , Dahlén Sven-Erik , Janson Christer , Forsberg Bertil
Published: August 2014

Background

Asthma is a chronic disease that may affect daily activities and quality of life. Asthmatics have higher incidence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma is associated with sinonasal inflammation and nasal symptoms, that all impair quality of life. Worsening of asthma has been found associated with levels of nitrogen dioxide as traffic indicator.

Aims

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of traffic pollution indicated by nitrogen oxides (NO2and NOx) on quality of life in asthmatic persons, individuals with CRS and controls.

Methods

Within the Swedish Ga2len (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network), 605 asthmatics with and without CRS, 110 individuals with CRS only and 226 controls from four cities were surveyed. The mini Asthma Quality of life Questionnaire (mAQLQ) and the Euro Quality of Life (EQ-5D) health questionnaire were used. Air pollution concentrations at the home address were modelled using dispersion models.

Results

Levels of NO2(geometric mean 10.1 μg/m3(95% CI 9.80 to 10.5) and NOx(12.1 μg/m3, 11.7 to 12.6) were similar among conditions (controls, asthmatics, individuals with CRS and asthmatics with CRS). The mAQLQ overall score was not found associated with levels of NO2or NOx, with or without adjustments, and neither was scores within each of the four domains of mAQLQ: symptoms, activity limitations, emotional functions and effects of environmental stimuli. The mean EQ-5D index value, based on the five dimensions mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety depression, was also found unrelated to NO2and NOx.

Conclusions

At moderate exposure levels traffic pollution appears not to affect quality of life.
Temporal Lorentzian spectral triples
Authors: Franco Nicolas
Published: August 2014

We present the notion of temporal Lorentzian spectral triple which is an extension of the notion of pseudo-Riemannian spectral triple with a way to ensure that the signature of the metric is Lorentzian. A temporal Lorentzian spectral triple corresponds to a specific 3 + 1 decomposition of a possibly noncommutative Lorentzian space. This structure introduces a notion of global time in noncommutative geometry. As an example, we construct a temporal Lorentzian spectral triple over a Moyal–Minkowski spacetime. We show that, when time is commutative, the algebra can be extended to unbounded elements. Using such an extension, it is possible to define a Lorentzian distance formula between pure states with a well-defined noncommutative formulation.
A CORRELATIVE TWO-STEP APPROACH TO HALLUCINATING FACES
Authors: LIU HUANXI , ZHU TIANHONG
Published: August 2014

Face hallucination is to synthesize high-resolution face image from the input low-resolution one. Although many two-step learning-based face hallucination approaches have been developed, they suffer from the expensive computational cost due to the separate calculation of the global and local models. To overcome this problem, we propose a correlative two-step learning-based face hallucination approach which bridges the gap between the global model and the local model. In the global phase, we build a global face hallucination framework by combining the steerable pyramid decomposition and the reconstruction. In the residue compensation phase, based on the combination weights and constituent samples obtained in the global phase, a residue face image is synthesized by the neighbor reconstruction algorithm to compensate the hallucinated global face image with subtle facial features. The ultimate hallucinated result is synthesized by adding the residue face image to the global face image. Compared with existing methods, in the global phase, our global face image is more similar to the original high-resolution face image. Furthermore, in the residue compensation phase, we use the combination weights and constituent samples obtained in the global phase to compute the residue face image, by which the computational efficiency can be greatly improved without compromising the quality of facial details. The experimental results and comparisons demonstrate that our approach can not only generate convincible high-resolution face images efficiently, but also has high computational efficiency. Furthermore, our proposed approach can be used to restore the damaged face images in image inpainting. The efficacy of our approach is validated by recovering the damaged face images with visually good results.
Turkish Airlines: Fast Growing Star of Skies
Authors: Günerergin Mert , Günay Gonca , Çelikdemir Feride Deniz Zaptçıoğlu , Sağnak Muhittin
Published: August 2014

Turkish Airlines was founded in 1933 as Turkey's first flight carrier under the Ministry of Defense. In 1956, it was reorganized and operated under special legislation and renamed Türk Hava Yolları A.O. Since this time, it has continuously expanded its fleet. Under successful growth strategies, Turkish Airlines had added new flight destinations and aircrafts to enhance its values. Turkish Airlines decided to join the Star Alliance on 4 August. It had been nominated “The Best Airline” in its region and received the Aircraft Finance Journal's “2008 European Deal of the Year” award for the financing of aircraft. Turkish Airlines is known for its impeccable service, flight safety and connectivity worldwide. With its global headquarters in Istanbul, it is a gateway between east and west.

In recent years, Turkish Airlines had achieved 12% growth in its operating profits and 15% growth in its sales revenues. The number of aircraft grew by 4%, from 127 to 132. International routes accounted for 79% and domestic routes 21% of revenues from scheduled services. Turkish Airlines had established the Anadolu Jet brand and transported 13.4 million passengers to 119 destinations in 5 continents. Turkish Airlines had kept growing even during the economic crisis. This case examines the vision and mission of Turkish Airlines and its growth strategies. It also examines the marketing strategies used to pursue growth.
Internationalization of Boost Juice to Malaysia
Authors: Menzies Jane L. , Orr Stuart C.
Published: August 2014

This case describes the process that the Australian juice retail chain, Boost Juice, has used to internationalize to Malaysia. The main objective of this case is to demonstrate good practice in regard to internationalization. The case provides the background of the juice bar industry in Malaysia and determines that it is an attractive market for new start-up juice bars. An analysis of Boost Juice's capability determined that the company utilized the skills of its staff, product innovations, branding and marketing as core competencies to support its internationalization into Malaysia. In particular, the company's distinctive capabilities of organizational flexibility, management skill, brand and communication enabled it to convert these core competencies into competitive advantage and secure market share in Malaysia. The Boost Juice franchise process is analysed and the control and management tools that Boost Juice utilized to support its internationalization into Malaysia are identified.
How to Avoid Herd Behavior: A Stochastic Multi-Choice Scheduling Algorithm and Parameters Analysis in Grid Scheduling
Authors: Yang Haijun , Zheng Qinghua , Li Minqiang , Sun Yuzhong
Published: August 2014

Large distributed systems, such as grid computing and cloud computing, promise to supply users with high performance. Consequently, scheduling is currently becoming a crucial problem. Herd behavior is a common phenomenon which causes severe performance decrease in the systems caused by bad scheduling behaviors. In this paper, based on the theoretical results of the homogeneous balls and bins model, it is proposed that a new and unique stochastic algorithm is used to avoid herd behavior. Experiments address that the multi-choice strategy can decrease herd behavior in large-scale sharing environment, at the same time providing increased scheduling performance and causing less scheduling burden than greedy algorithms. Distributed Hash Table (DHT) is used to organize grid computing resources. In the case of 1000 resources, the simulations show that for the heavy load (i.e., system utilization rate 0.5), the multi-choice algorithm reduces the number of incurred herds by a factor of 36, the average job waiting time by a factor of 8, and the average job turn-around time by 12% compared to the greedy algorithm. Moreover, in the cases of 2000 and 4000 nodes, two parameters (replica and d-group) are analyzed based on how they affect the performance of the algorithm. It is observed that there is an inflexion in the performance curve. Finally, a theoretic analysis of the algorithm performance is presented.
A geometric method of constructing exact solutions in modified f(R, T)-gravity with Yang–Mills and Higgs interactions
Authors: Vacaru Sergiu I. , Veliev Elşen Veli , Yazici Enis
Published: August 2014

We show that geometric techniques can be elaborated and applied for constructing generic off-diagonal exact solutions in f(R, T)-modified gravity for systems of gravitational-Yang–Mills–Higgs equations. The corresponding classes of metrics and generalized connections are determined by generating and integration functions which depend, in general, on all space and time coordinates and may possess, or not, Killing symmetries. For nonholonomic constraints resulting in Levi-Civita configurations, we can extract solutions of the Einstein–Yang–Mills–Higgs equations. We show that the constructions simplify substantially for metrics with at least one Killing vector. Some examples of exact solutions describing generic off-diagonal modifications to black hole/ellipsoid and solitonic configurations are provided and analyzed.
Interactions Between Graphene Oxide and Rare Earth Metal Ion La(III)
Authors: Wang Yuexin , Lin Gui , Meng Qing , Zhang Qian , Mark James E.
Published: August 2014

Hybrid graphene oxide (GO) with metal ions have become very promising for many applications including catalyst, thermal conductive paper, magnetic devices, energy storage and electronics. In this paper, GO was mixed with trivalent rare earth ions, LaCl 3 to prepare GO/ LaCl 3 hybrid composites. The GO/ LaCl 3 hybrid composites were tunable by controlling the ratio of LaCl 3 to GO. The interaction between GO and LaCl 3 includes the coordination of La 3+ with carboxyl groups at the edges of GO, the coordination of La 3+ with epoxides and hydroxyls, and the electrostatic force between La 3+ and aromatic bonds of GO. The La 3+ preferred the coordination with the oxygen-containing groups of GO sheets first. However, the electrostatic absorption of La 3+ was the main factor that controls the deposit of GO/ LaCl 3 composites. The GO/ LaCl 3 hybrid structures were also investigated.
FEYNMAN AND FREUD, WHAT GRADUATE SCHOOLS DO NOT TEACH YOU
Authors: DERMAN EMANUEL
Published: August 2014

For the last few months I have been teaching financial engineering at Columbia University, where I have been struck again by the difference between what can be taught in school and what can be learned on the job. Most of my quant generation arrived on Wall Street ignorant of financial theory; we began to learn its principles under the duress of having to quickly do something practical for someone on a desk. Nowadays there is an entire industry devoted to quant training. But in many ways quantization still requires apprenticeship, and so, for a recent conference talk, I tried to think about some of the things you discover when you finally put your training into practice.
BANKING AND THE ADVANTAGE OF HEDGING
Authors: BROLL UDO , WAHL JACK
Published: August 2014

In this paper, we study how a competitive banking firm can use a variable deposit rate to insure against profit risk from risky assets and how the utility of the bank manager is affected by this kind of risk management policy. Furthermore, we study the advantage of a risk management policy which is based on financial hedging. Finally, we answer the question which of these risk management policies the bank manager prefers.
MANAGING CREDIT RISK WITH CREDIT DERIVATIVES
Authors: BROLL UDO , GILROY B. MICHAEL , LUKAS ELMAR
Published: August 2014

Credit risk is one of the most important forms of risk faced by national and international banks as financial intermediaries. Managing this kind of risk through selecting and monitoring corporate and sovereign borrowers and through creating a diversified loan portfolio has always been one of the predominant challenges in bank management. The aim of our study is to examine how a risky loan portfolio affects optimal bank behavior in the loan and deposit markets, when derivatives to hedge credit risk are available. In a stochastic continuous-time framework a hedging model is developed where the bank management can use derivatives to hedge credit risk. Optimal loan, deposit and hedging strategies are then studied. It is shown that the magnitude and the direction of hedging are determined by the bank manager's preferences, the corresponding risk premium and the variance of the loan rate and its hedging instrument respectively.
VOLATILITY DYNAMICS IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES: FURTHER EVIDENCE FROM THE MALAYSIAN RINGGIT AND SINGAPORE DOLLAR
Authors: HO KIN-YIP , TSUI ALBERT K
Published: August 2014

The evolution of volatility and correlation patterns of the Malaysian ringgit (MYR) and the Singapore dollar (SGD) are analyzed in this paper. Our approach can simultaneously capture the empirical regularities of persistent and asymmetric effects in volatility and time-varying correlations of financial time series. Consistent with the results of (1997), there is only some weak support for asymmetric volatility in the case of the MYR when the two currencies are measured against the US dollar (USD). However, there is strong evidence that depreciation shocks have a greater impact on future volatility levels compared with appreciation shocks of the same magnitude when both currencies measured against the yen. Moreover, evidence of time-varying correlation is highly significant when both currencies are measured against the yen. Regardless of the choice of the numeraire currency and the volatility models, shocks to exchange rate volatility are found to be significantly persistent.
THAI FIRMS' HISTORIES AND THEIR CAPITAL STRUCTURE
Authors: LAW TAK YAN , CHONG TERENCE TAI-LEUNG
Published: August 2014

This paper examines the impacts of profitability, stock price performance and growth opportunity on the capital structure of firms in Thailand. The methodology of Kayhan and Titman (2007) is applied to model the dynamics of debt ratios. The results suggest that the leverage ratios of Thai firms do adjust towards their target levels. The deviations from the target due to the pecking-order and market timing effects are found to be significant. In contrast to Kayhan and Titman (2007), our results show that the market timing behavior does not persist.
The Eoarchaean foundation of the North Atlantic Craton
Authors: Lancaster Penelope J. , Storey Craig D. , Hawkesworth Chris J.
Published: August 2014

The Archaean North Atlantic Craton underpins much of North America, Greenland and northern Europe, and incorporates the Earth's oldest extant continental crust. This paper reviews the current understanding of the region's crustal evolution, and considers our ability to investigate interrelationships between different fragments of the North Atlantic Craton. Detrital zircons from Mesoproterozoic to Cambrian basal sediments in NW Scotland have been re-examined in light of new data from the Archaean Tarbet supracrustal unit and the Palaeoproterozoic Rubha Ruadh granite. Hf model ages are recorded from 4160 to 1410 Ma, peaking at
c.
3350 Ma, and are associated with U–Pb crystallization ages from 3670 to 1070 Ma, peaking at
c.
2700 and 1700 Ma. The Rubha Ruadh granite is consistent with partial melting of Northern Region basement without contamination by juvenile magmas or supracrustal material, while the Tarbet Supracrustals record a minimum model age of
c.
3200 Ma. Each of these units records Hf model ages that imply remelting of Eoarchaean (4000–3600 Ma) crust. Similar distributions of crystallization and model ages have been identified around the North Atlantic Craton, suggesting that Eoarchaean crust was once extensive in the region and constitutes the foundation of both Scotland and the North Atlantic Craton.

Supplementary material:

All new zircon U–Pb-Hf-O data from this study are available at
www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18776
.
Blood lipids affect rat islet blood flow regulation through β3-adrenoceptors
Authors: Lai Enyin , Pettersson Ulrika , Verdugo Alberto Delgado , Carlsson Per-Ola , Bodin Birgitta , Källskog Örjan , Persson A. Erik G. , Sandberg Monica , Jansson Leif
Published: August 2014

Pancreatic islet blood perfusion varies according to the needs for insulin secretion. We examined the effects of blood lipids on pancreatic islet blood flow in anesthetized rats. Acute administration of Intralipid to anesthetized rats increased both triglycerides and free fatty acids, associated with a simultaneous increase in total pancreatic and islet blood flow. A preceding abdominal vagotomy markedly potentiated this and led acutely to a 10-fold increase in islet blood flow associated with a similar increase in serum insulin concentrations. The islet blood flow and serum insulin response could be largely prevented by pretreatment with propranolol and the selective β3-adrenergic inhibitor SR-59230A. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester prevented the blood flow increase but was less effective in reducing serum insulin. Increased islet blood flow after Intralipid administration was also seen in islet and whole pancreas transplanted rats, i.e., models with different degrees of chronic islet denervation, but the effect was not as pronounced. In isolated vascularly perfused single islets Intralipid dilated islet arterioles, but this was not affected by SR-59230A. Both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system are important for the coordination of islet blood flow and insulin release during hyperlipidemia, with a previously unknown role for β3-adrenoceptors.
Comparison of the Effects of Maternal Supportive Care and Acupressure (BL32 Acupoint) on Pregnant Women’s Pain Intensity and Delivery Outcome
Authors: Akbarzadeh Marzieh , Masoudi Zahra , Hadianfard Mohammad Javad , Kasraeian Maryam , Zare Najaf
Published: August 2014

Delivery is considered as one of the most painful experiences of women’s life. The present study aimed to compare the effects of supportive care and acupressure on the pregnant women’s pain intensity and delivery outcome. In this experimental study, 150 pregnant women were randomly divided into supportive care, acupressure, and control groups. The intensity of pain was measured using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The supportive care group received both physical and emotional cares. In the acupressure group, on the other hand, BL32 acupoint was pressed during the contractions. Then, the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed significant difference among the three groups regarding the intensity of pain after the intervention (P<0.001). Besides, the highest rate of natural vaginal delivery was observed in the supportive care group (94%) and the acupressure group (92%), while the highest rate of cesarean delivery was related to the control group (40%) and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The results showed that maternal supportive care and acupressure during labor reduced the intensity of pain and improved the delivery outcomes. Therefore, these methods can be introduced to the medical team as effective strategies for decreasing delivery pain. This trial is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trial CodeIRCT2014011011706N5.
Negative Regulation of GADD34 on Myofibroblasts during Cutaneous Wound Healing
Authors: Liu Lintao , Nishio Naomi , Ito Sachiko , Tanaka Yuriko , Isobe Ken-ichi
Published: August 2014

The growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein, GADD34, has been proved to be involved in TGF-βsignaling pathway and correlates with cell death, which are two important mechanisms in regulating myofibroblast differentiation and apoptosis during tissue repair. But roles of GADD34 in myofibroblasts differentiation and apoptosis remain unknown. To investigate the function of GADD34 in these processes, we subjected WT and GADD34−/−mice to dermal wound healing. Here we show that GADD34−/−mice exhibited accelerated wound closure compared with WT mice. In addition, GADD34−/−mice showed increased number of myofibroblasts, elevated collagen production, and decreased cell apoptosis during wound healing. Moreover, we found that GADD34−/−mice showed increased phosphorylation of Smad3 and lower level of cleaved caspase-3. Thus these results indicate that GADD34 appears to suppress myofibroblast differentiation through inhibiting Smad3-dependent TGFβsignal pathway and promote its apoptosis by activating caspase-3 pathway.
Parameterized Hilbert-Type Integral Inequalities in the Whole Plane
Authors: Huang Qiliang , Wu Shanhe , Yang Bicheng
Published: August 2014

By the use of the way of real analysis, we estimate the weight functions and give some new Hilbert-type integral inequalities in the whole plane with nonhomogeneous kernels and multiparameters. The constant factors related to the hypergeometric function and the beta function are proved to be the best possible. We also consider the equivalent forms, the reverses, and some particular cases in the homogeneous kernels.
QoS-Aware Multiobjective Optimization Algorithm for Web Services Selection with Deadline and Budget Constraints
Authors: Han Xianzhong , Yuan Yingchun , Chen Chen , Wang Kejian
Published: August 2014

The problem of QoS-aware multiobjective optimization is an important issue for Web services selection in distributed computing environment. In this paper, a novel algorithm called MOASS (multiobjective optimization algorithm for web service selection) is proposed through analyzing the genetic operators such as constraint handling, the initial population generation, fitness assignment, and diversity preservation. Compared with MOEAWP (Yu et al., 2007), simulation results show that the feasible objective region can be filled uniformly with the optimal solutions obtained by MOASS under different test applications. In the case of higher constraints especially, MOASS can obtain more high-quality and evenly distributed nondominated solutions than MOEAWP.
Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Microwave Heating for Hybrid Solar Cell Applications
Authors: Martínez-Alonso Claudia , Rodríguez-Castañeda Carlos A. , Moreno-Romero Paola , Coria-Monroy C. Selene , Hu Hailin
Published: August 2014

Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS-n) are excellent electron acceptor for hybrid solar cell applications. However, the particle size and properties of the CdS-n products depend largely on the synthesis methodologies. In this work, CdS-n were synthetized by microwave heating using thioacetamide (TA) or thiourea (TU) as sulfur sources. The obtained CdS-n(TA) showed a random distribution of hexagonal particles and contained TA residues. The latter could originate the charge carrier recombination process and cause a low photovoltage (Voc, 0.3 V) in the hybrid solar cells formed by the inorganic particles and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Under similar synthesis conditions, in contrast, CdS-n synthesized with TU consisted of spherical particles with similar size and contained carbonyl groups at their surface. CdS-n(TU) could be well dispersed in the nonpolar P3HT solution, leading to aVocof about 0.6–0.8 V in the resulting CdS-n(TU) : P3HT solar cells. The results of this work suggest that the reactant sources in microwave methods can affect the physicochemical properties of the obtained inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles, which finally influenced the photovoltaic performance of related hybrid solar cells.
Chronic Heroin Dependence Leading to Adrenal Insufficiency
Authors: Das Gautam
Published: August 2014

Opioids have been the mainstay for pain relief and palliation over a long period of time. They are commonly abused by drug addicts and such dependence usually imparts severe physiologic effects on multiple organ systems. The negative impact of opioids on the endocrine system is poorly understood and often underestimated. We describe a patient who developed severe suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis leading to secondary adrenal insufficiency due to long standing abuse of opioids.
The Impeller Improvement of the Centrifugal Pump Based on BVF Diagnostic Method
Authors: Zhou Xin , Zhang Yongxue , Ji Zhongli , Chen Long
Published: August 2014

Selecting one IS 150-125-250 centrifugal pump as reference model, impeller with 3D blades has been designed using two-dimensional theory. Numerical simulations using Reynolds averaged N-S equations with a RNG k-ε two-equation turbulence model and log-law wall function are used to estimate the hydraulic performance of pump and obtain BVF distributions on impeller blade pressure surfaces and suction surfaces. The results show that, compared with IS150-125-250 pump, the designed one shows better performance in a wide operation range with the maximal efficiency 2.8% increase. With the help of boundary vorticity flux diagnostic, further improvement is realized. Local defect areas on blade surfaces are identified and inlet blade angle distribution modification and wrapping angle change of designed impeller are carried out on local defect areas. The vortices that exist in designed impeller disappear after modification and it flows more smoothly in the modified impeller with slight hydraulic performance improvement than in the original designed one. BVF diagnostic can be further embedded in optimal design method to perform an automatic optimal design without manual trial-and-error procedures.
Children’s and Adolescents’ Processing of Temporary Syntactic Ambiguity: An Eye Movement Study
Authors: Engelhardt Paul E.
Published: August 2014

This study examined the eye movements of 24 children and adolescents as they read sentences containing temporary syntactic ambiguities. Prior research suggested that children primarily use grammatical information when making initial parsing decisions, and they tend to disregard semantic and contextual information. On each trial, participants read a garden path sentence (e.g., While the storm blew the boat sat in the shed), and, afterwards, they answered a comprehension question (e.g., Did the storm blow the boat?). The design was 2 × 2 (verb type × ambiguity) repeated measures. Verb type was optionally transitive or reflexive, and sentences were ambiguous or unambiguous. Results showed no differences in first pass reading times at the disambiguating verb (e.g., sat). However, regressions did show a significant interaction. The unambiguous-reflexive condition had approximately half the number of regressions, suggesting less processing difficulty in this condition. Developmentally, we found that adolescents had significantly better comprehension, which seemed to be linked to the increased tendency to regress from the disambiguating word. Findings are consistent with the assumption that the processing architecture is more restricted in children compared to adolescents. In addition, results indicated that variance in ambiguity resolution was associated with interference control but not working memory.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Nickel Diselenide NiSe2 from the Decomposition of Nickel Acetate, (CH3CO2)2Ni
Authors: Yin Ming , O’Brien Stephen
Published: August 2014

Solution processed NiSe2 nanorods were synthesized by a modified colloidal synthesis technique, by chemical reaction of TOPSe and nickel acetate at 150°C. The rods exist as an oleic acid ligand stabilized solution, with oleic acid acting as a capping group. Structural characterization by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy indicates that the particles are rod‐like shaped crystals with a high and relatively constant aspect ratio (30 : 1). TEM shows that the width and the length of the nanorods are in the range 10–20 nm and 300–350 nm, respectively. XRD indicates that the nanorods are pure and well crystallized. The size of nanorods based on the Debye‐Scherrer effect, was 150 nm, the average value of length and width. They display thermal stability over prolonged heating times (<100 hours) at 150°C, for which the average particle size is roughly constant. After about 100 hours of heating time there is an onset and growth of micron sized cubes and concurrent decomposition of NiSe2 to Ni and NiSe at 150°C.
The Effect of Interventional Program on Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Pregnant Women in Ahvaz, Iran
Authors: Ansari Somayeh , Abedi Parvin , Hasanpoor Shirin , Bani Soheila
Published: August 2014

Objective. This study aimed to determine the effect of educational program on Breastfeeding self-efficacy and duration of exclusive breastfeeding in pregnant women in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods. This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 120 nulliparous pregnant women who tended to breastfeed. The primary self-efficacy scores of samples were measured using Faux and Dennis breastfeeding self-efficacy questionnaire. Women were randomly recruited into two intervention and control groups. Educational program (two training sessions, each lasted two hours) with two days interval was performed for intervention group. One month after delivery, self-efficacy scores were determined. Six months after child birth, duration of exclusive breastfeeding was assessed. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings. The breastfeeding self-efficacy in the intervention group increased significantly compared to the control group one month after delivery (123.6 versus 101.7, P<0.001). The duration of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly higher in the intervention group (5.03 mo versus 2.7 mo, P<0.001). Also, there was a significant relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and duration of exclusive breastfeeding (P<0.001). Conclusion. The educational program could increase the self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding duration of mothers. These results can draw the attention of authorities to the importance of educational programs for mothers regarding the exclusive breastfeeding.
Asymptotic Behavior of the Coupled Nonlinear Schrödinger Lattice System
Authors: Li Hengyan , Zhao Xin
Published: August 2014

This paper studies asymptotic behavior of solutions for the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger lattice system. We obtain the existence and stability of compact attractor by means of tail estimates method and finite-dimensional approximations.
Initiating the Effective Unification of Black Hole Horizon Area and Entropy Quantization with Quasi-Normal Modes
Authors: Corda C. , Hendi S. H. , Katebi R. , Schmidt N. O.
Published: August 2014

Black hole (BH) area quantization may be the key to unlocking a unifying theory of quantum gravity (QG). Surmounting evidence in the field of BH research continues to support a horizon (surface) area with a discrete and uniformly spaced spectrum, but there is still no general agreement on the level spacing. In the specialized and important BH case study, our objective is to report and examine the pertinent groundbreaking work of thestrictly thermal and nonstrictly thermalspectrum level spacing of the BH horizon area quantization with included entropy calculations, which aims to tackle this gigantic problem. In particular, such work exemplifies a series of imperative corrections that eventually permits a BH’s horizon area spectrum to begeneralizedfrom strictly thermal to nonstrictly thermal with entropy results, thereby capturing multiple preceding developments by launching an effective unification between them. Moreover, the results are significant because quasi-normal modes (QNM) and “effective states” characterize the transitions between the established levels of the nonstrictly thermal spectrum.
An Inversion-Free Method for Finding Positive Definite Solution of a Rational Matrix Equation
Authors: Soleymani Fazlollah , Sharifi Mahdi , Karimi Vanani Solat , Khaksar Haghani Farhad , Kılıçman Adem
Published: August 2014

A new iterative scheme has been constructed for finding minimal solution of a rational matrix equation of the formX+A*X-1A=I. The new method is inversion-free per computing step. The convergence of the method has been studied and tested via numerical experiments.
Effects of Acid Characteristics of Nanoporous MCM‐48 on the Pyrolysis Product Distribution of Waste Pepper Stem
Authors: Park Young-Kwon , Yoo Myung Lang , Park Sung Hoon
Published: August 2014

Nanoporous catalysts Si‐MCM‐48 and Al‐MCM‐48 were applied for the first time to the catalytic pyrolysis of waste pepper stem. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted at 550°C using Py‐GC/MS to examine the product distribution rapidly. Phenolics were shown to be the most abundant product species of noncatalytic pyrolysis, whereas aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were produced marginally. On the other hand, much larger quantities of furans and aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were produced from the catalytic pyrolysis over MCM‐48, while the production of phenolics was suppressed significantly. Al‐MCM‐48 showed a much higher catalytic activity than Si‐MCM‐48, which was attributed to its much higher acidity. The results of this study indicate that valuable chemicals can be produced from waste pepper stem using catalytic pyrolysis over an acidic nanoporous catalyst.
Distance from Bloch-Type Functions to the Analytic SpaceF(p,q,s)
Authors: Yuan Cheng , Tong Cezhong
Published: August 2014

The analytic spaceF(p,q,s)can be embedded into a Bloch-type space. We establish a distance formula from Bloch-type functions toF(p,q,s), which generalizes the distance formula from Bloch functions to BMOA by Peter Jones, and toF(p,p-2,s)by Zhao.
Renal Medullary Carcinoma: Case Report of an Aggressive Malignancy with Near-Complete Response to Dose-Dense Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Cisplatin Chemotherapy
Authors: Amjad Ali Imran , Ali Hira , Appleman Leonard J. , Maranchie Jodi , Jackman Stephen , Parwani Anil , Dhir Rajiv , Roy Somak , Parikh Rahul A.
Published: August 2014

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy affecting young individuals with sickle cell trait. Renal medullary carcinoma commonly presents with advanced or metastatic disease and is associated with a rapidly progressive clinical course and an extremely short overall survival measured in weeks to few months. Due to the rarity of RMC, there is no proven effective therapy and patients are often treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. We report near-complete radiological and pathological response in a patient treated with dose-dense MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) chemotherapy. The patient underwent consolidation nephrectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and had a 16-month progression-free survival, one of the longest reported in patients with RMC.
Dissipative Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation for Envelope Solitary Rossby Waves with Dissipation Effect in Stratified Fluids and Its Solution
Authors: Shi Yunlong , Yin Baoshu , Yang Hongwei , Yang Dezhou , Xu Zhenhua
Published: August 2014

We solve the so-called dissipative nonlinear Schrödinger equation by means of multiple scales analysis and perturbation method to describe envelope solitary Rossby waves with dissipation effect in stratified fluids. By analyzing the evolution of amplitude of envelope solitary Rossby waves, it is found that the shear of basic flow, Brunt-Vaisala frequency, andβeffect are important factors to form the envelope solitary Rossby waves. By employing trial function method, the asymptotic solution of dissipative nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived. Based on the solution, the effect of dissipation on the evolution of envelope solitary Rossby wave is also discussed. The results show that the dissipation causes a slow decrease of amplitude of envelope solitary Rossby waves and a slow increase of width, while it has no effect on the propagation velocity. That is quite different from the KdV-type solitary waves. It is notable that dissipation has certain influence on the carrier frequency.