bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust intrinsic differences in mitochondrial respiration and H2O2 emission between L6 and C2C12 cells
Authors: Robinson Matthew M. , Sather Bergen K. , Burney Emily R. , Ehrlicher Sarah E. , Stierwalt Harrison D. , Franco Maria Clara , Newsom Sean A.
Published: May 2019

Rat L6 and mouse C2C12 cell lines are commonly used to investigate myocellular metabolism. Mitochondrial characteristics of these cell lines remain poorly understood despite mitochondria being implicated in the development of various metabolic diseases. To address this need, we performed high-resolution respirometry to determine rates of oxygen consumption and H2O2 emission in suspended myoblasts during multiple substrate-uncoupler-inhibitor titration protocols. The capacity for oxidative phosphorylation supported by glutamate and malate, with and without succinate, or supported by palmitoyl-l-carnitine was lower in L6 compared with C2C12 myoblasts (all P < 0.01 for L6 vs. C2C12). Conversely, H2O2 emission during oxidative phosphorylation was greater in L6 than C2C12 myoblasts ( P < 0.01 for L6 vs. C2C12). Induction of noncoupled respiration revealed a significantly greater electron transfer capacity in C2C12 compared with L6 myoblasts, regardless of the substrate(s) provided. Mitochondrial metabolism was also investigated in differentiated L6 and C2C12 myotubes. Basal rates of oxygen consumption were not different between intact, adherent L6, and C2C12 myotubes; however, noncoupled respiration was significantly lower in L6 compared with C2C12 myotubes ( P = 0.01). In summary, L6 myoblasts had lower respiration rates than C2C12 myoblasts, including lesser capacity for fatty acid oxidation and greater electron leak toward H2O2. L6 cells also retain a lower capacity for electron transfer compared with C2C12 following differentiation to form fused myotubes. Intrinsic differences in mitochondrial metabolism between these cell lines should be considered when modeling and investigating myocellular metabolism.
Demembranated skeletal and cardiac fibers produce less force with altered cross-bridge kinetics in a mouse model for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2i
Authors: Fenwick Axel J. , Awinda Peter O. , Yarbrough-Jones Jacob A. , Eldridge Jennifer A. , Rodgers Buel D. , Tanner Bertrand C. W.
Published: May 2019

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2i (LGMD2i) is a dystroglycanopathy that compromises myofiber integrity and primarily reduces power output in limb muscles but can influence cardiac muscle as well. Previous studies of LGMD2i made use of a transgenic mouse model in which a proline-to-leucine (P448L) mutation in fukutin-related protein severely reduces glycosylation of α-dystroglycan. Muscle function is compromised in P448L mice in a manner similar to human patients with LGMD2i. In situ studies reported lower maximal twitch force and depressed force-velocity curves in medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles from male P448L mice. Here, we measured Ca2+-activated force generation and cross-bridge kinetics in both demembranated MG fibers and papillary muscle strips from P448L mice. Maximal activated tension was 37% lower in MG fibers and 18% lower in papillary strips from P448L mice than controls. We also found slightly faster rates of cross-bridge recruitment and detachment in MG fibers from P448L than control mice. These increases in skeletal cross-bridge cycling could reduce the unitary force output from individual cross bridges by lowering the ratio of time spent in a force-bearing state to total cycle time. This suggests that the decreased force production in LGMD2i may be due (at least in part) to altered cross-bridge kinetics. This finding is notable, as the majority of studies germane to muscular dystrophies have focused on sarcolemma or whole muscle properties, whereas our findings suggest that the disease pathology is also influenced by potential downstream effects on cross-bridge behavior.
In utero tobacco smoke exposure alters lung inflammation, viral clearance, and CD8+T-cell responses in neonatal mice infected with respiratory syncytial virus
Authors: Cheemarla Nagarjuna R. , Uche Ifeanyi K. , McBride Kaitlin , Naidu Shan , Guerrero-Plata Antonieta
Published: May 2019

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure of infants to cigarette smoke are strongly associated with adverse health effects in childhood including higher susceptibility to respiratory viral infections. Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the most important cause of lower respiratory tract infection among young infants. Exacerbation of respiratory disease, including HRSV bronchiolitis and higher susceptibility to HRSV infection, is well correlated with previous smoke exposure. The mechanisms of recurrence and susceptibility to viral pathogens after passive smoke exposure are multifactorial and include alteration of the structural and immunologic host defenses. In this work, we used a well-established mouse model of in utero smoke exposure to investigate the effect of in utero smoke exposure in HRSV-induced pathogenesis. Sample analysis indicated that in utero exposure led to increased lung inflammation characterized by an increased influx of neutrophils to the airways of the infected mice and a delayed viral clearance. On the other hand, decreased HRSV-specific CD8+T-cell response was observed. These findings indicate that cigarette smoke exposure during pregnancy alters HRSV-induced disease as well as several aspects of the neonatal immune responses.
Superoxide increases surface NKCC2 in the rat thick ascending limbs via PKC
Authors: Haque Mohammed Ziaul , Ortiz Pablo A.
Published: May 2019

The apical Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC2) mediates NaCl reabsorption by the thick ascending limb (TAL). The free radical superoxide ([Formula: see text]) stimulates TAL NaCl absorption by enhancing NKCC2 activity. In contrast, nitric oxide (NO) scavenges [Formula: see text] and inhibits NKCC2. NKCC2 activity depends on the number of NKCC2 transporters in the TAL apical membrane and its phosphorylation. We hypothesized that [Formula: see text] stimulates NKCC2 activity by enhancing apical surface NKCC2 expression. We measured surface NKCC2 expression in rat TALs by surface biotinylation and Western blot analysis. Treatment of TALs with [Formula: see text] produced by exogenous xanthine oxidase (1 mU/ml) and hypoxanthine (500 µM) stimulated surface NKCC2 expression by ~18 ± 5% ( P < 0.05). [Formula: see text]-stimulated surface NKCC2 expression was blocked by the [Formula: see text] scavenger tempol (50 µM). Scavenging H2O2 with 100 U/ml catalase did not block the stimulatory effect of xanthine oxidase-hypoxanthine (22 ± 8% increase from control, P < 0.05). Inhibition of endogenous NO production with Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester enhanced surface NKCC2 expression by 21 ± 6% and, when added together with xanthine oxidase-hypoxanthine, increased surface NKCC2 by 41 ± 10% ( P < 0.05). Scavenging [Formula: see text] with superoxide dismutase (300 U/ml) decreased this stimulatory effect by 60% (39 ± 4% to 15 ± 10%, P < 0.05). Protein kinase C inhibition with Gö-6976 (100 nM) blocked [Formula: see text]-stimulated surface NKCC2 expression ( P < 0.05). [Formula: see text] did not affect NKCC2 phosphorylation at Thr96/101 or its upstream kinases STE20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase-oxidative stress-responsive kinase 1. We conclude that [Formula: see text] increases surface NKCC2 expression by stimulating protein kinase C and that this effect is blunted by endogenous NO. [Formula: see text]-stimulated apical trafficking of NKCC2 may be involved in the enhanced surface NKCC2 expression observed in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.
Renal subcapsular transplantation of hepatocyte growth factor-producing mesothelial cell sheets improves ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Miyabe Yoei , Sekiya Sachiko , Sugiura Naoko , Oka Masatoshi , Karasawa Kazunori , Moriyama Takahito , Nitta Kosaku , Shimizu Tatsuya
Published: May 2019

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a clinically important cause of acute kidney injury leading to chronic kidney disease. Furthermore, IRI in renal transplantation still remains a risk factor for delayed graft function. Previous studies on IRI have had some limitations, and few of the studied therapies have been clinically applicable. Therefore, a new method for treating renal IRI is needed. We examined the effects of human mesothelial cell (MC) sheets and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-transgenic MC (tg MC) sheets transplanted under the renal capsule in an IRI rat model and compared these two treatments with the intravenous administration of HGF protein and no treatment through serum, histological, and mRNA analyses over 28 days. MC sheets and HGF-tg MC sheets produced HGF protein and significantly improved acute renal dysfunction, acute tubular necrosis, and survival rate. The improvement in necrosis was likely due to the cell sheets promoting the migration and proliferation of renal tubular cells, as observed in vitro. Expression of α-smooth muscle actin at day 14 and renal fibrosis at day 28 after IRI were significantly suppressed in MC sheet and HGF-tg MC sheet treatment groups compared with the other groups, and these effects tended to be reinforced by the HGF-tg MC sheets. These results suggest that the cell sheets locally and continuously affect renal paracrine factors, such as HGF, and support recovery from acute tubular necrosis and improvement of renal fibrosis in chronic disease.
Efficient Aggregation Processing in the Presence of Duplicately Detected Objects in WSNs
Authors: Min Jun-Ki , Ng Raymond T. , Shim Kyuseok
Published: May 2019

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have received increasing attention in the past decades. Owing to an enhancement of MEMS technology, various types of sensors such as motion detectors, infrared radiation detectors, ultrasonic sensors (sonar), and magnetometers can detect the objects within a certain range. Under such an environment, an object without an identifier can be detected by several sensor nodes. However, existing studies for query processing in WSNs simply assume that the sensing regions of sensors are disjoint. Thus, for query aggregation processing, effective deduplication is vital. In this paper, we propose an approximate but effective aggregate query processing algorithm, called DE-Duplication on the Least Common Ancestor∗ (abbreviated as DELCA∗). In contrast to most existing studies, since we assume that each object does not have a unique identifier, we perform deduplication based on similarity. To recognize the duplicately detected events earlier, we utilize the locality-sensitive hashing (LSH) technique. In addition, since the similarity measures are not generally transitive, we adapt three duplicate semantics. In our experiments, by using a transmission cost model, we demonstrate that our proposed technique is energy-efficient. We also show the accuracy of our proposed technique.
Rs2015 Polymorphism in miRNA Target Site of Sirtuin2 Gene Is Associated with the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease in Chinese Han Population
Authors: Chen Xiongjin , Mai Hui , Chen Xiaoting , Cai Yujie , Cheng Qiufei , Chen Xiaoyi , Li Xiaohui , Fan Weihao , Tang Pei , Ou Mingqian , Yang Jingqi , Chen Yusen , Cui Lili
Published: May 2019

Accumulating evidence reveals that the sirtuin family is involved in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the association between the polymorphisms of the sirtuin gene and the risk of PD remains elusive. Here, we investigated the possible association of nine SIRT1 and SIRT2 SNPs with the risk of PD through a clinical case-control study from the Chinese Han population. Our results showed that rs12778366 in the promoter region of SIRT1 and rs2015 in the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) of the SIRT2 were significantly associated with the risk of PD. Five SNPs related to SIRT1, rs3740051, rs7895833, rs7069102, rs2273773, and rs4746720 and two SNPs related to SIRT2, rs10410544, and rs45592833 did not show an association with PD risk in this study. Moreover, we found that mRNA level of SIRT2 was upregulated, and mRNA level of SIRT1 was downregulated in the peripheral blood of PD patients compared with healthy controls, and we also observed that SNPs rs12778366 and rs2015 influenced the SIRT1 and SIRT2 expression levels, respectively. Further functional assays suggest that rs2015 may affect the expression of SIRT2 by affecting the binding of miR-8061 to the 3′UTR of SIRT2, ultimately contributing to the risk of PD.
5-Azacytidine and Resveratrol Enhance Chondrogenic Differentiation of Metabolic Syndrome-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Modulating Autophagy
Authors: Marycz K. , Houston J. M. Irwin , Weiss C. , Röcken M. , Kornicka K.
Published: May 2019

Recently, metabolic syndrome (MS) has gained attention in human and animal metabolic medicine. Insulin resistance, inflammation, hyperleptinemia, and hyperinsulinemia are critical to its definition. MS is a complex cluster of metabolic risk factors that together exert a wide range of effects on multiple organs, tissues, and cells in the body. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) are multipotent stem cell population residing within the adipose tissue that is inflamed during MS. Studies have indicated that these cells lose their stemness and multipotency during MS, which strongly reduces their therapeutic potential. They suffer from oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial deterioration. Thus, the aim of this study was to rejuvenate these cells in vitro in order to improve their chondrogenic differentiation effectiveness. Pharmacotherapy of ASCs was based on resveratrol and 5-azacytidine pretreatment. We evaluated whether those substances are able to reverse aged phenotype of metabolic syndrome-derived ASCs and improve their chondrogenic differentiation at its early stage using immunofluorescence, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, real-time PCR, and flow cytometry. Obtained results indicated that 5-azacytidine and resveratrol modulated mitochondrial dynamics, autophagy, and ER stress, leading to the enhancement of chondrogenesis in metabolically impaired ASCs. Therefore, pretreatment of these cells with 5-azacytidine and resveratrol may become a necessary intervention before clinical application of these cells in order to strengthen their multipotency and therapeutic potential.
Clinical Study to Individual Treatment for Major Aortopulmonary Collaterals of Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Guan Qing , Li Jiarong , Deng Kai , Wu Xiaoming , Tang Shiyuan , Fan Chengming , Wu Xun , Yuan Shuwen , Yang Jinfu
Published: May 2019

Objectives. To build a guideline for the individual treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with major aortopulmonary collaterals (MAPCAs) and tentatively establish the occlusion index of MAPCAs. Methods. According to the diameter of the aortopulmonary collaterals (R: mm) and the bodyweight of the children (weight: kg), K= ((∑R2)/Wt) was set as the occlusion index of TOF with MAPCAs. A retrospective study was initially performed in 171 patients who suffered from TOF with MAPCAs and underwent cardiac malformation repair to investigate the intervals of the K value: K≥2, 1<K<2, and K≤1. In order to examine the reliability of the intervals derived from the retrospective study, a prospective study was conducted in the following 209 cases. When K≥2, the collaterals occlusion was performed immediately behind surgical corrections. The postoperative condition changes in patients with 1<K<2 were observed first and managed by extending mechanical ventilation, while taking further treatments as their conditions worsen. As for patients with K≤1, no occlusion was performed. Finally, the circumstances of collaterals occlusion, postoperative ventilator assist time, and ICU resident time were collected and analyzed. Result. The proportion of the patients treated with occlusion and the postoperative ICU resident time (p<0.05) in patients with 1<K<2 in the prospective study did dramatically decrease when compared with those of the retrospective studies. Conclusion. Due to restrictions on medical conditions in China with a large population base, a standard individual treatment of TOF with MAPCAs should be established based on the Aortopulmonary Collaterals Occlusion Index K= ((∑R2)/Wt), which can effectively avoid unnecessary collateral occlusion, minimize trauma, and shorten the length of ICU and hospital stay. When K≥2, the collateral occlusion and surgical correction are recommended to be performed simultaneously. When 1<K<2, whether to occlude collaterals depends on the patients’ postoperative conditions with extending ventilator time. When K≤1, do not deal with collaterals.
Aging Does Not Affect Beta Modulation during Reaching Movements
Authors: Ricci Serena , Mehraram Ramtin , Tatti Elisa , Nelson Aaron B. , Bossini-Baroggi Martina , Panday Priya , Lin Nancy , Ghilardi M. Felice
Published: May 2019

During movement, modulation of beta power occurs over the sensorimotor areas, with a decrease just before its start (event-related desynchronization, ERD) and a rebound after its end (event-related synchronization, ERS). We have recently found that the depth of ERD-to-ERS modulation increases during practice in a reaching task and the following day decreases to baseline levels. Importantly, the magnitude of the beta modulation increase during practice is highly correlated with the retention of motor skill tested the following day. Together with other evidence, this suggests that the increase of practice-related modulation depth may be the expression of sensorimotor cortex’s plasticity. Here, we determine whether the practice-related increase of beta modulation depth is equally present in a group of younger and a group of older subjects during the performance of a 30-minute block of reaching movements. We focused our analyses on two regions of interest (ROIs): the left sensorimotor and the frontal region. Performance indices were significantly different in the two groups, with the movements of older subjects being slower and less accurate. Importantly, both groups presented a similar increase of the practice-related beta modulation depth in both ROIs in the course of the task. Peak latency analysis revealed a progressive delay of the ERS peak that correlated with the total movement time. Altogether, these findings support the notion that the depth of beta modulation in a reaching movement task does not depend on age and confirm previous findings that only ERS peak latency but not ERS magnitude is related to performance indices.
Effect of Drainage and Consolidation on the Pore Water Pressures and Total Stresses within Backfilled Stopes and on Barricades
Authors: Jaouhar El Mustapha , Li Li
Published: May 2019

The pore water pressures (PWPs) and total stresses during the placement of a slurried backfill in underground mine stopes are the key parameters for the design of barricades, built to retain the backfill in the stopes. They can be affected by the drainage and consolidation of the backfill. Over the years, several studies have been reported on the pressure and stresses in backfilled stopes by accounting for the drainage and consolidation. Most of them focused on the pressure and stresses in the stopes, few specifically on the barricades. The effect of the number of draining holes commonly installed through the barricade has never been studied. In this paper, the influence of hydraulic properties and filling rate of the backfill, stope size, barricade location, and number of draining holes is systematically investigated with numerical simulations. The results show that the stresses in the backfilled stope and on the barricade largely depend on the filling rate, hydraulic conductivity, and Young’s modulus of the backfill. The draining holes can significantly decrease the PWP, but only slightly the total stresses on the barricades in short term.
Pelvic Drop Changes due to Proximal Muscle Strengthening Depend on Foot-Ankle Varus Alignment
Authors: Cruz Aline de Castro , Fonseca Sérgio Teixeira , Araújo Vanessa Lara , Carvalho Diego da Silva , Barsante Leonardo Drumond , Pinto Valéria Andrade , Souza Thales Rezende
Published: May 2019

Background. Strengthening of hip and trunk muscles can modify pelvis and hip movements. However, the varus alignment of the foot-ankle complex (FAC) may influence the effects of muscle strengthening, due to the relationship of FAC alignment with pelvic and hip kinematics. This study evaluated the effects of hip and trunk muscle strengthening on pelvis and hip kinematics during walking, in subgroups with larger and smaller values of FAC varus alignment. In addition, this study evaluated the effects of hip and trunk muscle strengthening on hip passive and active properties, in the same subgroups. Methods. Fifty-three women, who were divided into intervention and control groups, participated in this nonrandomized controlled trial. Each group was split into two subgroups with larger and smaller values of FAC varus alignment. Hip and trunk muscle strengthening was performed three times a week for two months, with a load of 70% to 80% of one repetition maximum. Before and after strengthening, we evaluated (1) pelvis and hip excursions in the frontal and transverse planes during walking, (2) isokinetic hip passive external rotator torque, and (3) isokinetic concentric and eccentric peak torques of the hip external rotator muscles. Mixed analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were carried out for each dependent variable related to walking kinematics and isokinetic measurements (α=0.05). Results. The subgroup with smaller varus alignment, of the intervention group, presented a reduction in pelvic drop after strengthening (P=0.03). The subgroup with larger varus alignment increased pelvic drop after strengthening, with a marginal significance (P=0.06). The other kinematic excursions did not change (pelvic anterior rotation P=0.30, hip internal rotation P=0.54, and hip adduction P=0.43). The intervention group showed increases in passive torque (P=0.002), peak concentric torque (P<0.001), and peak eccentric torque (P<0.001), independently of FAC alignment. These results suggest that FAC varus alignment influences the effects of strengthening and should be considered when hip and trunk muscle strengthening is used to reduce pelvic drop during walking.
Effects of Electroacupuncture on Pain Memory-Related Behaviors and Synchronous Neural Oscillations in the Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Freely Moving Rats
Authors: Shen Zui , Zhu Yilin , Liu Boyi , Liang Yi , He Qiaoying , Sun Jing , Wu Zemin , Zhang Haiyan , Yao Shujing , He Xiaofen , Fang Jianqiao , Shao Xiaomei
Published: May 2019

Our previous studies have confirmed that electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively intervene in pain memory, but the neural mechanism involved remains unclear. In this study, we observed the effects of EA in regulating pain memory-related behaviors and synchronous neural oscillations in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). During nociceptive behavioral testing, pain memory induced a nonpain stimulus that spurred a neural oscillatory reaction similar to that caused by pain stimuli in the rACC. After EA, nonpain stimuli did not induce decreased neural oscillatory activity in the rACC until the presentation of pain stimuli. During aversive behavioral testing, EA, through the downregulation of theta power, inhibited the retrieval of aversive memory and relieved pain memory-induced aversive behaviors. These changes of oscillatory activity may be the hallmarks of EA therapy for pain memory.
Patient Awareness, Prevalence, and Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease among Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertensive Patients at Jimma University Medical Center, Ethiopia
Authors: Kumela Goro Kabaye , Desalegn Wolide Amare , Kerga Dibaba Fantu , Gashe Fufa Fanta , Wakjira Garedow Aster , Edilu Tufa Birtukan , Mulisa Bobasa Eshetu
Published: May 2019

Background. There is an alarming rise of chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence globally, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality necessitating special attention as one of the major public health problems. The burden of CKD disproportionately impacts low-income countries like Ethiopia where hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the two most important risk factors for CKD growth rate, are greatest. Objective. The aim of this study is to assess patient awareness, prevalence, and risk factors of chronic kidney disease among hypertensive and diabetes mellitus patients. Methods. Hospital based cross-sectional study design was conducted at Jimma University Medical Center among adult (≥18 years) hypertensive and diabetes mellitus patients. Informed written consent was obtained from each participant and data was collected by interview and chart review; blood and urine samples were collected for CKD screening. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated from serum creatinine using CKD epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, and CKD was defined using estimated GFR (e-GFR) and albuminuria. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of CKD and p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Result. Mean (±SD=standard deviation) age of participants was 54.81 ± 12.45 years and 110 (52.9%) of them were male. Only 59 (28.4%) of the participants had awareness about CKD and its risk factors. The prevalence of CKD was 26% (95% CI; 20.3%-31.8%). Factors associated with chronic kidney disease were uncontrolled blood pressure (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.22,95% CI=1.01-4.76), fasting blood sugar ≥ 150 mg/dl, (AOR=3.70,95% CI=1.75-7.69), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) nonusers, (AOR=4.35 ,95% CI=1.96-10.0), poor knowledge of CKD (AOR=3.69, 95% CI=1.48-9.20), and long duration of hypertension (AOR=4.55, 95%CI=1.72-11.11). Conclusion. Our study found out low level of patient awareness and high prevalence of CKD. The predictors of CKD were uncontrolled blood pressure, fasting blood sugar> 150 mg/dl, long duration of hypertension, ACEIs nonusers, and poor knowledge about CKD.
Gust Load Alleviation including Geometric Nonlinearities Based on Dynamic Linearization of Structural ROM
Authors: An Chao , Yang Chao , Xie Changchuan , Meng Yang
Published: May 2019

This paper describes a framework for an active control technique applied to gust load alleviation (GLA) of a flexible wing, including geometric nonlinearities. Nonlinear structure reduced order model (ROM) and nonplanar double-lattice method (DLM) are used for structural and aerodynamic modeling. The structural modeling method presented herein describes stiffness nonlinearities in polynomial formulation. Nonlinear stiffness can be derived by stepwise regression. Inertia terms are constant with linear approximation. Boundary conditions and kernel functions in the nonplanar DLM are determined by structural deformation to reflect a nonlinear effect. However, the governing equation is still linear. A state-space equation is established in a dynamic linearized system around the prescribed static equilibrium state after nonlinear static aeroelastic analysis. Gust response analysis can be conducted subsequently. For GLA analysis, a classic proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller treats a servo as an actuator and acceleration as the feedback signal. Moreover, a wind tunnel test has been completed and the effectiveness of the control technology is validated. A remote-controlled (RC) model servo is chosen in the wind tunnel test. Numerical simulation results of gust response analysis reach agreement with test results. Furthermore, the control system gives GLA efficacy of vertical acceleration and root bending moment with the reduction rate being over 20%. The method described in this paper is suitable for gust response analysis and control strategy design for large flexible wings.
Vibration Torque Suppression for Magnetically Suspended Flywheel Using Improved Synchronous Rotating Frame Transformation
Authors: Peng Cong , Cai Kaiwen , Deng Zhiquan , Li Kexiang
Published: May 2019

Synchronous vibration, a common issue in active magnetic bearing (AMB) system, is mainly caused by mass imbalance of the rotor. It comes with high‐power consumption and serious impact on the housing base, dramatically degrading the performance of AMB. Magnetically suspended flywheel (MSFW), which owns a flat rotor and consequently shows strong gyroscopic effects even at low operating speed, requires additional attention not only for suppressing the synchronous vibration but also for maintaining the overall stability faced with the coupled dynamics. In this work, in order to suppress the vibration torques in MSFW with significant gyroscopic effects, an improved synchronous rotating frame‐ (SRF‐) based control method is proposed. The proposed method introduces the compensation phase for stability adjustment and aims at simultaneously suppressing the synchronous components in the coupled axes. Firstly, the vibration torque model of MSFW is established, and the baseline control strategy for suspension and gyroscopic effects restrain is derived. Then, the principle and implementation of the improved SRF‐based vibration torque method are analyzed, which aims at suppressing the synchronous vibration torques through attenuating synchronous components in coil currents. Moreover, the stability of the overall closed‐loop system is analyzed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experimental results.
MiR-221 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Migration via Targeting PHF2
Authors: Fu Yi , Liu Mingyan , Li Fengxia , Qian Li , Zhang Ping , Lv Fengwei , Cheng Wenting , Hou Ruixing
Published: May 2019

MicroRNAs (MiRNAs), which regulate the gene expression leading to translational inhibition or mRNA degradation, are involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Previous studies have demonstrated that miR-221 was one of the most consistent overexpressed miRNAs in several types of cancer. However, the role of miR-221 in human liver cancer progression is not yet fully elucidated. Levels of miR-221 and plant homeodomain finger 2 (PHF2) expressions in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines were detected using western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell migration was studied using the transwell assays. A dual-luciferase reporter system was used to validate the target gene of miR-221. The results indicated that miR-221 promoted HCC cell migration. By performing subsequent systematic bioinformatic analyses, we found PHF2 was the target gene of miR-221 and the direct binding relationship was further validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. In addition, lower expression of PHF2 promoted HCC cell migration and linked to worse overall survival in HCC patients. Finally, the negative correlation between miR-221 and PHF2 expression levels in HCC specimens was further confirmed. Taken together, our findings implied that miR-221 could be a potential candidate for the therapeutics of HCC metastasis.
Complications of Computer Tomography Assisted Radiofrequency Ablation in the Treatment of Osteoid Osteoma
Authors: Oc Yunus , Kilinc Bekir Eray , Cennet Sahin , Boyacioglu Mehmet Metin , Ertugrul Rodi , Varol Ali
Published: May 2019

Background. Osteoid osteoma (OO) is one of the most commonly occurring benign bone tumors. It constitutes 10-12% of benign bone tumors and 2-3% of primary bone tumors. In radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment, the cells of the tumor are thermally inactivated by the help of electrodes shaped like needles. In our study, we aimed to show the major and minor complications in patients undergoing RFA and to show what should be done to prevent these complications. Methods. The study was carried out as a prospective study on the follow-up of 87 osteoid osteoma patients treated between 2015 and 2017. The youngest of the patients was 1 year old and the oldest was 42 years old. The RFA procedure lasted 10 min on average, excluding anesthesia and preparation. All lesions were ablated at 90 degrees for 7 minutes with the heat increased gradually. All patients were followed up for 1 day in the orthopedics clinic. Results. Complications were observed in 7 patients. The lesions with the most complications were observed to be in the tibia, second-degree burns were seen in 2 patients, and superficial skin infection was observed in 2 patients. In 1 patient, the probe tip was broken and remained within the bone. Intramuscular hematoma was detected in 1 lesion located in the proximal femur. A complaint of numbness in the fingers developed in a lesion located in the metacarpus. Conclusion. Preventive measures should be taken before the procedure in order to prevent minor complications, and, for major complications, close follow-up should be done after the procedure and patients should be kept away from heavy physical activities for the first 3 months.
Parametric Design Method and Performance Analysis of Double S-Shaped Nozzles
Authors: Shan Yong , Zhou Xiaoming , Tan Xiaoming , Zhang Jingzhou , Wu Yanhua
Published: May 2019

A parametric design method, which was based on super-elliptical transition and self-adaption infrared radiation shield for the double S-shaped nozzle, was introduced. The complete shielding of high-temperature components in the S-shaped nozzle was realized. Model experiments and numerical simulations were performed to investigate the effects of offset ratioS/D, the ratio of length to diameterL/D, and the aspect ratioW/Hon the aerodynamics and infrared radiation. The results showed that the total pressure recovery and thrust coefficients were improved initially, but dropped rapidly with the increase in offset ratios with the range of investigated parameters. There existed an optimal offset ratio for the aerodynamic performances. Considering the weight penalty, the length of nozzles should only be increased properly to achieve better aerodynamic performances. Both friction and viscous losses caused by large streamwise vortices dominated the aerodynamic performances of nozzles. The nozzle with the aspect ratio ofW/H=5.0was recommended for achieving optimal aerodynamics. The increase in aspect and offset ratios could effectively suppress plume radiation, which was, however, not sensitive to overall radiation. Compared to circular nozzles, double S-shaped nozzles reduced overall infrared radiation by over 50%, which proves significant stealth ability. A balance between aerodynamic performances and infrared radiation suppression could be reached for double S-shaped nozzles.
Diarrhea Prevention Practice and Associated Factors among Caregivers of Under-Five Children in Enemay District, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Agegnehu Melese Dubie , Bewket Zeleke Liknaw , Goshu Yitayal Ayalew , Ortibo Yonas Lamore , Mehretie Adinew Yohannes
Published: May 2019

Background. Diarrhea is the leading cause of mortality among infants and children younger than 5 years of age in both underdeveloped and developing countries. Factors determining the occurrence of diarrhea in children are complex, and the relative contribution of each factor varies as a function of interaction between socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioral variables.Objectives. To assess diarrhea prevention practice and associated factors of diarrheal disease among caregivers who have under-five children in Enemay district, Ethiopia, 2018.Methods. Community-based cross-sectional study was done from June 1–30, 2018, among 398 caregivers who have under-five children, in the Enemay district that were selected by using the simple random sampling technique. A structured and pretested data collection tool was used to collect the data. Data were entered using EPI DATA version 4.2, and analysis was done using SPSS version 20 statistical package to be cleaned and analyzed. Descriptive analysis was done to describe study participants, and logistic regression (bivariable and multivariable) analysis was done to identify factors that have association with the dependent variable. ThePvalue was less than 0.05.Results. A total of 398 with a response rate of 97% under-five caregivers were participated in this study. Nearly, half (48.7%) of the participants were in the age group 25–34. The study revealed that good practice of diarrhea prevention was 52.8%. This study was also identified that occupation (AOR: 3.922, 95% CI: 1.593, 9.657), family size (AOR: 0.088, 95% CI: 0.009, 0.916), and understanding on diarrhea (AOR: 0.237, 95% CI: 0.091, 0.613) were associated factors of diarrhea prevention practice of under-five children caregivers.Conclusion. This finding showed that diarrhea prevention practice among under-five children caregivers was low and prevention practice was significantly associated with caregivers’ awareness on frequency of diarrhea in a day, occupation, and family size in a house.
Removal of Zn (II) and Cu (II) Ions from Industrial Wastewaters Using Magnetic Biochar Derived from Water Hyacinth
Authors: Nyamunda Benias C. , Chivhanga Terrence , Guyo Upenyu , Chigondo Fidelis
Published: May 2019

This study evaluates the effectiveness of magnetic biochar (Fe2O3-EC) derived from water hyacinth in the removal of Cu+2and Zn+2from aqueous solution. Fe2O3-EC was prepared by chemical coprecipitation of a mixture of FeCl2and FeCl3on water hyacinth biomass followed by pyrolysis. The adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX). Batch adsorption studies on the effects of temperature, biosorbent dosage, contact time, and initial metal ion concentration were carried out. Fe2O3-EC exhibited optimum contact time, biosorbent dosage, and pH values of 65 min, 1.2 g, and 6, respectively. Fe2O3-EC exhibited strong magnetic separation ability and high sorption capability. Metal ion adsorption onto the biochar conformed to the Langmuir isotherm. Kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption process was feasible and exothermic in nature. These results have demonstrated that the use of Fe2O3-EC in metal ion removal could provide an alternative way to manage and utilize this highly problematic invasive species.
Circulating Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Clinical Studies on Type 2 Diabetes and Its Complications
Authors: Bigagli Elisabetta , Lodovici Maura
Published: May 2019

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and its complications constitute a major worldwide public health problem, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers for predicting the occurrence and development of the disease may therefore offer benefits in terms of early diagnosis and intervention. This review provides an overview of human studies on circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence systems and discusses their usefulness from a clinical perspective. Most case-control studies documented an increase in biomarkers of oxidative lipid, protein, and nucleic acid damage in patients with prediabetes and in those with a diagnosis of T2DM compared to controls, and similar findings were reported in T2DM with micro- and macrovascular complications compared to those without. The inconsistence of the results regarding antioxidant defence systems renders difficulty to draw a general conclusion. The clinical relevance of biomarkers of oxidative lipid and protein damage for T2DM progression is uncertain, but prospective studies suggest that markers of oxidative nucleic acid damage such as 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and 8-hydroxyguanosine are promising for predicting macrovascular complications of T2DM. Emerging evidence also points out the relationship between serum PON1 and serum HO1 in T2DM and its complications. Overall, enhanced oxidative damage represents an underlying mechanism of glucose toxicity in T2DM and its related micro- and macrovascular complications suggesting that it may be considered as a potential additional target for pharmacotherapy. Therefore, further studies are needed to understand whether targeting oxidative stress may yield clinical benefits. In this view, the measurement of oxidative stress biomarkers in clinical trials deserves to be considered as an additional tool to currently used parameters to facilitate a more individualized treatment of T2DM in terms of drug choice and patient selection.
Self-Induced Traumatic Macroglossia: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Alarfaj Abdullah A. , AlHayek Ali R. , Alghanim Rashid , Al-Jazan Nasser A.
Published: May 2019

Traumatic macroglossia is an extremely rare condition characterized by a sudden edematous swelling of the tongue due to trauma. We report a rare case of traumatic macroglossia in a 37-year-old male with known trisomy 21 and epilepsy who presented to the emergency room with a huge protruded tongue due to aggressive behavior and a history of multiple tongue tractions, leading to sudden severe tongue swelling without any respiratory distress symptoms. The examination was unremarkable; fixable nasolaryngoscopy relieved bilateral vocal cord movement, and there was no laryngeal edema. The patient was managed immediately by endotracheal intubation to secure the airway, and corticosteroids were used to diminish and stop the tongue swelling. We describe the clinical management for such patients, highlighting the different causes of traumatic macroglossia. A few cases have been reported in the literature, but this is the first case to report self-induced traumatic macroglossia in a seizure-free patient managed successfully by endotracheal intubation, corticosteroids, a bite block, and warm wet dressing.
A Simultaneous Solution for Reserve Capacity Maximization and Delay Minimization Problems in Signalized Road Networks
Authors: Baskan Ozgur , Ceylan Huseyin , Ozan Cenk
Published: May 2019

In this study, we present a bilevel programming model in which upper level is defined as a biobjective problem and the lower level is considered as a stochastic user equilibrium assignment problem. It is clear that the biobjective problem has two objectives: the first maximizes the reserve capacity whereas the second minimizes performance index of a road network. We use a weighted-sum method to determine the Pareto optimal solutions of the biobjective problem by applying normalization approach for making the objective functions dimensionless. Following, a differential evolution based heuristic solution algorithm is introduced to overcome the problem presented by use of biobjective bilevel programming model. The first numerical test is conducted on two-junction network in order to represent the effect of the weighting on the solution of combined reserve capacity maximization and delay minimization problem. Allsop & Charlesworth’s network, which is a widely preferred road network in the literature, is selected for the second numerical application in order to present the applicability of the proposed model on a medium-sized signalized road network. Results support authorities who should usually make a choice between two conflicting issues, namely, reserve capacity maximization and delay minimization.
Grewia spp. Biopolymer as Low-Cost Biosorbent for Hexavalent Chromium Removal
Authors: Kofa G. P. , Nkoue Ndongo G. R. , Kameni Ngounou M. B. , Nsoe M. N. , Amba E. V. , Ndi Koungou S.
Published: May 2019

In this study, Grewia spp. biopolymer was utilized as a biosorbent for elimination of hexavalent chromium from water. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed for characterization of the biosorbent. Experiments were conducted in a batch mode at room temperature (25 ± 2°C) and agitation speed of 100 rpm to determine the influence of biosorbent dose, contact time, Cr(VI) concentration, and initial solution pH. It was found that equilibrium was attained in 50 min. A pseudo-first-order model suited well than a pseudo-second-order model. Biosorption capacity of Grewia spp. biopolymer increased with increase in concentration and depended on the solution pH. Langmuir and Freundlich models described experimental data very well. These findings showed that Grewia spp. biopolymer can serve as a biosorbent for elimination of Cr(VI) from water.
An M-QAM Signal Modulation Recognition Algorithm in AWGN Channel
Authors: Ali Ahmed K. , Erçelebi Ergun
Published: May 2019

Computing the distinct features from input data, before the classification, is a part of complexity to the methods of automatic modulation classification (AMC) which deals with modulation classification and is a pattern recognition problem. However, the algorithms that focus on multilevel quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) which underneath different channel scenarios is well detailed. A search of the literature revealed that few studies were performed on the classification of high-order M-QAM modulation schemes such as 128-QAM, 256-QAM, 512-QAM, and 1024-QAM. This work focuses on the investigation of the powerful capability of the natural logarithmic properties and the possibility of extracting higher order cumulant’s (HOC) features from input data received raw. The HOC signals were extracted under the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with four effective parameters which were defined to distinguish the types of modulation from the set: 4-QAM∼1024-QAM. This approach makes the classifier more intelligent and improves the success rate of classification. The simulation results manifest that a very good classification rate is achieved at a low SNR of 5 dB, which was performed under conditions of statistical noisy channel models. This shows the potential of the logarithmic classifier model for the application of M-QAM signal classification. furthermore, most results were promising and showed that the logarithmic classifier works well under both AWGN and different fading channels, as well as it can achieve a reliable recognition rate even at a lower signal-to-noise ratio (less than zero). It can be considered as an integrated automatic modulation classification (AMC) system in order to identify the higher order of M-QAM signals that has a unique logarithmic classifier to represent higher versatility. Hence, it has a superior performance in all previous works in automatic modulation identification systems.
On a Theory for Analysing Second-Order Systems of Ordinary Discrete Equations
Authors: Bashingwa J. J. H. , Kara A. H.
Published: May 2019

We present geometric based methods for solving systems of discrete or difference equations and introduce a technique for finding conservation laws for such systems.
Mass Rapid Transit System Passenger Traffic Forecast Using a Re-Sample Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Hu Rong , Chiu Yi-Chang , Hsieh Chih-Wei , Chang Tang-Hsien , Xue Xingsi , Zou Fumin , Liao Lyuchao
Published: May 2019

In this study, we developed a model re-sample Recurrent Neural Network (RRNN) to forecast passenger traffic on Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRT). The Recurrent Neural Network was applied to build a model to perform passenger traffic prediction, where the forecast task was transformed into a classification task. However, in this process, the training dataset usually ended up being imbalanced. To address this dataset imbalance, our research proposes re-sample Recurrent Neural Network. A case study of the California Mass Rapid Transit System revealed that the model introduced in this work could timely and effectively predict passenger traffic of MRT. The measurements of passenger traffic themselves were also studied and showed that the new method provided a good understanding of the level of passenger traffic and was able to achieve prediction accuracy upwards of 90% higher than standard tests. The development of this model adds value to the methodology of traffic applications by employing these Recurrent Neural Networks.