bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth and luminescence properties of Pr3+-doped LaCl3 single crystal
Authors: Liu Zihan , Wei Qinhua , Qin Laishun , Shi Hongsheng , Shu Kangying
Published: January 2016

A transparent LaCl3:Pr[Formula: see text] single crystal with a dimension of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm was grown by vertical Bridgman method. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows that the melting point of LaCl3:Pr[Formula: see text] crystal is about 841.5[Formula: see text]C. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern proves the crystal structure of LaCl3:Pr[Formula: see text] is hexagonal with space group P63/m. There is a dominant peak centered at 335[Formula: see text]nm and a weaker peak located at 400[Formula: see text]nm under X-ray excitation, while three peaks located at 335[Formula: see text]nm, 356[Formula: see text]nm and 400[Formula: see text]nm under ultra-violet. The peaks of 335[Formula: see text]nm and 356[Formula: see text]nm can be ascribed to the transition of 5d–4f of Pr[Formula: see text], while the 400[Formula: see text]nm maybe related to LaCl3 host. Decay times were fitted to be about 14.5[Formula: see text]ns for 335[Formula: see text]nm, 14.6[Formula: see text]ns for 356[Formula: see text]nm and 1.3[Formula: see text]ns for 400[Formula: see text]nm. The experimental results show that the LaCl3:Pr[Formula: see text] crystal will be a promising scintillator.
Variational approach for the flow of Ree–Eyring and Casson fluids in pipes
Authors: Sochi Taha
Published: January 2016

The flow of Ree–Eyring and Casson non-Newtonian fluids is investigated using a variational principle to optimize the total stress. The variationally obtained solutions are compared to the analytical solutions derived from the Weissenberg–Rabinowitsch–Mooney equation and the results are found to be identical within acceptable numerical errors and modeling approximations.
Study on Economized Vapor Injection Heat Pump System Using Refrigerant R32
Authors: Shi Yaoguang , Guo Xianmin , Zhang Xinyu
Published: January 2016

The refrigerant R32 is considered as a potential alternative refrigerant of R410A because of its low global warming potential (GWP) and the basic thermodynamic parameters. It can effectively improve the heating efficiency and reduce the discharge temperature of the compressor to use the economized vapor injection (EVI) refrigeration system. In this paper, the performance of the EVI heat pump system using refrigerant R32 is investigated experimentally under the conditions of the evaporating temperature ranged from [Formula: see text]C to [Formula: see text]C. The experimental results indicate that the injection ratio, heat capacity and power consumption of the EVI heat pump system increase with the injection pressure. The maximum injection ratio of the EVI heat pump system is about 33% under the evaporating temperature of [Formula: see text]C. For the EVI heat pump system, the system COP achieves the maximum value as the injection pressure ranges from 1.48[Formula: see text]MPa to 1.54[Formula: see text]MPa when the evaporating temperature is lower than [Formula: see text]C. The discharge temperature of the EVI heat pump system drops by 11[Formula: see text]C under the evaporating temperature of [Formula: see text]C. As the evaporating temperature is below [Formula: see text]C, the COP of the EVI heat pump system is higher than that of the traditional single stage heat pump.
Cost-effective speculative scheduling in high performance processors
Authors: Perais Arthur , Seznec André , Michaud Pierre , Sembrant Andreas , Hagersten Erik
Published: January 2016

To maximize performance, out-of-order execution processors sometimes issue instructions without having the guarantee that operands will be available in time; e.g. loads are typically assumed to hit in the L1 cache and dependent instructions are issued accordingly. This form of speculation -- that we refer to as speculative scheduling -- has been used for two decades in real processors, but has received little attention from the research community.

In particular, as pipeline depth grows, and the distance between the Issue and the Execute stages increases, it becomes critical to issue instructions dependent on variable-latency instructions as soon as possible rather than wait for the actual cycle at which the result becomes available. Unfortunately, due to the uncertain nature of speculative scheduling, the scheduler may wrongly issue an instruction that will not have its source(s) available on the bypass network when it reaches the Execute stage. In that event, the instruction is canceled and replayed, potentially impairing performance and increasing energy consumption.

In this work, we do not present a new replay mechanism. Rather, we focus on ways to reduce the number of replays that are agnostic of the replay scheme. First, we propose an easily implementable, low-cost solution to reduce the number of replays caused by L1 bank conflicts. Schedule shifting always assumes that, given a dual-load issue capacity, the second load issued in a given cycle will be delayed because of a bank conflict. Its dependents are thus always issued with the corresponding delay. Second, we also improve on existing L1 hit/miss prediction schemes by taking into account instruction criticality. That is, for some criterion of criticality and for loads whose hit/miss behavior is hard to predict, we show that it is more cost-effective to stall dependents if the load is not predicted critical.

In total, in our experiments assuming a 4-cycle issue-to-execute delay, we found that the majority of instruction replays caused by L1 data cache banks conflicts -- 78.0% -- and L1 hit mispredictions -- 96.5% -- can be avoided, thus leading to a 3.4% performance gain and a 13.4% decrease in the number of issued instructions, over a baseline pipeline with speculative scheduling.
VIP
Authors: Nachiappan Nachiappan Chidambaram , Zhang Haibo , Ryoo Jihyun , Soundararajan Niranjan , Sivasubramaniam Anand , Kandemir Mahmut T. , Iyer Ravi , Das Chita R.
Published: January 2016

Energy-efficient user-interactive and display-oriented applications on handhelds rely heavily on multiple accelerators (termed IP cores) to meet their periodic frame processing needs. Further, these platforms are starting to host multiple applications concurrently on the multiple CPU cores. Unfortunately, today's hardware exposes an interface that forces the host software (Android drivers) to treat each IP core as an isolated device. Consequently, the host CPU has to get involved in the (i) processing of each frame, (ii) scheduling them to ensure timely progress through the IP cores to meet their QoS needs, and (iii) explicitly having to move data from one IP core to the next, with main memory serving as the common staging area.

We show in this paper through measurements on a Nexus 7 platform that the frequent invocation of the CPU for processing these frames and the involvement of main memory as a data flow conduit, are serious limitations. Instead, we propose a novel IP virtualization framework (VIP), involving three key ideas that allow several IPs to be chained together and made to appear to the software as a single device. First, chaining of IPs avoids data transfer through the memory system, enhancing the throughput of flows through the IPs. Second, by using a burst-mode, the CPU can initiate the processing of several frames through the virtual IP chain, without getting involved (and interrupted) for each frame, thereby allowing better energy saving and utilization opportunities. Removing the CPU from this loop, requires alternate orchestration of frame flows to ensure QoS guarantees for each frame of each application. Our third enhancement in VIP creates several virtual paths, one for each flow, through these IP chains with the hardware scheduling the frames to enforce QoS guarantees despite any contention for resources along the way. Our experimental evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness of VIP on energy consumption and QoS for multiple applications.
A fully associative, tagless DRAM cache
Authors: Lee Yongjun , Kim Jongwon , Jang Hakbeom , Yang Hyunggyun , Kim Jangwoo , Jeong Jinkyu , Lee Jae W.
Published: January 2016

This paper introduces a tagless cache architecture for large in-package DRAM caches. The conventional die-stacked DRAM cache has both a TLB and a cache tag array, which are responsible for virtual-to-physical and physical-to-cache address translation, respectively. We propose to align the granularity of caching with OS page size and take a unified approach to address translation and cache tag management. To this end, we introduce cache-map TLB (cTLB), which stores virtual-to-cache, instead of virtual-to-physical, address mappings. At a TLB miss, the TLB miss handler allocates the requested block into the cache if it is not cached yet, and updates both the page table and cTLB with the virtual-to-cache address mapping. Assuming the availability of large in-package DRAM caches, this ensures that an access to the memory region within the TLB reach always hits in the cache with low hit latency since a TLB access immediately returns the exact location of the requested block in the cache, hence saving a tag-checking operation. The remaining cache space is used as victim cache for memory pages that are recently evicted from cTLB. By completely eliminating data structures for cache tag management, from either on-die SRAM or in-package DRAM, the proposed DRAM cache achieves best scalability and hit latency, while maintaining high hit rate of a fully associative cache. Our evaluation with 3D Through-Silicon Via (TSV)-based in-package DRAM demonstrates that the proposed cache improves the IPC and energy efficiency by 30.9% and 39.5%, respectively, compared to the baseline with no DRAM cache. These numbers translate to 4.3% and 23.8% improvements over an impractical SRAM-tag cache requiring megabytes of on-die SRAM storage, due to low hit latency and zero energy waste for cache tags.
Hi-fi playback
Authors: Zhang Chao , Sun Guangyu , Zhang Xian , Zhang Weiqi , Zhao Weisheng , Wang Tao , Liang Yun , Liu Yongpan , Wang Yu , Shu Jiwu
Published: January 2016

Racetrack memory is an emerging non-volatile memory based on spintronic domain wall technology. It can achieve ultra-high storage density. Also, its read/write speed is comparable to that of SRAM. Due to the tape-like structure of its storage cell, a "shift" operation is introduced to access racetrack memory. Thus, prior research mainly focused on minimizing shift latency/energy of racetrack memory while leveraging its ultra-high storage density. Yet the reliability issue of a shift operation, however, is not well addressed. In fact, racetrack memory suffers from unsuccessful shift due to domain misalignment. Such a problem is called "

position error

" in this work. It can significantly reduce mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) of racetrack memory to an intolerable level. Even worse, conventional error correction codes (ECCs), which are designed for "bit errors", cannot protect racetrack memory from the position errors.

In this work, we investigate the position error model of a shift operation and categorize position errors into two types: "stop-in-middle" error and "out-of-step" error. To eliminate the stop-in-middle error, we propose a technique called sub-threshold shift (STS) to perform a more reliable shift in two stages. To detect and recover the out-of-step error, a protection mechanism called position error correction code (p-ECC) is proposed. We first describe how to design a p-ECC for different protection strength and analyze corresponding design overhead. Then, we further propose how to reduce area cost of p-ECC by leveraging the "overhead region" in a racetrack memory stripe. With these protection mechanisms, we introduce a position-error-aware shift architecture. Experimental results demonstrate that, after using our techniques, the overall MTTF of racetrack memory is improved from
1.33
μs to more than 69 years, with only
0:2%
performance degradation. Trade-off among reliability, area, performance, and energy is also explored with comprehensive discussion.
Data reorganization in memory using 3D-stacked DRAM
Authors: Akin Berkin , Franchetti Franz , Hoe James C.
Published: January 2016

In this paper we focus on common data reorganization operations such as shuffle, pack/unpack, swap, transpose, and layout transformations. Although these operations simply relocate the data in the memory, they are costly on conventional systems mainly due to inefficient access patterns, limited data reuse and roundtrip data traversal throughout the memory hierarchy. This paper presents a two pronged approach for efficient data reorganization, which combines (i) a proposed DRAM-aware reshape accelerator integrated within 3D-stacked DRAM, and (ii) a mathematical framework that is used to represent and optimize the reorganization operations.

We evaluate our proposed system through two major use cases. First, we demonstrate the reshape accelerator in performing a physical address remapping via data layout transform to utilize the internal parallelism/locality of the 3D-stacked DRAM structure more efficiently for general purpose workloads. Then, we focus on offloading and accelerating commonly used data reorganization routines selected from the Intel Math Kernel Library package. We evaluate the energy and performance benefits of our approach by comparing it against existing optimized implementations on state-of-the-art GPUs and CPUs. For the various test cases, in-memory data reorganization provides orders of magnitude performance and energy efficiency improvements via low overhead hardware.
Computer performance microscopy with S
him
Authors: Yang Xi , Blackburn Stephen M. , McKinley Kathryn S.
Published: January 2016

Developers and architects spend a lot of time trying to understand and eliminate performance problems. Unfortunately, the root causes of many problems occur at a fine granularity that existing continuous profiling and direct measurement approaches cannot observe. This paper presents the design and implementation of

S
him

, a continuous profiler that samples at resolutions as fine as 15 cycles; three to five orders of magnitude finer than current continuous profilers.

S
him

's fine-grain measurements reveal new behaviors, such as variations in instructions per cycle (IPC) within the execution of a single function. A

S
him

observer thread executes and samples autonomously on unutilized hardware. To sample, it reads hardware performance counters and memory locations that store software state.

S
him

improves its accuracy by automatically detecting and discarding samples affected by measurement skew. We measure

S
him

's observer effects and show how to analyze them. When on a separate core,

S
him

can continuously observe one software signal with a 2% overhead at a ~1200 cycle resolution. At an overhead of 61%,

S
him

samples one software signal on the same core with SMT at a ~15 cycle resolution. Modest hardware changes could significantly reduce overheads and add greater analytical capability to

S
him

. We vary prefetching and DVFS policies in case studies that show the diagnostic power of fine-grain IPC and memory bandwidth results. By repurposing existing hardware, we deliver a practical tool for fine-grain performance microscopy for developers and architects.
Flexible auto-refresh
Authors: Bhati Ishwar , Chishti Zeshan , Lu Shih-Lien , Jacob Bruce
Published: January 2016

DRAM cells require periodic refreshing to preserve data. In JEDEC DDRx devices, a refresh operation is performed via an auto-refresh command, which refreshes multiple rows in multiple banks simultaneously. The internal implementation of auto-refresh is completely opaque outside the DRAM --- all the memory controller can do is to instruct the DRAM to refresh itself --- the DRAM handles all else, in particular determining which rows in which banks are to be refreshed. This is in conflict with a large body of research on reducing the refresh overhead, in which the memory controller needs fine-grained control over which regions of the memory are refreshed. For example, prior works exploit the fact that a subset of DRAM rows can be refreshed at a slower rate than other rows due to access rate or retention period variations. However, such row-granularity approaches cannot use the standard auto-refresh command, which refreshes an entire batch of rows at once and does not permit skipping of rows. Consequently, prior schemes are forced to use explicit sequences of activate (ACT) and precharge (PRE) operations to mimic row-level refreshing. The drawback is that, compared to using JEDEC's auto-refresh mechanism, using explicit ACT and PRE commands is inefficient, both in terms of performance and power.

In this paper, we show that even when skipping a high percentage of refresh operations, existing row-granurality refresh techniques are mostly ineffective due to the inherent efficiency disparity between ACT/PRE and the JEDEC auto-refresh mechanism. We propose a modification to the DRAM that extends its existing control-register access protocol to include the DRAM's internal refresh counter. We also introduce a new "dummy refresh" command that skips refresh operations and simply increments the internal counter. We show that these modifications allow a memory controller to reduce as many refreshes as in prior work, while achieving significant energy and performance advantages by using auto-refresh most of the time.
LaZy superscalar
Authors: Aşılıoğlu Görkem , Jin Zhaoxiang , Köksal Murat , Javeri Omkar , Önder Soner
Published: January 2016

LaZy Superscalar is a processor architecture which delays the execution of fetched instructions until their results are needed by other instructions. This approach eliminates dead instructions and provides the necessary means to fuse dependent instructions across multiple control dependencies by explicitly tracking control and data dependencies through a matrix based scheduler. We present this novel redesign of scheduling, recovery and commit mechanisms and evaluate the performance of the proposed architecture. Our simulations using Spec 2006 benchmark suite indicate that LaZy Superscalar can achieve significant speed-ups while providing respectable power savings compared to a conventional superscalar processor.
Integration of Rabbit Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Hydroxyapatite Burr Hole Button Device for Bone Interface Regeneration
Authors: Gayathri Viswanathan , Harikrishnan Varma , Mohanan Parayanthala Valappil
Published: January 2016

Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, multipotent stem cells isolated from adipose tissue, present close resemblance to the naturalin vivomilieu and microenvironment of bone tissue and hence widely used for in bone tissue engineering applications. The present study evaluates the compatibility of tissue engineered hydroxyapatite burr hole button device (HAP-BHB) seeded with Rabbit Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ADMSCs). Cytotoxicity, oxidative stress response, apoptotic behavior, attachment, and adherence of adipose MSC seeded on the device were evaluated by scanning electron and confocal microscopy. The results of the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay indicated that powdered device material was noncytotoxic up to 0.5 g/mL on cultured cells. It was also observed that oxidative stress related reactive oxygen species production and apoptosis on cell seeded device were similar to those of control (cells alone) except in 3-day period which showed increased reactive oxygen species generation. Further scanning electron and confocal microscopy indicated a uniform attachment of cells and viability up to 200 μm deep inside the device, respectively. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the in-house developed HAP-BHB device seeded with ADMSCs is nontoxic/safe compatible device for biomedical application and an attractive tissue engineered device for calvarial defect regeneration.
Selective and Sensitive Detection of Cyanide Based on the Displacement Strategy Using a Water-Soluble Fluorescent Probe
Authors: La Ming , Hao Yuanqiang , Wang Zhaoyang , Han Guo-Cheng , Qu Lingbo
Published: January 2016

A water-soluble fluorescent probe (C-GGH) was used for the highly sensitive and selective detection of cyanide (CN−) in aqueous media based on the displacement strategy. Due to the presence of the recognition unit GGH (Gly-Gly-His), the probeC-GGH can coordinate with Cu2+and consequently display ON-OFF type fluorescence response. Furthermore, thein situformed nonfluorescentC-GGH-Cu2+complex can act as an effective OFF-ON type fluorescent probe for sensing CN−anion. Due to the strong binding affinity of CN−to Cu2+, CN−can extract Cu2+fromC-GGH-Cu2+complex, leading to the release ofC-GGH and the recovery of fluorescent emission of the system. The probeC-GGH-Cu2+allowed detection of CN−in aqueous solution with a LOD (limit of detection) of 0.017 μmol/L which is much lower than the maximum contaminant level (1.9 μmol/L) for CN−in drinking water set by the WHO (World Health Organization). The probe also displayed excellent specificity for CN−towards other anions, including F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, SCN−,PO43-,N3-,NO3-, AcO−,SO42-, andCO32-.
Improvement of Mouth Functional Disability in Systemic Sclerosis Patients over One Year in a Trial of Fat Transplantation versus Adipose‐Derived Stromal Cells
Authors: Onesti Maria Giuseppina , Fioramonti Paolo , Carella Sara , Fino Pasquale , Marchese Cinzia , Scuderi Nicolò
Published: January 2016

Background. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disease characterized by cutaneous and visceral fibrosis. Face and mouth changes include telangiectasia, sicca syndrome, and thinning and reduction of mouth width (microcheilia) and opening (microstomia). We applied autologous fat transplantation compared with autologous adipose‐derived stromal cells (ADSCs) injection to evaluate the clinical improvement of mouth opening. Methods. From February to May 2013 ten consecutive SSc patients were enrolled from the outpatient clinic of Plastic Surgery Department of Sapienza University of Rome. Patients were divided into two groups as follows: 5 patients were treated with fat transplantation and 5 patients received infiltration of ADSCs produced by cell factory of our institution. To value mouth opening, we use the Italian version of Mouth Handicap in Systemic Sclerosis Scale (IvMHISS). Mouth opening was assessed in centimetres (Maximal Mouth Opening, MMO). In order to evaluate compliance and physician and patient satisfaction, we employed a Questionnaire of Satisfaction and the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) performed before starting study and 1 year after the last treatment. Results and Conclusion. We noticed that both procedures obtained significant results but neither one emerged as a first‐choice technique. The present clinical experimentation should be regarded as a starting point for further experimental research and clinical trials.
Dietary Phenolic Compounds Interfere with the Fate of Hydrogen Peroxide in Human Adipose Tissue but Do Not Directly Inhibit Primary Amine Oxidase Activity
Authors: Carpéné Christian , Hasnaoui Mounia , Balogh Balázs , Matyus Peter , Fernández-Quintela Alfredo , Rodríguez Víctor , Mercader Josep , Portillo Maria P.
Published: January 2016

Resveratrol has been reported to inhibit monoamine oxidases (MAO). Many substrates or inhibitors of neuronal MAO interact also with other amine oxidases (AO) in peripheral organs, such as semicarbazide‐sensitive AO (SSAO), known as primary amine oxidase, absent in neurones, but abundant in adipocytes. We asked whether phenolic compounds (resveratrol, pterostilbene, quercetin, and caffeic acid) behave as MAO and SSAO inhibitors. AO activity was determined in human adipose tissue. Computational docking and glucose uptake assays were performed in 3D models of human AO proteins and in adipocytes, respectively. Phenolic compounds fully inhibited the fluorescent detection of H2O2 generated during MAO and SSAO activation by tyramine and benzylamine. They also quenched H2O2‐induced fluorescence in absence of biological material and were unable to abolish the oxidation of radiolabelled tyramine and benzylamine. Thus, phenolic compounds hampered H2O2 detection but did not block AO activity. Only resveratrol and quercetin partially impaired MAO‐dependent [14C]‐tyramine oxidation and behaved as MAO inhibitors. Phenolic compounds counteracted the H2O2‐dependent benzylamine‐stimulated glucose transport. This indicates that various phenolic compounds block downstream effects of H2O2 produced by biogenic or exogenous amine oxidation without directly inhibiting AO. Phenolic compounds remain of interest regarding their capacity to limit oxidative stress rather than inhibiting AO.
It Is All about (U)biquitin: Role of Altered Ubiquitin‐Proteasome System and UCHL1 in Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Tramutola Antonella , Di Domenico Fabio , Barone Eugenio , Perluigi Marzia , Butterfield D. Allan
Published: January 2016

Free radical‐mediated damage to macromolecules and the resulting oxidative modification of different cellular components are a common feature of aging, and this process becomes much more pronounced in age‐associated pathologies, including Alzheimer disease (AD). In particular, proteins are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress‐induced damage and these irreversible modifications lead to the alteration of protein structure and function. In order to maintain cell homeostasis, these oxidized/damaged proteins have to be removed in order to prevent their toxic accumulation. It is generally accepted that the age‐related accumulation of “aberrant” proteins results from both the increased occurrence of damage and the decreased efficiency of degradative systems. One of the most important cellular proteolytic systems responsible for the removal of oxidized proteins in the cytosol and in the nucleus is the proteasomal system. Several studies have demonstrated the impairment of the proteasome in AD thus suggesting a direct link between accumulation of oxidized/misfolded proteins and reduction of this clearance system. In this review we discuss the impairment of the proteasome system as a consequence of oxidative stress and how this contributes to AD neuropathology. Further, we focus the attention on the oxidative modifications of a key component of the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway, UCHL1, which lead to the impairment of its activity.
Autistic‐Like Behaviors, Oxidative Stress Status, and Histopathological Changes in Cerebellum of Valproic Acid Rat Model of Autism Are Improved by the Combined Extract of Purple Rice and Silkworm Pupae
Authors: Morakotsriwan Nartnutda , Wattanathorn Jintanaporn , Kirisattayakul Woranan , Chaisiwamongkol Kowit
Published: January 2016

Due to the crucial role of oxidative stress on the pathophysiology of autism and the concept of synergistic effect, the benefit of the combined extract of purple rice and silkworm pupae (AP1) for autism disorder was the focus. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of AP1 on autistic‐like behaviors, oxidative stress status, and histopathological change of cerebellum in valproic acid (VPA) rat model of autism. VPA was injected on postnatal day (PND) 14 and the animals were orally given AP1 at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg·kg−1 BW between PND 14 and PND 40. The autism‐like behaviors were analyzed via hot‐plate, rotarod, elevated plus‐maze, learning, memory, and social behavior tests. Oxidative stress and the histological change in the cerebellum were assessed at the end of study. AP1 treated rats improved behaviors in all tests except that in hot‐plate test. The improvement of oxidative stress and Purkinje cell loss was also observed in the cerebellum of VPA‐treated rats. Our data suggest that AP1 partially reduced autism‐like behaviors by improving oxidative stress and Purkinje cell loss. Further research is required to identify the active ingredients in AP1 and gender difference effect.
Is There Significant Difference between Digital and Glass Mercury Thermometer?
Authors: Gerensea Hadgu , Murugan Rajalakshmi
Published: January 2016

Background. Children’s decisions concerning investigation and treatment may be based on the results of temperature alone. Although the accuracy of axillary temperature measurement is affected by a number of factors, device dwell time and device type are common.Objective. Compare body temperature between glass mercury thermometer (GMT) and digital thermometer (DT).Method. Comparative descriptive study was used. A total of 101 samples were taken with convenient sampling technique, but 98 were analyzed. Statistical significance (p<0.01) and clinical significance (MD≥0.2°C) were used in the analyses. Correlations and Bland-Altman plots were used to observe agreements of the recording.Results. Mean difference (MD) of 10 min GMT and DT was0.13±0.11. Statistically significant differences were noted in 10 min GMT and DT (p<0.00). But the correlations were strong positive (r>0.75) and all MD were at the limit of agreement in Bland-Altman plot. Clinically, it is not significant (MD<0.2°C).Conclusion and Recommendations. Even though statistical significant differences (p<0.001) were noted between 10 min GMT and DT, the strong correlation, good agreements, and clinical insignificances make DT good alternative to the traditional GMT. Their variation in temperature is not likely to change any clinical decision. So, health professionals should use DT for measuring body temperature in under-5 febrile illnesses.
CrudeAloe veraGel Shows Antioxidant Propensities and Inhibits Pancreatic Lipase and Glucose MovementIn Vitro
Authors: Taukoorah Urmeela , Mahomoodally M. Fawzi
Published: January 2016

Aloe veragel (AVG) is traditionally used in the management of diabetes, obesity, and infectious diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory potential of AVG againstα-amylase,α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase activityin vitro. Enzyme kinetic studies using Michaelis-Menten (Km) and Lineweaver-Burk equations were used to establish the type of inhibition. The antioxidant capacity of AVG was evaluated for its ferric reducing power, 2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate scavenging ability, nitric oxide scavenging power, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. The glucose entrapment ability, antimicrobial activity, and total phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, and anthocyanin content were also determined. AVG showed a significantly higher percentage inhibition (85.56±0.91) of pancreatic lipase compared to Orlistat. AVG was found to increase the Michaelis-Menten constant and decreased the maximal velocity (Vmax) of lipase, indicating mixed inhibition. AVG considerably inhibits glucose movement across dialysis tubes and was comparable to Arabic gum. AVG was ineffective against the tested microorganisms. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were66.06±1.14 (GAE)/mg and60.95±0.97 (RE)/mg, respectively. AVG also showed interesting antioxidant properties. The biological activity observed in this study tends to validate some of the traditional claims of AVG as a functional food.
Ion Channels and Oxidative Stress as a Potential Link for the Diagnosis or Treatment of Liver Diseases
Authors: Ramírez Ana , Vázquez-Sánchez Alma Yolanda , Carrión-Robalino Natalia , Camacho Javier
Published: January 2016

Oxidative stress results from a disturbed balance between oxidation and antioxidant systems. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) may be either harmful or beneficial to the cells. Ion channels are transmembrane proteins that participate in a large variety of cellular functions and have been implicated in the development of a variety of diseases. A significant amount of the available drugs in the market targets ion channels. These proteins have sulfhydryl groups of cysteine and methionine residues in their structure that can be targeted by ROS and RNS altering channel function including gating and conducting properties, as well as the corresponding signaling pathways associated. The regulation of ion channels by ROS has been suggested to be associated with some pathological conditions including liver diseases. This review focuses on understanding the role and the potential association of ion channels and oxidative stress in liver diseases including fibrosis, alcoholic liver disease, and cancer. The potential association between ion channels and oxidative stress conditions could be used to develop new treatments for major liver diseases.
Update on the Mechanisms of Pulmonary Inflammation and Oxidative Imbalance Induced by Exercise
Authors: Araneda O. F. , Carbonell T. , Tuesta M.
Published: January 2016

The mechanisms involved in the generation of oxidative damage and lung inflammation induced by physical exercise are described. Changes in lung function induced by exercise involve cooling of the airways, fluid evaporation of the epithelial surface, increased contact with polluting substances, and activation of the local and systemic inflammatory response. The present work includes evidence obtained from the different types of exercise in terms of duration and intensity, the effect of both acute performance and chronic performance, and the influence of special conditions such as cold weather, high altitude, and polluted environments. Levels of prooxidants, antioxidants, oxidative damage to biomolecules, and cellularity, as well as levels of soluble mediators of the inflammatory response and its effects on tissues, are described in samples of lung origin. These samples include tissue homogenates, induced sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, biopsies, and exhaled breath condensate obtained in experimental protocols conducted on animal and human models. Finally, the need to simultaneously explore the oxidative/inflammatory parameters to establish the interrelation between them is highlighted.
DNA Methylation in Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell Specification, Proliferation, and Differentiation
Authors: Laker Rhianna C. , Ryall James G.
Published: January 2016

An unresolved and critically important question in skeletal muscle biology is how muscle stem cells initiate and regulate the genetic program during muscle development. Epigenetic dynamics are essential for cellular development and organogenesis in early life and it is becoming increasingly clear that epigenetic remodeling may also be responsible for the cellular adaptations that occur in later life. DNA methylation of cytosine bases within CpG dinucleotide pairs is an important epigenetic modification that reduces gene expression when located within a promoter or enhancer region. Recent advances in the field suggest that epigenetic regulation is essential for skeletal muscle stem cell identity and subsequent cell development. This review summarizes what is currently known about how skeletal muscle stem cells regulate the myogenic program through DNA methylation, discusses a novel role for metabolism in this process, and addresses DNA methylation dynamics in adult skeletal muscle in response to physical activity.
Simultaneous Assessment of White Matter Changes in Microstructure and Connectedness in the Blind Brain
Authors: Reislev Nina Linde , Dyrby Tim Bjørn , Siebner Hartwig Roman , Kupers Ron , Ptito Maurice
Published: January 2016

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human brain has provided converging evidence that visual deprivation induces regional changes in white matter (WM) microstructure. It remains unclear how these changes modify network connections between brain regions. Here we used diffusion-weighted MRI to relate differences in microstructure and structural connectedness of WM in individuals with congenital or late-onset blindness relative to normally sighted controls. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provided voxel-specific microstructural features of the tissue, while anatomical connectivity mapping (ACM) assessed the connectedness of each voxel with the rest of the brain. ACM yielded reduced anatomical connectivity in the corpus callosum in individuals with congenital but not late-onset blindness. ACM did not identify any brain region where blindness resulted in increased anatomical connectivity. DTI revealed widespread microstructural differences as indexed by a reduced regional fractional anisotropy (FA). Blind individuals showed lower FA in the primary visual and the ventral visual processing stream relative to sighted controls regardless of the blindness onset. The results show that visual deprivation shapes WM microstructure and anatomical connectivity, but these changes appear to be spatially dissociated as changes emerge in different WM tracts. They also indicate that regional differences in anatomical connectivity depend on the onset of blindness.
The H2S Donor NaHS Changes the Expression Pattern of H2S‐Producing Enzymes after Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Li Na , Wang Ming-Jie , Jin Sheng , Bai Ya-Dan , Hou Cui-Lan , Ma Fen-Fen , Li Xing-Hui , Zhu Yi-Chun
Published: January 2016

Aims. To examine the expression patterns of hydrogen sulphide‐ (H2S‐) producing enzymes in ischaemic heart tissue and plasma levels of H2S after 2 weeks of NaHS treatment after myocardial infarction (MI) and to clarify the role of endogenous H2S in the MI process. Results. After MI surgery, 2 weeks of treatment with the H2S donor NaHS alleviated ischaemic injury. Meanwhile, in ischemia myocardium, three H2S‐producing enzymes, cystathionine γ‐lyase (CSE), cystathionine‐β‐synthase (CBS), and 3‐mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3‐MST) significantly increased. Plasma H2S levels were also elevated. In vitro, NaHS treatment protected cardiomyocytes from hypoxic injury and raised CBS levels in a concentration‐dependent manner. Different from in vivo results, however, CSE or 3‐MST expression did not change. NaHS treatment increased the activity of CSE/CBS but not of 3‐MST. When CSE was either knocked down (in vitro) or knocked out (in vivo), H2S levels significantly decreased, which subsequently exacerbated the ischaemic injury. Meanwhile, the expressions of CBS and 3‐MST increased due to compensation. Conclusions. Exogenous H2S treatment changed the expressions of three H2S‐producing enzymes and H2S levels after MI, suggesting a new and indirect regulatory mechanism for H2S production and its contribution to cardiac protection. Endogenous H2S plays an important role in protecting ischaemic tissue after MI.
Quantification of Phytochemicals from Commercial Spirulina Products and Their Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Al-Dhabi Naif Abdullah , Valan Arasu Mariadhas
Published: January 2016

The present study aimed to profile the polyunsaturated fatty acids, sugars, free amino acids, and polyphenols in 37 varieties of Spirulina commonly available in the market using gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the biological potentials of the Spirulina samples were evaluated by analysing the in vitro antioxidant activities using various analytical techniques. The analyses revealed the presence of 13 polyunsaturated fatty acids, 18 amino acids, 7 sugars, and polyphenols. The polyunsaturated fatty acids contents were varied between Spirulina samples. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids amount was 4.25 mg/100 g, and the average among of sapienic acid detected was 2.25 mg/100 g, which was followed by linoleic acid (16.7%) and γ‐linolenic acid (14%). Among the 7 sugars, the hexose levels were the highest (73.85%). The total amino acids contents ranged from 11.49 to 56.14 mg/100 g, and the individual essential amino acids accounted for 17% to 39.18%. The “natural” tablets exhibited the highest polyphenols levels (24 mg/g). All of the Spirulina samples expressed dose‐dependent antioxidant activities. The polyunsaturated fatty acids, sugars, free amino acids, and polyphenols contents varied widely, and the variations in these compounds between the Spirulina samples were significant.
Proliferation of Human Primary Myoblasts Is Associated with Altered Energy Metabolism in Dependence on Ageing In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Pääsuke Reedik , Eimre Margus , Piirsoo Andres , Peet Nadežda , Laada Liidia , Kadaja Lumme , Roosimaa Mart , Pääsuke Mati , Märtson Aare , Seppet Enn , Paju Kalju
Published: January 2016

Background. Ageing is associated with suppressed regenerative potential of muscle precursor cells due to decrease of satellite cells and suppressive intramuscular milieu on their activation, associated with ageing‐related low‐grade inflammation. The aim of the study was to characterize the function of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), glycolysis, adenylate kinase (AK), and creatine kinase (CK) mediated systems in young and older individuals. Materials and Methods. Myoblasts were cultivated from biopsies taken by transcutaneous conchotomy from vastus lateralis muscle in young (20–29 yrs, n = 7) and older (70–79 yrs, n = 7) subjects. Energy metabolism was assessed in passages 2 to 6 by oxygraphy and enzyme analysis. Results. In myoblasts of young and older subjects the rate of OXPHOS decreased during proliferation from passages 2 to 6. The total activities of CK and AK decreased. Myoblasts of passage 2 cultivated from young muscle showed higher rate of OXPHOS and activities of CK and AK compared to myoblasts from older subjects while hexokinase and pyruvate kinase were not affected by ageing. Conclusions. Proliferation of myoblasts in vitro is associated with downregulation of OXPHOS and energy storage and transfer systems. Ageing in vivo exerts an impact on satellite cells which results in altered metabolic profile in favour of the prevalence of glycolytic pathways over mitochondrial OXPHOS of myoblasts.
Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Bipolar Disorder with Mixed Features
Authors: Palma Miguel , Ferreira Berta , Borja-Santos Nuno , Trancas Bruno , Monteiro Céu , Cardoso Graça
Published: January 2016

Introduction.Mixed states represent a frequent presentation of bipolar disorder, associated with higher resistance to psychopharmacology. Limited evidence supports the use of ECT in these patients. We aim to report our experience on treating bipolar mixed states with ECT.Methods.Retrospective data were collected from all bipolar patients submitted to acute ECT treatment, between June 2006 and June 2011. Three groups were created in terms of affective polarity of the episode. CGI rating was used to establish clinical remission and demographic and clinical variables were compared among groups. Long-term outcome was assessed through readmission measures, considering the use of continuation or maintenance ECT.Results.During the study time frame, a total of 50 ECT course treatments were performed on 41 bipolar patients. All affective episodes, except one mixed state, showed a positive clinical response. Patients with mixed state presentation tended to be younger and have an earlier first hospitalization than depressed patients. No differences were found in terms of ECT sessions performed, length of hospital admission, referral to continuation ECT treatment, number of readmissions, and time until next readmission.Conclusions.Our results support the effectiveness of ECT in patients experiencing a mixed affective state.
Failure and Ejection Behavior of Concrete Materials under Internal Blast
Authors: Wang Haifu , Xiao Jianguang , Zheng Yuanfeng , Yu Qingbo
Published: January 2016

In order to investigate the failure and ejection behavior of concrete materials under internal blast, the default Riedel-Hiermaier-Thoma (RHT) concrete model in AUTODYN and a meshfree processor called SPH are employed in this numerical simulation. It is shown that the failure mechanisms are significantly different in these damaged zones. Crushed zone is caused by shear failure while fractured zone is induced by tensile failure, and spalled zone is formed by a combination of shear and tensile failure. In addition, the ejection velocity distribution of the fragmented concrete mass on free surface is examined. The results indicate that the ejection velocity declines monotonously with the increase of the distance to symmetry axis of computational model. On the wall of the prefabricated borehole, two types of fragmented concrete mass are analyzed, and bottom initiation is recommended to eject the fragmented concrete mass effectively. Moreover, an algorithm of average ejection speed is developed to effectively estimate the drill capacity of high velocity, energetic (HE) projectiles. At last, the validity of numerical simulation is verified by physical experiments.
Improvement in the Detection of Cystic Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma by Measurement of Thyroglobulin in Aspirated Fluid
Authors: Wang Yong , Zhao Huan , Wang Yi-Xiang J. , Wang Min-Jie , Zhang Zhi-Hui , Zhang Li , Zhang Bin , Ahuja Anil T. , Zhou Chun-Wu , Jiang Yu-Xin , Guo Hui-Qin
Published: January 2016

Cystic change in metastatic lymph nodes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a diagnostic challenge for fine needle aspiration (FNA) because of the scant cellularity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the measurement of thyroglobulin in fine needle aspirate (Tg-FNA) for detecting metastatic PTC in patients with cystic neck lesions and to validate the optimal cutoff value of Tg-FNA. A total of 75 FNA specimens of cystic lesions were identified, including 40 of metastatic PTC. Predetermined threshold levels of 0.04 (minimum detection level), 0.9, 10.0, and 77.0 ng/mL (maximum normal serum-Tg level) were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Tg-FNA for metastatic PTC detection. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for diagnosing metastatic PTC of Tg-FNA values of 0.04, 0.9, 10.0, and 77.0 ng/mL were 0.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.382–0.618), 0.645 (95% CI, 0.526–0.752), 0.945 (95% CI, 0.866–0.984), and 0.973 (95% CI, 0.907–0.996), respectively. With a cutoff value of 77.0 ng/mL, the combination of Tg-FNA and FNA cytology showed superior diagnostic power (97.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity) compared to FNA cytology alone (80% sensitivity and 100% specificity). We recommend a Tg-FNA cutoff of 77.0 ng/mL, the maximum normal serum-Tg level, for cystic neck lesions.
Improvement of Liver Transplantation Outcome by Heme Oxygenase‐1‐Transduced Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Rats
Authors: Wu Bin , Song Hong-Li , Yang Yang , Yin Ming-Li , Zhang Bo-Ya , Cao Yi , Dong Chong , Shen Zhong-Yang
Published: January 2016

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) exert immunosuppressive activity in transplantation, and heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) enhances their immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether HO‐1‐transduced BMMSCs (HO‐1/MSCs) improve rat liver transplantation (LTx) outcomes. Orthotopic LTx rejection models were treated with HO‐1/MSCs, BMMSCs, HO‐1, or normal saline, respectively. Our results showed a significant improvement in survival rates in the HO‐1/BMMSCs group compared to the control groups. At all time points, liver function marker levels in the HO‐1/MSCs group were significantly lower than in the other three groups; on POD 1, 7, and 14, the degree of rejection and apoptotic cells was significantly less in the HO‐1/MSCs group than in the other three groups. Interleukin‐ (IL‐) 10 and transforming growth factor‐β levels were significantly increased, while IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐17, IL‐23, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and interferon‐γ levels were significantly decreased in the HO‐1/MSCs group when compared to the other groups. Splenocyte Tregs were significantly increased by HO‐1/MSCs compared with controls on POD 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 28. Summarily, we provide evidence that HO‐1/MSCs improved allogeneic LTx outcomes by attenuating inflammatory responses and acute cellular rejection, as well as enhanced immunomodulatory effects compared with BMMSCs.