bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visual selectivity for heading in the macaque ventral intraparietal area
Authors: Kaminiarz Andre , Schlack Anja , Hoffmann Klaus-Peter , Lappe Markus , Bremmer Frank
Published: August 2014

The patterns of optic flow seen during self-motion can be used to determine the direction of one's own heading. Tracking eye movements which typically occur during everyday life alter this task since they add further retinal image motion and (predictably) distort the retinal flow pattern. Humans employ both visual and nonvisual (extraretinal) information to solve a heading task in such case. Likewise, it has been shown that neurons in the monkey medial superior temporal area (area MST) use both signals during the processing of self-motion information. In this article we report that neurons in the macaque ventral intraparietal area (area VIP) use visual information derived from the distorted flow patterns to encode heading during (simulated) eye movements. We recorded responses of VIP neurons to simple radial flow fields and to distorted flow fields that simulated self-motion plus eye movements. In 59% of the cases, cell responses compensated for the distortion and kept the same heading selectivity irrespective of different simulated eye movements. In addition, response modulations during real compared with simulated eye movements were smaller, being consistent with reafferent signaling involved in the processing of the visual consequences of eye movements in area VIP. We conclude that the motion selectivities found in area VIP, like those in area MST, provide a way to successfully analyze and use flow fields during self-motion and simultaneous tracking movements.
Purification and Characterization of Melanogenic Enzyme Tyrosinase from Button Mushroom
Authors: Zaidi Kamal Uddin , Ali Ayesha S. , Ali Sharique A.
Published: August 2014

Melanogenesis is a biosynthetic pathway for the formation of the pigment melanin in human skin. A key enzyme, tyrosinase, catalyzes the first and only rate-limiting steps in melanogenesis. Since the discovery of its melanogenic properties, tyrosinase has been in prime focus and microbial sources of the enzyme are sought.Agaricus bisporuswidely known as the common edible mushroom, it’s taking place in high amounts of proteins, enzyme, carbohydrates, fibers, and low fat contents are frequently cited in the literature in relation to their nutritional value. In the present study tyrosinase fromAgaricus bisporuswas purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, dialysis followed by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-100, and ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Cellulose; the enzyme was purified, 16.36-fold to give 26.6% yield on total activity in the crude extract and final specific activity of 52.19 U/mg. The SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed a migrating protein band molecular weight of 95 kDa. The purified tyrosinase was optimized and the results revealed that the optimum values are pH 7.0 and temperature 35°C. The highest activity was reported towards its natural substrate, L-DOPA, with an apparent Km value of 0.933 mM. This indicated that tyrosinase purified fromAgaricus bisporusis a potential source for medical applications.
Assessment of Serum Zinc Levels of Patients with Thalassemia Compared to Their Siblings
Authors: El Missiry Mohamed , Hamed Hussein Mohamed , Khalid Sadaf , Yaqub Naila , Khan Sarah , Itrat Fatima , Uderzo Cornelio , Faulkner Lawrence
Published: August 2014

Zinc (Zn) is essential for appropriate growth and proper immune function, both of which may be impaired in thalassemia children. Factors that can affect serum Zn levels in these patients may be related to their disease or treatment or nutritional causes. We assessed the serum Zn levels of children with thalassemia paired with a sibling. Zn levels were obtained from 30 children in Islamabad, Pakistan. Serum Zn levels and anthropometric data measures were compared among siblings. Thalassemia patients’ median age was 4.5 years (range 1–10.6 years) and siblings was 7.8 years (range 1.1–17 years). The median serum Zn levels for both groups were within normal range: 100 μg/dL (10 μg/dL–297 μg/dL) for patients and 92 μg/dL (13 μg/dL–212 μg/dL) for siblings. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Patients’ serum Zn values correlated positively with their corresponding siblings (r=0.635,P<0.001). There were no correlations between patients’ Zn levels, height for age Z-scores, serum ferritin levels, chelation, or blood counts (including both total leukocyte and absolute lymphocyte counts). Patients’ serum Zn values correlated with their siblings’ values. In this study, patients with thalassemia do not seem to have disease-related Zn deficiency.
Plexiform Unicystic Ameloblastoma: A Rare Variant of Ameloblastoma
Authors: Deore Swapnil S. , Dandekar Rishikesh C. , Mahajan Aarti M. , Patil Rahul , Prakash Nilima
Published: August 2014

The term plexiform unicystic ameloblastoma refers to a pattern of epithelial proliferation that has been described in cystic cavity. Because of unilocular presentation, it is commonly misdiagnosed as an odontogenic cyst. However, they may often behave clinically as biologically aggressive tumors. These tumors show high incidence of cortical perforation, tooth resorption and a high rate of recurrence after simple enucleation. This paper aims to provide an insight into this biologically distinct entity. A literature review on the topic has been added along with a case report highlighting the approach of diagnosis and management of such ameloblastomas.
Simulated Annealing Algorithm Combined with Chaos for Task Allocation in Real‐Time Distributed Systems
Authors: Wu Wenbo , Liang Jiahong , Yao Xinyu , Liu Baohong
Published: August 2014

This paper addresses the problem of task allocation in real‐time distributed systems with the goal of maximizing the system reliability, which has been shown to be NP‐hard. We take account of the deadline constraint to formulate this problem and then propose an algorithm called chaotic adaptive simulated annealing (XASA) to solve the problem. Firstly, XASA begins with chaotic optimization which takes a chaotic walk in the solution space and generates several local minima; secondly XASA improves SA algorithm via several adaptive schemes and continues to search the optimal based on the results of chaotic optimization. The effectiveness of XASA is evaluated by comparing with traditional SA algorithm and improved SA algorithm. The results show that XASA can achieve a satisfactory performance of speedup without loss of solution quality.
Probabilistic Harmonic Calculation in Distribution Networks with Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Authors: Wang Jianxue , Cui Yanlin , Zhu Minghui
Published: August 2014

Integrating EV charging station into power grid will bring impacts on power system, among which the most significant one is the harmonic pollution on distribution networks. Due to the uncertainty of the EV charging process, the harmonic currents brought by EV charging stations have a random nature. This paper proposed a mathematical simulation method for studying the working status of charging stations, which considers influencing factors including random leaving factor, electricity price, and waiting time. Based on the proposed simulation method, the probability distribution of the harmonic currents of EV charging stations is obtained and used in the calculation of the probability harmonic power flow. Then the impacts of EVs and EV charging stations on distribution networks can be analyzed. In the case study, the proposed simulation and analysis method is implemented on the IEEE-34 distribution network. The influences of EV arrival rates, the penetration rate, and the accessing location of EV charging station are also investigated. Results show that this research has good potential in guiding the planning and construction of charging station.
Emerging Lung Cancer Therapeutic Targets Based on the Pathogenesis of Bone Metastases
Authors: Oyewumi Moses O. , Alazizi Adnan , Wehrung Daniel , Manochakian Rami , Safadi Fayez F.
Published: August 2014

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer related mortality in both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. It is widely accepted that tumor metastasis is a formidable barrier to effective treatment of lung cancer. The bone is one of the frequent metastatic sites for lung cancer occurring in a large number of patients. Bone metastases can cause a wide range of symptoms that could impair quality of life of lung cancer patients and shorten their survival. We strongly believe that molecular targets (tumor-related and bone microenvironment based) that have been implicated in lung cancer bone metastases hold great promise in lung cancer therapeutics. Thus, this paper discusses some of the emerging molecular targets that have provided insights into the cascade of metastases in lung cancer with the focus on bone invasion. It is anticipated that the information gathered might be useful in future efforts of optimizing lung cancer treatment strategies.
Appropriate Development of the Liver Treg Compartment Is Modulated by the Microbiota and Requires TGF-βand MyD88
Authors: Maria Ann , English Kathryn A. , Gorham James D.
Published: August 2014

Neither the early postnatal development of the liver Treg compartment nor the factors that regulate its development has been characterized. We compared the early developmental patterns of Treg cell accumulation in murine liver, thymus, and spleen. A FoxP3EGFPreporter mouse was employed to identify Treg cells. Mononuclear cells were isolated from organs postnatally, stained for CD4, and examined by flow cytometry to enumerate FoxP3+CD4hicells. To assess roles for TGF-β1, MyD88, and TLR2, gene-specific knockout pups were generated from heterozygous breeders. To test the role of commensal bacteria, pregnant dams were administered antibiotics during gestation and after parturition. The pattern of appearance of Treg cells differed in liver, spleen, and thymus. Notably, at 1-2 weeks, the frequency ofCD4hiFoxP3+T cells in liver exceeded that in spleen by 1.5- to 2-fold. The relative increase in liver Treg frequency was transient and was dependent upon TGF-β1and MyD88, but not TLR2, and was abrogated by antibiotic treatment. A relative increase in liver Treg frequency occurs approximately 1-2 weeks after parturition that appears to be driven by colonization of the intestine with commensal bacteria and is mediated by a pathway that requires TGF-β1and MyD88, but not TLR2.
No Obesity Paradox—BMI Incapable of Adequately Capturing the Relation of Obesity with All-Cause Mortality: An Inception Diabetes Cohort Study
Authors: Bozorgmanesh Mohammadreza , Arshi Banafsheh , Sheikholeslami Farhad , Azizi Fereidoun , Hadaegh Farzad
Published: August 2014

Background. To reconcile “the obesity paradox,” we tested if (1) the contribution of anthropometric measures to mortality was nonlinear and (2) the confounding of hip circumference contributed to the obesity paradox recently observed among diabetic patients.Methods. We analyzed data of diabetic patients attending a community-based prospective, “Tehran lipid and glucose study.” In the mortality analysis, anthropometric measures—body mass index (BMI), waist, and hip circumference—were assessed using Cox models incorporating cubic spline functions.Results. During 12 990 person-years follow-up, BMI levels below 27 and those above 40 kg·m−2were associated with increased mortality. When we added waist circumference to the BMI in the multivariate-adjusted model, the steepness of BMI-mortality association curve slope for values below 27 kg·m−2increased, whereas the steepness of BMI-mortality association curve slope for values above this threshold decreased. Further adjusting the model for hip circumference, the steepness of the slopes of the association curve moved towards null on both extremes and no associations between BMI and all-cause mortality remained.Conclusion. BMI harbors intermixed positive and negative confounding effects on mortality of waist and hip circumference. Failing to control for the confounding effect of hip circumference may stymie unbiased hazard estimation and render conclusions paradoxical.
Inhibitory Effect of NMDA Receptors in the Ventral Tegmental Area on Hormonal and Eating Behavior Responses to Stress in Rats
Authors: Nasihatkon Zohreh Sadat , Khosravi Maryam , Bourbour Zahra , Sahraei Hedayat , Ranjbaran Mina , Hassantash Seyedeh Maryam , Sahraei Mohammad , Baghlani Kefayat
Published: August 2014

Background. Stress and its consequences are among the causes of accidents.Objective. The effects of intraventral tegmental area (I-VTA) memantine on the plasma corticosterone and eating parameters disturbance induced by acute stress were investigated.Methods. Male Wistar rats (W: 250–300 g) were divided into control and experiential groups, each of which received memantine either intra-VTA or peripherally. One week after bilateral cannulation, the rats received memantine (1 and 5 μg/Rat) five min before electroshock stress. The other experimental groups received memantine (1 and 5 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 30 min before stress. The control groups received saline or memantine but did not experience stress. Food and water intake and plasma corticosterone level were recorded.Results. Results showed that stress decreases food intake but does not change water intake and increase in plasma corticosterone level. Intraperitoneal memantine administration slightly inhibits the stress effects on food intake. However, water intake and plasma corticosterone level were increased. Intra-VTA memantine reduces the effects of stress on corticosterone and water intake.Conclusion. It could be concluded that inhibition of glutamate NMDA receptors in the VTA by memantine leads to the inhibition of the eating behavior parameters and plasma corticosterone level disturbance induced by stress in rats.
Determination of Flavanones in Orange Juices Obtained from Different Sources by HPLC/DAD
Authors: Silva Lidércia C. R. Cerqueira e , David Jorge M. , Borges Rafael dos S. Q. , Ferreira Sérgio L. C. , David Juceni P. , Reis Pedro S. dos , Bruns Roy E.
Published: August 2014

Flavanones (hesperidin, naringenin, naringin, and poncirin) in industrial, hand-squeezed orange juices and from fresh-in-squeeze machines orange juices were determined by HPLC/DAD analysis using a previously described liquid-liquid extraction method. Method validation including the accuracy was performed by using recovery tests. Samples (36) collected from different Brazilian locations and brands were analyzed. Concentrations were determined using an external standard curve. The limits of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantification (LOQ) calculated were 0.0037, 1.87, 0.0147, and 0.0066 mg 100 g−1and 0.0089, 7.84, 0.0302, and 0.0200 mg 100 g−1for naringin, hesperidin, poncirin, and naringenin, respectively. The results demonstrated that hesperidin was present at the highest concentration levels, especially in the industrial orange juices. Its average content and concentration range were 69.85 and 18.80–139.00 mg 100 g−1. The other flavanones showed the lowest concentration levels. The average contents and concentration ranges found were 0.019, 0.01–0.30, and 0.12 and 0.1–0.17, 0.13, and 0.01–0.36 mg 100 g−1, respectively. The results were also evaluated using the principal component analysis (PCA) multivariate analysis technique which showed that poncirin, naringenin, and naringin were the principal elements that contributed to the variability in the sample concentrations.
Characterization of Glial Cell Models andIn VitroManipulation of the Neuregulin1/ErbB System
Authors: Pascal Davide , Giovannelli Alessia , Gnavi Sara , Hoyng Stefan Adriaan , de Winter Fred , Morano Michela , Fregnan Federica , Dell'Albani Paola , Zaccheo Damiano , Perroteau Isabelle , Pellitteri Rosalia , Gambarotta Giovanna
Published: August 2014

The neuregulin1/ErbB system plays an important role in Schwann cell behavior both in normal and pathological conditions. Upon investigation of the expression of the neuregulin1/ErbB systemin vitro, we explored the possibility to manipulate the system in order to increase the migration of Schwann cells, that play a fundamental role in the peripheral nerve regeneration. Comparison of primary cells and stable cell lines shows that both primary olfactory bulb ensheathing cells and a corresponding cell line express ErbB1-ErbB2 and neuregulin1, and that both primary Schwann cells and a corresponding cell line express ErbB2-ErbB3, while only primary Schwann cells express neuregulin1. To interfere with the neuregulin1/ErbB system, the soluble extracellular domain of the neuregulin1 receptor ErbB4 (ecto-ErbB4) was expressedin vitroin the neuregulin1 expressing cell line, and an unexpected increase in cell motility was observed.In vitroexperiments suggest that the back signaling mediated by the transmembrane neuregulin1 plays a role in the migratory activity induced by ecto-ErbB4. These results indicate that ecto-ErbB4 could be usedin vivoas a tool to manipulate the neuregulin1/ErbB system.
Association between a Variant in MicroRNA-646 and the Susceptibility to Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Large-Scale Population
Authors: Wang Rui , Zhang Jun , Jiang Weiru , Ma Yanyun , Li Wenshuai , Jin Bohan , Hu Heping , Wang Jiucun , Liu Yi , Liu Jie
Published: August 2014

Background. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNAs play important roles in oncogenesis and cancer development.Objective. We aim to explore whether miR-646 rs6513497 is associated with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods. Total 997 HCC patients and 993 cancer-free controls were enrolled in this study. Genotyping was performed using MassARRAY method.Results. Compared with the T allele of rs6513497, the G allele was associated with a significantly decreased risk of HCC (OR = 0.788, 95% CI = 0.631–0.985,P= 0.037); moreover, a more protective effect of the G allele was shown in males (OR = 0.695, 95% CI = 0.539–0.897,P= 0.005 in HCC and OR = 0.739, 95% CI = 0.562–0.972,P= 0.030 in HBV-related HCC), basically in a dominant manner (HCC: OR = 0.681, 95% CI = 0.162–0.896,P= 0.006; HBV-related HCC: OR = 0.715, 95% CI = 0.532–0.962,P= 0.027).Conclusions. Our findings support the view that the miR-646 SNP rs6513497 may contribute to the susceptibility of HCC.
Glucocorticoid Functional Reserve in Full-Spectrum Intensity of Primary Hypothyroidism
Authors: Rodríguez-Gutiérrez René , González-Velázquez Camilo , González-Saldívar Gerardo , Villarreal-Pérez Jesús Zacarías , González-González José Gerardo
Published: August 2014

Adrenal function might be impaired in patients with primary hypothyroidism. The objective was to evaluate adrenocortical function using the low-dose cosyntropin test in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Consequently a prospective, longitudinal, controlled study of sixty adult patients with primary hypothyroidism was carried out. Patientsnaïveto L-T4 treatment were compared with control participants. A low-dose cosyntropin test was done before and after L-T4 therapy. Thirty and sixty minutes after the low-dose cosyntropin, the mean cortisol values were lower in the cases group (612.6 ± 133.1 and 603.4 ± 153.7 nmol/L) when compared to the control group (677.0 ± 82.4 and 669.9 ± 83.7 nmol/L) (P=0.001and 0.003), respectively. After L-T4 therapy, this difference was lost. Four out of 60 cases (6.7%) taking a cortisol cutoff value of 500 mmol/L and 11 out of 60 (18.3%) having 550 mmol/L as the cutoff had adrenal insufficiency before L-T4 therapy. After L-T4 therapy, 50% and 81% of the cases had normal cortisol response. In conclusion, patients with different degrees of intensity of primary hypothyroidism had improved cortisol response after reaching euthyroidism. The incidence of adrenal insufficiency was 6.7–18.3% and more than 50% of the cases had a normal cortisol response after L-T4 therapy.
In SilicoIdentification and Characterization of Potential Drug Targets in Bovine Herpes Virus 4, Causing Bovine Mastitis
Authors: Kurjogi Mahantesh M. , Kaliwal Basappa B.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this study is to deal with aetiology causing bovine mastitis; bovine herpes virus is also responsible for causing bovine mastitis but studies on viruses have been neglected as historical mastitis research has concentrated only on bacterial pathogens. Therefore, present study aims to make anin silicoidentification and characterization of potential drug targets in bovine herpes virus 4 by computational methods using various bioinformatics tools. In the current investigation 5 proteins of BoHV 4 were found to be nonhomologous to the hostBos taurus; these nonhomology proteins were believed to be inevitable proteins of BoHV 4 as they were specific to the virus; however 378 proteins were homologous to the host protein. Thein silicophysicochemical characterization of 5 proteins of BoHV 4 indicated that all the proteins of the virus were having more or less similar characteristics. Perhaps the knowledge of the present study may help in drug discovery which have high affinity to target site. Possible drug discovery to manage bovine mastitis with a help of bioinformatics tool is more significant and, specific and, reduces time and complications involved in clinical trials.
The Role of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in a Two-Person, Cooperative Manipulation Task
Authors: Parikh Sarangi P. , Esposito Joel M. , Searock Jeremy
Published: August 2014

Motivated by the differences between human and robot teams, we investigated the role of verbal communication between human teammates as they work together to move a large object to a series of target locations. Only one member of the group was told the target sequence by the experimenters, while the second teammate had no target knowledge. The two experimental conditions we compared were haptic-verbal (teammates are allowed to talk) and haptic only (no talking allowed). The team’s trajectory was recorded and evaluated. In addition, participants completed a NASA TLX-style postexperimental survey which gauges workload along 6 different dimensions. In our initial experiment we found no significant difference in performance when verbal communication was added. In a follow-up experiment, using a different manipulation task, we did find that the addition of verbal communication significantly improved performance and reduced the perceived workload. In both experiments, for the haptic-only condition, we found that a remarkable number of groups independently improvised common haptic communication protocols (CHIPs). We speculate that such protocols can be substituted for verbal communication and that the performance difference between verbal and nonverbal communication may be related to how easy it is to distinguish the CHIPs from motions required for task completion.
On Fractional Derivatives and Primitives of Periodic Functions
Authors: Area I. , Losada J. , Nieto J. J.
Published: August 2014

We prove that the fractional derivative or the fractional primitive of aT-periodic function cannot be aT~-periodic function, for any periodT~, with the exception of the zero function.
Multifunctional Voltage Source Inverter for Renewable Energy Integration and Power Quality Conditioning
Authors: Dai NingYi , Lam Chi-Seng , Zhang WenChen
Published: August 2014

In order to utilize the energy from the renewable energy sources, power conversion system is necessary, in which the voltage source inverter (VSI) is usually the last stage for injecting power to the grid. It is an economical solution to add the function of power quality conditioning to the grid-connected VSI in the low-voltage distribution system. Two multifunctional VSIs are studied in this paper, that is, inductive-coupling VSI and capacitive-coupling VSI, which are named after the fundamental frequency impedance of their coupling branch. The operation voltages of the two VSIs are compared when they are used for renewable energy integration and power quality conditioning simultaneously. The operation voltage of the capacitive-coupling VSI can be set much lower than that of the inductive-coupling VSI when reactive power is for compensating inductive loads. Since a large portion of the loads in the distribution system are inductive, the capacitive-coupling VSI is further studied. The design and control method of the multifunctional capacitive-coupling VSI are proposed in this paper. Simulation and experimental results are provided to show its validity.
A Water Flow-Like Algorithm for the Travelling Salesman Problem
Authors: Srour Ayman , Othman Zulaiha Ali , Hamdan Abdul Razak
Published: August 2014

The water flow-like algorithm (WFA) is a relatively new metaheuristic that performs well on the object grouping problem encountered in combinatorial optimization. This paper presents a WFA for solving the travelling salesman problem (TSP) as a graph-based problem. The performance of the WFA on the TSP is evaluated using 23 TSP benchmark datasets and by comparing it with previous algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed WFA found better solutions in terms of the average solution and the percentage deviation of the average solution from the best-known solution.
Incidence of Road Traffic Injury and Associated Factors among Patients Visiting the Emergency Department of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Tiruneh Bewket Tadesse , Dachew Berihun Assefa , Bifftu Berhanu Boru
Published: August 2014

Background. Road traffic injuries are a major public health issue. The problem is increasing in Africa.Objective. To assess the incidence of road traffic injury and associated factors among patients visiting the emergency department of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods. Institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted. A total of 356 systematically selected study subjects were included in the study. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify associated factors with road traffic injury. Odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were computed to determine the level of significance.Results. The incidence of road traffic injury in the emergency department of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital was 36.8%. Being a farmer (AOR = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.06–10.13), conflict with family members (AOR = 7.7; 95% CI = 3.49–8.84), financial problem (AOR = 9.91; 95% CI = 4.79–6.48), psychological problem (AOR = 17.58; 95% CI = 7.70–12.14), and alcohol use (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.61–5.27) were independently associated with road traffic injury.Conclusion and Recommendation. In this study the incidence of road traffic injury was high. Alcohol is one of the most significant factors associated with Road Traffic Injury. Thus urgent education on the effect of alcohol is recommended.
Cutaneous Vasculitis, Interstitial Pneumonia with Crazy-Paving Appearance, and Positive pANCA in a Patient with Severe Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Chen Guang-liang , Wang Juan , Li Bao-zhen , Li Li-mei , Mo Han-you , Ye Shuang
Published: August 2014

Cutaneous vasculitis, interstitial pneumonia with crazy-paving appearance on high-resolution computed tomography, and repeated positive perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (pANCA) are rarely found together in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in the existing literature. We report the case of a Chinese patient previously diagnosed with cutaneous vasculitis and interstitial pneumonia, who presented with acute pain and mass in his right lower quadrant a couple of years later. The terminal ileum biopsy and postoperative pathology confirmed Crohn’s disease (CD).
Linearizability of Nonlinear Third-Order Ordinary Differential Equations by Using a Generalized Linearizing Transformation
Authors: Thailert E. , Suksern S.
Published: August 2014

We discuss the linearization problem of third-order ordinary differential equation under the generalized linearizing transformation. We identify the form of the linearizable equations and the conditions which allow the third-order ordinary differential equation to be transformed into the simplest linear equation. We also illustrate how to construct the generalized linearizing transformation. Some examples of linearizable equation are provided to demonstrate our procedure.
Differentiation ofXanthomonasspp. Causing Bacterial Spot in Bulgaria Based on Biolog System
Authors: Stoyanova Mariya , Vancheva Taca , Moncheva Penka , Bogatzevska Nevena
Published: August 2014

During the last 20 years, the causative agents of bacterial spot of tomato and pepper have been subjected to many studies and reclassifications. According to the current data, the species are four (X. euvesicatoria,X. vesicatoria,X. gardneri, andX. perforans) and cause similar symptoms in plants but possess different phenotypic properties. This work provides the full metabolic characteristics obtained by Biolog system of bacterial spot’s xanthomonads based on a large selection of strains from different vegetable-producing regions of Bulgaria with accent on their major differentiating properties which could be used for species differentiation by metabolic profiles. The results are compared to the data available in the literature in order to clarify the strong features of each species and distinguish the variable ones. Simple characteristics like amylase activity and utilization of cis-aconitate cannot serve alone for differentiation.
Pleuropulmonary Blastoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Khan Amjad Ali , El-Borai Ahmed Kamal , Alnoaiji Mohammad
Published: August 2014

The case of 38-month-old boy is being reported who was brought to the pediatrics clinic with fever, cough, hemoptysis, and breathing difficulty. Imaging studies revealed a right lower chest mass. Lobectomy and histopathological examination revealed it to be predominantly solid pleuropulmonary blastoma type II. It is a rare pediatric pleuropulmonary tumor with aggressive behavior and tendency to spread to the brain. The case is being presented to make the general histopathologist aware of this rare entity and to highlight to the pediatric physicians/surgeons, radiologists, and histopathologists the fact that lung cysts in infants and young children should be evaluated seriously and sampled thoroughly to diagnose cases of type I pleuropulmonary blastoma which will progress over time to type II or type III tumors. Also the siblings and first degree relatives of the patient should be screened for associated pulmonary and extrapulmonary benign and malignant conditions.
Fabrication of Silver Interdigitated Electrode by a Stamp Method
Authors: Chou Kan-Sen , Lee Chia-Hsuan
Published: August 2014

A stamp method was developed in this study to fabricate interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) on glass substrate from a 37.5 wt% silver ink. This method is simple and fast. A small amount of silver ink was first dripped into an IDE-patterned sponge of a stamp and then one could stamp out the desired IDE pattern made of nanosized silver colloids on a glass substrate, which was subsequently sintered at 280°C for 10 minutes to obtain the final silver IDE. Our brief study showed that when a large stamping force was used, more ink would be stamped out in the beginning and it decreased after each usage. However, if the force was too small, there would not be sufficient ink for a complete IDE. There existed therefore an optimal force to fabricate IDEs with minimal changes from sample to sample. The average dimension of an IDE when the applied force was 102 gm was roughly 403 ± 20 µm in width and 1154 ± 153 nm in height, and the average final electrical resistivity was about10×10-6 Ω-cm.
Placenta-Specific Protein 1 Is Conserved throughout the Placentalia under Purifying Selection
Authors: Devor Eric J.
Published: August 2014

Placental mammals (Placentalia) are a very successful group that, today, comprise 94% of all mammalian species. Recent phylogenetic analyses, coupled with new, quite complete fossils, suggest that the crown orders were all established rapidly from a common ancestor just after the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary 65 million years ago. Extensive molecular and morphologic evidence has led to a description of the common ancestor of all Placentalia in which a two-horned uterus and a hemochorial placenta are present. Thus, the process of placentation in which the placenta invades and anchors to the uterine epithelium was already established. One factor that has been suggested as a crucial component of this process is placenta-specific protein 1 (PLAC1). A phylogenetic analysis of the PLAC1 protein in 25 placental mammal species, representing nine of the sixteen crown orders of the Placentalia, suggests that this protein was present in the placental common ancestor in the form we see it today, that it evolved in the Placentalia and has been subject to the effects of purifying selection since its appearance.
HPLC-DAD Analysis, Antileishmanial, Antiproliferative, and Antibacterial Activities ofLacistema pubescens: An Amazonian Medicinal Plant
Authors: Mello da Silva Josiane , Antinarelli Luciana Maria Ribeiro , Pinto Nícolas de Castro Campos , Coimbra Elaine Soares , de Souza-Fagundes Elaine Maria , Ribeiro Antônia , Scio Elita
Published: August 2014

Species of the genusLacistemaare traditionally used by Brazilian and Peruvian indigenous communities. The present study investigated thein vitroantileishmanial activity against severalLeishmaniaspecies, cytotoxicity in murine peritoneal macrophages, antiproliferative activity against HL60 and Jurkat cells, and antibacterial activities against seven bacteria strains of the aerial parts of the methanolic crude extract and fractions ofLacistema pubescens. In addition, their chemical profile was also evaluated. Hexane fraction showed the most significant IC50values against all promastigotes ofLeishmaniaspecies tested, except forL. chagasi(IC50= 4.2 µg/mL forL. majorand IC50= 3.5 µg/mL forL. amazonensis). This fraction also exhibited a strong activity against amastigotes ofL. amazonensis(IC50= 6.9 µg/mL). The antiproliferative activity was also observed for methanolic extract and hexane fraction with IC50= 47.2 µg/mL and IC50= 39.7 µg/mL for HL60, respectively. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, the overall antibacterial activity was not very significative. Phytol and sitosterol were identified in the methanolic extract. Additionally, previous studies also revealed the presence of those compounds in the hexane fraction. Among other compounds, phytol and sitosterol were probably involved in the antileishmanial and cytotoxicity activities observed in this study.
Improvements of Jensen-Type Inequalities for Diamond-α Integrals
Authors: Bibi Rabia , Pečarić Josip , Lipanović Mirna Rodić
Published: August 2014

We give further improvements of the Jensen inequality and its converse on time scales, allowing also negative weights. These results generalize the Jensen inequality and its converse for both discrete and continuous cases. Further, we investigate the exponential and logarithmic convexity of the differences between the left-hand side and the right-hand side of these inequalities and present several families of functions for which these results can be applied.
Effect of Hypoxia on the Calcium and Magnesium Content, Lipid Peroxidation Level, and Ca2+-ATPase Activity of Syncytiotrophoblast Plasma Membranes from Placental Explants
Authors: Chiarello Delia I. , Marín Reinaldo , Proverbio Fulgencio , Benzo Zully , Piñero Sandy , Botana Desirée , Abad Cilia
Published: August 2014

In the current study the possible relationship between the Ca2+/Mg2+ratio of human syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes and their lipid peroxidation and Ca2+-ATPase activity was determined. Syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes of placental explants cultured under hypoxia increased their lipid peroxidation and Ca2+content, diminished their Ca2+-ATPase activity, and kept their Mg2+content unchanged. Membranes preincubated with different concentrations of Ca2+increased their Ca2+content without changes in their Mg2+content. There is a direct relationship between Ca2+content and lipid peroxidation of the membranes, as well as an inverse relationship between their Ca2+content and Ca2+-ATPase activity. On the contrary, preincubation of membranes with different concentrations of Mg2+showed a higher Mg2+content without changing their lipid peroxidation and Ca2+-ATPase activity. Explants cultured under hypoxia in the presence of 4 mM MgSO4showed similar values of lipid peroxidation and Ca2+-ATPase activity of their membranes compared to those of explants cultured under normoxia. Increased Ca2+content of the membranes by interacting with negatively charged phospholipids could result in destabilizing effects of the membrane structure, exposing hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids to the action of free radicals. Mg2+might exert a stabilizing effect of the membranes, avoiding their exposure to free radicals.
Impact of Weight Regain on Metabolic Disease Risk: A Review of Human Trials
Authors: Kroeger Cynthia M. , Hoddy Kristin K. , Varady Krista A.
Published: August 2014

Dietary restriction interventions are effective for weight loss and reduction of chronic disease risk. Unfortunately, most people tend to regain much of this lost weight within one year after intervention. While some studies suggest that minor degrees of weight regain have no effect on metabolic disease risk parameters, other studies demonstrate a complete reversal in metabolic benefits. In light of these conflicting findings, it is of interest to determine how complete weight maintenance versus mild weight regain affects key risk parameters. These findings would have important clinical implications, as they could help identify a weight regain threshold that could preserve the metabolic benefits of weight loss. Accordingly, this review examined the impact of no weight regain versus mild regain on various metabolic disease risk parameters, including plasma lipids, blood pressure, glucose, and insulin concentrations, in adult subjects.
Protonation Equilibria of Biologically Active Ligands in Mixed Aqueous Organic Solvents
Authors: El-Sherif Ahmed A. , Shoukry Mohamed M. , Abd Elkarim Abeer T. , Barakat Mohammad H.
Published: August 2014

The review is mainly concerned with the protonation equilibria of biologically active ligands like amino acids, peptides, DNA constituents, and amino acid esters in nonaqueous media. Equilibrium concentrations of proton-ligand formation as a function of pH were investigated. Also, thermodynamics associated with protonation equilibria were also discussed.
Ecological Significance of the Association betweenStomopneustes variolaris(Echinoidea) andLumbrineris latreilli(Polychaeta) from Visakhapatnam Coast, India
Authors: Ayyagari Archana , Kondamudi Ramesh Babu
Published: August 2014

The present study reports a new association between the sea urchinStomopneustes variolaris(Lamarck, 1816) and the polychaeteLumbrineris latreilli(Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1834) based on the specimens collected intertidally at Bay of Bengal (Visakhapatnam, east coast of India). Out of 60 sea urchins collected, 10 (16.67%) were associated with the polychaete. The prevalence increased with the increasing sea urchin test diameter. All polychaetes were exclusively found between the spines, in the aboral region of the host. This association protects the polychaete from the predators during displacement from its natural habitat.
The Role of18F-FDG PET/CT in Large-Vessel Vasculitis: Appropriateness of Current Classification Criteria?
Authors: Balink H. , Bennink R. J. , van Eck-Smit B. L. F. , Verberne H. J.
Published: August 2014

Patients with clinical suspicion of large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) may present with nonspecific signs and symptoms and increased inflammatory parameters and may remain without diagnosis after routine diagnostic procedures. Both the nonspecificity of the radiopharmaceutical18F-FDG and the synergy of integrating functional and anatomical images with PET/CT offer substantial benefit in the diagnostic work-up of patients with clinical suspicion for LVV. A negative temporal artery biopsy, an ultrasonography without an arterial halo, or a MRI without aortic wall thickening or oedema do not exclude the presence of LVV and should therefore not exclude the use of18F-FDG PET/CT when LVV is clinically suspected. This overview further discusses the notion that there is substantial underdiagnosis of LVV. Late diagnosis of LVV may lead to surgery or angioplasty in occlusive forms and is often accompanied by serious aortic complications and a fatal outcome. In contrast to the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for vasculitis, based on late LVV effects like arterial stenosis and/or occlusion,18F-FDG PET/CT sheds new light on the classification of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu arteritis (TA). The combination of these observations makes the role of18F-FDG PET/CT in the assessment of patients suspected for having LVV promising.
Intrasurgical Imaging of Subinternal Limiting Membrane Blood Diffusion in Terson Syndrome
Authors: Iuliano Lorenzo , Fogliato Giovanni , Codenotti Marco
Published: August 2014

We report a case of Terson syndrome, providing the first intrasurgical imaging of subinternal limiting membrane blood diffusion in Terson syndrome. We highlight some remarkable in vivo anatomical findings that may give a contribution to the debate about its pathogenesis. Here we hypothesize that the subretinal space might be unlikely to be a primary source of intraocular hemorrhage, and we support the two generally accepted theories about blood diffusion from the retinal vasculature or from the perivascular spaces.
Epicatechin and Catechin Modulate Endothelial Activation Induced by Platelets of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Carnevale R. , Loffredo L. , Nocella C. , Bartimoccia S. , Bucci T. , De Falco E. , Peruzzi M. , Chimenti I. , Biondi-Zoccai G. , Pignatelli P. , Violi F. , Frati G.
Published: August 2014

Platelet activation contributes to the alteration of endothelial function, a critical initial step in atherogenesis through the production and release of prooxidant mediators. There is uncertainty about the precise role of polyphenols in interaction between platelets and endothelial cells (ECs). We aimed to investigate whether polyphenols are able to reduce endothelial activation induced by activated platelets. First, we compared platelet activation and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in 10 healthy subjects (HS) and 10 patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Then, we evaluated the effect of epicatechin plus catechin on platelet-HUVEC interaction by measuring soluble cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), NOx production, and eNOS phosphorylation (p-eNOS) in HUVEC. Compared to HS, PAD patients had enhanced platelet activation. Conversely, PAD patients had lower FMD than HS. Supernatant of activated platelets from PAD patients induced an increase of sCAMs release and a decrease of p-eNOS and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability compared to unstimulated HUVEC. Coincubation of HUVEC, with supernatant of PAD platelets patients, pretreated with a scalar dose of the polyphenols, resulted in a decrease of sCAMs release and in an increase of p-eNOS and NO bioavailability. This study demonstrates that epicatechin plus catechin reduces endothelial activation induced by activated platelets.
Distortion‐Free Watermarking Approach for Relational Database Integrity Checking
Authors: Camara Lancine , Li Junyi , Li Renfa , Xie Wenyong
Published: August 2014

Nowadays, internet is becoming a suitable way of accessing the databases. Such data are exposed to various types of attack with the aim to confuse the ownership proofing or the content protection. In this paper, we propose a new approach based on fragile zero watermarking for the authentication of numeric relational data. Contrary to some previous databases watermarking techniques which cause some distortions in the original database and may not preserve the data usability constraints, our approach simply seeks to generate the watermark from the original database. First, the adopted method partitions the database relation into independent square matrix groups. Then, group‐based watermarks are securely generated and registered in a trusted third party. The integrity verification is performed by computing the determinant and the diagonal’s minor for each group. As a result, tampering can be localized up to attribute group level. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique is resilient against tuples insertion, tuples deletion, and attributes values modification attacks. Furthermore, comparison with recent related effort shows that our scheme performs better in detecting multifaceted attacks.
Implementation of Power Efficient Flash Analogue-to-Digital Converter
Authors: Sai Lakshmi Taninki , Srinivasulu Avireni , Shaker Pittala Chandra
Published: August 2014

An efficient low power high speed 5-bit 5-GS/s flash analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) is proposed in this paper. The designing of a thermometer code to binary code is one of the exacting issues of low power flash ADC. The embodiment consists of two main blocks, a comparator and a digital encoder. To reduce the metastability and the effect of bubble errors, the thermometer code is converted into the gray code and there after translated to binary code through encoder. The proposed encoder is thus implemented by using differential cascade voltage switch logic (DCVSL) to maintain high speed and low power dissipation. The proposed 5-bit flash ADC is designed using Cadence 180 nm CMOS technology with a supply rail voltage typically ±0.85 V. The simulation results include a total power dissipation of 46.69 mW, integral nonlinearity (INL) value of −0.30 LSB and differential nonlinearity (DNL) value of −0.24 LSB, of the flash ADC.
Glucose Intolerance after a Recent History of Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Benhalima Katrien , Leuridan Liesbeth , Calewaert Peggy , Devlieger Roland , Verhaeghe Johan , Mathieu Chantal
Published: August 2014

Aim. Our aim was to evaluate the uptake of our current screening strategy postpartum and the risk factors for glucose intolerance in women with a recent history of gestational diabetes (GDM).Methods. Retrospective analysis of files of women with a recent history of GDM diagnosed with the Carpenter and Coustan criteria from 01-01-2010 till 31-12-2013. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders.Results. Of all 231 women with a recent history of GDM, 21.4% (46) did not attend the scheduled postpartum OGTT. Of the women tested, 39.1% (66) had glucose intolerance and 5.3% (9) had diabetes. These women were more often overweight (39.7% versus 25.3%,P= 0.009), were more often treated with basal-bolus insulin injections (52.0% versus 17.4%,P= 0.032), and had a lower beta-cell function and lower insulin sensitivity, remaining significant after adjustment for age, BMI, and ethnicity (insulin secretion sensitivity index-2 (ISSI-2) in pregnancy 1.5 ± 0.5 versus 1.7 ± 0.4,P= 0.029; ISSI-2 postpartum 1.5 (1.2–1.9) versus 2.2 (1.8–2.6),P= 0.020; Matsuda index postpartum 3.8 (2.6–6.2) versus 6.0 (4.3–8.8),P= 0.021).Conclusion. Glucose intolerance is frequent in early postpartum and these women have a lower beta-cell function and lower insulin sensitivity. One fifth of women did not attend the scheduled OGTT postpartum.