bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of water availability and defoliation on extrafloral nectar secretion in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Authors: Newman Jonathon R. , Wagner Diane
Published: October 2013

In recent years, water stress has led to widespread growth declines and dieback of several North American tree species. In addition to its direct effects on tree physiology, water stress may compromise anti-herbivore defenses. We tested whether extrafloral (EF) sugar secretion rate in Populus tremuloides Michx. (quaking aspen) increases in response to defoliation and whether water stress impairs constitutive and inducible EF sugar secretion. We subjected P. tremuloides ramets of four genotypes to water restriction and defoliation in a factorial design and measured EF sugar secretion rates 2, 4, and 6 days after defoliation. The sugar secretion rate of defoliated ramets was significantly higher than that of undefoliated ramets 6 days after defoliation. Low water availability reduced the sugar secretion rate of one of the four aspen genotypes but did not prevent induction. Populus tremuloides genotypes secreted EF sugar at different average rates, suggesting genetic variation for this trait. The results indicate that EF nectar secretion is inducible in P. tremuloides, which could increase the effectiveness of indirect defense following herbivory. Genotypic differences in the response of P. tremuloides to water stress suggest that some clonal stands may be at a disadvantage when faced with compound stresses of drought and herbivory.
Influence of high strain-rates on the dynamic flexural material properties of spruce–pine–fir wood studs
Authors: Jacques Eric , Lloyd Alan , Braimah Abass , Saatcioglu Murat , Doudak Ghasan , Abdelalim Omar
Published: October 2013

The influence of high strain-rate loading on the flexural response of typical light-frame wood construction has been investigated. A total of 30 stud grade 38 mm × 140 mm × 2440 mm (2″ × 6″ × 8′) spruce–pine–fir (S–P–F) lumber specimens were tested within a range of low and high strain-rates between 6 × 10−6 s−1 and 0.4 s−1. A single-degree-of-freedom iterative solution procedure was used to compute the high strain-rate modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE). The MOR was statistically enhanced by high strain-rates, while the MOE and strain at rupture were not. Since equilibrium of the dynamic stress–strain relationship requires that one or both of the MOE and strain at rupture must be sensitive to strain-rate effects, the lack of observed rate enhancement on these material properties was attributed to large scatter within a small sample set. Based on the results, material dynamic increase factors and a stress–strain relationship suitable for blast resistant design of timber structures were also proposed.
Evaluating river management during seaward migration to recover Columbia River stream-type Chinook salmon considering the variation in marine conditions
Authors: Schaller Howard A. , Petrosky Charles E. , Tinus Eric S.
Published: October 2013

Evidence suggests Snake River stream-type Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) experience substantial delayed mortality in the marine environment as a result of their outmigration experience through the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). We analyzed mortality patterns using methods that incorporated downriver reference populations passing fewer dams, and temporal approaches that were independent of reference populations. Our results from the alternative spatial and temporal methods consistently corroborated with spawner–recruit residuals and smolt-to-adult survival rate data sets, indicating that Snake River salmon survived about one quarter as well as the reference populations. Temporal analysis indicated that a high percentage (76%) of Snake River juvenile salmon that survived the FCRPS subsequently died in the marine environment as a result of their outmigration experience. Through this and previous studies, it is evident that delayed hydrosystem mortality increases with the number of powerhouse passages and decreases with the speed of outmigration. Therefore, a promising conservation approach would be to explore management experiments that evaluate these relationships by increasing managed spill levels at the dams during the spring migration period.
AN EXTENDED SUBSTRUCTURING TECHNIQUE FOR EFFICIENT EVALUATION OF NONLINEAR LOAD-BEARING STRUCTURES IN THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STAGE
Authors: KAJTAZ MLADENKO , SUBIC ALEKSANDAR , TAKLA MONIR
Published: October 2013

The research presented in this paper has extended the substructuring technique into the nonlinear domain in order to apply the finite element analysis (FEA) method to complex nonlinear structural design problems in the conceptual design stage. As conventional FE models based on substructures allow only linear analysis, it was necessary in this research to introduce a new algorithm capable of linearizing nonlinear structural problems with sufficient accuracy in order to enable evaluation of engineering design concepts in a more objective and rigorous manner in the early stages of design. The developed method was implemented within a commercial FE solver, and validated using a select number of case studies. The results obtained for the two sample solutions indicate that the new method has achieved an improvement in accuracy of 90% and 98% respectively compared to the conventional FE-based approach applied to the same class of design problems.
Skyline queries, front and back
Authors: Chomicki Jan , Ciaccia Paolo , Meneghetti Niccolo'
Published: October 2013

Skyline queries are a popular way to obtain preferred answers from the database by providing only the orderings of attribute values. The result of a skyline query consists of those input tuples for which there is no input tuple having better or equal values in all the attributes and a better value in at least one attribute. In this article, we summarize the basic notions and properties of skyline queries, and discuss their extensions and generalizations. In particular, we consider skyline algorithms and skyline cardinality issues.
A hybrid cGA applied to the MLCLSP with overtime
Authors: Toledo Claudio F. M. , Arantes Marcio S. , de Oliveira Renato R. R. , Delbem Alexandre C. B.
Published: October 2013

A hybrid version of a compact genetic algorithm (cGA) is presented as approach to solve the Multi-Level Capacitated Lot Sizing Problem. The present paper extends results reported in [18]. The hybrid method combines a fix and optimize heuristic with cGA aiming to improve solutions generated by cGA. Also a linear mathematical programming model is solved to first evaluated solution provided by cGA. The performance of the hybrid compact genetic algorithm (HcGA) is evaluated over two sets of benchmark instances. The results are compared against methods from literature recently proposed for the same problem: two time-oriented decomposition heuristics and a hybrid multi-population genetic algorithm. A superior performance of HcGA is reported mainly for instances dealing with setup times and against time-oriented decomposition heuristics.
Power consumption estimation of CPU and peripheral components in virtual machines
Authors: Versick Daniel , Waßmann Ingolf , Tavangarian Djamshid
Published: October 2013

Energy consumption of IT increased continuously during the last decades. Numerous works have been accomplished for improving energy efficiency of hardware whereas software energy efficiency has been ignored for a long time. This contribution presents a novel approach for estimating energy consumption of computer systems in dependency of software-caused workloads in different execution environments. The system is the basis for automatic optimization of software execution in an energy-efficient way by finding the best-suiting host computer (and best-suiting peripheral devices). Thus, it opens novel ways to further improve energy-efficiency of IT systems by migrating software-caused load to an energy-efficient target.

Exemplary, the approach is tested in a virtualized data center environment, where virtual machines are the applications. The presented approach is a vehicle for automatically computing an energy-efficient virtual machine placement. The paper presents a new algorithm for estimating virtual machine power consumption, which consists of CPU power consumption estimation as well as power usage estimation of peripheral components like hard disk drive and network interface controller. The accuracy of the presented approach is proved by means of measurements.
A Spectral Deferred Correction Method for Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Xin Jia , Huang Jianfei , Zhao Weijia , Zhu Jiang
Published: October 2013

A spectral deferred correction method is presented for the initial value problems of fractional differential equations (FDEs) with Caputo derivative. This method is constructed based on the residual function and the error equation deduced from Volterra integral equations equivalent to the FDEs. The proposed method allows that one can use a relatively few nodes to obtain the high accuracy numerical solutions of FDEs without the penalty of a huge computational cost due to the nonlocality of Caputo derivative. Finally, preliminary numerical experiments are given to verify the efficiency and accuracy of this method.
Calculation of Liquidus Temperature for Aluminum and Magnesium Alloys Applying Method of Equivalency
Authors: Djurdjević Mile B. , Manasijević Srećko , Odanović Zoran , Dolić Natalija
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical equation, which will be able to accurately predict the liquidus temperature of various aluminum and magnesium cast alloys on the basis of their known chemical compositions. An accurate knowledge of liquidus temperature permits a researcher to predict a variety of physical parameters pertaining to a given alloy. The analytical expressions presented in this paper are based on the “method of equivalency.” According to this concept, the influence of any alloying element on the liquidus temperature of an aluminum and/or magnesium alloy can be translated into the equivalent influence of a reference element. Silicon as a reference element has been chosen for aluminum alloys and aluminum for magnesium alloys. The sum of the equivalent concentrations for other elements, when added to the influence of the actual reference element is used to calculate the liquidus temperature of the alloy. The calculated liquidus temperatures for wide ranges of alloy chemical compositions show a good correlation with corresponding measured liquidus temperatures.
Synthesis of Novel Compounds as New Potent Tyrosinase Inhibitors
Authors: Hamidian Hooshang
Published: October 2013

In the present paper, we report the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a new series of azo compounds with different groups (1-naphthol, 2-naphthol, andN,N-dimethylaniline) and trifluoromethoxy and fluoro substituents in the scaffold. All synthesized compounds (5a–5f) showed the most potent mushroom tyrosinase inhibition (IC50values in the range of 4.39 ± 0.76–1.71 ± 0.49 µM), comparable to the kojic acid, as reference standard inhibitor. All the novel compounds were characterized by FT-IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, and elemental analysis.
The Electrophysiological Effects of Qiliqiangxin on Cardiac Ventricular Myocytes of Rats
Authors: Wei Yidong , Liu Xiaoyu , Wei Haidong , Hou Lei , Che Wenliang , The Erlinda , Li Gang , Jhummon Muktanand Vikash , Wei Wanlin
Published: October 2013

Qiliqiangxin, a Chinese herb, represents the affection in Ca channel function of cardiac myocytes. It is unknown whether Qiliqiangxin has an effect on Na current and K current because the pharmacological actions of this herb’s compound are very complex. We investigated the rational usage of Qiliqiangxin on cardiac ventricular myocytes of rats. Ventricular myocytes were exposed acutely to 1, 10, and 50 mg/L Qiliqiangxin, and whole cell patch-clamp technique was used to study the acute effects of Qiliqiangxin on Sodium current (INa), outward currents delayed rectifier outward K+current (IK), slowly activating delayed rectifier outward K+current (IKs), transient outward K+current (Ito), and inward rectifier K+current (IK1). Qiliqiangxin can decreaseINaby28.53%±5.98%, and its IC50was 9.2 mg/L. 10 and 50 mg/L Qiliqiangxin decreased by37.2%±6.4%and55.9%±5.5%summit current density ofIto. 10 and 50 mg/L Qiliqiangxin decreasedIKsby15.51%±4.03%and21.6%±5.6%. Qiliqiangxin represented a multifaceted pharmacological profile. The effects of Qiliqiangxin on Na and K currents of ventricular myocytes were more profitable in antiarrhythmic therapy in the clinic. We concluded that the relative efficacy of Qiliqiangxin was another choice for the existing antiarrhythmic therapy.
Studying the Effect of Some Surfactants on Drag Reduction of Crude Oil Flow
Authors: Abdul-Hadi Ali A. , Khadom Anees A.
Published: October 2013

The influence of SDBS, SLS, SLES, and SS as drag reducing agents on flow of Iraqi crude oil in pipelines was investigated in the present work. The effect of additive type, additive concentration, pipe diameter, solution flow rate, and the presence of elbows on the percentage of drag reduction (%Dr) and the amount of flow increases (%FI) was addressed. The maximum drag reduction was 55% obtained at 250 ppm SDBS surfactant flowing in straight pipes of 0.0508 m I.D. The dimensional analysis was used for grouping the significant quantities into dimensionless groups to reduce the number of variables. The results showed good agreement between the observed drag reduction percent values and the predicted ones with high value of the correlation coefficient.
Coupled Electrokinetics‐Adsorption Technique for Simultaneous Removal of Heavy Metals and Organics from Saline‐Sodic Soil
Authors: Lukman Salihu , Essa Mohammed Hussain , Mu′azu Nuhu Dalhat , Bukhari Alaadin
Published: October 2013

In situ remediation technologies for contaminated soils are faced with significant technical challenges when the contaminated soil has low permeability. Popular traditional technologies are rendered ineffective due to the difficulty encountered in accessing the contaminants as well as when employed in settings where the soil contains mixed contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and polar organics. In this study, an integrated in situ remediation technique that couples electrokinetics with adsorption, using locally produced granular activated carbon from date palm pits in the treatment zones that are installed directly to bracket the contaminated soils at bench‐scale, is investigated. Natural saline‐sodic soil, spiked with contaminant mixture (kerosene, phenol, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg), was used in this study to investigate the efficiency of contaminant removal. For the 21‐day period of continuous electrokinetics‐adsorption experimental run, efficiency for the removal of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Hg, phenol, and kerosene was found to reach 26.8, 55.8, 41.0, 34.4, 75.9, 92.49, 100.0, and 49.8%, respectively. The results obtained suggest that integrating adsorption into electrokinetic technology is a promising solution for removal of contaminant mixture from saline‐sodic soils.
Mixed Cooperation MAC Protocol with Sleep Mechanism for Data Acquisition in Wireless Machine-to-Machine Networks
Authors: Zhao Yulei , Du Bing , Ge Ning
Published: October 2013

By exploring the idle state of each sensor node, a mixed sleep-cooperative time division multiple access (TDMA) media access control (MAC) protocol (MS-CTDMA) is proposed for the wireless data gathering network in wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) networks. The basic idea is that in the idle state, each sensor node dynamically goes into sleep state or cooperative state to maximize the network lifetime. A single-hop network delay model of MS-CTDMA is established by the [Formula: see text]   N-policy queue with multiple exhaustive vacations, which provides a way to balance energy consumption in network and the delay of each node with the delay sensitive traffic constraint. Furthermore, based on some reasonable assumptions, the proposed MS-CTDMA analysis model can be extended to the whole M2M network. Consequently, we propose an optimal source node selection strategy from the perspective of the relay node during its idle time, regarding the traffic load, residual energy, and channel state. Numerical results reveal that with proper tradeoff between delays and energy conservations, MS-CTDMA can significantly prolong the network lifetime in Rayleigh fading channels compared to pure sleep scheme.
Hepatoprotective Potential of Chestnut Bee Pollen on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Damages in Rats
Authors: Yıldız Oktay , Can Zehra , Saral Özlem , Yuluğ Esin , Öztürk Ferhat , Aliyazıcıoğlu Rezzan , Canpolat Sinan , Kolaylı Sevgi
Published: October 2013

Bee pollen has been used as an apitherapy agent for several centuries to treat burns, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, and various other diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of chestnut bee pollen against carbon tetrachloride (CCI4)-induced liver damage. Total phenolic content, flavonoid, ferric reducing/antioxidant power, and DPPH radical activity measurements were used as antioxidant capacity determinants of the pollen. The study was conducted in rats as seven groups. Two different concentrations of chestnut bee pollens (200 and 400 mg/kg/day) were given orally and one group was administered with silibinin (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for seven days to the rats following the CCI4treatment. The protective effect of the bee pollen was monitored by aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (AST) activities, histopathological imaging, and antioxidant parameters from the blood and liver samples of the rats. The results were compared with the silibinin-treated and untreated groups. We detected that CCI4treatment induced liver damage and both the bee pollen and silibinin-treated groups reversed the damage; however, silibinin caused significant weight loss and mortality due, severe diarrhea in the rats. The chestnut pollen had showed 28.87 mg GAE/g DW of total phenolic substance, 8.07 mg QUE/g DW of total flavonoid, 92.71 mg Cyn-3-glu/kg DW of total anthocyanins, and 9 mgβ-carotene/100 g DW of total carotenoid and substantial amount of antioxidant power according to FRAP and DPPH activity. The results demonstrated that the chestnut bee pollen protects the hepatocytes from the oxidative stress and promotes the healing of the liver damage induced by CCI4toxicity. Our findings suggest that chestnut bee pollen can be used as a safe alternative to the silibinin in the treatment of liver injuries.
In SilicoModeling and Functional Interpretations of Cry1Ab15 Toxin fromBacillus thuringiensisBtB-Hm-16
Authors: Kashyap Sudhanshu
Published: October 2013

The theoretical homology based structural model of Cry1Ab15δ-endotoxin produced byBacillus thuringiensisBtB-Hm-16 was predicted using the Cry1Aa template (resolution 2.25 Å). The Cry1Ab15 resembles the template structure by sharing a common three-domain extending conformation structure responsible for pore-forming and specificity determination. The novel structural differences found are the presence ofβ0 andα3, and the absence ofα7b,β1a,α10a,α10b,β12, andα11a whileα9 is located spatially downstream. Validation by SUPERPOSE and with the use of PROCHECK program showed folding of 98% of modeled residues in a favourable and stable orientation with a total energyZ-score of −6.56; the constructed model has an RMSD of only 1.15 Å. These increments of 3D structure information will be helpful in the design of domain swapping experiments aimed at improving toxicity and will help in elucidating the common mechanism of toxin action.
Interactive Multigrid Refinement for Deformable Image Registration
Authors: Zhou Wu , Xie Yaoqin
Published: October 2013

Deformable image registration is the spatial mapping of corresponding locations between images and can be used for important applications in radiotherapy. Although numerous methods have attempted to register deformable medical images automatically, such as salient-feature-based registration (SFBR), free-form deformation (FFD), and demons, no automatic method for registration is perfect, and no generic automatic algorithm has shown to work properly for clinical applications due to the fact that the deformation field is often complex and cannot be estimated well by current automatic deformable registration methods. This paper focuses on how to revise registration results interactively for deformable image registration. We can manually revise the transformed image locally in a hierarchical multigrid manner to make the transformed image register well with the reference image. The proposed method is based on multilevel B-spline to interactively revise the deformable transformation in the overlapping region between the reference image and the transformed image. The resulting deformation controls the shape of the transformed image and produces a nice registration or improves the registration results of other registration methods. Experimental results in clinical medical images for adaptive radiotherapy demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Wideband Extrapolation of Spatial Responses of Resonant Structures Using Early-Time and Low-Frequency Data
Authors: Frye J. Michael , Martin Anthony Q.
Published: October 2013

An efficient procedure is presented to extrapolate a wideband electromagnetic response defined over an arbitrary spatial region using early-time and low-frequency data. The previous procedures presented in the literature are efficient for single-point extrapolation and can readily be applied to spatial regions but are terribly inefficient when a response is desired at many spatial locations. In this work, an optimized algorithm is presented to quickly extrapolate over a large number of spatial locations. The time and frequency behavior of the response is fitted by polynomials and pole terms, and the spatial variation is represented with spatially dependent polynomial coefficients and pole residues. A single set of poles, common to all spatial locations of interest, is shown to sufficiently describe the resonant behavior of response over the entire spatial region. A multisignal formulation of the matrix pencil method is applied to determine poles from early time data. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the procedure. Additionally, an automated approach to distinguish physical poles, which correspond to structural resonances, from nonphysical fitting poles is presented. The spatially dependent residues of physical pole terms, referred to here as modal residues, are shown to provide important insight into the resonant behavior of a structure.
Sensing Coverage Prediction for Wireless Sensor Networks in Shadowed and Multipath Environment
Authors: Kumar Sushil , Lobiyal D. K.
Published: October 2013

Sensing coverage problem in wireless sensor networks is a measure of quality of service (QoS). Coverage refers to how well a sensing field is monitored or tracked by the sensors. Aim of the paper is to have a priori estimate for number of sensors to be deployed in a harsh environment to achieve desired coverage. We have proposed a new sensing channel model that considers combined impact of shadowing fading and multipath effects. A mathematical model for calculating coverage probability in the presence of multipath fading combined with shadowing is derived based on received signal strength (RSS). Further, the coverage probability derivations obtained using Rayleigh fading and lognormal shadowing fading are validated by node deployment using Poisson distribution. A comparative study between our proposed sensing channel model and different existing sensing models for the network coverage has also been presented. Our proposed sensing model is more suitable for realistic environment since it determines the optimum number of sensors required for desirable coverage in fading conditions.
Standardization of Licorice and TCM Formulations Using Eastern Blot Fingerprinting Analysis
Authors: Shoyama Yukihiro
Published: October 2013

To prepare the antiglycyrrhizin (GC) monoclonal antibody (MAb), GC was treated with NaIO4 resulting in aldehyde which can be combined with carrier protein. An antigen conjugate was performed by a matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization TOF mass spectrometry to determine the hapten numbers in the conjugate. Anti‐GC MAb was prepared from a hybridoma which was fixed from the spleen cells producing anti‐GC MAb and the myeloma cells after immunization. The TCM and licorice extract were developed by TLC and blotted to a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. The membrane was treated by NaIO4 and protein, enzyme labeled secondary MAb, and finally substrate was added. Clear spot appeared on PVDF membrane identifying GC against a background containing large amount of impurities. In eastern blotting, the GC molecule was divided into two functions. The aglycone part is recognized as an epitope and the sugar moiety can be combined to membrane. The specific reactivity of sugar moiety in the GC molecule against anti‐GC MAb might be modified by the NaIO4 treatment on the membrane because glycyrrhetic acid 3‐O‐glucuronide can be stained although the cross‐reactivity is only 4.3%. Eastern blotting for GC can not only apply for the standardization of licorice and TCM, but also it can open for the other bioactive products.
Microorganisms and Their Sensitivity Pattern in Septic Arthritis of North Indian Children: A Prospective Study from Tertiary Care Level Hospital
Authors: Yadav Sanjay , Dhillon Mandeep Singh , Aggrawal Sameer , Tripathy Sujit Kumar
Published: October 2013

Background. Septic arthritis is a true orthopaedic emergency. Important factors determining outcome are rapid diagnosis and timely intervention. Changing trends in microbiological spectrum and emerging drug resistance poses big challenge. Present study evaluates bacterial strains and their sensitivity pattern in septic arthritis of North Indian children.Methods. Fifty children with septic arthritis of any joint were evaluated. Joint was aspirated and 2 cc of aspirated fluid was sent for gram stain and culture. Blood cultures were also sent for bacteriological evaluation.Results. Fifty percent cases had definite radiological evidence of septic arthritis whereas ultrasound revealed fluid in 98% cases. Aspirated fluid showed isolates in 72% cases. The most common organism wasStaphylococcus aureus(62%) followed byStreptococcus pneumoniaeand Gr. BStreptococcus. Blood culture could grow the organism in 34% cases only. The bacterial strain showed significant resistance to common antibiotic cocktail in routine practice. Resistance to cloxacillin and ceftriaxone was 62% and 14% respectively. No organisms were resistant to vancomycin and linezolid.Conclusion.S. aureusis still the most common organism in septic arthritis. Though a significant resistance to common antibiotic cocktail is noticed, the strain is susceptible to higher antibiotics. We recommend using these antibiotics as an empirical therapy till culture and sensitivity report is available.
Cognitive Functions across the GNB3C825TPolymorphism in an Elderly Italian Population
Authors: Casiglia Edoardo , Giordano Nunzia , Tikhonoff Valérie , Boschetti Giovanni , Mazza Alberto , Caffi Sandro , Guidotti Federica , Bisiacchi Patrizia
Published: October 2013

To verify whether theC825Tpolymorphism of the GNB3 influences the response to neuropsychological tests, mini-mental state examination, digit span (DS), immediate and delayed prose memory, memory with interference at 10 and 30 seconds (MI 10 and 30), trail making tests (TMTs) A and B, abstraction task, verbal fluency (VF) test, figure drawing and copying, overlapping figures test and clock test were performed in 220 elderly men and women free from clinical dementia and from neurological and psychiatric diseases randomly taken from the Italian general population and analysed across theC825Tpolymorphism. The performance of DS, immediate and delayed prose memory, VF, and TMTs was worse in subjects who were TT for the polymorphism in comparison to the C-carriers. The performance of all tests declined with age. In the case of DS, immediate and delayed prose memory, MI 10 and VF, this trend was maintained in the C-carriers but not in TT. In the case of prose memory, of memory with interference, and of VF, schooling reduced the detrimental interaction between age and genotype. TheC825Tpolymorphism of GNB3 gene therefore influences memory and verbal fluency, being additive to the effects of age and partially mitigated by schooling.
Graphene Supported Pt/Ni Nanoparticles as Magnetically Separable Nanocatalysts
Authors: Liu Ru , Zhao Qingshan , Li Yang , Zhang Guoliang , Zhang Fengbao , Fan Xiaobin
Published: October 2013

Efficient recovery of nanocatalysts, especially the graphene supported noble metal catalysts, is a challenge. In this study, we report a simple one‐step route to prepare the graphene supported Pt/Ni nanocatalysts with ideal superparamagnetic properties. We demonstrated that they had excellent catalytic activities in the catalytic reduction of aromatic nitro compounds and could be easily separated from the reaction mixtures by applying an external magnetic field.
Stereoscopic Visualization of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Data: A Comparative Survey of Visualization Techniques
Authors: Raslan Osama , Debnam James Matthew , Ketonen Leena , Kumar Ashok J. , Schellingerhout Dawid , Wang Jihong
Published: October 2013

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data has traditionally been displayed as a grayscale functional anisotropy map (GSFM) or color coded orientation map (CCOM). These methods use black and white or color with intensity values to map the complex multidimensional DTI data to a two-dimensional image. Alternative visualization techniques, such asVmaxmaps utilize enhanced graphical representation of the principal eigenvector by means of a headless arrow on regular nonstereoscopic (VM) or stereoscopic display (VMS). A survey of clinical utility of patients with intracranial neoplasms was carried out by 8 neuroradiologists using traditional and nontraditional methods of DTI display. Pairwise comparison studies of 5 intracranial neoplasms were performed with a structured questionnaire comparing GSFM, CCOM, VM, and VMS. Six of 8 neuroradiologists favoredVmaxmaps over traditional methods of display (GSFM and CCOM). When comparing the stereoscopic (VMS) and the non-stereoscopic (VM) modes, 4 favored VMS, 2 favored VM, and 2 had no preference. In conclusion, processing and visualizing DTI data stereoscopically is technically feasible. An initial survey of users indicated thatVmaxbased display methodology with or without stereoscopic visualization seems to be preferred over traditional methods to display DTI data.
Antitumor Effects of Immunotoxins Are Enhanced by Lowering HCK or Treatment with Src Kinase Inhibitors
Authors: Liu Xiu-Fen , Xiang Laiman , FitzGerald David J. , Pastan Ira
Published: October 2013

Recombinant immunotoxins (RIT) are agents being developed for cancer treatment. They are composed of an Fv that binds to a cancer cell, fused to a 38-kDa fragment of Pseudomonas exotoxin A. SS1P is a RIT that targets mesothelin, a protein expressed on mesothelioma as well as pancreatic, ovarian, lung, and other cancers. Because the protein tyrosine kinase family regulates a variety of cellular processes and pathways, we hypothesized that tyrosine kinases might regulate susceptibility to immunotoxin killing. To investigate their role, we used siRNAs to lower the level of expression of the 88 known tyrosine kinases. We identified five tyrosine kinases, INSR, HCK, SRC, PDGFRβ, and BMX that enhance the activity of SS1P when their level of expression is lowered by siRNAs. We further investigated the Src family member HCK in this study. Knocking down of SRC slightly increased SS1P killing in A431/H9 cells, but knocking down HCK substantially enhanced killing by SS1P. We investigated the mechanism of enhancement and found that HCK knockdown enhanced SS1P cleavage by furin and lowered levels of Mcl-1 and raised Bax. We then found that Src inhibitors mimic the stimulatory effect of HCK knockdown; both SU6656 and SKI-606 (bosutinib) enhanced immunotoxin killing of mesothelin-expressing cells by SS1P and CD22-expressing cells by HA22 (moxetumomab pasudotox). SU6656 also enhanced the antitumor effects of SS1P and HA22 in mouse xenograft tumor models. Our data suggest that the combination of immunotoxin with tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be an effective way to treat some cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(1); 82–89. ©2013 AACR.
Locally Delivered CD40 Agonist Antibody Accumulates in Secondary Lymphoid Organs and Eradicates Experimental Disseminated Bladder Cancer
Authors: Sandin Linda C. , Orlova Anna , Gustafsson Erika , Ellmark Peter , Tolmachev Vladimir , Tötterman Thomas H. , Mangsbo Sara M.
Published: October 2013

Immunotherapy with intratumoral injection of adenoviral vectors expressing CD40L has yielded positive results in experimental and clinical bladder cancer. We therefore hypothesized that anti-CD40 antibody would be effective in this setting. Agonistic CD40 antibodies were developed as vaccine adjuvants but have later been used as treatment of advanced solid tumors and hematologic cancers. Systemic anti-CD40 therapy has been associated with immune-related adverse events, such as cytokine release syndrome and liver toxicity, and local delivery is an attractive approach that could reduce toxicity. Herein, we compared local and systemic anti-CD40 antibody delivery to evaluate efficacy, toxicity, and biodistribution in the experimental MB49 bladder cancer model. Antitumor effects were confirmed in the B16 model. In terms of antitumor efficacy, local anti-CD40 antibody stimulation was superior to systemic therapy at an equivalent dose and CD8 T cells were crucial for tumor growth inhibition. Both administration routes were dependent on host CD40 expression for therapeutic efficacy. In vivo biodistribution studies revealed CD40-specific antibody accumulation in the tumor-draining lymph nodes and the spleen, most likely reflecting organs with frequent target antigen-expressing immune cells. Systemic administration led to higher antibody concentrations in the liver and blood compared with local delivery, and was associated with elevated levels of serum haptoglobin. Despite the lack of a slow-release system, local anti-CD40 therapy was dependent on tumor antigen at the injection site for clearance of distant tumors. To summarize, local low-dose administration of anti-CD40 antibody mediates antitumor effects in murine models with reduced toxicity and may represent an attractive treatment alternative in the clinic. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(1); 80–90. ©2013 AACR.
Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography for Imaging the Sub-Tenon Space
Authors: Kumar Dhivya Ashok , Agarwal Amar , Karnathi Saraswathy , Patadiya Rasik
Published: October 2013

In this study, we report the ability of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS OCT) in imaging the sub-Tenon space and its clinical application. High-speed AS OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, Calif., USA) was used to visualize the sub-Tenon space during sub-Tenon injection. The sub-Tenon spaces, Tenon thickness, conjunctiva-Tenon thickness, injecting cannula position in relation to the sub-Tenon space and drug localization/distribution in the sub-Tenon space were analyzed. The sub-Tenon spaces of 12 of 11 patients were visualized with OCT during sub-Tenon injection up to 10-13 mm from the limbus. The mean conjunctiva-Tenon and Tenon thickness were 0.38 ± 0.08 and 0.21 ± 0.07 mm, respectively. The drug was tracked as bright white fluid. There was no conjunctival chemosis, subconjunctival drug or scleral perforation. Anterior segment OCT can be used for imaging the sub-Tenon space, especially during depot injections for confirmation of drug localization.
Aqualase® Revisited: Endothelial Cell Loss Strongly Depends on Lens Density
Authors: von Sonnleithner Christoph , Bergholz Richard , Gonnermann Johannes , Torun Necip , Bertelmann Eckart
Published: October 2013

Purpose: To analyze the dependence between corneal endothelial cell loss by Aqualase® cataract surgery and the nuclear opalescence grade of the lens. Patients and Methods: A total of 100 eyes of 92 patients were enrolled in this prospective, single-center study. Patients were randomly assigned to the Aqualase (50 eyes) or the phacoemulsification group (50 eyes). The nuclear density was classified with the Lens Opacities Classification System III. All procedures were performed by the same surgeon. Preoperatively and 1 week postoperatively, endothelial cell counts were obtained using a noncontact specular microscope (Konan, Japan). Results: (1) Aqualase group: the group of patients with a nuclear density of 1-2 (17 patients) showed no significant endothelial cell loss (4.1%, p = 0.163). The endothelial cell loss in grade 3 cataracts (28 eyes) was 13.9% (p = 0.004) and in grade 4 cataracts (5 eyes) 69.1% (p = 0.043), being statistically significant in both groups. (2) Phacoemulsification group: in nuclear density groups 1 and 2, endothelial cell loss was 6.3% (p = 0.41), in group 3 it was 17.6% (p = 0.001) and in group 4 it was 14.9% (p = 0.08). Only in nuclear opalescence grade 4 there was a significant difference between the Aqualase and the phacoemulsification procedure (p = 0.008). Conclusion: Endothelial cell loss by Aqualase technology depends strongly on the nuclear opalescence grade. In low- and medium-density cataracts, Aqualase does not seem to provoke significant endothelial cell loss. Due to very high endothelial loss in hard nuclei, Aqualase is unsuitable for these cataracts.
Radiation Recall Dermatitis Induced by Pazopanib
Authors: Azad Arun , Maddison Claire , Stewart Josephine
Published: October 2013

Background: Pazopanib is a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has recently been approved for treatment of advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). There are no previous reports of pazopanib triggering radiation recall dermatitis (RRD). Case Report: A 60-year-old male patient was commenced on pazopanib for metastatic RCC 2 weeks prior to receiving radiotherapy (10×30 Gy) to bone metastases at the T9 and L4 vertebrae and right mid-shaft of humerus. Although there were no immediate complications from radiotherapy, 2 weeks after finishing radiation he developed a pruritic, erythematous, maculo-papular rash localized to the T9 and right humeral radiotherapy fields. The patient was diagnosed with RRD induced by pazopanib and commenced on a course of oral prednisolone, which resulted in resolution of his rash. He has now completed 5 months of pazopanib with no recurrence of RRD. Conclusion: We report the first case of RRD triggered by pazopanib. With increasing use of pazopanib for advanced RCC, clinicians must be aware of the possibility that RRD can occur in patients treated with this agent following radiotherapy.
Effects of AT1 Receptor Blockade on Plasma Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) Level and Skin Microcirculation in Young Healthy Women on Low Salt Diet
Authors: Cavka Ana , Cosic Anita , Grizelj Ivana , Koller Akos , Jelaković Bojan , Lombard Julian H , Phillips Shane A , Drenjancevic Ines
Published: October 2013

Objective: To determine the effect of AT1 receptor antagonism on skin microcirculation and plasma level of thromboxane A2 (TXA2). Methods: Healthy women (n=20) maintained 7 days low salt (LS) diet (intake <40 mmol Na/day) without (LS) or together with 50 mg/per day of losartan (a selective AT1 receptor inhibitor) (LS diet+losartan group). Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) measurements of changes in post occlusive hyperemic blood flow, plasma concentration of stable TXA2 metabolite thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and plasma renin activity (PRA) aldosterone concentration, electrolytes (Na+, K+), as well as blood pressure and heart rate were determined before and after study protocols. Results: PRA and aldosterone increased significantly after 7 days of both LS diet and LS diet+losartan. LS diet or LS diet+losartan administrations had no significant effect on post-occlusion hyperemia While there was no change in TXB2 after LS diet TXB2 significantly increased after one week of LS+losartan compared to control levels (cTXB2 pg/mL control 101±80 vs. LS diet+losartan 190±116, p<0.05). Conclusion: These data suggest that inhibition of AT1 receptors could lead to activation of AT2 receptors, which maintain hyperemia, despite the increased level of vasoconstrictor TXA2. These findings also suggest an important role of crosstalk between renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and arachidonic acid metabolites in the regulation of microcirculation under physiological conditions.
Observations of Changes of Blood Pressure Before and after Neurosurgical Decompression in Hypertensive Patients with Different Types of Neurovascular Compression of Brain Stem
Authors: Legrady Peter , Voros Erika , Bajcsi Dora , Fejes Imola , Barzo Pal , Abraham Gyorgy
Published: October 2013

Aims: The neurovascular pulsatile compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla can be divided into different subtypes. The posterior inferior cerebellar artery and/or vertebral artery can compress either the rostral ventrolateral medulla or the cranial nerves IX and X or both and on left, right or both sides. Methods: It was retrospectively investigated whether the types of neurovascular compression can influence blood pressure values. Data from 13 resistant hypertensive patients after decompression were investigated. Results: Six patients had 2 compressions, two had only medulla compression, four had only nerve compression on the left side and one had 2 compressions on both sides. There was no correlation between the types of compression and the levels of blood pressure, either before or after the decompression. Both, systolic and diastolic blood pressures and pulse pressure also decreased in all cases after the decompression but the change was significant only in the group with 2 compressions on the left side. Conclusion: According to our data, in a severe hypertension not responding to conventional antihypertensive therapy, the surgical decompression of the brain stem independently of the types of neurovascular compression could guarantee a decrease of blood pressure and improved sensitivity to antihypertensive medication.
A review of the Cnemidophorus lemniscatus group in Central America (Squamata: Teiidae), with comments on other species in the group
Authors: MCCRANIE JAMES R. , HEDGES S. BLAIR
Published: October 2013

We provide the results of a morphological and molecular study on the Honduran Bay Island and mainland populations of the Cnemidophorus lemniscatus complex for which we resurrect C. ruatanus comb. nov. as a full species. Morphological comparison of the Honduran populations to Cnemidophorus populations from Panama led to the conclusion that the Panamanian population represents an undescribed species named herein. In light of these new results, and considering past morphological studies of several South American populations of the C. lemniscatus group, we suggest that three other nominal forms of the group are best treated as valid species: C. espeuti (described as a full species, but subsequently treated as a synonym of C. lemniscatus or a subspecies of C. lemniscatus until this publication), C. gaigei comb. nov., and C. splendidus comb. nov.
Descriptions of three new Brazilian Subrasaca species, redescription of S. nigriventris (Signoret, 1855) and a key to males of the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini)
Authors: DA SILVA ROBERTA DOS SANTOS , CAVICHIOLI RODNEY RAMIRO , MEJDALANI GABRIEL
Published: October 2013

Three new species of the Neotropical sharpshooter genus Subrasaca Young, 1977 from Southeastern and Southern Brazil are described and illustrated: S. diminuta sp. nov. (State of São Paulo and State of Paraná), S. rubra sp. nov. (State of Minas Gerais and State of São Paulo), and S. rachelae sp. nov. (State of Espírito Santo). Subrasaca nigriventris (Signoret, 1855) is reinterpreted, redescribed and illustrated based on specimens from Southeastern Brazil (State of Rio de Janeiro). In addition to the external morphology, color pattern, and male genitalia, this paper includes detailed descriptions and illustrations of the female genitalia. A key to males of all known Subrasaca species is provided.
Teratoglaea hohuanshanensis sp. nov., a new Xylenini moth endemic to Taiwan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae)
Authors: WU SHIPHER
Published: October 2013

Teratoglaea Sugi, 1958 is a peculiar noctuid genus and has long been considered to contain only one rare species, pacifica Sugi, 1958, ranging through the Manchurian-Pacific area of the north-eastern Palaearctic region (Japan, Korea, N. E. China, South of Russian Far East)(Sugi 1958; 1982; Kononenko et al. 1998; Chen, 1999; Kononenko 2005; Eda and Shikata 2011) and subtropical alpine Taiwan (Hreblay and Ronkay 1997). The peculiar large scale tufts on the metathorax and incised forewing costal margin at 3/4 of the length from the base have defined its unique generic status (Sugi 1958). According to the biology and genital structures (i.e. the late autumnal appearance of adults, overwintering then flying again in spring) and the armature of vesica with one long cornutus situated on the apical part of the vesica, Fibiger and Hacker (2007) placed this genus into Xylenini, Xyleninae (currently Noctuinae sensu Zahiri et al. 2013) and embedded this genus in subtribe Xylenina; however the absence of the digitus is discordant with most of the other included genera.
SCID patients with ARTEMIS vs RAG deficiencies following HCT: increased risk of late toxicity in ARTEMIS-deficient SCID
Authors: Schuetz Catharina , Neven Benedicte , Dvorak Christopher C. , Leroy Sandrine , Ege Markus J. , Pannicke Ulrich , Schwarz Klaus , Schulz Ansgar S. , Hoenig Manfred , Sparber-Sauer Monika , Gatz Susanne A. , Denzer Christian , Blanche Stephane , Moshous Despina , Picard Capucine , Horn Biljana N. , de Villartay Jean-Pierre , Cavazzana Marina , Debatin Klaus-Michael , Friedrich Wilhelm , Fischer Alain , Cowan Morton J.
Published: October 2013

A subgroup of severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) is characterized by lack of T and B cells and is caused by defects in genes required for T- and B-cell receptor gene rearrangement. Several of these genes are also involved in nonhomologous end joining of DNA double-strand break repair, the largest subgroup consisting of patients with T−B−NK+SCID due to DCLRE1C/ARTEMIS defects. We postulated that in patients with ARTEMIS deficiency, early and late complications following hematopoietic cell transplantation might be more prominent compared with patients with T−B−NK+SCID caused by recombination activating gene 1/2 (RAG1/2) deficiencies. We analyzed 69 patients with ARTEMIS and 76 patients with RAG1/2 deficiencies who received transplants from either HLA-identical donors without conditioning or from HLA-nonidentical donors without or with conditioning. There was no difference in survival or in the incidence or severity of acute graft-versus-host disease regardless of exposure to alkylating agents. Secondary malignancies were not observed. Immune reconstitution was comparable in both groups, however, ARTEMIS-deficient patients had a significantly higher occurrence of infections in long-term follow-up. There is a highly significant association between poor growth in ARTEMIS deficiency and use of alkylating agents. Furthermore, abnormalities in dental development and endocrine late effects were associated with alkylation therapy in ARTEMIS deficiency.