bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DIVINE PROPORTION IN MODERN ARCHITECTURE: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Mohamed Marina , Dzulkifli Nor Fadhilah , Ramli Nazirah , Ariffin Kamisah , Hashim Muhamad Sahizan
Published: October 2016

Mathematics and architecture are interrelated. A building with the appropriate mathematical elements in its design will be impressive in its appearance. One of the most widely used mathematical proportions in architecture is divine proportion, or better known as φ ( with Fn the n-th Fibonacci sequence). This type of proportion exists everywhere in nature, including in human body, shapes, artworks, music, paintings and even in the universe. In this study, we investigate the existence of divine proportion in modern architecture. In identifying the divine proportion, geometrical analysis was applied by measuring the dimensions of parts on the floor plan of a building in a higher learning institution in Malaysia. The length, width, height and angles of the floor plan were examined. The results show that the divine proportion, which was obtained from the proportion of length and width, exists in 33% of parts of the first and ground floors of the building examined.
EFFECT OF WATER CURRENT ON UNDERWATER GLIDER VELOCITY AND RANGE
Authors: Javaid Muhammad Yasar , Ovinis Mark , Mohd Hashim Fakhruldin , Maimun Adi , M. Ahmed Yasser , Ullah Barkat
Published: October 2016

An autonomous underwater glider speed and range is influenced by water currents. This is compounded by a weak actuation system for controlling its movement. In this work, the effects of water currents on the speed and range of an underwater glider at steady state glide conditions are investigated. Extensive numerical simulations have been performed to determine the speed and range of a glider with and without water current at different net buoyancies. The results show that the effect of water current on the glider speed and range depends on the current relative motion and direction. In the presence of water current, for a given glide angle, glide speed can be increased by increasing the net buoyancy of the glider.
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF FLC AND FEEDBACK CONTROL FOR THREE FINGER GRIPPER SYSTEM
Authors: Lokman Nor Anis Aneza , Ahmad Hamzah , Daud Mohd Razali
Published: October 2016

This paper presents the fuzzy logic design and control for three finger gripper system to grasp an object. Two objectives are mainly considered in this work, which are the analysis of different membership types and the gripper performance with feedback and without feedback control to support current research findings. The comparison is also including different number of rules analysis as well as the fuzzy membership types. The simulation and analysis are carried by using MATLAB Simulink and SimMechanics toolboxes to analyze the system performance. The result shows that the gripper system with trapezoidal memberships achieved faster response and good grasp. Besides that, the proposed system with feedback has produced the best result to grasp the object with suitable torques and angles in comparison to the non-feedback gripper system.
Prolonged unassisted survival in an infant with anencephaly
Authors: Dickman Holly , Fletke Kyle , Redfern Roberta E
Published: October 2016

Anencephaly is one of the most lethal congenital defects. This case report is of an anencephalic infant who lived to 28 months of life and defies current literature. She is the longest surviving anencephalic infant who did not require life-sustaining interventions. This case presents the obstacles that arose from this infant's prolonged life and recommendations based on these findings.
DisseminatedMycobacterium haemophiluminfection in a renal transplant recipient
Authors: Brix Silke R , Iking-Konert Christof , Stahl Rolf A K , Wenzel Ulrich
Published: October 2016

Opportunistic infections are a major concern in renal and transplant medicine. We present the case of a renal transplant recipient with a generalisedMycobacterium haemophiluminfection after an increase in immunosuppressive therapy and treatment with a tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor. Infection involved skin and soft tissue, joints and bones, as well as the renal transplant with an interstitial nephritis. Rapid diagnosis using PCR and DNA sequencing allowed early appropriate treatment. Triple antibiotic therapy and reduction in immunosuppression resulted in a slow but sustained recovery. Immunosuppression causes severe opportunistic infections. TNF-α inhibitors are very effective and well tolerated but have an increased susceptibility to infections with mycobacteria. Mycobacterial infections represent a significant clinical risk to transplant recipients because of their aggressive clinical course and the need for complex toxic antibiotic treatments. In these patients,M. haemophilumis a cause of skin infections.
Synchronous perforations of the oesophagus and stomach by air insufflation: an uncommon complication of endoscopic dilation
Authors: Fung Arthur M , Chan Fion S , Wong Ian Y , Law Simon
Published: October 2016

A 72-year-old woman had a history of carcinoma of the hypopharynx treated by total laryngectomy, circumferential pharyngectomy and free jejunal graft. Endoscopic dilation of the pharyngojejunal anastomotic stricture resulted in synchronous perforations of the oesophagus and stomach. We postulate that the perforations were caused by high intraoesophageal and intragastric pressure resulted from air insufflation during the procedure; in a situation simulating closed-loop obstruction, because of proximal obstruction by the endoscope at the stricture site and distal obstruction by pylorospasm. The sites of perforations were inherent points of weakness at the left side of the distal oesophagus and at the high lesser curve of stomach. Satisfactory outcome of our patient was attributed to prompt diagnosis and surgical repair. Endoscopists should be aware of this possibility during oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and dilation. Rapid and over insufflation of air should be avoided.
Role of CXC chemokine receptor type 4 as a lactoferrin receptor
Authors: Takayama Yoshiharu , Aoki Reiji , Uchida Ryo , Tajima Atsushi , Aoki-Yoshida Ayako
Published: October 2016

Lactoferrin exerts its biological activities by interacting with receptors on target cells, including LDL receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1/CD91), intelectin-1 (omentin-1), and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). However, the effects mediated by these receptors are not sufficient to fully explain the many functions of lactoferrin. C-X-C-motif cytokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is a ubiquitously expressed G-protein coupled receptor for stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12). Lactoferrin was found to be as capable as SDF-1 in blocking infection by an HIV variant that uses CXCR4 as a co-receptor (X4-tropic HIV), suggesting that lactoferrin interacts with CXCR4. We addressed whether CXCR4 acts as a lactoferrin receptor using HaCaT human keratinocytes and Caco-2 human intestinal cells. We found that bovine lactoferrin interacted with CXCR4-containing lipoparticles, and that this interaction was not antagonized by SDF-1. In addition, activation of Akt in response to lactoferrin was abrogated by AMD3100, a small molecule inhibitor of CXCR4, or by a CXCR4-neutralizing antibody, suggesting that CXCR4 functions as a lactoferrin receptor able to mediate activation of the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway. Lactoferrin stimulation mimicked many aspects of SDF-1-induced CXCR4 activity, including receptor dimerization, tyrosine phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Cycloheximide chase assays indicated that turnover of CXCR4 was accelerated in response to lactoferrin. These results indicate that CXCR4 is a potent lactoferrin receptor that mediates lactoferrin-induced activation of Akt signaling.
Technology and academic lives
Authors: Grudin Jonathan
Published: October 2016

Considering the need to create new modes of interaction and approaches to assessment given a rapidly evolving academic realm.
Research for practice
Authors: Bailis Peter , Fournier Camille , Arulraj Joy , Pavlo Andrew
Published: October 2016

Expert-curated guides to the best of CS research for practitioners.
The power of babble
Authors: Helland Pat
Published: October 2016

Expect to be constantly and pleasantly befuddled.
Learning securely
Authors: Klarreich Erica
Published: October 2016

Because it is easy to fool, machine learning must be taught how to handle adversarial inputs.
Introducing CS to newcomers, and JES as a teaching tool
Authors: Barr Valerie , Guzdial Mark
Published: October 2016

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Valerie Barr gets high schoolers thinking about CS, while Mark Guzdial mulls the benefits of Jython Environment for Students.
Cyber defense triad for where security matters
Authors: Schell Roger R.
Published: October 2016

Dramatically more trustworthy cyber security is a choice.
Growing computer science education into a STEM education discipline
Authors: Guzdial Mark , Morrison Briana
Published: October 2016

Seeking to make computing education as available as mathematics or science education.
Why Has the Cyclicality of Productivity Changed? What Does It Mean?
Authors: Fernald John G. , Wang J. Christina
Published: October 2016

US labor and total factor productivity have historically been procyclical—rising in booms and falling in recessions. After the mid-1980s, however, total factor productivity became much less procyclical with respect to hours while labor productivity turned strongly countercyclical. We find that the key empirical “fact” driving these changes is reduced variation in factor utilization—conceptually, the workweek of capital and labor effort. We discuss a range of theories that seek to explain the changes in productivity's cyclicality. Increased flexibility, changes in the structure of the economy, and shifts in relative variances of technology and “demand” shocks all play key roles.
The Evolution of Gender Gaps in Industrialized Countries
Authors: Olivetti Claudia , Petrongolo Barbara
Published: October 2016

Women in developed economies have made major advancements in labor markets throughout the past century, but remaining gender differences in pay and employment seem remarkably persistent. This article documents long-run trends in female employment, working hours, and relative wages for a wide cross section of developed economies. It reviews existing work on the factors driving gender convergence, and novel perspectives on remaining gender gaps. Finally, the article emphasizes the interplay between gender trends and the evolution of the industry structure. Based on a shift-share decomposition, it shows that the growth in the service share can explain at least half of the overall variation in female hours, both over time and across countries.
Comparison of Three Analytical Methods for the Precise Calculation of Cogging Torque and Torque Ripple in Axial Flux PM Machines
Authors: Hemeida Ahmed , Hannon Bert , Vansompel Hendrik , Sergeant Peter
Published: October 2016

A comparison between different analytical and finite-element (FE) tools for the computation of cogging torque and torque ripple in axial flux permanent-magnet synchronous machines is made. 2D and 3D FE models are the most accurate for the computation of cogging torque and torque ripple. However, they are too time consuming to be used for optimization studies. Therefore, analytical tools are also used to obtain the cogging torque and torque ripple. In this paper, three types of analytical models are considered. They are all based on dividing the machine into many slices in the radial direction. One model computes the lateral force based on the magnetic field distribution in the air gap area. Another model is based on conformal mapping and uses complex Schwarz Christoffel (SC) transformations. The last model is based on the subdomain technique, which divides the studied geometry into a number of separate domains. The different types of models are compared for different slot openings and permanent-magnet widths. One of the main conclusions is that the subdomain model is best suited to compute the cogging torque and torque ripple with a much higher accuracy than the SC model.
Effect of Static Load on the Nucleus Pulposus of Rabbit Intervertebral Disc Motion Segment in an Organ Culture
Authors: Zhan Jia-Wen , Feng Min-Shan , Zhu Li-Guo , Zhang Ping , Yu Jie
Published: October 2016

The development of mechanically active culture systems helps in understanding of the role of mechanical stress in intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Motion segment cultures facilitate the application and control of mechanical loads. The purpose of this study was to establish a culturing method for rabbit IVD motion segments to observe the effect of static load on the whole disc organ. Segments were cultured in custom-made apparatuses under a constant, compressive load (3 kg) for 2 weeks. Tissue integrity, matrix synthesis, and matrix gene expression profile were assessed and compared with fresh one. The results showedex vivoculturing of samples gradually destroyed the morphology. Proteoglycan contents and gene expression were decreased and downregulated obviously. However, immunohistochemical staining intensity and collagen type II gene expression were significantly enhanced and upregulated. In contrast, these trends were reversed under constant compression. These results indicated short-term static load stimulated the synthesis of type II collagen; however, constant compression led to progressive degeneration and specifically to proteoglycan. Through this study a loading and organ-culturing system forex vivorabbit IVD motion segments was developed, which can be used to study the effects of mechanical stimulation on the biology of IVDs and the pathomechanics of IVD degeneration.
Danish Nationwide Data Reveal a Link between Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Glaucoma
Authors: Horwitz Anna , Petrovski Beáta Éva , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Kolko Miriam
Published: October 2016

Aims. To determine the association between treatment against diabetes mellitus (DM) and treatment with antiglaucomatous drugs in the entire Danish population and to investigate the comorbidity between DM and its complications with antiglaucomatous treatment. Methods. Retrospective nationwide cohort study with data over a 16-year follow-up period. The National Danish Registry of Medicinal Products Statistics was used to identify all claimed prescriptions for antiglaucomatous medication and DM drugs. ICD-10 classifications were furthermore used to identify comorbidities between antiglaucomatous medication and the DM complications, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and nephropathy. Results. A total of 6,343,747 individuals in the period between 1996 and 2012 were analyzed. The overall incidence rate of new-onset glaucoma patients was 0.07 per 1000 person-years for the reference population compared to 36 per 1000 person-years for all diagnosed DM cases. Patients treated with DM drugs had about two times higher relative risk of glaucoma, when adjusting for a range of factors. The presence of DR alone or in combination with nephropathy increased the risk of glaucoma. Conclusions. The present study reports a strong association between DM and onset of glaucoma treatment in the entire Danish population.
Strengths, Pitfalls, and Lessons from Longitudinal Childhood Asthma Cohorts of Children Followed Up into Adult Life
Authors: Tai Andrew
Published: October 2016

Asthma is a common problem worldwide and longitudinal studies of children followed up into adult life enable the assessment of clinical outcomes, examine the pattern of lung function outcomes, and importantly provide insight into aetiology and prognosis for patients with asthma. The aim of this review is to examine the major childhood asthma cohort studies which have continued into adult life, describing the strengths and weaknesses and the lessons that can be learnt regarding pathophysiology and potential future directions for research.
A Green Antioxidant Activity‐Integrated Dual‐Standard Method for Rapid Evaluation of the Quality of Traditional Chinese Medicine Xuebijing Injection by On‐Line DPPH‐CE‐DAD
Authors: Li Jin , Liu Jiao , Liu Wei , Yu Xie-an , Cao Jun , An Mingrui , Gao Xiu-mei , Chang Yan-xu
Published: October 2016

Much attention has been focused on treatment of sepsis which leads to high mortality all over the world in every year. Antioxidant activity seems to play a prominent role in the treatment of sepsis exhibited by Xuebijing injection. The aim of the present research was to develop an on‐line 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl‐ (DPPH‐) capillary electrophoresis‐diode array detector (on‐line DPPH‐CE‐DAD) method for rapidly assessing antioxidant properties and efficacious material basis of antioxidant activity as a way of quality control of Xuebijing injection. Several parameters affecting the separation were investigated, including the pH and concentrations of buffer, SDS, β‐CD, and organic modifier as well as voltage and cassette temperature. Compared to previous traditional method, this improved method shortened the experimental cycle and became more efficient because it was successfully applied to analyze total antioxidant activity and contents of twelve antioxidants of Xuebijing injection under the same condition. The results revealed that the on‐line DPPH‐CE‐DAD method was a reagent‐saving, rapid, feasible, and green technique for quality control of Xuebijing injection in terms of pharmacological activity and contents of active ingredients. It also offered new opportunities for the analysis of antioxidant activity of complex matrix.
Vaginal Lactoferrin Modulates PGE2, MMP-9, MMP-2, and TIMP-1 Amniotic Fluid Concentrations
Authors: Trentini Alessandro , Maritati Martina , Cervellati Carlo , Manfrinato Maria C. , Gonelli Arianna , Volta Carlo A. , Vesce Fortunato , Greco Pantaleo , Dallocchio Franco , Bellini Tiziana , Contini Carlo
Published: October 2016

Inflammation plays an important role in pregnancy, and cytokine and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) imbalance has been associated with premature rupture of membranes and increased risk of preterm delivery. Previous studies have demonstrated that lactoferrin (LF), an iron-binding protein with anti-inflammatory properties, is able to decrease amniotic fluid (AF) levels of IL-6. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of vaginal LF administration on amniotic fluid PGE2level and MMP-TIMP system in women undergoing genetic amniocentesis. One hundred and eleven women were randomly divided into controls (n=57) or treated with LF 4 hours before amniocentesis (n=54). Amniotic fluid PGE2, active MMP-9 and MMP-2, and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 concentrations were determined by commercially available assays and the values were normalized by AF creatinine concentration. PGE2, active MMP-9, and its inhibitor TIMP-1 were lower in LF-treated group than in controls (p<0.01,p<0.005, andp<0.001, resp.). Conversely, active MMP-2 (p<0.0001) and MMP-2/TIMP-2 molar ratio (p<0.001) were increased, whilst TIMP-2 was unchanged. Our data suggest that LF administration is able to modulate the inflammatory response following amniocentesis, which may counteract cytokine and prostanoid imbalance that leads to abortion. This trial is registered with Clinical Trial numberNCT02695563.
Performance Analysis of Solar Assisted Fluidized Bed Dryer Integrated Biomass Furnace with and without Heat Pump for Drying of Paddy
Authors: Yahya M.
Published: October 2016

The performances of a solar assisted fluidized bed dryer integrated biomass furnace (SA-FBDIBF) and a solar assisted heat pump fluidized bed dryer integrated biomass furnace (SAHP-FBDIBF) for drying of paddy have been evaluated, and also drying kinetics of paddy were determined. The SA-FBDIBF and the SAHP-FBDIBF were used to dry paddy from 11 kg with moisture content of 32.85% db to moisture content of 16.29% db (14% wb) under an air mass flow rate of 0.1037 kg/s within 29.73 minutes and 22.95 minutes, with average temperatures and relative humidities of 80.3°C and 80.9°C and 12.28% and 8.14%, respectively. The average drying rate, specific energy consumption, and specific moisture extraction rate were 0.043 kg/minute and 0.050 kg/minute, 5.454 kWh/kg and 4.763 kWh/kg, and 0.204 kg/kWh and 0.241 kg/kWh for SA-FBDIBF and SAHP-FBDIBF, respectively. In SA-FBDIBF and SAHP-FBDIBF, the dryer thermal efficiencies were average values of 12.28% and 15.44%; in addition, the pickup efficiencies were 33.55% and 43.84% on average, whereas the average solar and biomass fractions were 10.9% and 10.6% and 36.6% and 30.4% for SA-FBDIBF and SAHP-FBDIBF, respectively. The drying of paddy occurred in the falling rate period. The experimental dimensionless moisture content data were fitted to three mathematical models. Page’s model was found best to describe the drying behaviour of paddy.
QoS-Aware Mobile Service Selection Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Chengwen , Zhang Lei , Zhang Guanhua
Published: October 2016

For the problem of mobile service selection, this paper gives a context-aware service selection algorithm based on Genetic Algorithm. In this algorithm, a tree encoding method, a fitness function, and a fitness-better strategy were proposed. The tree encoding mode made Genetic Algorithm support selection of various types of service combinations, for example, sequence composition, concurrence composition, probability composition, and loop composition. According to the encoding method, a fitness function was designed specially. The fitness-better strategy gives the direction of population evolution and avoids the degradation of population fitness. Some experiments analyses show that the provided service selection algorithm can get better service composition.
A Three-State Markov-Modulated Switching Model for Exchange Rates
Authors: Ayodeji Idowu Oluwasayo
Published: October 2016

Several authors have examined the long swings hypothesis in exchange rates using a two-state Markov switching model. This study developed a model to investigate long swings hypothesis in currencies which may exhibit ak-state(k≥2)pattern. The proposed model was then applied to euros, British pounds, Japanese yen, and Nigerian naira. Specification measures such as AIC, BIC, and HIC favoured a three-state pattern in Nigerian naira but a two-state one in the other three currencies. For the period January 2004 to May 2016, empirical results suggested the presence of asymmetric swings in naira and yen and long swings in euros and pounds. In addition, taking0.5as the benchmark for smoothing probabilities, choice models provided a clear reading of the cycle in a manner that is consistent with the realities of the movements in corresponding exchange rate series.
A Review of Western and Traditional Chinese Medical Approaches to Managing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Hsu Wei-Fan , Sheen Lee-Yan , Lin Hung-Jen , Chang Hen-Hong
Published: October 2016

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease of attention because of increase in prevalence from 20% to 41%. The clinical and pathological conditions in patients with NAFLD range from steatosis alone to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or without fibrosis to hepatic cancer. In the United States, NAFLD was the second‐leading indication for liver transplant between 2004 and 2013. Although imaging studies such as magnetic resonance elastography and the use of diagnostic panels and scoring systems can provide a fairly accurate diagnosis of NAFLD, there are few treatment options for patients with mild to moderate disease other than lifestyle modification. Many of the currently used medical treatments have been shown to cause severe side effects and some have been shown to be associated with increased risk for certain types of cancer. In recent years, a number of traditional Chinese herbal treatments have been examined for their potential uses as treatment for NAFLD. In this review, we provide a general overview of NAFLD and a survey of Western pharmacologic drugs currently used to treat the disease as well as the results of recent studies on the effectiveness of traditional Chinese herbal remedies for managing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Histogram of Oriented Gradient Based Gist Feature for Building Recognition
Authors: Li Bin , Cheng Kaili , Yu Zhezhou
Published: October 2016

We proposed a new method of gist feature extraction for building recognition and named the feature extracted by this method as the histogram of oriented gradient based gist (HOG-gist). The proposed method individually computes the normalized histograms of multiorientation gradients for the same image with four different scales. The traditional approach uses the Gabor filters with four angles and four different scales to extract orientation gist feature vectors from an image. Our method, in contrast, uses the normalized histogram of oriented gradient as orientation gist feature vectors of the same image. These HOG-based orientation gist vectors, combined with intensity and color gist feature vectors, are the proposed HOG-gist vectors. In general, the HOG-gist contains four multiorientation histograms (four orientation gist feature vectors), and its texture description ability is stronger than that of the traditional gist using Gabor filters with four angles. Experimental results using Sheffield Buildings Database verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed HOG-gist.
Fuzzy Aspect Based Opinion Classification System for Mining Tourist Reviews
Authors: Afzaal Muhammad , Usman Muhammad , Fong A. C. M. , Fong Simon , Zhuang Yan
Published: October 2016

Due to the large amount of opinions available on the websites, tourists are often overwhelmed with information and find it extremely difficult to use the available information to make a decision about the tourist places to visit. A number of opinion mining methods have been proposed in the past to identify and classify an opinion into positive or negative. Recently, aspect based opinion mining has been introduced which targets the various aspects present in the opinion text. A number of existing aspect based opinion classification methods are available in the literature but very limited research work has targeted the automatic aspect identification and extraction of implicit, infrequent, and coreferential aspects. Aspect based classification suffers from the presence of irrelevant sentences in a typical user review. Such sentences make the data noisy and degrade the classification accuracy of the machine learning algorithms. This paper presents a fuzzy aspect based opinion classification system which efficiently extracts aspects from user opinions and perform near to accurate classification. We conducted experiments on real world datasets to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed system. Experimental results prove that the proposed system not only is effective in aspect extraction but also improves the classification accuracy.
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance the Differentiation of Human Switched Memory B Lymphocytes into Plasma Cells in Serum-Free Medium
Authors: Bonnaure Guillaume , Gervais-St-Amour Catherine , Néron Sonia
Published: October 2016

The differentiation of human B lymphocytes into plasma cells is one of the most stirring questions with regard to adaptive immunity. However, the terminal differentiation and survival of plasma cells are still topics with much to be discovered, especially when targeting switched memory B lymphocytes. Plasma cells can migrate to the bone marrow in response to a CXCL12 gradient and survive for several years while secreting antibodies. In this study, we aimed to get closer to niches favoring plasma cell survival. We tested low oxygen concentrations and coculture with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from human bone marrow. Besides, all cultures were performed using an animal protein-free medium. Overall, our model enables the generation of high proportions of CD38+CD138+CD31+plasma cells (≥50%) when CD40-activated switched memory B lymphocytes were cultured in direct contact with mesenchymal stem cells. In these cultures, the secretion of CXCL12 and TGF-β, usually found in the bone marrow, was linked to the presence of MSC. The level of oxygen appeared less impactful than the contact with MSC. This study shows for the first time that expanded switched memory B lymphocytes can be differentiated into plasma cells using exclusively a serum-free medium.
Cardiac Arrest after Local Anaesthetic Toxicity in a Paediatric Patient
Authors: Torres de Araújo Azi Liana Maria , Figueroa Diego Grimaldi , Simas Ana Amélia Souza
Published: October 2016

We report a case of a paediatric patient undergoing urological procedure in which a possible inadvertent intravascular or intraosseous injection of bupivacaine with adrenaline in usual doses caused subsequent cardiac arrest, completely reversed after administration of 20% intravenous lipid emulsion. Early diagnosis of local anaesthetics toxicity and adequate cardiovascular resuscitation manoeuvres contribute to the favourable outcome.
Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis during Everest Expedition: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Khanal P. , Thapa L. , Shrestha A. M. , Bhattarai S. , Sapkota D. , Sharma N. , Devkota U. P.
Published: October 2016

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare but serious disorder that is associated with a poor clinical outcome. We report a 35-year-old man who had a severe headache and diplopia while climbing Mount Everest. His MR venography showed right transverse and right sigmoid sinus thrombosis. He improved on anticoagulant and symptomatic measures. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis at high altitude is discussed.
Muscle Functions and Functional Performance among Older Persons with and without Low Back Pain
Authors: Ishak Nor Azizah , Zahari Zarina , Justine Maria
Published: October 2016

This study aims to compare muscle functions and functional performances between older persons with and without low back pain (LBP) and to determine the association between muscle functions and functional performances. This is a cross-sectional study, involving 95 older persons (age =70.27±7.26years). Anthropometric characteristics, muscle functions, and functional performances were measured. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression. The functional performances showed no significant differences (females LBP versus non-LBP, males LBP versus non-LBP) (p<0.05). For muscle functions, significant differences were found (females LBP versus non-LBP) for abdominal muscle strength (p=0.006) and back muscle strength (p=0.07). In the LBP group, significant correlations were found between back and abdominal muscle strength and hand grip strength (r=0.377andr=0.396, resp.), multifidus control and lower limb function (r=0.363) in females, and back muscle strength and lower limb function (r=0.393) in males (allp<0.05). Regression analysis showed that abdominal and back muscle strengths were significant predictors of hand grip strength (p=0.041andp=0.049, resp.), and multifidus control was a significant predictor of lower limb function in females (p=0.047). This study demonstrates that older women with LBP exhibit poorer muscle functions compared to older women without LBP.
Danggui Buxue Tang Attenuates Tubulointerstitial Fibrosis via Suppressing NLRP3 Inflammasome in a Rat Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction
Authors: Wang Linna , Ma Jiwei , Guo Cunxia , Chen Changyong , Yin Zhong , Zhang Xueguang , Chen Xiangmei
Published: October 2016

Inflammation significantly contributes to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to characterize Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) renoprotection and relationship with NOD-like receptors family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome expression in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to UUO and randomly assigned to untreated UUO, enalapril-treated (10 mg/kg/day), and DBT-treated (9 g/kg/day) groups. Sham-operated rats served as controls, with 8 rats in each group. All rats were sacrificed for blood and renal specimen collection at 14 days after UUO. Untreated UUO rats exhibited azotemia, intense tubulointerstitial collagen deposition, upregulations of tubulointerstitial injury index, augmentation levels of collagen I (Col I),α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), pro-caspase-1, caspase-1, IL-1β, and pro-IL-1β. DBT treatment significantly attenuated interstitial collagen deposition and tubulointerstitial injury, lowering Col I andα-SMA levels. Synchronous expressions of NLRP3, ASC, pro-caspase-1, caspase-1, pro-IL-1β, and IL-1βdecreased in renal tissue. In comparison to enalapril, DBT significantly reduced tubulointerstitial injury, interstitial collagen deposition, and expressions of Col I and IL-1β. Thus, DBT offers renoprotection in UUO rats, which was associated with suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome expression and following reduction of the secretion of cytokine IL-1β. The mechanisms of multitargets of traditional Chinese medicine can be better used for antifibrotic treatment.
Therapeutic Treatment of Arthritic Mice with 15-Deoxy Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2(15d-PGJ2) Ameliorates Disease through the Suppression of Th17 Cells and the Induction of CD4+CD25−FOXP3+Cells
Authors: Carregaro Vanessa , Napimoga Marcelo H. , Peres Raphael S. , Benevides Luciana , Sacramento Laís Amorim , Pinto Larissa G. , Grespan Renata , Cunha Thiago M. , Silva João Santana da , Cunha Fernando Q.
Published: October 2016

The prostaglandin, 15-deoxyΔ12,14-prostaglandin J2(15d-PGJ2), is a lipid mediator that plays an important role in the control of chronic inflammatory disease. However, the role of prostanoid in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not well determined. We demonstrated the therapeutic effect of 15d-PGJ2in an experimental model of arthritis. Daily administration of 15d-PGJ2attenuated the severity of CIA, reducing the clinical score, pain, and edema. 15d-PGJ2treatment was associated with a marked reduction in joint levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Although the mRNA expression of ROR-γt was profoundly reduced, FOXP3 was enhanced in draining lymph node cells from 15d-PGJ2-treated arthritic mice. The specific and polyclonal CD4+Th17 cell responses were limited during the addition of prostaglandin to cell culture. Moreover,in vitro15d-PGJ2increased the expression of FOXP3, GITR, and CTLA-4 in the CD4+CD25−population, suggesting the induction of Tregs on conventional T cells. Prostanoid addition to CD4+CD25−cells selectively suppressed Th17 differentiation and promoted the enhancement of FOXP3 under polarization conditions. Thus, 15d-PGJ2ameliorated symptoms of collagen-induced arthritis by regulating Th17 differentiation, concomitant with the induction of Tregs, and, consequently, protected mice from diseases aggravation. Altogether, these results indicate that 15d-PGJ2may represent a potential therapeutic strategy in RA.
SARIMA-Orthogonal Polynomial Curve Fitting Model for Medium-Term Load Forecasting
Authors: Cui Herui , Wei Pengbang , Mu Yupei , Peng Xu
Published: October 2016

Seasonal component has been a key factor in time series modeling for medium-term electric load forecasting. In this paper, a seasonal-ARIMA model is developed, but the parameters of the SAR and the SMA turn out to be quite nonsignificant in most cases during the model order selection. To address this issue, the hybrid time series model based on the HP filter is utilized to extract the spectrum sequences with different frequencies and analyze interactions among various factors. Finally, an integrative forecast is made for the electricity consumption from January to November in 2014. The empirical results demonstrate that the method with HP filter could reduce the relative error caused by the interaction between the trend component and the seasonal component.
Effects of GSTP1 and GPX1 Polymorphisms on the Risk of Preeclampsia in Chinese Han Women
Authors: Gao Huijie , Liu Chao , Lin Ping , Xu Luo , Li Xiao , Chen Yujie , Cheng Baohua , Li Aiqin , Liu Shiguo
Published: October 2016

Background/Aims: Increasing evidence shows that oxidative stress plays an important part in the pathophysiological mechanisms of preeclampsia (PE). Polymorphic variants of oxidative stress-related candidate genes GST1 and GPX1 can affect the antioxidant activities of their encoded enzymes. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associational analysis between GSTP1 and GPX1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to PE in Chinese Han women. Methods: DNA from 1130 PE patients and 1226 healthy individuals was genotyped for SNPs rs1695 in GSTP1 and rs1050450 in GPX1 using a predesigned TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. The χ2 test compared differences in genetic distributions between the two groups in a case-control study. Results: No significant differences in allelic or genotypic frequencies of GSTP1 rs1695 or GPX1 rs1050450 were detected between cases and controls (GSTP1 rs1695: χ2=1.122, p=0.571 by genotype, χ2=0.138, p=0.710, odds ratio=1.027, 95% confidence interval 0.892-1.183 by allele; GPX1 rs1050450: χ2=0.036, p=0.982 by genotype, χ2=0.002, p=0.960, odds ratio=1.005, 95% confidence interval 0.822-1.229 by allele). Moreover, no significant differences in genetic distribution were found between early/late-onset PE or mild/severe PE and control subgroups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that GSTP1 rs1695 and GPX1 rs1050450 SNPs have no effects on the risk of PE in the Chinese Han population. However, these results should be confirmed by replication in different populations.
Luteolin Attenuates Foam Cell Formation and Apoptosis in Ox-LDL-Stimulated Macrophages by Enhancing Autophagy
Authors: Zhang Bu-Chun , Zhang Cong-Wei , Wang Cheng , Pan De-Feng , Xu Tong-Da , Li Dong-Ye
Published: October 2016

Background: Our previous studies demonstrated that luteolin, which is rich in flavones, has various biological properties and can exert anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities. However, its effect on ox-LDL-induced macrophage lipid accumulation and apoptosis has not been revealed. Aims: This study aimed to explore the role of luteolin in ox-LDL-induced macrophage-derived foam cell formation and apoptosis and to delineate the underlying mechanism. Methods: Murine RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) (50 µg/ml) for 24 h and then pretreated with 25 µM luteolin for another 24 h. The effects of luteolin on lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells induced by ox-LDL were assayed using Oil red O staining and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Apoptosis was confirmed by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, flow cytometric analysis and the TUNEL assay. Immunofluorescence, Western blot and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining analyses were then used to further investigate the molecular mechanisms by which luteolin protects macrophages from ox-LDL-induced foam cell formation and apoptosis. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor, was used as a positive control. Results: Treatment with 25 µM luteolin not only significantly attenuated ox-LDL-induced macrophage lipid accumulation but also decreased the apoptotic rate of RAW264.7 cells, the number of TUNEL-positive macrophages and the expression of Bax, Bak, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3. In addition, luteolin pretreatment significantly increased autophagosome formation and Beclin-1 activity, thus increasing the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I. Moreover, these effects were abolished by 3-MA. Conclusions: Taken together, these results highlight that luteolin treatment attenuates foam cell formation and macrophage apoptosis by promoting autophagy and provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of luteolin and its therapeutic potential in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Activation of SGK1 in Endometrial Epithelial Cells in Response to PI3K/AKT Inhibition Impairs Embryo Implantation
Authors: Salker Madhuri S. , Steel Jennifer H. , Hosseinzadeh Zohreh , Nautiyal Jaya , Webster Zoe , Singh Yogesh , Brucker Sara , Lang Florian , Brosens Jan J.
Published: October 2016

Background: Serum & Glucocorticoid Regulated Kinase 1 (SGK1) plays a fundamental role in ion and solute transport processes in epithelia. In the endometrium, down-regulation of SGK1 during the window of receptivity facilitates embryo implantation whereas expression of a constitutively active mutant in the murine uterus blocks implantation. Methods/Results: Here, we report that treatment of endometrial epithelial cells with specific inhibitors of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT activity pathway results in reciprocal activation of SGK1. Flushing of the uterine lumen of mice with a cell permeable, substrate competitive phosphatidylinositol analogue that inhibits AKT activation (AKT inhibitor III) resulted in Sgk1 phosphorylation, down-regulation of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase Nedd4-2, and increased expression of epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC). Furthermore, exposure of the uterine lumen to AKT inhibitor III prior to embryo transfer induced a spectrum of early pregnancy defects, ranging from implantation failure to aberrant spacing of implantation sites. Conclusion: Taken together, our data indicate that the balanced activities of two related serine/threonine kinases, AKT and SGK1, critically govern the implantation process.
Rare RET Variant p.D707E in a Chinese Pedigree with Hereditary Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Lu , Li Xiaoyu , Li Qiyuan , Ge Shengxiang , Chen Mengyuan , Huang Shuizhen , Chen Binbin , Li Peng , Teng Bogang , Xu Jing , Zhao Shupeng , Qi Fengjie , Zhang Yongxing
Published: October 2016

Background: Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (HMTC) is thought to be associated with germline mutations of the RET proto-oncogene. Methods: We detected RET proto-oncogene germline mutations from a pedigree with HMTC in the east of China and investigated the characteristics of these mutations in this pedigree and their correlation with HMTC by direct sequencing of all 21 exons in the RET gene of all 46 subjects. Results and Conclusion: (1) Thirteen types of RET gene variants were detected in this pedigree. Of these, p.F285S in exon 4, c.854_855CA in exon 4, and p.D707E in exon 11 are reported for the first time in our study. (2) Both linkage disequilibrium analysis and logistic regression analysis showed a significant correlation between the p.D707E variant and HMTC (LOD = 3.69, OR = 4.413, p = 0.000167), indicating that this variant is a risk factor for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). (3) The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) G691S in exon 11 (rs1799939), S904S in exon 15 (rs1800863), and rs2075912 and rs2565200 in the 3′-untranslated region of the RET proto-oncogene are in complete linkage disequilibrium (D' = 1, r2 = 1); no correlation of these SNP and MTC was observed in this pedigree. (4) No hot-spot mutation of the RET proto-oncogene was detected in this pedigree. We drew the conclusion that the heterozygous nonsynonymous variant p.D707E in the RET proto-oncogene is rare, but it is a risk factor for hereditary MTC.
Association of Dystrobrevin-Binding Protein 1 Polymorphisms with Sustained Attention and Set-Shifting in Schizophrenia Patients
Authors: Bakanidze George , Brandl Eva J. , Hutzler Christine , Aurass Friederike , Onken Silke , Rapp Michael A. , Puls Imke
Published: October 2016

Background: Despite extensive research in the past decades, the influence of genetics on cognitive functions in schizophrenia remains unclear. Dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1) is one of the most promising candidate genes in schizophrenia. An association of DTNBP1 with cognitive dysfunction, particularly memory impairment, has been reported in a number of studies. However, the results remain inconsistent. The aim of this study was to measure the association between DTNBP1 polymorphisms and cognitive domains in a well-characterized sample. Methods: Ninety-one clinically stable schizophrenia outpatients underwent a battery of cognitive tests. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DTNBP1 were genotyped in all participants. Statistical and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: Factor analysis revealed 4 factors corresponding to distinct cognitive domains, namely sustained attention, set-shifting, executive functioning, and memory. We found a significant association of the rs909706 polymorphism with attention (p = 0.030) and a nonsignificant trend for set-shifting (p = 0.060). The other SNPs and haplotypes were not associated with cognitive function. Discussion: Replication of this finding in a larger sample is needed in order to confirm the importance of this particular polymorphism in the genetics of schizophrenia, particularly the distinct cognitive domains. In conclusion, the present study supports the involvement of DTNBP1 in the regulation of cognitive processes and demonstrates association in particular with sustained attention and set-shifting in schizophrenia patients.
Electrochemotherapy in the Treatment of Massive, Multisite Breast Cancer Metastasis to the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue: A Case Report
Authors: Wichtowski Mateusz , Potocki Paweł , Kufel-Grabowska Joanna , Streb Joanna , Murawa Dawid
Published: October 2016

Background: Chest wall recurrence (CWR) from breast cancer after mastectomy is a difficult to treat disease. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) provides a safe, efficient, and non-invasive locoregional treatment approach in this setting. Case Report: A 61-year-old woman presented with unresectable breast cancer recurrence to the skin and subcutaneous tissue for which numerous lines of treatment were unsuccessful. Between February 2015 and May 2015, the patient underwent 3 courses of ECT after which a spectacular regression of the cutaneous metastatic foci was observed. After an overall observation period of 12 weeks, complete clinical remission was achieved. Conclusion: ECT can be proposed as an effective and safe locoregional therapy for breast cancer CWR and provides an alternative treatment modality to conventional therapies, especially in the case of multiple cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions.
Non-Pulmonary Immune Functions of Surfactant Proteins A and D
Authors: Ujma Sylvia , Horsnell William G.C. , Katz Arieh A. , Clark Howard W. , Schäfer Georgia
Published: October 2016

Surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) are established as essential components of our innate immune system for protecting the lung from pathogens and allergens. They essentially exert their protective functions by regulating pulmonary homeostasis. Both proteins are however widely expressed throughout the body, including the female reproductive tract, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, the eye, ear, nasal compartment, central nervous system, the coronary artery and the skin. The functions of SP-A and SP-D at these sites are a relatively underinvestigated area, but it is emerging that both SP-A and SP-D contribute significantly to the regulation of inflammation and protection from infection at these sites. This review presents our current understanding of the roles of SP-A and SP-D in non-pulmonary sites.