bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local Overexpression of V1a-Vasopressin Receptor Enhances Regeneration in Tumor Necrosis Factor-Induced Muscle Atrophy
Authors: Costa Alessandra , Toschi Angelica , Murfuni Ivana , Pelosi Laura , Sica Gigliola , Adamo Sergio , Scicchitano Bianca Maria
Published: May 2014

Skeletal muscle atrophy occurs during disuse and aging, or as a consequence of chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes. It is characterized by progressive loss of muscle tissue due to hypotrophic changes, degeneration, and an inability of the regeneration machinery to replace damaged myofibers. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a proinflammatory cytokine known to mediate muscle atrophy in many chronic diseases and to inhibit skeletal muscle regeneration. In this study, we investigated the role of Arg-vasopressin-(AVP-)dependent pathways in muscles in which atrophy was induced by local overexpression of TNF. AVP is a potent myogenesis-promoting factor and is able to enhance skeletal muscle regeneration by stimulating Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase and calcineurin signaling. We performed morphological and molecular analyses and demonstrated that local over-expression of the AVP receptor V1a enhances regeneration of atrophic muscle. By upregulating the regeneration/differentiation markers, modulating the inflammatory response, and attenuating fibrogenesis, the stimulation of AVP-dependent pathways creates a favourable environment for efficient and sustained muscle regeneration and repair even in the presence of elevated levels of TNF. This study highlights a novelin vivorole for AVP-dependent pathways, which may represent an interesting strategy to counteract muscle decline in aging or in muscular pathologies.
Antiperiodic Problems for Nonautonomous Parabolic Evolution Equations
Authors: Wang R. N. , Zhou Y.
Published: May 2014

This work focuses on the antiperiodic problem of nonautonomous semilinear parabolic evolution equation in the formu′(t)=A(t)u(t)+f(t,u(t)),t∈R,u(t+T)=-u(t),t∈R, where(At)t∈R(possibly unbounded), depending on time, is a family of closed and densely defined linear operators on a Banach spaceX. Upon making some suitable assumptions such as the Acquistapace and Terreni conditions and exponential dichotomy on(At)t∈R, we obtain the existence results of antiperiodic mild solutions to such problem. The antiperiodic problem of nonautonomous semilinear parabolic evolution equation of neutral type is also considered. As sample of application, these results are applied to, at the end of the paper, an antiperiodic problem for partial differential equation, whose operators in the linear part generate an evolution family of exponential stability.
Increased Circulating Betatrophin Concentrations in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Espes Daniel , Martinell Mats , Carlsson Per-Ola
Published: May 2014

Betatrophin has recently been described as a key hormone to stimulate beta-cell mass expansion in response to insulin resistance and obesity in mice. The finding has generated an interest in the development of antidiabetic drugs with betatrophin as the active component. However, the circulating levels of betatrophin in patients with type 2 diabetes are not well known. Betatrophin concentrations in plasma of 27 type 2 diabetes patients and 18 gender-, age-, and BMI-matched controls were measured. Study participants were characterized with regard to BMI, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, and fasting plasma blood lipids, creatinine, glucose, HbA1c, and C-peptide. HOMA2 indices were calculated. Betatrophin was 40% higher in patients with type 2 diabetes (893±80versus639±66 pg/mL). Betatrophin positively correlated with age in the controls and with HbA1c in the type 2 diabetes patients. All study participants were insulin resistant with mean HOMA2B IR in both groups exceeding 2 andHOMA2%S<50%. Control individuals had impaired fasting glucose concentrations. In this report on betatrophin concentrations in type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, elevated betatrophin levels were measured in the patients with type 2 diabetes. Future studies are clearly needed to delineate the exact role, if any, of betatrophin in regulating human beta-cell mass.
On the Effectiveness of Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Algorithms for Performing Phase Equilibrium Thermodynamic Calculations
Authors: Fateen Seif-Eddeen K. , Bonilla-Petriciolet Adrian
Published: May 2014

The search for reliable and efficient global optimization algorithms for solving phase stability and phase equilibrium problems in applied thermodynamics is an ongoing area of research. In this study, we evaluated and compared the reliability and efficiency of eight selected nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms for solving difficult phase stability and phase equilibrium problems. These algorithms are the cuckoo search (CS), intelligent firefly (IFA), bat (BA), artificial bee colony (ABC), MAKHA, a hybrid between monkey algorithm and krill herd algorithm, covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMAES), magnetic charged system search (MCSS), and bare bones particle swarm optimization (BBPSO). The results clearly showed that CS is the most reliable of all methods as it successfully solved all thermodynamic problems tested in this study. CS proved to be a promising nature-inspired optimization method to perform applied thermodynamic calculations for process design.
Prediction of Bending Stiffness for Laminated CFRP and Its Application to Manufacturing of Roof Reinforcement
Authors: Lee Jeong-Min , Lee Kyung-Hun , Kim Byung-Min , An Seung-Kook , Ko Dae-Cheol
Published: May 2014

Recently, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) with high strength, stiffness, and lightweight is used widely in number of composite applications such as commercial aircraft, transportation, machinery, and sports equipment. Especially, it is necessary to apply lightweight materials to car components for reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In case of car roof reinforcement manufactured using CFRP, superior strength and bending stiffness are required for the safety of drivers in the rollover accident. Mechanical properties of CFRP laminates are generally dependent on the stacking sequence. Therefore, research of stacking sequence using CFRP prepreg is required for superior bending stiffness. In this study, the 3-point bending FE-analysis for predicting the bending stiffness of CFRP roof reinforcement was carried out on three cases [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. Material properties that the six independent elastic constants are E11, E22, G12, G23, G13, and ν12 used in FE-analysis were evaluated by the tensile test in 0°, 45°, and 90° directions. Through structural strength analysis of the automobile roof reinforcement fabricated using CFRP, the effect of the stacking sequence on the bending stiffness was evaluated and validated through experiments under the same conditions as the analysis.
Hypofractionated High-Dose Irradiation with Positron Emission Tomography Data for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Miwa Kazuhiro , Matsuo Masayuki , Ogawa Shin-ichi , Shinoda Jun , Asano Yoshitaka , Ito Takeshi , Yokoyama Kazutoshi , Yamada Jitsuhiro , Yano Hirohito , Iwama Toru
Published: May 2014

This research paper presents clinical outcomes of hypofractionated high-dose irradiation by intensity-modulated radiation therapy (Hypo-IMRT) with11C-methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET) data for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). A total of 45 patients with GBM were treated with Hypo-IMRT after surgery. Gross tumor volume (GTV) was defined as the area of enhanced lesion on MRI, including MET-PET avid region; clinical target volume (CTV) was the area with 5 mm margin surrounding the GTV; planning target volume (PTV) was the area with 15 mm margin surrounding the CTV, including MET-PET moderate region. Hypo-IMRT was performed in 8 fractions; planning the dose for GTV was escalated to 68 Gy and that for CTV was escalated to 56 Gy, while keeping the dose delivered to the PTV at 40 Gy. Concomitant and adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy was administered. At a median follow-up of 18.7 months, median overall survival (OS) was 20.0 months, and median progression-free survival was 13.0 months. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 71.2% and 26.3%, respectively. Adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy was significantly predictive of OS on multivariate analysis. Late toxicity included 7 cases of Grade 3-4 radiation necrosis. Hypo-IMRT with MET-PET data appeared to result in favorable survival outcomes for patients with GBM.
Consecutive Macular Edema and Visual Outcome in Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion
Authors: Baek Sung Uk , Kwon Soon Il , Park In Won , Choi Kyung Jun
Published: May 2014

Purposes. The study introduced the concept of “consecutive macular edema” and evaluated the validity of visual outcome in macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).Methods. Patients were categorized into the gainer group and the nongainer group according to the final visual acuity. We analyzed clinical characteristics involving total and consecutive duration of ME between the two groups.Results. Among the total 71 eyes of 71 patients, intravitreal bevacizumab injection (26 patients), triamcinolone (21), and natural course (33) were enrolled. The consecutive duration of ME was shorter in the gainer group than in the nongainer group (3.33 ± 1.50 and 5.24 ± 2.39 months;P=0.000). After exclusion of macular ischemia, consecutive duration of ME in gainer group was also significantly shorter than in nongainer group (3.62 ± 1.60 and 6.11 ± 4.20 months;P=0.010).Conclusions. The duration of ME in the nongainer group was longer than in the gainer group. In particular, the consecutive duration was an important factor in determining the final visual outcome.Clinical Trial Registration. Approval by Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital Institutional Review Board/Ethics Committee was obtained for this retrospective study.
Computational Classification and Diagnosis of Alcoholic Liver Diseases Using General Regression Neural Network
Authors: Li Naiping , Jiang Yongfang , Ma Jin , He Bo , Tang Wei , Li Mei , Huang Qing , Yuan Ting
Published: May 2014

Alcoholic liver diseases cause high incidence of death worldwide. However, computational diagnosis and classification of alcoholic hepatitis have not yet been established. In this study, we used general regression neural network (GRNN) model with a high‐performance classification ability to diagnose and classify alcohol hepatitis. We used tenfold cross‐validation to demonstrate the error rate of networks. The results show an accuracy of 80.91% of the back diagnosis in 110 patients and the accuracy of 81.82% of predicting‐diagnosis in 11 patients referring to the clinical diagnosis made by a group of experts. This study suggested that using the liver function tests as the input layer variables of GRNN model could accurately diagnose and classify alcoholic liver diseases.
A Compact 5.5 GHz Band-Rejected UWB Antenna Using Complementary Split Ring Resonators
Authors: Islam M. M. , Faruque M. R. I. , Islam M. T.
Published: May 2014

A band-removal property employing microwave frequencies using complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) is applied to design a compact UWB antenna wishing for the rejection of some frequency band, which is meanwhile exercised by the existing wireless applications. The reported antenna comprises optimization of a circular radiating patch, in which slotted complementary SRRs are implanted. It is printed on low dielectric FR4 substrate material fed by a partial ground plane and a microstrip line. Validated results exhibit that the reported antenna shows a wide bandwidth covering from 3.45 to more than 12 GHz, with a compact dimension of 22 × 26 mm2, and VSWR < 2, observing band elimination of 5.5 GHz WLAN band.
Active Comb Filter Using Operational Transconductance Amplifier
Authors: Ranjan Rajeev Kumar , Yalla Surya Prasanna , Sorya Shubham , Paul Sajal K.
Published: May 2014

A new approach for the design of an active comb filter is proposed to remove the selected frequencies of various signals. The proposed filter is based on only OTAs and capacitors, hence suitable for monolithic integrated circuit implementation. The workability of the circuit is tested using PSPICE for test signals of 60, 180, 300, and 420 Hz as in ECG signal. The results are given in the paper and found to agree well with theory.
Risk Measurement for Portfolio Credit Risk Based on a Mixed Poisson Model
Authors: Chen Rongda , Yu Huanhuan
Published: May 2014

Experiences manifest the importance of comovement and communicable characters among the risks of financial assets. Therefore, the portfolio view considering dependence relationship among credit entities is at the heart of risk measurement. This paper introduces a mixed Poisson model assuming default probabilities of obligors depending on a set of common economic factors to construct the dependence structure of obligors. Further, we apply mixed Poisson model into an empirical study with data of four industry portfolios in the financial market of China. In the process of model construction, the classical structural approach and option pricing formula contribute to estimate dynamic default probabilities of single obligor, which helps to obtain the dynamic Poisson intensities under the model assumption. Finally, given the values of coefficients in this model calculated by a nonlinear estimation, Monte Carlo technique simulates the progress of loss occurrence. Relationship between default probability and loss level reflected through the MC simulation has practical features. This study illustrates the practical value and effectiveness of mixed Poisson model in risk measurement for credit portfolio.
Effect of Engaging Trainees by Assessing Peer Performance: A Randomised Controlled Trial Using Simulated Patient Scenarios
Authors: Krogh Charlotte Loumann , Ringsted Charlotte , Kromann Charles B. , Rasmussen Maria Birkvad , Todsen Tobias , Jørgensen Rasmus Lundhus , Jacobsen Rikke Borre , Dahl Jørgen B. , Konge Lars
Published: May 2014

Introduction. The aim of this study was to explore the learning effect of engaging trainees by assessing peer performance during simulation-based training.Methods. Eighty-four final year medical students participated in the study. The intervention involved trainees assessing peer performance during training. Outcome measures were in-training performance and performance, both of which were measured two weeks after the course. Trainees’ performances were videotaped and assessed by two expert raters using a checklist that included a global rating. Trainees’ satisfaction with the training was also evaluated.Results. The intervention group obtained a significantly higher overall in-training performance score than the control group: mean checklist score 20.87 (SD 2.51) versus 19.14 (SD 2.65)P=0.003and mean global rating 3.25 SD (0.99) versus 2.95 (SD 1.09)P=0.014. Postcourse performance did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Trainees who assessed peer performance were more satisfied with the training than those who did not: mean 6.36 (SD 1.00) versus 5.74 (SD 1.33)P=0.025.Conclusion. Engaging trainees in the assessment of peer performance had an immediate effect on in-training performance, but not on the learning outcome measured two weeks later. Trainees had a positive attitude towards the training format.
New Ultraspherical Wavelets Spectral Solutions for Fractional Riccati Differential Equations
Authors: Abd-Elhameed W. M. , Youssri Y. H.
Published: May 2014

We introduce two new spectral wavelets algorithms for solving linear and nonlinear fractional-order Riccati differential equation. The suggested algorithms are basically based on employing the ultraspherical wavelets together with the tau and collocation spectral methods. The main idea for obtaining spectral numerical solutions depends on converting the differential equation with its initial condition into a system of linear or nonlinear algebraic equations in the unknown expansion coefficients. For the sake of illustrating the efficiency and the applicability of our algorithms, some numerical examples including comparisons with some algorithms in the literature are presented.
Analysis of a Chaotic Memristor Based Oscillator
Authors: Setoudeh F. , Khaki Sedigh A. , Dousti M.
Published: May 2014

A chaotic oscillator based on the memristor is analyzed from a chaos theory viewpoint. Sensitivity to initial conditions is studied by considering a nonlinear model of the system, and also a new chaos analysis methodology based on the energy distribution is presented using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Then, using Advance Design System (ADS) software, implementation of chaotic oscillator based on the memristor is considered. Simulation results are provided to show the main points of the paper.
Resistant Traits in Digital Organisms Do Not Revert Preselection Status despite Extended Deselection: Implications to Microbial Antibiotics Resistance
Authors: Castillo Clarence F. G. , Ling Maurice H. T.
Published: May 2014

Antibiotics resistance is a serious biomedical issue as formally susceptible organisms gain resistance under its selective pressure. There have been contradictory results regarding the prevalence of resistance following withdrawal and disuse of the specific antibiotics. Here, we use experimental evolution in “digital organisms” to examine the rate of gain and loss of resistance under the assumption that there is no fitness cost for maintaining resistance. Our results show that selective pressure is likely to result in maximum resistance with respect to the selective pressure. During deselection as a result of disuse of the specific antibiotics, a large initial loss and prolonged stabilization of resistance are observed, but resistance is not lost to the stage of preselection. This suggests that a pool of partial persists organisms persist long after withdrawal of selective pressure at a relatively constant proportion. Hence, contradictory results regarding the prevalence of resistance following withdrawal and disuse of the specific antibiotics may be a statistical variation about constant proportion. Our results also show that subsequent reintroduction of the same selective pressure results in rapid regain of maximal resistance. Thus, our simulation results suggest that complete elimination of specific antibiotics resistance is unlikely after the disuse of antibiotics once a resistant pool of microorganisms has been established.
A Numerical Study of Spray Characteristics in Medium Speed Engine Fueled by Different HFO/n-Butanol Blends
Authors: Nowruzi Hashem , Ghadimi Parviz , Yousefifard Mehdi
Published: May 2014

In the present study, nonreacting and nonevaporating spray characteristics of heavy fuel oil (HFO)/n-butanol blends are numerically investigated under two different high pressure injections in medium speed engines. An Eulerian-Lagrangian multiphase scheme is used to simulate blend of C14H30as HFO and 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by volume of n-butanol. OpenFOAM CFD toolbox is modified and implemented to study the effect of different blends of HFO/n-butanol on the spray characteristics at 600 and 1000 bar. To validate the presented simulations, current numerical results are compared against existing experimental data and good compliance is achieved. Based on the numerical findings, addition of n-butanol to HFO increases the particles volume in parcels at 600 bar. It was also found that blend fuels increase the number of spray particles and the average velocity of spray compared to pure HFO. Moreover, under injection pressure of 1000 bar, HFO/n-butanol blends compared to pure HFO fuel decrease particles volume in parcels of spray. Another influence of HFO/n-butanol blends is the decrease in average of particles diameter in parcels. Meanwhile, the effect of HFO/n-butanol on spray length is proved to be negligible. Finally, it can be concluded that higher injection pressure improves the spray efficiency.
Measuring Quality in Thyroid Cancer Surgery
Authors: Schneider David F. , Sippel Rebecca S.
Published: May 2014

Many of the surgical quality measures currently in use are not disease specific. For thyroid cancer, mortality and even recurrence are difficult to measure since mortality is rare and recurrence can take decades to occur. Therefore, there is a critical need for quality indicators in thyroid cancer surgery that are easily measured and disease specific. Here we will review recent research on two potential quality indicators in thyroid cancer surgery. The uptake percentage on postoperative radioactive iodine scans indicates the completeness of resection. Another measure, the lymph node ratio, is the proportion of metastatic nodes to the total number of nodes dissected. This serves as a more global measure of quality since it indicates not only the completeness of lymph node dissection but also the preoperative lymph node evaluation and decision-making. Together, these two quality measures offer a more accurate, disease-specific oncologic indicator of quality that can help guide quality assurance and improvement.
Efficiency of Double Layered Microencapsulated Probiotic to Modulate ProInflammatory Molecular Markers for the Management of Alcoholic Liver Disease
Authors: Arora Sumeha , Kaur Indu Pal , Chopra Kanwaljit , Rishi Praveen
Published: May 2014

Alcohol-related disorders are one of the challenging current health problems with medical, social, and economic consequences. Endotoxemia, oxidative stress, and release of a variety of inflammatory molecules are established mediators in alcoholic liver injury (ALD). Probiotics likeL. plantarumthough were reported to attenuate ALD, theirin vivohealth benefits are limited by their survival and sustenance in the adverse gut conditions. Therefore, to enhance theirin vivoperformance, chitosan coated alginate beads entrappingL. plantarumwere prepared, characterized, and evaluated for their efficacy against ALD in rats. Following chronic alcohol exposure, rats developed endotoxemia, showed enhanced levels of liver enzyme markers, NF-κB levels, and increased cytokines such as TNF-αand IL12/p40 subunit, and reflected significant histological changes in the intestine and liver. However, cosupplementation with double layered microencapsulated probiotic significantly (P<0.05) reduced the levels of endotoxemia, serum transaminases, NF-κB, and cytokines complemented with restoration of normal histoarchitecture of the intestine and liver. It is being documented here for the first time that the probiotics have the potential to inhibit IL-12/p40 subunit which is a recently explored potential marker for developing novel therapeutic agents. This study reveals that microencapsulation of probiotics may offer a biopharmacological basis for effective management of ALD.
Epigenetic Alterations of Chromosome 3 Revealed by NotI-Microarrays in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Dmitriev Alexey A. , Rudenko Evgeniya E. , Kudryavtseva Anna V. , Krasnov George S. , Gordiyuk Vasily V. , Melnikova Nataliya V. , Stakhovsky Eduard O. , Kononenko Oleksii A. , Pavlova Larissa S. , Kondratieva Tatiana T. , Alekseev Boris Y. , Braga Eleonora A. , Senchenko Vera N. , Kashuba Vladimir I.
Published: May 2014

This study aimed to clarify epigenetic and genetic alterations that occur during renal carcinogenesis. The original method includes chromosome 3 specific NotI-microarrays containing 180 NotI-clones associated with 188 genes for hybridization with 23 paired normal/tumor DNA samples of primary clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC). Twenty-two genes showed methylation and/or deletion in 17–57% of tumors. These genes include tumor suppressors or candidates (VHL, CTDSPL, LRRC3B, ALDH1L1, andEPHB1) and genes that were not previously considered as cancer-associated (e.g.,LRRN1, GORASP1, FGD5, andPLCL2). Bisulfite sequencing analysis confirmed methylation as a frequent event in ccRCC. A set of six markers (NKIRAS1/RPL15, LRRN1, LRRC3B, CTDSPL, GORASP1/TTC21A, andVHL) was suggested for ccRCC detection in renal biopsies. The mRNA level decrease was shown for 6 NotI-associated genes in ccRCC using quantitative PCR:LRRN1, GORASP1, FOXP1, FGD5, PLCL2,andALDH1L1. The majority of examined genes showed distinct expression profiles in ccRCC and papillary RCC. The strongest extent and frequency of downregulation were shown forALDH1L1gene both in ccRCC and papillary RCC. Moreover, the extent ofALDH1L1mRNA level decrease was more pronounced in both histological types of RCC stage III compared with stages I and II (P=0.03). The same was observed forFGD5gene in ccRCC (P<0.06).
Experimental and Numerical Study on the Semi‐Closed Loop Control of a Planar Parallel Robot Manipulator
Authors: Kuo Yong-Lin , Lin Tsu-Pin , Wu Chun Yu
Published: May 2014

This paper implements the model predictive control to fulfill the position control of a 3‐DOF 3‐RRR planar parallel manipulator. The research work covers experimental and numerical studies. First, an experimental hardware‐in‐the‐loop system to control the manipulator is constructed. The manipulator is driven by three DC motors, and each motor has an encoder to measure the rotating angles of the motors. The entire system is designed as a semiclosed‐loop control system. The controller receives the encoder signals as inputs to produce signals driving the motors. Secondly, the motor parameters are obtained by system identification, and the controllers are designed based on these parameters. Finally, the numerical simulations are performed by incorporating the manipulator kinematics and the motor dynamics; the results are compared with those from the experiments. Both results show that they are in good agreement at steady state. There are two main contributions in this paper. One is the application of the model predictive control to the planar parallel manipulator, and the other one is to overcome the effects of the uncertainties of the DC motors and the performance of the position control due to the dynamic behavior of the manipulator.
Testing General Relativistic Predictions with the LAGEOS Satellites
Authors: Peron Roberto
Published: May 2014

The spacetime around Earth is a good environment in order to perform tests of gravitational theories. According to Einstein’s view of gravitational phenomena, the Earth mass-energy content curves the surrounding spacetime in a peculiar way. This (relatively) quiet dynamical environment enables a good reconstruction of geodetic satellites (test masses) orbit, provided that high-quality tracking data are available. This is the case of the LAGEOS satellites, built and launched mainly for geodetic and geodynamical purposes, but equally good for fundamental physics studies. A review of these studies is presented, focusing on data, models, and analysis strategies. Some recent and less recent results are presented. All of them indicate general relativity theory as a very good description of gravitational phenomena, at least in the studied environment.
Oxidative Stress Activates the Transcription Factors FoxO 1a and FoxO 3a in the Hippocampus of Rats Exposed to Low Doses of Ozone
Authors: Gómez-Crisóstomo Nancy P. , Rodríguez Martínez Erika , Rivas-Arancibia Selva
Published: May 2014

The exposure to low doses of ozone induces an oxidative stress state, which is involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Forkhead box O (FoxO) family of transcription factors are activated by oxidative signals and regulate cell proliferation and resistance to oxidative stress. Our aim was to study the effect of chronic exposure to ozone on the activation of FoxO 1a and FoxO 3a in the hippocampus of rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups and exposed to 0.25 ppm of ozone for 0, 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days. After treatment, the groups were processed for western blotting and immunohistochemistry against FoxO 3a, Mn SOD, cyclin D2, FoxO 1a, and active caspase 3. We found that exposure to ozone increased the activation of FoxO 3a at 30 and 60 days and expression of Mn SOD at all treatment times. Additionally, increases in cyclin D2 from 7 to 90 days; FoxO 1a at 15, 30, and 60 days; and activate caspase 3 from 30 to 60 days of exposure were noted. The results indicate that ozone alters regulatory pathways related to both the antioxidant system and the cell cycle, inducing neuronal reentry into the cell cycle and apoptotic death.
Nanotechnology-Based Cosmeceuticals
Authors: Lohani Alka , Verma Anurag , Joshi Himanshi , Yadav Niti , Karki Neha
Published: May 2014

Cosmeceuticals are the fastest growing segment of the personal care industry, and a number of topical cosmeceutical treatments for conditions such as photoaging, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and hair damage have come into widespread use. In the cosmeceutical arena nanotechnology has played an important role. Using new techniques to manipulate matter at an atomic or molecular level, they have been at the root of numerous innovations, opening up new perspectives for the future of cosmeceutical industry. Nanotechnology-based cosmeceuticals offer the advantage of diversity in products, and increased bioavailability of active ingredients and increase the aesthetic appeal of cosmeceutical products with prolonged effects. However increased use of nanotechnology in cosmeceuticals has raised concern about the possible penetration of nanoparticles through the skin and potential hazards to the human health. This review outlines the different nanoparticles used in various classes of cosmeceuticals, nanotechnology-based cosmeceutical products present in the market, and the potential risk caused by nanoparticles on exposure and recent regulatory steps taken to overcome them.
Correlating Information Contents of Gene Ontology Terms to Infer Semantic Similarity of Gene Products
Authors: Gan Mingxin
Published: May 2014

Successful applications of the gene ontology to the inference of functional relationships between gene products in recent years have raised the need for computational methods to automatically calculate semantic similarity between gene products based on semantic similarity of gene ontology terms. Nevertheless, existing methods, though having been widely used in a variety of applications, may significantly overestimate semantic similarity between genes that are actually not functionally related, thereby yielding misleading results in applications. To overcome this limitation, we propose to represent a gene product as a vector that is composed of information contents of gene ontology terms annotated for the gene product, and we suggest calculating similarity between two gene products as the relatedness of their corresponding vectors using three measures: Pearson’s correlation coefficient, cosine similarity, and the Jaccard index. We focus on the biological process domain of the gene ontology and annotations of yeast proteins to study the effectiveness of the proposed measures. Results show that semantic similarity scores calculated using the proposed measures are more consistent with known biological knowledge than those derived using a list of existing methods, suggesting the effectiveness of our method in characterizing functional relationships between gene products.
Real‐Time and Real‐Fast Performance of General‐Purpose and Real‐Time Operating Systems in Multithreaded Physical Simulation of Complex Mechanical Systems
Authors: Garre Carlos , Mundo Domenico , Gubitosa Marco , Toso Alessandro
Published: May 2014

Physical simulation is a valuable tool in many fields of engineering for the tasks of design, prototyping, and testing. General‐purpose operating systems (GPOS) are designed for real‐fast tasks, such as offline simulation of complex physical models that should finish as soon as possible. Interfacing hardware at a given rate (as in a hardware‐in‐the‐loop test) requires instead maximizing time determinism, for which real‐time operating systems (RTOS) are designed. In this paper, real‐fast and real‐time performance of RTOS and GPOS are compared when simulating models of high complexity with large time steps. This type of applications is usually present in the automotive industry and requires a good trade‐off between real‐fast and real‐time performance. The performance of an RTOS and a GPOS is compared by running a tire model scalable on the number of degrees‐of‐freedom and parallel threads. The benchmark shows that the GPOS present better performance in real‐fast runs but worse in real‐time due to nonexplicit task switches and to the latency associated with interprocess communication (IPC) and task switch.
Exploring the miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinomas by Next-Generation Sequencing Expression Profiles
Authors: Müller Sören , Nowak Katharina
Published: May 2014

Altered microRNA (miRNA) expression is a hallmark of many cancer types. The combined analysis of miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles is crucial to identifying links between deregulated miRNAs and oncogenic pathways. Therefore, we investigated the small non-coding (snc) transcriptomes of nine clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) and adjacent normal tissues for alterations in miRNA expression using a publicly available small RNA-Sequencing (sRNA-Seq) raw-dataset. We constructed a network of deregulated miRNAs and a set of differentially expressed genes publicly available from an independent study toin silicodetermine miRNAs that contribute to clear cell renal cell carcinogenesis. From a total of 1,672 sncRNAs, 61 were differentially expressed across all ccRCC tissue samples. Several with known implications in ccRCC development, like the upregulated miR-21-5p, miR-142-5p, as well as the downregulated miR-106a-5p, miR-135a-5p, or miR-206. Additionally, novel promising candidates like miR-3065, whichi.a.targetsNRP2andFLT1, were detected in this study. Interaction network analysis revealed pivotal roles for miR-106a-5p, whose loss might contribute to the upregulation of 49 target mRNAs, miR-135a-5p (32 targets), miR-206 (28 targets), miR-363-3p (22 targets), and miR-216b (13 targets). Among these targets are the angiogenesis, metastasis, and motility promoting oncogenesc-MET,VEGFA,NRP2, andFLT1, the latter two coding for VEGFA receptors.
Nonlinear Inertia Classification Model and Application
Authors: Wang Mei , Wang Pai , Lin Jzau-Sheng , Li Xiaowei , Qin Xuebin
Published: May 2014

Classification model of support vector machine (SVM) overcomes the problem of a big number of samples. But the kernel parameter and the punishment factor have great influence on the quality of SVM model. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is an evolutionary search algorithm based on the swarm intelligence, which is suitable for parameter optimization. Accordingly, a nonlinear inertia convergence classification model (NICCM) is proposed after the nonlinear inertia convergence (NICPSO) is developed in this paper. The velocity of NICPSO is firstly defined as the weighted velocity of the inertia PSO, and the inertia factor is selected to be a nonlinear function. NICPSO is used to optimize the kernel parameter and a punishment factor of SVM. Then, NICCM classifier is trained by using the optical punishment factor and the optical kernel parameter that comes from the optimal particle. Finally, NICCM is applied to the classification of the normal state and fault states of online power cable. It is experimentally proved that the iteration number for the proposed NICPSO to reach the optimal position decreases from 15 to 5 compared with PSO; the training duration is decreased by 0.0052 s and the recognition precision is increased by 4.12% compared with SVM.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Compared with Intraoral Radiography for the Detection of Noncavitated Occlusal Carious Lesions
Authors: Krzyżostaniak Joanna , Surdacka Anna , Kulczyk Tomasz , Dyszkiewicz-Konwińska Marta , Owecka Magdalena
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the detection of noncavitated occlusal caries lesions and to compare this accuracy with that observed with conventional radiographs. 135 human teeth, 67 premolars and 68 molars with macroscopically intact occlusal surfaces, were examined by two independent observers using the CBCT system: NewTom 3G (Quantitative Radiology) and intraoral conventional film (Kodak Insight). The true lesion diagnosis was established by histological examination. The detection methods were compared by means of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and accuracy. To assess intra- and interobserver agreement, weighted kappa coefficients were computed. Analyses were performed separately for caries reaching into dentin and for all noncavitated lesions. For the detection of occlusal lesions extending into dentin, sensitivity values were lower for film (0.45) when compared with CBCT (0.51), but the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.19). For all occlusal lesions sensitivity values were 0.32 and 0.22, respectively, for CBCT and film. The specificity scores were high for both modalities. Interobserver agreement amounted to 0.93 for the CBCT system and to 0.87 for film. It was concluded that the use of the 9-inch field of view NewTom CBCT unit for the diagnosis of noncavitated occlusal caries cannot be recommended.
The Role of Staging MRI in Predicting Apical Margin Positivity for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Yao Akihisa , Iwamoto Hideto , Masago Toshihiko , Morizane Shuichi , Honda Masashi , Sejima Takehiro , Takenaka Atsushi
Published: May 2014

Purpose: To investigate the association between apical margin positivity and preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients who have undergone robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP). Patients and Methods: From September 2010 through November 2012, we treated 84 Japanese men with clinically localized prostate cancer with RARP. The excised specimens, which were divided into right and left fragments, were evaluated for the presence of positive surgical margins (PSMs) and preoperative MRI findings. Results: The overall PSM rate was 21.4% (18 of 84 patients), 83.3% (15 of 18 cases) of which were situated in the apex. Evaluating the prostate divided into right and left fragments, the PSM rate was 10.7% at the apex (18 of 168 fragments). Cancer was suspected via preoperative MRI in 39 fragments (23.2%) and detected in the prostatic apex by prostate biopsy in 67 fragments (39.9%). Multiple regression analysis revealed that MRI and nerve-sparing procedures significantly indicate apical margin positivity (p = 0.005). Conclusions: The prostatic apex is the most common location of PSMs after RARP. Our results demonstrate that preoperative MRI for cancer of the prostatic apex may provide substantial information and enable complete cancer clearance.
Effect of Erythritol and Xylitol on Dental Caries Prevention in Children
Authors: Honkala Sisko , Runnel Riina , Saag Mare , Olak Jana , Nõmmela Rita , Russak Silvia , Mäkinen Pirkko-Liisa , Vahlberg Tero , Falony Gwen , Mäkinen Kauko , Honkala Eino
Published: May 2014

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of long-term, daily intake of erythritol and xylitol candy, compared with sorbitol candy, on the development of enamel and dentin caries lesions. Methods: The study was a double-blind randomized controlled prospective clinical trial. Altogether 485 primary school children, first- and second-graders at baseline, from southeastern Estonia participated in this 3-year intervention. Each child consumed four erythritol, xylitol or sorbitol (control) candies three times per school day. The daily intake of polyol was about 7.5 g. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) was used in the clinical examinations by four calibrated examiners at baseline and at 12, 24 and 36 months. Results: The annual examination analyses and the follow-up analyses confirmed that the number of dentin caries teeth and surfaces at 24 months follow-up and surfaces at 36 months follow-up was significantly lower in the mixed dentition in the erythritol group than in the xylitol or control group. Time of enamel/dentin caries lesions to develop and of dentin caries lesions to progress was significantly longer in the erythritol group compared to the sorbitol and xylitol groups. Also the increase in caries score was lower in the erythritol group than in the other groups. Conclusions: In the follow-up examinations, a lower number of dentin caries teeth and surfaces was found in the erythritol group than in the xylitol or control groups. Time to the development of caries lesions was longest in the erythritol group. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01062633.
Increasing Rates of Prenatal Testing among Jewish and Arab Women in Israel over One Decade
Authors: Romano-Zelekha Orly , Ostrovsky Jenny , Shohat Tamy
Published: May 2014

Background/Aims/Objective: This study compared data on the use of prenatal tests offered to pregnant women in Israel as reported in a national survey conducted by the Israel Center for Disease Control in 2001 to data from 2010. Methods: Mothers of newborns were interviewed 8-72 h after delivery in 29 maternity wards in Israel on May 31, 2010. Results: A total of 768 women were interviewed, 569 (72.3%) were Jewish and 197 (25.7%) were Arabs. Nuchal translucency screening and early ultrasound level 2 were significantly more frequently done in both Jewish and Arab women in 2010 than in 2001. The use of the biochemical triple marker test and amniocentesis did not change. The increased rate of nuchal translucency screening and early ultrasound level 2 was significantly higher among the Jewish women compared to the Arabs (21.5 and 28.0% vs. 2.9 and 13.7% in 2001; 62.0 and 65.6% vs. 30.1 and 30.9% in 2010, respectively). The rates of amniocentesis in the Jewish women aged ≥35 years were 47.6 and 47.5% in 2001 and 2010, respectively; they are significantly higher than among the Arabs (18.5 and 28.5%, respectively). The factors associated with making more use of different prenatal tests were: secularity, a higher income, and supplementary medical insurance for the Jewish women, and supplementary medical insurance and printed information on prenatal testing for the Arabs. Conclusions: The prenatal testing rates have risen over the last decade in both population groups, but there are still significant gaps. We suggest that public funding of additional prenatal tests may increase their use in both population groups.
Thyroid Antibodies, Autoimmunity and Cognitive Decline: Is There a Population-Based Link
Authors: Napthali Kate , Boyle Michael , Tran Huy , Schofield Peter W. , Peel Roseanne , McEvoy Mark , Oldmeadow Christopher , Attia John
Published: May 2014

Background: Autoimmunity is considered an uncommon but under-recognised cause of cognitive decline. Methods: Serum samples from 3,253 randomly selected subjects enrolled in the Hunter Community Study, aged 55-85 years, were assayed for thyrotropin stimulatory hormone, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and extractable nuclear antigens (ENA). Cognitive function was assessed using the Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS) tool. Results: TPO-Ab were found in 8.4% and ANA in 27.9% of the study population, of whom 3% had positive ENA findings. No relationship was found between the ARCS score and either TPO-Ab (coefficient = 0.133; 95% CI -0.20, 0.82, p = 0.616), ANA at a low (coefficient = 1.01; 95% CI -2.58, 0.55, p = 0.203) or a high titre (coefficient = -0.65; 95% CI -2.59, 1.28, p = 0.508), or ENA antibodies (coefficient = 5.12; 95% CI -0.53, 10.77; p = 0.076). Conclusions: Autoantibody findings are common in an aging population and are not associated with cognitive decline.
Predictors of Sustained Arteriovenous Access Use for Haemodialysis
Authors: Stoumpos Sokratis , Stevens Kathryn K. , Aitken Emma , Kingsmore David B. , Clancy Marc J. , Fox Jonathan G. , Geddes Colin C.
Published: May 2014

Background: Guidelines encourage early arteriovenous (AV) fistula (AVF) planning for haemodialysis (HD). The aim of this study was to estimate the likelihood of sustained AV access use taking into account age, sex, comorbidity, anatomical site of first AVF and, for pre-dialysis patients, eGFR and proteinuria. Methods: 1,092 patients attending our centre who had AVF as their first AV access procedure between January 1, 2000 and August 23, 2012 were identified from the electronic patient record. The primary end-point was time to first sustained AV access use, defined as use of any AV access for a minimum of 30 consecutive HD sessions. Results: 52.9% (n = 578) of the patients ultimately achieved sustained AV access use. The main reasons for AV access non-use were AVF failure to mature and death. The 3-year Kaplan-Meier probability of sustained AV access use was 68.8% for those not on renal replacement therapy (RRT) (n = 688) and 74.2% for those already on RRT (n = 404) at the time of first AVF. By multivariate analysis in patients not on RRT, male sex (HR 2.22; p < 0.001), uPCR (HR 1.03; p = 0.03) and eGFR (hazard ratio, HR 0.85; p < 0.001) were independent predictors of AV access use. In patients already on RRT, age (HR 0.98; p < 0.001) and peripheral vascular disease (HR 0.48; p = 0.02) were independent predictors of AV access use. Conclusion: Our data suggest that refinement of the current guideline for timing of AV access creation in planning RRT is justified to take into account individual factors that contribute to the likelihood of technical success and clinical need.
Epidemiology, Epigenetics, and Psychopathology
Authors: Bustamante Angela C. , Uddin Monica
Published: May 2014

The link between environmental exposure and onset of psychopathology has been well documented, yet the pathway is not fully understood. Epigenetic modifications are thought to play a role in the manifestation of disease as studies have shown that early environmental exposures can influence epigenetic variation in both humans and other animals. As a result, epigenetic epidemiology studies with a specific focus on psychopathology will play an important role in elucidating the pathway to disease onset. In order to gain a clear perspective of where this field currently stands, here we provide a brief review of important issues in epigenetic epidemiology studies of psychopathology, including causal inference, common study designs, challenges faced with current study designs, and the importance of a life course perspective. We provide the reader with relevant examples of studies when appropriate, with a particular focus on studies that have examined the epigenetic modification of DNA methylation. Implications for future research are also discussed.
The Effects of an Uninterrupted Switch from Donepezil to Galantamine without Dose Titration on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Sasaki Shoichi , Horie Yoshiharu
Published: May 2014

Aims: To elucidate the efficacy of galantamine on cognition and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in outpatients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) who have switched from donepezil to galantamine. Materials and Methods: We performed an uninterrupted switch from donepezil to galantamine without a washout period or dose titration in 44 ambulatory outpatients with amnestic MCI (n = 12) or mild-to-moderate AD (n = 32). Three months after the switch, the efficacy of galantamine was evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and NPI Brief Questionnaire Form (NPI-Q), respectively, using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: NPI scores improved significantly on BPSD, especially on delusions, agitation and aberrant motor activity in AD patients (p = 0.027); improvement was remarkable in patients with moderate AD (MMSE score 10-19; p = 0.007), while insignificant in those with MCI (MMSE score ≥24; p = 0.648). The NPI-Q score also improved significantly regarding both the severity of the disease (p = 0.009) and caregiver distress (p = 0.012) in AD patients. MMSE scores hardly improved in either MCI (p = 0.394) or AD patients (p = 0.265). Conclusions: An uninterrupted switch from donepezil to galantamine could be a useful alternative treatment option for AD patients whose BPSD are unresponsive to donepezil, or whose caregivers are not satisfied with donepezil treatment.