bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MyD88 regulates physical inactivity-induced skeletal muscle inflammation, ceramide biosynthesis signaling, and glucose intolerance
Authors: Kwon Oh Sung , Tanner Ruth E. , Barrows Katherine M. , Runtsch Marah , Symons J. David , Jalili Thunder , Bikman Benjamin T. , McClain Donald A. , O'Connell Ryan M. , Drummond Micah J.
Published: May 2015

Physical inactivity in older adults is a risk factor for developing glucose intolerance and impaired skeletal muscle function. Elevated inflammation and ceramide biosynthesis have been implicated in metabolic disruption and are linked to Toll-like receptor (TLR)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) signaling. We hypothesize that a physical inactivity stimulus, capable of inducing glucose intolerance, would increase skeletal muscle inflammation and ceramide biosynthesis signaling and that this response would be regulated by the TLR/MyD88 pathway. Therefore, we subjected wild-type (WT) and MyD88−/− mice to hindlimb unloading (HU) for 14 days or an ambulatory control period. We observed impaired glucose uptake, muscle insulin signaling (p-Akt), and increased markers of NF-κB signaling (p-IκBα), inflammation (p-JNK, IL-6), TLR4, and the rate-limiting enzyme of ceramide biosynthesis, SPT2, with HU WT ( P < 0.05), but not in HU MyD88−/− mice. Concurrently, we found that 5 days of bed rest in older adults resulted in whole body glucose dysregulation, impaired skeletal muscle insulin signaling, and upregulation of muscle IL-6 and SPT2 ( P < 0.05). Post-bed rest TLR4 abundance was tightly correlated with impaired postprandial insulin and glucose levels. In conclusion, MyD88 signaling is necessary for the increased inflammation, ceramide biosynthesis signaling, and compromised metabolic function that accompanies physical inactivity.
Aberrant glomerular filtration of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in nephrotic syndrome leads to amiloride-sensitive plasminogen activation in urine
Authors: Stæhr Mette , Buhl Kristian B. , Andersen René F. , Svenningsen Per , Nielsen Flemming , Hinrichs Gitte Rye , Bistrup Claus , Jensen Boye L.
Published: May 2015

In nephrotic syndrome, aberrant glomerular filtration of plasminogen and conversion to active plasmin in preurine are thought to activate proteolytically epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and contribute to sodium retention and edema. The ENaC blocker amiloride is an off-target inhibitor of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) in vitro. It was hypothesized that uPA is abnormally filtered to preurine and is inhibited in urine by amiloride in nephrotic syndrome. This was tested by determination of Na+balance, uPA protein and activity, and amiloride concentration in urine from rats with puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN)-induced nephrotic syndrome. Urine samples from 6 adult and 18 pediatric patients with nephrotic syndrome were analyzed for uPA activity and protein. PAN treatment induced significant proteinuria in rats which coincided with increased urine uPA protein and activity, increased urine protease activity, and total plasminogen/plasmin concentration and Na+retention. Amiloride (2 mg·kg−1·24 h−1) concentration in urine was in the range 10–20 μmol/l and reduced significantly urine uPA activity, plasminogen activation, protease activity, and sodium retention in PAN rats, while proteinuria was not altered. In paired urine samples, uPA protein was significantly elevated in urine from children with active nephrotic syndrome compared with remission phase. In six adult nephrotic patients, urine uPA protein and activity correlated positively with 24 h urine protein excretion. In conclusion, nephrotic syndrome is associated with aberrant filtration of uPA across the injured glomerular barrier. Amiloride inhibits urine uPA activity which attenuates plasminogen activation and urine protease activity in vivo. Urine uPA is a relevant target for amiloride in vivo.
Coronary artery disease affects cortical circuitry associated with brain-heart integration during volitional exercise
Authors: Norton Katelyn N. , Badrov Mark B. , Barron Carly C. , Suskin Neville , Heinecke Armin , Shoemaker J. Kevin
Published: May 2015

This study tested the hypothesis that coronary artery disease (CAD) alters the cortical circuitry associated with exercise. Observations of changes in heart rate (HR) and in cortical blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) images were made in 23 control subjects [control; 8 women; 63 ± 11 yr; mean arterial pressure (MAP): 90 ± 9 mmHg] (mean ± SD) and 17 similarly aged CAD patients (4 women; 59 ± 9 yr; MAP: 87 ± 10 mmHg). Four repeated bouts each of 30%, 40%, and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force (LAB session), and seven repeated bouts of isometric handgrip (IHG) at 40% MVC force (fMRI session), were performed, with each contraction lasting 20 s and separated by 40 s of rest. There was a main effect of group ( P = 0.03) on HR responses across all IHG intensities. Compared with control, CAD demonstrated less task-dependent deactivation in the posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex, and reduced activation in the right anterior insula, bilateral precentral cortex, and occipital lobe ( P < 0.05). When correlated with HR, CAD demonstrated reduced activation in the bilateral insula and posterior cingulate cortex, and reduced deactivation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral precentral cortex ( P < 0.05). The increased variability in expected autonomic regions and decrease in total cortical activation in response to the IHG task are associated with a diminished HR response to volitional effort in CAD. Therefore, relative to similarly aged and healthy individuals, CAD impairs the heart rate response and modifies the cortical patterns associated with cardiovascular control during IHG.
Spinal sensory projection neuron responses to spinal cord stimulation are mediated by circuits beyond gate control
Authors: Zhang Tianhe C. , Janik John J. , Peters Ryan V. , Chen Gang , Ji Ru-Rong , Grill Warren M.
Published: May 2015

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a therapy used to treat intractable pain with a putative mechanism of action based on the Gate Control Theory. We hypothesized that sensory projection neuron responses to SCS would follow a single stereotyped response curve as a function of SCS frequency, as predicted by the Gate Control circuit. We recorded the responses of antidromically identified sensory projection neurons in the lumbar spinal cord during 1- to 150-Hz SCS in both healthy rats and neuropathic rats following chronic constriction injury (CCI). The relationship between SCS frequency and projection neuron activity predicted by the Gate Control circuit accounted for a subset of neuronal responses to SCS but could not account for the full range of observed responses. Heterogeneous responses were classifiable into three additional groups and were reproduced using computational models of spinal microcircuits representing other interactions between nociceptive and nonnociceptive sensory inputs. Intrathecal administration of bicuculline, a GABAA receptor antagonist, increased spontaneous and evoked activity in projection neurons, enhanced excitatory responses to SCS, and reduced inhibitory responses to SCS, suggesting that GABAA neurotransmission plays a broad role in regulating projection neuron activity. These in vivo and computational results challenge the Gate Control Theory as the only mechanism underlying SCS and refine our understanding of the effects of SCS on spinal sensory neurons within the framework of contemporary understanding of dorsal horn circuitry.
Graded boosting of synaptic signals by low-threshold voltage-activated calcium conductance
Authors: Carbó Tano Martín , Vilarchao María Eugenia , Szczupak Lidia
Published: May 2015

Low-threshold voltage-activated calcium conductances (LT-VACCs) play a substantial role in shaping the electrophysiological attributes of neurites. We have investigated how these conductances affect synaptic integration in a premotor nonspiking (NS) neuron of the leech nervous system. These cells exhibit an extensive neuritic tree, do not fire Na+-dependent spikes, but express an LT-VACC that was sensitive to 250 μM Ni2+and 100 μM NNC 55-0396 (NNC). NS neurons responded to excitation of mechanosensory pressure neurons with depolarizing responses for which amplitude was a linear function of the presynaptic firing frequency. NNC decreased these synaptic responses and abolished the concomitant widespread Ca2+signals. Coherent with the interpretation that the LT-VACC amplified signals at the postsynaptic level, this conductance also amplified the responses of NS neurons to direct injection of sinusoidal current. Synaptic amplification thus is achieved via a positive feedback in which depolarizing signals activate an LT-VACC that, in turn, boosts these signals. The wide distribution of LT-VACC could support the active propagation of depolarizing signals, turning the complex NS neuritic tree into a relatively compact electrical compartment.
Modeling fMRI signals can provide insights into neural processing in the cerebral cortex
Authors: Vanni Simo , Sharifian Fariba , Heikkinen Hanna , Vigário Ricardo
Published: May 2015

Every stimulus or task activates multiple areas in the mammalian cortex. These distributed activations can be measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which has the best spatial resolution among the noninvasive brain imaging methods. Unfortunately, the relationship between the fMRI activations and distributed cortical processing has remained unclear, both because the coupling between neural and fMRI activations has remained poorly understood and because fMRI voxels are too large to directly sense the local neural events. To get an idea of the local processing given the macroscopic data, we need models to simulate the neural activity and to provide output that can be compared with fMRI data. Such models can describe neural mechanisms as mathematical functions between input and output in a specific system, with little correspondence to physiological mechanisms. Alternatively, models can be biomimetic, including biological details with straightforward correspondence to experimental data. After careful balancing between complexity, computational efficiency, and realism, a biomimetic simulation should be able to provide insight into how biological structures or functions contribute to actual data processing as well as to promote theory-driven neuroscience experiments. This review analyzes the requirements for validating system-level computational models with fMRI. In particular, we study mesoscopic biomimetic models, which include a limited set of details from real-life networks and enable system-level simulations of neural mass action. In addition, we discuss how recent developments in neurophysiology and biophysics may significantly advance the modelling of fMRI signals.
Delay and Lifetime Performance of Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks with Mobile Element Based Data Collection
Authors: Janardanan Kartha Jalaja , Jacob Lillykutty
Published: May 2015

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) may be easily partitioned due to resource constraints and sparse deployment, and such UWSNs need to be treated as Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTN). The principal objective of DTN routing is to maximize the possibility of eventual data delivery, which can be achieved only at the cost of high energy consumption and/or increased message latency. The energy efficiency and network lifetime are more important than data collection latency for certain underwater applications. We consider energy-efficient data collection using mobile elements, which is suitable for long-term sensing applications that are not time-critical. Using different analytical models, we investigate energy efficiency, network lifetime, packet delivery ratio, and message latency in a mobility-assisted data collection framework for UWSNs. The analytical models are validated with the experimental setup developed using the NS-2 based Aqua-Sim simulator. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework shows superior performance in terms of energy efficiency, network lifetime, and packet delivery ratio at the cost of increased message latency. The analytical models for delay performance are compared to see that the polling model is more effective in modelling the mobility-assisted data collection framework for UWSNs and more flexible in implementing different service policies.
Effects of Music Aerobic Exercise on Depression and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Community Dwelling Women
Authors: Yeh Shu-Hui , Lin Li-Wei , Chuang Yu Kuan , Liu Cheng-Ling , Tsai Lu-Jen , Tsuei Feng-Shiou , Lee Ming-Tsung , Hsiao Chiu-Yueh , Yang Kuender D.
Published: May 2015

A randomized clinical trial was utilized to compare the improvement of depression and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels between community women with and without music aerobic exercise (MAE) for 12 weeks. The MAE group involved 47 eligible participants, whereas the comparison group had 59 participants. No significant differences were recorded in the demographic characteristics between the participants in the MAE group and the comparison group. Forty-one participants in the MAE group and 26 in the comparison group completed a pre- and posttest. The MAE group displayed significant improvement in depression scores (p= 0.016), decreased depression symptoms in crying (p= 0.03), appetite (p= 0.006), and fatigue (p= 0.011). The BDNF levels of the participants significantly increased after the 12-week MAE (p= 0.042). The parallel comparison group revealed no significant changes in depression scores or BDNF levels. In summary, the 12-week MAE had a significant impact on the enhancement of BDNF levels and improvement of depression symptoms. Middle-aged community women are encouraged to exercise moderately to improve their depression symptoms and BDNF levels.
Emerging Role of PACAP as a New Potential Therapeutic Target in Major Diabetes Complications
Authors: Marzagalli Rubina , Scuderi Soraya , Drago Filippo , Waschek James A. , Castorina Alessandro
Published: May 2015

Enduring diabetes increases the probability of developing secondary damage to numerous systems, and these complications represent a cause of morbidity and mortality. Establishing the causes of diabetes remains the key step to eradicate the disease, but prevention as well as finding therapies to ameliorate some of the major diabetic complications is an equally important step to increase life expectancy and quality for the millions of individuals already affected by the disease or who are likely to develop it before cures become routinely available. In this review, we will firstly summarize some of the major complications of diabetes, including endothelial and pancreatic islets dysfunction, retinopathy, and nephropathy, and then discuss the emerging roles exerted by the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) to counteract these ranges of pathologies that are precipitated by the prolonged hyperglycemic state. Finally, we will describe the main signalling routes activated by the peptide and propose possible future directions to focus on developing more effective peptide-based therapies to treat the major complications associated with longstanding diabetes.
Influence of Dynamical Change of Edges on Clustering Coefficients
Authors: Ruan Yuhong , Li Anwei
Published: May 2015

Clustering coefficient is a very important measurement in complex networks, and it describes the average ratio between the actual existent edges and probable existent edges in the neighbor of one vertex in a complex network. Besides, in a complex networks, the dynamic change of edges can trigger directly the evolution of network and further affect the clustering coefficients. As a result, in this paper, we investigate the effects of the dynamic change of edge on the clustering coefficients. It is illustrated that the increase and decrease of the clustering coefficient can be effectively controlled by adding or deleting several edges of the network in the evolution of complex networks.
A Hybrid Analysis Approach to Improve Financial Distress Forecasting: Empirical Evidence from Iran
Authors: Khademolqorani Shakiba , Zeinal Hamadani Ali , Mokhatab Rafiei Farimah
Published: May 2015

Bankruptcy prediction is an important problem facing financial decision support for stakeholders of firms, including auditors, managers, shareholders, debt-holders, and potential investors, as well as academic researchers. Popular discourse on financial distress forecasting focuses on developing the discrete models to improve the prediction. The aim of this paper is to develop a novel hybrid financial distress model based on combining various statistical and machine learning methods. Then multiple attribute decision making method is exploited to choose the optimized model from the implemented ones. Proposed approaches have also been applied in Iranian companies that performed previous models and it can be consolidated with the help of the hybrid approach.
Transient Analysis of ak-out-of-n:GSystem withN-Policy, Repairmen’s Multiple Vacations, and Redundant Dependency
Authors: Wu Wenqing , Tang Yinghui
Published: May 2015

This paper analyzes ak-out-of-n:Grepairable system withN-policy, repairmen’s multiple synchronous vacations, and redundant dependency. When there is no failed component in the system, the repairmen leave for a vacation, the duration of which follows a phase type distribution. Upon returning from vacation, they should take another vacation if there are less thanNfailed components waiting in the system. This pattern continues until at leastNfailed components are waiting. Moreover, the redundant dependency which is a special kind of failure dependency is taken into account in the multicomponent system. Under such assumptions, the availability, the rate of occurrence of failures, and the reliability of the system are derived in transient regime by applying the quasi-birth-and-death process. Furthermore, the Runge-Kutta method is carried out to numerically discuss the time-dependent behavior of the system reliability measures. Finally, a special case of the system is presented to show the validity of our model.
Analysis of a Viral Infection Model with Delayed Nonlytic Immune Response
Authors: Chen Mengye , You Liang , Tang Jie , Su Shasha , Zhang Ruiming
Published: May 2015

We investigate the dynamical behavior of a virus infection model with delayed nonlytic immune response. By analyzing corresponding characteristic equations, the local stabilities of two boundary equilibria are established. By using suitable Lyapunov functional and LaSalle’s invariance principle, we establish the global stability of the infection-free equilibrium. We find that the infection free equilibriumE0is globally asymptotically stable whenR0⩽1, and the infected equilibrium without immunityE1is local asymptotically stable when11+bβ/cdwe obtain the sufficient conditions to the local stability of the infected equilibrium with immunityE2. We show that the time delay can change the stability ofE2and lead to the existence of Hopf bifurcations. The stabilities of bifurcating periodic solutions are studied and numerical simulations to our theorems are provided.
Chemical Diversity in Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. Brown Germplasm
Authors: Blank Arie Fitzgerald , Camêlo Lídia Cristina Alves , Arrigoni-Blank Maria de Fátima , Pinheiro José Baldin , Andrade Thiago Matos , Niculau Edenilson dos Santos , Alves Péricles Barreto
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to perform chemical characterization of Lippia alba accessions from the Active Germplasm Bank of the Federal University of Sergipe. A randomized block experimental design with two replications was applied. The analysis of the chemical composition of the essential oils was conducted using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. The chemical composition of the essential oils allowed the accessions to be allocated to the following six groups: group 1: linalool, 1,8‐cineole, and caryophyllene oxide; group 2: linalool, geranial, neral, 1,8‐cineol, and caryophyllene oxide; group 3: limonene, carvone, and sabinene; group 4: carvone, limonene, g‐muurolene, and myrcene; group 5: neral, geranial, and caryophyllene oxide; and group 6: geranial, neral, o‐cymene, limonene, and caryophyllene oxide.
Pharmacogenomics and Opioid Analgesics: Clinical Implications
Authors: Yiannakopoulou Eugenia
Published: May 2015

Variation exists in patient response on analgesic treatment in terms of efficacy and safety. This variation may be in part explained by pharmacogenomics. This paper aimed to review data on pharmacogenomics of opioid analgesics focusing on the effect of genetic variation on the efficacy and safety of these agents. Current evidence suggests that pharmacogenomics contribute to variation in efficacy and safety of opioids. However, most data come from case control studies and case reports. In addition, a recognized drawback in the field of pharmacogenomics is the common occurrence of false positive association between polymorphisms and the investigated outcome. Prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the clinical implications of available data as well as to define the guidelines for the clinical application of pharmacogenomic data. Furthermore, basic research should focus on the identification of biologically meaningful polymorphisms enabling a hypothesis with biological plausibility driven research in the field of pharmacogenomics of analgesics. Moreover, the publication of relevant negative results should be favoured.
Foreign Bodies Simulating a Congenital Palatal Fistula and Vascular Anomaly
Authors: Eshete Mekonen , Abate Fikre , Hailu Taye , Gessesse Mulualem , Butali Azeez
Published: May 2015

Foreign bodies embedded in the palate are uncommon findings and may occasionally mimic oral lesions. In the majority of the cases, foreign body embedment in the palate happens in infants and children who are unable to give history. Physical examination in the oral cavity of this group of patients in order to arrive at a definitive diagnosis is limited. We present two female infants with foreign bodies adherent to the hard palate. The first was ten months old and the second was 11 months old. In both cases the materials removed from the palate were plastic in nature (black or red in color and circular in shape). The first simulated a palatal fistula and the second a vascular anomaly.
The Effects of Air Preheating and Fuel/Air Inlet Diameter on the Characteristics of Vortex Flame
Authors: Khaleghi Mostafa , Hosseini S. E. , Wahid M. A. , Mohammed H. A.
Published: May 2015

The effects of fuel/air inlet diameter as well as air preheating on the flame stability, temperature distribution, pollutant formation, and combustion characteristics of a lab-scaled asymmetric vortex flame have been investigated. A three-dimensional steady-state finite volume solver has been used to solve the governing and energy equations. The solver uses a first-order upwind scheme to discretize the governing equations in the space. The semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations has been applied to couple the pressure to the velocity terms. Several turbulence models were applied to predict the flame temperature and it was found thatk-εRNG has given the best results in accordance with the experimental results. The results reveal that the inlet air diameter can enhance the thermal properties and reduce theNOxemission while the inlet fuel diameter has less significant impact. Increasing diameters are accompanied with a pressure drop. It was found that preheating the air and fuel would significantly affect the flame temperature andNOxemission with constant mass flow rate.
Gastrectomy and D2 Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis Comparing the Harmonic Scalpel to Conventional Techniques
Authors: Cheng Hang , Hsiao Chia-Wen , Clymer Jeffrey W. , Schwiers Michael L. , Tibensky Bryanna N. , Patel Leena , Ferko Nicole C. , Chekan Edward
Published: May 2015

The ultrasonic Harmonic scalpel has demonstrated clinical and surgical benefits in dissection and coagulation. To evaluate its use in gastrectomy, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing the Harmonic scalpel to conventional techniques in gastrectomy for patients with gastric cancer. International databases were searched without language restrictions for comparisons in open or laparoscopic gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy. The meta-analysis used a random-effects model for all outcomes; continuous variables were analyzed for mean differences and dichotomous variables were analyzed for risk ratios. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for study quality, type of conventional technique, and imputation of study results. Ten studies (N=935) met the inclusion criteria. Compared with conventional hemostatic techniques, the Harmonic scalpel demonstrated significant reductions in operating time (−27.5 min;P<0.001), intraoperative blood loss (−93.2 mL;P<0.001), and drainage volume (−138.8 mL;P<0.001). Results were numerically higher for conventional techniques for hospital length of stay, complication risk, and transfusions but did not reach statistical significance. Results remained robust to sensitivity analyses. This meta-analysis demonstrates the clear advantages of using the Harmonic scalpel compared to conventional techniques, with improvements demonstrated across several outcome measures for patients undergoing gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy.
Monophasic Synovial Sarcoma of Prostatic Fascia: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Olivetti Lucio , Benecchi Luigi , Corti Serena , Del Boca Carlo , Ferrari Matteo , Sergio Pietro , Bercich Luisa , Tanzi Giulia
Published: May 2015

Synovial sarcoma (SS) primarily occurs in the para-articular soft tissue of the lower extremities in young adults and it is extremely rare in the prostatic region. We report a case of a 46-year-old man who presented with urinary retention. Pelvic ultrasound (US) examination, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated an 8.5 cm mass that appeared to originate in the prostatic fascia of the right lobe. Preoperative prostatic ultrasound transrectal needle biopsy revealed mesenchymal neoplastic tissue. Patient underwent surgery. The final pathologic findings were consistent with the diagnosis of monophasic synovial sarcoma.
Scheduling and Power Control for Energy-Optimality of Low Duty Cycled Sensor Networks
Authors: Aydin Nursen , Karaca Mehmet , Ercetin Ozgur
Published: May 2015

The main limitation of operating sensor networks autonomously is the finite battery capacity of sensor nodes. Sensors are usually operated at low duty cycle; that is, they remain in active mode for short duration of time, in order to prolong the network lifetime. However, operating at low duty cycle may result in significant performance degradation in system operation. Hence, in this work, we quantitatively investigate the tradeoff between the duty cyle and network performance. Specifically, we address the design of efficient channel access protocol, by developing a scheduling algorithm based on well known Lyapunov optimization framework. Our proposed policy dynamically schedules transmissions of sensor nodes and their sleep cycles by taking into account the time-varying channel state information, traffic arrivals, and energy consumptions due to switching between operational modes. We analytically show that our policy is energy optimal in the sense that it achieves an energy consumption which is arbitrarily close to the global minimum solution. We use simulations to confirm our results.
Wing Morphometry and Acoustic Signals in Sterile and Wild Males: Implications for Mating Success in Ceratitis capitata
Authors: Souza João Maria Gomes Alencar de , Lima-Filho Paulo Augusto de , Molina Wagner Franco , Almeida Lúcia Maria de , Gouveia Milson Bezerra de , Macêdo Francisco Pepino de , Laumann Raul Alberto , Paranhos Beatriz Aguiar Jordão
Published: May 2015

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is widely utilized in the biological control of fruit flies of the family Tephritidae, particularly against the Mediterranean fruit fly. This study investigated the interaction between mating success and morphometric variation in the wings and the production of acoustic signals among three male groups of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann): (1) wild males, (2) irradiated with Co‐60 (steriles), and (3) irradiated (steriles) and treated with ginger oil. The canonical variate analysis discriminated two groups (males irradiated and males wild), based on the morphological shape of the wings. Among males that emit buzz signals, wild males obtained copulation more frequently than males in Groups 2 and 3. The individuals of Group 3 achieved more matings than those in Group 2. Wild males displayed lower pulse duration, higher intervals between pulses, and higher dominant frequency. Regarding the reproductive success, the morphological differences in the wings’ shape between accepted and nonaccepted males are higher in wild males than in the irradiated ones. The present results can be useful in programs using the sterile insect technique for biological control of C. capitata.
Stability Analysis for a Fractional HIV Infection Model with Nonlinear Incidence
Authors: Zhang Linli , Huang Gang , Liu Anping , Fan Ruili
Published: May 2015

We introduce the fractional-order derivatives into an HIV infection model with nonlinear incidence and show that the established model in this paper possesses nonnegative solution, as desired in any population dynamics. We also deal with the stability of the infection-free equilibrium, the immune-absence equilibrium, and the immune-presence equilibrium. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the results.
Revision of Carpal Tunnel Release due to Palmaris Longus Profundus
Authors: Christos Lyrtzis , Konstantinos Natsis , Evagelos Pantazis
Published: May 2015

Purpose. The palmaris longus profundus has been documented throughout the literature as a cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. We present a case of palmaris profundus tendon removal during the revision of carpal tunnel release.Method. During a carpal tunnel release in a 66-year-old woman, palmaris profundus tendon was found inside the tunnel under the transverse carpal ligament, just above the median nerve, but it was left intact. The patient complained of pain in the hand at night and weakness of her hand one month after surgery. We decided on a revision of the carpal tunnel release. The palmaris profundus tendon was found and was removed.Results. The patient had a normal postoperative course. Two months later she returned to her normal activities and was asymptomatic.Conclusions. When a palmaris profundus muscle is located in carpal tunnel, we recommend its excision during carpal tunnel release. This excision will eliminate the possibility of recurrent compression over the median nerve.
Bitters: Time for a New Paradigm
Authors: McMullen Michael K. , Whitehouse Julie M. , Towell Anthony
Published: May 2015

In plant-based medical systems, bitter tasting plants play a key role in managing dyspepsia. Yet when it comes to defining their mechanism of activity, herbalists and pharmacologists are split between two theories: one involves cephalic elicited vagal responses while the other comprises purely local responses. Recent studies indicate that bitters elicit a range of cephalic responses which alter postprandial gastric phase haemodynamics. Caffeine and regular coffee (Coffea arabica semen, L.) increase heart rate whereas gentian (Gentiana lutea radix, L.) and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium herbaL.) increase tonus in the vascular resistance vessels. Following meals increased cardiac activity acts to support postprandial hyperaemia and maintain systemic blood pressure. The increased vascular tonus acts in parallel with the increased cardiac activity and in normal adults this additional pressor effect results in a reduced cardiac workload. The vascular response is a sympathetic reflex, evident after 5 minutes and dose dependent. Thus gentian and wormwood elicit cephalic responses which facilitate rather than stimulate digestive activity when postprandial hyperaemia is inadequate. Encapsulated caffeine elicits cardiovascular responses indicating that gastrointestinal bitter receptors are functionally active in humans. However, neither encapsulated gentian nor wormwood elicited cardiovascular responses during the gastric phase. These findings provide the platform for a new evidence-based paradigm.
Well-Designed Bone-Seeking Radiolabeled Compounds for Diagnosis and Therapy of Bone Metastases
Authors: Ogawa Kazuma , Ishizaki Atsushi
Published: May 2015

Bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals are frequently used as diagnostic agents in nuclear medicine, because they can detect bone disorders before anatomical changes occur. Furthermore, their effectiveness in the palliation of metastatic bone cancer pain has been demonstrated in the clinical setting. With the aim of developing superior bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals, many compounds have been designed, prepared, and evaluated. Here, several well-designed bone-seeking compounds used for diagnostic and therapeutic use, having the concept of radiometal complexes conjugated to carrier molecules to bone, are reviewed.
Professional Nursing Duties in the Central Services: Hospital Pharmacy Nurses
Authors: Gómez-Villegas Inmaculada , Ruíz-Pérez Belén , López-del-Pino Dolores , García-España Francisco
Published: May 2015

Introduction. The new demands of a fast changing world necessitate expanding the traditional concepts of nursing, extending the classical aspects to cover new areas. Purpose. Based on their professional duties, the nursing team in the pharmacy of a second-level hospital aimed to establish a theoretical and situational framework for nurses working in the central services. Material and Methods. Application of the nursing process to nursing work in an area with no direct contact with patients. Results and Discussion. The application of the NANDA diagnoses to professional practice enabled the establishment of a nursing diagnosis with the implementation of measures designed to overcome a stressful situation with a risk of becoming unmotivated. Main Conclusion. The capacity to adapt the nursing profession to undertake new roles in the field of healthcare and the power of nursing own methodological resources permit the indirect care of “faceless” patients to be complemented with the inclusion of nurses from other services as clients, forming the focus of care, who can thus be helped with their daily care work.
Some Remarks on Convex Network Flows forK-Spiders
Authors: Mălin Maria , Rovenţa Ionel
Published: May 2015

We consider convex functions modeling flows in an arborescent network. The notion of majorization on trees is used to study some classical convexity results in this framework.
Ring Counter Based ATPG for Low Transition Test Pattern Generation
Authors: Begam V. M. Thoulath , Baulkani S.
Published: May 2015

In test mode test patterns are applied in random fashion to the circuit under circuit. This increases switching transition between the consecutive test patterns and thereby increases dynamic power dissipation. The proposed ring counter based ATPG reduces vertical switching transitions by inserting test vectors only between the less correlative test patterns. This paper presents the RC‐ATPG with an external circuit. The external circuit consists of XOR gates, full adders, and multiplexers. First the total number of transitions between the consecutive test patterns is determined. If it is more, then the external circuit generates and inserts test vectors in between the two test patterns. Test vector insertion increases the correlation between the test patterns and reduces dynamic power dissipation. The results prove that the test patterns generated by the proposed ATPG have fewer transitions than the conventional ATPG. Experimental results based on ISCAS’85 and ISCAS’89 benchmark circuits show 38.5% reduction in the average power and 50% reduction in the peak power attained during testing with a small size decoding logic.
Band Structure Analysis of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3Perovskite Manganite Using a Synchrotron
Authors: Lee Hong-Sub , Park Hyung-Ho
Published: May 2015

Oxide semiconductors and their application in next-generation devices have received a great deal of attention due to their various optical, electric, and magnetic properties. For various applications, an understanding of these properties and their mechanisms is also very important. Various characteristics of these oxides originate from the band structure. In this study, we introduce a band structure analysis technique using a soft X-ray energy source to study aLa0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO) oxide semiconductor. The band structure is formed by a valence band, conduction band, band gap, work function, and electron affinity. These can be determined from secondary electron cut-off, valence band spectrum, O 1s core electron, and O K-edge measurements using synchrotron radiation. A detailed analysis of the band structure of the LSMO perovskite manganite oxide semiconductor thin film was established using these techniques.
On Tracking Dynamic Objects with Long Range Passive UHF RFID Using a Mobile Robot
Authors: Liu Ran , Huskić Goran , Zell Andreas
Published: May 2015

Service robots have shown an impressive potential in providing assistance and guidance in various environments, such as supermarkets, shopping malls, homes, airports, and libraries. Due to the low cost and contactless way of communication, radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology provides a solution to overcome the difficulties (e.g., occlusions) that the traditional line-of-sight sensors (e.g., cameras and laser range finders) face. In this paper, we address the applications of using passive ultrahigh frequency (UHF) RFID as a sensing technology for mobile robots to track dynamic objects. More precisely, we combine a two-stage dynamic motion model with the dual particle filter to capture the dynamic motion of the object and to quickly recover from failures in tracking. The state estimation from the particle filter is used in combination with the VFH+ (Vector Field Histogram) to guide the robot towards the target. This is then integrated into a framework, which allows the robot to search for both static and dynamic tags, follow them, and maintain the distance between them. We finally tested our approach on a SCITOS G5 service robot through various experiments.
Solitary Colonic Ganglioneuroma: A Rare Incidental Finding of Hematochezia
Authors: Abraham George , Prakash Sateesh R.
Published: May 2015

Ganglioneuromas (GNs) are hamartomatous tumors derived from the autonomic nervous system. It is rare to encounter GN in the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with these tumors usually present with abdominal pain, constipation, ileus, weight loss, or even bleeding. GNs are categorized into three different morphological subtypes, namely, polypoid GN, ganglioneuromatous polyposis, and diffuse ganglioneuromatosis. We present a case of hematochezia from GN in a colon polyp discovered on diagnostic colonoscopy. Due to a lack of guidelines, we reviewed the literature to discuss treatment and other associated conditions for GN.
Phytochemicals That Regulate Neurodegenerative Disease by Targeting Neurotrophins: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Venkatesan Ramu , Ji Eunhee , Kim Sun Yeou
Published: May 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by progressive dementia and deterioration of cognitive function, is an unsolved social and medical problem. Age, nutrition, and toxins are the most common causes of AD. However, currently no credible treatment is available for AD. Traditional herbs and phytochemicals may delay its onset and slow its progression and also allow recovery by targeting multiple pathological causes by antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiamyloidogenic properties. They also regulate mitochondrial stress, apoptotic factors, free radical scavenging system, and neurotrophic factors. Neurotrophins such as BDNF, NGF, NT3, and NT4/5 play a vital role in neuronal and nonneuronal responses to AD. Neurotrophins depletion accelerates the progression of AD and therefore, replacing such neurotrophins may be a potential treatment for neurodegenerative disease. Here, we review the phytochemicals that mediate the signaling pathways involved in neuroprotection specifically neurotrophin-mediated activation of Trk receptors and members ofp75NTRsuperfamily. We focus on representative phenolic derivatives, iridoid glycosides, terpenoids, alkaloids, and steroidal saponins as regulators of neurotrophin-mediated neuroprotection. Although these phytochemicals have attracted attention owing to theirin vitroneurotrophin potentiating activity, theirin vivoand clinical efficacy trials has yet to be established. Therefore, further research is necessary to prove the neuroprotective effects in preclinical models and in humans.
A Dynamic Virtual Force-Based Data Aggregation Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Luo Junhai , Cai Jiyang
Published: May 2015

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), energy efficiency is critical for increasing network lifetime. WSNs consist of low-cost nodes with constrained energy. Present study demonstrates that data aggregation is an effective approach to reduce energy consumption in WSNs. Current data aggregation algorithms, such as cluster-based, tree-based, and chain-based data aggregation algorithm, incur high overhead to maintain structures and in dynamic scenarios incur much more cost to continuously reconstruct aggregate route. In this paper, we propose a dynamic virtual force-based algorithm (VFE) for data aggregation which can adapt to different scenario changes. Inspired by the concept of cost field and virtual force, VFE constructs dynamic routing without structure overhead, which makes data aggregation more efficient. The simulations confirm that VFE achieves significant energy saving and prolongs network lifetime.
Gestational Choriocarcinoma Presenting with Lacrimal Gland Metastasis: A First Reported Case
Authors: Ahamed Naushad A. B. , Sait Khalid , Anfnan Nisreen , Farwan Khader , Nizamuddin S. H. M. , Baeesa Saleh S.
Published: May 2015

Background. Gestational choriocarcinoma (GC) is a recognized clinicopathological subtype of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia that usually metastasizes hematogenously to highly vascular organs like the lung, liver, and brain. However, orbital metastasis to the choroid and lacrimal gland is a rare occurrence.Case Presentation. A 21-year-old female presented with headache and left orbital swelling one year after resection of a complete hydatidiform mole followed by adjuvant methotrexate chemotherapy. A metastatic imaging screening revealed multiple metastases in the lungs, brain, and adrenal gland, in addition to the choroid and lacrimal gland. Based on her modified WHO risk factors scoring she was started on chemotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy, which resulted in a complete response. At two-year follow-up, serum b-HCG level was with normal limits; imaging surveillance was uneventful.Conclusion. We present the first case of lacrimal gland metastasis in a young girl from GC relapse.
High Energy Neutrino Emission from Astrophysical Jets in the Galaxy
Authors: Smponias T. , Kosmas O. T.
Published: May 2015

We address simulated neutrino emission originated from astrophysical jets of compact objects within the Galaxy. These neutrinos are of high energies (Eνof the order up to a few TeV) and for their observation specialized instruments are in operation, both on Earth and in orbit. Furthermore, some next generation telescopes and detector facilities are in the process of design and construction. The jet flow simulations are performed using the modern PLUTO hydrocode in its relativistic magnetohydrodynamic version. One of the main ingredients of the present work is the presence of a toroidal magnetic field that confines the jet flow and furthermore greatly affects the distribution of the high energy neutrinos.
Patient, Surgery, and Hospital Related Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infections following Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Triantafyllopoulos Georgios , Stundner Ottokar , Memtsoudis Stavros , Poultsides Lazaros A.
Published: May 2015

Surgical site infections (SSI) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) have a significantly adverse impact on patient outcomes and pose a great challenge to the treating surgeon. Therefore, timely recognition of those patients at risk for this complication is very important, as it allows for adopting measures to reduce this risk. This review discusses literature reported risk factors for SSI after THA. These can be classified into patient‐related factors (age, gender, obesity, comorbidities, history of infection, primary diagnosis, and socioeconomic profile), surgery‐related factors (allogeneic blood transfusion, DVT prophylaxis and coagulopathy, duration of surgery, antibiotic prophylaxis, bearing surface and fixation, bilateral procedures, NNIS index score, and anesthesia type), and hospital‐related factors (duration of hospitalization, institution and surgeon volume, and admission from a healthcare facility). All these factors are discussed with respect to potential measures that can be taken to reduce their effect and consequently the overall risk for infection.
Unifying Blind Separation and Clustering for Resting-State EEG/MEG Functional Connectivity Analysis
Authors: Hirayama Jun-ichiro , Ogawa Takeshi , Hyvärinen Aapo
Published: May 2015

Unsupervised analysis of the dynamics (nonstationarity) of functional brain connectivity during rest has recently received a lot of attention in the neuroimaging and neuroengineering communities. Most studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging, but electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) also hold great promise for analyzing nonstationary functional connectivity with high temporal resolution. Previous EEG/MEG analyses divided the problem into two consecutive stages: the separation of neural sources and then the connectivity analysis of the separated sources. Such nonoptimal division into two stages may bias the result because of the different prior assumptions made about the data in the two stages. We propose a unified method for separating EEG/MEG sources and learning their functional connectivity (coactivation) patterns. We combine blind source separation (BSS) with unsupervised clustering of the activity levels of the sources in a single probabilistic model. A BSS is performed on the Hilbert transforms of band-limited EEG/MEG signals, and coactivation patterns are learned by a mixture model of source envelopes. Simulation studies show that the unified approach often outperforms conventional two-stage methods, indicating further the benefit of using Hilbert transforms to deal with oscillatory sources. Experiments on resting-state EEG data, acquired in conjunction with a cued motor imagery or nonimagery task, also show that the states (clusters) obtained by the proposed method often correlate better with physiologically meaningful quantities than those obtained by a two-stage method.
On the Spike Train Variability Characterized by Variance-to-Mean Power Relationship
Authors: Koyama Shinsuke
Published: May 2015

We propose a statistical method for modeling the non-Poisson variability of spike trains observed in a wide range of brain regions. Central to our approach is the assumption that the variance and the mean of interspike intervals are related by a power function characterized by two parameters: the scale factor and exponent. It is shown that this single assumption allows the variability of spike trains to have an arbitrary scale and various dependencies on the firing rate in the spike count statistics, as well as in the interval statistics, depending on the two parameters of the power function. We also propose a statistical model for spike trains that exhibits the variance-to-mean power relationship. Based on this, a maximum likelihood method is developed for inferring the parameters from rate-modulated spike trains. The proposed method is illustrated on simulated and experimental spike trains.