bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell Death-Associated Molecular-Pattern Molecules: Inflammatory Signaling and Control
Authors: Sangiuliano Beatriz , Pérez Nancy Marcela , Moreira Dayson F. , Belizário José E.
Published: July 2014

Apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis are different cellular death programs characterized in organs and tissues as consequence of microbes infection, cell stress, injury, and chemotherapeutics exposure. Dying and death cells release a variety of self-proteins and bioactive chemicals originated from cytosol, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. These endogenous factors are named cell death-associated molecular-pattern (CDAMP), damage-associated molecular-pattern (DAMP) molecules, and alarmins. Some of them cooperate or act as important initial or delayed inflammatory mediators upon binding to diverse membrane and cytosolic receptors coupled to signaling pathways for the activation of the inflammasome platforms and NF-κB multiprotein complexes. Current studies show that the nonprotein thiols and thiol-regulating enzymes as well as highly diffusible prooxidant reactive oxygen and nitrogen species released together in extracellular inflammatory milieu play essential role in controlling pro- and anti-inflammatory activities of CDAMP/DAMP and alarmins. Here, we provide an overview of these emerging concepts and mechanisms of triggering and maintenance of tissue inflammation under massive death of cells.
Spatial Spectrum-Based Imaging for UWB Through-the-Wall MIMO Arrays
Authors: Lu Biying , Sun Xin , Zhao Yang , Zhou Zhimin
Published: July 2014

To keep the system complexity at a reasonable level and conform to the propagation demands, MIMO arrays are usually sparse in through-the-wall applications, which results in corrupted and gapped data. The corresponding imaging results are seriously affected by the high-level sidelobes. To solve this problem, a new imaging model for ultra-wideband (UWB) MIMO arrays is constructed via spatial spectrum theory in this paper. Based on the model, the characteristics of the spatial spectrum for the MIMO array and its effects on imaging are discussed. To improve the imaging quality, a through-the-wall imaging enhancement method is proposed via spatial spectrum estimation. Synthetic and experimental results show that, unlike the conventional amplitude weighting methods and nonlinear techniques, the proposed method can efficiently suppress sidelobes in the imagery, especially for the sparse MIMO array, and consequently improve the target image quality without degrading the mainlobe resolution. The proposed method has been successfully used in our real through-the-wall radar system.
Adaptive Combination Forecasting Model Based on Area Correlation Degree with Application to China’s Energy Consumption
Authors: Cheng Zhou , XiYang Chen
Published: July 2014

To accurately forecast energy consumption plays a vital part in rational energy planning formulation for a country. This study applies individual models (BP, GM (1, 1), triple exponential smoothing model, and polynomial trend extrapolation model) and combination forecasting models to predict China’s energy consumption. Since area correlation degree (ACD) can comprehensively evaluate both the correlation and fitting error of forecasting model, it is more effective to evaluate the performance of forecasting model. Firstly, the forecasting model’s performances rank in line with ACD. Then ACD is firstly proposed to choose individual models for combination and determine combination weight in this paper. Forecast results show that combination models usually have more accurate forecasting performance than individual models. The new method based on ACD shows its superiority in determining combination weights, compared with some other combination weight assignment methods such as: entropy weight method, reciprocal of mean absolute percentage error weight method, and optimal method of absolute percentage error minimization. By using combination forecasting model based on ACD, China’s energy consumption will be up to 5.7988 billion tons of standard coal in 2018.
Phytoestrogenα-Zearalanol Improves Memory Impairment and Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Ovariectomized Mice
Authors: Dong Yilong , Jiang Aimei , Yang Hongju , Chen Huicheng , Wang Yanmei
Published: July 2014

Estrogen is known to provide robust protection of memory in postmenopausal women, but the fact that estrogen may increase the incidence of uterine and breast tumors has undoubtedly limited the clinical use of estrogen. In the present study, the effect ofα-zearalanol (α-ZAL), a plant-derived phytoestrogen with low side-effect on uterine and breast, on memory has been evaluated in ovariectomized (OVX) mice when using 17β-estradiol (17β-E2) as an estrogen positive control. Our findings demonstrated that OVX resulted in impaired spatial learning and memory and reduced numbers of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, while 17β-E2 orα-ZAL treatment significantly improved memory performance and restored hippocampal neurogenesis. We also found the reduction of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and TrkB expression in OVX mice, which were ameliorated by 17β-E2 orα-ZAL supplementation. These results indicated thatα-ZAL may improve memory impairments induced by OVX and modulate the expression of BDNF-TrkB benefit to neurogenesis which may be involved in the memory protection fromα-ZAL, in a manner similar to that of 17β-E2. The present findings suggested thatα-ZAL may be a plausible substitute of 17β-E2 in improving memory in postmenopausal women.
Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Simulation of Micro-Cup-Extrusion Using a Graphit-ic Coating
Authors: Shi-Cheng Li , Ze-Zhong Chen , Jie Zheng , Dong-Feng Wang
Published: July 2014

Microextrusion is becoming increasingly important for the manufacturing of microcomponents. However, this reduction in scale to a microlevel means that the influence of friction and the need for suitable lubrication are greatly increased. This study therefore looks at the use of a low-friction and highly wear resistant Graphit-ic coating on the mold-forming section of a microextrusion mold, this coating being applied by a closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputter ion plating technique. A microcup of CuZn33 brass alloy was then extruded, with a wall thickness of 0.45 mm, outside diameter of 2.9 mm, and an internal diameter of 2 mm. The experimental results in which extrusion uses the mold coating with Graphit-ic film are compared against the experimental results in which extrusion uses the mold uncoating with Graphit-ic film. This showed that the load was decreased a lot and the self-lubricating solid coating facilitates a smooth extrusion process. As the extrusion rate was quite high, smoothed particle hydrodynamics method simulations of the extrusion process were conducted, these being then compared with the experimental results. These result showed that the SPH simulation can be applied to show the deformation of materials and predict the load trend.
Does Human Finger's Pressure Sensing Improve User Text Input on Mobile Device? A Study on Input Performance Improvement Based on Human Finger's Pressure on Mobile Device
Authors: Kim Yoon Sang , Ko Junho
Published: July 2014

This paper introduces a pressure-sensitive text input system that provides an easier and faster method for entering Korean in the rapidly expanding smartphone environment. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed system, a pressure-sensitive text input system is implemented and three Korean input experiments are conducted on mobile phones from the two largest manufacturers in South Korea (Samsung and LG). Whereas conventional Korean input methods used in Samsung and LG mobile phones require multiple touches for entering characters such as double consonants and diphthongs, the pressure-sensitive text input method allows the user to enter them with a single touch. Experimental results confirm that the proposed pressure-sensitive Korean input method was effective in reducing the number of touches required for entering consonants for Samsung's text input method (47% reduction) and for entering vowels for LG's text input method (20% reduction).
A Novel Fault Line Selection Method Based on Improved Oscillator System of Power Distribution Network
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Gao Jie , Wei Xiangxiang , Hou Yaxiao
Published: July 2014

A novel method of fault line selection based on IOS is presented. Firstly, the IOS is established by using math model, which adopted TZSC signal to replace built‐in signal of duffing chaotic oscillator by selecting appropriate parameters. Then, each line’s TZSC decomposed by db10 wavelet packet to get CFB with the maximum energy principle, and CFB was solved by IOS. Finally, maximum chaotic distance and average chaotic distance on the phase trajectory are used to judge fault line. Simulation results show that the proposed method can accurately judge fault line and healthy line in strong noisy background. Besides, the nondetection zones of proposed method are elaborated.
Comprehensive Analysis of Fault Diagnosis Methods for Aluminum Electrolytic Control System
Authors: Li Jie-jia , Han Xiao-yan , Zhou Peng , Sun Xiao-yu , Chang Na
Published: July 2014

This paper established the fault diagnosis system of aluminum electrolysis, according to the characteristics of the faults in aluminum electrolysis. This system includes two subsystems; one is process fault subsystem and the other is fault subsystem. Process fault subsystem includes the subneural network layer and decision fusion layer. Decision fusion neural network verifies the diagnosis result of the subneural network by the information transferring over the network and gives the decision of fault synthetically. EMD algorithm is used for data preprocessing of current signal in stator of the fault subsystem. Wavelet decomposition is used to extract feature on current signal in the stator; then, the system inputs the feature to the rough neural network for fault diagnosis and fault classification. The rough neural network gives the results of fault diagnosis. The simulation results verify the feasibility of the method.
A Meshfree Method for Numerical Solution of Nonhomogeneous Time-Dependent Problems
Authors: Jiang Ziwu , Su Lingde , Jiang Tongsong
Published: July 2014

We propose a new numerical meshfree scheme to solve time-dependent problems with variable coefficient governed by telegraph and wave equations which are more suitable than ordinary diffusion equations in modelling reaction diffusion for such branches of sciences. Finite difference method is adopted to deal with time variable and its derivative, and radial basis functions method is developed for spatial discretization. The results of numerical experiments are presented and are compared with analytical solutions to confirm the accuracy of our scheme.
OS CONTORNOS DO EFÊMERO: UMA NARRATIVA DA PÓS-MODERNIDADE NO THÉÂTRE DU SOLEIL
Authors: Bodstein Erika
Published: July 2014

Este estudo discorre sobre os contornos da vida e da arte, com foco no tempo e no espaço, na história e na memória, em Os Efêmeros (Théâtre du Soleil) de Ariane Mnouchkine, aproximando a obra do cenário da contemporaneidade, teorizado por H. T. Lehmann, e de outros autores alemães, como I. Shulze e W.G. Sebald.
ARTE E VIDA
Authors: Fabrini Verônica
Published: July 2014

Este trabalho tem como origem a fala da pesquisadora sobre o tema Arte e Vida na abertura do 3º SPA, Seminário de Pesquisas em Andamento, que teve lugar na ECA-USP, em novembro de 2013. Partindo da ideia de afirmação da vida em Nietzsche e do conceito de epistemologias do sul em Boaventura Sousa Santos, o artigo coloca em questão os modelos epistemológicos assumidos pelas pesquisas em arte no contexto acadêmico brasileiro contemporâneo
ENTRE, LOUCURA: entre também, juízo
Authors: Baraldi Paula
Published: July 2014

O tema da loucura, abordado no teatro, funciona como metalinguagem, uma vez que o teatro faz parte do domínio de Dioniso, o deus louco, delirante. À luz dos helenistas Jean-Pierre Vernant, Karl Kerényi e Jaa Torrano, e das teorias de Michel Foucault, C.G. Jung e Nise da Silveira analisamos as personagens “loucas” nas peças Pano de boca, 1976, e Um ponto de luz, 1977, ambas escritas e dirigidas por Fauzi Arap, com visual de Flávio Império. Por meio das congruências entre essas figuras supraconscientes, buscamos compreender a questão colocada por Arap, o limiar entre a loucura e a razão, o consciente e o inconsciente.
Amazing new Amphipoda (Crustacea, Epimeriidae) from New Zealand’s deep-sea
Authors: LÖRZ ANNE-NINA , COLEMAN CHARLES OLIVER
Published: July 2014

Epimeriidae is an amphipod family with a worldwide distribution. Two new species have been discovered off New Zealand; Epimeria sophie sp. nov. and Epimeria emma sp. nov. Two new species have been discovered off New Zealand; Epimeria sophie sp. nov. and Epimeria emma sp. nov., which are described here in detail. This increases the number of Epimeria species known from New Zealand’s deep-sea to seven. The morphological differences of the juveniles with the adult of Epimeria sophie sp. nov. are discussed. Extensive scanning electron microscope images reveal structurally very complex surface arrangements on Epimeria emma sp. nov. A key to the 14 species of Pacific Epimeria is provided.
Dictyoceratida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from Tropical Southwestern Atlantic (Northeastern Brazil, Sergipe State) and the description of three new species
Authors: SANDES JOANA , PINHEIRO ULISSES
Published: July 2014

Five species of dictyoceratid sponges were collected from trawling on the continental shelf of Sergipe State, Northeastern Brazil, of which three are new to science: Ircinia sergipana sp. nov., Ircinia repens sp. nov., Ircinia strobilina, Hyattella cavernosa and Smenospongia ramosa sp. nov., the latter the first record of the genus Smenospongia from Brazil.
Three new species of Caponiid spiders from Ecuador (Araneae, Caponiidae)
Authors: DUPÉRRÉ NADINE
Published: July 2014

Three new species of Caponiidae in two different genera are described from Ecuador. Nops cesari n. sp., Nops quito n. sp. and Nyetnops juchuy n. sp. A key to the genera of the subfamily Nopinae is provided.
A new species and record of Aceria (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) on Carlina spp. (Asteraceae) from Serbia
Authors: VIDOVIĆ BILJANA
Published: July 2014

A new species of eriophyoid mite, Aceria utzkae n. sp., inhabiting Carlina acanthifolia subsp. utzka (Hacq.) Meusel & Kästner (Asteraceae) is described and illustrated. It is compared with Aceria carlinae (Nalepa), the only other species known to inhabit Carlina spp., and a differential diagnosis is provided. Both species are recorded from Serbia for the first time and a new host plant, Carlina vulgaris (Asteraceae) L., is also documented for Aceria carlinae.
Parallelization Strategies for the GPS Radio Occultation Data Assimilation with a Nonlocal Operator in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model
Authors: Zhang Xin , Kuo Ying-Hwa , Chen Shu-Ya , Huang Xiang-Yu , Hsiao Ling-Feng
Published: July 2014

The nonlocal excess phase observation operator for assimilating the global positioning system (GPS) radio occultation (RO) sounding data has been proven by some research papers to produce significantly better analyses for numerical weather prediction (NWP) compared to the local refractivity observation operator. However, the high computational cost and the difficulties in parallelization associated with the nonlocal GPS RO operator deter its application in research and operational NWP practices. In this article, two strategies are designed and implemented in the data assimilation system for the Weather Research and Forecasting Model to demonstrate the capability of parallel assimilation of GPS RO profiles with the nonlocal excess phase observation operator. In particular, to solve the parallel load imbalance problem due to the uneven geographic distribution of the GPS RO observations, round-robin scheduling is adopted to distribute GPS RO observations among the processing cores to balance the workload. The wall clock time required to complete a five-iteration minimization on a demonstration Antarctic case with 106 GPS RO observations is reduced from more than 3.5 h with a single processing core to 2.5 min with 106 processing cores. These strategies present the possibility of application of the nonlocal GPS RO excess phase observation operator in operational data assimilation systems with a cutoff time limit.
Heat transfer analyses in friction stir welding of aluminium alloy
Authors: Yaduwanshi Deepak Kumar , Bag Swarup , Pal Sukhomay
Published: July 2014

This work is aimed to develop a heat transfer model of friction stir welding process and subsequently to utilize the same for transient thermal analysis under differential influence of process parameters. The heat generation is assumed due to friction and plastic deformation at the tool–workpiece interface. A contact state variable is defined to estimate the amount of heat generation due to plastic deformation. The symmetric heat flux at the interfaces of flat tool shoulder surface, tool pin side, and bottom surfaces acts as heat input to the system by neglecting the effect of transverse tool speed. The heat generation from both the side and bottom surfaces of pin plays a significant role for the development of the temperature. Thermal history of friction stir welded AA1100 and AA6061 is estimated by developed numerical model and is compared with experimental results under similar welding conditions, thus validating the developed model. The experiments reveal that the temperature distributions are not symmetric with respect to welding line and maximum temperature occurs behind the tool pin. With the addition of heat generation due to plastic deformation, the heat transfer model precisely predicts the maximum temperature and time–temperature profiles at different welding conditions.
The machining error control of blade shape based on multivariate statistical process control
Authors: Wang Pei , Li Shan , Zhang Dinghua , Li Yihui
Published: July 2014

Due to the high demand on blade shape quality and accuracy, it is essential to control the quality fluctuation in blade machining process. Since there are multiple correlative quality characteristics on blade shapes, multivariate statistical process control is adopted to monitor blade quality fluctuation. Meanwhile, blades, which are designed to satisfy better aerodynamics, always have complex and special shape, and the high dimensionality problem hinders the implementation of multivariate control charts. In order to deal with this problem, blade shape profiles are first divided into several segments according to the geometrical shape and the variable tolerance requirements of blade section curves, which are monitored simultaneously. Then, the quality control vector can be built, which comprises profile error and bending–torsion deformation. Because of the high dimensionality of data points on blade section curves, the equal error discretization method is used to deal with the error samples in a computationally lightweight manner. Due to the requirement for high machining accuracy, these proposed statistics that form the quality control vector can be monitored by a small shift multivariate control chart such as the multivariate exponentially weighted moving average control chart. The mean distance difference vectors for each segment, which are designed into the multivariate exponentially weighted moving average control chart, can not only detect shifts but also provide diagnostic information when a blade shape profile is out of control. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is proved by a simulation study applied to a blade machining process.
Investigation of electrochemical machining characteristics of 20MnCr5 alloy steel using potassium dichromate mixed aqueous NaCl electrolyte and optimization of process parameters
Authors: Ayyappan Solaiyappan , Sivakumar Karuppan
Published: July 2014

Electrochemical machining is a modern machining technique that plays an important role in the applications of aerospace, die and electronic industries. Electrochemical machining is used to machine difficult-to-machine materials and complex shapes. Machining of alloy steels especially 20MnCr5 is very important for its wide variety of applications such as piston bolts, spindles, camshafts, gears, shafts and other mechanical controlling parts. Machining of the above components with conventional machine tools is a burdensome task. Hence, in this work, an investigation was made to study the electrochemical machining characteristics of 20MnCr5 alloy steel. Two electrolytes, namely, aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) mixed aqueous NaCl, were used to investigate the machining performance. K2Cr2O7 was selected for its oxidizing characteristics and was included in small proportions in aqueous NaCl bath. The influence of predominant electrochemical machining process parameters such as applied voltage (V), inter electrode gap and electrolyte concentration was studied on the material removal rate and surface roughness (Ra). Scanning electron microscope photography of surface of the 20MnCr5 specimen machined with electrochemical machining was studied to understand the effect of electrolytes during the machining. The contour plots were generated to study the effect of process parameters as well as their interactions. It was noted in the study that the presence of K2Cr2O7 in aqueous NaCl electrolyte increases the material removal rate significantly. The process parameters are optimized through genetic algorithm-desirability function. Optimized operating conditions were found to be quite close with experimental results.
Cultural Competence
Authors: Garneau Amélie Blanchet , Pepin Jacinthe
Published: July 2014

In nursing education, most of the current teaching practices perpetuate an essentialist perspective of culture and make it imperative to refresh the concept of cultural competence in nursing. The purpose of this article is to propose a constructivist definition of cultural competence that stems from the conclusions of an extensive critical review of the literature on the concepts of culture, cultural competence, and cultural safety among nurses and other health professionals. The proposed constructivist definition is situated in the unitary-transformative paradigm in nursing as defined by Newman and colleagues. It makes the connection between the field of competency-based education and the nursing discipline. Cultural competence in a constructivist paradigm that is oriented toward critical, reflective practice can help us develop knowledge about the role of nurses in reducing health inequalities and lead to a comprehensive ethical reflection about the social mandate of health care professionals.
Perceptions of Insulin Treatment Among African Americans With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Bockwoldt Denise , Staffileno Beth A. , Coke Lola , Quinn Lauretta
Published: July 2014

Purpose: Little is known regarding perception of insulin treatment among midlife and older African American (AA) adults with type 2 diabetes, or how perception affects self-management behaviors. Using the Roy adaptation model, this qualitative descriptive study explored the perception of insulin treatment in midlife and older AAs living with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Method: Three 1-hour focus groups were conducted with a total of 13 participants. Thematic analysis of transcribed audio recordings used the constant comparative method. Results: Themes identified include (a) insulin as instigator of negative emotions, (b) adapting to a lifestyle with insulin, and (c) becoming an insulin user: a new identity. Conclusion: Adapting to insulin is a psychosocial process that commonly results in negative emotions, identity conflict, and new roles. Implications for practice: Further research is needed to understand how AA adults perceive insulin treatment, understand the role of perception in self-management behaviors, and determine whether interventions to change perceptions may be effective in improving adaptation to diabetes.
Effects of a pre-and post-workout protein-carbohydrate supplement in trained crossfit individuals
Authors: Outlaw Jordan J , Wilborn Colin D , Smith-Ryan Abbie E , Hayward Sara E , Urbina Stacie L , Taylor Lem W , Foster Cliffa A
Published: July 2014

Purpose

The purpose was to assess effects of a pre- and a post-workout protein-carbohydrate supplement on CrossFit-specific performance and body composition.

Methods

In an open label randomized study, 13 male and 16 female trained Crossfit participants (mean ± SD; age: 31.87 ± 7.61 yrs, weight: 78.68 ± 16.45 kg, percent body fat: 21.97 ± 9.02) were assessed at 0 and 6 weeks for body composition, VO2max, Wingate peak (WPP) and mean power (WMP), in addition to sport-specific workouts (WOD1: 500 m row, 40 wall balls, 30 push-ups, 20 box jumps, 10 thrusters for time; WOD2: 15 minutes to complete an 800 m run "buy in", followed by as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of 5 burpees, 10 Kettlebell swings, 15 air squats). The supplement (SUP) group consisted of 19 g of a pre-workout drink (extracts of pomegranate, tart cherry, green and black tea) taken 30 minutes before and a post-workout protein (females: 20 g; males: 40 g) and carbohydrate (females: 40 g; males: 80 g) supplement consumed immediately after each workout. The control (CTL) group consumed only water one hour before or after workouts. Participants completed three (minimum) varied workouts per week at a CrossFit gym as typical to habitual training throughout the six week study. Data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA (p <0 .05), 95% Confidence Intervals, and Magnitude Inferences.

Results

There were no time × group interactions for body composition, WMP, or WOD1 based on ANOVA statistics. VO2MAX, WPP, and WOD2 results revealed that the pre/post supplements were likely beneficial after 95% Confidence Intervals and Magnitude Inferences analysis.

Conclusion

The combination of proprietary supplements taken for 6 weeks may provide benefits during certain sport-specific performance in trained CrossFit athletes but not others.
Hypocapnia delays subsequent bupivacaine cardiotoxicity in rats under sevoflurane anesthesia
Authors: Yu Shuchun , Mochizuki Toshiaki , Katoh Takasumi , Makino Hiroshi , Kawashima Yuya , Mimuro Soichiro , Sato Shigehito
Published: July 2014

Background

Hypocapnia induced following the accidental intravenous infusion of a local anesthetic can mitigate anesthetic toxicity, but the effects of hypocapnia induced prior to local anesthetic infusion are unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of prior hypocapnia on bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Methods

Eighteen Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: one receiving sevoflurane with normal ventilation (Control Group) and the other receiving sevoflurane with hyperventilation to induce hypocapnia (Hypocapnia Group). After 30 min, both groups received continuous intravenous infusions of 0.25% bupivacaine at 2 mg · kg−1 · min−1. The time taken to reach 25% and 50% reductions in heart rate (HR; HR-25%, HR-50%) and mean arterial pressure (MAP; MAP-25%, MAP-50%) from the start of bupivacaine infusion were recorded. The difference between HR-25% and MAP-25% was calculated. The times of the first ventricular premature beat (VPB) and final systole were also recorded.

Results

In the Hypocapnia Group, HR-50%, MAP-25%, and MAP-50% were prolonged compared with the Control Group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the interval between HR-25% and MAP-25% and the times between the first VPB and final systole were prolonged in the Hypocapnia Group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In rats under sevoflurane anesthesia, prior hypocapnia delayed the onset of bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity. Prior hypocapnia should be avoided during continuous bupivacaine nerve block under general anesthesia, because it may delay the detection of cardiotoxicity.
Is the Iranian Traditional Medicine warm and cold temperament related to Basal Metabolic Rate and activity of the sympathetic-parasympathetic system? Study protocol
Authors: Farsani Gholamreza Mohammadi , Movahhed Mina , Motlagh Ahmadreza Dorosty , Hosseini Saeed , Yunesian Masoud , Farsani Taiebeh Mohammadi , Saboor-Yaraghi Ali Akbar , Kamalinejad Mohammad , Djafarian Kurosh , Naseri Mohsen
Published: July 2014

Background

Our body’s energy demand consists one of the most essential pillars of medicine. Basically, human beings consume energy to maintain life’s vital processes and the expenditure of this total energy is affected by several factors. From the Iranian Traditional Medicine point of view, temperament is a basic concept that helps in the maintenance of health and treatment of disease. It could be assumed that there is a relationship between the factors affecting temperament and metabolism. In this study, this relationship is investigated by assaying the effect of Thyme and Sumac on the metabolic rate, activity of sympathetic–parasympathetic system and will also compare this effect between warm and cold temperamental people.

Methods

The present study will be conducted in two stages. 1. Based on the standardized questionnaire, the subjects will be divided into two groups including warm and cold temperament. Accordingly, basal metabolic rate, sympathetic-parasympathetic function, thyroid function, body composition and nutritional status of them will be compared. 2. Thermic effect of Thyme and Sumac will be measured by designing a double blind randomized crossover trial study. The subjects in each of the groups will be divided into two subgroups randomly and they will be given a single dose of Thyme or Sumac. They will be monitored for 4 hours at rest. At the beginning and end of the study blood samples will be taken and indirect calorimetry, body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure will be measured in half hour intervals. After a six day wash out period, the crossover investigations will be initiated. The data will be analyzed using the SPSS statistical software and using the equations for crossover clinical study.

Results

After doing study, results will be given.

Conclusion

This study is the first study that evaluates the relationship between human temperament and the metabolic rate, and also the effect of food temperament on some of the chemical, hormonal and functional factors of the body. We believe that the result of our study may create a new window in nutritional science that can be a step forward in improving health.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrial.gov NCT01643096.
The effect of galantamine on brain atrophy rate in subjects with mild cognitive impairment is modified by apolipoprotein E genotype: post-hoc analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Prins Niels D , van der Flier Wiesje A , Knol Dirk L , Fox Nick C , Brashear H Robert , Nye Jeffrey S , Barkhof Frederik , Scheltens Philip
Published: July 2014

Introduction

The aim of this investigation was to assess the effect of galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and allosteric modulator of nicotinic receptors, on brain atrophy in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to assess effect modification by apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype.

Methods

We used data from the Galantamine-International-11 (Gal-Int-11) trial, a 24-month, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose (16 to 24 mg daily) study in patients with MCI. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including a 3-dimensional T1-weighted gradient echo volumetric sequence, was performed at screening and at 24 months. We recorded whole brain and hippocampal volumes, and calculated annual atrophy rates. Linear regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted mean differences in the rate of whole brain and hippocampal atrophy, between MCI patients treated with galantamine and with placebo. Additionally, we performed stratified analyses according to APOE genotype.

Results

Data from 364 MCI patients with 24-month MRI data (galantamine, n = 176; placebo, n = 188) were included in the volumetric analysis. Subjects treated with galantamine demonstrated a lower rate of whole brain atrophy compared to those treated with placebo (adjusted mean difference 0.18% per year (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04; 0.30)). Stratified analyses according to APOE genotype, showed that this effect was confined to patients who carried an APOE ϵ4 allele (adjusted mean difference 0.28% per year (95% CI 0.07; 0.50)). Rates of hippocampal atrophy did not differ significantly between study groups.

Conclusions

Patients with MCI who were treated with galantamine demonstrated a lower rate of whole brain atrophy, but not of hippocampal atrophy, over a 24-month treatment period, compared to those treated with placebo. This protective effect of galantamine on whole brain atrophy rate in MCI was only present in APOE ϵ4 carriers.
Re-assessment of YAP1 and MCR1 contributions to inhibitor tolerance in robust engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermenting undetoxified lignocellulosic hydrolysate
Authors: Wallace-Salinas Valeria , Signori Lorenzo , Li Ying-Ying , Ask Magnus , Bettiga Maurizio , Porro Danilo , Thevelein Johan M , Branduardi Paola , Foulquié-Moreno María R , Gorwa-Grauslund Marie
Published: July 2014

Development of robust yeast strains that can efficiently ferment lignocellulose-based feedstocks is one of the requirements for achieving economically feasible bioethanol production processes. With this goal, several genes have been identified as promising candidates to confer improved tolerance to S. cerevisiae. In most of the cases, however, the evaluation of the genetic modification was performed only in laboratory strains, that is, in strains that are known to be quite sensitive to various types of stresses. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of overexpressing genes encoding the transcription factor (YAP1) and the mitochondrial NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase (MCR1), either alone or in combination, in an already robust and xylose-consuming industrial strain of S. cerevisiae and evaluated the effect during the fermentation of undiluted and undetoxified spruce hydrolysate. Overexpression of either gene resulted in faster hexose catabolism, but no cumulative effect was observed with the simultaneous overexpression. The improved phenotype of MCR1 overexpression appeared to be related, at least in part, to a faster furaldehyde reduction capacity, indicating that this reductase may have a wider substrate range than previously reported. Unexpectedly a decreased xylose fermentation rate was also observed in YAP1 overexpressing strains and possible reasons behind this phenotype are discussed.
Microseismic joint location and anisotropic velocity inversion for hydraulic fracturing in a tight Bakken reservoir
Authors: Li Junlun , Li Chang , Morton Scott A. , Dohmen Ted , Katahara Keith , Nafi Toksöz M.
Published: July 2014

To improve the accuracy of microseismic event locations, we developed a new inversion method with double-difference constraints for determining the hypocenters and the anisotropic velocity model for unconventional reservoirs. We applied this method to a microseismic data set monitoring a Middle Bakken completion in the Beaver Lodge area of North Dakota. Geophone arrays in four observation wells improved the ray coverage for the velocity inversion. Using an accurate anisotropic velocity model is important to correctly assess the height growth of the hydraulically induced fractures in the Middle Bakken. Our results showed that (1) moderate-to-strong anisotropy exists in all studied sedimentary layers, especially in the Upper and Lower Bakken shale formations, where the Thomsen parameters ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) can be greater than 0.4, (2) all the events selected for high signal-to-noise ratio and used for the joint velocity inversion are located in the Bakken and overlying Lodgepole formations, i.e., no events are detected in the Three Forks formation below the Bakken, and (3) more than half of the strong events are in two clusters at approximately 100 and 150 m above the Middle Bakken. Reoccurrence of strong, closely clustered events suggested activation of natural fractures or faults in the Lodgepole formation. The sensitivity analysis for the inversion results showed that the relative uncertainty in parameter [Formula: see text] is larger than other anisotropy parameters. The microseismic event locations and the anisotropic velocity model are validated by comparing synthetic and observed seismic waveforms and by S-wave splitting.
Hydrogeophysical investigations in the western and north-central Okavango Delta (Botswana) based on helicopter and ground-based transient electromagnetic data and electrical resistance tomography
Authors: Meier Philip , Kalscheuer Thomas , Podgorski Joel E. , Kgotlhang Lesego , Green Alan G. , Greenhalgh Stewart , Rabenstein Lasse , Doetsch Joseph , Kinzelbach Wolfgang , Auken Esben , Mikkelsen Peter , Foged Nikolaj , Jaba Bashali Charles , Tshoso Gomotsang , Ntibinyane Onkgopotse
Published: July 2014

The Okavango Delta is a huge alluvial megafan in northwestern Botswana. Despite numerous geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and hydrologic investigations over the past half-century, the sedimentary units underlying the delta are largely unknown. To address this issue, helicopter transient electromagnetic data (HTEM) have been collected across the entire delta and coincident ground-based electrical resistance tomographic (ERT) and transient electromagnetic (TEM) data have been acquired at two locations, one along the delta’s western margin and one in its north-central region. Inversions of the HTEM data have yielded three-layer resistivity models in which a relatively homogeneous conductive layer is sandwiched between two resistive layers. The three-layer HTEM model is reproduced in models obtained from independently and jointly inverting the ground-based data. The conductive layer’s low resistivities and depths to its upper and lower boundaries are practically equal in the HTEM and ground-based models. Resistivities of the upper resistive layer are similar in the various models, with the ground-based estimates being somewhat higher than those of the HTEM model at one site and somewhat lower at the other site. For the basal resistive layer, it can only be concluded that its resistivity must be substantially higher than that of the overlying conductive layer. An interpretation of the HTEM and ground-based resistivity models in the delta’s north-central region, appropriately constrained by the surface geology, high-resolution seismic refraction-reflection models, and borehole logs suggests the following structure: basement overlain at progressively shallower depths by freshwater-saturated sand and gravel that represent the remnants of a Paleo Okavango Megafan, saline-water-saturated sand, and lacustrine clay originally deposited in Paleo Lake Makgadikgadi, and freshwater-saturated megafan and fluvial sediments of the current Okavango Delta.
“Clearer Than Real”: A History of Mediated Realities in Pynchon'sAgainst the Day
Authors: Gautreau Justin
Published: July 2014

This essay explores the trajectory of popular media in Thomas Pynchon's 2006 novel Against the Day, from print all the way to the Internet. In his piece “Genre as History,” Brian McHale asserts that Against the Day pastiches several literary genres from the turn of the twentieth century, but this essay argues that Against the Day deals more broadly with the history of emergent media that come to shape reality according to capitalist interests. Merle Rideout, a character linked to camera technologies, and Lew Basnight, who represents print media, remain strangers for the first thousand pages of an eleven-hundred-page novel. Their meeting in 1920s Hollywood demonstrates not only the historical collision of print and visual media but also the latter's eclipse of the former. Reading Merle's Integroscope as anticipating later Internet technology, this essay ends by grappling with the persistence of print media in the twenty-first century that Against the Day consciously embodies.
“Paradise Actually Exists”: Biopolitics and Utopian Praxis in William S. Burroughs'sThe Place of Dead Roads
Authors: Haines Christian
Published: July 2014

This essay argues that William S. Burroughs's The Place of Dead Roads (1983) produces a concrete utopia in response to the political reaction of the 1980s and the rise of neoliberalism. Against Margaret Thatcher's claim that “there is no such thing as society,” Burroughs articulates a biopolitical poetics defying the conceptual oppositions between collective and individual, public and private, socialist and liberal. I contend that, with its combination of tropes from the genres of science fiction, utopia, and the western, The Place of Dead Roads functions as a pedagogy of utopian desire, illuminating the persistence of the social beyond neoliberal privatization and constructing a horizon in which the United States is irreducible to capitalist and statist imaginaries. More specifically, I show how Burroughs elaborates and complicates the concept of the common as proposed by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri by emphasizing the common as a process of reeducation, or a biopolitical struggle to produce new kinds of political subjects.
The Law of Pornography: John Rechy and Samuel Steward
Authors: Ruszczycky Steven
Published: July 2014

In “The Law of Pornography: John Rechy and Samuel Steward” I compare the works of two late twentieth-century writers to show how they turned to genre to understand sexuality's relation to the law in other than purely repressive terms. I suggest that they complicate Michel Foucault's contemporaneous critique of the law in The History of Sexuality, volume 1, while indicating the law's continued relevance for attempts to theorize sexuality and power in terms of a productive relation. Each writer's experience in the sexual underground provided him with an awareness of the historical antagonism between the law and urban queer subcultures. Each writer also saw this antagonism as linked to the cop's privileged place in the conventionalized representations of gay pornography. Rechy maintained that men's cop fetish revealed the ways the law set punishment as the enabling condition for enactments of homosexual desire. In partial agreement with Rechy, Steward nevertheless insisted on differentiating between real-world police and the cops of fantasy. Through his pornography, Steward suggests that in the context of fantasy the figure of the cop enforces not juridical law but genre, which prevents desire's arrest and ensures a proliferation of bodily pleasures.
Usage Experience with Decision Aids and Evolution of Online Purchase Behavior
Authors: Shi Savannah Wei , Zhang Jie
Published: July 2014

This study investigates how prior usage experience with various decision aids available in an Internet shopping environment contributes to online purchase behavior evolution. Four types of decision aids are examined: those for (1) nutritional needs, (2) brand preference, (3) economic needs, and (4) personalized shopping lists. We construct and estimate nonhomogeneous hidden Markov models of store- and category-level purchase decisions, in which parameters vary over time across hidden states as driven by usage experience with different decision aids. We find that consumers evolve through distinct behavioral states over time, and the evolution is attributable to their prior usage experience with various decision aids. Moreover, the impact varies by the specific decision aid, behavioral state, and category characteristics. In addition, consumers gravitate toward habitual decision processes in online grocery stores, and their average price and promotion sensitivities increase first and then decrease but the level of heterogeneity rises continuously. We identify beneficial versus potentially undesirable decision aids and demonstrate how the proposed research method can help online retailers improve their store environments, design customized promotions, and quantify the payoffs of these strategies.
Studies on Ranunculus Population: Isozymic Pattern
Authors: SURANTO SURANTO
Published: July 2014

Species of Ranunculus is small herb grows at quite high altitudes, ranging from several hundreds to more than a thousand meter above sea level. They can occupy a variety of habitats such as moist soils or can even grow sub merged or floating in stream. A few numbers of species from different populations have been recorded to have morphological complexity, which could cause a problem for the work of taxonomists in making decisions. In order to support taxonomists in solving their problem, a new experimental method using SDS-PAGE will be used to explore the isozyme data. The main purpose of this research was to investigate whether or not isozyme data can be used to clarify the morphological complexity of Ranunculus species. In this study, nine species of Ranunculus from different populations were used. Five to twenty plants were sampled for electrophoresis studies. Four enzyme systems: peroxidase, esterase, malate dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase were chosen. The results showed that every enzyme gave its specific pattern in each species and common band always found in nine species tested. This experiment proved that genetic data (isozyme) quite promoting to be applied in higher plant taxonomy in solving themorphological complexity problem.Â© 2001 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS SurakartaKey words: isozyme, PER, EST, MDH, ACP, Ranunculus
Plants Biodiversity of Jobolarangan Forest Mount Lawu: 1. Cryptogamae
Authors: SETYAWAN AHMAD DWI , SUGIYARTO SUGIYARTO
Published: July 2014

The objectives of the research were to make: (1) a list of Cryptogamic plants at Jobolarangan forest in mount Lawu,and (2) the actual condition of biodiversity conservation of the plants. All Cryptogamic plants on the forest were studied. The procedures of data collection were including species collection in the field, make up herbaria, observation of flora vegetation using transect method, morphology observation in the laboratory, and interview to residents and government administrations. The results showed that in the forest were found 77 species Cryptogamic plants, consisting of 27 species of fungi, 5 species of lichens, 20 species of Bryophyta and 25 species of Pterydophyta. Government and residents had successfully conserved the forest; however fire and illegal logging damaged another part.Â© 2001 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS SurakartaKey words: biodiversity, Cryptogamic plants, Jobolarangan, mount Lawu
Richness of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton in Water Streams at Jobolarangan Forest
Authors: SUSILOWATI ARI , WIRYANTO WIRYANTO , ROHIMAH AINUR
Published: July 2014

Plankton is components of aquatic ecosystem. Phytoplankton play as primary producers, zooplankton play an important role in the higher order in the transfer of energy primary producers, the alga, to the higher order consumers such as aquatic insects, larval fish, and some adult fish. Streams of Jobolarangan forest may show phytoplankton and zooplankton that unique. The objectives of this research were to know diversity of phytoplankton and zooplankton and to determined their density. Plankton were sampled using 25-30 Î¼m mesh net, in three location of streams, i.e.: Parkiran (1773 m asl.), Mrutu (1875 m asl.), and Air Terjun (1600 m asl.). Samples were examined under light microscope for identification, and determined their density/L. Richness of phytoplankton in streams at Jobolarangan forest composed by family of Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae (Algae), and Bacillariophyceae. Zooplanktons that were found order of rotifer, cladoceras, and copepods. Allochtonous productivity, low nutrient level, low light level, and flowing water condition caused density of plankton/L in stream at Jobolarangan was low, i.e. 0,064 to 0,232.Â© 2001 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS SurakartaKey words: plankton, Jobolarangan, richness, diversity.