bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Study of Laminar Flow Forced Convection of Water-Al2O3Nanofluids under Constant Wall Temperature Condition
Authors: Ting Hsien-Hung , Hou Shuhn-Shyurng
Published: October 2015

This numerical study is aimed at investigating the forced convection heat transfer and flow characteristics of water-based Al2O3nanofluids inside a horizontal circular tube in the laminar flow regime under the constant wall temperature boundary condition. Five volume concentrations of nanoparticle, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 vol.%, are used and diameter of nanoparticle is 40 nm. Characteristics of heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, and pressure drop are reported. The results show that heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids increases with increasing Reynolds number or particle volume concentration. The heat transfer coefficient of the water-based nanofluid with 2 vol.% Al2O3nanoparticles is enhanced by 32% compared with that of pure water. Increasing particle volume concentration causes an increase in pressure drop. At 2 vol.% of particle concentration, the pressure drop reaches a maximum that is nearly 5.7 times compared with that of pure water. It is important to note that the numerical results are in good agreement with published experimental data.
Global Attractor of Solutions of a Rational System in the Plane
Authors: Bekker Miron B. , Bohner Martin J. , Voulov Hristo D.
Published: October 2015

We consider a two-dimensional autonomous system of rational difference equations with three positive parameters. It was conjectured that every positive solution of this system converges to a finite limit. Here we confirm this conjecture, subject to an additional assumption.
Spaced Seed Data Structures forDe NovoAssembly
Authors: Birol Inanç , Chu Justin , Mohamadi Hamid , Jackman Shaun D. , Raghavan Karthika , Vandervalk Benjamin P. , Raymond Anthony , Warren René L.
Published: October 2015

De novoassembly of the genome of a species is essential in the absence of a reference genome sequence. Many scalable assembly algorithms use the de Bruijn graph (DBG) paradigm to reconstruct genomes, where a table of subsequences of a certain length is derived from the reads, and their overlaps are analyzed to assemble sequences. Despite longer subsequences unlocking longer genomic features for assembly, associated increase in compute resources limits the practicability of DBG over other assembly archetypes already designed for longer reads. Here, we revisit the DBG paradigm to adapt it to the changing sequencing technology landscape and introduce three data structure designs for spaced seeds in the form of paired subsequences. These data structures address memory and run time constraints imposed by longer reads. We observe that when a fixed distance separates seed pairs, it provides increased sequence specificity with increased gap length. Further, we note that Bloom filters would be suitable to implicitly store spaced seeds and be tolerant to sequencing errors. Building on this concept, we describe a data structure for tracking the frequencies of observed spaced seeds. These data structure designs will have applications in genome, transcriptome and metagenome assemblies, and read error correction.
Anxiety and Anger Symptoms in Hwabyung Patients Improved More following 4 Weeks of the Emotional Freedom Technique Program Compared to the Progressive Muscle Relaxation Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Suh Jin Woo , Chung Sun Yong , Kim Sang Young , Lee Jung Hwan , Kim Jong Woo
Published: October 2015

Background. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a meridian-based psychological therapy. The present clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of EFT as a new treatment option for Hwabyung (HB) patients experiencing anger and compares the efficacy to the Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), the conventional meditation technique.Methods. The EFT and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) methods were performed on 27 HB patients, and their capacities to alleviate anxiety, anger, and emotional status were compared. After a 4-week program, a survey was conducted; patients then completed a self-training program for 4 weeks, followed by a second survey.Results. During the initial 4 weeks, the EFT group experienced a significant decrease in the HB symptom scale, anger state, and paranoia ideation (p<0.05). Over the entire 9-week interval, there were significant decreases in the HB symptom scale, anxiety state, anger state, anger trait, somatization, anxiety, hostility, and so on in EFT group (p<0.05).Conclusion. The EFT group showed improved psychological symptoms and physical symptoms greater than those observed in the PMR group. EFT more effectively alleviated HB symptoms compared to PMR. EFT group showed better maintenance during self-training, suggesting good model of self-control treatment in HB patients.
Global Asymptotic Stabilization Control for a Class of Nonlinear Systems with Dynamic Uncertainties
Authors: Yu Jiangbo , Wang Jizhong , Zhang Zhongcai
Published: October 2015

This paper is concerned with the global asymptotic stabilization control problem for a class of nonlinear systems with input-to-state stable (ISS) dynamic uncertainties and uncertain time-varying control coefficients. Unlike the existing works, the ISS dynamic uncertainty is characterized by the uncertain supply rates. By using the backstepping control approach, a systematic controller design procedure is developed. The designed control law can guarantee that the system states are asymptotically regulated to the origin from any initial conditions and the other signals are bounded in closed-loop systems. Moreover, it is shown that, under some additional conditions, a linear control law can be designed by the proposed methodology. The simulation example demonstrates its effectiveness.
Medication Adherence Measures: An Overview
Authors: Lam Wai Yin , Fresco Paula
Published: October 2015

WHO reported that adherence among patients with chronic diseases averages only 50% in developed countries. This is recognized as a significant public health issue, since medication nonadherence leads to poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Improving medication adherence is, therefore, crucial and revealed on many studies, suggesting interventions can improve medication adherence. One significant aspect of the strategies to improve medication adherence is to understand its magnitude. However, there is a lack of general guidance for researchers and healthcare professionals to choose the appropriate tools that can explore the extent of medication adherence and the reasons behind this problem in order to orchestrate subsequent interventions. This paper reviews both subjective and objective medication adherence measures, including direct measures, those involving secondary database analysis, electronic medication packaging (EMP) devices, pill count, and clinician assessments and self-report. Subjective measures generally provide explanations for patient’s nonadherence whereas objective measures contribute to a more precise record of patient’s medication-taking behavior. While choosing a suitable approach, researchers and healthcare professionals should balance the reliability and practicality, especially cost effectiveness, for their purpose. Meanwhile, because a perfect measure does not exist, a multimeasure approach seems to be the best solution currently.
Regular Chinese Green Tea Consumption Is Protective for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Clinic-Based Case-Control Study
Authors: Ma Qinghua , Chen Dandan , Sun Hong-Peng , Yan Ning , Xu Yong , Pan Chen-Wei
Published: October 2015

Objective.To determine the association between regular Chinese green tea consumption and the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in diabetic patients in China.Methods.100 DR patients and 100 age-sex-matched diabetic controls without retinopathy were recruited in a clinic-based, case-control study. DR was defined from retinal photographs and detailed information on Chinese green tea consumption of the participants was collected through a face-to-face interview.Results.The crude odds ratio [OR] of Chinese green tea consumption for DR was 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.26–0.90). When stratified by sex, the protective effect of Chinese green tea consumption on DR was statistically significant in women (P=0.01) but not in men (P=0.63). After adjusting for age, sex, and other confounders, DR was significantly associated with Chinese green tea consumption (OR = 0.48;P=0.04), higher systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.02;P=0.05), longer duration of diabetes (OR = 1.07;P=0.02), and the presence of family history of diabetes (OR = 2.35;P=0.04).Conclusions.Diabetic patients who had regularly drunk Chinese green tea every week for at least one year in their lives had a DR risk reduction of about 50% compared with those who had not. Regular Chinese green tea consumption may be a novel approach for the prevention of DR.
A Reputation-Based Identity Management Model for Cloud Computing
Authors: Wu Lifa , Zhou Shengli , Zhou Zhenji , Hong Zheng , Huang Kangyu
Published: October 2015

In the field of cloud computing, most research on identity management has concentrated on protecting user data. However, users typically leave a trail when they access cloud services, and the resulting user traceability can potentially lead to the leakage of sensitive user information. Meanwhile, malicious users can do harm to cloud providers through the use of pseudonyms. To solve these problems, we introduce a reputation mechanism and design a reputation-based identity management model for cloud computing. In the model, pseudonyms are generated based on a reputation signature so as to guarantee the untraceability of pseudonyms, and a mechanism that calculates user reputation is proposed, which helps cloud service providers to identify malicious users. Analysis verifies that the model can ensure that users access cloud services anonymously and that cloud providers assess the credibility of users effectively without violating user privacy.
Elastic Properties of Boron-Nitride Nanotubes through an Atomic Simulation Method
Authors: Tao Jixiao , Xu Guangmin , Sun Yuzhou
Published: October 2015

The elastic properties of the boron-nitride nanotubes are studied based on an atomic simulation method that is called atomic-scale finite element method. The Tersoff-Brenner potential is used to describe the interaction between boron and nitrogen atoms, and the computational method is established in an atomic-scale scheme similar to the classical finite element method. Young’s modulus is evaluated for the boron-nitride nanotubes, and their buckling behavior is analyzed. It is shown that the diameter has an obvious influence on Young’s modulus of BNNTs, and the buckling is little related to the length of the nanotubes.
Diagnosis of Lung Cancer by Fractal Analysis of Damaged DNA
Authors: Namazi Hamidreza , Kiminezhadmalaie Mona
Published: October 2015

Cancer starts when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. In fact cells become cancer cells because of DNA damage. A DNA walk of a genome represents how the frequency of each nucleotide of a pairing nucleotide couple changes locally. In this research in order to study the cancer genes, DNA walk plots of genomes of patients with lung cancer were generated using a program written in MATLAB language. The data so obtained was checked for fractal property by computing the fractal dimension using a program written in MATLAB. Also, the correlation of damaged DNA was studied using the Hurst exponent measure. We have found that the damaged DNA sequences are exhibiting higher degree of fractality and less correlation compared with normal DNA sequences. So we confirmed this method can be used for early detection of lung cancer. The method introduced in this research not only is useful for diagnosis of lung cancer but also can be applied for detection and growth analysis of different types of cancers.
The Use of Plant Antimicrobial Compounds for Food Preservation
Authors: Hintz Tana , Matthews Karl K. , Di Rong
Published: October 2015

Foodborne disease is a global issue with significant impact on human health. With the growing consumer demand for natural preservatives to replace chemical compounds, plant antimicrobial compounds must be thoroughly investigated for their potential to serve as biopreservatives. This review paper will focus on the plant-derived products as antimicrobial agents for use in food preservation and to control foodborne pathogens in foods. Structure, modes of action, stability, and resistance to these plant compounds will be discussed as well as their application in food industries and possible technologies by which they can be delivered. Benefits as well as challenges, such as the need for further research for implementation and governmental regulation, will be highlighted.
Soy 11S Globulin Acid Subunits as the Novel Food Polymer Carrier
Authors: Chen Lei , Liu Dahai , Wu Guohua , Ma Yuanyuan
Published: October 2015

Aflatoxins were conjugated with soy 11S globulins acid subunits and the hapten-specific monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) cross-reactive with four major aflatoxins were achieved using indirect competitive ELISA screening procedure. The two antibodies (clones 1B2 and 2D3) had similar reaction efficiency with aflatoxins B1, B2, and G1 but showed a weak cross-reaction to G2. The clone 4C5 exhibited the highest sensitivity for all four aflatoxins. The concentrations of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 at 50% inhibition for 4C5 were 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, and 17.6 pg mL−1. The results indicated that soy 11S globulin acid subunits were suitable novel carriers for aflatoxin antigen in immunization experiments and clone 4C5 could be used for simultaneous analysis of total aflatoxins.
Neuroprotective Effect of Simvastatin via Inducing the Autophagy on Spinal Cord Injury in the Rat Model
Authors: Gao Kai , Wang Guannan , Wang Yansong , Han Donghe , Bi Jing , Yuan Yajiang , Yao Tianchen , Wan Zhanghui , Li Haihong , Mei Xifan
Published: October 2015

Simvastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, is invariably used to treat cardiovascular diseases. Simvastatin has been recently demonstrated to have a neuroprotective effect in nervous system diseases. The present study aimed to further verify the neuroprotection and molecular mechanism of simvastatin on rats after spinal cord injury (SCI). The expression of Beclin-1 and LC3-B was evidently enhanced at postoperation days 3 and 5, respectively. However, the reduction of the mTOR protein and ribosomal protein S6 kinase p70 subtype (p70S6K) phosphorylation level occurred at the same time after SCI. Simvastatin significantly increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Meanwhile, immunofluorescence results indicated that the expression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) and caspase-3 protein was obviously reduced by simvastatin. Furthermore, Nissl staining and Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores showed that the quantity and function of motor neurons were visibly preserved by simvastatin after SCI. The findings of this study showed that simvastatin induced autophagy by inhibiting the mTOR signaling pathway and contributed to neuroprotection after SCI.
Marine Diterpenoids as Potential Anti‐Inflammatory Agents
Authors: González Yisett , Torres-Mendoza Daniel , Jones Gillian E. , Fernandez Patricia L.
Published: October 2015

The inflammatory response is a highly regulated process, and its dysregulation can lead to the establishment of chronic inflammation and, in some cases, to death. Inflammation is the cause of several diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, and asthma. The search for agents inhibiting inflammation is a great challenge as the inflammatory response plays an important role in the defense of the host to infections. Marine invertebrates are exceptional sources of new natural products, and among those diterpenoids secondary metabolites exhibit notable anti‐inflammatory properties. Novel anti‐inflammatory diterpenoids, exclusively produced by marine organisms, have been identified and synthetic molecules based on those structures have been obtained. The anti‐inflammatory activity of marine diterpenoids has been attributed to the inhibition of Nuclear Factor‐κB activation and to the modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism. However, more research is necessary to describe the mechanisms of action of these secondary metabolites. This review is a compilation of marine diterpenoids, mainly isolated from corals, which have been described as potential anti‐inflammatory molecules.
Candesartan Mediated Amelioration of Cisplatin-Induced Testicular Damage Is Associated with Alterations in Expression Patterns of Nephrin and Podocin
Authors: Enatsu Noritoshi , Miyake Hideaki , Chiba Koji , Fujisawa Masato
Published: October 2015

Nephrin and podocin are known to be closely related to the pharmacological effects of angiotensin-II receptor blocker (ARB). The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of nephrin and podocin using cisplatin-induced testicular damage and to evaluate the effect of ARB. At first, we evaluated the effects of cisplatin either alone or in combination with ARB candesartan on changes in expression patterns of nephrin and podocin in the rat testes. We then conductedin vitrostudies to investigate the effects of angiotensin using cultured Sertoli cells, line TM4. As a result, the expression of nephrin and podocin was shown to localize around the basal membrane of seminiferous tubules. Treatment with cisplatin resulted in a marked decrease in the expression of nephrin and podocin and induced a shift of both proteins from linear to granular expression patterns, accompanying the increased apoptotic index in the testes; these changes were partially restored by the additional administration of candesartan.In vitrostudies with TM4 revealed the angiotensin-II mediated expression changes of nephrin and podocin. These findings suggest that candesartan can prevent cisplatin-induced testicular damage by regulating expression patterns of the nephrin-podocin complex in the testes.
Sex Differences in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease: The Modifying Effect of Apolipoprotein Eε4 Status
Authors: Xing Yi , Tang Yi , Jia Jianping
Published: October 2015

Sex differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been demonstrated in previous studies, and apolipoprotein E (ApoE)ε4 status influences psychiatric manifestations of AD. However, whether ApoEε4 status modifies the sex differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD is still unclear. In this study, sex differences in neuropsychiatric abnormalities were stratified and analyzed by ApoEε4 status in mild AD and moderate to severe AD separately. The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) were used to assess dementia severity and neuropsychiatric symptoms. No sex differences were found in mild AD. In moderate to severe AD, amongε4 positive individuals, disinhibition was significantly more prevalent (8.0% in men versus 43.2% in women,p=0.003) and severerp=0.003in female patients. The frequency (16.0% in men versus 51.4% in women,p=0.005) and scorep=0.004of irritability were of borderline significance after strict Bonferroni correction. In conclusion, this study supported the modifying effect of ApoEε4 status on sex differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD, and this modifying effect was pronounced in moderate to severe stage of AD. The interaction between gender and ApoEε4 status should be considered in studies on neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD.
A Disproportionate Burden of Care: Gender Differences in Mental Health, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Social Support in Mexican Multiple Sclerosis Caregivers
Authors: Perrin Paul B. , Panyavin Ivan , Morlett Paredes Alejandra , Aguayo Adriana , Macias Miguel Angel , Rabago Brenda , Picot Sandra J. Fulton , Arango-Lasprilla Juan Carlos
Published: October 2015

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) rates in Latin America are increasing, and caregivers there experience reduced mental and physical health. Based on rigid gender roles in Latin America, women more often assume caregiving duties, yet the differential impact on women of these duties is unknown.Methods. This study examined gender differences in mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Zarit Burden Inventory), health-related quality of life (HRQOL; Short Form-36), and social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12) in 81 (66.7% women) Mexican MS caregivers.Results. As compared to men caregivers, women had lower mental health (p=0.006), HRQOL (p<0.001), and social support (p<0.001). This was partially explained by women caregivers providing care for nearly twice as many hours/week as men (79.28 versus 48.48,p=0.018) and for nearly three times as many months (66.31 versus 24.30,p=0.002).Conclusions. Because gender roles in Latin America influence women to assume more substantial caregiving duties, MS caregiver interventions in Latin America—particularly for women caregivers—should address the influence of gender-role conformity on care and psychosocial functioning.
An Interference Avoidance Method of Wireless Body Area Network Based on Chinese Medical Band
Authors: Zou Weixia , Guo Chao , Kang Fengyuan , Zhang Chunqing
Published: October 2015

An interference avoidance mechanism for Chinese Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is proposed in this paper. This mechanism firstly classifies the channels by priority based on the distribution characteristics of potential interference on the China medical band, commits energy detection on all channels in the network initialization phase, and compares to energy threshold to form available channel set. Then differentiated channel maintenance strategy is utilized to avoid interference as far as possible in network running phase. The scheme proposed in this thesis is proved to be superior by simulation from either the interference probability or packet loss rate. Apart from that, the interference detection threshold that can satisfy the least communication demand is calculated for every Type B, C channel by simulation and convenient for referring to.
Understanding Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia: A Gene-Based Review of Stressed Lungs
Authors: van Moorsel Coline H. M. , Hoffman Thijs W. , van Batenburg Aernoud A. , Klay Dymph , van der Vis Joanne J. , Grutters Jan C.
Published: October 2015

Pulmonary fibrosis is the main cause of severe morbidity and mortality in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIP). In the past years, there has been major progress in the discovery of genetic factors that contribute to disease. Genes with highly penetrant mutations or strongly predisposing common risk alleles have been identified in familial and sporadic IIP. This review summarizes genes harbouring causative rare mutations and replicated common predisposing alleles. To date, rare mutations in nine different genes and five risk alleles fulfil this criterion. Mutated genes represent three genes involved in surfactant homeostasis and six genes involved in telomere maintenance. We summarize gene function, gene expressing cells, and pathological consequences of genetic alterations associated with disease. Consequences of the genetic alteration include dysfunctional surfactant processing, ER stress, immune dysregulation, and maintenance of telomere length. Biological evidence shows that these processes point towards a central role for alveolar epithelial type II cell dysfunction. However, tabulation also shows that function and consequence of most common risk alleles are not known. Most importantly, the predisposition of theMUC5Brisk allele to disease is not understood. We propose a mechanism whereby MUC5B decreases surface tension lowering capacity of alveolar surfactant at areas with maximal mechanical stress.
Archaeal MCM Proteins as an Analog for the Eukaryotic Mcm2–7 Helicase to Reveal Essential Features of Structure and Function
Authors: Miller Justin M. , Enemark Eric J.
Published: October 2015

In eukaryotes, the replicative helicase is the large multisubunit CMG complex consisting of the Mcm2–7 hexameric ring, Cdc45, and the tetrameric GINS complex. The Mcm2–7 ring assembles from six different, related proteins and forms the core of this complex. In archaea, a homologous MCM hexameric ring functions as the replicative helicase at the replication fork. Archaeal MCM proteins form thermostable homohexamers, facilitating their use as models of the eukaryotic Mcm2–7 helicase. Here we review archaeal MCM helicase structure and function and how the archaeal findings relate to the eukaryotic Mcm2–7 ring.
Influence of Deceased Donor and Pretransplant Recipient Parameters on Early Overall Kidney Graft-Survival in Germany
Authors: Fischer-Fröhlich Carl-Ludwig , Kutschmann Marcus , Feindt Johanna , Schmidtmann Irene , Kirste Günter , Frühauf Nils R. , Wirges Ulrike , Rahmel Axel , Schleicher Christina
Published: October 2015

Background. Scarcity of grafts for kidney transplantation (KTX) caused an increased consideration of deceased donors with substantial risk factors. There is no agreement on which ones are detrimental for overall graft-survival. Therefore, we investigated in a nationwide multicentre study the impact of donor and recipient related risks known before KTX on graft-survival based on the original data used for allocation and graft acceptance.Methods. A nationwide deidentified multicenter study-database was created of data concerning kidneys donated and transplanted in Germany between 2006 and 2008 as provided by the national organ procurement organization (Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation) and BQS Institute. Multiple Cox regression (significance level 5%, hazard ratio [95% CI]) was conducted (n=4411, isolated KTX).Results. Risk factors associated with graft-survival were donor age (1.020 [1.013–1.027] per year), donor size (0.985 [0.977–0.993] per cm), donor’s creatinine at admission (1.002 [1.001–1.004] perµmol/L), donor treatment with catecholamine (0.757 [0.635–0.901]), and reduced graft-quality at procurement (1.549 [1.217–1.973]), as well as recipient age (1.012 [1.003–1.021] per year), actual panel reactive antibodies (1.007 [1.002–1.011] per percent), retransplantation (1.850 [1.484–2.306]), recipient’s cardiovascular comorbidity (1.436 [1.212–1.701]), and use of IL2-receptor antibodies for induction (0.741 [0.619–0.887]).Conclusion. Some donor characteristics persist to impact graft-survival (e.g., age) while the effect of others could be mitigated by elaborate donor-recipient match and care.
Compressed Sensing Based on the Characteristic Correlation of ECG in Hybrid Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Li Weiwei , Jiang Ting , Wang Ning
Published: October 2015

Hybrid wireless sensor network made up of wireless body area networks (WBANs) and cellular network provides support for telemedicine. In order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, WBANs collect and transmit crucial biomedical data to provide a continuous health monitoring by using various biomedical wireless sensors attached on or implanted in the human body. And then, collected signals are sent to a remote data center via cellular network. One of the features of WBAN is that its power consumption and sampling rate should be restricted to a minimum. Compressed sensing (CS) is an emerging signal acquisition/compression methodology which offers a prominent alternative to traditional signal acquisition. It has been proved that the successful recovery rate of multiple measurement vectors (MMV) model is higher than the single measurement vector (SMV) case. In this paper, we propose a simple algorithm of transforming the SMV model into MMV model based on the correlation of electrocardiogram (ECG), such that the MMV model can be used for general ECG signals rather than only several special signals. Experimental results show that its recovery quality is better than some existing CS-based ECG compression algorithms and sufficient for practical use.
A Decade of Progress Using Virtual Reality for Poststroke Lower Extremity Rehabilitation: Systematic Review of the Intervention Methods
Authors: Luque-Moreno Carlos , Ferragut-Garcías Alejandro , Rodríguez-Blanco Cleofás , Heredia-Rizo Alberto Marcos , Oliva-Pascual-Vaca Jesús , Kiper Pawel , Oliva-Pascual-Vaca Ángel
Published: October 2015

Objective. To develop a systematic review of the literature, to describe the different virtual reality (VR) interventions and interactive videogames applied to the lower extremity (LE) of stroke patients, and to analyse the results according to the most frequently used outcome measures.Material and Methods. An electronic search of randomized trials between January 2004 and January 2014 in different databases (Medline, Cinahl, Web of Science, PEDro,andCochrane) was carried out. Several terms (virtual reality, feedback, stroke, hemiplegia, brain injury, cerebrovascular accident, lower limb, leg, andgait) were combined, and finally 11 articles were included according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results. The reviewed trials showed a high heterogeneity in terms of study design and assessment tools, which makes it difficult to compare and analyze the different types of interventions. However, most of them found a significant improvement on gait speed, balance and motor function, due to VR intervention.Conclusions. Although evidence is limited, it suggests that VR intervention (more than 10 sessions) in stroke patients may have a positive impact on balance, and gait recovery. Better results were obtained when a multimodal approach, combining VR and conventional physiotherapy, was used. Flexible software seems to adapt better to patients’ requirements, allowing more specific and individual treatments.
Is Pulp Inflammation a Prerequisite for Pulp Healing and Regeneration?
Authors: Goldberg Michel , Njeh Akram , Uzunoglu Emel
Published: October 2015

The importance of inflammation has been underestimated in pulpal healing, and in the past, it has been considered only as an undesirable effect. Associated with moderate inflammation, necrosis includes pyroptosis, apoptosis, and nemosis. There are now evidences that inflammation is a prerequisite for pulp healing, with series of events ahead of regeneration. Immunocompetent cells are recruited in the apical part. They slide along the root and migrate toward the crown. Due to the high alkalinity of the capping agent, pulp cells display mild inflammation, proliferate, and increase in number and size and initiate mineralization. Pulp fibroblasts become odontoblast‐like cells producing type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase, and SPARC/osteonectin. Molecules of the SIBLING family, matrix metalloproteinases, and vascular and nerve mediators are also implicated in the formation of a reparative dentinal bridge, osteo/orthodentin closing the pulp exposure. Beneath a calciotraumatic line, a thin layer identified as reactionary dentin underlines the periphery of the pulp chamber. Inflammatory and/or noninflammatory processes contribute to produce a reparative dentinal bridge closing the pulp exposure, with minute canaliculi and large tunnel defects. Depending on the form and severity of the inflammatory and noninflammatory processes, and according to the capping agent, pulp reactions are induced specifically.
Anti‐Inflammatory Effect of 1,3,5,7‐Tetrahydroxy‐8‐isoprenylxanthone Isolated from Twigs of Garcinia esculenta on Stimulated Macrophage
Authors: Zhang Dan-Dan , Zhang Hong , Lao Yuan-zhi , Wu Rong , Xu Jin-wen , Murad Ferid , Bian Ka , Xu Hong-Xi
Published: October 2015

Garcinia Linn. plants having rich natural xanthones and benzophenones with anti‐inflammatory activity attracted a great deal of attention to discover and develop them as potential drug candidates. Through screening targeting nitric oxide accumulation in stimulated macrophage, we found that 1,3,5,7‐tetrahydroxy‐8‐isoprenylxanthone (TIE) had potential anti‐inflammatory effect. To understand how TIE elicits its anti‐inflammatory activity, we uncovered that it significantly inhibits the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in LPS/IFNγ‐stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In further study, we showed that TIE reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), two key molecules responsible for the production of NO and PGE2 during inflammation progress. Additionally, TIE also suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL‐6, IL‐12, and TNF‐α. TIE‐led suppression in iNOS, COX‐2, and cytokines production were probably the consequence of TIE’s capability to block ERK and p38MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, TIE blocked activation of nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) as well as NF‐κB regulation of miR155 expression. Our study suggests that TIE may represent as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Enhanced Protective Effect of the Combination ofUncariaandSemen Raphanion Vascular Endothelium in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Li Yun-lun , Jiang Yue-Hua , Yang Chuan-Hua , Sun Jing-Chang , Wang Miao-Miao , Yang Wen-Qing
Published: October 2015

Endothelial dysfunction and low-grade inflammation are closely associated with hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. The combination ofUncaria (U)andSemen Raphani (R)is common in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of hypertension and heart diseases. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of the combination ofUncariaandSemen Raphanion spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and valsartan was used as a positive control. In the present study, all extracts decreased systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and mean arterial pressure.Ualone showed antihypertensive efficacy and effectively decreased CECs count, whileRalone showed efficacy in relieving inflammatory level. The combination ofUandRshowed enhanced effectiveness at lowering activated CECs and improving endothelial integrity of thoracic aorta and mesenteric artery and normalized the level of plasma biomarkers of endothelial damage. The combination ofUandRdecreased the mRNA level of VCAM-1, Sel-L, TFPI, and Sel-P, while it elevated mRNA expression of FGF-1 and THBD of the thoracic aorta, which may be, at least in part, involved in the mechanism of protective effect on hypertensive endothelial injury.
MSSUTop-k: Determining the Minimum Scan Scope for UTop-kQuery over Uncertain Data
Authors: Zhao Zhibin , Yao Lan , Yu Ge , Bao Yubin , Ma Zhengbing
Published: October 2015

The semantics of UTop-kquery is based on the possible world model, and the greatest challenge in processing UTop-kqueries is the explosion of possible world space. In this direction, several optimized algorithms have been developed. However, uncertain databases are different in data distributions under different scoring functions, which has significant influence on the performance of the existing optimizing algorithms. In this paper, we propose two novel algorithms, MSSUTop-kand quick MSSUTop-k, for determining the minimum scan scope for UTop-kquery processing. This work is important because before UTop-kquery processing is started, users hope to know in advance how many and which tuples will be involved in UTop-kquery processing. Then, they can make a balance between result precision and processing cost. So, it should be the prerequisite for answering UTop-kqueries. MSSUTop-kcan achieve accurate results but is relatively more costly in time complexity. Oppositely, quick MSSUTop-kcan only achieve approximate results but performs better in time cost. We conduct comprehensive experiments to evaluate the performance of our proposed algorithms and analyze the relationship between the data distribution and the minimum scan scope of UTop-kqueries.
Comparison of Primary Models to Predict Microbial Growth by the Plate Count and Absorbance Methods
Authors: Pla María-Leonor , Oltra Sandra , Esteban María-Dolores , Andreu Santiago , Palop Alfredo
Published: October 2015

The selection of a primary model to describe microbial growth in predictive food microbiology often appears to be subjective. The objective of this research was to check the performance of different mathematical models in predicting growth parameters, both by absorbance and plate count methods. For this purpose, growth curves of three different microorganisms (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, andEscherichia coli) grown under the same conditions, but with different initial concentrations each, were analysed. When measuring the microbial growth of each microorganism by optical density, almost all models provided quite high goodness of fit (r2>0.93) for all growth curves. The growth rate remained approximately constant for all growth curves of each microorganism, when considering one growth model, but differences were found among models. Three-phase linear model provided the lowest variation for growth rate values for all three microorganisms. Baranyi model gave a variation marginally higher, despite a much better overall fitting. When measuring the microbial growth by plate count, similar results were obtained. These results provide insight into predictive microbiology and will help food microbiologists and researchers to choose the proper primary growth predictive model.
Intercultural Usage of Mori Folium: Comparison Review from a Korean Medical Perspective
Authors: Joh Byungjin , Jeon Eun Sang , Lim Su Hye , Park Yu Lee , Park Wansu , Chae Han
Published: October 2015

Objectives. A review on studies related to the use of Mori folium, the leaves ofMorus alba, was conducted with the goal of identifying new clinical applications in Korean medicine.Methods. Global literature search was conducted using three electronic databases up to January 2015 with the termMorus albaand its Korean terms. KM literatures including textbooks and standard pharmacopoeia were separately hand-searched and reviewed to provide comparison. Data were extracted according to predetermined criteria, and clinical uses were standardized with ICD-10 categories.Results. 159 potentially relevant studies were identified, and 18 articles including 12 ethnopharmacologic and 6 clinical studies were finally included in this analysis. Ethnopharmacologic studies from 8 countries provided 17 clinical uses. We found that five out of six clinical trials were related to diabetes and suggested a moderate short-term to mild long-term effect. And 43 Korean texts also provided 156 clinical uses in 35 categories including ocular and respiratory disorders.Discussion and Conclusions. Though majority of the clinical uses were also found in Korean medicine literature, treatment of infertility, jaundice, cognitive disorder, and hyperpigmentation was found to be effective and diabetes withMorus albawas recognized to have clinical importance.
Characterization of Shiga ToxigenicEscherichia coliO157 and Non-O157 Isolates from Ruminant Feces in Malaysia
Authors: Perera Asanthi , Clarke Charles M. , Dykes Gary A. , Fegan Narelle
Published: October 2015

Shiga toxigenicEscherichia coli(STEC) O157 and several other serogroups of non-O157 STEC are causative agents of severe disease in humans world-wide. The present study was conducted to characterize STEC O157 and non-O157 serogroups O26, O103, O111, O121, O45, and O145 in ruminants in Malaysia. A total of 136 ruminant feces samples were collected from 6 different farms in Peninsular Malaysia. Immunomagnetic beads were used to isolateE. coliO157 and non-O157 serogroups, while PCR was used for the detection and subtyping of STEC isolates. STEC O157:H7 was isolated from 6 (4%) feces samples and all isolates obtained carriedstx2c,  eaeA-γ1, andehxA. Non-O157 STEC was isolated from 2 (1.5%) feces samples with one isolate carryingstx1a,stx2a,stx2c, andehxAand the other carryingstx1aalone. The presence of STEC O157 and non-O157 in a small percentage of ruminants in this study together with their virulence characteristics suggests that they may have limited impact on public health.
Modulating p56Lck in T-Cells by a Chimeric Peptide Comprising Two Functionally Different Motifs of Tip fromHerpesvirus saimiri
Authors: Vernot Jean-Paul , Perdomo-Arciniegas Ana María , Pérez-Quintero Luis Alberto , Martínez Diego Fernando
Published: October 2015

The Lck interacting protein Tip ofHerpesvirus saimiriis responsible for T-cell transformation bothin vitroandin vivo. Here we designed the chimeric peptide hTip-CSKH, comprising the Lck specific interacting motif CSKH of Tip and its hydrophobic transmembrane sequence (hTip), the latter as a vector targeting lipid rafts. We found that hTip-CSKH can induce a fivefold increase in proliferation of human andAotussp. T-cells. Costimulation with PMA did not enhance this proliferation rate, suggesting that hTip-CSKH is sufficient and independent of further PKC stimulation. We also found that human Lck phosphorylation was increased earlier after stimulation when T-cells were incubated previously with hTip-CSKH, supporting a strong signalling and proliferative effect of the chimeric peptide. Additionally, Lck downstream signalling was evident with hTip-CSKH but not with control peptides. Importantly, hTip-CSKH could be identified in heavy lipid rafts membrane fractions, a compartment where important T-cell signalling molecules (LAT, Ras, and Lck) are present during T-cell activation. Interestingly, hTip-CSKH was inhibitory to Jurkat cells, in total agreement with the different signalling pathways and activation requirements of this leukemic cell line. These results provide the basis for the development of new compounds capable of modulating therapeutic targets present in lipid rafts.
The Increased Expression of Connexin and VEGF in Mouse Ovarian Tissue Vitrification by Follicle Stimulating Hormone
Authors: Yang Yanzhou , Chen Jie , Wu Hao , Pei Xiuying , Chang Qing , Ma Wenzhi , Ma Huiming , Hei Changchun , Zheng Xiaomin , Cai Yufang , Zhao Chengjun , Yu Jia , Wang Yanrong
Published: October 2015

Ovarian follicular damages were caused by cryoinjury during the process of ovarian vitrification and ischemia/reperfusion during the process of ovarian transplantation. And appropriate FSH plays an important role in antiapoptosis during ovarian follicle development. Therefore, in this study, 0.3 IU/mL FSH was administered into medium during mouse ovarian cryopreservation by vitrification to ascertain the function of FSH on ovarian vitrification and avascular transplantation. The results suggested that the expressions of Cx37, Cx43, apoptotic molecular caspase-3, and angiogenesis molecular VEGF were confirmed using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and real-time PCR, and the results suggested that the treatment with FSH remarkably increased the number of morphologically normal follicles in vitrified/warmed ovaries by upregulating the expression of Cx37, Cx43, VEGF, and VEGF receptor 2, but downregulating the expression of caspase-3. In addition, the vitrified/warmed ovaries were transplanted, and the related fertility was analyzed, and the results suggested that the fertility, neoangiogenesis, and follicle reserve were remarkably increased in the FSH administrated group. Taken together, administration of 0.3 IU/mL FSH during ovarian cryopreservation by vitrification can maintain ovarian survival during ovarian vitrification and increases the blood supply with avascular transplantation via upregulation of Cx43, Cx37, and VEGF/VEGFR2, as well as through its antiapoptotic effects.
A PSO Driven Intelligent Model Updating and Parameter Identification Scheme for Cable-Damper System
Authors: Dan Danhui , Chen Yanyang , Xu Bin
Published: October 2015

The precise measurement of the cable force is very important for monitoring and evaluating the operation status of cable structures such as cable-stayed bridges. The cable system should be installed with lateral dampers to reduce the vibration, which affects the precise measurement of the cable force and other cable parameters. This paper suggests a cable model updating calculation scheme driven by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. By establishing a finite element model considering the static geometric nonlinearity and stress-stiffening effect firstly, an automatically finite element method model updating powered by PSO algorithm is proposed, with the aims to identify the cable force and relevant parameters of cable-damper system precisely. Both numerical case studies and full-scale cable tests indicated that, after two rounds of updating process, the algorithm can accurately identify the cable force, moment of inertia, and damping coefficient of the cable-damper system.
Multilingual Text Detection with Nonlinear Neural Network
Authors: Li Lin , Yu Shengsheng , Zhong Luo , Li Xiaozhen
Published: October 2015

Multilingual text detection in natural scenes is still a challenging task in computer vision. In this paper, we apply an unsupervised learning algorithm to learn language-independent stroke feature and combine unsupervised stroke feature learning and automatically multilayer feature extraction to improve the representational power of text feature. We also develop a novel nonlinear network based on traditional Convolutional Neural Network that is able to detect multilingual text regions in the images. The proposed method is evaluated on standard benchmarks and multilingual dataset and demonstrates improvement over the previous work.
UV-Heat Treatments for the Control of Foodborne Microbial Pathogens in Chicken Broth
Authors: Gouma M. , Gayán E. , Raso J. , Condón S. , Álvarez I.
Published: October 2015

This investigation established the process criteria for using UV-C light and mild heat (UV-H treatment) to inactivate 5-Log10cycles (performance criterion) of common foodborne pathogen populations,Escherichia coli,SalmonellaTyphimurium,Listeria monocytogenes, andStaphylococcus aureus, when inoculated in chicken broth. To define the target microorganism and the proper UV-H treatment conditions (including UV dose, treatment time, and temperature) that would achieve the stated performance criterion, mathematical equations based on Geeraerd’s model were developed for each microorganism. For the sake of comparison, inactivation equations for heat treatments were also performed on the same chicken broth and for the same microorganisms.L. monocytogeneswas the most UV-H resistant microorganism at all temperatures, requiring a UV dose between 6.10 J/mL (5.6 min) and 2.26 J/mL (2.09 min) to achieve 5-Log10reductions. In comparison with UV treatments at room temperatures, the combination of UV and mild heat allowed both the UV dose and treatment time to be reduced by 30% and 63% at 55°C and 60°C, respectively. Compared to heat treatments, the UV-H process reduced the heating time for 5-Log10reductions of all the investigated microorganisms in chicken broth from 20-fold to 2-fold when the operating temperature varied from 53 to 60°C.
Expression of HE4 in Endometrial Cancer and Its Clinical Significance
Authors: Li Xiao , Gao Yiping , Tan Mingzi , Zhuang Huiyu , Gao Jian , Hu Zhenhua , Wang Huimin , Zhu Liancheng , Liu Juanjuan , Lin Bei
Published: October 2015

The main aims of this study were to determine the expression of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in endometrial cancer and to explore the relationships between HE4 expression, clinicopathological parameters, and prognosis. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect HE4 expression in 102 cases of endometrial cancer, 30 cases of endometrial atypical hyperplasia, and 20 cases of normal endometrium. The positive expression rate of HE4 in endometrial carcinoma was 84.62%, significantly higher than 66.67% in atypical hyperplasia (P<0.05) and 15.00% in normal endometrium (P<0.0.01). With the exception of stage II, HE4 expression in endometrial cancer showed an increasing tendency with increased clinical stage (P<0.05). The positive expression rate of HE4 increased with a decrease in the degree of differentiation. A statistically significant difference was observed between the highly differentiated group and the poorly differentiated group (P<0.05). Mortality in endometrial cancer patients with high HE4 expression was significantly higher than that in patients with low HE4 expression (P<0.05). Endometrial cancer patients with high HE4 expression have a poor prognosis.