bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gestational Hypoxia and Developmental Plasticity
Authors: Ducsay Charles A. , Goyal Ravi , Pearce William J. , Wilson Sean , Hu Xiang-Qun , Zhang Lubo
Published: May 2018

Hypoxia is one of the most common and severe challenges to the maintenance of homeostasis. Oxygen sensing is a property of all tissues, and the response to hypoxia is multidimensional involving complicated intracellular networks concerned with the transduction of hypoxia-induced responses. Of all the stresses to which the fetus and newborn infant are subjected, perhaps the most important and clinically relevant is that of hypoxia. Hypoxia during gestation impacts both the mother and fetal development through interactions with an individual’s genetic traits acquired over multiple generations by natural selection and changes in gene expression patterns by altering the epigenetic code. Changes in the epigenome determine “genomic plasticity,” i.e., the ability of genes to be differentially expressed according to environmental cues. The genomic plasticity defined by epigenomic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs during development is the mechanistic substrate for phenotypic programming that determines physiological response and risk for healthy or deleterious outcomes. This review explores the impact of gestational hypoxia on maternal health and fetal development, and epigenetic mechanisms of developmental plasticity with emphasis on the uteroplacental circulation, heart development, cerebral circulation, pulmonary development, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adipose tissue. The complex molecular and epigenetic interactions that may impact an individual’s physiology and developmental programming of health and disease later in life are discussed.
Does the Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond Affect the Spectroscopic Properties of Bicyclic Diazole Heterocycles?
Authors: Misiak Paweł , Dubis Alina T. , Łapiński Andrzej
Published: May 2018

The formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazin-1(2H)-one bicyclic diazoles was analyzed, and the influence of N-substitution on HB formation is discussed in this study. B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ calculations were performed for the diazole, and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) approach as well as the natural bond orbital (NBO) method was applied to analyze the strength of this interaction. It was found that the intramolecular hydrogen bond that closes an extra ring between the C=O proton acceptor group and the CH proton donor, that is, C=O⋯H–C, influences the spectroscopic properties of pyrrolopyrazine bicyclic diazoles, particularly the carbonyl frequencies. The influence of N-substitution on the aromaticity of heterocyclic rings is also discussed in this report.
New Thrombolytic Infusion Application of Dissolving Renal Artery Embolic Thrombosis: Low-Dose Slow-Infusion Thrombolytic Therapy
Authors: Karakurt Ahmet
Published: May 2018

Renal artery thromboembolism (RATE) is an uncommon complication of renal arteries from heart chamber. Although there is no treatment protocol prescribed with guidelines, thrombolytic agents such as rt-PA are frequently used. Unfortunately, current thrombolytic agent application protocol in treatment for the RATE is used in acute myocardial infarction or acute pulmonary embolism. In this protocol, 0.9–1.0% cerebral and 4–13% noncerebral hemorrhages are seen. In contrast to this protocol, we aimed to present a case of RATE, in which we applied low-dose, slow-infusion thrombolytic therapy, and we have not observed any complication such as cerebral and noncerebral hemorrhage.
A Cognitive Occupation-Based Programme for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Study to Test Feasibility and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Reilly Sean , Hynes Sinéad M.
Published: May 2018

Cognitive impairments are common in MS and affect personal, social, and occupational functioning. There is a developing body of evidence highlighting the role of cognitive rehabilitation, but there is still no evidence for a validated holistic approach. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Cognitive Occupation-Based Programme for People with Multiple Sclerosis (COB-MS) for improving daily life and cognitive impairment. This study used an experimental pretest/posttest design with eight-week follow-up. Participants were recruited from MS networks using convenience sampling. The primary outcome measure was the GAS. Secondary outcomes included the OSA-DLS, CVLT-II, BVMT-R, SDMT, TMT, BRIEF-A, and EMQ-R. Twelve participants were recruited, aged 39–73 years (mean: 55.08; SD: 9.61). There were statistically significant improvements in the GAS (p<.002), CVLT-II: total free recall (p<.000), short delay free recall (p<.018), long delay free recall (p<.008), BVMT-R total recall (p<.000), TMT part B (p<.044), and EMQ-R (p<.006). Except for the BRIEF-A, clinically significant improvements were observed in secondary outcome measures at posttest and follow-up. Limitations include selection bias and subtle practice effects in cognitive measures. Results suggest that a larger scale study is justified considering improvements seen in daily life and cognitive measures.
Time-Related Changes in Volatile Compounds during Fermentation of Bulk and Fine-Flavor Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Beans
Authors: Cevallos-Cevallos Juan Manuel , Gysel Laura , Maridueña-Zavala Maria Gabriela , Molina-Miranda María José
Published: May 2018

Chocolate is one of the most consumed foods worldwide and cacao fermentation contributes to the unique sensory characteristics of chocolate products. However, comparative changes in volatiles occurring during fermentation of Criollo, Forastero, and Nacional cacao—three of the most representative cultivars worldwide—have not been reported. Beans of each cultivar were fermented for five days and samples were taken every 24 hours. Volatiles from each sample were adsorbed into a solid phase microextraction fiber and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Aroma potential of each compound was determined using available databases. Multivariate data analyses showed partial clustering of samples according to cultivars at the start of the fermentation but complete clustering was observed at the end of the fermentation. The Criollo cacao produced floral, fruity, and woody aroma volatiles including linalool, epoxylinalool, benzeneethanol, pentanol acetate, germacrene, α-copaene, aromadendrene, 3,6-heptanedione, butanal, 1-phenyl ethenone, 2-nonanone, and 2-pentanone. Nacional cacao produced fruity, green, and woody aroma volatiles including 2-nonanone, 3-octen-1-ol, 2-octanol acetate, 2-undecanone, valencene, and aromadendrene. The Forastero cacao yielded floral and sweet aroma volatiles such as epoxylinalool, pentanoic acid, benzeneacetaldehyde, and benzaldehyde. This is the first report of volatiles produced during fermentation of Criollo, Forastero, and Nacional cacao from the same origin.
Further Validation of a Rapid Screening Semiquantitative Thin-Layer Chromatographic Method for Marketed Antimalarial Medicines for Adoption in Malawi
Authors: Osei-Safo Dorcas , Chikowe Ibrahim , Harrison Jerry Joe Ebow Kingsley , Yeboah Daniel Konadu , Addae-Mensah Ivan
Published: May 2018

A recently developed semiquantitative thin-layer chromatographic (SQ-TLC) assay has been employed in postmarketing surveillance of antimalarial medicines used in Malawi prior to HPLC assay. Both methods gave analogous results in a significant majority of the samples, with a good correlation (r = 0.9012) for the active pharmaceutical ingredients of the dosage forms assayed. Artemether-containing medicines had the highest percentage (92.67%) of samples with comparable results for both assays. The lowest percentage (66.67%) was observed in artesunate-containing medicines. The SQ-TLC method was validated for specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, and stability according to the International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines, with the results falling within acceptable limits. For specificity, retention factor values of the test samples and reference standards were comparable, while accuracy and precision of 91.1 ± 5.7% were obtained for all samples. The method was linear in the range 1.0–2.0 µg/spot with a correlation coefficient ofr = 0.9783. Stability tests also fell within acceptable limits. In this study, we present the validation of the SQ-TLC method and propose its adoption as a rapid screening tool for field estimation of the quality of antimalarial and other essential medicines in Malawi and other parts of the developing world prior to a more accurate HPLC assay.
Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System with Active Power Filtering Functionality
Authors: Vaquero Joaquín , Vázquez Nimrod , Soriano Ivan , Vázquez Jeziel
Published: May 2018

Solar panels are an attractive and growing source of renewable energy in commercial and residential applications. Its use connected to the grid by means of a power converter results in a grid-connected photovoltaic system. In order to optimize this system, it is interesting to integrate several functionalities into the power converter, such as active power filtering and power factor correction. Nonlinear loads connected to the grid generate current harmonics, which deteriorates the mains power quality. Active power filters can compensate these current harmonics. A photovoltaic system with added harmonic compensation and power factor correction capabilities is proposed in this paper. A sliding mode controller is employed to control the power converter, implemented on the CompactRIO digital platform from National Instruments Corporation, allowing user friendly operation and easy tuning. The power system consists of two stages, a DC/DC boost converter and a single-phase inverter, and it is able to inject active power into the grid while compensating the current harmonics generated by nonlinear loads at the point of common coupling. The operation, design, simulation, and experimental results for the proposed system are discussed.
Determination of an Effective Detector Position for Pulsed-Neutron-Source Alpha Measurement by Time-Dependent Monte Carlo Neutron Transport Simulations
Authors: Jang Sang Hoon , Shim Hyung Jin
Published: May 2018

A simple method using the time-dependent Monte Carlo (TDMC) neutron transport calculation is presented to determine an effective detector position for the prompt neutron decay constant (α) measurement through the pulsed-neutron-source (PNS) experiment. In the proposed method, the optimum detector position is searched by comparing amplitudes of detector signals at different positions when their α estimates by the slope fitting are converged. The developed method is applied to the Pb-Bi-zoned ADS experimental benchmark at Kyoto University Critical Assembly. The α convergence time estimated by the TDMC PNS simulation agrees well with the experimental results. The α convergence time map and the corresponding signal amplitude map predicted by the developed method show that polyethylene moderator regions adjacent to fuel region are better positions than other candidates for the PNS α measurement.
Assessment of Antibiotic Utilization Pattern in Treatment of Acute Diarrhoea Diseases in Bishoftu General Hospital, Oromia Ethiopia
Authors: Tulu Selamawit , Tadesse Tarekegne , Alemayehu Gube Addisu
Published: May 2018

Background. Majority of acute diarrhoeal diseases are self-limiting and do not require routine treatment. Treatment with empirical antimicrobials is recommended only for dysenteric and invasive bacterial diarrhoea. Irrational use of antibiotics in treatment of acute diarrhoea is common in clinical practice worldwide. This study was carried out to assess the pattern of antibiotic use for acute diarrhoeal diseases in Bishoftu General Hospital, East Shewa Ethiopia. Methods and Materials. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to April 30, 2016. Data were collected retrospectively from patients treated for diarrhoeal diseases from January 2015 to December 2015 using structured questionnaires and entered into SPSS (IBM 20) and descriptive statistics was carried out. Results. Among the 303 patients, 51.2% were males and 48.8% were females. Of them, 62% were children under five years. Two hundred sixty three (86.8%) patients received eight different types of antibiotics and cotrimoxazole (178 patients, 58.7%) was the most prescribed antibiotics, followed by ciprofloxacin (33, 10.9%) and amoxicillin (14, 4.6%). Based on the presence of blood in stools, 14.5% of cases were of invasive bacterial type. According to the recommendations of WHO, the rate of overuse of antibiotics was 72.3%. Conclusion. This study revealed that there was high overuse of antibiotics for both adults and children under five with acute diarrhoea in Bishoftu General Hospital. And Cotrimoxazole was the most prescribed antibiotic.
Numerical Analysis of the Degradation Characteristics of Bearing Capacity of a Corroded Reinforced Concrete Beam
Authors: Zhao Guifeng , Xu Jiankun , Li Yaoliang , Zhang Meng
Published: May 2018

The static load carrying capacity of a noncorroded reinforced concrete (RC) simply supported beam is numerically simulated by ABAQUS software, and the reliability of the finite element model is verified by comparing with the test results. Based on the above model, the macroscopic mechanical properties of the beam under different degrees of corrosion are calculated. In the calculation, the degradation of the bond‐slip performance and mechanical properties of corroded rebars and the coupling effect on the bearing capacity and ductility degradation of the beams are considered. The results show that, under conditions of slight corrosion, the degradation of bond‐slip performance between the rebar and concrete has no significant influence on the bearing capacity of the beam, while the degradation of the corroded rebar had a significant effect. Under moderate and severe corrosion conditions, the bearing capacity and ductility degradation caused by bond‐slip are dominant in the mechanical property degradation of the beam. Overall, the macroscopic mechanical properties of the corroded beam are influenced by the coupling effect of bond‐slip degradation and the mechanical property degradation of the rebar. With the increase in the corrosion rate, the bearing capacity and ductility of the beam are decreased, and its brittleness is increased.
Full Downwind Turbine Simulations Using Actuator Line Method
Authors: Matiz-Chicacausa A. , Lopez Omar D.
Published: May 2018

In the present work the actuator line (AL) technique is proposed to model a complete wind turbine (rotor and tower) in downwind configuration. The case study used is the Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment (UAE) Phase VI turbine to analyze its suitability in capturing the tower shadow effect. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out using the open-source code OpenFOAM and the class of horizontal wind turbine AL from the toolbox SOWFA developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The objective of the present work is to validate the use of AL model for tower simulations and to establish whether such simplification is valid to capture the effect that tower shadow exerts over the rotor aerodynamics and to verify the accuracy of the proposed model regarding prediction of loads in the rotor. Computations were done first on an isolated rotor modelled with the AL technique; second on a full downwind turbine with AL in both rotor and tower; and, finally, on a 3D rotor with AL tower. Numerical results show good agreement with the experimental data concluding that the AL model is capable of a fast and accurate load prediction under certain conditions.
Histological Study of Induced Incisions on Rabbits’ Tongues with Three Diode Lasers with Different Wavelengths in Continuous Mode
Authors: Yammine Salwa , Jabbour Edgard , El Toum Sami , Cassia Antoine
Published: May 2018

Objective.Diode lasers have multiple indications in everyday dental practice. They allow carrying out incisions, coagulation of soft tissue, and Low-Level Laser Therapy. The goal of this study is to compare histologically the tissue interaction zones and edges of an induced laser incision on rabbits’ tongues with three different wavelengths of 810, 940, and 980 nm in continuous mode.Methods.Fourteen male rabbits were divided into six groups. Each animal underwent three incisions of 10 mm length on the right ventral face of the tongue, carried out in continuous mode with three diode lasers with different wavelengths of 810, 940, and 980 nm. Rabbits were sacrificed at 0, 1, 2, 6, and 15 hours and 14 days. Five rabbits were sacrificed at 0 hours and 2 hours and one rabbit was sacrificed at 1, 6, and 15 hours and at 14 days. The appearance of neutrophils marked the onset time of the inflammatory reaction. Histological study of the incisions was chosen to evaluate the edges and to measure the depth and width of carbonization and necrotic and inflammatory zones. Healing was evaluated at 14 days. Friedman test was used to assess statistical differences between groups.Results.In the experimental adopted conditions, the carbonization zone was marked by degradation of vacuoles and an elongation of nuclei and was observed on the edges of incisions. Carbonization and necrotic and inflammatory zones were measured for rabbits sacrificed at 0, 1, 2, 6, and 15 hours but the onset of inflammation zone marked by the infiltration of neutrophils did not appear before 6 hours. The neutrophils infiltration was higher at 15 hours than at 6 hours. Complete healing was shown at 14 days. According to the time for the regularity of the edges, the interpretation was qualitative without a statistical test. The statistical analysis of the three different diode lasers in this study showed nonsignificant difference between the different groups for the depth (p=0.121) and width (p=0.376) of the incisions, the carbonization zone (p=0.692), and the necrotic zone (p=0.223). For the inflammation zone at 6 and 15 hours, statistical analysis was not carried out; only one rabbit was enough to evaluate onset of neutrophils infiltration and to compare its density for 6 and 15 hours.Conclusion.These results indicate that diode laser used in the continuous mode is predictable for induced incision. The use of three diode lasers with different wavelengths of 810, 940, and 980 nm did not reveal a significant statistical difference according to depth and width of the incision and for carbonization and necrotic zone. The appearance of neutrophils was marked between 4 and 6 hours and was higher at 15 hours.
Orange-Reddish Light Emitting Phosphor GdVO4:Sm3+ Prepared by Solution Combustion Synthesis
Authors: Rabasovic M. S. , Krizan J. , Savic-Sevic S. , Mitric M. , Rabasovic M. D. , Marinkovic B. P. , Sevic D.
Published: May 2018

The gadolinium vanadate doped with samarium (GdVO4:Sm3+) nanopowder was prepared by the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method. After synthesis, in order to achieve the full crystallinity, the material was annealed in air atmosphere at 900°C. Phase identification in the postannealed powder samples was performed by X-ray diffraction, and morphology was investigated by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photoluminescence characterization of the emission spectrum and time-resolved analysis have been performed using the tunable laser optical parametric oscillator excitation and the streak camera. Several strong emission bands in the Sm3+ emission spectrum were observed, located at 567 nm (4G5/2–6H5/2), 604 nm (4G5/2–6H7/2), and 646 (654) nm (4G5/2–6H9/2), respectively. The weak emission bands at 533 nm (4F3/2–6H5/2) and 706 nm (4G5/2–6H11/2) and a weak broad luminescence emission band of VO43− were also observed by the detection system. We analyzed the possibility of using the host luminescence for two-color temperature sensing. The proposed method is improved by introducing the temporal dependence in the line intensity ratio measurements.
Architecture for Measuring Blade Tip Clearance and Time of Arrival with Multiple Sensors in Airplane Engines
Authors: Gil-García José Miguel , Zubia Joseba , Aranguren Gerardo
Published: May 2018

The performance of airplane engines is influenced by the performance of their bladed disks. The loads those engines are under, both internal and external, are the origin of vibrations than can jeopardize their integrity. Traditionally, monitoring of those vibrations has been circumscribed to prototyping and quality tests of manufactured disks. However, the development of nonintrusive sensors and techniques to evaluate the vibration based on those sensors opens the monitoring of full engines, even onboard, to new possibilities. In order to assess the vibrations with these techniques, several sensors should be employed. The distance from the blade tip to the casing (tip clearance) and the time of arrival of a blade in front of the sensor are two parameters that are used as a starting point to characterize the vibrations. A flexible architecture to extract these parameters from the blades of a gas turbine has been developed. The generalization of this architecture is introduced which is able to deal with several sensors simultaneously. An implementation of this architecture has been carried out employing a trifurcated optic sensor, whose working principle is explained. A study of the resources required to implement this architecture on measurements of several optic sensors simultaneously and in parallel is presented. The architecture and measurement method have been validated using signals recorded during the test of the compressor stage with 146 blades on a turbine rig.
Dynamic Surface Adaptive Robust Control of Unmanned Marine Vehicles with Disturbance Observer
Authors: Zhang Pengchao
Published: May 2018

This paper presents a dynamic surface adaptive robust control method with disturbance observer for unmanned marine vehicles (UMV). It uses adaptive law to estimate and compensate the disturbance observer error. Dynamic surface is introduced to solve the “differential explosion” caused by the virtual control derivation in traditional backstepping method. The final controlled system is proved to be globally uniformly bounded based on Lyapunov stability theory. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller, which can realize the three-dimensional trajectory tracking for UMV with the systematic uncertainty and time-varying disturbances.
Identification on Mantle Cell Lymphoma Using CD20 and CD5 Coupled Upconversion Fluorescent Nanoprobes
Authors: Zhang Mingkai , Gao Yang , Wang Jialiang , Liu Zhanbo , Jin Zaishun , Yu Jianbo , Feng Yukuan , Lü Qiang
Published: May 2018

In order to determine a particular tumor cell via nanomaterials, we introduce the preparation of CD20 and CD5 coupled nanoprobes (denoted as CD20 and CD5 nanoprobes for convenience) and an application in identification of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) from B-cell lymphoma. In this work, CD20 and CD5 nanoprobes were prepared by selectively oxidizing the carbon-carbon double bonds of oleate ligands on the surfaces of NaYF4:Yb3+,Tm3+and NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+nanoparticles and, respectively, coupling carboxyl groups on the particles’ surfaces with CD20 and CD5 monoclonal antibodies through EDC/NHS crosslinking agents. After in situ hybridized Jeko-1 cells and Raji cells as a reference with CD20 and CD5 nanoprobes,in vitrodouble-color upconversion fluorescence imaging of Jeko-1 cells was demonstrated through visualization of blue and green fluorescence under a 980 nm laser excitation. Moreover,in vivoupconversion fluorescence imaging of the transplanted cancer model was also measured. These experimental results indicate that Jeko-1 cells have been specifically labeled by CD20 and CD5 nanoprobes. It is therefore concluded that CD20 and CD5 nanoprobes could be used to specially differentiate mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) from B-cell lymphoma.
The Chemical States of Color-Induced Cations in Tourmaline Characterized by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Authors: Li Ming , Hong Hanlie , Yin Ke , Wang Chaowen , Cheng Feng , Fang Qian
Published: May 2018

In order to better understand the effect of transition metal cations on color of tourmaline, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate the species, chemical state, site occupancy, and chemical environment of color-induced metal cations in colorful tourmaline samples from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Our results showed that the colorful tourmalines usually contained a small amount of transition metal elements, and a colorful tourmaline sample had several transition metal cations; however, the color of tourmaline resulted from the transition metal cations in the Y site of the crystal structure. The pink color of tourmaline was associated with Mn2+ in the Y site coordinating with F; the yellow color was derived from Ni2+ in the Y site binding to O; the green color was associated with Fe3+ in the Y site coordinating with O, OH, and F; the rose red color originated from Mn2+ and Ni2+ in the Y site in which Mn2+ coordinated with O and F, and Ni2+ coordinated with O; and the blue color was derived from Fe3+ and Mn2+ in the Y site in which Fe3+ binded to O, OH, and F and Mn2+ binded to F. Additionally, other transition metal cations were also observed in colorful tourmalines, but all these species occupied the Z site of the structure. In the pink and yellow samples, Fe and Cr were observed in Fe3+ and Cr3+; in the rose red sample, Fe was also found in Fe3+; in the blue sample, Cr was present in Cr3+; in the green sample, Mn, Ni, and Cu were found in Mn2+, Ni2+, and Cu2+, respectively. The color of tourmaline was induced from the absorption of the d-d transition of transition metals in the crystal structure, as charge transfer tended to occur between cations occupying different coordination positions.
Breast Mass Detection in Digital Mammogram Based on Gestalt Psychology
Authors: Wang Hongyu , Feng Jun , Bu Qirong , Liu Feihong , Zhang Min , Ren Yu , Lv Yi
Published: May 2018

Inspired by gestalt psychology, we combine human cognitive characteristics with knowledge of radiologists in medical image analysis. In this paper, a novel framework is proposed to detect breast masses in digitized mammograms. It can be divided into three modules: sensation integration, semantic integration, and verification. After analyzing the progress of radiologist’s mammography screening, a series of visual rules based on the morphological characteristics of breast masses are presented and quantified by mathematical methods. The framework can be seen as an effective trade-off between bottom-up sensation and top-down recognition methods. This is a new exploratory method for the automatic detection of lesions. The experiments are performed on Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) and Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM) data sets. The sensitivity reached to 92% at 1.94 false positive per image (FPI) on MIAS and 93.84% at 2.21 FPI on DDSM. Our framework has achieved a better performance compared with other algorithms.
Discrete Element Simulation of Roadway Stability in an Efflorescent Oxidation Zone
Authors: Zhao Qifeng , Zhang Nong , Peng Rui , Ll Guichen , Han Changliang , Guo Yu
Published: May 2018

Due to crustal movement, coal‐bearing strata weather and oxidise when exposed to the atmosphere and water. The unique geological characteristics of the rock in efflorescent oxidation zones lead to variations in lithology, weak rock, and large failures due to deformation. This paper analyses the variable physical mechanics and microstructural characteristics of efflorescent‐oxidised coal rock using the UDEC numerical simulation software. The software is used to study the gradual development, dynamic expansion, and deformation of cracks in the material surrounding efflorescent rock tunnels. These numerical simulations reveal information concerning the evolution of surrounding rock attenuation, strength, and deformation. The destruction and causes of roadway failure were also analysed, and optimisation measures were proposed. The results from this study have applications for other research concerning roadway failure, deformation mechanisms, and the addition of appropriate supports.
Digital Gene Expression Profiling Analysis of Aged Mice under Moxibustion Treatment
Authors: Liu Nan , Jiang Yunyao , Xing Min , Zhao Baixiao , Hou Jincai , Lim Minyee , Huang Jian , Luo Xue , Han Li
Published: May 2018

Aging is closely connected with death, progressive physiological decline, and increased risk of diseases, such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, hypertension, and neurodegenerative diseases. It is reported that moxibustion can treat more than 300 kinds of diseases including aging related problems and can improve immune function and physiological functions. The digital gene expression profiling of aged mice with or without moxibustion treatment was investigated and the mechanisms of moxibustion in aged mice were speculated by gene ontology and pathway analysis in the study. Almost 145 million raw reads were obtained by digital gene expression analysis and about 140 million (96.55%) were clean reads. Five differentially expressed genes with an adjusted P value < 0.05 and |log⁡2(fold  change)| > 1 were identified between the control and moxibustion groups. They were Gm6563, Gm8116, Rps26‐ps1, Nat8f4, and Igkv3‐12. Gene ontology analysis was carried out by the GOseq R package and functional annotations of the differentially expressed genes related to translation, mRNA export from nucleus, mRNA transport, nuclear body, acetyltransferase activity, and so on. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database was used for pathway analysis and ribosome was the most significantly enriched pathway term.
On Laterally Perturbed Human Stance: Experiment, Model, and Control
Authors: Suissa Dan , Günther Michael , Shapiro Amir , Melzer Itshak , Schmitt Syn
Published: May 2018

Understanding human balance is a key issue in many research areas. One goal is to suggest analytical models for the human balance. Specifically, we are interested in the stability of a subject when a lateral perturbation is being applied. Therefore, we conducted an experiment, laterally perturbing five subjects on a mobile platform. We observed that the recorded motion is divided into two parts. The legs act together as a first, the head-arms-trunk segment as a second rigid body with pelvis, and the ankle as hinge joints. Hence, we suggest using a planar double-inverted pendulum model for the analysis. We try to reproduce the human reaction utilizing torque control, applied at the ankle and pelvis. The fitting was realized by least square and nonlinear unconstrained optimization on training sets. Our model is not only able to fit to the human reaction, but also to predict it on test sets. We were able to extract and review key features of balance, like torque coupling and delays as outcomes of the aforementioned optimization process. Furthermore, the delays are well within the ranges typically for such compensatory motions, composed of reflex and higher level motor control.
Development of Isocratic RP-HPLC Method for Separation and Quantification of L-Citrulline and L-Arginine in Watermelons
Authors: Ridwan Rasdin , Abdul Razak Hairil Rashmizal , Adenan Mohd Ilham , Md Saad Wan Mazlina
Published: May 2018

Watermelons(Citrullus lanatus)are known to have sufficient amino acid content. In this study, watermelons grown and consumed in Malaysia were investigated for their amino acid content, L-citrulline and L-arginine, by the isocratic RP-HPLC method. Flesh and rind watermelons were juiced, and freeze-dried samples were used for separation and quantification of L-citrulline and L-arginine. Three different mobile phases, 0.7% H3P04, 0.1% H3P04, and 0.7% H3P04 : ACN (90 : 10), were tested on two different columns using Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18and Gemini C18with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min and a detection wavelength at 195 nm. Efficient separation with reproducible resolution of L-citrulline and L-arginine was achieved using 0.1% H3P04on the Gemini C18column. The method was validated and good linearity of L-citrulline and L-arginine was obtained withR2= 0.9956,y=0.1664x+2.4142andR2=0.9912,y=0.4100x+3.4850, respectively. L-citrulline content showed the highest concentration in red watermelon of flesh and rind juice extract (43.81 mg/g and 45.02 mg/g), whereas L-arginine concentration was lower than L-citrulline, ranging from 3.39 to 11.14 mg/g. The isocratic RP-HPLC method with 0.1% H3P04on the Gemini C18column proved to be efficient for separation and quantification of L-citrulline and L-arginine in watermelons.
Antidiabetic Activity and Chemical Composition of Sanbai Melon Seed Oil
Authors: Wang Fang , Li Haili , Zhao Hang , Zhang Ya , Qiu Pengcheng , Li Jie , Wang Siwang
Published: May 2018

Objectives. Many fruits and herbs had been used in Traditional Chinese Medicines for treating diabetes mellitus (DM); however, scientific and accurate evidences regarding their efficacy and possible mechanisms were largely unknown. Sanbai melon seed oil (SMSO) was used in folk medicine in treating DM, but there is no literature about these effects. The present study was aimed at confirming the treatment effects of SMSO in type 1 DM. Methods. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at a dose of 65 mg/kg body weight. After diabetes induction, mice were treated with SMSO at dose of 1 g/kg, 2 g/kg, and 4 g/kg. Drugs were given by gavage administration once a day continuously for 28 days. At the end of treatment, several biochemical parameters and molecular mechanisms were determined by biochemical assays, ELISA, and Western blotting. The chemical compositions of SMSO were also tested. Results. SMSO treatment significantly improved the symptoms of weight loss, polydipsia, reduced FBG level, increased plasma insulin levels, reduced plasma lipids levels, and protected islet injury. The results also showed that SMSO mitigated oxidative stress and alleviated the liver and renal injury in diabetes mice. SMSO also protected islet cells from apoptotic damage by suppressing ER mediated and mitochondrial dependent apoptotic pathways. Further constituent analysis results showed that SMSO had rich natural resources which had beneficial effects on DM. Conclusions. This study showed that SMSO had excellent antidiabetes effect and provided scientific basis for the use of SMSO as the functional ingredients production and dietary supplements production in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Estimation of the Critical Temperatures of Some More Deep Eutectic Solvents from Their Surface Tensions
Authors: Marcus Yizhak
Published: May 2018

The critical temperatures of two dozen deep eutectic solvents, for only some of which these have been estimated previously, were estimated from the temperature dependences of their surface tensions and densities available in the literature according to the Eötvös and the Guggenheim expressions.
Antibacterial Activity of Ag-Doped TiO2 and Ag-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Nigussie Gebretinsae Yeabyo , Tesfamariam Gebrekidan Mebrahtu , Tegegne Berhanu Menasbo , Weldemichel Yemane Araya , Gebreab Tesfakiros Woldu , Gebrehiwot Desta Gebremedhin , Gebremichel Gebru Equar
Published: May 2018

We report in this paper antibacterial activity of Ag-doped TiO2 and Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) under visible light irradiation synthesized by using a sol-gel method. Structural, morphological, and basic optical properties of these samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum, and UV-Vis reflectance. Room temperature X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that Ag-doped TiO2 has both rutile and anatase phases, but TiO2 NPs only have the anatase phase. In both ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO NPs, the hexagonal wurtzite structure was observed. The morphologies of TiO2 and ZnO were influenced by doping with Ag, as shown from the SEM images. EDX confirms that the samples are composed of Zn, Ti, Ag, and O elements. UV-Vis reflectance results show decreased band gap energy of Ag-doped TiO2 and Ag-doped ZnO NPs in comparison to that of TiO2 and ZnO. Pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, were used to assess the antibacterial activity of the synthesized materials. The reduction in the viability of all the three bacteria to zero using Ag-doped ZnO occurred at 60 μg/mL of culture, while Ag-doped TiO2 showed zero viability at 80 μg/mL. Doping of Ag on ZnO and TiO2 plays a vital role in the increased antibacterial activity performance.
β-Tricalcium Phosphate Interferes with the Assessment of Crystallinity in Burned Skeletal Remains
Authors: Piga Giampaolo , Amarante Ana , Makhoul Calil , Cunha Eugénia , Malgosa Assumpció , Enzo Stefano , Gonçalves David
Published: May 2018

The analysis of burned remains is a highly complex process, and a better insight can be gained with advanced technologies. The main goal of this paper is to apply X-ray diffraction, partially supported by infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy to determine changes in burned human bones and teeth in terms of mineral phase transformations. Samples of 36 bones and 12 teeth were heated at 1050°C and afterwards subjected to XRD and ATR-IR. The crystallinity index was calculated for every sample. A quantitative evaluation of phases was documented by using the Rietveld approach. In addition to bioapatite, the following mineralogical phases were found in the bone: β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) (Ca3(PO4)2), lime (CaO), portlandite (Ca(OH)2), calcite (CaCO3), and buchwaldite (NaCaPO4). In the case of bone, besides bioapatite, only the first two mineralogical phases and magnesium oxide were present. We also observed that the formation of β-TCP affects the phosphate peaks used for CI calculation. Therefore, caution is needed when its occurrence and evaluation are carried out. This is an important warning for tracking heat-induced changes in human bone, in terms of physicochemical properties related to structure, which is expected to impact in forensic, bioanthropological, and archaeological contexts.
A Review on the Nonlinear Dynamical System Analysis of Electrocardiogram Signal
Authors: Nayak Suraj K. , Bit Arindam , Dey Anilesh , Mohapatra Biswajit , Pal Kunal
Published: May 2018

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal analysis has received special attention of the researchers in the recent past because of its ability to divulge crucial information about the electrophysiology of the heart and the autonomic nervous system activity in a noninvasive manner. Analysis of the ECG signals has been explored using both linear and nonlinear methods. However, the nonlinear methods of ECG signal analysis are gaining popularity because of their robustness in feature extraction and classification. The current study presents a review of the nonlinear signal analysis methods, namely, reconstructed phase space analysis, Lyapunov exponents, correlation dimension, detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), recurrence plot, Poincaré plot, approximate entropy, and sample entropy along with their recent applications in the ECG signal analysis.
A Combined Static and Dynamic Analysis Approach to Detect Malicious Browser Extensions
Authors: Wang Yao , Cai Wandong , Lyu Pin , Shao Wei
Published: May 2018

Ill-intentioned browser extensions pose an emergent security risk and have become one of the most common attack vectors on the Internet due to their wide popularity and high privilege. Once installed, malicious extensions are executed and attempt to compromise a victim’s browser. To detect malicious browser extensions, security researchers have put forward several techniques. These techniques primarily concentrate on the usage of API calls by malicious extensions, imposing restricted policies for extensions, and monitoring extension’s activities. In this paper, we propose a machine-learning-based approach to detect malicious extensions. We apply static and dynamic techniques to analyse an extension for extracting features. The analysis process extracts features from the source codes including JavaScript codes, HTML pages, and CSS files and the execution activities of an extension. To guarantee the robustness of the features, a feature selection method is then applied to retain the most relevant features while discarding low-correlated features. The detection models based on machine-learning techniques are subsequently constructed by leveraging these features. As can be seen from evaluation results, our detection model, containing over 4,600 labelled extension samples, is able to detect malicious extensions with an accuracy of 96.52% in validation set and 95.18% in test set, with a false positive rate of 2.38% in validation set and 3.66% in test set.
Progress in Gene Therapy to Prevent Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Glaucoma and Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Authors: Ratican Sara E. , Osborne Andrew , Martin Keith R.
Published: May 2018

The eye is at the forefront of the application of gene therapy techniques to medicine. In the United States, a gene therapy treatment for Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a rare inherited retinal disease, recently became the first gene therapy to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of disease caused by mutations in a specific gene. Phase III clinical trials of gene therapy for other single-gene defect diseases of the retina and optic nerve are also currently underway. However, for optic nerve diseases not caused by single-gene defects, gene therapy strategies are likely to focus on slowing or preventing neuronal death through the expression of neuroprotective agents. In addition to these strategies, there has also been recent interest in the potential use of precise genome editing techniques to treat ocular disease. This review focuses on recent developments in gene therapy techniques for the treatment of glaucoma and Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). We discuss recent successes in clinical trials for the treatment of LHON using gene supplementation therapy, promising neuroprotective strategies that have been employed in animal models of glaucoma and the potential use of genome editing techniques in treating optic nerve disease.
Automated Risk Control in Medical Imaging Equipment Management Using Cloud Application
Authors: Ghanem Sally M. , Abdel Wahed Manal , Saleh Neven
Published: May 2018

Medical imaging equipment (MIE) is the baseline of providing patient diagnosis in healthcare facilities. However, that type of equipment poses high risk for patients, operators, and environment in terms of technology and application. Considering risk management in MIE management is rarely covered in literature. The study proposes a methodology that controls risks associated with MIE management. The methodology is based on proposing a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that lead to identify a set of undesired events (UDEs), and through a risk matrix, a risk level is evaluated. By using cloud computing software, risks could be controlled to be manageable. The methodology was verified by using a data set of 204 pieces of MIE along 104 hospitals, which belong to Egyptian Ministry of Health. Results point to appropriateness of proposed KPIs and UDEs in risk evaluation and control. Thus, the study reveals that optimizing risks taking into account the costs has an impact on risk control of MIE management.
Application of VIS/NIR Spectroscopy and SDAE-NN Algorithm for Predicting the Cold Storage Time of Salmon
Authors: Wu Ting , Zhong Nan , Yang Ling
Published: May 2018

The cold storage time of salmon has a significant impact on its freshness, which is an important factor for consumers to evaluate the quality of salmon. The efficient, accurate, and convenient protocol is urgent to appraise the freshness for quality checking. In this paper, the ability of visible/near-infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy was evaluated to predict the cold storage time of salmon meat and skin, which were stored at low-temperature box for 0~12 days. Meanwhile, a double-layer stacked denoising autoencoder neural network (SDAE-NN) algorithm was introduced to establish the prediction model without spectral pre-preprocessing. The results showed that, compared with the common methods such as partial least squares regression (PLSR) and back propagation neural network (BP-NN), the SDAE-NN method had a better performance due to its high efficiency in decreasing noise and optimizing the initial weights. The determination coefficient of test sets (R2test) and root mean square error of test sets (RMSEP) have been calculated based on SDAE-NN, for the salmon meat (skin), the R2test can reach 0.98 (0.92), and the RMSEP can reach 0.93 (1.75), respectively. It is highlighted that the algorithm is efficient and accurate and that the salmon meat would be more suitable for predicting freshness than the salmon skin. VIS/NIR spectroscopy combined with the SDAE-NN algorithm can be widely used to predict the freshness of various agricultural products.
Effect of Locally Manufactured Niger Seed Oil on Lipid Profile Compared to Imported Palm and Sunflower Oils on Rat Models
Authors: Mekonnen Zewdie , Gebreselema Abrha , Abere Yohannes
Published: May 2018

Background. Different types of dietary lipids have been shown to affect lipid metabolism and lipid profile differently. Objective. This study aims to assess the effect of local niger seed oil on serum lipid profile compared to palm oil and sunflower oil in rats. Methods. The effect of the 15% plant oils on serum lipid profile, body weight gain percentage, and feed efficiency ratio was assessed after 8 weeks of experimental period. Results and Conclusion. The 15% niger seed oil showed decrease and increase in the level of lipid profile as compared to rats fed with 15% palm oil and sunflower oil (except Triacylglycerol), respectively. The 15% niger seed oil showed significant decrease and increase in body weight gain percentage as compared to the 15% palm oil and 15% sunflower oil, respectively. The feed efficiency ratio was significantly higher and lower in the 15% niger seed oil compared to rats fed with 15% sunflower oil and control group and the palm oil fed rats, respectively. The current study concluded that consumption of locally manufactured niger seed oil decreased the blood lipid profiles, body weight gain percentage, and feed efficiency ratio as compared to palm oil. Utilization of oils containing more unsaturated fatty acids like niger seed oil is recommended to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Effect of Surface Structure on Electrical Performance of Industrial Diamond Wire Sawing Multicrystalline Si Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Shaoliang , Gou Xianfang , Zhou Su , Huang Junlin , Huang Qingsong , Qiu Jialiang , Xu Zheng , Shen Honglie
Published: May 2018

We report industrial fabrication of different kinds of nanostructured multicrystalline silicon solar cells via normal acid texturing, reactive ion etching (RIE), and metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) processes on diamond wire sawing wafer. The effect of different surface structure on reflectivity, lifetime, and electrical performance was systematically studied in this paper. The difference between industrial acid, RIE, and MACE textured multicrystalline silicon solar cells to our knowledge has not been investigated previously. The resulting efficiency indicates that low reflectivity surface structure with the size of 0.2–0.8 μm via RIE and MACE process do not always lead to low lifetime compared with acid texturing process. Both RIE and MACE process is promising candidate for high efficiency processes for future industrial diamond wire sawing multicrystalline silicon solar cells.