bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake on community health: ecological time series on transient increase in indirect mortality and recovery of health and long-term-care system
Authors: Uchimura Mari , Kizuki Masashi , Takano Takehito , Morita Ayako , Seino Kaoruko
Published: May 2014

Background

The objectives were to clarify the trend in the cause-specific mortality rate and changes in health and long-term-care use after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

Methods

We obtained the following data from national sources: the number of deaths by cause, age and month; the amount of healthcare insurance expenditures by type of services, age and month; the amount of long-term-care insurance expenditures by type of services, age, care need and month. We estimated increase in standardised mortality rate postearthquake compared with pre-earthquake, and change in the standardised amount of health and long-term-care insurance expenditures post-earthquake compared with pre-earthquake in three severely affected prefectures, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, by the adjustment for trends in the other prefectures.

Results

The risk of indirect mortality increased in the month of the earthquake (relative risk (RR) with 95% CI 1.20 (1.13 to 1.28) for those 60–69 years of age, 1.25 (1.17 to 1.32) for 70–79 years, and 1.33 (1.27 to 1.38) for 80 years and older). The amount of health and long-term-care insurance expenditures decreased among elderly persons in the month of the earthquake, and recovered to 95% of usual level within 1–5 months. Among cities and towns hit by tsunami, higher percentage of households flooded was associated with higher risk of indirect mortality (p<0.001), lower expenditures for outpatient medical care (p<0.001), and lower expenditures for home-care services (p<0.001).

Conclusions

This study showed transient increase in indirect mortality and recovery of health and long-term-care system after the earthquake.
Anchoring of ruthenium onto imine-functionalized zeolite beta: an efficient route for the synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyrans and pyrano[c]chromenes
Authors: Tabatabaeian Khalil , Zanjanchi Mohammad Ali , Mamaghani Manouchehr , Dadashi Ali
Published: May 2014

The synthesis and characterization of a highly efficient and reusable catalyst, ruthenium immobilized in zeolite beta, are reported. The catalyst was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, BET surface area measurements, scanning electron micrographs, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, inductive coupled plasma, and elemental analysis. The supported material was used as an efficient catalyst for the one-pot three-component synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyrans and pyrano[c]chromenes in good yields. The catalyst was separated from the reaction mixture and reused up to five runs without significant loss of activity.
The centre-of-mass energy of two colliding particles in STU black holes
Authors: Saadat Hassan
Published: May 2014

In this paper we consider the collision of two particles near an STU black hole and calculate the centre-of-mass energy. In the case of an uncharged black hole we find that the maximum energy occurs near the black hole horizon, similar to the case of a charged black hole. We confirm that black hole charge decreases the centre-of-mass energy near the black hole horizon.
DESIGN OF WIDEBAND LTE POWER AMPLIFIER WITH NOVEL DUAL STAGE LINEARIZER FOR MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
Authors: ESWARAN U. , RAMIAH H. , KANESAN J. , REZA A. W.
Published: May 2014

In this paper, a 1 mm × 1 mm fully integrated wideband dual-stage power amplifier (PA) for long-term evolution (LTE) band 1 (1920–1980 MHz) is presented. Fabricated in a 2 μm InGaP/GaAs hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) process, the operating gain is observed to be 31.3 dB. The PA meets the minimum adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) requirement of -30 dBc for LTE with 20 MHz wide channel bandwidth up to an output power of 30 dBm with the aid of a novel dual stage linearizer. Biased at low quiescent current of less than 100 mA with a headroom consumption of 3.5 V, the power added efficiency (PAE) is observed to be 38.29% at 30 dBm. With this high linear output power, the stringent requirement of antenna path loss is nullified. PA serves to be the first reported work to achieve 30 dBm linear output power at supply voltage of 3.5 V.
Bioengineering the Ovarian Follicle Microenvironment
Authors: Shea Lonnie D. , Woodruff Teresa K. , Shikanov Ariella
Published: May 2014

Chemo- and radiation therapies used to treat cancer can have the unintended effect of making patients infertile. Clinically established fertility preservation methods, such as egg and embryo cryopreservation, are not applicable to all patients, which has motivated the development of strategies that involve ovarian tissue removal and cryopreservation before the first sterilizing treatment. To restore fertility at a later date, the early-stage follicles present in the tissue must be matured to produce functional oocytes, a process that is not possible using existing cell culture technologies. This review describes the application of tissue engineering principles to promote ovarian follicle maturation and produce mature oocytes through either in vitro culture or transplantation. The design principles for these engineered systems are presented, along with identification of emerging opportunities in reproductive biology.
Noninvasive Prenatal Screening by Next-Generation Sequencing
Authors: Gregg Anthony R. , Van den Veyver Ignatia B. , Gross Susan J. , Madankumar Rajeevi , Rink Britton D. , Norton Mary E.
Published: May 2014

Noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) has emerged as a highly accurate method of screening for fetal Down syndrome, with a detection rate and specificity approaching 100%. Challenging the widespread use of this technology are cost and the paradigm shift in counseling that accompanies any emerging technology. The expense of the test is expected to decrease with increased utilization, and well beyond the current NIPS technology, its components (fetal genome measurements, sequencing technology, and bioinformatics) will be utilized alone or in combinations to interrogate the fetal genome. The end goal is simple: to offer patients information early in pregnancy about fetal genomes without incurring procedural risks. This will allow patients an opportunity to make informed reproductive and pregnancy management decisions based on precise fetal genomic information.
The Medium Is the Message: Interspecies and Interkingdom Signaling by Peptidoglycan and Related Bacterial Glycans
Authors: Dworkin Jonathan
Published: May 2014

Peptidoglycan serves as a key structure of the bacterial cell by determining cell shape and providing resistance to internal turgor pressure. However, in addition to these essential and well-studied functions, bacterial signaling by peptidoglycan fragments, or muropeptides, has been demonstrated by recent work. Actively growing bacteria release muropeptides as a consequence of cell wall remodeling during elongation and division. Therefore, the presence of muropeptide synthesis is indicative of growth-promoting conditions and may serve as a broadly conserved signal for nongrowing cells to reinitiate growth. In addition, muropeptides serve as signals between bacteria and eukaryotic organisms during both pathogenic and symbiotic interactions. The increasingly appreciated role of the microbiota in metazoan organisms suggests that muropeptide signaling likely has important implications for homeostatic mammalian physiology.
Epigenetic Mechanisms Affecting Regulation of Energy Balance: Many Questions, Few Answers
Authors: Waterland Robert A.
Published: May 2014

Extensive human and animal model data show that nutrition and other environmental influences during critical periods of embryonic, fetal, and early postnatal life can affect the development of body weight regulatory pathways, with permanent consequences for risk of obesity. Epigenetic processes are widely viewed as a leading mechanism to explain the lifelong persistence of such “developmental programming” of energy balance. Despite meaningful progress in recent years, however, significant research obstacles impede our ability to test this hypothesis. Accordingly, this review attempts to summarize progress toward answering the following outstanding questions: Is epigenetic dysregulation a major cause of human obesity? In what cells/tissues is epigenetic regulation most important for energy balance? Does developmental programming of human body weight regulation occur via epigenetic mechanisms? Do epigenetic mechanisms have a greater impact on food intake or energy expenditure? Does epigenetic inheritance contribute to transgenerational patterns of obesity? In each case, significant obstacles and suggested approaches to surmounting them are elaborated.
Breast Milk Oligosaccharides: Structure-Function Relationships in the Neonate
Authors: Smilowitz Jennifer T. , Lebrilla Carlito B. , Mills David A. , German J. Bruce , Freeman Samara L.
Published: May 2014

In addition to providing complete postnatal nutrition, breast milk is a complex biofluid that delivers bioactive components for the growth and development of the intestinal and immune systems. Lactation is a unique opportunity to understand the role of diet in shaping the intestinal environment including the infant microbiome. Of considerable interest is the diversity and abundance of milk glycans that are energetically costly for the mammary gland to produce yet indigestible by infants. Milk glycans comprise free oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, glycopeptides, and glycolipids. Emerging technological advances are enabling more comprehensive, sensitive, and rapid analyses of these different classes of milk glycans. Understanding the impact of inter- and intraindividual glycan diversity on function is an important step toward interventions aimed at improving health and preventing disease. This review discusses the state of technology for glycan analysis and how specific structure-function knowledge is enhancing our understanding of early nutrition in the neonate.
Governing Principles Can Guide Fungicide-Resistance Management Tactics
Authors: Bosch Frank van den , Oliver Richard , Berg Femke van den , Paveley Neil
Published: May 2014

Fungicide-resistance management would be more effective if principles governing the selection of resistant strains could be determined and validated. Such principles could then be used to predict whether a proposed change to a fungicide application program would decrease selection for resistant strains. In this review, we assess a governing principle that appears to have good predictive power. The principle states that reducing the product of the selection coefficient (defined as the difference between the per capita rate of increase of the sensitive and resistant strains) and the exposure time of the pathogen to the fungicide reduces the selection for resistance. We show that observations as well as modeling studies agree with the predicted effect (i.e., that a specific change to a fungicide program increased or decreased selection or was broadly neutral in its effect on selection) in 84% of the cases and that only 5% of the experimental results contradict predictions. We argue that the selection coefficient and exposure time principle can guide the development of resistance management tactics.
(When) Do Organizations Have Social Capital?
Authors: Sorenson Olav , Rogan Michelle
Published: May 2014

Interorganizational relationships connect people affiliated with organizations rather than corporate actors themselves. The managers and owners of organizations therefore do not always control these connections and consequently often cannot profit from them. We discuss the circumstances under which individuals (versus organizations) own these relationships (and therefore also the social capital generated by them). Three factors increase the odds of individual ownership: (a) the extent to which the resources valued by alters belong to the individual (rather than the organization), (b) the degree to which alters feel greater indebtedness to the individual than to the organization, and (c) the extent to which relationships involve emotional attachment. We discuss the implications of the locus of ownership, argue that these distinctions can help explain many results that appear inconsistent on the surface, and call for future research to pay closer attention to these issues.
Consumption of a Western-style diet during pregnancy impairs offspring islet vascularization in a Japanese macaque model
Authors: Pound Lynley D. , Comstock Sarah M. , Grove Kevin L.
Published: May 2014

Children exposed to a maternal Western-style diet in utero have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Understanding the mechanisms and an investigation of possible interventions are critical to reversing this phenomenon. We examined the impact of maternal Western-style diet consumption on the development of islet vascularization and innervation, both of which are critical to normal islet function, in fetal and juvenile offspring. Furthermore, we assessed whether improved dietary intake or resveratrol supplementation could ameliorate the harmful consequences of Western-style diet consumption during pregnancy. Adult female Japanese macaques were maintained on a control or Western-style diet for 4–7 yr. One cohort of dams was switched back onto a control diet, whereas another cohort received resveratrol supplementation throughout gestation. Pregnancies were terminated in the early third trimester by C-section, or offspring were born naturally and sent to necropsy at 1 yr of age. Western-style diet consumption resulted in impaired fetal islet capillary density and sympathetic islet innervation. Furthermore, this reduction in vascularization persisted in the juvenile offspring. This effect is independent of changes in the expression of key angiogenic markers. Diet reversal normalized islet vascularization to control offspring levels, whereas resveratrol supplementation caused a significant increase in capillary density above controls. These data provide a novel mechanism by which maternal Western-style diet consumption leads to increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in the offspring. Importantly, an improved maternal diet may mitigate these harmful effects. However, until the long-term consequences of increased vascularization can be determined, resveratrol use during pregnancy is not advised.
Elevated Red Blood Cell Distribution Width as a Simple Prognostic Factor in Patients with Symptomatic Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Lee Hyewon , Kong Sun-Young , Sohn Ji Yeon , Shim Hyoeun , Youn Hye Sun , Lee Sangeun , Kim Hyun Ju , Eom Hyeon-Seok
Published: May 2014

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a parameter reported in complete blood cell count tests, and has been reported as an inflammatory biomarker. Multiple myeloma (MM) is known to be associated with inflammatory microenvironments. However, the importance of RDW has been seldom studied in MM. For this study, 146 symptomatic myeloma patients with available RDW at diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed, and their characteristics were compared between two groups, those with high (>14.5%) and normal (≤14.5%) RDW. RDW was correlated to hemoglobin, MM stage,β2-microglobulin, M-protein, bone marrow plasma cells, and cellularity (P<0.001). During induction, overall response rates of the two groups were similar (P=0.195); however, complete response rate was higher in the normal-RDW group than it was in the high-RDW group (P=0.005). With a median follow-up of 47 months, the normal-RDW group showed better progression-free survival (PFS) (24.2 versus 17.0 months,P=0.029) compared to the high-RDW group. Overall survival was not different according to the RDW level (P=0.236). In multivariate analysis, elevated RDW at diagnosis was a poor prognostic factor for PFS (HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.24–8.32) after adjustment with other myeloma-related prognostic factors. RDW would be a simple and immediately available biomarker of symptomatic MM, reflecting the systemic inflammation.
Exosome in Tumour Microenvironment: Overview of the Crosstalk between Normal and Cancer Cells
Authors: Roma-Rodrigues Catarina , Fernandes Alexandra R. , Baptista Pedro Viana
Published: May 2014

Cancer development is a multistep process in which exosomes play important roles. Exosomes are small vesicles formed in vesicular bodies in the endosomal network. The major role of exosomes seems to be the transport of bioactive molecules between cells. Depending on the cell of origin, exosomes are implicated in the regulation of several cellular events, with phenotypic consequences in recipient cells. Cancer derived exosomes (CCEs) are important players in the formation of the tumour microenvironment by (i) enabling the escape of tumour cells to immunological system and help initiating the inflammatory response; (ii) acting in the differentiation of fibroblasts and mesenchymal cells into myofibroblasts; (iii) triggering the angiogenic process; and (iv) enhancing the metastatic evolution of the tumour by promoting epithelial to mesenchymal transformation of tumour cells and by preparing the tumour niche in the new anatomical location. Since the finding that exosomes content resembles that of the cell of origin, they may be regarded as suitable biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, allowing for diagnosis and prognosis via a minimal invasive procedure. Exosome involvement in cancer may open new avenues regarding therapeutics, such as vectors for targeted drug delivery.
Control of Temperature and Aluminum Fluoride Concentration Based on Model Prediction in Aluminum Electrolysis
Authors: Shuiping Zeng , Shasha Wang , Yaxing Qu
Published: May 2014

The temperature and the aluminum fluoride (AlF3) concentration of electrolyte greatly affect the current efficiency and energy consumption in aluminum electrolysis. This paper developed a new kind of algorithm to control the temperature and AlF3concentration of electrolyte for 300 kA prebake aluminum production cells by altering the setting cell voltage and the AlF3adding rate. One is liquidus model which can be used to calculate AlF3concentration of electrolyte by some technical parameters and target superheat and the other is the temperature models which can determine the required cell voltage by the technical parameters and target temperature. Consequently, the AlF3addition rate can be decided by the AlF3concentration. The temperature and AlF3concentration of electrolyte in the production are measured and the differences between the measurement and the corresponding calculation are used as feedback to correct the model. The coefficients in the model are also revised according to the external conditions. This system has been used in an aluminum company for 2 years. Both the temperature and the AlF3concentration of electrolyte can be controlled as required and the energy consumption of the aluminum production was much decreased.
Flow Measurement Model of Ultrasonic Flowmeter for Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Stratified and Annular Flows
Authors: Xing Lanchang , Hua Chenquan , Zhu Hao , Drahm Wolfgang
Published: May 2014

An error correction model for ultrasonic gas flowmeter was proposed to explore the potential of an ultrasonic flowmeter for metering gas-liquid stratified and annular flows. The gas and liquid mass flowrates could be obtained provided that the gas quality and physical prosperities were known. A single-path ultrasonic flowmeter was investigated and the error of the apparent volumetric flowrate was considered as mainly resulting from the shrinkage of the gas flow path due to the presence of a liquid phase. Fourteen void fraction models were selected for the stratified and annular flows and evaluated against experimental data. It was demonstrated that the root-mean-square error of the gas mass flowrate can be reduced from 19.0% to below 5% by employing either of Lockhart & Martinelli, Baroczy, Spedding & Chen, or Wallis void fraction models. Lockhart & Martinelli model is recommended due to its higher accuracy, simpler formulation, sounder theoretical support, and stronger immunity to pressure variation. The error correction model proposed in this work provides a basis for developing new combination measurement methods with an ultrasonic flowmeter as one component.
An Overview on Structure and Field Emission Properties of Carbon Nitride Films
Authors: Wang Qiong , Jiang Jinlong
Published: May 2014

Carbon nitride films have excellent properties and wide application prospects in the aspect of field emission properties. In this review structure characteristics and a variety of synthetic methods of carbon nitride film will be described. In the carbon nitrogen films, we mainly from the following three points: sp2/sp3 ratio, surface morphology and N content to discuss the change of field emission properties. Appropriate sp2/sp3 (about 1.0–1.25) ratio, N content (about 8 at.%–10 at.%), and rough surfaces will strengthen the field emission properties.
IL-6 Impairs Myogenic Differentiation by Downmodulation of p90RSK/eEF2 and mTOR/p70S6K Axes, without Affecting AKT Activity
Authors: Pelosi Michele , De Rossi Manuela , Barberi Laura , Musarò Antonio
Published: May 2014

IL-6 is a multifaceted pleiotropic cytokine, which is produced by a variety of cell types and targets different cells and tissues. In physiological conditions, IL-6 can be locally and transiently produced by skeletal muscle and plays an important role in muscle homeostasis. Circulating IL-6 levels are normally very low or undetectable but are dramatically increased in several pathologic conditions. In this study, we aimed to define the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of IL-6 on myogenic program. We explored the molecular mechanisms through which exogenous IL-6, or the conditioned medium from the murine C-26 adenocarcinoma cells (a cellular model that secretes high levels of IL-6 and induces cancer cachexia in mice), interferes with the myogenic program. Our study revealed that IL-6 induces the activation of the Stat3 signaling and promotes the downmodulation of the p90RSK/eEF2 and mTOR/p70S6K axes, while it does not affect the activation of AKT. We thus identified potential molecular mediators of the inhibitory effects of IL-6 on myogenic program.
Effects of Nigella sativa (Habbatus sauda) Oil and Nicotine Chronic Treatments on Sperm Parameters and Testis Histological Features of Rats
Authors: Cho Ping Ng , Hashim Noor Hashida , Hasan Adli Durriyyah Sharifah
Published: May 2014

Twenty‐four Sprague-Dawley male rats (7–9 weeks old, 200–250 g) were divided into Nicotine (N) (0.5 mg/100 g body weight (BW), Nicotine Control (NC) (saline, 0.1 mL/100 g BW), Habbatus sauda oil (HS) (6.0 μL/100 g BW), and Habbatus sauda Control (HSC) (corn oil, 0.1 mL/100 g BW) groups and treated for 100 days. Sperm parameters and seminiferous tubules measurements were evaluated. The N showed a significantly lower sperm motility (1.03 ± 0.05 × 106 sperm/mL) and percentage of normal (82.61 ± 0.03%) and live (93.88 ± 0.01%) sperm, higher value for the seminiferous tubule (253.36 ± 1.83 μm) and lumen (100.15 ± 2.38 μm) diameters and spermatogonia (19.85 ± 0.39 μm) and spermatocytes (33.37 ± 0.59 μm) layers, and thinner spermatid‐sperm layer (22.14 ± 0.71 μm) than the NC (P < 0.05). The HS had significantly higher sperm motility (1.49 ± 0.04 × 106 sperm/mL) and percentage of normal (90.61 ± 0.01%) and live (96.98 ± 0.01%) sperm, smaller lumen diameter (67.53 ± 2.34 μm) and thinner spermatogonia (17.67 ± 0.32 μm) and wider spermatid‐sperm (36.95 ± 0.79 μm) layers than the HSC (P < 0.05). This research confirmed that nicotine reduced sperm motility and morphology of normal and live sperms and also affected the testis histology, while Habbatus sauda oil increased sperm quality and gave better testis histological features.
The Promotion of the Efficiency of Organic Photovoltaic Devices by Addition of Anisotropic CdSe Nanocrystals
Authors: Chung Shu-Ru , Chen Hong-Shuo , Chien Chen-Yu , Bai Meng-Yi , Wang Kuan-Wen
Published: May 2014

CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) with different morphologies have been synthesized and applied as the acceptor in the active layer of the organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. CdSe tetrapod (TP)/nanorod (NR) with zinc-blended seeds and wurtzite arms is prepared by seed growth method and mixed with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). When the concentrations of CdSe in P3HT: PCBM system are 50 wt% optimally, the efficiency can be promoted about 4.3%, suggesting that an enhancement of 13.2% can be obtained and the addition of anisotropic CdSe NCs content in the active layer can be beneficial for the transport of electrons and light absorption in the OPV devices.
Estimates of Initial Coefficients for Bi-Univalent Functions
Authors: Zaprawa Paweł
Published: May 2014

We consider the Fekete-Szegö inequalities for classes which were defined by Murugusundaramoorthy et al. (2013). These inequalities will result in bounds of the third coefficient which are better than these obtained by Murugusundaramoorthy et al. (2013). Moreover, we discuss two other classes of bi-univalent functions. The estimates of initial coefficients in these classes are obtained.
Levitin-Polyak Well-Posedness of an Equilibrium-Like Problem in Banach Spaces
Authors: Deng Ru-liang
Published: May 2014

The concept of Levitin-Polyak well-posedness of an equilibrium-like problem in Banach spaces is introduced. Under suitable conditions, some characterizations of its Levitin-Polyak well-posedness are established. Some conditions under which an equilibrium-like problem in Banach spaces is Levitin-Polyak well-posed are also derived.
Prediction of Methotrexate Clinical Response in Portuguese Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Implication ofMTHFRrs1801133 andATICrs4673993 Polymorphisms
Authors: Lima Aurea , Monteiro Joaquim , Bernardes Miguel , Sousa Hugo , Azevedo Rita , Seabra Vitor , Medeiros Rui
Published: May 2014

Objective.Methotrexate (MTX), the most used drug in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, showing variability in clinical response, is often associated with genetic polymorphisms. This study aimed to elucidate the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and aminoimidazole carboxamide adenosine ribonucleotide transformylase (ATIC) T675C polymorphisms and clinicopathological variables in clinical response to MTX in Portuguese RA patients.Methods.Study included 233 RA patients treated with MTX for at least six months.MTHFRC677T andATICT675C polymorphisms were genotyped and clinicopathological variables were collected. Statistical analyses were performed and binary logistic regression method adjusted to possible confounding variables.Results.Multivariate analyses demonstrated thatMTHFR677TT (OR = 4.63;P=0.013) andATIC675T carriers (OR = 5.16;P=0.013) were associated with over 4-fold increased risk for nonresponse. For clinicopathological variables, noncurrent smokers (OR = 7.98;P=0.001), patients positive to anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (OR = 3.53;P=0.004) and antinuclear antibodies (OR = 2.28;P=0.045), with higher health assessment questionnaire score (OR = 2.42;P=0.007), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug users (OR = 2.77;P=0.018) were also associated with nonresponse. Contrarily, subcutaneous administration route (OR = 0.11;P<0.001) was associated with response.Conclusion.Our study suggests thatMTHFRC677T andATICT675C genotyping combined with clinicopathological data may help to identify patients whom will not benefit from MTX treatment and, therefore, assist clinicians in personalizing RA treatment.
Direction Finding Using Multiple Sum and Difference Patterns in 4D Antenna Arrays
Authors: Zhu Quanjiang , Yang Shiwen , Yao Ruilin , Nie Zaiping
Published: May 2014

Traditional monopulse systems used for direction finding usually face the contradiction between high angle precision and wide angle-searching field, and a compromise has to be made. In this paper, the time modulation technique in four-dimensional (4D) antenna array is introduced into the conventional phase-comparison monopulse to form a novel direction-finding system, in which both high angle resolution and wide field-of-view are realized. The full 4D array is divided into two subarrays and the differential evolution (DE) algorithm is used to optimize the time sequence of each subarray to generate multibeams at the center frequency and low sidebands. Then the multibeams of the two subarrays are phase-compared with each other and multiple pairs of sum-difference beams are formed at different sidebands and point to different spatial angles. The proposed direction-finding system covers a large field-of-view of up to ±60° and simultaneously maintains the advantages of monopulse systems, such as high angle precision and low computation complexity. Theoretical analysis and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed system.
A Hazardous Chemical-Oriented Monitoring and Tracking System Based on Sensor Network
Authors: Tan Qiulin , Zhang Yang , Zhang Xiaofei , Pei Xiangdong , Xiong Jijun , Xue Chenyang , Liu Jun , Zhang Wendong
Published: May 2014

We present a monitoring and tracking system for storage and transportation of chemicals. In accord with the standards and regulations of transport vehicles for hazardous chemicals, an overall structure-function diagram for vehicle monitoring and a pre-warning system were proposed by integrating various technologies such as computer modeling, control theory, multisensor data fusion, communication science, space positioning, and safety management science. Transportation experiments performed on sea and land demonstrated that the monitoring and tracking system is feasible with high precision, in which an amount of system state data was collected by different kinds of sensors group. Once sensor-derived signals were detected, the signals would be fused and transmitted to the master monitor center via a high precision and large-scale wireless communication network. The designed tracking and localizing system displayed good monitoring ability and adequately satisfied technical requirements.
Fluorine Substituted 1,2,4-Triazinones as Potential Anti-HIV-1 and CDK2 Inhibitors
Authors: Makki Mohammed S. I. , Abdel-Rahman Reda M. , Khan Khalid A.
Published: May 2014

Fluorine substituted 1,2,4-triazinones have been synthesized via alkylation, amination, and/or oxidation of 6-(2-amino-5-fluorophenyl)-3-thioxo-3,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-one1and 4-fluoro-N-(4-fluoro-2-(5-oxo-3-thioxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazin-6-yl)phenyl)benzamide5as possible anti-HIV-1 and CDK2 inhibitors. Alkylation on positions 2 and 4 in 1,2,4-triazinone gave compounds6–8. Further modification was performed by selective alkylation and amination on position 3 to form compounds9–15. However oxidation of5yielded compounds16–18. Structures of the target compounds have been established by spectral analysis data. Five compounds (5, 11, 14, 16, and17) have shown very good anti-HIV activity in MT-4 cells. Similarly, five compounds (1, 3, and14–16) have exhibited very significant CDK2 inhibition activity. Compounds14and16were found to have dual anti-HIV and anticancer activities.
Acellular Dermal Matrices and Radiotherapy in Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature
Authors: Valdatta Luigi , Cattaneo Anna Giulia , Pellegatta Igor , Scamoni Stefano , Minuti Anna , Cherubino Mario
Published: May 2014

The increasing use of commercially available acellular dermis matrices for postmastectomy breast reconstruction seems to have simplified the surgical procedure and enhanced the outcome. These materials, generally considered to be highly safe or with only minor contraindications due to the necessary manipulation in preparatory phases, allow an easier one-phase surgical procedure, in comparison with autologous flaps, offering a high patient satisfaction. Unfortunately, the claim for a higher rate of complications associated with irradiation at the implant site, especially when the radiation therapy was given before the reconstructive surgery, suggested a careful behaviour when this technique is preferred. However, this hypothesis was never submitted to a crucial test, and data supporting it are often discordant or incomplete. To provide a comprehensive analysis of the field, we searched and systematically reviewed papers published after year 2005 and registered clinical trials. On the basis of a meta-analysis of data, we conclude that the negative effect of the radiotherapy on the breast reconstruction seems to be evident even in the case of acellular dermis matrices aided surgery. However, more trials are needed to make solid conclusions and clarify the poor comprehension of all the factors negatively influencing outcome.
A New Proposal of Cellulosic Ethanol to Boost Sugarcane Biorefineries: Techno-Economic Evaluation
Authors: Albarelli Juliana Q. , Ensinas Adriano V. , Silva Maria A.
Published: May 2014

Commercial simulator Aspen Plus was used to simulate a biorefinery producing ethanol from sugarcane juice and second generation ethanol production using bagasse fine fraction composed of parenchyma cells (P-fraction). Liquid hot water and steam explosion pretreatment technologies were evaluated. The processes were thermal and water integrated and compared to a biorefinery producing ethanol from juice and sugarcane bagasse. The results indicated that after thermal and water integration, the evaluated processes were self-sufficient in energy demand, being able to sell the surplus electricity to the grid, and presented water intake inside the environmental limit for São Paulo State, Brazil. The processes that evaluated the use of the bagasse fine fraction presented higher economic results compared with the use of the entire bagasse. Even though, due to the high enzyme costs, the payback calculated for the biorefineries were higher than 8 years for all cases that considered second generation ethanol and the net present value for the investment was negative. The reduction on the enzyme load, in a way that the conversion rates could be maintained, is the limiting factor to make second generation ethanol competitive with the most immediate uses of bagasse: fuel for the cogeneration system to surplus electricity production.
Potent Stimulation of Blood Flow in Fingers of Volunteers after Local Short‐Term Treatment with Low‐Frequency Magnetic Fields from a Novel Device
Authors: Funk Richard H. W. , Knels Lilla , Augstein Antje , Marquetant Rainer , Dertinger Hermann F.
Published: May 2014

A novel hand‐held low‐frequency magnetic stimulator (MagCell‐SR) was tested for its ability to stimulate microcirculation in fingers of healthy volunteers. Blood flow during and after 5 minutes exposure was quantified using Laser Doppler Perfusion Imaging Technique. The device was positioned between the wrist and the dorsal part of the backhand. Because the increase in blood flow could be caused by a release of nitric oxide (NO) from the vascular endothelial cells we tested NO production with a fluorescence marker and quantified the measurements in cell cultures of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC). Exposure increased blood flow significantly, persisted several minutes, and then disappeared gradually. In order to assess the effect of a static magnetic field, the measurements were also carried out with the device shutoff. Here, only a small increase in blood flow was noted. The application of the rotating MagCell‐SR to the HUVEC cultures leads to a rapid onset and a significant increase of NO release after 15 minutes. Thus, frequencies between 4 and 12 Hz supplied by the device improve microcirculation significantly. Therefore, this device can be used in all clinical situations where an improvement of the microcirculation is useful like in chronic wound healing deficits.
NGF Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing by Promoting the Migration of Dermal Fibroblasts via the PI3K/Akt-Rac1-JNK and ERK Pathways
Authors: Chen Ji-Cai , Lin Bei-Bei , Hu Hou-Wen , Lin Cai , Jin Wen-Yang , Zhang Fa-Biao , Zhu Yan-An , Lu Cai-Jiao , Wei Xiao-Jie , Chen Rui-Jie
Published: May 2014

As a well-known neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor (NGF) has also been extensively recognized for its acceleration of healing in cutaneous wounds in both animal models and randomized clinical trials. However, the underlying mechanisms accounting for the therapeutic effect of NGF on skin wounds are not fully understood. NGF treatment significantly accelerated the rate of wound healing by promoting wound reepithelialization, the formation of granulation tissue, and collagen production. To explore the possible mechanisms of this process, the expression levels of CD68, VEGF, PCNA, and TGF-β1 in wounds were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The levels of these proteins were all significantly raised in NGF-treated wounds compared to untreated controls. NGF also significantly promoted the migration, but not the proliferation, of dermal fibroblasts. NGF induced a remarkable increase in the activity of PI3K/Akt, JNK, ERK, and Rac1, and blockade with their specific inhibitors significantly impaired the NGF-induced migration. In conclusion, NGF significantly accelerated the healing of skin excisional wounds in rats and the fibroblast migration induced by NGF may contribute to this healing process. The activation of PI3K/Akt, Rac1, JNK, and ERK were all involved in the regulation of NGF-induced fibroblast migration.
Altruistic Backoff: Collision Avoidance for Receiver-Initiated MAC Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Fafoutis Xenofon , Orfanidis Charalampos , Dragoni Nicola
Published: May 2014

In receiver-initiated medium access control (MAC) protocols for wireless sensor networks, communication is initiated by the receiver node which transmits beacons indicating its availability to receive data. In the case of multiple senders having traffic for a given receiver, such beacons form points where collisions are likely to happen. In this paper, we present altruistic backoff (AB), a novel collision avoidance mechanism that aims to avoid collisions before the transmission of a beacon. As a result of an early backoff, senders spend less time in idle listening waiting for a beacon, thus saving significant amounts of energy. We present an implementation of AB for Texas Instruments' eZ430-rf2500 sensor nodes and we evaluate its performance with simulations and experiments.
Xanthine Oxidase Activity Is Associated with Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease and Inflammatory and Oxidative Status Markers in Metabolic Syndrome: Effects of a Single Exercise Session
Authors: Feoli Ana Maria Pandolfo , Macagnan Fabrício Edler , Piovesan Carla Haas , Bodanese Luiz Carlos , Siqueira Ionara Rodrigues
Published: May 2014

Objective. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in metabolic syndrome in subjects submitted to a single exercise session. We also investigated parameters of oxidative and inflammatory status.Materials/Methods. A case-control study (9 healthy and 8 MS volunteers) was performed to measure XO, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase activities, lipid peroxidation, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) content, glucose levels, and lipid profile. Body mass indices, abdominal circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and TG levels were also determined. The exercise session consisted of 3 minutes of stretching, 3 minutes of warm-up, 30 minutes at a constant dynamic workload at a moderate intensity, and 3 minutes at a low speed. The blood samples were collected before and 15 minutes after the exercise session.Results.Serum XO activity was higher in MS group compared to control group. SOD activity was lower in MS subjects. XO activity was correlated with SOD, abdominal circumference, body mass indices, and hsCRP. The single exercise session reduced the SOD activity in the control group.Conclusions. Our data support the association between oxidative stress and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and suggest XO is present in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome.
Three-DimensionalIn VitroModels of Granuloma to Study Bacteria-Host Interactions, Drug-Susceptibility, and Resuscitation of Dormant Mycobacteria
Authors: Fitzgerald Liam E. , Abendaño Naiara , Juste Ramon A. , Alonso-Hearn Marta
Published: May 2014

Mycobacterium tuberculosis,Mycobacterium leprae,Mycobacterium bovis,andMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosiscan survive within host macrophages in a dormant state, encased within an organized aggregate of immune host cells called granuloma. Granulomas consist of uninfected macrophages, foamy macrophages, epithelioid cells, and T lymphocytes accumulated around infected macrophages. Within granulomas, activated macrophages can fuse to form multinucleated giant cells, also called giant Langhans cells. A rim of T lymphocytes surrounds the core, and a tight coat of fibroblast closes the structure. Severalin vivomodels have been used to study granuloma’s structure and function, but recently developedin vitromodels of granuloma show potential for closer observation of the early stages of host’s responses to live mycobacteria. This paper reviews culture conditions that resulted in three-dimensional granulomas, formed by the adhesion of cell populations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with mycobacteria. The similarities of these models to granulomas encountered in clinical specimens include cellular composition, granulomas’ cytokine production, and cell surface antigens. A reliablein vitrodormancy model may serve as a useful platform to test whether drug candidates can kill dormant mycobacteria. Novel drugs that target dormancy-specific pathways may shorten the current long, difficult treatments necessary to cure mycobacterial diseases.
Surgical Orthodontic Treatment of an Impacted Canine in the Presence of Dens Invaginatus and Follicular Cyst
Authors: Spallarossa Marialuce , Canevello Carola , Silvestrini Biavati Francesca , Laffi Nicola
Published: May 2014

Introduction. “Dens invaginatus” is a dental anomaly which originates from the invagination of the ameloblastic epithelium into the lingual surface of the dental crown during the odontogenesis. It can cause early pulpal necrosis, abscesses, retention or dislocation of contiguous elements, cysts, and internal resorptions. It normally affects the upper lateral incisors. In the following study the authors will discuss the etiology, the physiopathology, and the surgical-orthodontic management of a rare case of impacted canine associated with dens invaginatus and follicular cyst, with the aim of highlighting the importance of taking any therapeutic decision based on the data available in the literature.Case Report. The present study describes a combined surgical-orthodontic treatment of an impacted canine associated with a lateral incisor (2.2) suffering from type III dens invaginatus with radicular cyst, in a 15-year-old patient.Discussion. When treating a dens invaginatus there are different therapeutic solutions: they depend on the gravity of the anomaly and on the association with the retention of a permanent tooth. The aesthetic and functional restoration becomes extremely important when performing a surgical-orthodontic repositioning.
The Optimal Selection for Restricted Linear Models with Average Estimator
Authors: Xie Qichang , Du Meng
Published: May 2014

The essential task of risk investment is to select an optimal tracking portfolio among various portfolios. Statistically, this process can be achieved by choosing an optimal restricted linear model. This paper develops a statistical procedure to do this, based on selecting appropriate weights for averaging approximately restricted models. The method of weighted average least squares is adopted to estimate the approximately restricted models under dependent error setting. The optimal weights are selected by minimizing ak-class generalized information criterion (k-GIC), which is an estimate of the average squared error from the model average fit. This model selection procedure is shown to be asymptotically optimal in the sense of obtaining the lowest possible average squared error. Monte Carlo simulations illustrate that the suggested method has comparable efficiency to some alternative model selection techniques.
Adaptive Backstepping Control for a Class of Uncertain Nonaffine Nonlinear Time-Varying Delay Systems with Unknown Dead-Zone Nonlinearity
Authors: Zhou Wei-Dong , Liao Cheng-Yi , Zheng Lan
Published: May 2014

An adaptive backstepping controller is constructed for a class of nonaffine nonlinear time-varying delay systems in strict feedback form with unknown dead zone and unknown control directions. To simplify controller design, nonaffine system is first transformed into an affine system by using mean value theorem and the unknown nonsymmetric dead-zone nonlinearity is treated as a combination of a linear term and a bounded disturbance-like term. Owing to the universal approximation property, fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are employed to approximate the uncertain nonlinear part in controller design process. By introducing Nussbaum-type function, the a priori knowledge of the control gains signs is not required. By constructing appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals, the effect of time-varying delay is compensated. Theoretically, it is proved that this scheme can guarantee that all signals in closed-loop system are semiglobally uniformly ultimately bounded (SUUB) and the tracking error converges to a small neighbourhood of the origin. Finally, the simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Using Skew-Logistic Probability Density Function as a Model for Age-Specific Fertility Rate Pattern
Authors: Asili Sahar , Rezaei Sadegh , Najjar Lotfollah
Published: May 2014

Fertility rate is one of the most important global indexes. Past researchers found models which fit to age-specific fertility rates. For example, mixture probability density functions have been proposed for situations with bi-modal fertility patterns. This model is less useful for unimodal age-specific fertility rate patterns, so a model based on skew-symmetric (skew-normal) pdf was proposed by Mazzuco and Scarpa (2011) which was flexible for unimodal and bimodal fertility patterns. In this paper, we introduce skew-logistic probability density function as a better model: its residuals are less than those of the skew-normal model and it can more precisely estimate the parameters of the model.
On Teleparallel Quantum Gravity in Schwarzschild Space-Time
Authors: Ulhoa S. C. , Amorim R. G. G.
Published: May 2014

We present the quantization process for Schwarzschild space-time in the context of Teleparallel gravity. In order to achieve such a goal we use the Weyl formalism that establishes a well-defined correspondence between classical quantities which are realized by functions and quantum ones which are realized by operators. In the process of quantization we introduce a fundamental constant that is used to construct what we call the quantum of matter by the imposition of periodic conditions over the eigenfunction.