bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Blood Gas Predictors of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns
Authors: Sriram Sudhir , Condie Joy , Schreiber Michael D. , Batton Daniel G. , Shah Bhavesh , Bose Carl , Laughon Matthew , Van Marter Linda J. , Allred Elizabeth N. , Leviton Alan
Published: May 2014

Aim. To determine among infants born before the 28th week of gestation to what extent blood gas abnormalities during the first three postnatal days provide information about the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).Methods. We studied the association of extreme quartiles of blood gas measurements (hypoxemia, hyperoxemia, hypocapnea, and hypercapnea) in the first three postnatal days, with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, among 906 newborns, using multivariable models adjusting for potential confounders. We approximated NIH criteria by classifying severity of BPD on the basis of the receipt of any O2on postnatal day 28 and at 36 weeks PMA and assisted ventilation.Results. In models that did not adjust for ventilation, hypoxemia was associated with increased risk of severe BPD and very severe BPD, while infants who had hypercapnea were at increased risk of very severe BPD only. In contrast, infants who had hypocapnea were at reduced risk of severe BPD. Including ventilation for 14 or more days eliminated the associations with hypoxemia and with hypercapnea and made the decreased risk of very severe BPD statistically significant.Conclusions. Among ELGANs, recurrent/persistent blood gas abnormalities in the first three postnatal days convey information about the risk of severe and very severe BPD.
Service Outsourcing Character Oriented Privacy Conflict Detection Method in Cloud Computing
Authors: Ke Changbo , Huang Zhiqiu , Li Weiwei , Sun Yi , Xiao Fangxiong
Published: May 2014

Cloud computing has provided services for users as a software paradigm. However, it is difficult to ensure privacy information security because of its opening, virtualization, and service outsourcing features. Therefore how to protect user privacy information has become a research focus. In this paper, firstly, we model service privacy policy and user privacy preference with description logic. Secondly, we use the pellet reasonor to verify the consistency and satisfiability, so as to detect the privacy conflict between services and user. Thirdly, we present the algorithm of detecting privacy conflict in the process of cloud service composition and prove the correctness and feasibility of this method by case study and experiment analysis. Our method can reduce the risk of user sensitive privacy information being illegally used and propagated by outsourcing services. In the meantime, the method avoids the exception in the process of service composition by the privacy conflict, and improves the trust degree of cloud service providers.
An Integrated Methodology for Supplier Selection under the Presence of Vagueness: A Case in Banking Sector, Turkey
Authors: Onut Semih , Tosun Suleyman
Published: May 2014

A supplier selection process mainly involves evaluation of different alternative suppliers based on different criteria. This process can be handled as a combination of the customer needs and the technical requirements. Also customers can be considered as the companies to purchase the suppliers’ technical expertise. Hence, this kind of relationship can be analyzed as a house of quality model typical of quality function deployment (QFD). This paper develops a supplier evaluation approach based on the analytic network process (ANP), QFD, and the technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods to help an investment bank in Turkey as a real world application. Fuzzy logic is used to capture the vagueness in people’s verbal assessments. In the first phase, matrices used to define the importance of the supplier selection criteria and the technical requirements are calculated with the fuzzy ANP method. The technical requirements and the criteria are combined in the house of quality to evaluate the relationship between them. In the second phase, fuzzy TOPSIS is used to rank the suppliers based on the weighted criteria obtained from the first phase. The study was followed by the sensitivity analysis of the results.
Papillary-Cystic Variant of Acinic Cell Carcinoma in the Lacrimal Gland
Authors: Bannister Miles , Lawson Greig
Published: May 2014

Papillary-cystic variant of acinic cell carcinoma is a rare tumour confined to salivary gland tissue. Here, we report the first case ever to manifest in a tumour affecting the lacrimal gland, a completely different tissue type, and review the current published literature on this type of tumour.
Establishment of a Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line from Indian Gutka Chewer
Authors: Patil Tejas T. , Kowtal Pradnya K. , Nikam Abhijeet , Barkume Madan S. , Patil Asawari , Kane Shubhada V. , Juvekar Aarti S. , Mahimkar Manoj B. , Kayal Jyoti J.
Published: May 2014

CD cell line has been established from a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of tongue. This is a first ever cell line established from an Indian gutka chewer. Cell line was characterized for morphology, ultrastructure, doubling time, expression of epithelial markers, DNA content, karyotyping, STR markers, p53 mutations, HPV status, and tumorigenicity in SCID mice with all-trans-retinoic acid and cisplatin. The epithelial phenotype of the cell line was confirmed with surface markers and ultrastructure. The cell line is hyperploid with chromosomal alterations like gain of chromosomes 8q and 11q. CD cell line shows a unique pattern on STR genotyping and carries a missense mutation R273C in TP53. It does not show genomic integration of HPV. The cells are nontumorigenic to SCID mice and show growth inhibition upon treatment with cisplatin, and all-trans-retinoic acid. This cell line may be useful as an in vitro tool to understand the molecular changes associated with oral cancers.
Existence, Uniqueness, and Stability Analysis of Impulsive Neural Networks with Mixed Time Delays
Authors: Xi Qiang , Si Jianguo
Published: May 2014

We study a class of impulsive neural networks with mixed time delays and generalized activation functions. The mixed delays include time-varying transmission delay, bounded time-varying distributed delay, and discrete constant delay in the leakage term. By using the contraction mapping theorem, we obtain a sufficient condition to guarantee the global existence and uniqueness of the solution for the addressed neural networks. In addition, a delay-independent sufficient condition for existence of an equilibrium point and some delay-dependent sufficient conditions for stability are derived, respectively, by using topological degree theory and Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method. The presented results require neither the boundedness, monotonicity, and differentiability of the activation functions nor the differentiability (even differential boundedness) of time-varying delays. Moreover, the proposed stability criteria are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMI), which can be conveniently checked by the MATLAB toolbox. Finally, an example is given to show the effectiveness and less conservativeness of the obtained results.
Wealth Share Analysis with “Fundamentalist/Chartist” Heterogeneous Agents
Authors: Xu Hai-Chuan , Zhang Wei , Xiong Xiong , Zhou Wei-Xing
Published: May 2014

We build a multiassets heterogeneous agents model with fundamentalists and chartists, who make investment decisions by maximizing the constant relative risk aversion utility function. We verify that the model can reproduce the main stylized facts in real markets, such as fat-tailed return distribution and long-term memory in volatility. Based on the calibrated model, we study the impacts of the key strategies’ parameters on investors’ wealth shares. We find that, as chartists’ exponential moving average periods increase, their wealth shares also show an increasing trend. This means that higher memory length can help to improve their wealth shares. This effect saturates when the exponential moving average periods are sufficiently long. On the other hand, the mean reversion parameter has no obvious impacts on wealth shares of either type of traders. It suggests that no matter whether fundamentalists take moderate strategy or aggressive strategy on the mistake of stock prices, it will have no different impact on their wealth shares in the long run.
Calculation of Reaction Forces in the Boiler Supports Using the Method of Equivalent Stiffness of Membrane Wall
Authors: Sertić Josip , Kozak Dražan , Samardžić Ivan
Published: May 2014

The values of reaction forces in the boiler supports are the basis for the dimensioning of bearing steel structure of steam boiler. In this paper, the application of the method of equivalent stiffness of membrane wall is proposed for the calculation of reaction forces. The method of equalizing displacement, as the method of homogenization of membrane wall stiffness, was applied. On the example of “Milano” boiler, using the finite element method, the calculation of reactions in the supports for the real geometry discretized by the shell finite element was made. The second calculation was performed with the assumption of ideal stiffness of membrane walls and the third using the method of equivalent stiffness of membrane wall. In the third case, the membrane walls are approximated by the equivalent orthotropic plate. The approximation of membrane wall stiffness is achieved using the elasticity matrix of equivalent orthotropic plate at the level of finite element. The obtained results were compared, and the advantages of using the method of equivalent stiffness of membrane wall for the calculation of reactions in the boiler supports were emphasized.
Auraptene in the Peels of Citrus kawachiensis (Kawachi Bankan) Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Inflammation in the Mouse Brain
Authors: Okuyama Satoshi , Yamamoto Kana , Mori Hirotomo , Toyoda Nobuki , Yoshimura Morio , Amakura Yoshiaki , Yoshida Takashi , Sugawara Kuniaki , Sudo Masahiko , Nakajima Mitsunari , Furukawa Yoshiko
Published: May 2014

Examination of the dried peel powder of Citrus kawachiensis, one of the citrus products of Ehime, Japan, showed that it contained naringin (NGIN; 44.02 ± 0.491 mg/g), narirutin (NRTN; 4.46 ± 0.0563 mg/g), auraptene (AUR; 4.07 ± 0.033 mg/g), and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′‐heptamethoxyflavone (HMF; 0.27 ± 0.0039 mg/g). When this dried peel powder was orally preadministered at the dose of 1.2 or 2.4 g/kg/day for 7 days into lipopolysaccharide‐ (LPS‐) injected mice, an animal model of systemic inflammation, it suppressed (1) LPS‐induced loss of body weight and abnormal behavior in the open field, (2) LPS‐induced activation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus, and (3) LPS‐induced expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2, which were coexpressed in astrocytes of these mice. When NGIN or AUR was preadministered to LPS‐injected mice at an amount similar to that in the peel powder, AUR, but not NGIN, had the ability to suppress the LPS‐induced inflammation in the brain of these model mice. The dried powder of flavedo tissue (the outer colored layer of the mesocarp of a citrus fruit) and juice, which contained sufficient amounts of AUR, also had anti‐inflammatory effect. These results suggest that AUR was the main ingredient responsible for the anti‐inflammatory property of the dried peels of C. kawachiensis.
Prostate Cancer in South Africa: Pathology Based National Cancer Registry Data (1986–2006) and Mortality Rates (1997–2009)
Authors: Babb Chantal , Urban Margaret , Kielkowski Danuta , Kellett Patricia
Published: May 2014

Prostate cancer is one of the most common male cancers globally; however little is known about prostate cancer in Africa. Incidence data for prostate cancer in South Africa (SA) from the pathology based National Cancer Registry (1986–2006) and data on mortality (1997–2009) from Statistics SA were analysed. World standard population denominators were used to calculate age specific incidence and mortality rates (ASIR and ASMR) using the direct method. Prostate cancer was the most common male cancer in all SA population groups (excluding basal cell carcinoma). There are large disparities in the ASIR between black, white, coloured, and Asian/Indian populations: 19, 65, 46, and 19 per 100 000, respectively, and ASMR was 11, 7, 52, and 6 per 100 000, respectively. Prostate cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death, accounting for around 13% of male deaths from a cancer. The average age at diagnosis was 68 years and 74 years at death. For SA the ASIR increased from 16.8 in 1986 to 30.8 in 2006, while the ASMR increased from 12.3 in 1997 to 16.7 in 2009. There has been a steady increase of incidence and mortality from prostate cancer in SA.
Comparative Investigation on Brazing Behavior, Compressive Strength, and Wear Properties of Multicrystalline CBN Abrasive Grains
Authors: Ding Wen-Feng , Zhu Ye-Jun , Xu Jiu-Hua , Su Hong-Hua
Published: May 2014

In order to fabricate the abrasive wheels with good grain self-sharpening capacity, two types of multicrystalline CBN grains, that is, polycrystalline CBN (PCBN) and binderless CBN (BCBN), were brazed using Cu-Sn-Ti alloy, respectively. Comparative investigation on the brazing interface, compressive strength, and wear properties of the different grains was carried out. Results obtained show that the PCBN grains have more intricate reaction, more complicated resultants, and thicker reaction layer than the BCBN counterparts under the identical brazing conditions. Though the average compressive strength of the PCBN grains is similar to that of BCBN ones, stronger self-sharpening action by virtue of the microfracture behavior takes place with BCBN grains during grinding. As a consequence, compared to the brazed PCBN wheels and the conventional monocrystalline CBN (MCBN) ones, longer service life is obtained for the brazed BCBN wheels.
Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects ofSesbania grandifloraLeaves in Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Pajaniradje Sankar , Mohankumar Kumaravel , Pamidimukkala Ramya , Subramanian Srividya , Rajagopalan Rukkumani
Published: May 2014

Natural phytochemicals and their derivatives are good drug candidates for anticancer therapeutic approaches against multiple targets. We report here the initial findings from our studies on the anticancer properties of the leaves of the medicinal plantSesbania grandiflora. In the current study, five different solvent fractions from the leaves ofS. grandiflorawere tested on cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, HepG2, Hep-2, HCT-15, and A549. The methanolic fraction ofS. grandiflorawas found to exert potent antiproliferative effects especially in the human lung cancer cell line, A549. Caspase 3 was activated in the methanolic fraction treated A549 cells thereby leading to cell death by apoptosis. DAPI staining, DNA laddering, and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential further confirmed the apoptotic mode of cell death. The high levels of ROS intermediates as evidenced by DCF-DA staining could have played a role in the apoptotic induction. Decrease in levels of cyclin D1 and decrease in the activation of NFkB were observed in A549 cells on treatment with methanolic fraction, giving a hint on the possible mechanism of action. These results prove that the medicinal plantS. grandifloracan be explored further for promising candidate molecules to combat cancer, especially lung cancer.
An Observational Study on Early Empiric versus Culture-Directed Antifungal Therapy in Critically Ill with Intra-Abdominal Sepsis
Authors: Lee Winnie , Liew Yixin , Chlebicki Maciej Piotr , Ong Sharon , Lee Pang , Kwa Andrea
Published: May 2014

Objective.To compare early empiric antifungal treatment with culture-directed treatment in critically ill patients with intra-abdominal sepsis.Methods.A prospective observational cohort study was conducted between August 2010 and July 2011, on SICU patients admitted after surgery for gastrointestinal perforation, bowel obstruction or ischemia, malignancy and anastomotic leakages. Patients who received antifungal treatment within two days of sepsis onset were compared to patients who received culture-directed antifungal treatment in terms of mortality rate and clinical improvement. Patients’ demographics, comorbidities, severity-of-illness scores, and laboratory results were systematically collected and analysed.Results.Thirty-three patients received early empiric and 19 received culture-directed therapy. Of these, 30 from the early empiric group and 18 from culture-directed group were evaluable and analysed. Both groups had similar baseline characteristics and illness severity. Patients on empiric antifungal use had significantly lower 30-day mortality (P=0.03) as well as shorter median time to clinical improvement (P=0.025). Early empiric antifungal therapy was independently associated with survival beyond 30 days (OR 0.131, 95% CI: 0.018 to 0.966;P=0.046).Conclusion.Early empiric antifungal therapy in surgical patients with intra-abdominal sepsis was associated with reduced mortality and warrants further evaluation in randomised controlled trials.
Analysis of Heat Transfer Mechanism for Shelf Vacuum Freeze-Drying Equipment
Authors: Cheng Hong-Ping , Tsai Shian-Min , Cheng Chin-Chi
Published: May 2014

Vacuum freeze-drying technology is applicable to the process of high heat-sensitive products. Due to the long drying period and extremely low processing temperature and pressure, the uniform and efficiency of heat transfer fluid temperature in shelf are critical for product quality. Therefore, in this study, the commercial computer fluid dynamics (CFD) software, FLUENT, was utilized for three-dimension numerical simulation of the shelf vacuum freeze-drying process. The influences of different inlet and outlet positions for shelves on the uniformity of the flow rate and temperature were discussed. Moreover, it explored the impacts on the temperature gradient of shelves after heat exchange of different flow rates and low temperature materials. In order to reduce the developing time and optimize the design, the various secondary refrigerants in different plies of shelves were investigated. According to the effect of heat exchange between different flow rates and low temperature layer material shelves on the temperature gradient of shelves surface, the minimum temperature gradient was 20 L/min, and the maximum was 2.5 L/min.
The Unique Range Set of Meromorphic Functions in an Angular Domain
Authors: Xu Hong-Yan , Xuan Zu-Xing , Wang Hua
Published: May 2014

By using Tsuji's characteristic, we investigate uniqueness of meromorphic functions in an angular domain dealing with the shared set, which is different from the set of the paper (Lin et al., 2006) and obtain a series of results about the unique range set of meromorphic functions in angular domain.
Training Revising Based Traversability Analysis of Complex Terrains for Mobile Robot
Authors: Song Rui , Rong Xuewen , Li Guoliang , Li Yibin
Published: May 2014

Traversability analysis is one of the core issues in the autonomous navigation for mobile robots to identify the accessible area by the information of sensors on mobile robots. This paper proposed a model to analyze the traversability of complex terrains based on rough sets and training revising. The model described the traversability for mobile robots by traversability cost. Through the experiment, the paper gets the conclusion that traversability analysis model based on rough sets and training revising can be used where terrain features are rich and complex, can effectively handle the unstructured environment, and can provide reliable and effective decision rules in the autonomous navigation for mobile robots.
Projective Synchronization Analysis of Drive-Response Coupled Dynamical Network with Multiple Time-Varying Delays via Impulsive Control
Authors: Zheng Song
Published: May 2014

The problem of projective synchronization of drive-response coupled dynamical network with delayed system nodes and multiple coupling time-varying delays is investigated. Some sufficient conditions are derived to ensure projective synchronization of drive-response coupled network under the impulsive controller by utilizing the stability analysis of the impulsive functional differential equation and comparison theory. Numerical simulations on coupled time delay Lorenz chaotic systems are exploited finally to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.
Application of Galerkin Method to Kirchhoff Plates Stochastic Bending Problem
Authors: Júnior Cláudio Roberto Ávila da Silva , Kist Milton , Borges dos Santos Marcelo
Published: May 2014

In this paper, the Galerkin method is used to obtain approximate solutions for Kirchhoff plates stochastic bending problem with uncertainty over plates flexural rigidity coefficient. The uncertainty in the rigidity coefficient is represented by means of parameterized stochastic processes. A theorem of Lax-Milgram type, about existence and uniqueness of the theoretical solutions, is presented and used in selection of the approximate solution space. The Wiener-Askey scheme of generalized polynomials chaos (gPC) is used to model the stochastic behavior of the displacement solutions. The performance of the approximate Galerkin solution scheme developed herein is evaluated by comparing first and second order moments of the approximate solution with the same moments evaluated from Monte Carlo simulation. Rapid convergence of approximate Galerkin's solution to the first and second order moments is observed, for the problems studied herein. Results also show that using the developed Galerkin's scheme one gets adequate estimates for accrued probability function to a random variable generated by the stochastic process of displacement.
Women’s Choice of Positions during Labour: Return to the Past or a Modern Way to Give Birth? A Cohort Study in Italy
Authors: Gizzo Salvatore , Di Gangi Stefania , Noventa Marco , Bacile Veronica , Zambon Alessandra , Nardelli Giovanni Battista
Published: May 2014

Background. Childbirth medicalization has reduced the parturient’s opportunity to labour and deliver in a spontaneous position, constricting her to assume the recumbent one. The aim of the study was to compare recumbent and alternative positions in terms of labour process, type of delivery, neonatal wellbeing, and intrapartum fetal head rotation.Methods. We conducted an observational cohort study on women at pregnancy term. Primiparous women with physiological pregnancies and single cephalic fetuses were eligible for the study. We considered data about maternal-general characteristics, labour process, type of delivery, and neonatal wellbeing at birth. Patients were divided into two groups: Group-A if they spent more than 50% of labour in a recumbent position and Group-B when in alternative ones.Results. 225 women were recruited (69 in Group-A and 156 in Group-B). We found significant differences between the groups in terms of labour length, Numeric Rating Scale score and analgesia request rate, type of delivery, need of episiotomy, and fetal occiput rotation. No differences were found in terms of neonatal outcomes.Conclusion. Alternative maternal positioning may positively influence labour process reducing maternal pain, operative vaginal delivery, caesarean section, and episiotomy rate. Women should be encouraged to move and deliver in the most comfortable position.
Vector-Valued Inequalities in the Morrey Type Spaces
Authors: Wang Hua
Published: May 2014

We will obtain the strong type and weak type estimates for vector-valued analogues of classical Hardy-Littlewood maximal function, weighted maximal function, and singular integral operators in the weighted Morrey spacesLp,κ(w)when1≤p<∞and0<κ<1, and in the generalized Morrey spacesLp,Φfor1≤p<∞, whereΦis a growth function on(0,∞)satisfying the doubling condition.
Joint Estimation of DOA and Polarization with CLD Pair Cylindrical Array Based on Quaternion Model
Authors: Wang Guibao , Tao Haihong , Wang Lanmei , Zeng Cao
Published: May 2014

This paper proposes a quaternion‐ESPRIT algorithm for closed‐form estimation of direction of arrival (DOA) and polarization, using a cylindrical conformal array configuration. First, the array steering vector and the elevation are estimated using a quaternion eigenvalue decomposition of the data covariance matrix. Second, the azimuth is estimated. Finally, the polarization parameters are estimated using the relationships between the dipoles and the loops. These estimates are automatically matched. Simulation results show that the performance of quaternion method is obviously better than that of the long‐vector method.
The Effect of Silver Nanofibers on the Deformation Properties of Blood Vessels: Towards the Development of New Nanotechnologies to Prevent Rupture of Aneurysms
Authors: Gonzalez Miguel , Rivera Daniel , Marcelino Alam , Agront Gabriela , Rodriguez Rafael , Castro Miguel
Published: May 2014

An aneurysm is the result of a widening or ballooning of a portion of a blood vessel. The rupture of an aneurysm occurs when the mechanical stress acting on the inner wall exceeds the failure strength of the blood vessel. We propose an innovative approach to prevent the rupture of an aneurysm based on the use of nanotechnology to improve the strength of the blood vessel. We present results on the effect of silver nanofibers on the resistance toward deformation of blood vessels. The silver nanofibers are grown on the surface of the blood vessels. The nanofibers are 120 ± 30 nm in diameter and 2.7 ± 0.8 μm in length. The deformation per applied force of blood vessels was found to decrease from 0.15 m/N in control blood vessels to 0.003 m/N in blood vessels treated with the nanofibers. This represents an increase in the resistance towards deformation of a factor of 50. The increase in the resistance towards deformation is clinically significant since blood pressure increases by factors slightly larger than one in the human body. Treatment of blood vessels with silver nanofibers is a potential translational clinical tool for preventing rupture of aneurysms in a clinical setting.
The SIAMS-ED Trial: A National, Independent, Multicentre Study on Cardiometabolic and Hormonal Impairment of Men with Erectile Dysfunction Treated with Vardenafil
Authors: Isidori Andrea M. , Corona Giovanni , Aversa Antonio , Gianfrilli Daniele , Jannini Emmanuele A. , Foresta Carlo , Maggi Mario , Lenzi Andrea , SIAMS-ED Study Group
Published: May 2014

Increased cardiovascular risk has been associated with reduced response to proerectile drugs. The Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine (SIAMS) promoted an independent, multicenter study performed in 604 men (55 ± 12 yrs) suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) to assess multiple health outcomes and response to 6-month vardenafil challenge in a real-life setting. Overall, 30.8% men had metabolic syndrome. Cardiovascular risk stratification revealed a greater number of ED subjects with moderate risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event than the general population (P<0.01). Age-adjusted pulse pressure was positively correlated with ED severity and negatively with androgens and waist circumference (P<0.01). A decline in total testosterone was observed with increasing arterial pulse pressure (P<0.05), which was not accompanied by compensatory LH rise. Follow-up on 185 men treated with vardenafil in an nonrandomized, open, single-arm trial documented a significant rise in IIEF-5 (delta = 6.1 ± 4.8) that was maintained in men with high cardiovascular risk. Mild adverse events occurred in <5%, with no differences between cardiovascular risk classes. In summary, ED is a frequent symptom in patients with an elevated, but often unknown, risk of future cardiovascular events. Androgens predict vascular resistance in ED patients. Vardenafil’s response and safety profile were preserved in subjects with higher cardiovascular risk.
The Antiacetylcholinesterase and Antileishmanial Activities ofCanarium patentinerviumMiq.
Authors: Mogana R. , Adhikari A. , Debnath S. , Hazra S. , Hazra B. , Teng-Jin K. , Wiart C.
Published: May 2014

In continuation of our natural and medicinal research programme on tropical rainforest plants, a bioassay guided fractionation of ethanolic extract of leaves ofCanarium patentinerviumMiq. (Burseraceae Kunth.) led to the isolation of scopoletin(1), scoparone(2), (+)-catechin(3), vomifoliol(4), lioxin(5), and syringic acid(6). All the compounds exhibited antiacetylcholinesterase activity with syringic acid, a phenolic acid exhibiting good AChE inhibition (IC5029.53 ± 0.19 μg/mL). All compounds displayed moderate antileishmanial activity with scopoletin having the highest antileishmanial activity (IC50163.30 ± 0.32 μg/mL). Given the aforementioned evidence, it is tempting to speculate thatCanarium patentinerviumMiq. represents an exciting scaffold from which to develop leads for treatment of neurodegenerative and parasitic diseases.
Blind Image Restoration via the Integration of Stochastic and Deterministic Methods
Authors: Li Yi-bing , Fu Qiang , Ye Fang , Wu Qi-di
Published: May 2014

This paper addresses the image restoration problem which remains a significant field of image processing.
The fields of experts‐ (FoE‐) based image restoration has been discussed and some open issues including noise estimation and parameter selection have been approached. The stochastic method FoE performs fairly well; meanwhile it might also produce unsatisfactory outcome especially when the noise is grave. To improve the final performance, we introduce the integration with deterministic method K‐SVD. The FoE‐treated image has been used to obtain the dictionary, and with the help of sparse and redundant
representation over trained dictionary, the K‐SVD algorithm can dramatically solve the problem, even though the pretreated result is of poor quality under severe noise condition. The experimental results via our proposed method are demonstrated and compared in detail. Meanwhile the test results from both qualitative and quantitative aspects are given, which present the better performance over current
state‐of‐art related restoration algorithms.
Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma Presenting as Interstitial Lung Disease
Authors: Khojeini Elham Vali , Song Joo Young
Published: May 2014

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBL) is a rare subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that resides in the lumen of blood vessels. Patients typically present with nonspecific findings, particularly bizarre neurologic symptoms, fever, and skin lesions. A woman presented with shortness of breath and a chest CT scan showed diffuse interstitial thickening and ground glass opacities suggestive of an interstitial lung disease. On physical exam she was noted to have splenomegaly. The patient died and at autopsy was found to have an IVLBL in her lungs as well as nearly all her organs that were sampled. Although rare, IVLBL should be included in the differential diagnosis of interstitial lung disease and this case underscores the importance of the continuation of autopsies.
Horizontally Differentiated Store Brands: Production Outsourcing to National Brand Manufacturers
Authors: Shindo Shun , Matsubayashi Nobuo
Published: May 2014

We study a retailer's strategic decision with regard to outsourcing the production of such types of store brands (SBs) to national brand (NB) manufacturers. The wholesale price of NB is assumed to be set by the manufacturer, while that of the SB is assumed to be set by the retailer. When a retailer outsources SB production to an NB manufacturer, the NB manufacturer might suffer from cannibalization due to offering both the SB and the NB, implying that a strategic interaction between the retailer and manufacturer is an important issue. Based on this motivation, we mainly focus on the strategy of a dominant retailer in such a situation and investigate it with a game-theoretic approach. We show that the optimal strategy for the SB retailer sensitively depends on the degree of differentiation between the SB and the NB. In particular, if both products are less differentiated, the retailer benefits from offering only the SB, and, in this case, the retailer should offer its wholesale price, after the manufacturer sets the NB wholesale price. Furthermore, it is shown that the optimal strategies of the retailer are socially efficient, if and only if the SB and the NB are sufficiently differentiated.
Lp-Approximation (p≥1) by q-Kantorovich Operators
Authors: Finta Zoltán
Published: May 2014

For a new q-Kantorovich operator we establish direct approximation theorems in the space Lp[0,1],1≤p≤∞, via Ditzian-Totik modulus of smoothness of second order.
In Vivo Imaging as a Pharmacodynamic Marker
Authors: van der Veldt Astrid A.M. , Lammertsma Adriaan A.
Published: May 2014

Although numerous anticancer drugs are widely used in the clinic, many questions remain about pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, toxicities, and efficacy. Positron emission tomography (PET) using radiolabeled drugs is a promising method to further understand the clinical behavior of anticancer agents. In addition, it may contribute to better guided treatment planning in individual patients with cancer. Among the available anticancer drugs, considerable experience has been gained with radiolabeling taxanes. At present, two radiolabeled taxanes, paclitaxel and docetaxel, are available as PET tracers. In the present review, data available for the labeled taxanes [18F]paclitaxel and [11C]docetaxel are discussed and linked to clinical observations following paclitaxel and docetaxel therapy, respectively. In addition, the review discusses the applications and the future of PET using radiolabeled drugs. Experience gained with [18F]paclitaxel and [11C]docetaxel may be extrapolated to other taxanes and may provide a framework for the development and clinical implementation of other radiolabeled anticancer drugs, even outside the taxane era.

See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Progress in Pharmacodynamic Endpoints.”

Clin Cancer Res; 20(10); 2569–77. ©2014 AACR.
Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers: Falling Short of the Mark?
Authors: Gainor Justin F. , Longo Dan L. , Chabner Bruce A.
Published: May 2014

In recent years, the clinical development of targeted therapies has been advanced by a greater understanding of tumor biology and genomics. Nonetheless, drug development remains a slow and costly process. An additional challenge is that targeted therapies may benefit only a subset of patients treated—typically those patients whose tumors are dependent on the target of interest. Thus, there is a growing need for the incorporation of both predictive and pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers in drug development. Predictive biomarkers are important to help guide patient selection, while PD biomarkers can provide information on the pharmacologic effects of a drug on its target. PD studies may provide insights into proof of mechanism (i.e., Does the agent hit its intended target?) and proof of concept (i.e., Does hitting the drug target result in the desired biologic effect?). PD studies may also provide information on the optimal biologic dosing or scheduling of a targeted agent. Herein, we review PD endpoints in the context of targeted drug development in non–small cell lung cancer, highlighting some of the key challenges encountered to date. In doing so, we discuss recent experiences with repeat tumor biopsies, surrogate tissue analysis, alternative clinical trial designs (e.g., window-of-opportunity trials), circulating biomarkers, and mechanism-based toxicity assessments. The application of such technologies and biomarkers in early clinical trials may facilitate rational drug development, while enhancing our understanding of why certain targeted therapies succeed or fail.

See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Progress in Pharmacodynamic Endpoints.”

Clin Cancer Res; 20(10); 2587–94. ©2014 AACR.
Implementation of Validated Pharmacodynamic Assays in Multiple Laboratories: Challenges, Successes, and Limitations
Authors: Kinders Robert , Ferry-Galow Kate , Wang Lihua , Srivastava Apurva K. , Ji Jiuping (Jay) , Parchment Ralph E.
Published: May 2014

There is a “life cycle” of pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarker assays that guides the development and clinical implementation in our laboratories. The well-recognized elements of analytical assay validation and demonstration of fitness-for-purpose of the biomarker, specimen collection, handling, and assay methods are only a part of the required activities. Assay transfer across laboratories and testing on actual human clinical specimens are vital for understanding assay performance and robustness. In our experience, this patient specimen-centered approach has required assay method modifications, some unexpected, but which were critical to successful implementation in clinical trials. In addition, dispersing assays throughout the National Cancer Institute's clinical trials network has required the development of calibrator and control materials as well as formal training courses for smooth implementation. One measure of success of this approach has been that a number of the assays developed at NCI's Frederick National Laboratory have ultimately reached the stage of commercialization, enabling wide accessibility of the PD biomarker assays by the research community.

See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Progress in Pharmacodynamic Endpoints.”

Clin Cancer Res; 20(10); 2578–86. ©2014 AACR.
Feedback Processing in Adolescence: An Event-Related Potential Study of Age and Gender Differences
Authors: Grose-Fifer Jillian , Migliaccio Renee , Zottoli Tina M.
Published: May 2014

Adolescence has frequently been characterized as a period of increased risk taking, which may be largely driven by maturational changes in neural areas that process incentives. To investigate age- and gender-related differences in reward processing, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) from 80 participants in a gambling game, in which monetary wins and losses were either large or small. We measured two ERP components: the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the feedback P3 (fP3). The FRN was sensitive to the size of a win in both adult (aged 23-35 years) and adolescent (aged 13-17 years) males, but not in females. Small wins appeared to be less rewarding for males than for females, which may in part explain more approach-driven behavior in males in general. Furthermore, adolescent boys showed both delayed FRNs to high losses and less differentiation in FRN amplitude between wins and losses in comparison to girls. The fP3, which is thought to index the salience of the feedback at a more conscious level than the FRN, was also larger in boys than in girls. Taken together, these results imply that higher levels of risk taking that are commonly reported in adolescent males may be driven both by hypersensitivity to high rewards and insensitivity to punishment or losses.
The Role of the Anterior Insula in Adolescent Decision Making
Authors: Smith Ashley R. , Steinberg Laurence , Chein Jason
Published: May 2014

Much recent research on adolescent decision making has sought to characterize the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the proclivity of adolescents to engage in risky behavior. One class of influential neurodevelopmental models focuses on the asynchronous development of neural systems, particularly those responsible for self-regulation and reward seeking. While this work has largely focused on the development of prefrontal (self-regulation) and striatal (reward processing) circuitry, the present article explores the significance of a different region, the anterior insular cortex (AIC), in adolescent decision making. Although the AIC is known for its role as a cognitive-emotional hub, and is included in some models of adult self-regulation and reward seeking, the importance of the AIC and its maturation in adolescent risk taking has not been extensively explored. In this article we discuss evidence on AIC development, and consider how age-related differences in AIC engagement may contribute to heightened risk taking during adolescence. Based on this review, we propose a model in which the engagement of adolescents in risk taking may be linked in part to the maturation of the AIC and its connectivity to the broader brain networks in which it participates.
Physical Activity Recommendations in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Hartman Jorine E. , Boezen H. Marike , Zuidema Menno J. , de Greef Mathieu H.G. , ten Hacken Nick H.T.
Published: May 2014

Background: Physical activity recommendations are hardly studied in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and specifically recommendations that are individualized to a patient's aerobic fitness level are not studied. Objectives: To compare individualized (relative) and nonindividualized (absolute) physical activity recommendations in patients with COPD and to assess whether there are differences between patients with mild to moderate and (very) severe COPD. Methods: We compared 7 different physical activity recommendations that were described in the literature. Four recommendations were individualized based on the patient's aerobic fitness level measured by a maximal cycle ergometer test. Three recommendations were nonindividualized. The recommendations were measured with an accelerometer, pedometer or questionnaire in 115 patients with mild to very severe COPD (68% male, mean age 65 years, mean FEV1 58% predicted). Results: The percentage of patients that met the different recommendations ranged from 22 to 86% and only 8 patients met all 7 recommendations. The agreement between the different recommendations was poor (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.28). Individualizing the recommendations resulted in a higher number of patients with severe or very severe COPD meeting the individualized recommendations compared to the nonindividualized recommendations. In contrast, patients with mild to moderate COPD less frequently met the individualized recommendations. Conclusions: Our study showed that applying various physical activity recommendations with small differences in frequency, intensity or time led to large differences in the classification of patients with COPD into being sufficiently physically active or not. Consequently, the used recommendation will highly affect the proposed physical activity advice to the patient.
Novel Algorithmic Methods in Mapping of Atrial and Ventricular Tachycardia
Authors: El Haddad Milad , Houben Richard , Stroobandt Roland , Van Heuverswyn Frederic , Tavernier Rene , Duytschaever Mattias
Published: May 2014

Background—

Conventional methods to assess local activation time (LAT) detect the peak of the bipolar electrogram (B-LAT
Peak
) or the maximal negative slope of the unipolar electrogram (U-LAT
Slope
). We evaluated 3 novel methods to assess LAT: onset (B-LAT
Onset
) and center of mass (B-LAT
CoM
) of bipolar electrogram, and maximal negative slope of unipolar electrogram within a predefined bipolar window (U-LAT
Slope-hybrid
).

Methods and Results—

In 1753 atrial tachycardia and 1426 ventricular tachycardia recordings, the performance of the methods in detecting LAT was evaluated pair-wise (eg, B-LAT
Peak
versus B-LAT
Onset
). For each comparison, histogram analysis of the differences in LAT values was performed. Variation in differences (P95-P5) in low quality (LQ) was compared with high-quality electrograms. In a separate data set (12 atrial tachycardia and 10 ventricular tachycardia), we evaluated for each method the accuracy in algorithmic activation mapping. Both in atrial tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia, the variation in difference between the conventional and novel methods was larger in LQ electrograms. In contrast, variation in difference between the novel methods was comparable in LQ and high-quality electrograms. Except for LAT
Slope-hybrid
, all methods showed decreased mapping accuracy with increasing percentage of LQ electrograms. U-LAT
Slope-hybrid
accurately mapped activation in 16 out of 22 maps (versus B-LAT
CoM
, 14; B-LAT
Peak
, 14; B-LAT
Onset
, 13; U-LAT
Slope
, 4).

Conclusions—

In LQ atrial and ventricular electrograms, the novel LAT methods (B-LAT
Onset
, B-LAT
CoM
, and U-LAT
Slope-hybrid
) show less variation than the conventional methods. The U-LAT
Slope-hybrid
, a hybrid method that accurately detects the maximal negative unipolar slope, is associated with the highest accuracy in algorithmic mapping of atrial tachycardia/ventricular tachycardia.
β-Myosin Heavy Chain Variant Val606Met Causes Very Mild Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Mice, but Exacerbates HCM Phenotypes in Mice Carrying Other HCM Mutations
Authors: Blankenburg Robert , Hackert Katarzyna , Wurster Sebastian , Deenen René , Seidman J.G. , Seidman Christine E. , Lohse Martin J. , Schmitt Joachim P.
Published: May 2014

Rationale
:

Approximately 40% of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is caused by heterozygous missense mutations in β-cardiac myosin heavy chain (β-MHC). Associating disease phenotype with mutation is confounded by extensive background genetic and lifestyle/environmental differences between subjects even from the same family.

Objective
:

To characterize disease caused by β-cardiac myosin heavy chain Val606Met substitution (VM) that has been identified in several HCM families with wide variation of clinical outcomes, in mice.

Methods and Results
:

Unlike 2 mouse lines bearing the malignant myosin mutations Arg453Cys (RC/+) or Arg719Trp (RW/+), VM/+ mice with an identical inbred genetic background lacked hallmarks of HCM such as left ventricular hypertrophy, disarray of myofibers, and interstitial fibrosis. Even homozygous VM/VM mice were indistinguishable from wild-type animals, whereas RC/RC- and RW/RW-mutant mice died within 9 days after birth. However, hypertrophic effects of the VM mutation were observed both in mice treated with cyclosporine, a known stimulator of the HCM response, and compound VM/RC heterozygous mice, which developed a severe HCM phenotype. In contrast to all heterozygous mutants, both systolic and diastolic function of VM/RC hearts was severely impaired already before the onset of cardiac remodeling.

Conclusions
:

The VM mutation per se causes mild HCM-related phenotypes; however, in combination with other HCM activators it exacerbates the HCM phenotype. Double-mutant mice are suitable for assessing the severity of benign mutations.
Disentangling the Pelomedusa complex using type specimens and historical DNA (Testudines: Pelomedusidae)
Authors: FRITZ UWE , PETZOLD ALICE , KEHLMAIER CHRISTIAN , KINDLER CAROLIN , CAMPBELL PATRICK , HOFMEYR MARGARETHA D. , BRANCH WILLIAM R.
Published: May 2014

Recent research has shown that the helmeted terrapin (Pelomedusa subrufa), a species that occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, in Madagascar and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, consists of several deeply divergent genetic lineages. Here we examine all nominal taxa currently synonymized with Pelomedusa subrufa (Bonnaterre, 1789) and provide mitochondrial DNA sequences of type specimens or topotypic material for most taxa. Lectotypes are designated for Testudo galeata Schoepff, 1792, Pentonyx capensis Duméril & Bibron, 1835, Pelomedusa nigra Gray, 1863, Pelomedusa galeata var. disjuncta Vaillant & Grandidier, 1910, and Pelomedusa galeata damarensis Hewitt, 1935. For Pelomedusa gasconi Rochebrune, 1884, a taxon without preserved type material, a neotype is designated. Type material of Pentonix americana Cornalia, 1849, a nominal species without credible type locality, is lost and its identity remains questionable. Also the holotype of Pelomedusa galeata orangensis Hewitt, 1935 is lost, but its allocation to the only genetic lineage occurring in South Africa is unambiguous. Phylogenetic analyses of type sequences or topotypic material reveal that the remaining nominal taxa represent three of the nine previously identified lineages of Pelomedusa. Among these three lineages is the South African one. Type specimens of Pentonyx gehafie Rüppell, 1835 correspond to an additional distinct lineage. The present study provides a sound basis for a subsequent integrative taxonomic revision of the Pelomedusa complex.