bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embracing the pteridophyte classification of Ren‐Chang Ching using a generic phylogeny of Chinese ferns and lycophytes
Authors: Liu Hong‐Mei
Published: October 2015

The phylogenetic relationships of pteridophytes occurring in China were reconstructed using DNA sequences of the three plastid genes, atpA, atpB, and rbcL. The sampling comprised all genera of Chinese pteridophytes—including ferns and lycophytes—with the exception of four small genera. The effort to sample all recorded families and genera in a phylogenetic framework enabled the phylogenetic relationships of all Chinese pteridophytes to be addressed for the first time in a single phylogenetic hypothesis. The results provided strong evidence to support the continuing impact of Ren‐Chang Ching's integrative classification of pteridophytes. Ten out of 11 orders accepted by Ching were consistent with the phylogeny, whereas four new orders were introduced to avoid paraphyletic taxa in the leptosporangiate ferns. Of the 63 families considered by Ching, 36 families were supported by molecular data, 22 of those had the same or nearly the same circumscription, and the remaining 14 families were supported but substantially revised. Twenty‐eight small families were now accepted as synonyms. A consistent pattern was observed at the generic level. Among the 223 genera considered by Ching, 133 genera were recognized by the phylogeny, although some of them were substantially changed in the context of circumscription, and 90 were now accepted as synonyms. Three endemic genera were incorporated here for the first time in DNA‐based phylogenetic analyses, namely Blechnidium, Saxiglossum, and Sinephropteris, which were shown to be nested in Blechnum, Pyrrosia, and Asplenium respectively. This paper tentatively accepts 40 families and 151 genera of ferns and lycophytes occurring in China; the importance of phylodiversity of Chinese pteridophytes is also briefly discussed.
Auxin response factors
Authors: Chandler John William
Published: October 2015

Auxin signalling involves the activation or repression of gene expression by a class of auxin response factor (ARF) proteins that bind to auxin response elements in auxin‐responsive gene promoters. The release of ARF repression in the presence of auxin by the degradation of their cognate auxin/indole‐3‐acetic acid repressors forms a paradigm of transcriptional response to auxin. However, this mechanism only applies to activating ARFs, and further layers of complexity of ARF function and regulation are being revealed, which partly reflect their highly modular domain structure. This review summarizes our knowledge concerning ARF binding site specificity, homodimer and heterodimer multimeric ARF association and cooperative function and how activator ARFs activate target genes via chromatin remodelling and evolutionary information derived from phylogenetic comparisons from ARFs from diverse species. ARFs are regulated in diverse ways, and their importance in non‐auxin‐regulated pathways is becoming evident. They are also embedded within higher‐order transcription factor complexes that integrate signalling pathways from other hormones and in response to the environment. The ways in which new information concerning ARFs on many levels is causing a revision of existing paradigms of auxin response are discussed.
Age‐related neuromuscular changes affecting human vastus lateralis
Authors: Piasecki M. , Ireland A. , Stashuk D. , Hamilton‐Wright A. , Jones D. A. , McPhee J. S.
Published: October 2015

Key points

Skeletal muscle size and strength decline in older age.

The vastus lateralis, a large thigh muscle, undergoes extensive neuromuscular remodelling in healthy ageing, as characterized by a loss of motor neurons, enlargement of surviving motor units and instability of neuromuscular junction transmission.

The loss of motor axons and changes to motor unit potential transmission precede a clinically‐relevant loss of muscle mass and function.

The anterior thigh muscles are particularly susceptible to muscle loss and weakness during ageing, although how this is associated with changes to neuromuscular structure and function in terms of motor unit (MU) number, size and MU potential (MUP) stability remains unclear. Intramuscular (I.M.) and surface electromyographic signals were recorded from the vastus lateralis (VL) during voluntary contractions held at 25% maximal knee extensor strength in 22 young (mean ± SD, 25.3 ± 4.8 years) and 20 physically active older men (71.4 ± 6.2 years). MUP size, firing rates, phases, turns and near fibre (NF) jiggle were determined and MU number estimates (MUNEs) were made by comparing average surface MUP with maximal electrically‐evoked compound muscle action potentials. Quadriceps cross‐sectional area was measured by magnetic resonance imaging. In total, 379 individual MUs were sampled in younger men and 346 in older men. Compared to the MU in younger participants, those in older participants had 8% lower firing rates and larger MUP size (+25%), as well as increased complexity, as indicated by phases (+13%), turns (+20%) and NF jiggle (+11%) (all P < 0.0005). The MUNE values (derived from the area of muscle in range of the surface‐electrode) in older participants were ∼70% of those in the young (P < 0.05). Taking into consideration the 30% smaller cross‐sectional area of the VL, the total number of MUs in the older muscles was between 50% and 60% lower compared to in young muscles (P < 0.0005). A large portion of the VL MU pool is lost in older men and those recruited during moderate intensity contractions were enlarged and less stable. These MU changes were evident before clinically relevant changes to muscle function were apparent; nevertheless, the changes in MU number and size are probably a prelude to future movement problems.
Size-Dependent Nanoparticle Uptake by Endothelial Cells in a Capillary Flow System
Authors: Jurney Patrick , Agarwal Rachit , Roy Krishnendu , Sreenivasan S. V. , Shi Li
Published: October 2015

An in vitro cell culture system is developed for studying the uptake characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) by endothelial cells under shear stress. Results show that the smaller polystyrene nanospheres are uptaken more than larger nanospheres for sizes ranging from 100 nm to 500 nm for 12, 24, and 48 hrs delivery times. While the result is similar to that found in static cultures, the observed trend is different from NP delivery behaviors to a simple glass surface in a flow, where no clear size dependence was observed because of repulsive electrostatic force on marginating NPs. The trend is also opposite to the behavior found in another study of the adhesion of labeled particles onto endothelial cells in whole blood flow. The comparison shows that the reduced zeta potential of NPs in a serum-containing cell medium and particle removal by cells results in reduced repulsive electrostatic force on marginating NPs. Consequently, the uptake behaviors are dominated by Brownian diffusion and cell membrane deformation process, which favor the uptake of NPs with reduced sizes.
Hybrid Projective Synchronization of Fractional-Order Chaotic Complex Nonlinear Systems With Time Delays
Authors: Velmurugan G. , Rakkiyappan R.
Published: October 2015

Time delays are frequently appearing in many real-life phenomena and the presence of time delays in chaotic systems enriches its complexities. The analysis of fractional-order chaotic real nonlinear systems with time delays has a plenty of interesting results but the research on fractional-order chaotic complex nonlinear systems with time delays is in the primary stage. This paper studies the problem of hybrid projective synchronization (HPS) of fractional-order chaotic complex nonlinear systems with time delays. HPS is one of the extensions of projective synchronization, in which different state vectors can be synchronized up to different scaling factors. Based on Laplace transformation and the stability theory of linear fractional-order systems, a suitable nonlinear controller is designed to achieve synchronization between the master and slave fractional-order chaotic complex nonlinear systems with time delays in the sense of HPS with different scaling factors. Finally, the HPS between fractional-order delayed complex Lorenz system and fractional-order delayed complex Chen system and that of fractional-order delayed complex Lorenz system and fractional-order delayed complex Lu system are taken into account to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed HPS techniques in the numerical example section.
Diagnostic accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for detecting major depression in pregnant and postnatal women: protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analyses
Authors: Thombs Brett D , Benedetti Andrea , Kloda Lorie A , Levis Brooke , Riehm Kira E , Azar Marleine , Cuijpers Pim , Gilbody Simon , Ioannidis John P A , McMillan Dean , Patten Scott B , Shrier Ian , Steele Russell J , Ziegelstein Roy C , Tonelli Marcello , Mitchell Nicholas , Comeau Liane , Schinazi Joy , Vigod Simone
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Studies of the diagnostic accuracy of depression screening tools often used data-driven methods to select optimal cut-offs. Typically, these studies report results from a small range of cut-off points around whatever cut-off score is identified as most accurate. When published data are combined in meta-analyses, estimates of accuracy for different cut-off points may be based on data from different studies, rather than data from all studies for each cut-off point. Thus, traditional meta-analyses may exaggerate accuracy estimates. Individual patient data (IPD) meta-analyses synthesise data from all studies for each cut-off score to obtain accuracy estimates. The 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is commonly recommended for depression screening in the perinatal period. The primary objective of this IPD meta-analysis is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the EPDS to detect major depression among women during pregnancy and in the postpartum period across all potentially relevant cut-off scores, accounting for patient factors that may influence accuracy (age, pregnancy vs postpartum).

Methods and analysis

Data sources will include Medline, Medline In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Studies that include a diagnosis of major depression based on a validated structured or semistructured clinical interview administered within 2 weeks of (before or after) the administration of the EPDS will be included. Risk of bias will be assessed with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Bivariate random-effects meta-analysis will be conducted for the full range of plausible cut-off values. Analyses will evaluate data from pregnancy and the postpartum period separately, as well as combining data from all women in a single model.

Ethics and dissemination

This study does not require ethics approval. Dissemination will include journal articles and presentations to policymakers, healthcare providers and researchers.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO 2015:CRD42015024785.
Increased arterial stiffness in South Dakota American Indian children
Authors: Litz Andrew M. , Van Guilder Gary P.
Published: October 2015

Arterial stiffness has been observed in white American obese children, yet there are no data in American Indian youth, who are affected disproportionately by the cardiovascular consequences of childhood obesity and its accompanying risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of childhood overweight–obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors with arterial stiffness in South Dakota white American and American Indian children. Thirty-six (28 white American and 8 American Indian) children (age, 13 ± 1 years; grades 6–8) from a rural South Dakota elementary and middle school were studied: 18 had a healthy weight (body mass index (BMI), 19.5 ± 1.9 kg/m2) and 18 were overweight–obese (BMI, 26.8 ± 3.5 kg/m2). Arterial stiffness was assessed using applanation tonometry via pulse wave analysis to determine carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (crPWV) and aortic augmentation index (AIx). There were no differences (P = 0.94) in crPWV between healthy weight (7.1 ± 1.4 m/s) and overweight–obese (7.3 ± 1.0 m/s) children, even after controlling for risk factors. However, crPWV was markedly elevated (P = 0.002) in overweight–obese American Indian children (7.7 ± 1.1 m/s) compared with white American children (6.8 ± 0.5 m/s), and these differences remained after controlling for blood pressure and more severe obesity in the American Indians. An obesity-matched subgroup analysis indicated that crPWV (7.7 ± 1.1 vs 6.8 ± 0.4 m/s) remained significantly greater in the American Indians (P = 0.03). There were no between-group differences in aortic AIx. These findings indicate an adverse influence of American Indian ethnicity on arterial stiffening in children with elevated adiposity. Arterial stiffness in American Indian children may accelerate early adulthood vascular disease.
A spatial approach to understanding herring population dynamics
Authors: Huse Geir
Published: October 2015

Johan Hjort’s so-called second recruitment hypothesis addressed the fate of offspring that drift out of areas suitable for their survival. This hypothesis has forged the concept of a population as a closed life cycle, making countercurrent adult spawning migration a necessary mechanism in balancing larval drift. The Norwegian spring-spawning (NSS) herring stock (Clupea harengus), the object of much of Hjort’s work, is spread over large areas in the Northeast Atlantic, with spawning along the Norwegian coast, nursery areas in the Barents Sea, feeding areas in the Norwegian Sea, and overwintering areas outside northern Norway. Understanding the spatial dynamics of highly migratory fish stocks such as the NSS herring, therefore, is critical to understanding their population dynamics. Here I review hypotheses on the spatial dynamics of fish focusing on NSS herring and discuss consequences for population dynamics and interactions with other ecosystem components. The results illustrate the key role that strong herring cohorts play both as predators in the Barents and Norwegian seas and as prey on the overwintering and spawning grounds along the Norwegian coast. It is advocated that spatial full life cycle models should be developed for key fish stocks as a meeting place for model assumptions and observations and as a test bed for a multiple hypothesis testing approach.
Identification of the newly identified subtilase cytotoxin-encoding gene (subAB2-2) among clinical Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates
Authors: Son Hoang Minh , Duc Hoang Minh , Honjoh Ken-ichi , Miyamoto Takahisa
Published: October 2015

Subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB) is an important virulence factor of eae-negative Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Three variants of SubAB-encoding genes have been reported in the literature; however, the newly described subAB variant (subAB2-2) was found only in STEC strains from deer meat, sheep, and some wild animals. In this study, subAB variants were detected by PCR and DNA sequencing in 5 out of 12 (41.6%) eae-negative STEC strains isolated from patients. Most subAB-positive STEC strains (80%) harbored the subAB1 gene. The subAB2-2 gene was detected for the first time in the clinical STEC O128:H2 strain. Other virulence genes including stx1a, stx1c, stx2b, ehxA, and tia were also detected in this strain. The DNA sequence analyses of the subAB1 and subAB2-2 genes of the clinical STEC strains showed 99% and 100% identity to those of the reference strains 98NK2 and LM27558stx2, respectively. This is the first report on the detection of the subAB2-2 gene in a clinical STEC isolate.
Water resource management at catchment scales using lightweight UAVs: current capabilities and future perspectives
Authors: DeBell L. , Anderson K. , Brazier R.E. , King N. , Jones L.
Published: October 2015

Lightweight, portable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or ‘drones’ are set to become a key component of a water resource management (WRM) toolkit, but are currently not widely used in this context. In practical WRM there is a growing need for fine-scale responsive data, which cannot be delivered from satellites or aircraft in a cost-effective way. Such a capability is needed where water supplies are located in spatially heterogeneous dynamic catchments. In this review, we demonstrate the step change in hydrological process understanding that could be delivered if WRM employed UAVs. The paper discusses a range of pragmatic concepts in UAV science for cost-effective and practical WRM, from choosing the right sensor and platform combination through to practical deployment and data processing challenges. The paper highlights that multi-sensor approaches, such as combining thermal imaging with fine-scale structure-from-motion topographic models, are currently best placed to assist in WRM decision-making because they provide a means of monitoring the spatio-temporal distribution of sources, sinks, and flows of water through landscapes. The manuscript highlights areas where research is needed to support the integration of UAVs into practical WRM, for example, in improving positional accuracy through integration of differential global positioning system sensors, and developing intelligent control of UAV platforms to optimize the accuracy of spatial data capture.
Novel Multiplexer Design Using Multi-State Spatial Wavefunction-Switched (SWS) FETs
Authors: Mirdha Pial , Lingalugari Murali , Heller Evan K. , Chandy John A. , Jain Faquir C.
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we propose a multiplexer design based on use of a twin channel and twin drain spatial wavefunction-switched field-effect transistors (SWSFETs). SWSFET comprises of vertically stacked coupled quantum wells devices, which are the channels, where depending on the gate voltage only one of the channels is in conduction mode. Using SWSFET in multi-channel and single drain configuration operates as a multi-valued logic device. 2:1 and 4:2 multiplexer designs are proposed which are compatible with current CMOS technology and with all SWSFET. Both designs lead to greater than 4X reduction in transistor count. Ngspice simulation of circuits is also presented.
Resolution of X-Ray Rocking Curve Measurements Made with Finite Counting Statistics
Authors: Kujofsa Tedi , Ayers John E.
Published: October 2015

We have analyzed the strain resolution of x-ray rocking curve profiles from measurements of the peak position and peak width made with finite counting statistics. In this work, we have considered x-ray rocking curves which may be Gaussian or Lorentzian in character and have analyzed the influence of the effective number of counts, full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) and the Bragg angle on the resolution. Often experimental resolution values are estimated on the order of 10−5 whereas this work predicts more sensitive values (10−9) with smaller FWHM and larger effective counts and Bragg angles.
Logic Gates Design and Simulation Using Spatial Wavefunction Switched (SWS) FETs
Authors: Saman Bander , Mirdha P. , Lingalugari M. , Gogna P. , Jain F. C. , Hasaneen El-Sayed , Heller E.
Published: October 2015

This paper presents the design and modeling of logic gates using two channel spatial wavefunction switched field-effect transistors (SWSFETs) it is also known as a twin-drain MOSFET. In SWSFETs, the channel between source and drain has two or more quantum wells (QWs) layers separated by a high band gap material between them. The gate voltage controls the charge carrier concentration in the two quantum wells layers and it causes the switching of charge carriers from one channel to other channel of the device. The first part of this paper shows the characteristics of n-channel SWSFET model, the second part provides the circuit topology for the SWSFET inverter and universal gates- NAND, AND, NOR,OR, XOR and XOR. The proposed model is based on integration between Berkeley Short-channel IGFET Model (BSIM) and Analog Behavioral Model (ABM), the model is suitable to investigate the gates configuration and transient analysis at circuit level. The results show that all basic two-input logic gates can be implanted by using n-channel SWSFET only, It covers less area compared with CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) gates. The NAND-NOR can be performed by three SWSFET, moreover the exclusive-NOR “XNOR” can be done by four SWSFET transistors also AND, OR, XOR gates require two additional SWSFET for inverting.
Mathematical Model and Fabrication of Multi-Layer Electrochemical Glucose Sensors
Authors: Croce Robert A. , Vaddiraju Santhisagar , Legassey Allen , Papadimitrakopoulos Fotios , Jain Faquir C.
Published: October 2015

The design and fabrication of multi-layer amperometric electrochemical glucose sensors is dependent upon the diffusional kinetics of the chemical/biochemical species which contribute to the sensor’s response. Considerable effort has been carried out to coat the working electrode with appropriate glucose flux-limiting membranes which is pertinent for superior in vivo performance, and hence requires a careful understanding of the participating species within the sensor cross-sectional architecture. This contribution reports the computational modeling of Clark’s first generation amperometric glucose sensor coated with an electro-polymerized glucose oxidase (GOx) layer along with a layer of polyurethane (PU) employed to reduce the glucose-influx in order to generate linear operation over the normal physiological glucose range in vivo. The model was programmed using MATLAB and utilizes the finite-difference method for the solution to the enzymatic reaction-based diffusion equations. Additionally, experimental devices were fabricated, tested and compared with the simulated results. The simulation of these devices have been shown to align well with experimentally fabricated devices in terms of amperometric current density. The increase in device linearity with the addition of the outer glucose-flux limiting PU membrane corroborate our experimental findings reported in this study which can be used as a powerful analytical tool in designing high–performance next generation implantable glucose sensors.
Multifaceted interplay among mediators and regulators of intestinal glucose absorption: potential impacts on diabetes research and treatment
Authors: Chan Leo Ka Yu , Leung Po Sing
Published: October 2015

Glucose is the prominent molecule that characterizes diabetes and, like the vast majority of nutrients in our diet, it is absorbed and enters the bloodstream directly through the small intestine; hence, small intestine physiology impacts blood glucose levels directly. Accordingly, intestinal regulatory modulators represent a promising avenue through which diabetic blood glucose levels might be moderated clinically. Despite the critical role of small intestine in blood glucose homeostasis, most physiological diabetes research has focused on other organs, such as the pancreas, kidney, and liver. We contend that an improved understanding of intestinal regulatory mediators may be fundamental for the development of first-line preventive and therapeutic interventions in patients with diabetes and diabetes-related diseases. This review summarizes the major important intestinal regulatory mediators, discusses how they influence intestinal glucose absorption, and suggests possible candidates for future diabetes research and the development of antidiabetic therapeutic agents.
Opposing tissue-specific roles of angiotensin in the pathogenesis of obesity, and implications for obesity-related hypertension
Authors: Littlejohn Nicole K. , Grobe Justin L.
Published: October 2015

Metabolic disease, specifically obesity, has now become the greatest challenge to improving cardiovascular health. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) exists as both a circulating hormone system and as a local paracrine signaling mechanism within various tissues including the brain, kidney, and adipose, and this system is strongly implicated in cardiovascular health and disease. Growing evidence also implicates the RAS in the control of energy balance, supporting the concept that the RAS may be mechanistically involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and obesity hypertension. Here, we review the involvement of the RAS in the entire spectrum of whole organism energy balance mechanisms, including behaviors (food ingestion and spontaneous physical activity) and biological processes (digestive efficiency and both aerobic and nonaerobic resting metabolic rates). We hypothesize that opposing, tissue-specific effects of the RAS to modulate these various components of energy balance can explain the apparently paradoxical results reported by energy-balance studies that involve stimulating, versus disrupting, the RAS. We propose a model in which such opposing and tissue-specific effects of the RAS can explain the failure of simple, global RAS blockade to result in weight loss in humans, and hypothesize that obesity-mediated uncoupling of endogenous metabolic rate control mechanisms can explain the phenomenon of obesity-related hypertension.
Neural population encoding and decoding of sound source location across sound level in the rabbit inferior colliculus
Authors: Day Mitchell L. , Delgutte Bertrand
Published: October 2015

At lower levels of sensory processing, the representation of a stimulus feature in the response of a neural population can vary in complex ways across different stimulus intensities, potentially changing the amount of feature-relevant information in the response. How higher-level neural circuits could implement feature decoding computations that compensate for these intensity-dependent variations remains unclear. Here we focused on neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC) of unanesthetized rabbits, whose firing rates are sensitive to both the azimuthal position of a sound source and its sound level. We found that the azimuth tuning curves of an IC neuron at different sound levels tend to be linear transformations of each other. These transformations could either increase or decrease the mutual information between source azimuth and spike count with increasing level for individual neurons, yet population azimuthal information remained constant across the absolute sound levels tested (35, 50, and 65 dB SPL), as inferred from the performance of a maximum-likelihood neural population decoder. We harnessed evidence of level-dependent linear transformations to reduce the number of free parameters in the creation of an accurate cross-level population decoder of azimuth. Interestingly, this decoder predicts monotonic azimuth tuning curves, broadly sensitive to contralateral azimuths, in neurons at higher levels in the auditory pathway.
Protective Mechanisms of Flavonoids in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Magalingam Kasthuri Bai , Radhakrishnan Ammu Kutty , Haleagrahara Nagaraja
Published: October 2015

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, debilitating neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in thesubstantia nigra pars compactaregion in human midbrain. To date, oxidative stress is the well accepted concept in the etiology and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Hence, the therapeutic agent is targeted against suppressing and alleviating the oxidative stress-induced cellular damage. Within the past decades, an explosion of research discoveries has reported on the protective mechanisms of flavonoids, which are plant-based polyphenols, in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease using bothin vitroandin vivomodels. In this paper, we have reviewed the literature on the neuroprotective mechanisms of flavonoids in protecting the dopaminergic neurons hence reducing the symptoms of this movement disorder. The mechanism reviewed includes effect of flavonoids in activation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, suppressing the lipid peroxidation, inhibition of inflammatory mediators, flavonoids as a mitochondrial target therapy, and modulation of gene expression in neuronal cells.
Time-Delayed Models of Gene Regulatory Networks
Authors: Parmar K. , Blyuss K. B. , Kyrychko Y. N. , Hogan S. J.
Published: October 2015

We discuss different mathematical models of gene regulatory networks as relevant to the onset and development of cancer. After discussion of alternative modelling approaches, we use a paradigmatic two-gene network to focus on the role played by time delays in the dynamics of gene regulatory networks. We contrast the dynamics of the reduced model arising in the limit of fast mRNA dynamics with that of the full model. The review concludes with the discussion of some open problems.
An Inconsistency in the Spectrum of Bosonic Open 2-Brane
Authors: Wasay M. Abdul , Zeng Ding-fang
Published: October 2015

We show that the spectrum of a bosonic open 2-brane does not contain any massless states to take the role of gravitons. Moreover, the spectrum of this open 2-brane only contains half integer mass squared values.
Complex Membrane Channel Blockade: A Unifying Hypothesis for the Prodromal and Acute Neuropsychiatric Sequelae Resulting from Exposure to the Antimalarial Drug Mefloquine
Authors: Quinn Jane C.
Published: October 2015

The alkaloid toxin quinine and its derivative compounds have been used for many centuries as effective medications for the prevention and treatment of malaria. More recently, synthetic derivatives, such as the quinoline derivative mefloquine (bis(trifluoromethyl)-(2-piperidyl)-4-quinolinemethanol), have been widely used to combat disease caused by chloroquine-resistant strains of the malaria parasite,Plasmodium falciparum. However, the parent compound quinine, as well as its more recent counterparts, suffers from an incidence of adverse neuropsychiatric side effects ranging from mild mood disturbances and anxiety to hallucinations, seizures, and psychosis. This review considers how the pharmacology, cellular neurobiology, and membrane channel kinetics of mefloquine could lead to the significant and sometimes life-threatening neurotoxicity associated with mefloquine exposure. A key role for mefloquine blockade of ATP-sensitive potassium channels and connexins in the substantia nigra is considered as a unifying hypothesis for the pathogenesis of severe neuropsychiatric events after mefloquine exposure in humans.
Impact of Urbanization and Land-Use Change on Surface Climate in Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, 1988–2008
Authors: Yao Xiaowei , Wang Zhanqi , Wang Hua
Published: October 2015

Land-use/land cover change (LUCC) is one of the fundamental causes of global environmental change. In recent years, understanding the regional climate impact of LUCC has become a hot-discussed topic worldwide. Some studies have explored LUCC impact on regional climate in specific cities, provinces, or farming areas. However, the quick-urbanized areas, which are highly influenced by human activities, have the most severe land-use changes in developing countries, and their climatic impact cannot be ignored. This study aims to identify the impact of land-use change coupled with urbanization on regional temperature and precipitation in the metropolitan areas of middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China by means of spatial analysis and numeric methods. Based on the exploration of land-use change and climate change during 1988–2008, the impact of land-use transition from non-built-up area to built-up area on temperature and precipitation was analyzed. The results indicated that the land-use conversion has affected the regional temperature with an increasing effect in the study area, while the influence on precipitation was not so significant. The results can provide useful information for spatial planning policies in consideration of regional climate change.
Fracture Strength of Aged Monolithic and Bilayer Zirconia-Based Crowns
Authors: Lameira Deborah Pacheco , Silva Wilkens Aurélio Buarque e , Silva Frederico Andrade e , De Souza Grace M.
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of design and surface finishing on fracture strength of yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) crowns in monolithic (1.5 mm thickness) and bilayer (0.8 mm zirconia coping and 0.7 mm porcelain veneer) configuration after artificial aging. Bovine incisors received crown preparation and Y-TZP crowns were manufactured using CAD/CAM technique, according to the following groups (n=10): Polished monolithic zirconia crowns (PM); Glazed monolithic zirconia crowns (GM); Bi-layer crowns (BL). Crowns were cemented with resin cement, submitted to artificial aging in a chewing simulator (2.5 million cycles/80 N/artificial saliva/37°C), and tested for fracture strength. Two remaining crowns referring to PM and GM groups were submitted to a chemical composition analysis to measure the level of yttrium after aging. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (P=.05) indicated that monolithic zirconia crowns presented similar fracture strength (PM=3476.2 N ± 791.7;GM=3561.5 N ± 991.6), which was higher than bilayer crowns (2060.4 N ± 810.6). There was no difference in the yttrium content among the three surfaces evaluated in the monolithic crowns. Thus, monolithic zirconia crowns present higher fracture strength than bilayer veneered zirconia after artificial aging and surface finishing does not affect their fracture strength.
In VivoEvaluation of the Antiasthmatic, Antitussive, and Expectorant Activities and Chemical Components of ThreeElaeagnusLeaves
Authors: Ge Yuebin , Zhang Fei , Qin Qin , Shang Yingying , Wan Dingrong
Published: October 2015

The leaf ofElaeagnus lanceolataandElaeagnus henryias well asElaeagnus pungenshas been documented as an effective herb for the treatment of asthma and chronic bronchitis in traditional clinical medicine. This study was aimed at evaluating the antiasthmatic, antitussive, and expectorant activities of the water extracts from the three plantsin vivoand analyzing their chemical components by HPLC-DAD. At the medium and high doses, the water extracts of threeElaeagnusleaves significantly prolonged the preconvulsive time (P< 0.01) in guinea pigs, lengthened the latent period of cough (P< 0.01) and decreased the cough frequency caused by aqueous ammonia in mice (P< 0.01), and enhanced tracheal phenol red output in mice (P< 0.01). There were no significant differences in the pharmacological actions between the threeElaeagnusleaves. Moreover, there was more similarity on overlap peaks in the range of retention time from 10 to 40 min by HPLC and many peaks that belonged to flavonoids compounds. It suggested that the main constituents of the threeElaeagnusleaves were flavonoid for the pharmacological activities. These effects were the important evidence for the traditional use ofE. henryileaf andE. lanceolataleaf as well asE. pungensto treat asthma and chronic bronchitis.
An Adaptive Support Vector Regression Machine for the State Prognosis of Mechanical Systems
Authors: Zhang Qing , Liu Fei , Wan Xiang , Xu Guanghua
Published: October 2015

Due to the unsteady state evolution of mechanical systems, the time series of state indicators exhibits volatile behavior and staged characteristics. To model hidden trends and predict deterioration failure utilizing volatile state indicators, an adaptive support vector regression (ASVR) machine is proposed. In ASVR, the width of an error-insensitive tube, which is a constant in the traditional support vector regression, is set as a variable determined by the transient distribution boundary of local regions in the training time series. Thus, the localized regions are obtained using a sliding time window, and their boundaries are defined by a robust measure known as the truncated range. Utilizing an adaptive error-insensitive tube, a stabilized tolerance level for noise is achieved, whether the time series occurs in low-volatility regions or in high-volatility regions. The proposed method is evaluated by vibrational data measured on descaling pumps. The results show that ASVR is capable of capturing the local trends of the volatile time series of state indicators and is superior to the standard support vector regression for state prediction.
Effects of Night-Time Use of Rotigotine on Nocturnal Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Vallderiola Francesc , Compta Yaroslau , Aparicio Javier , Tarradellas Jaume , Salazar Gabriel , Oliver Josep María , Callén Antonio , Delgado Tania , Nobbe Fritz
Published: October 2015

Objectives.This open-label study assessed the efficacy and safety of exclusive night-time administration of transdermal rotigotine in patients with nocturnal and early morning PD symptoms.Methods.Patients with PD and nocturnal and early morning symptoms received transdermal rotigotine patches (2–16 mg/24 h) applied in the evening and removed in the morning for 3 months. Sleep disturbance was assessed with modified Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS-2). Other outcomes included a pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and short-form Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8) for quality of life.Results.74 patients completed treatment in this study. At the end of treatment, PDSS-2 total score had improved by mean 10.9 points from baseline (p< 0.001). All three PDSS-2 domain scores (sleep disturbances, nocturnal motor symptoms, and nocturnal symptoms) were also significantly improved by 41%, 56%, and 48%, respectively (p< 0.001). VAS-pain score decreased from 3.2 to 2.3 (p< 0.001). PDQ-8 score decreased from 23.8 to 18.1 (p< 0.001). The most frequently reported adverse events included nausea (9%), anxiety (4%), and dizziness (4%).Conclusions.Night-time administration of transdermal rotigotine is an effective and well tolerated treatment for nocturnal symptoms in patients with PD.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection/Intramural Haematoma in Young Women with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: “It Is Not Always a Plaque Rupture Event”
Authors: Kassimis George , Manolis Athanasios , Townend Jonathan N.
Published: October 2015

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an unusual, but increasingly recognized, cause of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), especially among younger patients without conventional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). Although dissection of the coronary intima or media is a hallmark finding, hematoma formation within the vessel wall is often present. It remains unclear whether dissection or hematoma is the primary event, but both may cause luminal stenosis and occlusion. The diagnosis of SCAD is made principally with invasive coronary angiography, although adjunctive intracoronary imaging modalities may increase the diagnostic yield. In STEMI patients, the decision whether to pursue primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or appropriate conservative medical therapy is based on clinical presentation, the extent of the dissection, the critical anatomy involvement, and the amount of ischaemic myocardium at risk. In this case report, we present two cases of young women with SCAD and STEMI, successfully treated with primary PCI. We briefly illustrate the characteristic aspects of the angiographic presentation and intravascular ultrasound-guided treatment. SCAD should always be considered in young STEMI patients without conventional risk factors for CAD with primary angioplasty to be required in patients with ongoing myocardial ischemia.
A Novel Algorithm for Power Flow Transferring Identification Based on WAMS
Authors: Yan Xu , Ping Han , Li Zhang
Published: October 2015

After a faulted transmission line is removed, power flow on it will be transferred to other lines in the network. If those lines are heavily loaded beforehand, the transferred flow may cause the nonfault overload and the incorrect operation of far-ranging backup relays, which are considered as the key factors leading to cascading trips. In this paper, a novel algorithm for power flow transferring identification based on wide area measurement system (WAMS) is proposed, through which the possible incorrect tripping of backup relays will be blocked in time. A new concept of Transferred Flow Characteristic Ratio (TFCR) is presented and is applied to the identification criteria. Mathematical derivation of TFCR is carried out in detail by utilization of power system short circuit fault modeling. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm to prevent the malfunction of backup relays are demonstrated by a large number of simulations.
Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Railway Wagon End Wall under the Action of Granular Media
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Qichang , Yu Yuebin , Han Jianxin , Li Dong
Published: October 2015

In wagon end wall system under the action of granular media, the model of the wall is the result of multiple factors. To figure out how the key factors act, the large amplitude vibration together with the contribution from the action of granular media to build the nonlinear dynamics equation of the wagon end wall has been taken into account. In this paper, the effects of varying damping, added mass, and force due to the action of granular media on the patterns of movement and response performance were discussed in detail. Furthermore, the finite element model of end wall-granular media was established. It proves that the theoretical result is correct compared with the FEM results. It indicates that the resonance frequency of the wall declines with the increase of the height of granular media, while the frequency increases with the increase of the particle size of granular media. The nonlinear dynamics of the wall is less affected by the height ratio and particle size of granular media, while it is greatly affected by the height and the thickness of wall, which should be seriously considered in structural design of the wagon.
Uterine Rupture in Pregnancy following Fall from a Motorcycle: A Horrid Accident in Pregnancy—A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Sisay Woldeyes Wondimagegnehu , Amenu Demisew , Segni Hailemariam
Published: October 2015

Uterine rupture is one of the most catastrophic complications during pregnancy. It is a rare complication in developed countries but a frequent cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in Africa. Uterine rupture occurs in 1.6% of patients suffering blunt abdominal trauma. Here we report a unique case of complete fundal rupture of the unscarred uterus following fall from motorcycle in 39-week-pregnant mother who was managed with total abdominal hysterectomy and left salpingo-oophorectomy and survived, though fetus died before intervention. We also reviewed similar cases reported from different parts of Africa. This is a preventable complication had the woman been properly instructed on transportation safety during her antenatal care visits.
Influence of Chitosan Coating on Mechanical Stability of Biopolymer Carriers with Probiotic Starter Culture in Fermented Whey Beverages
Authors: Obradović Nataša S. , Krunić Tanja Ž. , Trifković Kata T. , Bulatović Maja Lj. , Rakin Marko P. , Rakin Marica B. , Bugarski Branko M.
Published: October 2015

The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical stability of biopolymer carriers and cell viability with addition of chitosan coating during fermentation process and product storage. Dairy starter culture (1% (w/v)) was diluted in whey and mixed with sodium alginate solution and the beads were made using extrusion technique. The mechanical stability of coated and uncoated beads, the release behavior, and the viability of encapsulated probiotic dairy starter culture in fermented whey beverages were analyzed. The mechanical properties of the beads were determined according to force-displacement and engineering stress-strain curves obtained after compression testing. It was observed that addition of chitosan as a coating on the beads as well as the fermentation process increased the elastic modulus of the calcium alginate-whey beads and cell survival. The current study revealed that the coating did not significantly improve the viability of probiotics during the fermentation but had an important influence on preservation of the strength of the carrier during storage. Our results indicate that whey-based substrate has positive effect on the mechanical stability of biopolymer beads with encapsulated probiotics.
Review of the Literature: Organ of Giraldes Epididymal Appendage Presenting as a Painless Scrotal Mass in a 19-Year-Old Male—A Rare Urologic Entity
Authors: Dalati Mohamad-Fadi , Oliveira-e-Silva Tania , Entezari Kim
Published: October 2015

An incidental finding of a testicular mass in young male population is always a case of great concern for the patient and controversy for the physician. Differential diagnosis ranges from acute scrotum (notably testicular torsion), to acute inflammation and infection, all the way to testicular tumors. We present a case of an incidental finding of a painless testicular solid mass in a 19-year-old male patient, with an end pathological result of paradidymis (organ of Giraldes) following orchiectomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of its kind to be reported in the literature.
Use of GMM and SCMS for Accurate Road Centerline Extraction from the Classified Image
Authors: Miao Zelang , Wang Bin , Shi Wenzhong , Wu Hao , Wan Yiliang
Published: October 2015

The extraction of road centerline from the classified image is a fundamental image analysis technology. Common problems encountered in road centerline extraction include low ability for coping with the general case, production of undesired objects, and inefficiency. To tackle these limitations, this paper presents a novel accurate centerline extraction method using Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and subspace constraint mean shift (SCMS). The proposed method consists of three main steps. GMM is first used to partition the classified image into several clusters. The major axis of the ellipsoid of each cluster is extracted and deemed to be taken as the initial centerline. Finally, the initial result is adjusted using SCMS to produce precise road centerline. Both simulated and real datasets are used to validate the proposed method. Preliminary results demonstrate that the proposed method provides a comparatively robust solution for accurate centerline extraction from a classified image.
Molecular Genetic and Crystal Structural Analysis of 1-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-Ethanol Dehydrogenase from ‘Aromatoleum aromaticum' EbN1
Authors: Büsing Imke , Höffken H. Wolfgang , Breuer Michael , Wöhlbrand Lars , Hauer Bernhard , Rabus Ralf
Published: October 2015

The dehydrogenation of 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol to 4-hydroxyacetophenone represents the second reaction step during anaerobic degradation of p-ethylphenol in the denitrifying bacterium ‘Aromatoleum aromaticum' EbN1. Previous proteogenomic studies identified two different proteins (ChnA and EbA309) as possible candidates for catalyzing this reaction [Wöhlbrand et al: J Bacteriol 2008;190:5699-5709]. Physiological-molecular characterization of newly generated unmarked in-frame deletion and complementation mutants allowed defining ChnA (renamed here as Hped) as the enzyme responsible for 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol oxidation. Hped [1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol dehydrogenase] belongs to the ‘classical' family within the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. Hped was overproduced in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. The X-ray structures of the apo- and NAD+-soaked form were resolved at 1.5 and 1.1 Å, respectively, and revealed Hped as a typical homotetrameric SDR. Modeling of the substrate 4-hydroxyacetophenone (reductive direction of Hped) into the active site revealed the structural determinants of the strict (R)-specificity of Hped (Phe187), contrasting the (S)-specificity of previously reported 1-phenylethanol dehydrogenase (Ped; Tyr93) from strain EbN1 [Höffken et al: Biochemistry 2006;45:82-93].