bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Genetics of Microdeletion and Microduplication Syndromes: An Update
Authors: Watson Corey T. , Tomas Marques-Bonet , Sharp Andrew J. , Mefford Heather C.
Published: April 2014

Chromosomal abnormalities, including microdeletions and microduplications, have long been associated with abnormal developmental outcomes. Early discoveries relied on a common clinical presentation and the ability to detect chromosomal abnormalities by standard karyotype analysis or specific assays such as fluorescence in situ hybridization. Over the past decade, the development of novel genomic technologies has allowed more comprehensive, unbiased discovery of microdeletions and microduplications throughout the human genome. The ability to quickly interrogate large cohorts using chromosome microarrays and, more recently, next-generation sequencing has led to the rapid discovery of novel microdeletions and microduplications associated with disease, including very rare but clinically significant rearrangements. In addition, the observation that some microdeletions are associated with risk for several neurodevelopmental disorders contributes to our understanding of shared genetic susceptibility for such disorders. Here, we review current knowledge of microdeletion/duplication syndromes, with a particular focus on recurrent rearrangement syndromes.
Function and Dysfunction of Hypocretin/Orexin: An Energetics Point of View
Authors: Gao Xiao-Bing , Horvath Tamas
Published: April 2014

The basic elements of animal behavior that are critical to survival include energy, arousal, and motivation: Energy intake and expenditure are fundamental to all organisms for the performance of any type of function; according to the Yerkes-Dodson law, an optimal level of arousal is required for animals to perform normal functions; and motivation is critical to goal-oriented behaviors in higher animals. The brain is the primary organ that controls these elements and, through evolution, has developed specialized structures to accomplish this task. The orexin/hypocretin system in the perifornical/lateral hypothalamus, which was discovered 15 years ago, is one such specialized area. This review summarizes a fast-growing body of evidence discerning how the orexin/hypocretin system integrates internal and external cues to regulate energy intake that can then be used to generate sufficient arousal for animals to perform innate and goal-oriented behaviors.
Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer's Disease: An Update
Authors: Yu Jin-Tai , Tan Lan , Hardy John
Published: April 2014

The vast majority of Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases are late onset (LOAD), which is genetically complex with heritability estimates up to 80%. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been irrefutably recognized as the major genetic risk factor, with semidominant inheritance, for LOAD. Although the mechanisms that underlie the pathogenic nature of APOE in AD are still not completely understood, emerging data suggest that APOE contributes to AD pathogenesis through both amyloid-β (Aβ)-dependent and Aβ-independent pathways. Given the central role for APOE in the modulation of AD pathogenesis, many therapeutic strategies have emerged, including converting APOE conformation, regulating APOE expression, mimicking APOE peptides, blocking the APOE/Aβ interaction, modulating APOE lipidation state, and gene therapy. Accumulating evidence also suggests the utility of APOE genotyping in AD diagnosis, risk assessment, prevention, and treatment response.
Use and Applications of Systematic Reviews in Public Health Nutrition
Authors: Brannon Patsy M. , Taylor Christine L. , Coates Paul M.
Published: April 2014

Decisions related to a spectrum of nutrition-related public health and clinical concerns must consider many factors and are best informed by evaluating the totality and quality of the evidence. Systematic review (SR) is a structured process to evaluate, compare, and synthesize relevant evidence for the SR-specific question(s). Applications of SR are exemplified here through the discussion of four case studies: research agendas, nutrient reference intakes, dietary guidance, and practice guidelines. Concerns that SR cannot be effectively applied to nutrition evidence because of the lack of an unexposed comparator and the complex homeostasis in nutrition are discussed. Central to understanding the applicability of SR is its flexibility in defining key inclusion criteria and rigorous elements as appropriate for the SR-specific question(s). Through the reduction of bias and random error by explicit, reproducible, comprehensive, and rigorous examination of all of the evidence, SR informs the scientific judgment needed for sound evidence-based public health nutrition.
The Long-Run Discount Rate Controversy
Authors: Gollier Christian , Hammitt James K.
Published: April 2014

The choice of the rate at which one should discount the long-term benefits of mitigating climate change is highly controversial. Both the level and the slope of the term structure of discount rates have been discussed intensively in relation to the determination of the social cost of carbon. Although some of the parameters of the problem are ethical and outside the scope of economic analysis, we claim that there are converging and convincing arguments in favor of using an annual real risk-free discount rate going from approximately 4% to approximately 1% for maturities going from zero to infinity. Investing in climate mitigation yields highly uncertain future benefits. Such uncertainty should also be taken into account in the selection of the discount rate, although the appropriate approach is highly controversial.
Trade Liberalization and Poverty: What Have We Learned in a Decade?
Authors: Winters L. Alan , Martuscelli Antonio
Published: April 2014

This article reviews key recent literature on the effects of trade liberalization on poverty in developing countries and asks whether our knowledge has changed significantly over a decade. The conclusion that liberalization generally boosts income and thus reduces poverty has not changed; some authors suggest that this finding is not true for very poor countries, but this suggestion is far from proven at present. With regard to microeconomics, recent literature again confirms that liberalization has very heterogeneous effects on poor households, depending, inter alia, on what trade policies are liberalized and how the household earns its living. Working in the export sector predicts gains, and working in the import-competing sector predicts losses, a finding that is reinforced by studies of the effects of liberalization on wages. New research has suggested several ways in which intrasectoral wage inequality is increased by trade, but this research generally does not indicate that the poor actually lose. A fairly common finding is that female workers gain from trade liberalization.
Association between Lower Normal Free Thyroxine Concentrations and Obesity Phenotype in Healthy Euthyroid Subjects
Authors: Shin Jeong Ah , Mo Eun young , Kim Eun Sook , Moon Sung Dae , Han Je Ho
Published: April 2014

We investigated whether thyroid function could identify obesity phenotype in euthyroid subjects. A cross-sectional analysis was performed among nondiabetic, euthyroid subjects. We stratified subjects into four groups by BMI and insulin resistance (IR). Of 6241 subjects, 33.8% were overweight or obese (OW/OB) and 66.2% were normal weight (NW). Free thyroxine (FT4) levels were negatively associated with body mass index, waist circumference, triglyceride, c-reactive protein, and HOMA-IR and positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both genders. In multivariate regression analysis, FT4 level, a continuous measurement, was negatively correlated with HOMA-IR (β=-0.155,P<0.001in men;β=-0.175,P<0.001in women). After adjustment for age, sex, metabolic, and life style factors, subjects in the lowest FT4 quartile had an odds ratio (OR) for IR of 1.99 (95% confidence interval 1.61–2.46), as compared to those in the highest quartile. The association between low FT4 and IR remained significant in both NW and OW/OB subgroups. In conclusion, low normal FT4 levels were independently related to IR in NW and OW/OB euthyroid subjects. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms by which low FT4 levels are linked to high IR in euthyroid ranges.
Solving American Option Pricing Models by the Front Fixing Method: Numerical Analysis and Computing
Authors: Company R. , Egorova V. N. , Jódar L.
Published: April 2014

This paper presents an explicit finite-difference method for nonlinear partial differential equation appearing as a transformed Black-Scholes equation for American put option under logarithmic front fixing transformation. Numerical analysis of the method is provided. The method preserves positivity and monotonicity of the numerical solution. Consistency and stability properties of the scheme are studied. Explicit calculations avoid iterative algorithms for solving nonlinear systems. Theoretical results are confirmed by numerical experiments. Comparison with other approaches shows that the proposed method is accurate and competitive.
Involvement of DNA Damage Response Pathways in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Yang Sheau-Fang , Chang Chien-Wei , Wei Ren-Jie , Shiue Yow-Ling , Wang Shen-Nien , Yeh Yao-Tsung
Published: April 2014

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been known as one of the most lethal human malignancies, due to the difficulty of early detection, chemoresistance, and radioresistance, and is characterized by active angiogenesis and metastasis, which account for rapid recurrence and poor survival. Its development has been closely associated with multiple risk factors, including hepatitis B and C virus infection, alcohol consumption, obesity, and diet contamination. Genetic alterations and genomic instability, probably resulted from unrepaired DNA lesions, are increasingly recognized as a common feature of human HCC. Dysregulation of DNA damage repair and signaling to cell cycle checkpoints, known as the DNA damage response (DDR), is associated with a predisposition to cancer and affects responses to DNA-damaging anticancer therapy. It has been demonstrated that various HCC-associated risk factors are able to promote DNA damages, formation of DNA adducts, and chromosomal aberrations. Hence, alterations in the DDR pathways may accumulate these lesions to trigger hepatocarcinogenesis and also to facilitate advanced HCC progression. This review collects some of the most known information about the link between HCC-associated risk factors and DDR pathways in HCC. Hopefully, the review will remind the researchers and clinicians of further characterizing and validating the roles of these DDR pathways in HCC.
Stabilization with Internal Loop for Infinite-Dimensional Discrete Time-Varying Systems
Authors: Gan Nai-feng , LU Yu-feng , Gong Ting
Published: April 2014

The concepts of stabilization with internal loop are analyzed for well-posed transfer functions. We obtain some sufficient and necessary conditions such that a stabilizing controller with internal loop stabilizes plant L. We also analyze two special subclasses of stabilizing controllers with internal loop, called canonical and dual canonical controllers, and show that all stabilizing controllers can be parameterized by a doubly coprime factorization of the original transfer function.
Predicting Alloreactivity in Transplantation
Authors: Geneugelijk Kirsten , Thus Kirsten Anne , Spierings Eric
Published: April 2014

Human leukocyte Antigen (HLA) mismatching leads to severe complications after solid-organ transplantation and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. The alloreactive responses underlying the posttransplantation complications include both direct recognition of allogeneic HLA by HLA-specific alloantibodies and T cells and indirect T-cell recognition. However, the immunogenicity of HLA mismatches is highly variable; some HLA mismatches lead to severe clinical B-cell- and T-cell-mediated alloreactivity, whereas others are well tolerated. Definition of the permissibility of HLA mismatches prior to transplantation allows selection of donor-recipient combinations that will have a reduced chance to develop deleterious host-versus-graft responses after solid-organ transplantation and graft-versus-host responses after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Therefore, several methods have been developed to predict permissible HLA-mismatch combinations. In this review we aim to give a comprehensive overview about the current knowledge regarding HLA-directed alloreactivity and several developedin vitroandin silicotools that aim to predict direct and indirect alloreactivity.
Homocysteine Serum Levels in Diabetic Patients with Non Proliferative, Proliferative and without Retinopathy
Authors: Malaguarnera Giulia , Gagliano Caterina , Giordano Maria , Salomone Salvatore , Vacante Marco , Bucolo Claudio , Caraci Filippo , Reibaldi Michele , Drago Filippo , Avitabile Teresio , Motta Massimo
Published: April 2014

Homocysteine has been associated with extracellular matrix changes. The diabetic retinopathy is a neurovascular complication of diabetes mellitus and it is the leading cause of vision loss among working adults worldwide. In this study, we evaluate the role of homocysteine in diabetic retinopathy analyzing the plasma levels of homocysteine in 63 diabetic type 2 patients with nonproliferative retinopathy (NPDR), 62 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), 50 healthy subjects used as control group, and 75 randomly selected patients.
A Centimeter-Sized Quaternary Ti-Zr-Be-Ag Bulk Metallic Glass
Authors: Zhao S. F. , Shao Y. , Gong P. , Yao K. F.
Published: April 2014

A novel centimeter-sized Ti-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) was developed by the addition of Ag in the ternary Ti41Zr25Be34glassy alloy. By replacing Be with Ag, the glass forming ability (GFA), the yield strength, and the supercooled liquid temperature of the quaternaryTi41Zr25Be34−xAgx(x=2, 4, 6, 8 at.%) glassy alloys have been obviously enhanced. Among the developed Ti-Zr-Be-Ag alloy systems, the Ti41Zr25Be28Ag6alloy possesses the largest critical diameter (Dmax) of 10 mm, while the yield strength is also enhanced to 1961 MPa, which is much larger than that of Ti41Zr25Be34(1755 MPa) alloy. The experimental results show that Ag is an effective element for improving the GFA and the yield strength of Ti-Zr-Be glassy alloy.
Circulating Conventional and Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Subsets Display Distinct Kinetics duringIn VivoRepeated Allergen Skin Challenges in Atopic Subjects
Authors: Vittorakis Stelios , Samitas Konstantinos , Tousa Sofia , Zervas Eleftherios , Aggelakopoulou Maria , Semitekolou Maria , Panoutsakopoulou Vily , Xanthou Georgina , Gaga Mina
Published: April 2014

Upon allergen challenge, DC subsets are recruited to target sites under the influence of chemotactic agents; however, details pertinent to their trafficking remain largely unknown. We investigated the kinetic profiles of blood and skin-infiltrating DC subsets in twelve atopic subjects receiving six weekly intradermal allergen and diluent injections. The role of activin-A, a cytokine induced in allergic and tissue repair processes, on the chemotactic profiles of DC subsets was also examined. Plasmacytoid (pDCs) and conventional DCs (cDCs) were evaluated at various time-points in the blood and skin.In situactivin-A expression was assessed in the skin and its effects on chemokine receptor expression of isolated cDCs were investigated. Blood pDCs were reduced 1 h after challenge, while cDCs decreased gradually within 24 h. Skin cDCs increased significantly 24 h after the first challenge, inversely correlating with blood cDCs. Activin-A in the skin increased 24 h after the first allergen challenge and correlated with infiltrating cDCs. Activin-A increased the CCR10/CCR4 expression ratio in cultured human cDCs. DC subsets demonstrate distinct kinetic profiles in the blood and skin especially during acute allergic inflammation, pointing to disparate roles depending on each phase of the inflammatory response. The effects of activin-A on modulating the chemotactic profile of cDCs suggest it may be a plausible therapeutic target for allergic diseases.
Amyloidosis, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress in the Heart of an Alkaptonuric Patient
Authors: Millucci Lia , Ghezzi Lorenzo , Paccagnini Eugenio , Giorgetti Giovanna , Viti Cecilia , Braconi Daniela , Laschi Marcella , Geminiani Michela , Soldani Patrizia , Lupetti Pietro , Orlandini Maurizio , Benvenuti Chiara , Perfetto Federico , Spreafico Adriano , Bernardini Giulia , Santucci Annalisa
Published: April 2014

Background. Alkaptonuria, a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by deficiency in homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase activity, leads to accumulation of oxidised homogentisic acid in cartilage and collagenous structures present in all organs and tissues, especially joints and heart, causing a pigmentation called ochronosis. A secondary amyloidosis is associated with AKU. Here we report a study of an aortic valve from an AKU patient.Results. Congo Red birefringence, Th-T fluorescence, and biochemical assays demonstrated the presence of SAA-amyloid deposits in AKU stenotic aortic valve. Light and electron microscopy assessed the colocalization of ochronotic pigment and SAA-amyloid, the presence of calcified areas in the valve. Immunofluorescence detected lipid peroxidation of the tissue and lymphocyte/macrophage infiltration causing inflammation. High SAA plasma levels and proinflammatory cytokines levels comparable to those from rheumatoid arthritis patients were found in AKU patient.Conclusions. SAA-amyloidosis was present in the aortic valve from an AKU patient and colocalized with ochronotic pigment as well as with tissue calcification, lipid oxidation, macrophages infiltration, cell death, and tissue degeneration. A localHGDexpression in human cardiac tissue has also been ascertained suggesting a consequent local production of ochronotic pigment in AKU heart.
Potential Role of A2BAdenosine Receptors on Proliferation/Migration of Fetal Endothelium Derived from Preeclamptic Pregnancies
Authors: Acurio Jesenia , Troncoso Felipe , Bertoglia Patricio , Salomon Carlos , Aguayo Claudio , Sobrevia Luis , Escudero Carlos
Published: April 2014

To investigate the functionality ofA2Badenosine receptor (A2BAR) and the nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway in the endothelial cell proliferation/migration during preeclampsia, we used human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) isolated from normal pregnanciesn=15or pregnancies with preeclampsian=15. Experiments were performed in presence or absence of the nonselective adenosine receptor agonist NECA, theA2BAR selective antagonist MRS-1754, and the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME. Results indicated that cells from preeclampsia exhibited a significant higher protein level ofA2BAR and logEC50for NECA-mediated proliferation than normotensive pregnancies. The stimulatory effect of NECA (10 μM, 24 h) on cell proliferation was prevented by MRS-1754 (5 nM) coincubation only in cells from normotensive pregnancies. Nevertheless, L-NAME (100 μM, 24 h) reduced the NECA-induced cell proliferation/migration in HUVEC from normal pregnancy; however in preeclampsia only NECA-induced cell proliferation was reduced by L-NAME. Moreover, NECA increased protein nitration and abundance of VEGF in cells from normal pregnancy and effect prevented by MRS-1754 coincubation. Nevertheless, in preeclampsia NECA did not affect the protein level of VEGF. In conclusion HUVECs from preeclampsia exhibit elevated protein level ofA2BAR and impairment ofA2BAR-mediated NO/VEGF signaling pathway.
Characterizing the Effects of Intermittent Faults on a Processor for Dependability Enhancement Strategy
Authors: Wang Chao(Saul) , Fu Zhong-Chuan , Chen Hong-Song , Wang Dong-Sheng
Published: April 2014

As semiconductor technology scales into the nanometer regime, intermittent faults have become an increasing threat. This paper focuses on the effects of intermittent faults on NET versus REG on one hand and the implications for dependability strategy on the other. First, the vulnerability characteristics of representative units in OpenSPARC T2 are revealed, and in particular, the highly sensitive modules are identified. Second, an arch-level dependability enhancement strategy is proposed, showing that events such as core/strand running status and core-memory interface events can be candidates of detectable symptoms. A simple watchdog can be deployed to detect application running status (IEXE event). Then SDC (silent data corruption) rate is evaluated demonstrating its potential. Third and last, the effects of traditional protection schemes in the target CMT to intermittent faults are quantitatively studied on behalf of the contribution of each trap type, demonstrating the necessity of taking this factor into account for the strategy.
New Insights into c-Ret Signalling Pathway in the Enteric Nervous System and Its Relationship with ALS
Authors: Luesma M. J. , Cantarero I. , Álvarez-Dotu J. M. , Santander S. , Junquera C.
Published: April 2014

The receptor tyrosine kinase Ret (c-Ret) transduces the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signal, one of the neurotrophic factors related to the degeneration process or the regeneration activity of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The phosphorylation of several tyrosine residues of c-Ret seems to be altered in ALS. c-Ret is expressed in motor neurons and in the enteric nervous system (ENS) during the embryonic period. The characteristics of the ENS allow using it as model for central nervous system (CNS) study and being potentially useful for the research of human neurological diseases such as ALS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellular localization and quantitative evaluation of marker c-Ret in the adult human gut. To assess the nature of c-Ret positive cells, we performed colocalization with specific markers of cells that typically are located in the enteric ganglia. The colocalization of PGP9.5 and c-Ret was preferentially intense in enteric neurons with oval morphology and mostly peripherally localized in the ganglion, so we concluded that the c-Ret receptor is expressed by a specific subtype of enteric neurons in the mature human ENS of the gut. The functional significance of these c-Ret positive neurons is discussed.
Nerve Injury-Induced c-Jun Activation in Schwann Cells Is JNK Independent
Authors: Lindwall Blom Charlotta , Mårtensson Lisa B. , Dahlin Lars B.
Published: April 2014

We investigated (a) if activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was linked to the stress activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway and (b) if JNK was required for activation of c-Jun in Schwann cells of rat sciatic nerve following injury. To this aim, ERK1/2 and the transcription factors c-Jun and ATF-3 were studied by immunohistochemistry in segments of transected nerves. We utilized pharmacological inhibitors of both signal transduction pathwaysin vitroto determine the effects on downstream signalling events, such as c-Jun activation, and on Schwann cell survival and proliferation. A transection inducesc-JunandATF-3transcription in Schwann cells. These events are followed by Schwann cell activation of c-Jun in the injured nerve. The MAPK inhibitor U0126 blocked ERK1/2 activation and reduced Schwann cell proliferation as well as induction ofc-Juntranscription. The JNK inhibitor SP600125 reduced Schwann cell proliferation, but did not affect the expression of ERK1/2 or injury-induced increases in c-Jun or ATF-3 levels. Importantly, nerve injury induces Schwann cell activation of c-Jun by phosphorylation, which, in contrast to in sensory neurons, is JNK independent. MAP kinases, other than JNK, can potentially activate c-Jun in Schwann cells following injury; information that is crucial to create new nerve reconstruction strategies.
Barriers and Delays in Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Services: Does Gender Matter?
Authors: Yang Wei-Teng , Gounder Celine R. , Akande Tokunbo , De Neve Jan-Walter , McIntire Katherine N. , Chandrasekhar Aditya , de Lima Pereira Alan , Gummadi Naveen , Samanta Santanu , Gupta Amita
Published: April 2014

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health problem with known gender-related disparities. We reviewed the quantitative evidence for gender-related differences in accessing TB services from symptom onset to treatment initiation.Methods. Following a systematic review process, we: searched 12 electronic databases; included quantitative studies assessing gender differences in accessing TB diagnostic and treatment services; abstracted data; and assessed study validity. We defined barriers and delays at the individual and provider/system levels using a conceptual framework of the TB care continuum and examined gender-related differences.Results. Among 13,448 articles, 137 were included: many assessed individual-level barriers (52%) and delays (42%), 76% surveyed persons presenting for care with diagnosed or suspected TB, 24% surveyed community members, and two-thirds were from African and Asian regions. Many studies reported no gender differences. Among studies reporting disparities, women faced greater barriers (financial: 64% versus 36%; physical: 100% versus 0%; stigma: 85% versus 15%; health literacy: 67% versus 33%; and provider-/system-level: 100% versus 0%) and longer delays (presentation to diagnosis: 45% versus 0%) than men.Conclusions. Many studies found no quantitative gender-related differences in barriers and delays limiting access to TB services. When differences were identified, women experienced greater barriers and longer delays than men.
Mortality Trends in Patients Hospitalized with the Initial Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Middle Eastern Country over 20 Years
Authors: Ahmed Emad , Al Suwaidi Jassim , El-Menyar Ayman , AlBinali Hajar A. H. , Singh Rajvir , Gehani A. A.
Published: April 2014

We aimed to define the temporal trend in the initial Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) management and outcome during the last two decades in a Middle Eastern country. A total of 10,915 patients were admitted with initial AMI with mean age of 53 ± 11.8 years. Comparing the two decades (1991–2000) to (2001–2010), the use of antiplatelet drugs increased from 84% to 95%,β-blockers increased from 38% to 56%, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) increased from 12% to 36% (P<0.001for all). The rates of PCI increased from 2.5% to 14.6% and thrombolytic therapy decreased from 71% to 65% (P<0.001for all). While the rate of hospitalization with Initial MI increased from 34% to 66%, and the average length of hospital stay decreased from 6.4 ± 3 to 4.6 ± 3, all hospital outcomes parameters improved significantly including a 39% reduction in in-hospital Mortality.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher utilization of antiplatelet drugs,β-blockers, and ACEI were the main contributors to better hospital outcomes. Over the study period, there was a significant increase in the hospitalization rate in patients presenting with initial AMI. Evidence-based medical therapies appear to be associated with a substantial improvement in outcome and in-hospital mortality.
Possible Association of IL-4 VNTR Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Preeclampsia
Authors: Salimi Saeedeh , Mohammadoo-Khorasani Milad , Yaghmaei Minoo , Mokhtari Mojgan , Moossavi Maryam
Published: April 2014

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disorder that results in maternal mortality and morbidity. Growing evidence indicated that cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of PE and interleukin-4 VNTR polymorphism could be implicated in altering the PE risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association between IL-4 VNTR polymorphism and susceptibility to PE in Iranian population for the first time. Genetic polymorphism was evaluated in 192 PE and 186 healthy control women by polymerase chain reaction method. We found that the VNTR polymorphism of IL-4 gene has significantly increased the risk of preeclampsia (RP2/RP1 versus RP1/RP1, OR, 2.8 [95% CI, 1.7 to 8.8];P=0.0001and RP2/RP2 versus RP1/RP1;P=0.002). The results showed that carriage of IL-4 VNTR RP2 allele has positive association with preeclampsia susceptibility.
Bifurcation Type Change of AC Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Resonators due to DC Bias
Authors: Caruntu Dumitru I. , Taylor Kyle N.
Published: April 2014

This paper investigates the nonlinear response of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) cantilever resonator electrostatically actuated by applying a soft alternating current (AC) voltage and an even softer direct current (DC) voltage between the resonators and a parallel fixed ground plate. The AC frequency is near natural frequency. This drives the resonator into nonlinear parametric resonance. The method of multiple scales (MMS) is used to solve the dimensionless differential equation of motion of the resonator and find the steady-state solutions. The reduced order model (ROM) method is used to validate the results obtained using MMS. The effect of the soft DC voltage (bias) component on the frequency response is reported. It is shown that the DC bias changes the subcritical Hopf bifurcation into a cyclic fold bifurcation and shifts the bifurcation point (where the system loses stability) to lower frequencies and larger amplitudes.
Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Biological Activity Studies of Ni(II) and Zn(II) Complexes
Authors: Kavitha Palakuri , Laxma Reddy K.
Published: April 2014

Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes were synthesized from tridentate 3-formyl chromone Schiff bases such as 3-((2-hydroxyphenylimino)methyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (HL1), 2-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methylneamino)benzoic acid (HL2), 3-((3-hydroxypyridin-2-ylimino)methyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (HL3), and 3-((2-mercaptophenylimino)methyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (HL4). All the complexes were characterized in the light of elemental analysis, molar conductance, FTIR, UV-VIS, magnetic, thermal, powder XRD, and SEM studies. The conductance and spectroscopic data suggested that, the ligands act as neutral and monobasic tridentate ligands and form octahedral complexes with general formula [M(L1–4)2]·nH2O (M = Ni(II) and Zn(II)). Metal complexes exhibited pronounced activity against tested bacteria and fungi strains compared to the ligands. In addition metal complexes displayed good antioxidant and moderate nematicidal activities. The cytotoxicity of ligands and their metal complexes have been evaluated by MTT assay. The DNA cleavage activity of the metal complexes was performed using agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of oxidant H2O2. All metal complexes showed significant nuclease activity in the presence of H2O2.
Early Treatment Response Monitoring Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography Imaging during Fractionated Radiotherapy of Head Neck Cancer Xenografts
Authors: Huang Jiayi , Chunta John L. , Amin Mitual , Lee David Y. , Grills Inga S. , Oliver Wong Ching-Yee , Marples Brian , Yan Di , Wilson George D.
Published: April 2014

Background.To determine the optimal timing and analytic method of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (PET) imaging during fractionated radiotherapy (RT) to predict tumor control.Methods.Ten head neck squamous cell carcinoma xenografts derived from the UT-14-SCC cell line were irradiated with 50 Gy at 2 Gy per day over 5 weeks. Dynamic PET scans were acquired over 70 minutes at baseline (week 0) and weekly for seven weeks. PET data were analyzed using standard uptake value (SUV), retention index (RI), sensitivity factor (SF), and kinetic index (Ki).Results.Four xenografts had local failure (LF) and 6 had local control. Eighty scans from week 0 to week 7 were analyzed. RI and SF after 10 Gy appeared to be the optimal predictors for LF. In contrast, SUV and Ki during RT were not significant predictors for LF.Conclusion.RI and SF of PET obtained after the first week of fractionated RT were the optimal methods and timing to predict tumor control.
Application of Response Surface Methodology to Enhance Phenol Removal from Refinery Wastewater by Microwave Process
Authors: Younis Sherif A. , El-Azab Waleed I. , El-Gendy Nour Sh. , Aziz Shuokr Qarani , Moustafa Yasser M. , Aziz Hamidi Abdul , Amr Salem S. Abu
Published: April 2014

Phenol contaminated petroleum refinery wastewater presents a great threat on water resources safety. This study investigates the effect of microwave irradiation on removal of different concentrations of phenol in an attempt for petroleum refinery wastewater treatment. The obtained results show that the MW output power and irradiation time have a significant positive effect on the removal efficiency of phenol. The kinetic reaction is significantly affected by initial MW output power and initial phenol concentrations. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize and study the interaction effects of process parameters: MW output power, irradiation time, salinity, pH, and H2O2 concentration using central composite design (CCD). From the CCD design matrix, a quadratic model was considered as an ultimate model (R2 = 0.75) and its adequacy was justified through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The overall reaction rates were significantly enhanced in the combined MW/H2O2 system as proved by RSM. The optimum values for the design parameters of the MW/H2O2 process were evaluated giving predicted phenol removal percentage of 72.90% through RSM by differential approximation and were confirmed by experimental phenol removal of 75.70% in a batch experiment at optimum conditions of 439 W MW power, irradiation time of 24.22 min, salinity of 574 mg/L, pH 5.10, and initial H2O2 concentration of 10% (v/v).
H1∩LpversusC1Local Minimizers
Authors: Zhong Yansheng
Published: April 2014

We show that a local minimizer ofΦin theC1topology must be a local minimizer in theH1∩Lptopology, under suitable assumptions for the functionalΦ=(1/2)∫Ω|∇u|2+(1/p)∫Ω|u|p−∫ΩF(x,u)with supercritical exponentp>2∗=2n/(n−2). This result can be used to establish a solution to the corresponding equation admitting sub- and supersolution. Hence, we extend the conclusion proved by Brezis and Nirenberg (1993), the subcritical and critical case.
Peripheral Cytokines as a Chemical Mediator for Postconcussion Like Sickness Behaviour in Trauma and Perioperative Patients: Literature Review
Authors: Rehman Yasir , Rehman Nadia , Rehman Riaz
Published: April 2014

Besides brain injury and systemic infection, cognitive and concussion like sickness behaviour is associated with muscular trauma and perioperative patients, which represents a major obstacle to daily activities and rehabilitation. The neuroinflammatory response triggers glial activation and consequently the release of proinflammatory cytokines within the hippocampus. We review clinical studies that have investigated neurocognitive and psychosomatic symptoms related to muscular trauma and in perioperative conditions. These include impaired attention and executive and general cognitive functioning. The purpose of this literature review is to focus on the systemic inflammation and the role of proinflammatory cytokines IL1, IL6,and TNF and other inflammatory mediators which mediates the cognitive impairment and induces sickness behaviour. Moreover, this review will also help to determine if some patients could have long-term cognitive changes associated with musculoskeletal injuries or as a consequence of surgery and thereby will lead to efforts in reducing that risk.
Semantic Reasoning with Contextual Ontologies on Sensor Cloud Environment
Authors: Park Kyungeun , Kim Yanggon , Chang Juno
Published: April 2014

This research first focused on processing enormous number of sensor events from a variety of city-wide sensor networks. As a solution, the well-known big data handling scheme, Hadoop cluster framework, drew, unquestionably, our attention. The acquired sensor events are to be used to immediately detect a certain abnormal situation within the framework. Accordingly, we integrated our existing context-aware collaboration framework with Hadoop cluster framework by interfacing data collection and context-aware reasoning parts of the existing framework with the Hadoop cluster framework. This approach enabled us to effectively process massive sensor events and semantically analyze the big data within the cluster environment. The proposed smart city sensor cloud framework provides ontology-enabled semantic reasoning scheme with the XOntology in combination with the Context-Aware Inference (CAI) model. By applying the ontology technology, the proposed framework enhances the availability and interoperability of the contextual information across many cooperating parties according to semantic reasoning results. Further, this framework is flexible enough to integrate any heterogeneous platforms including many existing IT solutions as well as mobile platforms. In addition, this approach presents the direction of progressive migration of many existing sensor network solutions into big data handling sensor cloud framework.
Intestinal Parasites of Owned Dogs and Cats from Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas: Prevalence, Zoonotic Risks, and Pet Owner Awareness in Northern Italy
Authors: Zanzani Sergio Aurelio , Gazzonis Alessia Libera , Scarpa Paola , Berrilli Federica , Manfredi Maria Teresa
Published: April 2014

Intestinal parasites of dogs and cats are cosmopolitan pathogens with zoonotic potential for humans. Our investigation considered their diffusion in dogs and cats from northern Italy areas, specifically the metropolitan area of Milan and two micropolitan areas of neighboring provinces. It included the study of the level of awareness in pet owners of the zoonotic potential from these parasites. A total of 409 fresh fecal samples were collected from household dogs and cats for copromicroscopic analysis and detection ofGiardia duodenaliscoproantigens. The assemblages ofGiardiawere also identified. A questionnaire about intestinal parasites biology and zoonotic potential was submitted to 185 pet owners. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites resulted higher in cats (47.37%−60.42%) and dogs (57.41%−43.02%) from micropolitan areas than that from the metropolis of Milan (dogs:P=28.16%; cats:P=32.58%). The zoonotic parasites infecting pets under investigation wereT. canisandT. cati,T. vulpis, Ancylostomatidae, andG. duodenalisassemblage A. Only 49.19% of pet owners showed to be aware of the risks for human health from canine and feline intestinal parasites. Parasitological results in pets and awareness determination in their owners clearly highlight how the role of veterinarians is important in indicating correct and widespread behaviors to reduce risks of infection for pets and humans in urban areas.
Unsupervised Quality Estimation Model for English to German Translation and Its Application in Extensive Supervised Evaluation
Authors: Han Aaron L.-F. , Wong Derek F. , Chao Lidia S. , He Liangye , Lu Yi
Published: April 2014

With the rapid development of machine translation (MT), the MT evaluation becomes very important to timely tell us whether the MT system makes any progress. The conventional MT evaluation methods tend to calculate the similarity between hypothesis translations offered by automatic translation systems and reference translations offered by professional translators. There are several weaknesses in existing evaluation metrics. Firstly, the designed incomprehensive factors result in language-bias problem, which means they perform well on some special language pairs but weak on other language pairs. Secondly, they tend to use no linguistic features or too many linguistic features, of which no usage of linguistic feature draws a lot of criticism from the linguists and too many linguistic features make the model weak in repeatability. Thirdly, the employed reference translations are very expensive and sometimes not available in the practice. In this paper, the authors propose an unsupervised MT evaluation metric using universal part-of-speech tagset without relying on reference translations. The authors also explore the performances of the designed metric on traditional supervised evaluation tasks. Both the supervised and unsupervised experiments show that the designed methods yield higher correlation scores with human judgments.
Bifurcation and Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Externally Pressurized Double Air Films Bearing System
Authors: Wang Cheng-Chi , Liu Chin-Chia , Wang Chi-Chang
Published: April 2014

This paper studies the chaotic and nonlinear dynamic behaviors of a rigid rotor supported by externally pressurized double air films (EPDAF) bearing system. A hybrid numerical method combining the differential transformation method and the finite difference method is used to calculate pressure distribution of EPDAF bearing system and bifurcation phenomenon of rotor center orbits. The results obtained for the orbits of the rotor center are in good agreement with those obtained using the traditional finite difference approach. The results presented summarize the changes which take place in the dynamic behavior of the EPDAF bearing system as the rotor mass and bearing number are increased and therefore provide a useful guideline for the bearing system.
Analysis of a Substrate Integrated Waveguide Hybrid Ring (Rat-Race) Coupler
Authors: Dehdasht-Heydari Ramin , Forooraghi Keyvan , Naser-Moghadasi Mohammad
Published: April 2014

This paper presents an efficient analysis of a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) single-layer hybrid ring coupler (rat-race) for millimeter-wave and microwave applications. The scattered field from each circular cylinder is expanded by cylindrical eigenfunctions with unknown coefficients that have been solved by electric and magnetic tangential boundary on each metallic via. The coupler S-matrix is calculated by using mode matching that uses the cylindrical vector expansion analysis to minimize the computational time and provides more physical insight. To achieve higher bandwidth, the radiuses of the coupler under analysis have been optimized in Matlab code by invasive weed optimization (IWO) method, and the results have been verified by CST package. The return loss and the isolation are less than −15 dB, and −18 dB, respectively. The insertion loss is divided equally-3±0.2 dB, with0±5and180±10degrees in output ports over the operating frequency bandwidth and the agreement of phase differences in output ports has been examined objectively by feature selective validation (FSV) technique.
The Associations between VEGF Gene Polymorphisms and Diabetic Retinopathy Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis of 11 Case-Control Studies
Authors: Han Liyuan , Zhang Lina , Xing Wenhua , Zhuo Renjie , Lin XiaLu , Hao Yanhua , Wu Qunhong , Zhao Jinshun
Published: April 2014

Aims. Published data on the associations of VEGF polymorphisms with diabetic retinopathy (DR) susceptibility are inconclusive. A systematic meta-analysis was undertaken to clarify this topic.Methods. Data were collected from the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, OVID, Web of Science, Elsevier Science Direct, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), and Cochrane Library with the last report up to January 10, 2014. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated for VEGF–2578C/A (rs699947), –1154G/A (rs1570360), –460T/C (rs833061), −634G>C (rs2010963), and +936C/T (rs3025039) in at least two published studies. Meta-analysis was performed in a fixed/random effect model by using the software STATA 12.0.Results. A total of 11 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis. A significant relationship between VEGF+936C/T (rs3025039) polymorphism and DR was found in a recessive model (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.20–8.41, andP(z)=0.01) in Asian and overall populations, while a significant association was also found between –460T/C (rs833061) polymorphism and DR risk under a recessive model (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.12–4.01, andP(z)=0.02).Conclusions. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that +936C/T (rs3025039) is likely to be associated with susceptibility to DR in Asian populations, and the recessive model of –460T/C (rs833061) is associated with elevated DR susceptibility.
Percutaneous Vertebral Body Augmentation: An Updated Review
Authors: Omidi-Kashani Farzad
Published: April 2014

There are many medical conditions like osteoporosis, tumor, or osteonecrosis that weaken the structural strength of the vertebral body and prone it to fracture. Percutaneous vertebral augmentation that is usually applied by polymethylmethacrylate is a relatively safe, effective, and long lasting procedure commonly performed in these situations. In this paper, we updated a review of biomechanics, indications, contraindications, surgical techniques, complications, and overall prognosis of these minimally invasive spinal procedures.
A Shared Interest Discovery Model for Coauthor Relationship in SNS
Authors: An Xin , Xu Shuo , Wen Yali , Hu Mingxing
Published: April 2014

A social network service (SNS) is a platform to build social networks or social relations among people. Many users enjoy SNS with their smart devices, which are mostly equipped with sensory devices. The sensitive information produced by these sensory devices is uploaded to SNS, which may raise many potential risks. In order to share one's sensitive data with random people without security and privacy concerns, this paper proposes a shared interest discovery model for coauthor relationship in SNS, named as coauthor topic (coAT) model, to identify the users with similar interests from social networks, and collapsed Gibbs sampling method is utilized for inferring model parameters. Thus, one can reduce the possibility that recommended users are not friends but attackers. Finally, extensive experimental results on NIPS dataset indicate that our coAT model is feasible and efficient.
Temperature Distribution Monitoring Using Ultrasonic Thermometry Based on Markov Radial Basis Function Approximation and Singular Values Decomposition
Authors: Shen Xuehua , Xiong Qingyu , Shi Weiren , Wang Kai , Lai Guoqiang
Published: April 2014

Information about temperature distribution is complex but of critical importance for the control of various microwave applications. In this paper, an innovative way of temperature distribution monitoring using ultrasonic thermometry in microwave field is investigated. The principle of ultrasonic thermometry in the situation of ideal gas is elaborated, and reconstruction algorithm based on Markov radial basis function approximation and singular values decomposition is presented and described in detail. In order to validate the performance of temperature distribution reconstruction of our presented algorithm, four two‐dimensional temperature distribution models with different complexities are utilized in simulation experiments. Especially, simulation experiments taking error of measurement into account are studied to verify the robustness. Figure profiles show remarkable correspondence between the reconstructed ones and their models, while quantitative analysis, including the overall temperature error analysis and the hotspot positioning analysis, shows that different kinds of errors calculated are all within the limit ranges. In addition, the time analysis of simulation experiments also demonstrates its well real‐time capability.