bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Silico Design of Human IMPDH Inhibitors Using Pharmacophore Mapping and Molecular Docking Approaches
Authors: Li Rui-Juan , Wang Ya-Li , Wang Qing-He , Wang Jian , Cheng Mao-Sheng
Published: February 2015

Inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) is one of the crucial enzymes in thede novobiosynthesis of guanosine nucleotides. It has served as an attractive target in immunosuppressive, anticancer, antiviral, and antiparasitic therapeutic strategies. In this study, pharmacophore mapping and molecular docking approaches were employed to discover novel Homo sapiens IMPDH (hIMPDH) inhibitors. The Güner-Henry (GH) scoring method was used to evaluate the quality of generated pharmacophore hypotheses. One of the generated pharmacophore hypotheses was found to possess a GH score of 0.67. Ten potential compounds were selected from the ZINC database using a pharmacophore mapping approach and docked into the IMPDH active site. We find two hits (i.e., ZINC02090792 and ZINC00048033) that match well the optimal pharmacophore features used in this investigation, and it is found that they form interactions with key residues of IMPDH. We propose that these two hits are lead compounds for the development of novel hIMPDH inhibitors.
Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle for the Optimal Control Problems with Multipoint Boundary Conditions
Authors: Mardanov M. J. , Sharifov Y. A.
Published: February 2015

Optimal control problem with multipoint boundary conditions is considered. Sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the solution of boundary value problem for every fixed admissible control are obtained. First order increment formula for the functional is derived. Pontryagin’s maximum principle is proved by using the variations of admissible control.
The Rolling Bearing Fault Feature Extraction Based on the LMD and Envelope Demodulation
Authors: Ma Jun , Wu Jiande , Fan Yugang , Wang Xiaodong
Published: February 2015

Since the working process of rolling bearings is a complex and nonstationary dynamic process, the common time and frequency characteristics of vibration signals are submerged in the noise. Thus, it is the key of fault diagnosis to extract the fault feature from vibration signal. Therefore, a fault feature extraction method for the rolling bearing based on the local mean decomposition (LMD) and envelope demodulation is proposed. Firstly, decompose the original vibration signal by LMD to get a series of production functions (PFs). Then dispose the envelope demodulation analysis on PF component. Finally, perform Fourier Transform on the demodulation signals and judge failure condition according to the dominant frequency of the spectrum. The results show that the proposed method can correctly extract the fault characteristics to diagnose faults.
Inhibition of Adhesion, Proliferation, and Invasion of Primary Endometriosis and Endometrial Stromal and Ovarian Carcinoma Cells by a Nonhyaluronan Adhesion Barrier Gel
Authors: Renner Stefan P. , Strissel Pamela L. , Beckmann Matthias W. , Lermann Johannes , Burghaus Stefanie , Hackl Janina , Fasching Peter A. , Strick Reiner
Published: February 2015

Endometriosis is a chronic disease of women in the reproductive age, defined as endometrial cells growing outside of the uterine cavity and associated with relapses. Relapses are hypothesized to correlate with incomplete surgical excision or result from nonrandom implantation of new endometrial implants in adjacent peritoneum. Thus, surgical excision could lead to free endometriotic cells or tissue residues, which readhere, grow, and invade into recurrent lesions. Barrier agents are frequently used to prevent postoperative adhesions. We tested if the absorbable cell adhesion barrier gel Intercoat consisting of polyethylene oxide and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose could inhibit cellular adhesion, proliferation, and invasion of primary endometriosis and endometrial cells. Due to an association of endometriosis with ovarian carcinoma, we tested two ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Prior to cell seeding, a drop of the barrier gel was placed in cell culture wells in order to test inhibition of adherence and proliferation or coated over a polymerized collagen gel to assay for prevention of invasion. Results showed that the barrier gel significantly inhibited cell adherence, proliferation, and invasion of endometriosis and endometrial stromal cells as well as ovarian carcinoma cells in culture. Our findings could help to prevent local cell growth/invasion and possible consequent recurrences.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Selected Aromatic Amines
Authors: Ismail Hammad , Mirza Bushra , Haq Ihsan-ul , Shabbir Muhammad , Akhter Zareen , Basharat Amina
Published: February 2015

Aromatic amines 1-amino-4-phenoxybenzene (A-1A), 2-(4-aminophenoxy) naphthalene (A-2A), and 1-(4-aminophenoxy) naphthalene (A-3A) were synthesized by the reduction of corresponding nitroaromatics with hydrazine monohydrate and Pd/C 5% (w/w). The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by FTIR,1H NMR,13C NMR, UV-visible spectrophotometer, and mass spectrometry and their biological activities were investigated along with structurally similar 4-(4-aminophenyloxy) biphenyl (A-A). Results of brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay showed that almost all of the compounds had LD50values <1 μg/mL. The compounds also showed significant antitumor activity with IC50values ranging from 67.45 to 12.2 µgmL−1. The cytotoxicity and antitumor studies correlate the results which suggests the anticancerous nature of compounds. During the interaction study of these compounds with DNA, all of the compounds showed hyperchromic effect indicating strong interaction through binding with the grooves of DNA. Moreover, A-3A also showed decrease inλmaxconfirming higher propensity for DNA groove binding. In DPPH free radical scavenging assay, all the compounds showed potential antioxidant capability. The compounds were highly active in protecting DNA against hydroxyl free radicals. DNA interaction and antioxidant results back up each other indicating that these compounds have potential to be used as cancer chemopreventive agents. Additionally, one compound (A-1A) showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity as well.
Species Differences in Paraoxonase Mediated Hydrolysis of Several Organophosphorus Insecticide Metabolites
Authors: Carr Russell L. , Dail Mary Beth , Chambers Howard W. , Chambers Janice E.
Published: February 2015

Paraoxonase (PON1) is a calcium dependent enzyme that is capable of hydrolyzing organophosphate anticholinesterases. PON1 activity is present in most mammals and previous research established that PON1 activity differs depending on the species. These studies mainly used the organophosphate substrate paraoxon, the active metabolite of the insecticide parathion. Using serum PON1 from different mammalian species, we compared the hydrolysis of paraoxon with the hydrolysis of the active metabolites (oxons) of two additional organophosphorus insecticides, methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos. Paraoxon hydrolysis was greater than that of methyl paraoxon, but the level of activity between species displayed a similar pattern. Regardless of the species tested, the hydrolysis of chlorpyrifos-oxon was significantly greater than that of paraoxon or methyl paraoxon. These data indicate that chlorpyrifos-oxon is a better substrate for PON1 regardless of the species. The pattern of species differences in PON1 activity varied with the change in substrate to chlorpyrifos-oxon from paraoxon or methyl paraoxon. For example, the sex difference observed here and reported elsewhere in the literature for rat PON1 hydrolysis of paraoxon was not present when chlorpyrifos-oxon was the substrate.
Robust State Feedback Stabilization of Uncertain Discrete-Time Switched Linear Systems Subject to Actuator Saturation
Authors: Zhang Xinquan , Wang Guoliang , Zhao Jun
Published: February 2015

The robust stabilization problem is investigated for a class of discrete-time switched linear systems with time-varying norm-bounded uncertainties and saturating actuators by using the multiple Lyapunov functions method. A switching law and a state feedback law are designed to asymptotically stabilize the system with a large domain of attraction. Based on the multiple Lyapunov functions method, sufficient conditions are obtained for robust stabilization. Furthermore, when some parameters are given in advance, the state feedback controllers and the estimation of domain of attraction are presented by solving a convex optimization problem subject to a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMI) constraints. A numerical example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Distributed Hybrid Localization Using RSS Threshold Based Connectivity Information and Iterative Location Update
Authors: Maung Nyein Aye Maung , Kawai Makoto
Published: February 2015

Resource constraints of wireless ad hoc and sensor networks prohibit high accuracy range-based localization schemes which require specialized hardware for ranging. On the other hand, cost-effective range-free schemes offer lower accuracy and grant their applicability only to large-scale networks. This paper proposes an efficient distributed hybrid solution which integrates received signal strength (RSS) based ranging and connectivity-based range-free approaches to improve the localization accuracy without any extra ranging hardware and to be adaptable to any network size. First, it configures the connectivity information using available RSS measurements and a predefined RSS threshold. Optimal RSS threshold value that minimizes the error for a particular network to be localized is derived as a function of the total number of nodes and the network size. And then, localization accuracy is further improved by introducing the use of regulated hop-count values. Finally, locations of the nodes are iteratively updated using both connectivity information and RSS-based distance information between the nodes to get more precise localization accuracy. Effectiveness of the proposed scheme is evaluated with both experiments and simulations, and results show that the proposed scheme achieves significant performance improvement over existing schemes.
Photoelectrochemical CO2Conversion to Hydrocarbons Using an AlGaN/GaN-Si Tandem Photoelectrode
Authors: Deguchi Masahiro , Yotsuhashi Satoshi , Yamada Yuka , Ohkawa Kazuhiro
Published: February 2015

We report on a qualitatively improved photoelectrochemical CO2reduction system which makes it possible to convert CO2into hydrocarbons. The key is the tandem photoelectrode, which consists of AlGaN/GaN and Si device with p-n junction. The Si device is located on the back of AlGaN/GaN structure and acts as activation layer that raises cathode potential. Use of a Cu cathode results in change of the main reaction products from CO and HCOOH to hydrocarbons such as CH4and C2H4. The energy conversion efficiency to hydrocarbons from CO2is estimated to be 0.046% under irradiation with concentrated solar light.
An Exact Method to Determine the Conductivity of Aqueous Solutions in Acid-Base Titrations
Authors: Rodríguez-Laguna Norma , Rojas-Hernández Alberto , Ramírez-Silva María Teresa , Hernández-García Lucero , Romero-Romo Mario
Published: February 2015

Several works in the literature show that it is possible to establish the analytic equations to estimate the volumeVof a strong base or a strong acid (VbandVa, resp.) being added to a solution of a substance or a mix of substances during an acid-base titration, as well as the equations to estimate the first derivative of the titration plotdpH/dV, and algebraic expressions to determine the bufferβcapacity with dilutionβdil. This treatment allows establishing the conditions of thermodynamic equilibria for all species within a system containing a mix of species from one or from various polyacid systems. The present work shows that it is possible to determine exactly the electric conductivity of aqueous solutions for these Brønsted acid-base titrations, because the functional relation between this property and the composition of the system in equilibrium is well known; this is achieved using the equivalent conductivityλivalues of each of the ions present in a given system. The model employed for the present work confirms the experimental outcomes with the H2SO4, B(OH)3, CH3COOH, and H3PO4aqueous solutions’ titration.
A Hybrid Demon Algorithm for the Two-Dimensional Orthogonal Strip Packing Problem
Authors: Chen Bili , Wang Yong , Yang Shuangyuan
Published: February 2015

This paper develops a hybrid demon algorithm for a two-dimensional orthogonal strip packing problem. This algorithm combines a placement procedure based on an improved heuristic, local search, and demon algorithm involved in setting one parameter. The hybrid algorithm is tested on a wide set of benchmark instances taken from the literature and compared with other well-known algorithms. The computation results validate the quality of the solutions and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Mutations in Sodium Channel Gene SCN9A and the Pain Perception Disorders
Authors: Marković Danica , Janković Radmilo , Veselinović Ines
Published: February 2015

Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) play a crucial role in development and propagation of action potentials in neurons and muscle cells. NaV1.7 channels take a special place in modern science since it is believed that they contribute to nerve hyperexcitability. Mutations of the gene SCN9A, which codes the α subunit of NaV1.7 channels, are associated with pain perception disorders (primary erythermalgia, congenital analgesia, and paroxysmal pain disorder). It is considered that the SCN9A gene mutations may cause variations in sensitivity to pain, from complete insensitivity to extreme sensitivity. Further research of the SCN9A gene polymorphism influence on pain sensitivity is essential for the understanding of the pathophysiology of pain and the development of the appropriate targeted pain treatment.
Conjunctival Flap Covering Combined with Antiviral and Steroid Therapy for Severe Herpes Simplex Virus Necrotizing Stromal Keratitis
Authors: Gao Hua , Jia Yanni , Li Suxia , Wang Ting , Tan Yaohong , Shi Weiyun
Published: February 2015

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) necrotizing stromal keratitis is a common type of herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK). Antiviral medication alone cannot control the disease, and corticosteroid eye drops may aggravate the ulcer and result in corneal perforation. Amniotic membrane transplantation effectively treats superficial corneal ulcer resulting from necrotizing stromal HSK. However, the efficacy of this approach seems to be limited for more serious cases. This study presented the clinical treatment of severe HSV necrotizing stromal keratitis (ulcer depth greater than half of the corneal stroma) by conjunctival flap covering surgery in 25 patients (25 eyes) combined with antivirus and corticosteroid treatment at Shandong Eye Hospital from January 2007 to December 2013. Clinical results showed that the mean best spectacle‐corrected visual acuity improved from preoperative 20/333 to postoperative 20/40 (P < 0.05). All patients recovered ocular surface stabilization. There was recurrence in two eyes, which was cured with antiviral medication. Conjunctival flap covering combined with antivirus and corticosteroid treatment is effective in treating severe HSV necrotizing stromal keratitis.
Evaluation of the Cosmological Constant in Inflation with a Massive Nonminimal Scalar Field
Authors: Huang Jung-Jeng
Published: February 2015

In Schrödinger picture we study the possible effects of trans-Planckian physics on the quantum evolution of massive nonminimally coupled scalar field in de Sitter space. For the nonlinear Corley-Jacobson type dispersion relations with quartic or sextic correction, we obtain the time evolution of the vacuum state wave functional during slow-roll inflation and calculate explicitly the corresponding expectation value of vacuum energy density. We find that the vacuum energy density is finite. For the usual dispersion parameter choice, the vacuum energy density for quartic correction to the dispersion relation is larger than for sextic correction, while for some other parameter choices, the vacuum energy density for quartic correction is smaller than for sextic correction. We also use the backreaction to constrain the magnitude of parameters in nonlinear dispersion relation and show how the cosmological constant depends on the parameters and the energy scale during the inflation at the grand unification phase transition.
Dental Treatment in Patients with Leukemia
Authors: Zimmermann Caroline , Meurer Maria Inês , Grando Liliane Janete , Gonzaga Del Moral Joanita Ângela , da Silva Rath Inês Beatriz , Schaefer Tavares Silvia
Published: February 2015

Dental treatment of patients with leukemia should be planned on the basis of antineoplastic therapy which can be chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Many are the oral manifestations presented by these patients, arising from leukemia and/or treatment. In addition, performing dental procedures at different stages of treatment (before, during, or after) must follow certain protocols in relation to the haematological indices of patients, aimed at maintaining health and contributing to the effectiveness of the results of antineoplastic therapy. Through a literature review, the purpose of this study was to report the hematological abnormalities present in patients with leukemia, trying to correlate them with the feasibility of dental treatment at different stages of the disease. It is concluded in this paper that dental treatment in relation to haematological indices presented by patients with leukemia must follow certain protocols, mainly related to neutrophil and platelet counts, and the presence of the dentist in a multidisciplinary team is required for the health care of this patient.
Quality Assessment of 25(OH)D, Insulin, Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Potassium in 40-Year-Old Frozen Serum
Authors: Leu Monica , Mehlig Kirsten , Hunsberger Monica , Torinsson Naluai Åsa , Blennow Kaj , Zetterberg Henrik , Björkelund Cecilia , Lissner Lauren
Published: February 2015

Background.Many longitudinal epidemiological studies collect specimens into biobanks to investigate how biomarkers predict future disease. In 1968-1969, the Population Study of Women in Gothenburg (PSWG) established a biobank of serum samples.Objective.To examine the validity of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, and potassium after 40 years of storage at −20°C in terms of relative and absolute agreement. The quality of these markers under such condition has not been previously investigated.Methods.Baseline and remeasured levels were compared in selected samples through percentage change, correlation, and regression. 25(OH)D levels, not assessed at baseline, were compared by season, by BMI, and longitudinally over six years.Results.Despite some lack of absolute agreement, Spearman correlations were >0.7 and statistically significant for all biomarkers. The 1968-1969 25(OH)D correlated with BMI(r=-0.45, P=0.05)and with levels six years later(r=0.85, P<0.001). Summer 25(OH)D was higher than winter 25(OH)D(P=0.02).Conclusion.For all markers, baseline and remeasured levels exhibited high relative agreement. 25(OH)D was comparable with expected levels on fresh blood and varied with season. In future studies, PSWG individuals will be ranked according to these markers in order to predict incidence of disease.
Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Intraoperative Parameters in Open (Coliseum) versus Closed Abdomen Hipec
Authors: Halkia E. , Tsochrinis A. , Vassiliadou D. T. , Pavlakou A. , Vaxevanidou A. , Datsis A. , Efstathiou E. , Spiliotis J.
Published: February 2015

Background.Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is associated with a poor prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and HIPEC play an important role in well-selected patients with PC. The aim of the study is to present the differences in the intraoperative parameters in patients who received HIPEC in two different manners, open versus closed abdomen.Patients and Methods.The population includes 105 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal, gastric, and ovarian cancer, sarcoma, mesothelioma, and pseudomyxoma peritonei. Group A(n=60)received HIPEC using the open technique and Group B(n=45)received HIPEC with the closed technique. The main end points were morbidity, mortality, and overall hospital stay.Results.There were two postoperative deaths (3.3%) in the open group versus no deaths in the closed group. Twenty-two patients in the open group (55%) had grade III-IV complications versus 18 patients in the closed group (40%). There are more stable intraoperative conditions in the closed abdomen HIPEC in CVP, pulse rate, and systolic pressure parameters.Conclusions.Both methods are equal in the HIPEC procedures. Perhaps the closed method is the method of choice for frail patients due to more stable hemodynamic parameters.
Whole-Body Electromyostimulation to Fight Osteopenia in Elderly Females: The Randomized Controlled Training and Electrostimulation Trial (TEST-III)
Authors: von Stengel Simon , Bebenek Michael , Engelke Klaus , Kemmler Wolfgang
Published: February 2015

Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) has been shown to be effective in increasing muscle strength and mass in elderly women. Because of the interaction of muscles and bones, these adaptions might be related to changes in bone parameters. 76 community-living osteopenic women 70 years and older were randomly assigned to either a WB-EMS group (n=38) or a control group (CG:n=38). The WB-EMS group performed 3 sessions every 14 days for one year while the CG performed gymnastics containing identical exercises without EMS. Primary study endpoints were bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (thip) as assessed by DXA. After 54 weeks of intervention, borderline nonsignificant intergroup differences were determined for LS-BMD (WB-EMS:0.6±2.5% versus CG-0.7±2.5%,P=.051) but not for thip-BMD (WB-EMS:-1.1±1.9% versus CG:-0.8±2.3%,P=.771). With respect to secondary endpoints, there was a gain in lean body mass (LBM) of 1.5% (P=.006) and an increase in grip strength of 8.4% (P=.000) in the WB-EMS group compared to CG. WB-EMS effects on bone are less pronounced than previously reported effects on muscle mass. However, for subjects unable or unwilling to perform intense exercise programs, WB-EMS may be an option for maintaining BMD at the LS.
Recurrent Posterior Strokes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
Authors: Shaban Amir , Hymel Brett , Chavez-Keatts Maria , Karlitz Jordan J. , Martin-Schild Sheryl
Published: February 2015

Objective. To describe the stroke characteristics of patients with a history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Background. A hypercoagulable state associated with IBD has been frequently implicated as a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Variable mechanisms and infrequent occurrence limit prospective clinical research on the association between IBD and stroke.Methods. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting to our medical center from 7/2008 to 9/2013. Patients with a history of IBD were identified. Clinical variables were abstracted from our prospective stroke registry.Results. Over the period of five years we identified only three patients with a documented history of IBD. Each of these patients presented three times to our hospital with new strokes. Patients presented outside the window for intravenous tPA treatment on 8/9 admissions. Each one of our patients had posterior strokes on at least two separate occasions. Hypercoagulation panel showed elevated factor VIII with or without concomitant elevation of Von Willebrand factor (vWF) during almost every admission (8/9 admissions). Only one admission was associated with IBD flare.Conclusion. The association between IBD and posterior strokes is a novel finding. Factor VIII elevation may serve as a biomarker of a peristroke hypercoagulable state in patients with IBD.
Stability of Real Parametric Polynomial Discrete Dynamical Systems
Authors: Franco-Medrano Fermin , Solis Francisco J.
Published: February 2015

We extend and improve the existing characterization of the dynamics of general quadratic real polynomial maps with coefficients that depend on a single parameterλand generalize this characterization to cubic real polynomial maps, in a consistent theory that is further generalized to realmth degree real polynomial maps. In essence, we give conditions for the stability of the fixed points of any real polynomial map with real fixed points. In order to do this, we have introduced the concept ofcanonical polynomial mapswhich are topologically conjugate to any polynomial map of the same degree with real fixed points. The stability of the fixed points of canonical polynomial maps has been found to depend solely on a special function termedProduct Position Functionfor a given fixed point. The values of this product position determine the stability of the fixed point in question, when it bifurcates and even when chaos arises, as it passes through what we have termedstability bands. The exact boundary values of these stability bands are yet to be calculated for regions of type greater than one for polynomials of degree higher than three.
Dynamic Self-Healing Mechanism for Transactional Business Process
Authors: Zhao Yuhai , Yin Ying
Published: February 2015

It is clear that transactional behavior consistency is a prerequisite and basis for construction of a reliable services-based business application. However, in previous works, maintaining transactional consistency during exception handling was ignored. Maintaining transactional consistency requires functionality for rolling back some operations and revoking uploaded data. Replacing only the failed service will eventually lead to overall business application failure. In this study, we take fully into account the behavioral consistency of transactional services and propose two effective self-healing mechanisms for service-based applications. If a service enters into potential failure condition, a rescheduling mechanism is triggered to maintain consistent transactional behavior and to ensure reliable execution; if a service fails during execution, the compensation operation is triggered and the system will take action to ensure transactional behavior consistency. Meanwhile, cost-benefit analysis with compensation support is proposed to minimize the dynamic reselection cost. Finally, the experimental analysis shows that the proposed strategies can effectively guarantee the reliability of Web-based applications system.
A Microring Temperature Sensor Based on the Surface Plasmon Wave
Authors: Li Wenchao , Sha Xiaopeng , An Dongyang , Li Zhiquan
Published: February 2015

A structure of microring sensor suitable for temperature measurement based on the surface plasmon wave is put forward in this paper. The sensor uses surface plasmon multilayer waveguiding structure in the vertical direction and U-shaped microring structure in the horizontal direction and utilizes SOI as the thermal material. The transfer function derivation of the structure of surface plasmon microring sensor is according to the transfer matrix method. While the change of refractive index of Si is caused by the change of ambient temperature, the effective refractive index of the multilayer waveguiding structure is changed, resulting in the drifting of the sensor output spectrum. This paper focuses on the transmission characteristics of multilayer waveguide structure and the impact on the output spectrum caused by refractive index changes in temperature parts. According to the calculation and simulation, the transmission performance of the structure is stable and the sensitivity is good. The resonance wavelength shift can reach 0.007 μm when the temperature is increased by 100 k and FSR can reach about 60 nm. This structure achieves a high sensitivity in the temperature sense taking into account a wide range of filter frequency selections, providing a theoretical basis for the preparation of microoptics.
Tropical Refuges with Exceptionally High Phylogenetic Diversity Reveal Contrasting Phylogenetic Structures
Authors: Pugliesi Lara , Rapini Alessandro
Published: February 2015

Loss of phylogenetic diversity (PD) has gained increasing attention in conservation biology. However, PD is not equally distributed in a phylogeny and can be better assessed when species relatedness (phylogenetic structure: PS) is also considered. Here, we investigate PD and PS in two refuges of biodiversity in northeastern Brazil: the Bahia Costal Forest (BCF) in the Atlantic Forest domain and Chapada Diamantina (CD) in the Caatinga domain. We used geographic data of 205 species at two spatial scales and a chronogram of Apocynaceae based on matK sequences to estimate PD and PS. Our results show an exceptionally high PD in both refuges, overdispersed in BCF and clustered in CD, although this difference is less evident or absent for recent relationships, especially at a smaller spatial scale. Overall, PS suggests long-term competitive exclusion under climatic stability, currently balanced by habitat filtering, in BCF, and biome conservatism and limited dispersal leading to in situ diversification and high density of microendemics in CD. The phylogenetically clustered flora in CD, also threatened by climate changes, are naturally more vulnerable than BCF. Therefore, while in situ conservation may ensure protection of biodiversity in BCF, emergency ex situ conservation is strongly recommended in CD.
Sequence Variants of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Gamma Gene and the Clinical Courses of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Chao Chia-Ter , Chen Yen-Ching , Chiang Chih-Kang , Huang Jenq-Wen , Hu Fu-Chang , Fang Cheng-Chung , Chang Chen-Chih , Yen Chung-Jen
Published: February 2015

Background.PPAR-γsingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reportedly play an important role in determining metabolic risk among diverse population. Whether PPAR-γSNPs affect the clinical courses in ESRD patients is unknown.Methods.From a multicenter cohort, we identified 698 patients with prevalent ESRD between 2002 and 2003, and other 782 healthy subjects as control. Two PPAR-γSNPs, Pro12Ala (rs1801282) and C161T (rs3856806), were genotyped and their association with ESRD was examined. Both groups were prospectively followed until 2007, and the predictability of genotypes for the long-term survival of ESRD patients was analyzed.Results.After multivariable-adjusted regression, GG genotype of Pro12Ala was significantly more likely to associate with ESRD (P<0.001) among patients with non-diabetes-related ESRD. Cox’s proportional hazard regression showed that both Pro12Ala and C161T polymorphisms were significant predictors of mortality in ESRD patients with DM (Pro12Ala: GG versus other genotypes, hazard ratio [HR] <0.01;P<0.001; for C161T, CC versus TT genotypes, HR 2.86;P<0.001; CT versus TT genotypes, HR 1.93;P<0.001).Conclusion.This is the first and largest study to evaluate PPAR-γSNPs in ESRD patients. Further mechanistic study is needed to elucidate the role of PPAR-γamong ESRD patients.
Numerical Computation of Homogeneous Slope Stability
Authors: Xiao Shuangshuang , Li Kemin , Ding Xiaohua , Liu Tong
Published: February 2015

To simplify the computational process of homogeneous slope stability, improve computational accuracy, and find multiple potential slip surfaces of a complex geometric slope, this study utilized the limit equilibrium method to derive expression equations of overall and partial factors of safety. This study transformed the solution of the minimum factor of safety (FOS) to solving of a constrained nonlinear programming problem and applied an exhaustive method (EM) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) to this problem. In simple slope examples, the computational results using an EM and PSO were close to those obtained using other methods. Compared to the EM, the PSO had a small computation error and a significantly shorter computation time. As a result, the PSO could precisely calculate the slope FOS with high efficiency. The example of the multistage slope analysis indicated that this slope had two potential slip surfaces. The factors of safety were 1.1182 and 1.1560, respectively. The differences between these and the minimum FOS (1.0759) were small, but the positions of the slip surfaces were completely different than the critical slip surface (CSS).
An Adaptive Image Enhancement Technique by Combining Cuckoo Search and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Ye Zhiwei , Wang Mingwei , Hu Zhengbing , Liu Wei
Published: February 2015

Image enhancement is an important procedure of image processing and analysis. This paper presents a new technique using a modified measure and blending of cuckoo search and particle swarm optimization (CS-PSO) for low contrast images to enhance image adaptively. In this way, contrast enhancement is obtained by global transformation of the input intensities; it employs incomplete Beta function as the transformation function and a novel criterion for measuring image quality considering three factors which are threshold, entropy value, and gray-level probability density of the image. The enhancement process is a nonlinear optimization problem with several constraints. CS-PSO is utilized to maximize the objective fitness criterion in order to enhance the contrast and detail in an image by adapting the parameters of a novel extension to a local enhancement technique. The performance of the proposed method has been compared with other existing techniques such as linear contrast stretching, histogram equalization, and evolutionary computing based image enhancement methods like backtracking search algorithm, differential search algorithm, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization in terms of processing time and image quality. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust and adaptive and exhibits the better performance than other methods involved in the paper.
Fungal Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Masquerading as a Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Ricci Kevin B. , Lee Peter H. U. , Essandoh Michael , Kilic Ahmet
Published: February 2015

Septic pulmonary emboli (SPE) can be a difficult clinical entity to distinguish from thromboembolic pulmonary embolism (TPE) in a patient with history of IV drug abuse (IVDA). We present a case of a patient who presented with failure to thrive and presumed diagnosis of recurrent PE that ultimately was discovered to have fungal pulmonary valve endocarditis resulting in a right ventricular outflow obstruction. This required replacement of the pulmonary valve and repair of the right ventricular outflow tract. This case highlights difficulty in differentiating pulmonary valve endocarditis with septic emboli from chronic PE in a patient with a complex medical history.
A New Study of Blind Deconvolution with Implicit Incorporation of Nonnegativity Constraints
Authors: Chen Ke , Harding Simon P. , Williams Bryan M. , Zheng Yalin
Published: February 2015

The inverse problem of image restoration to remove noise and blur in an observed image was extensively studied in the last two decades. For the case of a known blurring kernel (or a known blurring type such as out of focus or Gaussian blur), many effective models and efficient solvers exist. However when the underlying blur is unknown, there have been
fewer developments for modelling the so-called blind deblurring since the early works of You and Kaveh (1996) and Chan and Wong (1998). A major challenge is how to impose the extra constraints to ensure quality of restoration. This paper proposes a new transform based method to impose the positivity constraints automatically and then two numerical solution algorithms. Test results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method in restoring blurred images.
Papillary Carcinoma Occurrence in a Thyroglossal Duct Cyst with Synchronous Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma without Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis: Two-Cases Report
Authors: Sobri F. B. , Ramli M. , Sari U. N. , Umar M. , Mudrick D. K.
Published: February 2015

Background.We present two rare cases of papillary carcinomas which appeared in thyroglossal duct cysts. These cases highlight that thyroglossal duct cyst can serve as malignancy of thyroid gland.Methods.A retrospective case report was carried out on 2 patients at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.Results.A 57-year-old man presented with enlarged right anterior and midline neck mass, which preoperatively were diagnosed as thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC) and nontoxic multinodular goiter. A total thyroidectomy and Sistrunk procedure were performed. In the second case, a 35-year-old woman presented with a lump which occurred at anterior neck region without palpable mass at the thyroid. Preoperatively, it was diagnosed as TDC. Sistrunk procedure was performed, followed by total thyroidectomy a month after the first operation. Histopathology showed papillary thyroid carcinoma in both patients.Conclusion.The occurrence of carcinoma in TDC is very rare but should always be considered as an option in making diagnosis for a neck mass.
Penile Rehabilitation after Pelvic Cancer Surgery
Authors: Aoun Fouad , Peltier Alexandre , Velthoven Roland van
Published: February 2015

Erectile dysfunction is the most common complication after pelvic radical surgery. Rehabilitation programs are increasingly being used in clinical practice but there is no high level of evidence supporting its efficacy. The principle of early penile rehabilitation stems from animal studies showing early histological and molecular changes associated with penile corporal hypoxia after cavernous nerve injury. The concept of early penile rehabilitation was developed in late nineties with a subsequent number of clinical studies supporting early pharmacologic penile rehabilitation. These studies included all available phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, intracavernosal injection and intraurethral use of prostaglandin E1 and to lesser extent vacuum erectile devices. However, these studies are of small number, difficult to interpret, and often with no control group. Furthermore, no studies have proven an in vivo derangement of endothelial or smooth muscle cell metabolism secondary to a prolonged flaccid state. The purpose of the present report is a synthetic overview of the literature in order to analyze the concept and the rationale of rehabilitation program of erectile dysfunction following radical pelvic surgery and the evidence of such programs in clinical practice. Emphasis will be placed on penile rehabilitation programs after radical cystoprostatectomy, radical prostatectomy, and rectal cancer treatment. Future perspectives are also analyzed.
Preparation of Chloro Penta Amine Cobalt(III) Chloride and Study of Its Influence on the Structural and Some Optical Properties of Polyvinyl Acetate
Authors: Abbas Nada K. , Habeeb Majeed Ali , Algidsawi Alaa J. Kadham
Published: February 2015

Chloro penta amine cobalt(III) cloride [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2was prepared and then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The obtained results indicated the formation of orthorhombic [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2nanoparticles of ≈28.75 nm size. Polymeric films based on polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) doped with chloro penta amine cobalt(III) cloride [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2in different weight percent ratios were prepared using the solvent cast technique. The complexation of the additive with the polymer was confirmed by FTIR and SEM studies. The XRD pattern revealed that the amorphousicity of PVAc polymer matrix increased with raising the [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2content. Parameters such as extinction coefficient, refractive index, real and imaginary parts, and optical conductivity were studied by using the absorbance and measurements from computerized UV-visible spectrophotometer in the spectral range 190–800 nm. This study showed that the optical properties of PVAc were affected by the doping of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2where the absorption increased by leveling up [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2concentration. The nature of electronic transition from valence band to conduction band was determined and the energy band gaps of the composite films samples were estimated by UV-visible spectrum. It was observed that the optical conductivity increased with photon energy and with the increase of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2concentration.
Inflammatory Cytokines in Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Donate-Correa Javier , Martín-Núñez Ernesto , Muros-de-Fuentes Mercedes , Mora-Fernández Carmen , Navarro-González Juan F.
Published: February 2015

Probably, the most paradigmatic example of diabetic complication is diabetic nephropathy, which is the largest single cause of end-stage renal disease and a medical catastrophe of worldwide dimensions. Metabolic and hemodynamic alterations have been considered as the classical factors involved in the development of renal injury in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, the exact pathogenic mechanisms and the molecular events of diabetic nephropathy remain incompletely understood. Nowadays, there are convincing data that relate the diabetes inflammatory component with the development of renal disease. This review is focused on the inflammatory processes that develop diabetic nephropathy and on the new therapeutic approaches with anti-inflammatory effects for the treatment of chronic kidney disease in the setting of diabetic nephropathy.
Early Freezing of Gait: Atypical versus Typical Parkinson Disorders
Authors: Lieberman Abraham , Deep Aman , Dhall Rohit , Tran An , Liu Ming-Jai
Published: February 2015

In 18 months, 850 patients were referred to Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC). Among them, 810 patients had typical Parkinson disease (PD) and 212 had PD for ≤5 years. Among the 212 patients with early PD, 27 (12.7%) had freezing of gait (FOG). Forty of the 850 had atypical parkinsonism. Among these 40 patients, all of whom had symptoms for ≤5 years, 12 (30.0%) had FOG. FOG improved with levodopa in 21/27 patients with typical PD but did not improve in the 12 patients with atypical parkinsonism. FOG was associated with falls in both groups of patients. We believe that FOG unresponsive to levodopa in typical PD resembles FOG in atypical parkinsonism. We thus compared the 6 typical PD patients with FOG unresponsive to levodopa plus the 12 patients with atypical parkinsonism with the 21 patients with typical PD responsive to levodopa. We compared them by tests of locomotion and postural stability. Among the patients with FOG unresponsive to levodopa, postural stability was more impaired than locomotion. This finding leads us to believe that, in these patients, postural stability, not locomotion, is the principal problem underlying FOG.
Sensing of Tooth Microleakage Based on Dental Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Sun Chia-Wei , Ho Yi-Ching , Lee Shyh-Yuan
Published: February 2015

This study describes microleakage sensing based on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). With a handheld scanning probe, the SS-OCT system can provide portable real-time imaging for clinical diagnosis. Radiography is the traditional clinical imaging instrument used for dentistry; however, it does not provide good contrast images between filling material and the enamel of treated teeth with microleakage. The results of this study show that microleakage can be detected with oral probing using SS-OCTin vivo. The calculated microleakage length was 401 μm and the width is 148 μm, which is consistent with the related histological biopsy measurements. The diagnosis of microleakage in teeth could be useful for prevention of secondary caries in the clinical treatment plans developed in the field of oral medicine.
Genetic and Pharmacological Screens Converge in Identifying FLIP, BCL2, and IAP Proteins as Key Regulators of Sensitivity to the TRAIL-Inducing Anticancer Agent ONC201/TIC10
Authors: Allen Joshua E. , Prabhu Varun V. , Talekar Mala , van den Heuvel A. Pieter J. , Lim Bora , Dicker David T. , Fritz Jennifer L. , Beck Adam , El-Deiry Wafik S.
Published: February 2015

ONC201/TIC10 is a small-molecule inducer of the TRAIL gene under current investigation as a novel anticancer agent. In this study, we identify critical molecular determinants of ONC201 sensitivity offering potential utility as pharmacodynamic or predictive response markers. By screening a library of kinase siRNAs in combination with a subcytotoxic dose of ONC201, we identified several kinases that ablated tumor cell sensitivity, including the MAPK pathway–inducer KSR1. Unexpectedly, KSR1 silencing did not affect MAPK signaling in the presence or absence of ONC201, but instead reduced expression of the antiapoptotic proteins FLIP, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, cIAP1, cIAP2, and survivin. In parallel to this work, we also conducted a synergy screen in which ONC201 was combined with approved small-molecule anticancer drugs. In multiple cancer cell populations, ONC201 synergized with diverse drug classes, including the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib. Notably, combining ONC201 and sorafenib led to synergistic induction of TRAIL and its receptor DR5 along with a potent induction of cell death. In a mouse xenograft model of hepatocellular carcinoma, we demonstrated that ONC201 and sorafenib cooperatively and safely triggered tumor regressions. Overall, our results established a set of determinants for ONC201 sensitivity that may predict therapeutic response, particularly in settings of sorafenib cotreatment to enhance anticancer responses. Cancer Res; 75(8); 1668–74. ©2015 AACR.
Fearful Symmetry: Subversion of Asymmetric Division in Cancer Development and Progression
Authors: Bajaj Jeevisha , Zimdahl Bryan , Reya Tannishtha
Published: February 2015

Asymmetric division is an evolutionarily conserved process that generates daughter cells with different fates through the unequal partitioning of fate determinants. While asymmetric division is critically important in generating diversity during development, its dysregulation can also promote oncogenesis. In particular, signals that shift the normal balance of symmetric and asymmetric division can lead to a differentiation arrest and trigger cancer progression. Here, we discuss the studies that have provided increasing support for this idea. Beginning with original work carried out in Drosophila, we trace more recent work in mammalian systems that suggest that the subversion of asymmetric division can contribute significantly to the development and progression of both hematologic malignancies and solid cancers. Cancer Res; 75(5); 792–7. ©2015 AACR.
Lung Master Protocol (Lung-MAP)—A Biomarker-Driven Protocol for Accelerating Development of Therapies for Squamous Cell Lung Cancer: SWOG S1400
Authors: Herbst Roy S. , Gandara David R. , Hirsch Fred R. , Redman Mary W. , LeBlanc Michael , Mack Philip C. , Schwartz Lawrence H. , Vokes Everett , Ramalingam Suresh S. , Bradley Jeffrey D. , Sparks Dana , Zhou Yang , Miwa Crystal , Miller Vincent A. , Yelensky Roman , Li Yali , Allen Jeff D. , Sigal Ellen V. , Wholley David , Sigman Caroline C. , Blumenthal Gideon M. , Malik Shakun , Kelloff Gary J. , Abrams Jeffrey S. , Blanke Charles D. , Papadimitrakopoulou Vassiliki A.
Published: February 2015

The Lung Master Protocol (Lung-MAP, S1400) is a groundbreaking clinical trial designed to advance the efficient development of targeted therapies for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung. There are no approved targeted therapies specific to advanced lung SCC, although The Cancer Genome Atlas project and similar studies have detected a significant number of somatic gene mutations/amplifications in lung SCC, some of which are targetable by investigational agents. However, the frequency of these changes is low (5%–20%), making recruitment and study conduct challenging in the traditional clinical trial setting. Here, we describe our approach to development of a biomarker-driven phase II/II multisubstudy “Master Protocol,” using a common platform (next-generation DNA sequencing) to identify actionable molecular abnormalities, followed by randomization to the relevant targeted therapy versus standard of care. Clin Cancer Res; 21(7); 1514–24. ©2015 AACR.