bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postoperative Portomesenteric Venous Thrombosis: Lessons Learned From 1,069 Consecutive Laparoscopic Colorectal Resections
Authors: Allaix Marco E. , Krane Mukta K. , Zoccali Marco , Umanskiy Konstantin , Hurst Roger , Fichera Alessandro
Published: November 2013

Background

Portomesenteric venous thrombosis (PVT) is a known complication after open and laparoscopic colorectal (LCR) surgery. Risk factors and the prognosis of PVT have been poorly described.

Methods

This study is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. Patients with new‐onset postoperative abdominal pain were evaluated with a computed tomography scan of the abdomen. Patients found to have PVT were analyzed. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of PVT.

Results

A total of 1,069 patients undergoing LCR surgery for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or nonmetastatic cancer between June 2002 and June 2012 were included. Altogether, 37 (3.5 %) patients experienced symptomatic postoperative PVT. On univariate analysis, IBD (p < 0.001), ulcerative colitis (p = 0.016), preoperative therapy with steroids (p = 0.008), operative time ≥220 min (p = 0.004), total proctocolectomy (TPC) (p < 0.001), ileoanal pouch anastomosis (p = 0.006), and postoperative intraabdominal septic complications (p < 0.001) were found to be significant risk factors. By multivariate analysis, TPC (p = 0.026) and postoperative intraabdominal septic complications (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of PVT. In the PVT group, postoperative length of stay was longer (14.8 vs. 7.4 days, p < 0.001). Of the patients evaluated with a hematologic workup, 72.7 % were found to have a hypercoagulable condition. All patients were managed with oral anticoagulation for at least 6 months. No death or complications related to PVT occurred.

Conclusions

PVT is a potentially serious complication that is more likely to occur after TPC and in the presence of postoperative intraabdominal septic complications, particularly in patients with a coagulation disorder. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with oral anticoagulation are recommended to avoid long‐term sequelae.
Turning a page on access to international children's books
Authors: Salem Linda
Published: November 2013

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this article is to help those new to the practice of finding international children's books online navigate this exciting if confusing area of reference sources.Design/methodology/approach ‐ This article reviews the International Children's Digital Library that has revolutionized connecting children and books worldwide since 2002. However, there have been organizations busy identifying, evaluating, recommending and keeping lists and annotations of excellent international books for children since the 1940s. This article also reviews resources created by organizations, including the International Youth Library, the International Board on Books for Young People, international book fairs, Banco del Libro and other entities.Findings ‐ The article finds that, there is benefit to be gained from the expansion of international children's book resources into the world of the internet and that those who compiled both types of resource want to connect the world's children with quality literature.Originality/value ‐ This article offers information about historical context, partnerships, and hosting sites that have led to online access to many of these once print only resources. This review of these resources is original as it covers those who originated sources with the shared goal. That goal is their dedication to bring children and books together around the world and to build understanding and solutions together as members of a global community.
IIP3: CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP FROM TRANSCONDUCTOR TO LADDER Gm-C FILTER
Authors: CHOOGORN TERDPUN , MAHATTANAKUL JIRAYUTH
Published: November 2013

Causal relationship between the third-order input intercept point (IIP3) of transconductors and that of doubly-terminated ladder Gm-C filter employing these transconductors is explored and the formula relating both IIP3's is derived. The analytical results reveal that the IIP3 of the ladder Gm-C filter is about 1.2 dBV higher than the IIP3 of the transconductors and the validity of this finding is well confirmed by simulation results.
LOW STRESS TaN THIN FILM DEVELOPMENT FOR MEMS/SENSOR ELECTRODE APPLICATION
Authors: KANG XIAOXU , ZUO QINGYUN , YUAN CHAO , CHEN SHOUMIAN , ZHAO YUHANG
Published: November 2013

TaN \ Ta is the excellent material against copper diffusion, and is widely used as Cu diffusion barrier in Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Back End of Line ( Cu -BEOL) process. Due to its good electrical and thermal property, TaN is also evaluated as electrode material for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)/sensor application. In this work, CMOS compatible MEMS based bolometer process with post-interconnect CMOS-MEMS single chip integration scheme was developed on 200 mm standard CMOS Cu BEOL, and TaN thin film was used as key electrode material in micro-bridge structure. The micro-bridge structure, with sensing resistor on surface of the micro-bridge, forms a resonant cavity for IR absorption. There are only several layers of thin film on the micro-bridge, and stress of the electrode layer play very important role to determine the performance of the micro-bridge. Additionally sheet resistance of TaN electrode should be controlled at around 377 Ohm/SQ to match the free space impedance, which is much higher than CMOS baseline process. Low stress and high resistivity TaN film was developed with thickness of 200 Å and compressive stress of about 900 MPa as best condition. From the electrical and physical data, the optimized TaN film process can well match this application.
A NOVEL DECOMPOSITION APPROACH AND VLSI IMPLEMENTATION OF CHROMA INTERPOLATOR FOR H.264 ENCODERS
Authors: WANG TENG , ZHAO LEI , HU ZI-YI , XIE ZHENG , WANG XIN-AN
Published: November 2013

In this paper, a novel decomposition approach and VLSI implementation of the chroma interpolator with great hardware reuse and no multipliers for H.264 encoders are proposed. First, the characteristic of the chroma interpolation is analyzed to obtain an optimized decomposition scheme, with which the chroma interpolation can be realized with arithmetic elements (AEs) which are comprised of only adders. Four types of AEs are developed and a pipelining hardware design is proposed to conduct the chroma interpolation with great hardware reuse. The proposed design was prototyped within a Xilinx Virtex6 XC6VLX240T FPGA with a clock frequency as high as 245 MHz. The proposed design was also synthesized with SMIC 130 nm CMOS technology with a clock frequency of 200 MHz, which could support a real-time HDTV application with less hardware cost and lower power consumption.
ALPHA-DECAY STUDIES ON 130-153Eu NUCLEI
Authors: SANTHOSH K. P. , PRIYANKA B.
Published: November 2013

The alpha-decay half-lives of the 24 isotopes of Eu (Z = 63) nuclei in the region 130≤A≤153, have been studied systematically within the Coulomb and proximity potential model (CPPM). We have modified the assault frequency and re-determined the half-lives and they show a better agreement with the experimental value. We have also done calculations on the half-lives within the recently proposed Coulomb and proximity potential model for deformed nuclei (CPPMDN). The computed half-lives are compared with the experimental data and they are in good agreement. Using our model, we could also demonstrate the influence of the neutron shell closure at N = 82, in both parent and daughter nuclei, on the alpha-decay half-lives.
ANALYSIS OF p-4, 6, 8He AND p-6, 9, 11Li SCATTERING
Authors: KHAN Z. A. , CHAUHAN DEEKSHA , SINGH MINITA
Published: November 2013

Using the Coulomb modified Glauber model, we analyze the elastic scattering of protons from He and Li isotopes at 60 MeV and 72 MeV. The calculations require two inputs; the nucleon–nucleon (NN) amplitude and the nucleon density distributions in target nuclei. The central part of the NN amplitude is taken from the available NN scattering observables. To find the spin-dependent part, we employ p-4 He scattering data to fix its parameter values. For target nuclei, we use nucleon density distributions available in the literature. The NN amplitude, as obtained in this work, is then used to study the sensitivity of the calculated differential cross-section and polarization for p-6, 8 He scattering on the density distributions used. It is found that both the differential cross-section and polarization could provide a test to know which is the better choice of nucleon (especially neutron) density distributions. We also present the differential cross-sections for p-6, 9, 11 Li scattering at 60 MeV and 72 MeV in order to assess the suitability of the obtained NN amplitude. It is found that the results are in reasonable agreement with the experiment up to only moderate scattering angles, leaving significant discrepancy at large scattering angles. Our calculations suggest the need of medium modifications in the NN amplitude, arising due to Pauli blocking.
Analysis of Floating Buoy of a Wave Power Generating Jack-Up Platform Haiyuan 1
Authors: Li Date , Li Detang , Li Fei , Shi Jingxin , Zhang Wei
Published: November 2013

The paper focuses on the performance of floating buoys of a wave power generating jack-up platform called Haiyuan 1, in order to work out the optimum designed draft and hydraulic pressure. The performance of the buoy, especially its delivered power, is an important issue in designing oscillating buoy wave energy converter. In this case, major factors affect the performance including incident wave, designed draft, and hydraulic pressure on the buoy. To find out the relationship among design draft, hydraulic pressure, and delivered power, the key point is to precisely estimate wave induced motion of the buoy. Three-dimensional theory and time domain method based on potential theory were adopted in the paper. Unlike ship and other floating structures, motion of wave energy converter (WEC) buoy in wave will be weakened because of energy take-off, which will cause significant draft changing with time. Thus, draft changing should be taken into consideration as well. In addition, green water problem occurs more frequently than that in ship and other floating structures and also might the reduce delivered power. Therefore, green water problem will also be taken into account when choosing the optimum designed draft and hydraulic pressure. The calculation indicates that the optimum designed draft is 0.935 m, while the optimum designed hydraulic pressure is 30 kN.
Analysis of Positioning Error for Two-Dimensional Location System
Authors: Jiang Yi , Hu Qing , Yang Dongkai
Published: November 2013

This paper investigates the positioning error using different positioning techniques for two-dimensional location system. Based on the measurement models of TOA with/without the time synchronization and TDOA techniques, the performance comparison analysis between TOA with/without the time synchronization and TDOA is presented respectively. The performance of TOA with the time synchronization and TDOA is influenced by the specific distribution of the reference nodes. Hence, it is hard to determine which one is better. The performance of TDOA is always superior to TOA without the time synchronization using the same reference nodes. These conclusions are finally illustrated by the simulation results presented in two scenarios.
Representation of Fuzzy Concept Lattices in the Framework of Classical FCA
Authors: Butka Peter , Pócs Jozef , Pócsová Jana
Published: November 2013

We describe a representation of the fuzzy concept lattices, defined via antitone Galois connections, within the framework of classical Formal Concept Analysis. As it is shown, all needed information is explicitly contained in a given formal fuzzy context and the proposed representation can be obtained without a creation of the corresponding fuzzy concept lattice.
Recursive Least-Squares Estimation for Hammerstein Nonlinear Systems with Nonuniform Sampling
Authors: Li Xiangli , Zhou Lincheng , Ding Ruifeng , Sheng Jie
Published: November 2013

This paper focuses on the identification problem of Hammerstein nonlinear systems with nonuniform sampling. Using the key-term separation principle, we present a discrete identification model with nonuniform sampling input and output data based on the frame period. To estimate parameters of the presented model, an auxiliary model-based recursive least-squares algorithm is derived by replacing the unmeasurable variables in the information vector with their corresponding recursive estimates. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Effect of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Immunomodulator on Cytokines Levels: An Alternative Therapy for Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Hernandez María Eugenia , Mendieta Danelia , Pérez-Tapia Mayra , Bojalil Rafael , Estrada-Garcia Iris , Estrada-Parra Sergio , Pavón Lenin
Published: November 2013

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric illness that presents as a deficit of serotonergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system. MDD patients also experience alterations in cortisol and cytokines levels. Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is the first-line antidepressant regimen for MDD. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a combination of SSRIs and an immunomodulator—human dialyzable leukocyte extract (hDLE)—on cortisol and cytokines levels. Patients received SSRIs or SSRIs plus hDLE. The proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, and IFN-γ; anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-13 and IL-10; and 24-h urine cortisol were measured at weeks (W) 0, 5, 20, 36, and 52 of treatment. The reduction in cortisol levels in the SSRI-treated group was 30% until W52, in contrast, the combined treatment induced a 54% decrease at W36. The decline in cortisol in patients who were treated with SSRI plus hDLE correlated with reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines and increases levels of proinflammatory cytokines at the study conclusion. These results suggest that the immune-stimulating activity of hDLE, in combination with SSRIs, restored the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance and cortisol levels in depressed patients versus those who were given SSRIs alone.
Spectrum of Permanent’s Values and Its Extremal Magnitudes in and
Authors: Shevelev Vladimir
Published: November 2013

Let denote the class of square matrices containing in each row and in each column exactly 1’s. The minimal value of , for which the behavior of the permanent in is not quite studied, is . We give a simple algorithm for calculation of upper magnitudes of permanent in and consider some extremal problems in a generalized class , the matrices of which contain in each row and in each column nonzero elements , , and and zeros.
IgG4-Related Autoimmune Prostatitis: Is It an Unusual or Underdiagnosed Manifestation of IgG4-Related Disease?
Authors: Bourlon María T. , Sánchez-Ávila Mónica , Chablé-Montero Fredy , Arceo-Olaiz Ricardo
Published: November 2013

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) encompasses a wide range of extrapancreatic manifestations. Albeit some are relatively well known, others such as autoimmune prostatitis remain poorly described. We present a 61-year-old Latin-American male with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), normal prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, and prostate enlargement attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). He underwent a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) after which symptoms were resolved. On histopathology, prostatic stroma had a dense inflammatory infiltrate rich in plasma cells and lymphocytes; immunohistochemical morphometric assessment showed >10 IgG4-positive plasma cells/high power field (HPF). The diagnosis of IgG4-related prostatitis was postoperatively. We compared the patient characteristics with those of previous reports on Asian patients. Shared findings included prostate enlargement, LUTS (symptoms that can be confused with BPH), and PSA within normal limits or mild elevations. IgG4-related prostatitis is rarely considered as a preprocedural diagnosis, even in patients with evidence of IgG4-RD. Involved prostate zones include mainly central and transitional zones and less frequently the peripheral. Currently, there is insufficient data about the natural history and outcome. Whether steroids, transurethral resection, or both are the treatment of choice needs to be elucidated.
Fund-Raising Games Played on a Network
Authors: Watts Alison
Published: November 2013

It is well known among fund-raisers that many people contribute to charities or organizations only when asked and that large donations are more likely to occur as a fund-raiser increases the time spent soliciting and/or researching a potential donor. As fund-raisers can only spend time with research donors that they are aware of, the relationship (or links) between fund-raisers and donors is quite important. We model a fund-raising game where fund-raisers can only solicit donors whom they are tied to and analyze how this network influences donation requests. We show that if this network is incomplete and if donors experience extreme donor fatigue, then fund-raisers will spend more time soliciting donors that other fund-raisers are also tied to and less time soliciting donors that they are the only fund-raiser tied to. If instead donors experience mild donor fatigue, then fund-raisers prefer
donors that they are the only fund-raiser tied to over donors that are shared with other fund-raisers. If donors are potential givers with no donor fatigue, then multiple equilibria may exist. Stochastic stability is used to refine the number of equilibria in this case, and conditions are given under which the unique stochastically stable equilibrium is efficient.
Biosynthesis of Silver Chloride Nanoparticles Using Bacillus subtilis MTCC 3053 and Assessment of Its Antifungal Activity
Authors: Paulkumar Kanniah , Rajeshkumar Shanmugam , Gnanajobitha Gnanadhas , Vanaja Mahendran , Malarkodi Chelladurai , Annadurai Gurusamy
Published: November 2013

The present investigation reported the synthesis of silver chloride nanoparticles using Bacillus subtilis. The adsorption of colloidal silver chloride nanoparticles showed an intense peak at the wavelength of 400 nm after 20 hrs of biomass incubation. The size of the silver nanoparticles ranges from 20 to 60 nm which was obtained from transmission electron microscope (TEM). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirmed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles. The bright circular spots of selected diffraction area (SAED) pattern also confirmed the good crystalline nature of the silver chloride nanoparticles with high magnification of TEM images. The presence of nitrate reductase enzyme in the cellular membrane of B. subtilis was confirmed by sodium dodecyl (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and it was found that the molecular weight is 37 kDa. The possible functional groups of the reductase enzyme in B. subtilis were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Finally, antifungal activity of silver chloride nanoparticle was examined against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus. We conclude that the synthesis of silver chloride nanoparticles using microorganisms is more economical and simple. The antifungal property of silver chloride nanoparticles will play a beneficial role in biomedical nanotechnology.
Experimental Investigation on the Durability of Glass Fiber‐Reinforced Polymer Composites Containing Nanocomposite
Authors: Li Weiwen , Ji Chunyang , Zhu Honggang , Xing Feng , Wu Jiaxin , Niu Xueli
Published: November 2013

Nanoclay layers incorporated into polymer/clay nanocomposites can inhibit the harmful penetration of water and chemicals into the material, and thus the durability of glass fiber‐reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites should be enhanced by using polymer/clay nanocomposite as the matrix material. In this study, 1.5 wt% vinyl ester (VE)/organoclay and 2 wt% epoxy (EP)/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by an in situ polymerization method. The dispersion states of clay in the nanocomposites were studied by performing XRD analysis. GFRP composites were then fabricated with the prepared 1.5 wt% VE/clay and 2.0 wt% EP/clay nanocomposites to investigate the effects of a nanocomposite matrix on the durability of GFRP composites. The durability of the two kinds of GFRP composites was characterized by monitoring tensile properties following degradation of GFRP specimens aged in water and alkaline solution at 60°C, and SEM was employed to study fracture behaviors of aged GFRP composites under tension. The results show that tensile properties of the two types of GFRP composites with and without clay degrade significantly with aging time. However, the GFRP composites with nanoclay show a lower degradation rate compared with those without nanoclay, supporting the aforementioned hypothesis. And the modification of EP/GFRP enhanced the durability more effectively.
Distal Femur Allograft Prosthetic Composite Reconstruction for Short Proximal Femur Segments following Tumor Resection
Authors: Moon Bryan S. , Gilbert Nathan F. , Cannon Christopher P. , Lin Patrick P. , Lewis Valerae O.
Published: November 2013

Short metaphyseal segments remaining after distal femoral tumor resection pose a unique challenge. Limb sparing options include a short stemmed modular prosthesis, total endoprosthetic replacement, cross-pin fixation to a custom implant, and allograft prosthetic composite reconstruction (APC). A series of patients with APC reconstruction were evaluated to determine functional and radiologic outcome and complication rates. Twelve patients were retrospectively identified who had a distal femoral APC reconstruction between 1994 and 2007 to salvage an extremity with a segment of remaining bone that was less than 20 centimeters in length. Seventeen APC reconstructions were performed in twelve patients. Eight were primary procedures and nine were revision procedures. Average f/u was 89 months. Twelve APC reconstructions (71%) united and five (29%) were persistent nonunions. At most recent followup 10 patients (83%) had a healed APC which allowed WBAT. One pt (8%) had an amputation and one pt (8%) died prior to union. Average time to union was 19 months. Four pts (33%) or five APC reconstructions (29%) required further surgery to obtain a united reconstruction. Although Distal Femoral APC reconstruction has a high complication rate, a stable reconstruction was obtained in 83% of patients.
Enhancement of Oxygen Mass Transfer and Gas Holdup Using Palm Oil in Stirred Tank Bioreactors with Xanthan Solutions as Simulated Viscous Fermentation Broths
Authors: Mohd Sauid Suhaila , Krishnan Jagannathan , Huey Ling Tan , Veluri Murthy V. P. S.
Published: November 2013

Volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa) is an important parameter in bioreactors handling viscous fermentations such as xanthan gum production, as it affects the reactor performance and productivity. Published literatures showed that adding an organic phase such as hydrocarbons or vegetable oil could increase thekLa. The present study opted for palm oil as the organic phase as it is plentiful in Malaysia. Experiments were carried out to study the effect of viscosity, gas holdup, andkLaon the xanthan solution with different palm oil fractions by varying the agitation rate and aeration rate in a 5 L bench-top bioreactor fitted with twin Rushton turbines. Results showed that 10% (v/v) of palm oil raised thekLaof xanthan solution by 1.5 to 3 folds with the highestkLavalue of 84.44 h−1. It was also found that palm oil increased the gas holdup and viscosity of the xanthan solution. ThekLavalues obtained as a function of power input, superficial gas velocity, and palm oil fraction were validated by two different empirical equations. Similarly, the gas holdup obtained as a function of power input and superficial gas velocity was validated by another empirical equation. All correlations were found to fit well with higher determination coefficients.
Some Improved Ratio, Product, and Regression Estimators of Finite Population Mean When Using Minimum and Maximum Values
Authors: Khan Manzoor , Shabbir Javid
Published: November 2013

Efficient estimation of finite population mean is carried out by using the auxiliary information meaningfully. In this paper we have suggested some modified ratio, product, and regression type estimators when using minimum and maximum values. Expressions for biases and mean squared errors of the suggested estimators have been derived up to the first order of approximation. The performances of the suggested estimators, relative to their usual counterparts, have been studied, and improved performance has been established. The improvement in efficiency by making use of maximum and minimum values has been verified numerically.
A Decoupling Control Algorithm for Unwinding Tension System Based on Active Disturbance Rejection Control
Authors: Liu Shanhui , Mei Xuesong , Kong Fanfeng , He Kui
Published: November 2013

This paper presents a new control methodology based on active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) for designing the tension decoupling controller of the unwinding system in a gravure printing machine. The dynamic coupling can be actively estimated and compensated in real time, which makes feedback control an ideal approach to designing the decoupling controller of the unwinding system. This feature is unique to ADRC. In this study, a nonlinear mathematical model is established according to the working principle of the unwinding system. A decoupling model is also constructed to determine the order and decoupling plant of the unwinding system. Based on the order and decoupling plant, an ADRC decoupling control methodology is designed to enhance the tension stability in the unwinding system. The effectiveness and capability of the proposed methodology are verified through simulation and experiments. The results show that the proposed strategy not only realises a decoupling control for the unwinding system but also has an effective antidisturbance capability and is robust.
Chemical, Biochemical, and Microbiological Properties of Soils from Abandoned and Extensively Cultivated Olive Orchards
Authors: Palese A. M. , Magno R. , Casacchia T. , Curci M. , Baronti S. , Miglietta F. , Crecchio C. , Xiloyannis C. , Sofo A.
Published: November 2013

The abandonment of olive orchards is a phenomenon of great importance triggered mainly by economic and social causes. The aim of this study was to investigate some chemical, biochemical, and microbiological properties in a soil of a southern olive grove abandoned for 25 years. In order to define the effect of the long‐term land abandonment on soil properties, an adjacent olive grove managed according to extensive practices was taken as reference (essentially minimum tillage and no fertilization). Soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and pH were significantly higher in the abandoned olive grove due to the absence of tillage and the natural inputs of organic matter at high C/N ratio which, inter alia, increased the number of cellulolytic bacteria and stimulated the activity of β‐glucosidase, an indicator of a more advanced stage of soil evolution. The soil of the abandoned olive orchard showed a lower number of total bacteria and fungi and a lower microbial diversity, measured by means of the Biolog method, as a result of a sort of specialization trend towards low quality organic substrates. From this point of view, the extensive cultivation management seemed to not induce a disturbance to microbiological communities.
Relevance of Plasma Obestatin and Early Arteriosclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Gu Peng-ying , Kang Dong-mei , Wang Wei-dong , Chen Yan , Zhao Zhi-hong , Zheng Hui , Ye Shan-dong
Published: November 2013

We investigated the correlation between obestatin and metabolic parameters and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in plasma of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We collected 103 patients aged from 60 to 83 years (69.26 ± 5.83 years) form January, 2007 to May, 2009. All patients were divided into normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and T2DM according to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We found that higher levels of fasting insulin (Fins), fasting blood glucose, 2 h OGTT glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), low density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin, and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as lower obestatin level and higher intima-media thickness level (IMT), existed in T2DM group compared with NGT group and IGT group (P<0.01). Also, obestatin level was independently associated with HOMA-IR and CRP, while IMT level was independently associated with HOMA-IR, triglyceride, Fins, and obestatin (P<0.01), based on stepwise multiple regression analysis. Therefore, we deduced that the low level of plasma obestatin might be related to early arteriosclerosis in patients with T2DM via increasing IMT level, and elevated plasma obestatin levels might protect T2DM patients against carotid atherosclerosis to some extent.
Purification and Characterization of Tannin Acyl Hydrolase Produced by Mixed Solid State Fermentation of Wheat Bran and Marigold Flower byPenicillium notatumNCIM 923
Authors: Gayen Saswati , Ghosh Uma
Published: November 2013

Tannin acyl hydrolase produced extracellularly by the fungal strainPenicillium notatumNCIM 923 in mixed solid state fermentation of wheat bran and marigold flower in the ratio 4 : 1 was purified from the cell-free extract broth by ammonium sulphate fractionation followed by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose column chromatography. Tannase was purified by 19.89-fold with yield of 11.77%. The specific activity of crude tannase was found to be 1.31 U/mg protein while that of purified tannase was 22.48 U/mg protein. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the enzyme is dimeric with one major band of molecular mass 97 kDa and a very light band of molecular mass 43 kDa. Temperature of 35 to 40°C and pH 5 were optimum for tannase activity. The enzyme retained more than 60% of its stability at 60°C and 40% stability at pH 3 and 8, respectively.Kmwas found to be0.33×10-2 M andVmax=40 U/mg. Since the enzyme is active over a wide range of pH and temperature, it could find potential use in the food processing industry.
Time-Splitting Procedures for the Numerical Solution of the 2D Advection-Diffusion Equation
Authors: Appadu A. R. , Gidey H. H.
Published: November 2013

We perform a spectral analysis of the dispersive and dissipative properties of two time-splitting procedures, namely, locally one-dimensional (LOD) Lax-Wendroff and LOD (1, 5) [9] for the numerical solution of the 2D advection-diffusion equation. We solve a 2D numerical experiment described by an advection-diffusion partial differential equation with specified initial and boundary conditions for which the exact solution is known. Some errors are computed, namely, the error rate with respect to theL1norm, dispersion and dissipation errors. Lastly, an optimization technique is implemented to find the optimal value of temporal step size that minimizes the dispersion error for both schemes when the spatial step is chosen as 0.025, and this is validated by numerical experiments.
Influence of Heat Flux and Friction Coefficient on Thermal Stresses in Risers of Drum Boilers under Dynamic Conditions of Steam Demand
Authors: Habib M. A. , Alzaharnah I. , El-Shafei M. , Merah N. , Al-Anizi S. , Al-Awwad M. Y. , Hajji M.
Published: November 2013

Boiler swing rate, which is the rate at which the boiler load is changed, has significant influence on the parameters of the boiler operating conditions such as drum water pressure and level, steam quality in the riser tubes, wall temperatures of riser tubes, and the associated thermal stresses. In this paper, the thermal stresses developed in boiler tubes due to elevated rates of heat transfer and friction are presented versus thermal stresses developed in tubes operated under normal conditions. The differential equations comprising the nonlinear model and governing the flow inside the boiler tubes were formulated to study different operational scenarios in terms of resulting dynamic response of critical variables. The experimental results and field data were obtained to validate the present nonlinear dynamic model. The calculations of the heat flux and the allowable steam quality were used to determine the maximum boiler swing rates at different conditions of riser tube of friction factor and heat flux. Diagrams for the influence of friction factor of the boiler tubes and the heat flux, that the tube is subjected to, on the maximum swing rate were examined.
Clonality Analysis ofHelicobacter pyloriin Patients Isolated from Several Biopsy Specimens and Gastric Juice in a Japanese Urban Population by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Fingerprinting
Authors: Toita Nariaki , Yokota Shin-ichi , Fujii Nobuhiro , Konno Mutsuko
Published: November 2013

Background. The number ofHelicobacter pyloriclones infecting a single host has been discussed in numerous reports. The number has been suggested to vary depending on the regions in the world.Aim. The purpose of this study was to examine the number of clones infecting a single host in a Japanese urban population.Materials and Methods. Thirty-one Japanese patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were enrolled in this study.H. pyloriisolates (total 104 strains) were obtained from biopsy specimens (antrum, corpus, and duodenum) and gastric juice. Clonal diversity was examined by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting method.Results. The RAPD fingerprinting patterns of isolates from each patient were identical or very similar. And the isolates obtained from several patients with 5- to 9-year intervals showed identical or very similar RAPD patterns.Conclusion. Each Japanese individual of an urban population is predominantly infected with a singleH. pyloriclone.
Performance Analysis and Optimization of an Adaptive Admission Control Scheme in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Jin Shunfu , Zhao Yuan , Yue Wuyi , Saffer Zsolt
Published: November 2013

In cognitive radio networks, if all the secondary user (SU) packets join the system without any restrictions, the average latency of the SU packets will be greater, especially when the traffic load of the system is higher. For this, we propose an adaptive admission control scheme with a system access probability for the SU packets in this paper. We suppose the system access probability is inversely proportional to the total number of packets in the system and introduce an Adaptive Factor to adjust the system access probability. Accordingly, we build a discrete-time preemptive queueing model with adjustable joining rate. In order to obtain the steady-state distribution of the queueing model exactly, we construct a two-dimensional Markov chain. Moreover, we derive the formulas for the blocking rate, the throughput, and the average latency of the SU packets. Afterwards, we provide numerical results to investigate the influence of the Adaptive Factor on different performance measures. We also give the individually optimal strategy and the socially optimal strategy from the standpoints of the SU packets. Finally, we provide a pricing mechanism to coordinate the two optimal strategies.
Existence and Uniqueness of Positive Solutions of Boundary-Value Problems for Fractional Differential Equations withp-Laplacian Operator and Identities on the Some Special Polynomials
Authors: Şen Erdoğan , Acikgoz Mehmet , Seo Jong Jin , Araci Serkan , Oruçoğlu Kamil
Published: November 2013

We consider the following boundary-value problem of nonlinear fractional differential equation withp-Laplacian operatorD0+β(ϕp(D0+αu(t)))+a(t)f(u)=0,0<t<1,u(0)=γu(h)+λ,u′(0)=μ,ϕp(D0+αu(0))=(ϕp(D0+αu(1)))′=(ϕp(D0+αu(0)))′′=(ϕp(D0+αu(0)))′′′=0, where1<α⩽2,3<β⩽4are real numbers,D0+α,D0+βare the standard Caputo fractional derivatives,ϕp(s)=|s|p-2s,p>1,ϕp-1=ϕq,1/p+1/q=1,0⩽γ<1,0⩽h⩽1,λ,μ>0are parameters,a:(0,1)→[0,+∞),andf:[0,+∞)→[0,+∞)are continuous. By the properties of Green function and Schauder fixed point theorem, several existence and nonexistence results for positive solutions, in terms of the parametersλandμare obtained. The uniqueness of positive solution on the parametersλandμis also studied. In the final section of this paper, we derive not only new but also interesting identities related special polynomials by which Caputo fractional derivative.
Evaluation of the Effects of Honey on Acute-Phase Deep Burn Wounds
Authors: Nakajima Yukari , Mukai Kanae , Nasruddin  , Komatsu Emi , Iuchi Terumi , Kitayama Yukie , Sugama Junko , Nakatani Toshio
Published: November 2013

This study aimed to clarify the effects of honey on acute-phase deep burn wounds. Two deep burn wounds were created on mice which were divided into four groups: no treatment, silver sulfadiazine, manuka honey, and Japanese acacia honey. Wound sizes were calculated as expanded wound areas and sampled 30 minutes and 1–4 days after wounding for histological observation. The wound sections were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistological staining to detect necrotic cells, apoptotic cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. The no treatment group formed a scar. The redness around the wound edges in the silver sulfadiazine group was the most intense. All groups exhibited increased wound areas after wounding. The proportions of necrotic cells and the numbers of neutrophils in the manuka and acacia honey groups were lower than those in the no treatment and silver sulfadiazine groups until day 3; however, there were no significant differences between all groups on day 4. These results show that honey treatment on deep burn wounds cannot prevent wound progression. Moreover, comparing our observations with those of Jackson, there are some differences between humans and animals in this regard, and the zone of hyperemia and its surrounding area fall into necrosis, which contributes to burn wound progression.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2: Its Contribution to Acute Cellular Rejection and Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma
Authors: Wang Jun , Al-Lamki Rafia S.
Published: November 2013

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein and one of the two receptors that orchestrate the complex biological functions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF, also designed TNF-α). Accumulating experimental evidence suggests that TNFR2 plays an important role in renal disorders associated with acute cellular rejection and clear cell renal carcinoma but its exact role in these settings is still not completely understood. This papers reviews the factors that may mediate TNFR2 induction in acute cellular rejection and clear cell renal carcinoma and its contribution to these conditions and discusses its therapeutic implications. A greater understanding of the function of TNFR2 may lead to the development of new anti-TNF drugs.
Nonlinear Dynamics in the Solow Model with Bounded Population Growth and Time-to-Build Technology
Authors: Guerrini Luca , Sodini Mauro
Published: November 2013

The aim of this paper is to show that the Solow model equipped by realistic assumptions on technology and population dynamics is capable of explaining a well-known stylised fact of growth, that is, the presence of persistent oscillations of demoeconomic variables. In particular, our analysis shows that the coexistence of delays between (i) new investment and production and (ii) the birth date and the recruitment in the labour force is a source of cyclical behaviour in capital accumulation.
DeGNServer: Deciphering Genome-Scale Gene Networks through High Performance Reverse Engineering Analysis
Authors: Li Jun , Wei Hairong , Zhao Patrick Xuechun
Published: November 2013

Analysis of genome-scale gene networks (GNs) using large-scale gene expression data provides unprecedented opportunities to uncover gene interactions and regulatory networks involved in various biological processes and developmental programs, leading to accelerated discovery of novel knowledge of various biological processes, pathways and systems. The widely used context likelihood of relatedness (CLR) method based on the mutual information (MI) for scoring the similarity of gene pairs is one of the accurate methods currently available for inferring GNs. However, the MI-based reverse engineering method can achieve satisfactory performance only when sample size exceeds one hundred. This in turn limits their applications for GN construction from expression data set with small sample size. We developed a high performance web server, DeGNServer, to reverse engineering and decipher genome-scale networks. It extended the CLR method by integration of different correlation methods that are suitable for analyzing data sets ranging from moderate to large scale such as expression profiles with tens to hundreds of microarray hybridizations, and implemented all analysis algorithms using parallel computing techniques to infer gene-gene association at extraordinary speed. In addition, we integrated the SNBuilder and GeNa algorithms for subnetwork extraction and functional module discovery. DeGNServer is publicly and freely available online.
Multifunction of Ni/Ag Nanocompound Fluid
Authors: Kao Mu-Jung
Published: November 2013

An arc-submerged nanoparticle synthesis system (ASNSS) is proposed and developed for fabricating Ni/Ag nanocompound fluid. In the development process, the positive and negative electrodes in the system are Ni and Ag, respectively. Applied electrical energy then produces heating source by generating an adequate arc with a high temperature that can melt and vaporize the two electrodes. The nanocompound fluid that is generated by the synthesis system is analyzed by morphological analysis, Zeta potential analysis, heat conductivity analysis, magnetic characteristic analysis, and UV-Vis absorption spectra analysis. Experimental results show that increasing the concentration of added particles and the higher temperature can be helpful to the enhancement of thermal conductivity. The Ni/Ag nanofluid not only preserves the magnetic character of the nickel and the ability of silver to absorb visible light but also enhances the thermal conductivity. The absorption occurs at 406 nm wavelength (redshift from 396 nm to 406 nm), which means that, under the excitement of visible light range (400~700 nm), it can let more easy electrons jump to the conductivity zone from the valence electron zone.
The GC/MS Analysis of Volatile Components Extracted by Different Methods fromExocarpium Citri Grandis
Authors: Xie Zhisheng , Liu Qundi , Liang Zhikun , Zhao Mingqian , Yu Xiaoxue , Yang Depo , Xu Xinjun
Published: November 2013

Volatile components fromExocarpium Citri Grandis(ECG) were, respectively, extracted by three methods, that is, steam distillation (SD), headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), and solvent extraction (SE). A total of 81 compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry including 77 (SD), 56 (HS-SPME), and 48 (SE) compounds, respectively. Despite of the extraction method, terpenes (39.98~57.81%) were the main volatile components of ECG, mainly germacrene-D, limonene, 2,6,8,10,14-hexadecapentaene, 2,6,11,15-tetramethyl-, (E,E,E)-, andtrans-caryophyllene. Comparison was made among the three methods in terms of extraction profile and property. SD relatively gave an entire profile of volatile in ECG by long-time extraction; SE enabled the analysis of low volatility and high molecular weight compounds but lost some volatiles components; HS-SPME generated satisfactory extraction efficiency and gave similar results to those of SD at analytical level when consuming less sample amount, shorter extraction time, and simpler procedure. Although SD and SE were treated as traditionally preparative extractive techniques for volatiles in both small batches and large scale, HS-SPME coupled with GC/MS could be useful and appropriative for the rapid extraction and qualitative analysis of volatile components from medicinal plants at analytical level.
Depletion of Luminal Pyridine Nucleotides in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Activates Autophagy with the Involvement of mTOR Pathway
Authors: Kapuy Orsolya , Bánhegyi Gábor
Published: November 2013

It has been recently shown that redox imbalance of luminal pyridine nucleotides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) together with oxidative stress results in the activation of autophagy. In the present study we demonstrated that decrease of luminal NADPH/NADP+ratio alone by metyrapone was sufficient to promote the mechanism of “self-eating” detected by the activation of LC3. Depletion of luminal NADPH had also significant effect on the key proteins of mTOR pathway, which got inactivated by dephosphorylation. These findings were also confirmed by silencing the proteins (glucose-6-phosphate transporter and hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) responsible for NADPH generation in the ER lumen. However, silencing the key components and addition of metyrapone had different effects on downstream substrates 4EBP1 and p70S6K of mTOR. The applied treatments did not compromise the viability of the cells. Our data suggest that ER stress caused by luminal NADPH depletion activates a pro-survival autophagic mechanism firmly coupled to the activation of mTOR pathway.
FASandFASLGene Polymorphisms Are Not Associated with Hepatitis B Virus Infection Based on a Case-Control Study in a Brazilian Population
Authors: Santana Bárbara B. , Viégas Maria Luana C. , Conde Simone R. S. S. , Ishak Marluísa O. G. , Ishak Ricardo , Vallinoto Antonio C. R.
Published: November 2013

Objective. This study investigated the association of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in theFASandFASLgenes with the outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Methods. Blood samples were collected from 116 HBV-infected patients at the Hospital of the Santa Casa de Misericordia Foundation (Belém, PA, Brazil). Seronegative individuals were used as controls. DNA samples were extracted from the leukocytes and assayed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by RFLP analysis with restriction endonucleases.Results. The frequencies of the mutant genotypes for -670FAS(GG), Ivs2nt-124FASL(GG), Ivs3nt-169FASL(ΔT/ΔT), and -844FASL(TT) were higher in the HBV patients, and theFAS-1377AA genotype was more frequent in the control group; however, the differences between the allele and genotype frequencies were not statistically significant. When the HBV patient population was divided into two groups (inactive carriers and active chronic hepatitis patients), the mutant genotypes were found to be more prevalent in the active chronic hepatitis group with respect to theFASgene polymorphisms; however, this difference was not statistically significant.Conclusions. The results suggest that the polymorphisms inFASandFASLgenes are not associated with HBV infection or even with the natural history of the infection in the Brazilian Amazon region.