bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Melatonin‐Aided Therapy on the Glutathione Antioxidant System Activity and Liver Protection
Authors: Popov Serguey S. , Shulgin Konstantin K. , Popova Tatyana N. , Pashkov Aleksander N. , Agarkov Aleksander A. , de Carvalho Miguel A. A. Pinheiro 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTAcute hepatitis results from oxidative stress triggered by hepatotoxic drugs causing liver injury and the activation of caspases cascade. The glutathione antioxidant system protects against reactive oxygen species and mitigates development of these processes. The effectiveness of silymarin, a polyphenolic flavonoid, essenthiale, composed of phosphatidyl choline, and melaxen, a melatonin‐correcting drug, as hepatoprotectors has been investigated. The variation of 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), resulting from the biotransformation of melatonin, and GSH has been measured. The activities of caspase‐1 and caspase‐3, glutathione antioxidant system, and NADPH‐generating enzymes were determined. The aMT6s decreases in patients with drug hepatitis and recovers with administration of mexalen. GSH increased in the presence of the studied hepatoprotectors. Pathologically activated caspase‐1 and caspase‐3 decreased their activities in the presence of hepatoprotectors with melaxen showing the highest effect. The positive effect of melatonin appears to be related to the suppression of decompensation of the glutathione antioxidant system functions, recovery of liver redox status, and the attenuation of inhibition of the NADPH supply.
Shake table testing of reinforced concrete columns with different layout size of foundation
Authors: Radnić J. , Grgić N. , Matešan D. , Baloević G. 
Published: April 2015

The behavior of cantilever reinforced concrete columns with different layout size (length) of the foundation was experimentally investigated. Three different layout sizes of the foundation were adopted, i.e. three different rotational stiffnesses of foundation (high, medium, low). The column parameters (slenderness, material properties, reinforcement, mass at the top, etc.) are equal for all tested structures. The foundation of the columns is placed on a shake table in variants: (i) over a 20 mm thick layer of limestone sand, (ii) over a 100 mm thick layer of limestone sand, (iii) foundations fixed to the shake table. The tested structures were exposed to repeated horizontal base accelerations of an artificial accelerogram. Each structure was tested by a set of artificial accelerograms, with successive increase of accelerations in each applied excitation until structural collapse or loss of stability. Characteristic displacements and accelerations of the structure were measures, as well as concrete and reinforcement strains. It was concluded that the layout size of the foundation has a significant influence on the behavior of the concrete column under earthquake conditions, especially for greater base accelerations.
Design of an adaptive high precision clamping system for flexible bodies
Authors: Araújo M. , Janousch C. , Schwenk H. , Merkel M. 
Published: April 2015

In manufacturing engineering, especially in machining process, the definition of a reference plane is the first essential step within the overall process. After the reference plane is applied at the component all other features are processed with reference to this basic plane. During any process the component has to be clamped in order to resist the processing forces. There are several clamping systems available, such as pneumatic, magnetic systems or magneto‐rheological (MR) systems. Depending on its stiffness the component is deformed due to the clamping forces, stresses are introduced. This effect can be neglected for components with a high stiffness and nearly rigid body behaviour. However, the deformation of low stiff components under clamping forces, e.g. sheet metals, is relatively large and is in the same range as the addressed accuracy of machining process. Due to the introduced elastic clamping stresses the component will reconfigure after clamping, this phenomenon is known as springback.The focus of this work is the design of a clamping system for flexible bodies in order to reduce the springback and to enable high precision processing. This clamping system consists in a set of supports, which adjust to the surface of the body without introducing stresses and causing no springback after the machining process. The number and the arrangement of the supports are optimized as a function of the intensity and position of the milling force and the geometrical and mechanical properties of the body as well. The functional unit of the clamping system is a cylindrical bodysliding nearly frictionless within a pipe. Numerical simulation is used for configuration and optimization. The developed clamping systems can also be used to process freeform shaped bodies.
Conceptual design of the composite sandwich fuselage of a re‐entry vehicle
Authors: Belardo M. , Paletta N. , Mercurio U. 
Published: April 2015

CIRA, the Italian Aerospace Research Centre, is carrying out two projects among the others: one is focused on a feasibility study of a future re‐entry spacecraft, USV‐3; and the other is a technological project aimed at developing anisogrid lattice composite cold structures, ICCS. The two projects are linked since the benchmark structure for ICCS project is the structure of the fuselage of USV3, sharing the same requirements.The present paper is focused on the conceptual design of the USV‐3 fuselage conceived in composite sandwich, used also as a benchmark for the ICCS project. The low level requirements of the structure have been obtained from launcher and mission high level requirements. Among all load types experienced by the vehicle during its mission, a first set of mechanical loads for conceptual design have been selected and evaluated. Analytical relations from literature have been used to choose materials, stacking sequence and core geometry against strength and typical core instability phenomena for the design of an equivalent cylindrical geometry made in sandwich composite. Then a simplified finite element model of the real cold structure shape has been set up, by using the same properties which came out from initial sizing of the cylindrical structure. Modal analyses have been carried out to verify natural frequencies compatibility with the launcher, with iterations on design. Once launcher compatibility was fulfilled, static strength and global buckling analyses have been carried out against launch and landing load factors showing a good behavior of the selected structural concepts for the fuselage cold structure.
The human NANOS3 gene contributes to lung tumour invasion by inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: Grelet Simon , Andries Vanessa , Polette Myriam , Gilles Christine , Staes Katrien , Martin Anne‐Pascaline , Kileztky Claire , Terryn Christine , Dalstein Véronique , Cheng Chun‐Wen , Shen Chen‐Yang , Birembaut Philippe , Van Roy Frans , Nawrocki‐Raby Béatrice 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe have explored the role of the human NANOS3 gene in lung tumour progression. We show that NANOS3 is over‐expressed by invasive lung cancer cells and is a prognostic marker for non‐small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs). NANOS3 gene expression is restricted in testis and brain and is regulated by epigenetic events. It is up‐regulated in cultured cells undergoing epithelial − mesenchymal transition (EMT). NANOS3 over‐expression in human NSCLC cell lines enhances their invasiveness by up‐regulating EMT, whereas its silencing induces mesenchymal − epithelial transition. NANOS3 represses E‐cadherin at the transcriptional level and up‐regulates vimentin post‐transcriptionally. Also, we show that NANOS3 binds mRNAs encoding vimentin and regulates the length of their poly(A) tail. Finally, NANOS3 can also protect vimentin mRNA from microRNA‐mediated repression. We thus demonstrate a role for NANOS3 in the acquisition of invasiveness by human lung tumour cells and propose a new mechanism of post‐transcriptional regulation of EMT. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Service Level Decision‐making in Rural Physiotherapy: Development of Conceptual Models
Authors: Adams Robyn , Jones Anne , Lefmann Sophie , Sheppard Lorraine 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding decision‐making about health service provision is increasingly important in an environment of increasing demand and constrained resources. Multiple factors are likely to influence decisions about which services will be provided, yet workforce is the most noted factor in the rural physiotherapy literature. This paper draws together results obtained from exploration of service level decision‐making (SLDM) to propose ‘conceptual’ models of rural physiotherapy SLDM.MethodA prioritized qualitative approach enabled exploration of participant perspectives about rural physiotherapy decision‐making. Stakeholder perspectives were obtained through surveys and in‐depth interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and reviewed by participants. Participant confidentiality was maintained by coding both participants and sites. A system theory‐case study heuristic provided a framework for exploration across sites within the investigation area: a large area of one Australian state with a mix of regional, rural and remote communities.ResultsThirty‐nine surveys were received from participants in 11 communities. Nineteen in‐depth interviews were conducted with physiotherapists and key decision‐makers. Results reveal the complexity of factors influencing rural physiotherapy service provision and the value of a systems approach when exploring decision‐making about rural physiotherapy service provision. Six key features were identified that formed the rural physiotherapy SLDM system: capacity and capability; contextual influences; layered decision‐making; access issues; value and beliefs; and tensions and conflict.ConclusionsRural physiotherapy SLDM is not a one‐dimensional process but results from the complex interaction of clusters of systems issues. Decision‐making about physiotherapy service provision is influenced by both internal and external factors. Similarities in influencing factors and the iterative nature of decision‐making emerged, which enabled linking physiotherapy SLDM with clinical decision‐making and placing both within the broader healthcare context. The conceptual models provide a way of thinking about decisions informing rural physiotherapy service provision. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improvement of In2S3/ZnCuInS2 interfaces for wide‐gap solar cells
Authors: Yamamoto Teruaki , Negami Takayuki , Matsubara Koji , Niki Shigeru 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe have fabricated superstrate In2S3/ZnCuInS2 (Zn2xCu1‐xIn1‐xS2, ZCIS) solar cells as the top cell of multi‐junction solar cells. The ZCIS and In2S3 thin films were deposited by spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) and an efficiency of 4.4% was achieved with bandgap of 1.8 eV. However, in the structure of superstrate type solar cells, interdiffusion have been caused between the buffer layer and the ZCIS layer. In order to suppress the interdiffusion, we have fabricated In2S3/ZCIS substrate type solar cells. The thickness of the interdiffusion region decreased from 70 nm of the superstrate cell to 15 nm of the substrate cell. As a result, the substrate cell with bandgap of 1.8 eV showed VOC of 0.71 V and FF of 0.55 higher than those of the superstrate cells. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optimization of preparation technology of ZnO and ZnO: Al thin films for solar cell applications
Authors: Bagiyev Elnur , Balayeva Narmina , Aliyeva Yegana , Kerimova Afet , Valiyev Rusif , Mamiyev Zamin , Gasimov Nagi , Bayramov Ayaz 
Published: April 2015

AbstractZnO and ZnO: Al thin films of about 100 nm thicknesses were deposited by magnetron sputtering method at 200‐400 °C substrate temperatures under oxygen/argon gas mixture with different O/Ar ratio (0‐6%O2). The higher crystallinities for ZnO: Al and ZnO films are achieved at 400 °C substrate temperature under 0% and 4% (O/Ar) mixture ratios, respectively. The films were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometery (SE), photoluminescence spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods. Electrical, optical, and luminescent properties depending on crystallinities of the obtained films were studied. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Lexical state analyzer for JavaCC grammars
Authors: Gupta Kartik , Nandivada V. Krishna 
Published: April 2015

SummaryLexical states in JavaCC provide a powerful mechanism to scan regular expressions in a context sensitive manner. But lexical states also make it hard to reason about the correctness of the grammar. We first categorize the related correctness issues into two classes: errors and warnings. We then extend the traditional context sensitive and a context insensitive analysis to identify errors and warnings in context‐free grammars. We have implemented these analyses as a standalone tool (LSA), the first of its kind, to identify errors and warnings in JavaCC grammars. The LSA tool outputs a graph that depicts the grammar and the error transitions. Importantly, it can also generate counter example strings that can be used to establish the errors. We have used LSA to analyze a host of open‐source JavaCC grammar files to good effect. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sexual Mixing in Shanghai: Are Heterosexual Contact Patterns Compatible With an HIV/AIDS Epidemic?
Authors: Merli M. Giovanna , Moody James , Mendelsohn Joshua , Gauthier Robin 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
China’s HIV prevalence is low, mainly concentrated among female sex workers (FSWs), their clients, men who have sex with men, and the stable partners of members of these high-risk groups. We evaluate the contribution to the spread of HIV of China’s regime of heterosexual relations, of the structure of heterosexual networks, and of the attributes of key population groups with simulations driven by data from a cross-sectional survey of egocentric sexual networks of the general population of Shanghai and from a concurrent respondent-driven sample of FSWs. We find that the heterosexual network generated by our empirically calibrated simulations has low levels of partner change, strong constraints on partner selection by age and education, and a very small connected core, mainly comprising FSWs and their clients and characterized by a fragile transmission structure. This network has a small HIV epidemic potential but is compatible with the transmission of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as syphilis, which are less susceptible to structural breaks in transmission of infection. Our results suggest that policies that force commercial sex underground could have an adverse effect on the spread of HIV and other STIs.
Adolescents' beliefs about the fairness of exclusion of peers with mental health problems
Authors: O'Driscoll Claire , Heary Caroline , Hennessy Eilis , McKeague Lynn 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTStigma research suggests that exclusion of peers with mental health problems is acceptable, however, no research has explored young people's beliefs about the fairness of exclusion. Group interviews with 148 adolescents explored judgements about the fairness of excluding peers with ADHD or depression from dyads and groups. Young people evaluated exclusion of peers with ADHD or depression from dyads and groups, with the exception of group exclusion of the peer with ADHD, as mostly unfair. Beliefs about the fairness of exclusion were influenced by the attributions that they applied to the target peer's behaviour, social obligations and loyalty within friendships and concerns about the adverse psychological effects of exclusion. Furthermore, their evaluations were influenced by personal beliefs about the social and personal costs of including the target peer. Evaluations of exclusion highlight novel avenues for to develop knowledge on the stigma of mental health problems.
Baseline burden and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria recovered from oral lesions of patients with HIV/AIDS in South‐Western Uganda
Authors: Agwu Ezera , Ihongbe John C. , Ezeonwumelu Joseph O. , Lodhi Moazzam M. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackground: The need to map pathogenic bacteria from oral lesions of patients with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) remains crucial to estimate the potential risk of localized and systemic diseases.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the baseline burden and antibiotic susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria recovered from oral lesions of patients with HIV/AIDS in South‐Western Uganda.Methods: World Health Organization’s aseptic criteria were adopted in oral examination, sample (605) collection, pathogenic bacteria isolation, and sensitivity testing. The included patients with HIV/AIDS had persistent oral lesions, and they received antibiotic treatment. The study was ethically approved by the institutional and national boards.Results: Pathogenic bacteria (31% Streptococcus mutans, 16.4% Proteus mirabilis, 11.8% nonhemolytic Streptococcus species, 11.3% Staphylococcus aureus, 9.5% Branhamella catarrhalis, 8.6% Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 8.1% Klebsiella pneumoniae, 6.8% Escherichia coli, and 5.5% Streptococcus pyogenes) prevalence varied significantly (p < 0.05) with participating districts, and this may indicate that patients are at an increased risk of systemic infection and antibiotic resistance. Females were more in number than males, and 31–50 years were the most predominant age groups. The variation of oral pathogenic bacteria represents the distribution of two ethnics made of five tribes. Gentamycin was the most effective antibiotic against all isolates. Relative resistance to oral antibiotics and sensitivity to ciprofloxacin/cefaclor were bacteria‐dependent. An effective treatment plan for persistent oral lesions should be against pathogenic bacteria and fungi.Conclusions: An observed wide array of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity of patients with HIV/AIDS poses a real problem in the world of antimicrobial resistance, and this clearly provides a higher risk of systemic infectious diseases in these population with HIV/AIDS.
Conodont biostratigraphy of the mid-Carboniferous boundary in Western Ireland
Authors: FALLON PETER , MURRAY JOHN 
Published: April 2015

AbstractTwo stratigraphic sections spanning the mid-Carboniferous boundary were examined in the Clare Shale Formation of the Shannon Basin in Western Ireland. Calcareous nodules intermittently occur within these generally non-calcareous organic-rich shales, and these have yielded Serpukhovian and Bashkirian conodont elements. The biostratigraphic range of the Irish material is illustrated here for the first time. Results show that the mid-Carboniferous and Arnsbergian–Chokierian boundaries are coincident at Ballybunion.Gnathodus girtyiis restricted to the lower part of the Serpukhovian Stage (Late Mississippian), whileG. bilineatus bollandensispersists into much younger strata, close to the first occurrence ofDeclinognathodus noduliferus s.l. One element belonging toG. postbilineatusis also present. These findings support the argument thatD. noduliferus s.l. developed fromG. b. bollandensis, rather than fromG. girtyi. The biostratigraphical tool for the identification of the mid-Carboniferous boundary globally, and the suitability of the section at Arrow Canyon, USA as a GSSP, may therefore need to be reassessed.
Ultrasensitive visual read-out of nucleic acids using electrocatalytic fluid displacement
Authors: Besant Justin D. , Das Jagotamoy , Burgess Ian B. , Liu Wenhan , Sargent Edward H. , Kelley Shana O. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractDiagnosis of disease outside of sophisticated laboratories urgently requires low-cost, user-friendly devices. Disposable, instrument-free testing devices are used for home and physician office testing, but are limited in applicability to a small class of highly abundant analytes. Direct, unambiguous visual read-out is an ideal way to deliver a result on a disposable device; however, existing strategies that deliver appropriate sensitivity produce only subtle colour changes. Here we report a new approach, which we term electrocatalytic fluid displacement, where a molecular binding event is transduced into an electrochemical current, which drives the electrodeposition of a metal catalyst. The catalyst promotes bubble formation that displaces a fluid to reveal a high contrast change. We couple the read-out system to a nanostructured microelectrode and demonstrate direct visual detection of 100 fM DNA in 10 min. This represents the lowest limit of detection of nucleic acids reported using high contrast visual read-out.
Frequency tuning design for vibration‐driven electromagnetic energy harvester
Authors: Lee Byung‐Chul , Chung Gwiy‐Sang 
Published: April 2015

The common resonant‐based vibration energy harvester effectively converts mechanical vibration to electrical power when an ambient excitation frequency matches the specific resonant frequency of the device. The resonant frequencies of energy harvesters are generally fixed during the design process and cannot be changed after fabrication. Therefore frequency tuning technology that allows for operation in a wide frequency range is desirable for a vibration energy harvester. In this study, the authors proposed a novel frequency tuning design of vibration‐driven energy harvester, which used electromagnetic conversion. The proposed frequency tuning method uses a rotatable spring in order to adjust the spring constant. Through this tuning method, the resonant frequency of the harvester can be manipulated simply by rotating the spring. The proposed tuning‐based energy harvester has been successfully tuned to have a resonant frequency from 23 to 32 Hz. These test results agree with the ANSYS analysis presented. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed energy harvester can generate a maximum power output of 60 μW with an acceleration of 0.5 g (1 g = 9.81 m/s2). When the proposed harvester was attached to an automobile engine, a maximum open‐circuit voltage of 1.78 Vpp was produced at 700 RPM.
Modulation of dendritic cell alternative activation and function by the vitamin A metabolite retinoic acid
Authors: Jones Lucy H. , Cook Peter C. , Ivens Alasdair C. , Thomas Graham, D. , Phythian-Adams Alexander T. , Allen Judith E. , MacDonald Andrew S. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe archetypal T h 2 cytokine IL-4 has previously been shown to alternatively activate murine macrophages and, more recently, dendritic cells (DCs) both in vitro and in vivo. IL-4 has also been shown to induce Aldh1a2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1a2) expression in murine macrophages recruited to the peritoneal cavity. However, the influence of IL-4 on DC Aldh1a2 induction in vivo has not yet been addressed. In this work, we found that DCs show enhanced aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme activity in vivo , which led us to investigate the impact of the vitamin A metabolite all- trans retinoic acid (RA) on DC alternative activation and function. Antagonism of RA receptors reduced production of resistin-like molecule alpha by DCs responding to IL-4, while addition of exogenous RA enhanced production of this marker of alternative activation. Functionally, RA increased DC induction of CD4 + T-cell IL-10, while reducing CD4 + T-cell IL-4 and IL-13, revealing a previously unidentified role for RA in regulating the ability of alternatively activated DCs to influence T h 2 polarization.