Ananda S. Amarasekara^*, Muhammad A. Hasan, Eve Larkin

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.1, pp. 62-66, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634129

Abstract Condensation polymerization of renewable resources-based monomers, 4-ketopimelic acid and glycerol, were studied using two different catalysts; p-toluenesulfonic acid and Sb2O3. The highest polymer yield of 96% was achieved by using a 3:4 mole ratio mixture of 4-ketopimelic acid and glycerol, with Sb2O3 (0.5 mol% relative to 4-ketopimelic acid) as catalyst and heating at 23–210 °C, under N2 for 1 h; then 210 °C, vacuum, 12 h. The poly(4-ketopimelic acid-glycerol) formed is insoluble in all common organic solvents and is shown to contain a branched polymeric structure with ketal and ester links by using FT-IR, 1H More >

Dalin Tang^1,*,2, Heng Zuo^2,*, Chun Yang², Zheyang Wu², Xueying Huang³, Rahul H. Rathod⁴, Alexander Tang⁴, Kristen L. Billiar⁵, Tal Geva⁴

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 137-151, 2017, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2017.014.137

Abstract Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) account for the majority of cases with late onset right ventricle failure. Comparing TOF patients with healthy people may provide information to address this challenge. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) data were obtained from 16 TOF patients (patient group, PG) and 6 healthy volunteers (healthy group, HG). At begin-of-ejection, better patient group (n=5, BPG) stress was very close to HG stress (54.7±38.4 kPa vs. 51.2±55.7 kPa, p=0.6889) while worse patient group (n=11, WPG) stress was 84% higher than HG stress (p=0.0418). Stress may be used as an indicator to differentiate More >

Munish Kumar¹, Simpel Rani Jindal²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.113, No.2, pp. 195-202, 2017, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2017.113.201

Abstract Grading of writers in perspective of their handwriting is a challenging task owing to various writing styles of different individuals. This paper presents a framework for grading of Devanagari writers in perspective of their handwriting. This framework of grading can be useful in conducting the handwriting competitions and then deciding the winners on the basis of an automated process. Selecting the set of features is a challenging task for implementing a handwriting grading system of particular language. In this paper, curvature features, namely, parabola curve fitting and power curve fitting have been considered for extracting… More >

A. Takahashi¹, T. Shibata², K. Motoyama³, K. Misaji⁴

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.113, No.1, pp. 1-15, 2017, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2017.113.001

Abstract A method for reducing the damage to a structure caused by an earthquake namely, using laminated rubber for seismic isolation is proposed, and the vibration characteristics of the rubber (which minimizes the seismic response of the structure during an earthquake) is optimized. A method called “Equivalent Linear System using Restoring Force Model of Power Function Type” (PFT-ELS) is applied to nonlinear vibration analysis of the rubber. In that analysis, a building with 15 layers of the laminated rubber is modeled. The seismic response of the building is analyzed, and the usefulness of the laminated rubber More >

Tu D. Dan¹, Laura Doyle¹, Amar J. Raval², Andrew Pridjian², Leonard G. Gomella², Robert B. Den¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.23, No.3, pp. 8301-8305, 2016

Abstract Radium-223 dichloride is a first-in-class bone-directed radiopharmaceutical that has been shown to prolong survival in men with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Unlike other radiopharmaceuticals, radium-223 uniquely uses alpha-emission to deliver high intensity, short range cytoxic treatments resulting in minimal myelosuppression. Following the results of the ALSYMPCA trial, radium-223 (Xofigo) was FDA approved in the United States in May 2013 and approved by Health Canada in December 2013 for the treatment of mCRPC with symptomatic bone metastases and no visceral disease. This “How I do it” article describes the background of radium 223 as More >

Ryan Pham¹, Jacob Parke², Kenneth M. Kernen^1,3

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.23, No.5, pp. 8491-8494, 2016

Abstract Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common conditions affecting older men. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has widely been considered the gold standard in surgical treatment for BPH. However, this procedure remains largely an inpatient procedure. Inpatient admission ultimately adds to healthcare cost and patient morbidity. In this article, we present an alternative methodology to treat BPH using combination Olympus PlasmaButton and Olympus PlasmaLoop therapy. Preliminary results from our experience suggest improved hemostasis with adequate resection, allowing a majority of our patients to be discharged the same day of the procedure. More >

Ruoyu Wang^*†, Heming Li^†, Xuefen Guo^†, Zhe Wang^†, Shanshan Liang^†, Chengxue Dang^*

Oncology Research, Vol.24, No.4, pp. 225-231, 2016, DOI:10.3727/096504016X14648701447931

Abstract Recurrence and distant metastasis are the most common cause of therapeutic failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) can induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in many epithelial tumors; however, whether IGF-I can enhance NPC metastasis by EMT and the mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we have identified that IGF-I could induce EMT and enhance migration ability in NPC cell lines. Furthermore, both Src inhibitor and microRNA-30a (miR-30a) inhibitor reversed IGF-I-induced EMT, suggesting the involvement of an IGF-IR–Src–miR-30a–E-cadherin pathway in IGF-Iinduced EMT in NPC cell lines. Overall, the results of the present study may More >

Kang Zhu^*, Ying He^†, Cui Xia^*, Jing Yan^*, Jin Hou^*, Demin Kong^*, Yeye Yang^*, Guoxi Zheng^*

Oncology Research, Vol.24, No.3, pp. 145-151, 2016, DOI:10.3727/096504016X14611963142290

Abstract Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly metastatic cancer, frequently occurring in Southeast Asia and Southern China. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to have an inhibitive effect on NPC, while the effect of miR-15a on NPC remains unclear. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the potential effect of miR-15a on NPC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and possible functional mechanism. Human NPC CNE1 cells were transfected with miR-15a mimics, miR-15a inhibitors, or a control. Afterward, cell viability and apoptosis were assayed by using CCK-8, BrdU assay, and flow cytometry. Moreover, Western blot was used to detect the… More >

Ankit Kanor, R Manimaran^*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.7, pp. 1-5, 2016, DOI:10.5098/hmt.7.25

Abstract One of the effective liquid cooling techniques for microelectronic devices is attaching micro channel heat sink to the inactive side of chip. A micro channel heat sink is a device that decreases temperature by flowing coolant through micro channels. The present study focuses on the conjugate heat transfer analyses for different cross-sections (trapezoidal, hexagonal, octagonal and circular).After present study is validated with the published result in the literature, the comparative study of parallel and counter flow configuration is performed. Different geometries are modeled using CATIA V5 software and simulated in ANSYS Fluent R14. From these More >

Flores S¹, A Promis², L Faúndez³

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.85, pp. 324-332, 2016, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2016.85.324

Abstract Jubaea chilensis (Molina) Baill. (Chilean palm) is an endemic species in Chile. It has been classified as a vulnerable species because of the reduction and the fragmentation of its population numbers, the exploitation of the palms for the production of syrup, the indiscriminate harvest of seed for human consumption, and the reduction of the accompanying native vegetation cover. The southernmost limit of its natural distribution is located in Palmas de Tapihue (Pencahue, Maule region). The objective of this study was to benchmark the conservation status of this population and its accompanying vegetation. The population of J. chilensis… More >