bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Do Healthcare Providers Advise Women with Multiple Sclerosis Regarding Pregnancy?
Authors: Wundes Annette , Pebdani Roxanna N. , Amtmann Dagmar
Published: March 2014

Pregnancy in multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered safe for both the woman and the child. Nevertheless, pregnancy issues in MS are complex both from a patient’s and a provider’s perspective. In an anonymous survey, 28 healthcare providers in the United States reported on the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) during pregnancy. Participants were asked about their recommendations to patients about the use of disease modifying therapies during pregnancy and breastfeeding and general recommendations about MS and pregnancy. Healthcare providers were also asked about sources from which they receive information about the management of patients with MS. Results suggested that healthcare providers do not discourage pregnancy for women with MS, recommend that women not use disease modifying therapies while pregnant, and have a positive view of breastfeeding for women with MS. Results also indicated the need for guidelines on patient management for pregnant women with MS.
Efficacy of i-Scan Imaging for the Detection and Diagnosis of Early Gastric Carcinomas
Authors: Nishimura Junichi , Nishikawa Jun , Nakamura Munetaka , Goto Atsushi , Hamabe Kouichi , Hashimoto Shinichi , Okamoto Takeshi , Suenaga Masato , Fujita Yusuke , Hamamoto Yoshihiko , Sakaida Isao
Published: March 2014

We determined comparative efficacy of i-Scan for detection and diagnosis of gastric cancer. Ten patients diagnosed with early gastric cancer based on histopathological findings were analyzed. White light and i-Scan moving images recorded from these patients in twin mode were separated into white light and i-Scan. Twelve endoscopists (three different skill levels) blinded to patient information evaluated the images. Correlation between demarcation accuracy and lesion brightness on still images was investigated. No significant differences were found in diagnostic accuracy between white light and i-Scan moving images for tumor detection rate (91.7% versus 90.8%,P=0.777). Diagnostic accuracy of tumor size was comparable between novice and experienced endoscopists for i-Scan moving images (65.7% versus 71.1%,P=0.528), whereas it was significantly lower for white light moving images (41.2% versus 79.5%,P=0.019). Tumor demarcation accuracy was significantly better with white light than i-Scan still images (71.0% versus 65.8%,P=0.033). Correlations between demarcation accuracy and brightness reached highs of 0.75 for white light and 0.89 for i-Scan imaging. Efficacy of i-Scan over that of white light imaging for detecting and diagnosing gastric cancer was not shown; however, the diagnostic capability of i-Scan can be improved if imaging conditions are optimized.
Treatment of Laryngoceles: What Is the Progress over the Last Two Decades?
Authors: Zelenik Karol , Stanikova Lucia , Smatanova Katarina , Cerny Michal , Kominek Pavel
Published: March 2014

Objectives. To review surgical techniques used in the treatment of laryngoceles over the last two decades and point out developments and trends.Materials and Methods. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the JBI Library of Systematic Reviews were searched using the term “laryngocele.” Demographic data, type of laryngocele, presence of a laryngopyocele, type of treatment and need for a tracheotomy were assessed.Results. Overall, data on 86 patients were analyzed, culled from 50 articles, of which 41 were case reports and 9 were case series. No single systematic review or meta-analysis or randomized controlled trial has been published on the topic. Altogether, 71 laryngoceles in 63 patients met the criteria for further analysis focusing on surgical treatment. An external approach was selected in 25/29 (86.2%) cases of combined laryngoceles. Microlaryngoscopic resection using a CO2laser was performed in three cases and endoscopic robotic surgery in one case. The majority of patients with an internal laryngocele, 31/42 (73.8%), were treated using the microlaryngoscopy approach.Conclusions. Microlaryngoscopy involving the use of a CO2laser has become the main therapeutic procedure for the treatment of internal laryngoceles during the past 20 years. An external approach still remains the main therapeutic approach for the treatment of combined laryngoceles.
Iterates of Bernstein Type Operators on a Triangle with All Curved Sides
Authors: Cătinaş Teodora
Published: March 2014

We consider some Bernstein-type operators as well as their product and Boolean sum for a function defined on a triangle with all curved sides. Using the weakly Picard operators technique and the contraction principle, we study the convergence of the iterates of these operators.
Assessment of Density Variations of Marine Sediments with Ocean and Sediment Depths
Authors: Tenzer R. , Gladkikh V.
Published: March 2014

We analyze the density distribution of marine sediments using density samples taken from 716 drill sites of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP). The samples taken within the upper stratigraphic layer exhibit a prevailing trend of the decreasing density with the increasing ocean depth (at a rate of −0.05 g/cm3per 1 km). Our results confirm findings of published studies that the density nonlinearly increases with the increasing sediment depth due to compaction. We further establish a 3D density model of marine sediments and propose theoretical models of the ocean-sediment and sediment-bedrock density contrasts. The sediment density-depth equation approximates density samples with an average uncertainty of about 10% and better represents the density distribution especially at deeper sections of basin sediments than a uniform density model. The analysis of DSDP density data also reveals that the average density of marine sediments is 1.70 g/cm3and the average density of the ocean bedrock is 2.9 g/cm3.
Hybrid Carbon-Carbon Ablative Composites for Thermal Protection in Aerospace
Authors: Sanoj P. , Kandasubramanian Balasubramanian
Published: March 2014

Composite materials have been steadily substituting metals and alloys due to their better thermomechanical properties. The successful application of composite materials for high temperature zones in aerospace applications has resulted in extensive exploration of cost effective ablative materials. High temperature heat shielding to body, be it external or internal, has become essential in the space vehicles. The heat shielding primarily protects the substrate material from external kinetic heating and the internal insulation protects the subsystems and helps to keep coefficient of thermal expansion low. The external temperature due to kinetic heating may increase to about maximum of 500°C for hypersonic reentry space vehicles while the combustion chamber temperatures in case of rocket and missile engines range between 2000°C and 3000°C. Composite materials of which carbon-carbon composites or the carbon allotropes are the most preferred material for heat shielding applications due to their exceptional chemical and thermal resistance.
Quantitative Elastography for Cervical Stiffness Assessment during Pregnancy
Authors: Fruscalzo A. , Londero A. P. , Fröhlich C. , Möllmann U. , Schmitz R.
Published: March 2014

Aim.Feasibility and reliability of tissue Doppler imaging-(TDI-) based elastography for cervical quantitative stiffness assessment during all three trimesters of pregnancy were evaluated.Materials and Methods.Prospective case-control study including seventy-four patients collected between the 12th and 42nd weeks of gestation. The tissue strain (TS) was measured by two independent operators as natural strain. Intra- and interoperator intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) agreements were evaluated.Results.TS measurement was always feasible and exhibited a high performance in terms of reliability (intraoperator ICC-agreement = 0.93; interoperator ICC agreement = 0.89 and 0.93 for a single measurement and for the average of two measurements, resp.). Cervical TS showed also a significant correlation with gestational age, cervical length, and parity.Conclusions.TS measurement during pregnancy demonstrated high feasibility and reliability. Furthermore, TS significantly correlated with gestational age, cervical length, and parity.
Reduced Graphene Oxide Supported Antimony Species for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes
Authors: Ciszewski Mateusz , Mianowski Andrzej , Nawrat Ginter , Szatkowski Piotr
Published: March 2014

Antimony species was chemically anchored on graphene oxide using antimony (III) chloride precursor and then converted to the reduced graphene oxide-antimony species composite by a well-established polyol method. The resultant composite was successfully used as supercapacitor electrodes in a two-electrode symmetric system with aqueous electrolyte. The specific capacitance calculated from the galvanostatic charge/discharge curves obtained for this composite was 289 F/g. The enhanced capacitance results were confirmed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The high capacitance of the reduced graphene oxide-antimony species composite arises from the combination of double-layer charging and pseudocapacitance caused by the Faradaic reactions of the intercalated antimony species and residual surface-bonded functional groups.
Changing Morning Report: An Educational Intervention to Address Curricular Needs
Authors: Daniels Vijay John , Goldstein Cheryl Eleanor
Published: March 2014

Morning report is a case-based teaching session common to many residency programs with varying purposes and focuses. At our institution, physicians and residents felt our Internal Medicine morning report had lost its educational focus. The purpose of this project was to improve morning report using a well-known curriculum development framework for medical education. We conducted a focus group of residents to develop and implement changes to morning report. Themes from our focus group led us to split morning report with the first 30 minutes for postgraduate year 3 (PGY-3) residents to give handover, to receive feedback on diagnosis and management, and to either discuss an interesting case or receive teaching aimed at their final certification examination. The second 30 minutes involved PGY-3 residents leading PGY-1 residents in case-based discussions with an attending physician providing feedback on the content and process of teaching. We measured success based on a follow-up survey and comments from resident evaluations before and after the change. Overall, the changes were well received by both faculty and residents; however comments revealed that the success of morning report is preceptor dependent. In summary, we have successfully implemented a split morning report model to enhance resident education with positive feedback.
Feature Fusion Based Audio-Visual Speaker Identification Using Hidden Markov Model under Different Lighting Variations
Authors: Islam Md. Rabiul , Sobhan Md. Abdus
Published: March 2014

The aim of the paper is to propose a feature fusion based Audio-Visual Speaker Identification (AVSI) system with varied conditions of illumination environments. Among the different fusion strategies, feature level fusion has been used for the proposed AVSI system where Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is used for learning and classification. Since the feature set contains richer information about the raw biometric data than any other levels, integration at feature level is expected to provide better authentication results. In this paper, both Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) and Linear Prediction Cepstral Coefficients (LPCCs) are combined to get the audio feature vectors and Active Shape Model (ASM) based appearance and shape facial features are concatenated to take the visual feature vectors. These combined audio and visual features are used for the feature-fusion. To reduce the dimension of the audio and visual feature vectors, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method is used. The VALID audio-visual database is used to measure the performance of the proposed system where four different illumination levels of lighting conditions are considered. Experimental results focus on the significance of the proposed audio-visual speaker identification system with various combinations of audio and visual features.
P38 Plays an Important Role in Glucolipotoxicity-Induced Apoptosis in INS-1 Cells
Authors: Zhou Lingli , Cai Xiaoling , Han Xueyao , Ji Linong
Published: March 2014

Objectives. The mechanism underlying the regulation of glucolipotoxicity-induced apoptosis by MAPKs was examined in INS-1 cells.Methods. The rat insulinoma cell line INS-1 was cotreated with glucose (30 mM) and palmitic acid (0.2 mM) (GLU+PA). Apoptosis was assessed by cell morphology and detection of PARP cleavage. The activation of MAPKs was examined by Western blotting using specific antibodies against the phosphorylated forms of JNK, ERK1/2, and P38.Results. (1) Live cell imaging studies showed that treatment with GLU+PA for 72 h induced significant cell death, concomitant with PARP-1 cleavage and caspase-3 activation, which peaked at 96 h of treatment. (2) Western blot analysis of the activation of MAPKs during GLU+PA-induced INS-1 cell apoptosis showed that phosphorylation of P38 increased gradually and reached a peak at 96 h, which coincided with PARP-1 cleavage. A transient increase of ERK activation was followed by a rapid decline at 96 h, whereas JNK phosphorylation status remained unchanged in response to GLU+PA. (3) Phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2 at 48 h of treatment triggered its degradation, which coincided with P38 activation. (4) Inhibition of P38, but not JNK or ERK, blocked GLU+PA-induced INS-1 cell apoptosis.Conclusions. P38 may be involved in the regulation of glucolipotoxicity-induced apoptosis through the phosphorylation of IRS-2.
Best Proximity Point Results inG-Metric Spaces
Authors: Hussain N. , Latif A. , Salimi P.
Published: March 2014

G-metric spaces proved to be a rich source for fixed point theory; however, the best proximity point problem has not been considered in such spaces. The aim of this paper is to introduce certain new classes of proximal contraction mappings and establish the best proximity point theorems for such kind of mappings inG-metric spaces. As a consequence of these results, we deduce certain new best proximity and fixed point results. Moreover, we present an example to illustrate the usability of the obtained results.
Rice Photosynthetic Productivity and PSII Photochemistry under Nonflooded Irrigation
Authors: He Haibing , Yang Ru , Jia Biao , Chen Lin , Fan Hua , Cui Jing , Yang Dong , Li Menglong , Ma Fu-Yu
Published: March 2014

Nonflooded irrigation is an important water-saving rice cultivation technology, but little is known on its photosynthetic mechanism. The aims of this work were to investigate photosynthetic characteristics of rice during grain filling stage under three nonflooded irrigation treatments: furrow irrigation with plastic mulching (FIM), furrow irrigation with nonmulching (FIN), and drip irrigation with plastic mulching (DI). Compared with the conventional flooding (CF) treatment, those grown in the nonflooded irrigation treatments showed lower net photosynthetic rate(PN), lower maximum quantum yield(Fv/Fm), and lower effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII). And the poor photosynthetic characteristics in the nonflooded irrigation treatments were mainly attributed to the low total nitrogen content (TNC). Under non-flooded irrigation, thePN,Fv/Fm, andΦPSIIsignificantly decreased with a reduction in the soil water potential, but these parameters were rapidly recovered in the DI and FIM treatments when supplementary irrigation was applied. Moreover, The DI treatment always had higher photosynthetic productivity than the FIM and FIN treatments. Grain yield, matter translocation, and dry matter post-anthesis (DMPA) were the highest in the CF treatment, followed by the DI, FIM, and FIN treatments in turn. In conclusion, increasing nitrogen content in leaf of rice plants could be a key factor to improve photosynthetic capacity in nonflooded irrigation.
Sugarcane Bagasse: A Potential Medium for Fungal Cultures
Authors: Sidana Arushdeep , Farooq Umar
Published: March 2014

Worldwide, sugarcane industries produce tons of sugarcane bagasse as residual/waste material. This residual material is rich in complex lignocellulosic substances and may be used as a low cost carbon and energy source for the growth of fungal species. The present work was aimed at designing a sugarcane waste-based medium as a substitute for expensive commercial media for growing fungal cultures. Eight species of fungi, namely, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Fusarium sp., and four unidentified species F1, F2, F3, and F5, were grown on the sugarcane bagasse medium which produced remarkable results and competed with standard media like potato dextrose agar, Sabouraud dextrose agar, and cornmeal agar. The designed medium was able to provide nourishment to the fungi as well as prevent the growth of any bacterial or fungal contaminant. The production of spores was more in the sugarcane medium as compared with standard media. Hence, this study led to the discovery of a new and efficient medium for fungal cultures as well as decrease in the waste disposal expenses and efforts.
Stability of Exact and Discrete Energy for Non-Fickian Reaction-Diffusion Equations with a Variable Delay
Authors: Li Dongfang , Tong Chao , Wen Jinming
Published: March 2014

This paper is concerned with the stability of non-Fickian reaction-diffusion equations with a variable delay. It is shown that the perturbation of the energy function of the continuous problems decays exponentially, which provides a more accurate and convenient way to express the rate of decay of energy. Then, we prove that the proposed numerical methods are sufficient to preserve energy stability of the continuous problems. We end the paper with some numerical experiments on a biological model to confirm the theoretical results.
Polymorphisms in theRANK/RANKLGenes and Their Effect on Bone Specific Prognosis in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Hein Alexander , Bayer Christian M. , Schrauder Michael G. , Häberle Lothar , Heusinger Katharina , Strick Reiner , Ruebner Matthias , Lux Michael P. , Renner Stefan P. , Schulz-Wendtland Rüdiger , Ekici Arif B. , Hartmann Arndt , Beckmann Matthias W. , Fasching Peter A.
Published: March 2014

The receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) pathway is involved in bone health as well as breast cancer (BC) pathogenesis and progression. Whereas the therapeutic implication of this pathway is established for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone metastases, the application in adjuvant BC is currently investigated. As genetic variants in this pathway have been described to influence bone health, aim of this study was the prognostic relevance of genetic variants inRANKandRANKL. Single nucleotide polymorphisms inRANK(L) (rs1054016/rs1805034/rs35211496) were genotyped and analyzed with regard to bone metastasis-free survival (BMFS), disease-free survival, and overall survival for a retrospective cohort of 1251 patients. Cox proportional hazard models were built to examine the prognostic influence in addition to commonly established prognostic factors. The SNP rs1054016 seems to influence BMFS. Patients with two minor alleles had a more favorable prognosis than patients with at least one common allele (HR 0.37 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.84)), whereas other outcome parameters remained unaffected. rs1805034 and rs35211496 had no prognostic relevance. The effect of rs1054016(RANKL) adds to the evidence that the RANK pathway plays a role in BC pathogenesis and progression with respect to BMFS, emphasizing the connection between BC and bone health.
Maintenance of Increased Mouth Opening in Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patient Treated with Nasolabial Flap Technique
Authors: Naphade Milind , Bhagat Bhushan , Adwani Dwarkadas , Mandwe Ranjit
Published: March 2014

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is an insidious chronic disease affecting any part of the oral cavity and sometimes the pharynx with epithelial atrophy leading to stiffness of the oral mucosa, causing trismus and inability to eat. However, a more serious complication of this disease is the risk of the development of oral carcinoma. A case of OSMF reported with initial interincisal mouth opening; 8 mm which was treated surgically with nasolabial flap technique followed by active mouth opening exercises for 6 months with Hister’s jaw exerciser. The patient could maintain mouth opening of 32 mm at the end of 18-months followup. The patient was observed closely for any malignant changes in the oral cavity.
Can HLA-DRB4 Help to Identify Asthmatic Patients at Risk of Churg-Strauss Syndrome?
Authors: Bottero P. , Motta F. , Bonini M. , Vecchio F. , Ierna F. , Cuppari I. , Sinico R. A.
Published: March 2014

HLA-DRB4 gene is associated with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), a systemic eosinophilic vasculitis with a prodromal phase characterized by severe asthma, eosinophilia, nasal polyposis, and sinusitis. Aim of this study was to evaluate if the presence of HLA-DRB4 in asthmatic patients is associated with a clinical picture resembling that of the prodromal phase of CSS. HLA-DRB1 was determined in a cohort of 159 asthmatic patients and its frequency was compared with that of 1808 blood donors. HLA-DRB4 presence/absence was correlated with clinical features, including sinusitis, nasal polyposis, eosinophils, antiasthmatic drugs, asthma severity, and pulmonary function tests. HLA-DRB4 gene was associated with severe persistent asthma before treatment (P<0.02), near fatal or severe hypoxemic asthma (P<0.01), sinusitis (P<0.01), nasal polyposis (P<0.01), number of patients with eosinophils >1000/μl: (P<0.05), need of beclomethasone >1000–2000 μg/daily (P<0.001), use of a third controller (P<0.05), and oral prednisone (P<0.02). HLA-DRB4 gene is associated in asthmatic patients with a clinical picture characterized by asthma severity, sinusitis, nasal polyposis, and eosinophilia closely resembling that of the prodromal phase of CSS and might be useful to suspect corticosteroids-masked cases of CSS.
Acute Renal Failure and Jaundice without Methemoglobinemia in a Patient with Phenazopyridine Overdose: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Holmes Ian , Berman Nathaniel , Domingues Vinicius
Published: March 2014

Phenazopyridine is a commonly used urinary analgesic available throughout the United States. Ingestion of large quantities can lead to methemoglobinemia, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, and acute renal failure. We report a case of a 78-year-old male with previously normal renal function who developed acute renal failure and jaundice without methemoglobinemia or hyperbilirubinemia after taking nearly 8 g of phenazopyridine over the course of 4 days. Initially presenting with oliguria, the urine output began to increase by day 2 of his admission, and the creatinine peaked 11 days after he began taking phenazopyridine, and he was discharged safely soon after. To our knowledge, this is the first such case of renal failure and jaundice without methemoglobinemia or hemolytic anemia in an adult patient with normal renal function.
Effect of Melt Temperature and Hold Pressure on the Weld-Line Strength of an Injection Molded Talc-Filled Polypropylene
Authors: Zhou Yuanxin , Mallick P. K.
Published: March 2014

Tensile stress-strain behavior coupled with fractography was used to investigate the weld-line strength of an injection molded 40 w% talc-filled polypropylene. The relationship between processing conditions, microstructure, and tensile strength was established. Fracture surface of the weld line exhibited skin-core morphology with different degrees of talc particle orientations in the core and in the skin. Experimental results also showed that the thickness of the core decreased and the thickness of the skins increased with increasing melt temperature and increasing hold pressure, which resulted in an increase of yield strength and yield strain with increasing melt temperature and increasing hold pressure. Finally, a three-parameter nonlinear constitutive model was developed to describe the strain softening behavior of the weld-line strength of talc-filled polypropylene. The parameters in this model are the modulus E, the strain exponent m, and the compliance factor β. The simulated stress-strain curves from the model are in good agreement with the test data, and both m and β are functions of skin-core thickness ratio.
Chronic Kidney Disease and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—Is There a Link?
Authors: Orlić L. , Mikolasevic I. , Bagic Z. , Racki S. , Stimac D. , Milic S.
Published: March 2014

Research in recent years has led to the recognition of the importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its relationship to the metabolic syndrome (MS). This has led to a growing interest in the potential prognostic value of NAFLD for adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcome. On the other hand, searching for new risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and progression is very important. Growing evidence suggests that the MS is an important factor in the pathogenesis of CKD. The best confirmation of this pathogenic link is hypertensive and diabetic nephropathy as the main causes of CKD. Furthermore, the possible link between NAFLD and CKD has also attracted research interest and recent data suggest an association between these two conditions. These findings have fuelled concerns that NAFLD may be a new and added risk factor for the development and progression of CKD. NAFLD and CKD share some important cardiometabolic risk factors and possible common pathophysiological mechanisms, and both are linked to an increased risk of incident CVD events. Therefore, common factors underlying the pathogenesis of NAFLD and CKD may be insulin resistance, oxidative stress, activation of rennin-angiotensin system, and inappropriate secretion of inflammatory cytokines by steatotic and inflamed liver.
Variational Iteration Method for Singular Perturbation Initial Value Problems with Delays
Authors: Zhao Yongxiang , Xiao Aiguo , Li Li , Zhang Chengjian
Published: March 2014

The variational iteration method (VIM) is applied to solve singular perturbation initial value problems with delays (SPIVPDs). Some convergence results of VIM for solving SPIVPDs are given. The obtained sequence of iterates is based on the use of general Lagrange multipliers; the multipliers in the functionals can be identified by the variational theory. Moreover, the numerical examples show the efficiency of the method.
Cumulative Delivery Rate after Providing Full Reimbursement In Vitro Fertilization Programme: A 6-Years Survey
Authors: Vrtacnik Urban , Vrtacnik Bokal Eda , Devjak Rok
Published: March 2014

Since 1983, Slovenia has been offering well-established, successful, and fully reimbursed IVF programme to infertile couples. On the grounds of data gathered at the Slovenian IVF units we aimed to determine whether the fully accessible IVF treatment system can provide notable success considering cumulative delivery rate (cDR). Longitudinal analysis of getting cDR was performed in 810 IVF cycles of 395 couples who for the first time attended the IVF programme in year 2006 and were followed until year 2012. We calculated the actual and the optimistic cDR. In women aged <38 years the actual cDR was 54% and optimistic DR was 83%, respectively. In women aged ≥38 years the actual cDR was 24 % and optimistic cDR was 27%. These results enable us to report that prospects of the treatment for the women aged <38 years, if they undergo all 6 available IVF cycles, are very positive and quite comparable to the chances of spontaneous conception. Even in older patients it is beneficial to repeat the IVF procedures. Therefore we consider the existing infertility treatment system in Slovenia as an example of good medical practice with high level of beneficence offered to the patients.
Chronic Kidney Disease Stage Is a Modulator on the Association between High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Coronary Vasospastic Angina
Authors: Hsu Heng-Jung , Yen Chiung-Hui , Hsu Kuang-Hung , Wu I-Wen , Lee Chin-Chan , Sun Chiao-Yin , Chou Chia-Chi , Chen Chun-Yu , Yang Shih-Ying , Tsai Chi-Jen , Wu Mai-Szu , Hung Ming-Jui
Published: March 2014

The prevalence of coronary vasospasm and also the factors associated with coronary vasospasm in CKD is still unclear. In this cross-sectional study of 859 consecutive CKD patients with angina pectoris received coronary catheterization, we evaluated the factors associated with coronary vasospasm. Patients with vasospasm were older and had higher peripheral blood white cell counts, higher peripheral blood monocyte cell counts, higher haemoglobin levels, higher hs-CRP levels, and lower levels of serum creatinine than patients without vasospasm. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that peripheral blood monocyte count and hs-CRP level were independently associated with coronary vasospasm in patients with stage 1 CKD. Only peripheral blood monocyte count but not hs-CRP was independently associated with coronary vasospasm in patients with stages 2 and 3 of CKD. In conclusion, peripheral blood monocyte count is independently associated with coronary vasospasm in patients with stage 1–3 CKD, whereas hs-CRP is only independently associated with coronary vasospasm in patients with stage 1 CKD.
Methylprednisolone Therapy in Acute Hemorrhagic Edema of Infancy
Authors: Risikesan Jeyanthini , Koppelhus Uffe , Steiniche Torben , Deleuran Mette , Herlin Troels
Published: March 2014

We present a case of an 18-month-old boy who showed severe clinical signs indicative of acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) with painful purpuric skin affection primarily of the face and marked edema of the ears. The histological findings were diagnostic for leukocytoclastic vasculitis and thus met the histological criteria for AHEI. Indicative of infection as causative agent for the condition were symptoms of gastroenteritis. High-dose intravenous corticosteroids led to a fast resolution of symptoms and normalization of laboratory parameters. AHEI is usually not described as being very responsive to corticosteroids. The case presented here indicates that severe cases of AHEI can be treated with high-dose intravenous corticosteroids resulting in significant relief and shortening of the symptoms. Clinical followup showed no underlying malignancy or other severe chronic systemic diseases thus confirming earlier reports that AHEI is not associated with such conditions. The differential diagnoses with AHEI are discussed.
Analysis of the Boundary Knot Method for 3D Helmholtz‐Type Equation
Authors: Wang F. Z. , Zheng K. H.
Published: March 2014

Numerical solutions of the boundary knot method (BKM) always perform oscillatory convergence when using a large number of boundary points in solving the Helmholtz‐type problems. The main reason for this phenomenon may contribute to the severely ill‐conditioned full coefficient matrix. In order to obtain admissible stable convergence results, regularization techniques and the effective condition number are employed in the process of simulating 3D Helmholtz‐type problems. Numerical results are tested for the 3D Helmholtz‐type equation with noisy and non‐noisy boundary conditions. It is shown that the BKM in combination with the regularization techniques is able to produce stable numerical solutions.
Pretransplant Comorbidities Maintain Their Impact on Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Outcome 5 Years Posttransplant: A Retrospective Study in a Single German Institution
Authors: Chemnitz Jens M. , Chakupurakal Geothy , Bäßler Maya , Holtick Udo , Theurich Sebastian , Shimabukuro-Vornhagen Alexander , Leitzke Silke , Von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael S. , Scheid Christof
Published: March 2014

The introduction of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens has allowed elderly patients with preexisting comorbidities access to the potentially curative allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Patient’s comorbidities at the time of treatment consideration play a significant role in transplant outcome in terms of both overall survival (OS) and nonrelapse mortality (NRM). The hematopoietic stem cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) quantifies these patient specific risks and has established itself as a major tool in the pretransplant assessment of patients. Many single center and multicenter studies have assessed the HCT-CI score and reported conflicting outcomes. The present study aimed to evaluate the HCT-CI in a single large European transplant centre. 245 patients were retrospectively analyzed and the predictive value of the score was assessed with respect to OS and NRM. We confirm that the HCT-CI predicts outcome for both OS and NRM. Moreover, we identified age of the patient as an independent prognostic parameter for OS. Incorporation of age in the HCT-CI would improve its ability to prognosticate and allow the transplant physician to assess the patient specific risks appropriately at the time of counseling for transplant.
A Modified Approach to the New Solutions of Generalized mKdV Equation Using (G′/G)-Expansion
Authors: Zhou Yu , Wang Ying
Published: March 2014

The modified (G′/G)-expansion method is applied for finding new solutions of the generalized mKdV equation. By taking an appropriate transformation, the generalized mKdV equation is solved in different cases and hyperbolic, trigonometric, and rational function solutions are obtained.
Effects of Hydrogen on the Optical and Electrical Characteristics of the Sputter‐Deposited Al2O3‐Doped ZnO Thin Films
Authors: Wang Fang-Hsing , Yang Cheng-Fu , Liou Jian-Chiun , Chen In-Ching
Published: March 2014

In this study, AZO thin films were deposited on glass by using a 98 mol% ZnO + 1 mol% Al2O3 (AZO, Zn : Al = 98 : 2) ceramic target and a r.f. magnetron sputtering system. At first, the effects of different H2 flow rates (H2/(H2 + Ar) = 0%~9.09%, abbreviated as H2‐deposited AZO thin films, deposition temperature was 200°C) added during the deposition process on the physical and electrical properties of AZO thin films were investigated. The optical transmittance at 400 nm~700 nm is more than 80% for all AZO thin films regardless of H2 flow rate and the transparency ratio decreased as the H2 flow rate increased. The Burstein‐Moss shift effect was used to prove that the defects of AZO thin films decreased with increasing H2 flow rate. Also, the 2% H2‐deposited AZO thin films were also treated by the H2 plasma at room temperature for 60 min (plasma‐treated AZO thin films). The value variations in the optical band gap (Eg) values of the H2‐deposited and plasma‐treated AZO thin films were evaluated from the plots of (αhν)2 = c(hν − Eg), and the Eg values increased with increasing H2 flow rate. The Eg values also increased as the H2‐plasma process was used to treat on the H2‐deposited Al2O3‐doped ZnO (AZO) thin films.
Dynamics of Blood Count after Rheohemapheresis in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Possible Association with Clinical Changes
Authors: Košťál Milan , Bláha Milan , Rencová Eva , Lánská Miriam , Rozsíval Pavel , Kratochvilová Vera , Langrová Hana
Published: March 2014

Background. Rheohemapheresis (RHF) is a method that can stop the activity of the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The pathophysiologic mechanisms are not well understood, and the effects of the RHF procedures extend beyond the time of the individual procedures.Patients and Methods. We present the data for 46 patients with AMD treated with a series of 8 rheohemapheretic procedures. Blood count parameters were measured before the first and the last procedures. The clinical effect was judged by changes in the drusenoid pigment epithelium detachment (DPED) area before and after the rheopheretic sessions.Results. Rheopheresis caused a decrease in hemoglobin(P<0.001), a decrease in leukocytes(P<0.034), and an increase in platelets(P<0.005). We found a negative correlation between the amount of platelets and their volume (P<0.001, Pearson correlation coefficient: −0.509). We identified the platelet/MPV ratio as a good predictor of the clinical outcome. Patients with a platelet/MPV ratio greater than 21.5 (before the last rheopheresis) had a significantly better outcome (P=0.003, sensitivity of 76.9% and specificity of 80%).Conclusion. Several basic blood count parameters after RHF can be concluded to significantly change, with some of those changes correlating with the clinical results (reduction of the DPED area).
Skin Closure in Laparoscopic Living Donor Nephrectomy: Modern Tissue Adhesive versus Conventional Intracutaneous Suture—A Randomized Study
Authors: Vormdal Silje Marie , Skauby Morten , Lonar Silje , Øyen Ole
Published: March 2014

Purpose. To compare the modern tissue adhesive cyanoacrylate (Liquiband) to conventional, intracutaneous suture and dressing, with regard to wound characteristics, time consumption, donors’ self-satisfaction, and cost. Methods. Sixty-four kidney donors, subjected to laparoscopic hand-assisted nephrectomy, were randomly assigned to skin closure either with tissue adhesive (n=32) or suture (n=32). The follow-up assessments were carried out on postoperative days 2, 4 and at departure, evaluated by the use of a previously set numerical scale for rubor, secretion, gaps, oedema, and blisters. Infections and complications/reinterventions were recorded, as well as operative/skin closure time and costs. The donors’ self-satisfaction was evaluated by means of a questionnaire. Results. There were significant results in favour of tissue adhesive regarding wound closure time and the wound characteristics “rubor,” “blisters,” and “oedema.” Although, the wound parameters “secretion” and “gaps” altogether showed a rather evident tendency in favour of suture, partially at significant levels. A low rate of complications/reoperations/infections did not give rise to any significant differences. Conclusion. Our study concludes that gluing is significantly faster, less traumatic by avoiding needle penetrations, but associated with an increased rate of secretion and gaps—presumably depending on gluing technique. Glue seems particularly suitable for small, laparoscopic/trocar incisions.
Conspicuity Research on the Highway Roadside Objects: A Simulator Study
Authors: Chen Xuemei , Wei Zhonghua , Zhao Xia , Hao Mingyang , Zhang Tongyang
Published: March 2014

In a monotonous travelling environment, the single-vehicle run-off-roadside accidents occur easily. The injuries and fatalities caused by those accidents are significant components of the annual road casualties. The causation is the complex interaction of the visual effects on the roadside objects’ conspicuity. So the conspicuity enhancement needs to be considered in the roadside objects design to provide a temporary restoration of alertness and vigilance to drivers. Factors contributing to the conspicuity of the roadside objects were analyzed in this paper. A driving simulator study was conducted in order to extrapolate the relationship between the legibility distances and the objects and to quantify the conspicuity of the roadside objects different in basic features. The conclusions of this paper were firstly, a significant correlation existed between the mean legibility distance and the object’s size. The mean legibility distance was in a significant exponential proportion to the object’s size. Secondly, the triangle’s legibility was better than that of the rectangle and round contours. Only when the roadside object was combined with the suitable contour and size did the best visual quality come. To some extent, the conclusions could provide theoretical tools and strategies to optimize the dimensional design of the roadside objects in order to maintain the roadside safety.
Development and Validation of Liquid Chromatographic Method for Estimation of Naringin in Nanoformulation
Authors: Musmade Kranti P. , Trilok M. , Dengale Swapnil J. , Bhat Krishnamurthy , Reddy M. S. , Musmade Prashant B. , Udupa N.
Published: March 2014

A simple, precise, accurate, rapid, and sensitive reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with UV detection has been developed and validated for quantification of naringin (NAR) in novel pharmaceutical formulation. NAR is a polyphenolic flavonoid present in most of the citrus plants having variety of pharmacological activities. Method optimization was carried out by considering the various parameters such as effect of pH and column. The analyte was separated by employing a C18 (250.0 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column at ambient temperature in isocratic conditions using phosphate buffer pH 3.5: acetonitrile (75 : 25% v/v) as mobile phase pumped at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. UV detection was carried out at 282 nm. The developed method was validated according to ICH guidelines Q2(R1). The method was found to be precise and accurate on statistical evaluation with a linearity range of 0.1 to 20.0 μg/mL for NAR. The intra- and interday precision studies showed good reproducibility with coefficients of variation (CV) less than 1.0%. The mean recovery of NAR was found to be 99.33 ± 0.16%. The proposed method was found to be highly accurate, sensitive, and robust. The proposed liquid chromatographic method was successfully employed for the routine analysis of said compound in developed novel nanopharmaceuticals. The presence of excipients did not show any interference on the determination of NAR, indicating method specificity.
A Preliminary Study of the Algicidal Mechanism of Bioactive Metabolites ofBrevibacillus laterosporusonOscillatoriain Prawn Ponds
Authors: Jia Wen , Huang Xianghu , Li Changling
Published: March 2014

The algae,Oscillatoria, is commonly found in prawn ponds and can lead to reduced productivity. We examined metabolites of the bacteriaBrevibacillus laterosporusfor algicidal qualities. To determine the possible algicidal mechanisms of these bioactive metabolites, different amounts of sterile filtrate of bacterial suspensions were added to cultures containingOscillatoria. The dry weight, the concentrations of chlorophyll-a (chl-a), phycobiliprotein (PC, phycocyanin; APC, allophycocyanin; PE, phycoerythrin), and MDA (malondialdehyde) and the activities of SOD (superoxide dismutase), POD (peroxidase), and CAT (catalase) of algae were measured during the algicidal application. The results showed that lower concentrations of the sterile filtrate (addition ≤ 4 mL) accelerated the growth rate ofOscillatoria, but significant inhibition and lysis were observed with higher concentrations (addition ≥ 8 mL). In two trials (the additions were 8 mL and 10 mL, respectively), the algal dry weights were reduced by 26.02% and 45.30%, and the chl-a concentrations were decreased by 46.88% and 63.73%, respectively, after seven days. During the algicidal treatment, the concentrations of PC, APC, PE, and MDA and the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT were significantly increased in the early cultivation and declined quickly at later stages. Finally, the algae-lysing mechanism of the bioactive metabolites of the bacteriaBrevibacillus laterosporusonOscillatoriahad been proposed.
Fatigue Is Associated with Poor Sleep in People with Multiple Sclerosis and Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Cameron Michelle H. , Peterson Vanessa , Boudreau Eilis A. , Downs Ashley , Lovera Jesus , Kim Edward , McMillan Garnett P. , Turner Aaron P. , Haselkorn Jodie K. , Bourdette Dennis
Published: March 2014

Background. Fatigue is the most common symptom in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Poor sleep also occurs in this population.Objective. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between fatigue and sleep quality in people with MS and cognitive impairment.Method. This cross-sectional study assessed relationships among fatigue, assessed with the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), sleep quality assessed with the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and demographics in 121 people with MS and cognitive impairment.Results. Fatigue was significantly correlated with poor sleep quality (MFIS:F=15.60,P<0.01; FSS:F=12.09,P<0.01). FSS scores were also significantly correlated with the PSQI subscore for daytime dysfunction and MFIS scores were significantly correlated with disability, age, and the PSQI subscores for sleep quality, sleep duration, and daytime dysfunction.Conclusions. This study demonstrates a relationship between fatigue and sleep quality in individuals with MS and cognitive impairment.
Vibroacoustic Analysis of a Rectangular Enclosure Bounded by a Flexible Panel with Clamped Boundary Condition
Authors: Wang Yuan , Zhang Jianrun , Le Vanquynh
Published: March 2014

A lot of research on the properties of a panel-enclosure coupled system which consists of an enclosure with a simply supported flexible wall was conducted. However, an enclosure with clamped flexible walls is commonly encountered. The properties of a panel-enclosure system, with one clamped flexible wall, are different from those of a simply supported one, and there are only a few studies on it. Thus, this paper is dedicated to the study of the effect of structural-acoustic coupling on the properties of a panel-enclosure system, which consists of an enclosure with a clamped panel. The resonance frequencies and the decay times of the coupled system are obtained using the classical modal coupling theory. The effects of enclosure and its flexible boundary on the resonance frequencies and the modal decay times of the coupled system are then analyzed. It is shown that, when panel thickness is changed, coupling strength is determined by the difference between the resonance frequencies of the panel and the enclosure modes. However, for the variation of enclosure depth, the factor which determines the coupling strength between panel and enclosure modes is the enclosure depth or the difference between their resonance frequencies.
Upregulating Nonneuronal Cholinergic Activity Decreases TNF Release from Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells
Authors: Lv Yi , Hu Sen , Lu Jiangyang , Dong Ning , Liu Qian , Du Minghua , Zhang Huiping
Published: March 2014

Nonneuronal cholinergic system plays a primary role in maintaining homeostasis. It has been proved that endogenous neuronal acetylcholine (ACh) could play an anti-inflammatory role, and exogenous cholinergic agonists could weaken macrophages inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation through activation ofα7 subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). We assumed that nonneuronal cholinergic system existing in macrophages could modulate inflammation through autocrine ACh and expressedα7nAChR on the cells. Therefore, we explored whether LPS continuous stimulation could upregulate the nonneuronal cholinergic activity in macrophages and whether increasing autocrine ACh could decrease TNF release from the macrophages. The results showed that, in RAW264.7 cells incubated with LPS for 20 hours, the secretion of ACh was significantly decreased at 4 h and then gradually increased, accompanied with the enhancement ofα7nAChR expression level. The release of TNF was greatly increased from RAW264.7 cells at 4 h and 8 h exposure to LPS; however, it was suppressed at 20 h. Upregulating choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression through ChAT gene transfection could enhance ACh secretion and reduce TNF release from the infected RAW264. 7cells. The results indicated that LPS stimulation could modulate the activity of nonneuronal cholinergic system of RAW264.7 cells. Enhancing autocrine ACh production could attenuate TNF release from RAW264.7 cells.