bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Efficacy (SIB) of 13.3 Versus 4.6 mg/24 h Rivastigmine Patch in Severe Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Isaacson Richard S. , Ferris Steven , Velting Drew M. , Meng Xiangyi
Published: September 2015

Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) data from the 24-week, randomized, double-blind ACTivities of daily living and cognitION (ACTION) study suggest that patients with severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD) benefit from treatment with 13.3 versus 4.6 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch. The objective of this retrospective analysis was to further examine the cognitive efficacy of 13.3 versus 4.6 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch on individual SIB items, and SIB domains derived using factor analysis of these items. Change from baseline at Week 24 on 9 new factor-defined domains and individual items was calculated and compared using effect sizes (Cohen’s d). Numerically less decline was observed with 13.3 versus 4.6 mg/24 h patch on all domains and the majority of individual items. Largest least squares mean treatment differences were observed on “visuospatial reasoning,” “object naming,” “recognition,” “design copying,” “social agency,” “ideational praxis,” and “comprehension” domains. These findings suggest 13.3 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch demonstrates broad cognitive efficacy across a range of SIB items and domains in patients with severe AD.
DNMT3A rs1550117 Polymorphism is Associated With Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in a Chinese Population
Authors: Ling Chen , Fangyu Dai , Wanhua Hu , Kelong Chen , zhimin Wu , yuting Zhang , rong Zhou
Published: September 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is classified as a neurodegenerative disease, impacting on brain integrity and functioning, resulting in a progressive deterioration of cognitive capabilities. Epigenetic changes can be acquired over the life span and mediate environmental effects on gene expression. DNA-methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) plays an important role in the development of embryogenesis and the generation of aberrant methylation late-onset AD (LOAD). In this study, the rs1550117 polymorphism of DNMT3A was determined by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism and confirmed by sequencing. The results showed that AA genotype carriers had a 2.08-fold risk of developing LOAD in comparison with GG genotype carriers (odds ratio [OR] = 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-4.21, P = .038) and had a 2.05-fold risk for LOAD compared with GG+GA genotype carriers (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.03-4.11, P = .038), indicating that the DNMT3A polymorphism supports a major role in the pathogenesis of LOAD and can be used as a stratification marker to predict an individual’s susceptibility to LOAD.
Successful Plasma Exchange for Acute Pancreatitis Complicated With Hypertriglyceridemia
Authors: Takahira Shuji , Suzuki Hiromichi , Watanabe Yusuke , Kin Hunsook , Ooya Yoshitaka , Sekine Yasumasa , Sonoda Kenichiro , Ogawa Hiroshi , Nomura Yushi , Takane Hiroshi , Tsuchiya Youhei , Tsukamoto Isao , Nemoto Manabu
Published: September 2015

A 33-year-old male with acute pancreatitis induced by hypertriglyceridemia had problems during treatment with plasma exchange. The hypercoagulable state was prevented by introducing innovative methods for cleaning and warming of the circuit and dialyzer. This enabled successful therapy, and the patient fully recovered from life-threatening acute pancreatitis.
Durkheim, Punishment, and Prison Privatization
Authors: Burkhardt Brett C. , Connor Brian T.
Published: September 2015

In a seminal statement, Emile Durkheim argued that punishment of crime has a salutary effect on society by reaffirming the collective consciousness. With few exceptions, Durkheim assumed that criminal punishment is done on behalf of society. With the rise of prison privatization, this assumption is increasingly called into question. For-profit firms carrying out punishment, though legally agents of the state, are motivated by private gain. This article asks: How might privatization modify the functional effects of punishment? It develops answers to this question by using insights from Durkheimian and neo-Durkheimian scholarship and the empirical case of modern privatized punishment in the United States. The article proposes three trajectories through which privatized punishment may (or may not) affect solidarity: Parity in Punishment, in which private and public punishers are seen as interchangeable; Public Interest, in which perceptions of greed and self-interest mar privatized punishment and sap it of its functional effects; and Sacred Transgressions, in which the private sector encroaches on sacred rites of punishment to the detriment of solidarity.
Somatic musculature in trematode hermaphroditic generation
Authors: Krupenko Darya Y. , Dobrovolskij Andrej A.
Published: September 2015

Background

The somatic musculature in trematode hermaphroditic generation (cercariae, metacercariae and adult) is presumed to comprise uniform layers of circular, longitudinal and diagonal muscle fibers of the body wall, and internal dorsoventral muscle fibers. Meanwhile, specific data are few, and there has been no analysis taking the trunk axial differentiation and regionalization into account. Yet presence of the ventral sucker (= acetabulum) morphologically divides the digenean trunk into two regions: preacetabular and postacetabular. The functional differentiation of these two regions is already evident in the nervous system organization, and the goal of our research was to investigate the somatic musculature from the same point of view.

Results

Somatic musculature of ten trematode species was studied with use of fluorescent-labelled phalloidin and confocal microscopy. The body wall of examined species included three main muscle layers (of circular, longitudinal and diagonal fibers), and most of the species had them distinctly better developed in the preacetabuler region. In majority of the species several (up to seven) additional groups of muscle fibers were found within the body wall. Among them the anterioradial, posterioradial, anteriolateral muscle fibers, and U-shaped muscle sets were most abundant. These groups were located on the ventral surface, and associated with the ventral sucker. The additional internal musculature was quite diverse as well, and included up to twelve separate groups of muscle fibers or bundles in one species. The most dense additional bundles were found in the preacetabular region and were connected with the suckers.

Conclusions

Previously unknown additional somatic musculature probably provides the diverse movements of the preacetabular region, ventral sucker, and oral sucker (or anterior organ). Several additional muscle groups of the body wall (anterioradial, posterioradial, anteriolateral fibers and U-shaped sets) are proposed to be included into the musculature ground pattern of trematode hermaphroditic generation. This pattern is thought to be determined by the primary trunk morphofunctional differentiation into the preacetabular and the postacetabular regions.
Medicinal plants used to treat the most frequent diseases encountered in Ambalabe rural community, Eastern Madagascar
Authors: Rakotoarivelo Nivo H. , Rakotoarivony Fortunat , Ramarosandratana Aro Vonjy , Jeannoda Vololoniaina H. , Kuhlman Alyse R. , Randrianasolo Armand , Bussmann Rainer W.
Published: September 2015

Background

Traditional medicine remains the only health care available in many rural areas in Madagascar like the rural community of Ambalabe, located in a very remote area in the eastern part of the country. With limited access to modern medicine, the local population uses medicinal plants to treat most diseases. In this study, we aimed to inventory medicinal plants used by local people and how those relate to the treatment of the most frequent diseases encountered in Ambalabe.

Methods

We interviewed participants in order to identify the most frequent diseases in the region and the medicinal plants used to treat them. The local physician was asked about the most frequent diseases, and ethnobotanical surveys to record medicinal plants and their uses, using semi-structured interviews and free listing, were conducted among 193 informants in local villages, of which 54 % were men and 46 % were women, ageing from 16 to 86 years. The local names, the uses of each plant species and the way they are prepared and administered were recorded and accompanied by herbarium specimens for identification. We also interviewed four traditional healers to elicit more details on the preparation and the use of plants.

Results

Our research allowed us to identify six most frequent diseases, namely diarrhea, malaria, stomach-ache, cough, bilharzia and dysentery. Among 209 plant species identified as having medicinal use, 83 species belonging to 49 families and 77 genera were used to treat these diseases. Our analyses highlighted the 11 commonly used species for their treatment, and also 16 species with a high fidelity level (FL ≥ 75 %) for each ailment. Diarrhea is one of the diseases with high number of species recorded.

Conclusions

This study highlighted the closed relationship between people in Ambalabe and plant species, especially when faced with frequent diseases. However, most of the species used were collected in the surroundings of the villages. Few species were from Vohibe forest in which a management system on the use of plant species was already established. Therefore, a sustainable use management should be considered for wild species from which medicinal plants are highly abundant.
Integrated approach to the understanding of the degradation of an urban river: local perceptions, environmental parameters and geoprocessing
Authors: Collier Carolina A. , Almeida Neto Miguel S. de , Aretakis Gabriela MA , Santos Rangel E. , de Oliveira Tiago H. , Mourão José S. , Severi William , El-Deir Ana CA
Published: September 2015

Background

The use of interdisciplinary approaches such as the proposed report provides a broad understanding of the relationship between people and the environment, revealing reliable aspects not previously considered in the study of this relationship. This study compiled evidence on the environmental degradation of an urbanized river over the past few decades, providing a diagnosis of the consequences of this process for the river, its ichthyofauna, and the local human population.

Methods

The study was focused on the Beira Rio community on the Capibaribe River in the municipality of São Lourenço da Mata, Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected using geoprocessing and ethnobiological approaches, as well as environmental parameters. This research was conducted with the most experienced long-term residents in the local community, through interviews and participatory methodologies to recovering information about the river environment, its ichthyofauna and its environmental services for the last decades.

Results

According to the GIS analysis, the study area was subject to an accelerated process of urbanization, with the total urban area increasing from 73 565, 98 m2 in 1974 to 383 363, 6 m2 in 2005. The informants perceived the urban growth, especially in the late twentieth century, being this period recognized as the phase of greatest negative changes in the river environment. The perceived decline of fish stocks was indicated by the community as one of the effects of river degradation. According to the interviews, the deterioration of the river affected the ecosystem services and the relationship of the adjacent human community with this ecosystem. The environmental data indicated that the river is suffering eutrophization and has fecal coliform concentrations 160 times higher than the maximum level permitted by Brazilian legislation.

Conclusions

The interdisciplinary approach used in this research allowed the understanding of the degradation process of an urban river and some negative effects through the integration of environmental data, GIS and the local knowledge, revealing the complementarity of obtained data and the effectiveness of implementation of this approach.
Brain metabolism and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers profile of non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment in comparison to amnestic mild cognitive impairment and normal older subjects
Authors: Coutinho Artur M N , Porto Fábio H G , Duran Fabio L S , Prando Silvana , Ono Carla R , Feitosa Esther A A F , Spíndola Lívia , de Oliveira Maira O. , do Vale Patrícia H F , Gomes Helio R. , Nitrini Ricardo , Brucki Sonia M D , Buchpiguel Carlos A.
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is classically considered a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. Non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) patients, however, typically demonstrate cognitive deficits other than memory decline. Furthermore, as a group, naMCI have a lower rate of an eventual dementia diagnosis as compared to amnestic subtypes of MCI (aMCI). Unfortunately, studies investigating biomarker profiles of naMCI are scarce. The study objective was to investigate the regional brain glucose metabolism (rBGM) with [18F]FDG-PET and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in subjects with naMCI as compared to a control group (CG) and aMCI subjects.

Methods

Ninety-five patients were included in three different groups: naMCI (N = 32), aMCI (N = 33) and CG (N = 30). Patients underwent brain MRI and [18F]FDG-PET. A subsample (naMCI = 26, aMCI = 28) also had an assessment of amyloid-β, tau, and phosphorylated tau levels in the CSF.

Results

Both MCI groups had lower rBGM in relation to the CG in the precuneus. Subjects with naMCI showed decreased right prefrontal metabolism as well as higher levels of CSF amyloid-β relative to aMCI subjects.

Conclusion

While amnestic MCI subjects showed a biomarker profile classically related to MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease, naMCI patients illustrated a decrease in both prefrontal hypometabolism and higher CSF amyloid-β levels relative to the aMCI group. These biomarker findings indicate that naMCI is probably a heterogeneous group with similar precuneus hypometabolism compared to aMCI, but additional frontal hypometabolism and less amyloid-β deposition in the brain. Clinical follow-up and reappraisal of biomarkers of the naMCI group is needed to determine the outcome and probable etiological diagnosis.
Cyclic admissible contraction and applications to functional equations in dynamic programming
Authors: Isik Huseyin , Samet Bessem , Vetro Calogero
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we introduce the notion of T-cyclic $( \alpha ,\beta ) $
(
α
,
β
)
-contraction and give some common fixed point results for this type of contractions. The presented theorems extend, generalize, and improve many existing results in the literature. Several examples and applications to functional equations arising in dynamic programming are also given in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.
Indeterminacy in process type classification
Authors: Gwilliams Laura , Fontaine Lise
Published: September 2015

Clausal analysis within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is generally based upon a classification of the clause into one of six process types. Although this allocation is often portrayed as clear-cut, in practice process distinction can be unclear, and a single verb may meet the coding criteria of a number of categories. The aim of this paper is to examine the nature of indeterminacy within a transitive SFL analysis, by surveying experienced SFL users for their classification of 20 clauses. Our main findings are threefold: 1) inconsistency of analysis was very prevalent - we find only one of the critical clauses to be unanimously categorised for process type; 2) the main area of disagreement between analysts was the selection of Material vs. Verbal processes; 3) clauses with low consistency ratings appeared to include performative main verbs. These findings are discussed in the light of the semantic properties of performativity, which may contribute to the difficulty in process type identification; further, possible alleviations to these issues are discussed in order to allow for a full consideration of both the syntactic and semantic realisation of the clause, in situations where these streams of information may diverge.
Lobular Carcinoma in Situ: A 29-Year Longitudinal Experience Evaluating Clinicopathologic Features and Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: King Tari A. , Pilewskie Melissa , Muhsen Shirin , Patil Sujata , Mautner Starr K. , Park Anna , Oskar Sabine , Guerini-Rocco Elena , Boafo Camilla , Gooch Jessica C. , De Brot Marina , Reis-Filho Jorge S. , Morrogh Mary , Andrade Victor P. , Sakr Rita A. , Morrow Monica
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The increased breast cancer risk conferred by a diagnosis of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is poorly understood. Here, we review our 29-year longitudinal experience with LCIS to evaluate factors associated with breast cancer risk.

Patients and Methods

Patients participating in surveillance after an LCIS diagnosis are observed in a prospectively maintained database. Comparisons were made among women choosing surveillance, with or without chemoprevention, and those undergoing bilateral prophylactic mastectomies between 1980 and 2009.

Results

One thousand sixty patients with LCIS without concurrent breast cancer were identified. Median age at LCIS diagnosis was 50 years (range, 27 to 83 years). Fifty-six patients (5%) underwent bilateral prophylactic mastectomy; 1,004 chose surveillance with (n = 173) or without (n = 831) chemoprevention. At a median follow-up of 81 months (range, 6 to 368 months), 150 patients developed 168 breast cancers (63% ipsilateral, 25% contralateral, 12% bilateral), with no dominant histology (ductal carcinoma in situ, 35%; infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 29%; infiltrating lobular carcinoma, 27%; other, 9%). Breast cancer incidence was significantly reduced in women taking chemoprevention (10-year cumulative risk: 7% with chemoprevention; 21% with no chemoprevention; P < .001). In multivariable analysis, chemoprevention was the only clinical factor associated with breast cancer risk (hazard ratio, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.50). In a subgroup nested case-control analysis, volume of disease, which was defined as the ratio of slides with LCIS to total number of slides reviewed, was also associated with breast cancer development (P = .008).

Conclusion

We observed a 2% annual incidence of breast cancer among women with LCIS. Common clinical factors used for risk prediction, including age and family history, were not associated with breast cancer risk. The lower breast cancer incidence in women opting for chemoprevention highlights the potential for risk reduction in this population.
Comparison of the Genomic Landscape Between Primary Breast Cancer in African American Versus White Women and the Association of Racial Differences With Tumor Recurrence
Authors: Keenan Tanya , Moy Beverly , Mroz Edmund A. , Ross Kenneth , Niemierko Andrzej , Rocco James W. , Isakoff Steven , Ellisen Leif W. , Bardia Aditya
Published: September 2015

Purpose

African American women are more likely to die as a result of breast cancer than white women. The influence of somatic genomic profiles on this racial disparity is unclear. We aimed to compare the racial distribution of tumor genomic characteristics and breast cancer recurrence.

Methods

We assessed white and African American women with stage I to III breast cancer diagnosed from 1988 to 2013 and primary tumors submitted to The Cancer Genome Atlas from 2010 to 2014. We used Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the association of race and genetic traits with tumor recurrence.

Results

We investigated exome sequencing and gene expression data in 663 and 711 white and 105 and 159 African American women, respectively. African Americans had more TP53 mutations (42.9% v 27.6%; P = .003) and fewer PIK3CA mutations (20.0% v 33.9%; P = .008). Intratumor genetic heterogeneity was greater in African American than white tumors overall by 5.1 units (95% CI, 2.4 to 7.7) and within triple-negative tumors by 4.1 units (95% CI, 1.4 to 6.8). African Americans had more basal tumors by the 50-gene set predictor using the predication analysis of microarray method (PAM50; 39.0% v 18.6%; P < .001) and fewer PAM50 luminal A tumors (17.0% v 34.7%; P < .001). Among triple-negative subtypes, African Americans had more basal-like 1 and mesenchymal stem-like tumors. African Americans had a higher risk of tumor recurrence than whites (hazard ratio, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.05 to 4.67). Racial differences in TP53 mutation, PAM50 basal subtype, and triple-negative tumor prevalence but not intratumor genetic heterogeneity influenced the magnitude and significance of the racial disparity in tumor recurrence.

Conclusion

African Americans had greater intratumor genetic heterogeneity and more basal gene expression tumors, even within triple-negative breast cancer. This pattern suggests more aggressive tumor biology in African Americans than whites, which could contribute to racial disparity in breast cancer outcome.
Efficacy and Safety of Trabectedin or Dacarbazine for Metastatic Liposarcoma or Leiomyosarcoma After Failure of Conventional Chemotherapy: Results of a Phase III Randomized Multicenter Clinical Trial
Authors: Demetri George D. , von Mehren Margaret , Jones Robin L. , Hensley Martee L. , Schuetze Scott M. , Staddon Arthur , Milhem Mohammed , Elias Anthony , Ganjoo Kristen , Tawbi Hussein , Van Tine Brian A. , Spira Alexander , Dean Andrew , Khokhar Nushmia Z. , Park Youn Choi , Knoblauch Roland E. , Parekh Trilok V. , Maki Robert G. , Patel Shreyaskumar R.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

This multicenter study, to our knowledge, is the first phase III trial to compare trabectedin versus dacarbazine in patients with advanced liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma after prior therapy with an anthracycline and at least one additional systemic regimen.

Patients and Methods

Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive trabectedin or dacarbazine intravenously every 3 weeks. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), secondary end points were disease control—progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression, objective response rate, and duration of response—as well as safety and patient-reported symptom scoring.

Results

A total of 518 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either trabectedin (n = 345) or dacarbazine (n = 173). In the final analysis of PFS, trabectedin administration resulted in a 45% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared with dacarbazine (median PFS for trabectedin v dacarbazine, 4.2 v 1.5 months; hazard ratio, 0.55; P < .001); benefits were observed across all preplanned subgroup analyses. The interim analysis of OS (64% censored) demonstrated a 13% reduction in risk of death in the trabectedin arm compared with dacarbazine (median OS for trabectedin v dacarbazine, 12.4 v 12.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.87; P = .37). The safety profiles were consistent with the well-characterized toxicities of both agents, and the most common grade 3 to 4 adverse effects were myelosuppression and transient elevation of transaminases in the trabectedin arm.

Conclusion

Trabectedin demonstrates superior disease control versus conventional dacarbazine in patients who have advanced liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma after they experience failure of prior chemotherapy. Because disease control in advanced sarcomas is a clinically relevant end point, this study supports the activity of trabectedin for patients with these malignancies.
Recent Engagements with Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment
Authors: Paganelli Maria Pia
Published: September 2015

Recent literature on Adam Smith and other eighteenth-century Scottish thinkers shows an engaged conversation between the Scots and today's scholars in the sciences that deal with humans—the social sciences and the humanities, as well as neuroscience and evolutionary psychology. We share with the eighteenth-century Scots preoccupations about understanding human beings, human nature, sociability, moral development, our ability to understand nature and its possible creator, and about the possibilities to use our knowledge to improve our surroundings and standard of living. As our disciplines evolve, the studies of Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment evolve with them. Smith and the Scots remain our interlocutors.
Molecular mechanism for preQ1-II riboswitch function revealed by molecular dynamics
Authors: Aytenfisu Asaminew H. , Liberman Joseph A. , Wedekind Joseph E. , Mathews David H.
Published: September 2015

Riboswitches are RNA molecules that regulate gene expression using conformational change, affected by binding of small molecule ligands. A crystal structure of a ligand-bound class II preQ1 riboswitch has been determined in a previous structural study. To gain insight into the dynamics of this riboswitch in solution, eight total molecular dynamic simulations, four with and four without ligand, were performed using the Amber force field. In the presence of ligand, all four of the simulations demonstrated rearranged base pairs at the 3′ end, consistent with expected base-pairing from comparative sequence analysis in a prior bioinformatic analysis; this suggests the pairing in this region was altered by crystallization. Additionally, in the absence of ligand, three of the simulations demonstrated similar changes in base-pairing at the ligand binding site. Significantly, although most of the riboswitch architecture remained intact in the respective trajectories, the P3 stem was destabilized in the ligand-free simulations in a way that exposed the Shine–Dalgarno sequence. This work illustrates how destabilization of two major groove base triples can influence a nearby H-type pseudoknot and provides a mechanism for control of gene expression by a fold that is frequently found in bacterial riboswitches.
Evidence for cooperative tandem binding of hnRNP C RRMs in mRNA processing
Authors: Cieniková Zuzana , Jayne Sandrine , Damberger Fred Franz , Allain Frédéric Hai-Trieu , Maris Christophe
Published: September 2015

The human hnRNP C is a ubiquitous cellular protein involved in mRNA maturation. Recently, we have shown that this protein specifically recognizes uridine (U) pentamers through its single RNA recognition motif (RRM). However, a large fraction of natural RNA targets of hnRNP C consists of much longer contiguous uridine stretches. To understand how these extended sites are recognized, we studied the binding of the RRM to U-tracts of 8–11 bases. In vivo investigation of internal translation activation of unr (upstream of N-ras) mRNA indicates that the conservation of the entire hnRNP C binding site, UC(U)8, is required for hnRNP C-dependent IRES activation. The assays further suggest a synergistic interplay between hnRNP C monomers, dependent on the protein's ability to oligomerize. In vitro spectroscopic and thermodynamic analyses show that isolated RRMs bind to (U)11 oligomers as dimers. Structural modeling of a ternary double-RRM/RNA complex indicates additionally that two RRM copies can be accommodated on the canonical sequence UC(U)8. The proposed tandem RRM binding is in very good agreement with the transcriptome-wide recognition of extended U-tracts by full-length hnRNP C, which displays a cross-linking pattern consistent with a positively cooperative RRM dimer binding model.
Case Report: Traumatic anterior cerebral artery aneurysm in a 4-year old child
Authors: Munakomi Sunil , Tamrakar Karuna , Chaudhary Pramod , Bhattarai Binod , Cherian Iype
Published: September 2015

Traumatic intracranial aneurysm in the proximal part of the anterior cerebral artery in the pediatric population has not been documented so far. Here we report the case of a 4 year-old child who developed a pseudo-aneurysm after minor head trauma and was managed successfully with trapping of the aneurysm. A ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was placed as the child became dependent on extraventricular drain during the post-operative period. The patient made excellent recovery in neurological status within 1 month of post-operative clinical follow up.
An Iterative algorithm for $\eta$-(anti)-Hermitian least-squares solutions of quaternion matrix equations
Authors: Beik Fatemeh , Ahmadi-Asl Salman
Published: September 2015

Recently, some research has been devoted to finding the explicit forms of the Î·-Hermitian and Î·-anti-Hermitian solutions of several kinds of quaternion matrix equations and their associated least-squares problems in the literature. Although exploiting iterative algorithms is superior than utilizing the explicit forms in application, hitherto, an iterative approach has not been offered for finding Î·-(anti)-Hermitian solutions of quaternion matrix equations. The current paper deals with applying an efficient iterative manner for determining Î·-Hermitian and Î·-anti-Hermitian least-squares solutions corresponding to the quaternion matrix equation AXB + CY D = E. More precisely, first, this paper establishes some properties of the Î·-Hermitian and Î·-anti-Hermitian matrices. These properties allow for the demonstration of how the well-known conjugate gradient least- squares (CGLS) method can be developed for solving the mentioned problem over the Î·-Hermitian and Î·-anti-Hermitian matrices. In addition, the convergence properties of the proposed algorithm are discussed with details. In the circumstance that the coefficient matrices are ill-conditioned, it is suggested to use a preconditioner for accelerating the convergence behavior of the algorithm. Numerical experiments are reported to reveal the validity of the elaborated results and feasibility of the proposed iterative algorithm and its preconditioned version.
Inequalities for relative operator entropies
Authors: Kluza Pawel , Niezgoda Marek
Published: September 2015

In this paper, operator inequalities are provided for operator entropies transformed by a strictly positive linear map. Some results by Furuichi et al. [S. Furuichi, K. Yanagi, and K. Kuriyama. A note on operator inequalities of Tsallis relative operator entropy. Linear Algebra Appl., 407:19â31, 2005.], Furuta [T. Furuta. Two reverse inequalities associated with Tsallis relative operator entropy via generalized Kantorovich constant and their applications. Linear Algebra Appl., 412:526â537, 2006.], and Zou [L. Zou. Operator inequalities associated with Tsallis relative operator entropy. Math. Inequal. Appl., 18:401â406, 2015.] are extended. In particular, the obtained inequalities are specified for relative operator entropy and Tsallis relative operator entropy. In addition, some bounds for generalized relative operator entropy are established.
Further results on generalized inverses in rings with involution
Authors: Castro-Gonzalez N. , Chen Jianlong , Wang Long
Published: September 2015

Let R be a unital ring with an involution. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of the Bott-Duffin inverse of a in R relative to a pair of self-adjoint idempotents (e, f) are derived. The existence of a {1, 3}-inverse, {1, 4}-inverse, and the Moore-Penrose inverse of a matrix product is characterized, and explicit formulas for their computations are obtained. Some applications to block matrices over a ring are given.
On the Laplacian characteristic polynomials of mixed graphs
Authors: Kiani Dariush , Mirzakhah Maryam
Published: September 2015

Let G be a mixed graph and L(G) be the Laplacian matrix of G. In this paper, the coefficients of the Laplacian characteristic polynomial of G are studied. The first derivative of the characteristic polynomial of L(G) is explicitly expressed by means of Laplacian characteristic polynomials of its edge deleted subgraphs. As a consequence, it is shown that the Laplacian characteristic polynomial of a mixed graph is reconstructible from the collection of the Laplacian characteristic polynomials of its edge deleted subgraphs. Then, it is investigated how graph modifications affect the mixed Laplacian characteristic polynomial. Also, a connection between the Laplacian characteristic polynomial of a non-singular connected mixed graph and the signless Laplacian characteristic polynomial is provided, and it is used to establish a lower bound for the spectral radius of L(G). Finally, using Coates digraphs, the perturbation of the mixed Laplacian spectral radius under some graph transformations is discussed.
Sparse spectrally arbitrary patterns
Authors: Eastman Brydon , Shader Bryan , Vander Meulen Kevin
Published: September 2015

We explore combinatorial matrix patterns of order n for which some matrix entries are necessarily nonzero, some entries are zero, and some are arbitrary. In particular, we are interested in when the pattern allows any monic characteristic polynomial with real coefficients, that is, when the pattern is spectrally arbitrary. We describe some order n patterns that are spectrally arbitrary. We show that each superpattern of a sparse companion matrix pattern is spectrally arbitrary. We determine all the minimal spectrally arbitrary patterns of order 2 and 3. Finally, we demonstrate that there exist spectrally arbitrary patterns for which the nilpotent-Jacobian method fails.
Inversion of centroskewsymmetric Toeplitz-plus-Hankel Bezoutians
Authors: Rost Karla , Ehrhardt Torsten
Published: September 2015

In this paper, the inverse of a nonsingular, centroskewsymmetric Toeplitz-plus-Hankel Bezoutian B of (even) order n are computed, and a representation of B^(â1) as a sum of a Toeplitz and a Hankel matrix is found. Two possibilities are discussed. In the first one, the problem is reduced to the inversion of two skewsymmetric Toeplitz Bezoutians of order n. In the second one, the problem is tackled via the inversion of two Hankel Bezoutians of half the order n/2. The inversion of Toeplitz or Hankel Bezoutians is the subject of a previous paper [T. Ehrhardt and K. Rost. Resultant matrices and inversion of Bezoutians. Linear Algebra Appl., 439:621â639, 2013.]. Both approaches lead to fast O(n^2) inversion algorithms.
Minimum ranks of sign patterns via sign vectors and duality
Authors: Arav Marina , Hall Frank , Li Zhongshan , Van der Holst Hein , Sinkovic John , Zhang Lihua
Published: September 2015

A sign pattern matrix is a matrix whose entries are from the set {+,â,0}. The minimum rank of a sign pattern matrix A is the minimum of the ranks of the real matrices whose entries have signs equal to the corresponding entries of A. It is shown in this paper that for any mÃn sign pattern A with minimum rank n â 2, rational realization of the minimum rank is possible. This is done using a new approach involving sign vectors and duality. It is shown that for each integer n â¥ 9, there exists a nonnegative integer m such that there exists an m Ã n sign pattern matrix with minimum rank n â 3 for which rational realization is not possible. A characterization of m Ã n sign patterns A with minimum rank n â 1 is given (which solves an open problem in Brualdi et al. [R. Brualdi, S. Fallat, L. Hogben, B. Shader, and P. van den Driessche. Final report: Workshop on Theory and Applications of Matrices Described by Patterns. Banff International Research Station, Jan. 31 â Feb. 5, 2010.]), along with a more general description of sign patterns with minimum rank r, in terms of sign vectors of certain subspaces. Several related open problems are stated along the way.
Estratégia de manutenção preditiva no departamento gráfico de uma empresa do ramo fumageiro
Authors: Toazza Guilherme Francez , Sellitto Miguel Afonso
Published: September 2015

O objetivo deste artigo foi descrever a implantação de uma estratégia de Manutenção Preditiva no departamento gráfico de uma empresa da indústria fumageira. O método de pesquisa foi a pesquisa-ação. Foram revisadas e usadas as técnicas de Analise de Vibração, Termografia, Ferrografia e Inspeção Sensitiva. Foi construída e aplicada uma estratégia de Manutenção Preditiva, integrada à estratégia de produção do departamento gráfico. Na pesquisa, foram levantados, no sistema de informação da empresa, o índice de quebra de equipamentos (downtime), custos com desperdícios de energéticos, custos de manutenção e disponibilidade de H/h (homem/hora) e disponibilidade de equipamentos para a produção no período anterior a implantação de uma gestão de manutenção preditiva consistente e comparada com resultados após esta implantação. A partir dos resultados obtidos, ficou evidente que somente a manutenção preventiva, associada a um modelo parcial de manutenção preditiva, não foi suficiente para obter e manter a confiabilidade desejada em um departamento crítico para a empresa. A pesquisa concluiu que a implantação de uma estratégia de manutenção preditiva pode trazer resultados positivos em indicadores estratégicos que capturam objetivos compartilhados com outros setores da empresa, principalmente a produção.
Rapid Recovery with an Effective Therapist: A Comment on Hansen, Lambert, and Vlass
Authors: Laska Kevin M. , Federman Edward J
Published: September 2015

The person of the therapist is a robust predictor of psychotherapy outcome (Wampold & Imel, 2015). Additionally, some clients make rapid improvements, or sudden gains, in therapy and little is known about the mechanisms underlying this process. In the target article Hansen, Lambert, and Vlass (2015) explore the interaction between these two facets of psychotherapy and discuss how one therapist was able to obtain sudden gains with a high percentage of her clinical caseload. In our comment, we discuss aspects of the therapist who was the focus of the Hansen et al. that we believe contributed to her status as an effective therapist. Furthermore, we discuss the sudden gains obtained by the therapist in Hansen et al., review these improvements within the context of the larger body of evidence and suggest that both case mix as well as therapist skills played a significant role in the exceptional outcomes.
An Exceptional, Efficient, and Resilient Therapist: A Case Study in Practice-Based Evidence
Authors: Pereira Jo-Ann , Barkham Michael
Published: September 2015

Hansen, Lambert, and Vlass (2015) offer a timely and insightful research study into the delivery of exceptional psychotherapy practice by a private practitioner name Eri. At the conceptual level, we raise points about terminology ("supershrink") and the operationalization of sudden loss, while in terms of research we draw links with models of very brief interventions and set the account within the paradigm of practice-based research. We argue that the report is an exemplar of practice-based research at the level of the individual practitioner. In relation to clinical practice, we comment on how Eri demonstrates resilience in her routine practice by maintaining a high degree of personal competence, not only towards herself (e.g., in her deliberate use of patient outcome measures) but also in the application of her clinical skills and the development of a working alliance bond with clients, evidenced particularly with patients achieving sudden gains. Consideration is given to the salient client factors that may or may not facilitate change and additional comment is made on how service-level designs could impact on the delivery of sufficient treatment depending on clients' needs.
An update of novel identified cytogenetic and molecular biomarkers in the laboratory diagnosis of hematological neoplasia
Authors: Hinrichsen Tanja , Kuehner Stefanie , Subklewe Marion
Published: September 2015

Cancer diagnosis and identification of novel biomarkers are a rapidly changing field and open new doors into personalized medicine. Particularly in the diagnosis of hematological neoplasia, the identification of novel biomarkers has become more important because of biological sub-classification, prognosis and targeted and individualized therapies. Therefore, techniques like blood count, morphology, cytochemistry, histology, immunophenotyping, cytogenetics and molecular genetics are essential and cannot be denied nowadays. In the last years, a broad spectrum of novel molecular biomarkers has been identified in the genetic and molecular characterization of myelodysplastic syndromes. Lots of these novel molecular biomarkers gained entry in the routine diagnostics and provide an excess profit for patients. However, to ensure a cost-effective, targeted and individualized diagnostic testing, application of existing techniques has to be weighed against each other to obtain the best possible combination of targeted diagnostics. This review summarized thus far the diagnostic-relevant morphologic, cytogenetic and molecular biomarkers in the laboratory diagnosis of hematological neoplasia.
Crystal structure of 4-chloro-3'-methoxy-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-carbaldehyde, C14H11ClO2
Authors: Cao Weiwei , Gan Haifeng , Chen Zhengbang , Guo Kai
Published: September 2015

C14H11ClO2, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 4.1210(8) Å, b = 11.363(2) Å, c = 24.982(5) Å, V = 1169.8 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0572, wRref(F2) = 0.1287, T = 293 K.
Crystal structure of 5-((2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)methylene)- thiazolidine-2,4-dione, C12H9NO4S
Authors: Liu Yong-De , Yan Lu-Bing , Wang Xin-Yi , Sun Juan
Published: September 2015

C12H9NO4S, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 3.9201(5) Å, b = 11.836(2) Å, c = 13.105(2) Å, ɑ = 67.415(4)°, β = 83.375(4)°, γ = 82.156(4)°, V = 554.8 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0401, wRref(F2) = 0.0999, T = 293 K.
Crystal structure of bis(2-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenyl) terephthalate — acetic acid (1:1), C24H14F6N2O10
Authors: Chen Wei , Ji Mian , Yang Shiyong
Published: September 2015

C24H14F6N2O10, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 9.985(2) Å, b = 11.496(3) Å, c = 12.721(2) Å, ɑ = 107.297(9)°, β = 112.982(9)°, γ = 94.214(14)°, V = 1253.4 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0656, wRref(F2) = 0.1427, T = 173 K.
Data cleaning in the process industries
Authors: Xu Shu , Lu Bo , Baldea Michael , Edgar Thomas F. , Wojsznis Willy , Blevins Terrence , Nixon Mark
Published: September 2015

In the past decades, process engineers are facing increasingly more data analytics challenges and having difficulties obtaining valuable information from a wealth of process variable data trends. The raw data of different formats stored in databases are not useful until they are cleaned and transformed. Generally, data cleaning consists of four steps: missing data imputation, outlier detection, noise removal, and time alignment and delay estimation. This paper discusses available data cleaning methods that can be used in data pre-processing and help overcome challenges of “Big Data”.
Quantification of sp2 carbon nanomaterials in biological systems: pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and ecological uptake
Authors: Xue Fumin , Yang Sheng-Tao , Chen Lingyun , Wang Xiao , Wang Zhenhua
Published: September 2015

The sp2 carbon nanomaterials have fantastic properties and hold great potential in diverse areas, including electronics, energy, environment, biomedicine, and so on. The wide applications of sp2 carbon nanomaterials require the thorough investigations on their biosafety. The quantification of sp2 carbon nanomaterials is the first and crucial step in the biosafety evaluations. In this review, we summarized the quantification technologies for sp2 carbon nanomaterials and compared the advantages/disadvantages of these technologies. The pharmacokinetics, the biodistribution, and the ecological uptake of sp2 carbon nanomaterials were achieved by using the quantification technologies. Furthermore, the influence factors such as surface modification, size, shape, and exposure pathway were concerned, and the general rules in the biological behaviors of sp2 carbon nanomaterials were proposed. The implications to the biomedical applications and biosafety evaluations of sp2 carbon nanomaterials are discussed.
Antibacterial, antifungal and antimycobacterial activities of some pyrazoline, hydrazone and chalcone derivatives
Authors: Evranos-Aksöz Begüm , Onurdağ Fatma Kaynak , Özgacar Selda Özgen
Published: September 2015

Twenty-seven previously reported chalcones and their pyrazoline and hydrazone derivatives as well as two further chalcones have been screened for their antimicrobial, antifungal and antimycobacterial activities against standard microbial strains and drug resistant isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of each compound was determined by a two-fold serial microdilution technique. The compounds were found to possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities with MIC values of 8–128 μg/mL. One compound [(E)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-p-tolylprop-2-en-1-one] had equal activity with gentamycin (8 μg/mL) against Enterococcus faecalis. Chalcones were found to be more active than their hydrazone and 2-pyrazoline derivatives against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and E. faecalis ATCC 29212.
Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is associated with invasive characteristics of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents
Authors: Iliadou Paschalia K , Effraimidis Grigoris , Konstantinos Michalakis , Grigorios Panagiotou , Mitsakis Periklis , Patakiouta Frideriki , Pazaitou-Panayiotou Kalliopi
Published: September 2015

Background

The association between chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) and thyroid cancer is an interesting topic. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if demographic and histological characteristics as well as the long-term outcome of thyroid cancer was different in children and adolescents with and without CLT.

Methods

The medical records of children and adolescents (≤21 years old) were reviewed. The following data were recorded: gender, year and age at diagnosis, family history of thyroid cancer, history of external radiation therapy, histological type (papillary and variants, follicular and variants), tumour size, multifocality, infiltration of thyroid parenchyma or surrounding soft tissues, vascular invasion, presence of lymph node and distant metastases. Information about the presence of TgAb and TPOAb was also collected.

Results

One hundred eight children and adolescents (median age 19.0, interquartile range 4.0 years) were diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC); 31 patients (28.7%) presented histological characteristics compatible with CLT. Infiltration of thyroid parenchyma was more frequent in patients with CLT compared to patients without (74.2% vs 48.1% respectively, P=0.024). Familial papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was more frequent in patients with CLT compared to those without CLT (20.7% vs 2.8% respectively, P=0.009). There was no better outcome with respect to the presence of CLT or not.

Conclusions

Children and adolescents with CLT present more frequently familial PTC as well as thyroid cancer with invasive characteristics.
Mating induces the expression of immune- and pH-regulatory genes in the utero-vaginal junction containing mucosal sperm-storage tubuli of hens
Authors: Atikuzzaman Mohammad , Mehta Bhai Ratnesh , Fogelholm Jesper , Wright Dominic , Rodriguez-Martinez Heriberto
Published: September 2015

The female chicken, as with other species with internal fertilization, can tolerate the presence of spermatozoa within specialized sperm-storage tubuli (SST) located in the mucosa of the utero-vaginal junction (UVJ) for days or weeks, without eliciting an immune response. To determine if the oviduct alters its gene expression in response to sperm entry, segments from the oviduct (UVJ, uterus, isthmus, magnum and infundibulum) of mated and unmated (control) hens, derived from an advanced inter-cross line between Red Junglefowl and White Leghorn, were explored 24 h after mating using cDNA microarray analysis. Mating shifted the expression of fifteen genes in the UVJ (53.33% immune-modulatory and 20.00% pH-regulatory) and seven genes in the uterus, none of the genes in the latter segment overlapping the former (with the differentially expressed genes themselves being less related to immune-modulatory function). The other oviductal segments did not show any significant changes. These findings suggest sperm deposition causes a shift in expression in the UVJ (containing mucosal SST) and the uterus for genes involved in immune-modulatory and pH-regulatory functions, both relevant for sperm survival in the hen's oviduct.